Holy crapzors. I forgot about our Let's Play of the Perfect Ending (whenever I get bored, I run through the threads again to make me smile or giggle). When they confront the calendar to try and stop Chigusa, one of them (Miki, maybe?) even notes that it's fifteen years old. So maybe 1996 just happens to be the canon year for the series to have happened?

Come to think, didn't the series itself start airing sometime in 1996? I admit I don't normally keep track of that level of detail about a whole lot of things, so if anybody could double-check for me (as I type this it's almost one in the morning and I should really get to bed), I'd definitely appreciate it.

Biokraze wrote:

Come to think, didn't the series itself start airing sometime in 1996?

Wikipedia says it ran April 2, 1997, to December 24, 1997. But it was surely in production during 1996, and the manga began in June '96. By the way, since you seem to still be interested in when the game is set...

GOGAI! GOGAI! BREAKING NEWS!

So, I'm still working on translating the script with esperknight and filler (unfortunately slowly, since I'm off on vacation right now), and I ran into an additional piece of information relating to when the game is set. You end up reading the newspaper club's article on Chigusa more or less whatever you do, but on Juri's path only, it's revealed that the old fencing hall burned down on June 25th. The game is, of course, set in the same week fifteen years later.

That still probably doesn't mesh with real-life calendars, but hey, it appears to be game canon.

dirufacade wrote:

... SKU Chibi Special?  Whatttt?

She's just joking, and saying that she's surprised there isn't anything like that.

Who's up for some analysis of the Anthy ending? I think it's an interesting contribution to Anthy's character.

After all, what makes Anthy like D-ko? When she acts wacky and inappropriate. Singing the Slippery Mambo song runs totally against the grain of the narcissistic power game that goes on at Ohtori. To Anthy it's like a ray of light piercing the darkness. Anthy's sense of humor is quite developed, especially if you buy that Chu-Chu represents her subconscious; humor is often a source of relief for the downtrodden. Anthy finds most of her amusement at other people's expense (especially Nanami), but D-ko is nothing like that. Her simpleminded goofiness must be alluring to Anthy in the face of the egotism and self-importance that surround her. Even Utena, playing prince as she does, isn't free of it.

As we know, everything that happens in the dueling arena is by Anthy and Akio's will. Utena lost to D-ko because Anthy wanted her to; she produced a squeaky hammer from her chest instead of a sword. And why did she do that? For a booty call, nothing more. D-ko wanted Anthy and Anthy let her have her for a night.

Then why did Anthy allow Utena to win her back? Because Utena is her true love and she wants to be with her? I don't think she feels that way at this point in the series. I think she let D-ko go because she liked her and didn't want to drag her further into the dueling game. One night of release, then back to the grind (no, not that kind of grind!). Utena was the dueling game's chosen champion, and as far as Anthy knew she would meet the same fate as all the previous champions. If her fling with D-ko had gone on any longer Anthy may not have been able to resist luring her into the duels as a regular participant. D-ko might also be disappearing soon because of Chigusa, but the duelist endings don't really make a big deal out of that.

Did Anthy release D-ko out of compassion? Our out of disgust toward her? Because of her obligation to carry out Akio's plan? Some combination of these things? It's never simple with Anthy.