REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA
Manga Written & Illustrated by Chiho SaitoStory by Be-Papas

One day, the truth comes crashing down on a little girl-her parents weren't away on a trip, they've died. The grade-school-age girl wanders the rain-soaked streets of her home town with no distinct purpose. Drenched in rain and tears, she finds herself by a river, and without knowing what she is doing, she throws herself in the roaring flood. Suddenly a man appears-her prince-and he rescues her, banishes her tears, and tells her to grow up into a strong, noble woman. And the girl's love of the prince determines her personality from that day forward-she strives, not to become a princess, but instead to grow up to be a prince just like him!
Now the girl, Utena Tenjo, is a teenager, and her strong will and fierce determination have branded her an unfeminine troublemaker at her school. In letters, her prince has kept in touch and even sent her a ring engraved with the mysterious crest of a rose. His latest letters indicate that they will soon meet again. But who is this prince, and what does this all have to do with the elite and private Ohtori Academy which Utena is destined to attend?
In her 18-year tenure as one of Japan's premiere shôjo manga artists, Chiho Saito has sold more than ten million graphic novels. In 1996, Revolutionary Girl Utena won the coveted Shogakukan Manga Award for the best manga of the year. In the following year, Utena made its way to the little screen, and in 1999 the surreal retelling of the Utena story, Adolescence of Utena, was animated for theatrical release. Chiho Saito has produced seven short-story collections and twelve continuing manga series that are currently in print. Highlights include Magnolia Waltz, Kanon, and her most recent work, Lady Masquerade. Her work with Be-Papas-the group of artists including the likes Sailor Moon director Kunihiko Ikuhara and Evangelion key animator Shinya Hasegawa-on Revolutionary Girl Utena is one of her rare collaborations, and it has turned out to be one of the most successful combinations of rare talent in manga history.