skygiants

ojuzu asked me for my top five Revolutionary Girl Utena scenes!

So obviously I decided to embark on an epic rewatch just for the purposes of answering this question. And may I just say, much as I liked the show then, my love for it has only grown exponentially now that I have experience with other anime and manga besides, uh, Evangelion.

5.

WAKABA. <3333 I love how this scene shows the importance of Wakaba's friendship with Utena, and that it's Wakaba who gets her to realize that the duel isn't just about saving Anthy. This is the duel called Self.

Runner-up for this one, because it's technically part of the same scene:

WAKABA THROWS A GLASS OF WATER AT TOUGA'S FACE. I love her so much for this because there are an infinite number of times throughout the series that I wish to do the same. (I also love how Wakaba is apparently immune to Touga's charms! . . . I mean, she is in love with Saionji, so this is not exactly evidence of her good taste, but NONETHELESS.)

4.

Speaking of Wacky Nanami Comedy Episodes . . . I honestly couldn't pick which representative screencap of this scene made me laugh more. SO I DID BOTH. Nanami's violent rage! The tiny hearts on Saionji's apron! THE FACT THAT SAIONJI REGULARLY GOES CAMPING AT MIDNIGHT AND FRIES UP GIANT PILES OF EGGS! None of this will ever not be hilarious. ~~and how does the whole world not ship these two. LOOK AT THEIR HILARIOUS FACES AND MATCHING RUFFLES~~

3.

And in a total change of mood . . . oh, Nanami. I mean, these paired scenes are obviously incredibly disturbing. But I love, so much, that it's Nanami who gets to be the viewer's stand-in for expressing how disturbing it all is. Nanami can be seriously nasty, but it's all pettiness and childishness; she's the only one of the kids of the cast (including, disturbingly, Tsuwabuki) who's still okay being a kid, who makes it clear over and over again that she's not ready to be sexualized. Her run-in with Akio, and Touga's attempts to be Akio's mini-me, make it clear just how messed up the whole setup really is.

(Sidenote: I think after this watch-through, Nanami may be my favorite character? I JUST LOVE HER A LOT.)

2.

The badminton game! Juri and Miki hilariously mock-fighting over Utena's love! Nanami thinks you are ALL WEIRDOS! I would watch episodes and episodes of the kids hanging out like this - a bunch of kind of broken people acknowledging that they're broken, and that the world is fucked up, and laughing about it anyway.

1.

Maybe it's just that I have repeatedly seen this moment awesomely timed in vids, but Utena finally pushing herself up in the last episode - that gets me every time.

Honorable Mention: