This is a static copy of In the Rose Garden, which existed as the center of the western Utena fandom for years. Enjoy. :)
#1 | Back to Top09-12-2017 04:01:23 PM
- Charley
- New Student
- Registered: 09-12-2017
- Posts: 1
Utena movie
Hi, new here. I have a few questions about the movie. If Akio losing the keys to his car equals to his losing control over Anthy does that make Anthy the vehicle which allows Akio power to control Ohtori? That being so then by Utena's changing into a car and giving Anthy the key she is giving Anthy both a way in which to leave Ohtori and the power to decide if she will do so. Does that make sense 
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#2 | Back to Top09-14-2017 09:36:00 PM
Re: Utena movie
Oh boy oh boy!
I think, well if a car that goes nowhere is useless, and Akio can't find his keys, I think that's probably less that Anthy was his means to control and more that he's ignorant enough of the use of his own car as to lose them. He wasn't going to try to escape anyhow, and he seems fine with that until Anthy wakes up. At first he's like 'Eh whatever I take cabs.' and then freaks out looking for it when something's happened that's severe enough to make him want to escape. His idea of escaping is pretty broad, given that since he can't find the keys he's cool with murder/suicide.
Movie Akio sucks. 
That said, the lack of a key struck me as one of the many, many metaphors for his impotence that are in the movie. You know, like his tower literally being severed from its foundations. So there's like...that.
Also everyone keeps saying Anthy killed him. Maybe she took his keys.
Akio, you have nice turns of phrase, but your points aren't clear and you have no textual support. I can't give this a passing grade.
~ Professor Arisa Konno, Eng 1001 (Freshman Literature and Composition)
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#3 | Back to Top09-28-2017 07:09:24 PM
Re: Utena movie
Not saying that "key as use of Anthy" is wrong or anything, but what I think they were going for is an extension of the "car means being an adult" thing. Ikuhara spoke in interviews about the show that Akio's car is the kind of car you drive when you are a powerful and mature adult. Well, in the movie Akio's whole deal (at least when he's alive) is being shown as unambiguously pathetic, unlike in the show where the characters see him as being very powerful. This creates a contrast. In the show, Akio uses his car (adulthood) to leverage power over other people and make them listen to him; in the movie, Akio can't start the car to represent how he isn't actually all that. And because he can't start it, he doesn't get to use his car on us either, and so we get to see him for who he really is. In a metaphorical sense.
im a shadow play girl irl
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