Touga. Sexy, arrogant, and justified in being arrogant. 'Nuff said.

Edit for being home from school: Okay, maybe it wasn't enough. I like Touga because he's exactly the kind of guy I would fall in love with. He's disciplined and more mature than he should be for his age. He's selfish and protective of himself, and he expects other people to be exactly the same. He feels things deeply, if he feels them at all, and no matter what he feels he attempts to hide it behind amusement... unless he's alone, when he feels it pointless to keep up the charade. He has no respect for anyone who hasn't proven to his satisfaction that he should respect them, and even if he does respect someone, at least a little, he'll use them to further his own aims if he possibly can. He's obviously intelligent and resourceful, terribly sexual judging from his age and experimental nature compared to that age, and won't take no for an answer.

And that is exactly what would cause me to fall jaw-droppingly, mind-numbingly, panty-soakingly in love. If I ever find a guy like that, he'd better watch out, because I don't take no for an answer either. And I'm mean.

Last edited by Yasha (10-18-2006 09:15:16 PM)

I got into the show because I was fascinated by Mikage -- I actually started watching from ep 14, and to this day I am not entirely sure that if I had started from the beginning, that I would have watched the whole thing through. With that said, though, the character of Anthy (particularly in the earliest and latest episodes) really fascinates me, so maybe I would have kept watching for her.

Still, I was totallyh screwed over by the symbolism around Mikage and his seminar, and the way he seamlessly manipulated these people to his own ends for a desire that turned out to be a tangled mixture of memory and desire. The catastrophic mental collapse he must have suffered at the end of his duel is still one of my favourite moments of the series, and I could analyse him and Nemuro for hours on end (and have done so). Unfortunately at the time I watched it I happened to be studying T.S. Eliot, so the resultant essay is as convoluted as the damn series itself. ^___^

I also adore Nanami, which is hilarious because I thought little of her in the beginning (although I was vastly amused by her transmutation into a cow, of all things). The cliches of her character and the way she was used as a humourous and occasionally tragic vehicle for some of thew major themes of the series is why I really enjoy Nanami -- although my favourite aspect of her character is how she, like Saionji, is one of the few to see the truth before it happens...although she tries to personally warn Utena. Naturally it's in an absolutely obnoxious fashion, but that's why we love Nanami. Also, my favourite non-pivotal episode is Nanami's Egg -- I had to write an essay about THAT, too, before it sat easy in my mind, but hell? Saionji in an apron COOKING EGGS? What's NOT to love?

I just can't help but pick Tatsuya (aka the Onion Prince).  Don't get me wrong; I love them all, with only a few exceptions (Nanami, Chu Chu, maybe a couple others).  But Tatsuya really speaks to me.  If it weren't him it'd be Utena -- both flawed characters who are somehow able to accept their flaws and still maintain self-esteem.  I admire that, and it's something I strive for.

So why Tatsuya over Utena?  Utena, oddly for a character who ends up changing the world, has a basically reactive personality.  She responds to events, often with great drive, but doesn't take a lot of initiative without that immediate impetus.  She felt sorry for Anthy early in episode 1, but she did nothing; what drove her to duel was Saionji's wronging Wakaba.  She totally wanted Akio in season three, but she did nothing; Akio made the first move, and she decided to go along with it.  She never goes out of her way to resolve interpersonal dilemmas, which is part of why they end up in the arena (always over Utena's objections, of course).  She has self-esteem, but it's passive self-esteem.

Tatsuya is a more proactive character.  His life is pretty uneventful, yet he has desires and he chases them.  There is no event that prompts him to go court Wakaba; he does it because he likes her, and to him that's enough reason to get off his ass and take action.  I wouldn't go so far as to say he's "ambitious" -- that word is a little strong for a character who is actually pretty shy at times -- but he does aspire to something greater, and acts on that aspiration.  (Utena aspires to be a prince, but she doesn't do things because "that's what a prince would do;" she does them because they come naturally, which is wonderful and one reason I love her, but it's not proactive.)  I really respect Tatsuya's ability to go after what he wants without prompting; it's something I'd like to see in myself more than I do.

And of course, Tatsuya is closer to an adult than possibly anyone else in the show.  That's why he only gets one episode: Utena is in part a show about growing up, and Tatsuya doesn't have a lot of it left to do.  I wrote an essay about this at http://www.ohtori.nu/analysis/07_satyre … swords.htm.  He has flaws and strong emotions, as do all adults; what distinguishes him is how he deals with them.  Specifically, he deals with them himself instead of taking them out on others.  (Remember, he's the only one to visit Mikage and not end up pulling a sword out of someone.)  He does better than most when it comes to viewing others as human beings, not as underlings, gods, or warm bodies that walk and talk; how many other characters express horror when they realize they've hurt someone?  Again, this is something I strive for.

So yeah.  I wanna be like Tatsuya.

Its so very hard to choose one character that I like more than any other, it would be easier just for me to explain what aspect(s) of that character that I like.

Nanami – The funny thing is, I usually just love to hate characters like her and look forward to when she gets what coming to her. But somehow instead, I find myself liking her heaps even if she is a superficial kitten-killing, toffy-nosed hyena with a perverted love for her brother, but when she has her hair down from her usual hairstyle, damn she looks fine. What can I say? Love is not only blind, it lacks common sense.

Juri – In many ways, Juri could have the potential to be like Akio power-wise if she could increase her ambitions and refine her sexiness to become a useful tool for power that Akio has successfully wielded for some time now.  Her rep to a large extent is based on the fear that she can make your life miserable if she wanted to.  Her tall elegant beauty with her long orange curls is another reason I like her heaps. The fact that she’s one hell of a swordsman doesn’t hurt either.

Anthy – Some people hate her for her passive-aggressive nature, but as a fellow passive-aggressive, I can understand that it’s sometimes better to cause irritation instead of pain. It is possible to ignore pain, but irritation can stick in your mind, gnawing away at you endlessly.  I see her as an incomplete person that doesn’t realise until Utena tried to pull her out of her coffin that she needs to be complete in herself. I would also love to get my hands on her body swapping curry recipe.

Utena – I like her for many reasons but there is one thing besides her good luck that I envy.  I envy the fact that she was able to become a prince without turning into a boy like I ended up doing.

Maybe I will discuss what aspects of the boys in the series I like next time.

Touga - always, always Touga, for all that he is inside and the sacrifices he makes and for surviving!
Mikage - and always Mikage, for all that he tried
Akio - for who he is, what he was, and what he could be (ick - that sounded too much like - oh what's that Tom Cruise movie?)
Ruka - for loving someone as prickly as Juri and going about things all wrong

Utena - the wonderful ditz - such a readily identifiable character
Wakaba - because we all need, have, or have been that kind of true friend who stayed loyal thru their pain

Touga's kitties - Solid proof of Touga's goodness - if a cat loves you, you can't be evil

>.> i like all the female duelist...cause i dig chicks with swords ; enough said...

o.O hmm but anshi...umm i like her long hair? o.O

I say a toss up between Anshi and Ruka, followed by Utena and Nanami.

Anshi- I must admit her passive-agressive bitchiness gives her a special place in my heart. She knows everything about everyone and knows how to pull their strings just right. (An excellent example is when she baits Juri in Epsiode seven I think with offering her an orange rose like Shiori did.) However even someone like her can overcome her pettiness and malice to truly love someone as naive and innocent as Utena and ultimately be mature enough to rise above childish games to finally grow up. Plus the movie-version of her is just the kind of girl I'd want, cute, and ready to take her clothes off at the drop of a hat.

Ruka- Ah, the bastard extradionaire. Plus he's got a lot of mystery around him that can be expoluted on. He's also the one duelist who besides Utena ever dueled for someone else besides himself. I also love the mutant forelock.

Utena-Some people complain she's the most superfacial character, but I disagree. Utena is definitely interesting in that unlike most "heroines" instead of trying to become the perfect mate of the Prince, she becomes the Prince herself. I think the fact that her nature appears simple is misleading, she's comes off as complex to me. She is driven by one goal in life because it seems to me she thinks the only alternative for her would be to return to the coffin and die. Despite the cheery demeanor its likely that Utena knows better than perhaps any of the cast what the cold brush of death feels like, and how final it is. Plus for being such a dedicated little pure heroine through-out the series, she is aware Akio is engaged even as she sleeps with him and thus can never have him. Nor does she ever try to hold onto him, she doesn't seek for him to tell her he loves her after they have sex, and even admits that she never intended to sleep with him, she never assumes just because he's had sex with her, he loves her. Which for a fourteen year old virgin is a rather mature observation.

Plus she occasionally has some good zingers.

Nanami-I guess I just like bitchy characters, but mostly I like Nanami's duality. She's a coninving little snot but at the same time she's a scared, immature adolescent. She's in a vulnerable position who doesn't really know what she wants other than she feels a need to escape. Plus it was fun to see her and Anshi match wits, even though Anshi mostly won.

One new thing about Anthy that just came to my mind as I rewatched a few Utena episodes on my laptop, every time she named one of her pets Nanami, the real Nanami ended up getting affected by it.

Anthy named her cow Nanami and soon after she started to change into a cow.

Anthy named a chicken Nanami and the real Nanami laid an egg.

I just hope that Anthy never decides to name a whale after her when she is anywhere near any Japanese 'Research' Ships.

I like Utena most, followed by Juri.

Utena - I'd like myself to be as outgoing as she does, to be strong and interdependent, to be as attractive as she does. Perhaps one day I would post it on my own website to tell you why I love Utena so much.

Juri - I am a bit like her, tend to keep secrets, and I love her curly hair

Tamago wrote:

One new thing about Anthy that just came to my mind as I rewatched a few Utena episodes on my laptop, every time she named one of her pets Nanami, the real Nanami ended up getting affected by it.

Anthy named her cow Nanami and soon after she started to change into a cow.

Anthy named a chicken Nanami and the real Nanami laid an egg.

I just hope that Anthy never decides to name a whale after her when she is anywhere near any Japanese 'Research' Ships.

Sounds like sympathetic magic. But yeah, I've noticed that too. Also that Nanami seems to get in a lot of trouble from animals. The horse, the kangaroo, the animals in Anthy and Utena's room freaking her out when she tried to pull her tricks.. And Anthy -loves- animals and has them everywhere. Hmm. ;3

My favorite character is Nemuro, whom is never given proper credit. But I'll abstain., he was such a "cold" man, (I'm personally under the impression he didn't actually exist until Akio had brought him into being the line that supports this is "It feels like the first time I've seen someone shed tears.") aside from that though, he's truly a pure genuis, someone (is it Clarice?) that made "Crypt of the Black Roses" put it much better then I could. I suppose it's because I see an ideal self in Nemuro as well.

My second is Nanami, her character is so very in dpeth that at the end of the series, you can't stand to hate her, and find yourself liking her. Everyone has given the reason's why to like Nanami so I'll go on.

Dios/Akio ring in at a distant third. I'm still quite under the impression that Dios lnever had completely died inside Akio, only that he suppressed the Prince, as his dark emotion's came to fruition, (of course this was after Anthy had locked him away.) Started to rule his world of Ohtori and.. where am I going with this? Ah well whatever the case, they each rank 3rd.

Xu Yuan wrote:

My favorite character is Nemuro, whom is never given proper credit. But I'll abstain., he was such a "cold" man, (I'm personally under the impression he didn't actually exist until Akio had brought him into being the line that supports this is "It feels like the first time I've seen someone shed tears.") aside from that though, he's truly a pure genuis, someone (is it Clarice?) that made "Crypt of the Black Roses" put it much better then I could. I suppose it's because I see an ideal self in Nemuro as well.

My second is Nanami, her character is so very in dpeth that at the end of the series, you can't stand to hate her, and find yourself liking her. Everyone has given the reason's why to like Nanami so I'll go on.

Dios/Akio ring in at a distant third. I'm still quite under the impression that Dios lnever had completely died inside Akio, only that he suppressed the Prince, as his dark emotion's came to fruition, (of course this was after Anthy had locked him away.) Started to rule his world of Ohtori and.. where am I going with this? Ah well whatever the case, they each rank 3rd.

Yay! Someone else who loves Nemuro! [beams] Mikage is the reason I fell in love with the character; Nemuro is the reason I stayed. Utena is the only anime I still get the urges to fic for, and it's all that clockwork professor's fault. Dammit. Although I will say I personally believe he was a real man and that Mikage was the warped version of his genius and desires; I could try and explain what I think, but that would involve me being here for the next ten years and it's all in this essay anyway: http://www.bunnybeth.net/beyondpink/celeste.html

And no, unfortunately I can claim no responsibility for the Crypt website. I code like an arthritic donkey under the influence of really, really bad crack...i.e. ninety-percent-wood-shavings crack.

Last edited by Clarice (10-20-2006 12:39:54 PM)