| Dios in "Adolescence Apocalypse" |
| Well, to start things off, Dios was about the only character who didn't look different in the movie. He was physically the same as in the show. However, his story changed a bit. <cough> A bit. A bad bit. Bad. So. You want to know how? Well, first of all, he apparently never existed at all. Anthy's magic apparently just changed "The lord of the flies" into a prince. But then the people came and got pissed off at Anthy, and she somehow lost her magical powers, and he turned BACK into the Lord of the flies. So, I suppose we are to assume that he has always BEEN Akio, and in the end, will always BE Akio. No changing that. Just when you get used to this, though, they have to go and complicate it. By which I mean, they take it, shake it up, and it no longer makes any sense at all. Because, by my reasoning, if Dios had always been Akio (which is basically what Akio tells us) then there would be no ghostly Dios. Right? Not so. He shows up when Juri and Miki are wandering around in the infamous parking garage. He appears from the darkness, turns around and looks at them, and then disappears. Juri and Miki are kinda like, "Whoa," but they move on a lot more quickly than I personally would have, had a man with purple hair and a cape just magically appeared and then left again. But then again, they go to school at Ohtori. And as if THAT wasn't enough, Utena appears as Dios to Anthy while she is dueling Juri. And then, when Anthy is in trouble, Juri sees Utena as Dios. And then there is something that Touga says to Utena in reference to the whole dueling situation.. "This whole place was created to revolve around the Prince, though the prince is not here in the flesh. So this game is necessary to fill that void." Then Utena replies, "That's not right. The prince was dead from the beginning." Now, Utena doesn't know anything about Dios. She never has. Touga has been her prince from the start, and saying as he has been dead for quite some time, she has never known him in Ohtori. Therefore, I can safely say that it is Touga who Utena is refering to, and not Dios. But, I think that Touga is referring to Dios... Then, at the very end, Utena says something about how she and Anthy were "Partners in crime for the deaths of their princes." While that line used to bother me slightly because it seemed so off-handed about, you know, killing ideals and such, I've come to the understanding that that's just growing up. My conclusion? My conclusion is that the whole story about Dios never existing was something that Anthy told Akio to keep him under her power. I think this would work, because, hell, movie Akio ain't the brightest candle in the chandelier. And this also works out with the continuity, because Akio is the only one we ever hear it from. But, of course, that's only if you take it completely literally, about dying and such. As with most of Shoujo Kakumei Utena, complicated forces and undercurrents are involved, about, as mentioned above, ideals, growing up, and finding out who you are... There's also the matter of movie Akio... If you get a chance to see any of his "paintings," you'll notice that they're all of Anthy, and of his past self. |
| Now you too can be dead while living! For a limited time only {Void where prohibited, available only through this offer}! |
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| Clearly movie Akio is still obsessed with who he used to be, and quite possible with regaining it. We never really know if movie Akio is as heavily involved in the duels as is show Akio. In fact, the duels almost take a back-seat in Adolescence Apocalypse. So, could we perhaps assume that Akio has found an outlet for all of his negative emotions in his art, as a parallel to Anthy's gardening? Heh. Could be. <snicker> |