This is a static copy of In the Rose Garden, which existed as the center of the western Utena fandom for years. Enjoy. :)
They're both about the escape from a "good" false reality into a harsh, desolate true reality. Utena and the Matrix sequels both feature side-beings who are more interested in ruling over the false reality than in freeing themselves from it. Utena has the students, like Shiori, who turn into black cars and try to sideline Utena, while the Matrix sequels have the Merovingian and his minions.
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It reminds me more of Inception, especially with the parallels between the Cobb/Mal relationship and Utena/Touga.
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If you have not already seen it, I suggest seeing THX 1138. I am not ready to specify the similarities at this moment, but you will find that there are numerous parallels in the ideas and plot progression of the two films.
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Go on and explain these things! I've no attention span for most movies/tv, but I'd love to hear about parallels. Spoiler tags are:
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The Matrix and Utena both have the common quality of revealing that Neo/Utena aren't the first people to make it to the final boss. There have been many "The One"'s and many Zions, and there there have been many duelists to prove themselves worthy of having their swords pulled from their hearts.
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In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if The Matrix Reloaded didn't steal this plot point from SKU.
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*if The Matrix Reloaded stole
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The Matrix and SKU both have a real falseness-of-duality thing going on, presenting us with a very manichaen arrangement that isn't anything but an excuse/justification. Though The Matrix's veers into the dankest of Catholic moral systems by the third flick.
I still fall back on the Twin Peaks/Fire Walk With Me relationship with SKU and its movie. "Things are not always what they seem." "Sometimes the owls are big." "That's a damn fine cup of coffee. Damn fine."
Even the two major spirit forces in TP end up paralleling Akio and Anthy, in that we spend most of TP feeling, as some characters do, that the Man From Another Place is an ally and sympathetically underpowered, when in fact, he's most likely an amoral emotional vampire just like the ostensible baddy, BOB. Anthy is the girl everyone slaps, who keeps weird animals for friends, and The Man is a midget who talks funny and does cute dances. But, they're both co-conspirators and total bastards behind the smiles.
(Anthy gets over it. The Man... well, something similar and something not so similar.)
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Oh wow, that really does sound similar in certain respects. It helps that both SKU and TP are considered among the greatest shows ever made.
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