"Utena the Movie" - A Review By Greg "sgoast" Reynolds

ANIME - Utena the Movie
GENRE - Romance / Drama
How It Should Be Described. - A Romance With an Utterly Confusing Ending
If you liked ____, you'll like this Anime - Any Neon Genesis Evangelion Episode
Score: 3 out of 5 Otakus

Ok, let me say first that I am no Utena expert (Although I have wanted to see the series 
for a long time) so please dont flame me, calling me an ignorant tit for not knowing all 
the connections between the show, the movie, and the manga... Ok, now that I'm done covering 
my ass, lets start the review. Utena The Movie concerns school teacher, Utena, and her 
experiences in a strange fencing game where the main prize is the rose bride, Atheny. Obviously, 
the story does deal with the idea of gender roles in the sport, seeing as the main prize is 
a fiancee. The Yaoi overtones were very tastefully done and made a "hush-hush" subject here in 
America, into a romantic sequence of events that only the poor in taste would get all huffy about. 

Utena (When searching the school grounds) finds a floating rose garden and meets a girl named 
Atheny. She is confined to this garden as she mu take care of the delecate flowers. They are 
quickly discovered by --- and he challenges her to a duel once he notices the rose ring on 
Utena's finger. (aqquired on predestined "accident") Utena wins with a little assistance and 
Atheny begins following her around.

The movie makes quite a bit of sense to the average viewer until the last scene of the movie 
in which Utena turns into a car and must excape the reality they live in. This made absolutely 
no f**cking sence to me, but roving reporter Craig Schwark tells me that on the directors 
commentary on the DVD, (Which i'm told has quite a few really nice extras) the director explains 
the entire scene as so it would be understandable. In truth, the only negative part to this movie 
would be the strange ending I have yet to truely get a explaination of. Thats why I give "Utena 
the Movie" a 3 out of 5 Otakus with an option to re-review.