Revolutionary Girl Utena
Creator: Chiho Saito
Director: Kunihiko Ikuhara

Genre: Shoujo/Drama/Action-Adventure
Rating: R. Sexual material implied. Mature Concepts.
Length: 39 eps, divided into 4 arcs.
Year released: 1998
Overall Rating: 8.75/10

"The princess made up her mind to become a prince herself--but was that really a good idea?" - Episode Introduction

---

Reviewer: Calliston

Story/Plot:8
The plot is not Utena's stronghold. It may be intriguing, and have a bewildering atmosphere, but the development of the plot is rather hacky. It deals with a different person in each episode, but there's always a trend, and it spends most of its time on the characters. Plus, the ending wasn't as dramatic as it deserved to be. Still, it's great when it comes to originality. This is a truly unique anime. However, to understand Utena’s plot, you really have to look into symbolization. There are tons of important details embedded in the small little aspects of the series. It’s because of this that it’s so damned rewatchable.

Characterization: 10
It in all honesty, it's stunning. The characters are developed to their fullest potential, and they are vivid in their personalities. The cast is equipped with flaws, motives, dreams, and are so deep in the detail, that if I turned around for three minutes, I would lose the focus of the episode.

Art: 9
Utena art is beautiful. The lines are lightly drawn, and Chiho Saito is an amazing artist. Why isn't it getting a 10 though? Because sometimes, if you look carefully, the art can be out of proportion. Think enlarged legs and sometimes difficult-to-comprehend poses. Still, it's amazing. Go off and look for yourself here.

Music: 8
Masami Okui does the opening (Rhinbu Revolution) while JA Seazer does all the battle music, and one of the endings. The only exception is the first ending called Truth, sung by Luka Yumi. Rhinbu Revolution fits the mood of Utena perfectly, strong, hopeful, and slightly wistful. JA Seazer has a very different selection of music than in most of the animes out there, and has songs that add a very noteworthy dimension to the series. Still, only a select few tracks are exceptional, such as a few of the orchestrals and JA Seazer’s pieces. However, I highly recommend the opening, Rhinbu Revolution. The beat is great.