This is a static copy of In the Rose Garden, which existed as the center of the western Utena fandom for years. Enjoy. :)
So...Ohtori culture thrives on contradictions, falsehoods, hypocrisy, deception, self-deception, manipulation...need I go on? Who has the best "bullshit filter"? Who understands the most about the machinations of the duels? Is there someone who understands them better than they do themselves? Who "gets it"?
To me, the most perceptive character is undoubtedly Anthy. Akio has a diabolical intuition for how to manipulate people. But in a strange way, he's clueless. I don't think he really understands other people outside of how he can use them. While Anthy might hold other people in contempt, she has a much deeper understanding of them than her brother. Maybe, due to her lack of (self-perceived) agency, she has to be. It's hard to explain--I'll just say that, like Pandora's Box, Anthy still has some sort of hope, whereas Akio has none (save for himself) and only uses hope as bait to snare his victims. Because of this distinction, Anthy is more human and thus more understanding, even if this understanding is laced with all sorts of negative emotions.
Think of how Akio and Anthy both manipulate Kanae. They're both good at it. But even if Anthy is working for her brother's ends, she's much more ingenious. Whereas Akio basically ignores Kanae, (not, actually, the most efficient strategy,) Anthy gets inside of her head and makes her go insane. I mean, look at that fucking smile:
Geuuuughhh. Only someone who really understands human nature would know how to fuck with it like that.
Plus, Anthy's in the center of this whole mess, and has been for who knows how long. It doesn't seem possible for her to be oblivious in that situation.
Plus, she's magic?
Next to Anthy I'm not sure who the most perceptive character is. Saionji and Nanami have some flashes of clarity.
Last edited by minervana (11-14-2009 02:11:47 AM)
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The Shadow Girls.
They wouldn't be able to make their skit if they didn't know everyone's secret
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Yeah, actually, the shadow girls. While Anthy is very perceptive, there are things about herself and her life that she is blind to, now whether or not this is intentional on a deeper level is another discussion entirely.
And maybe the real Mamiya. He wasn't surrounded by a huge cast of characters, but he was very aware of the feelings and thoughts of those around him, and had a clear understanding of himself and the reality of his condition, and had a few philosophical points of view that were solid as well.
I don't know if I've ever expressed on the forum how much I love real Mamiya....
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Etrangere wrote:
The Shadow Girls.
They wouldn't be able to make their skit if they didn't know everyone's secret
Definitely. The super special super secret play made just for Utena, Anthy, and Akio could only have been made by people who knew everything that was going on. Even Akio couldn't pull the wool over their eyes.
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Oh the Shadow Girls are the true eyes and ears of the school, hands down. Nanami takes second place because she's one of the rare people who doesn't fall for Akio's tricks.
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OnlyInThisLight wrote:
I don't know if I've ever expressed on the forum how much I love real Mamiya....
Yes, well, now I must express how much I love YOU. I am fascinated by the real Mamiya. Partially it's because I am fascinated by Nemuro, AKA the real!Mikage, and...yeah. Actually, most of the fanfic I ever bothered to write about SKU dealt with the real Mamiya. BECAUSE I LOVE HIM. But...on topic, you have a very good point. I always thought the real Mamiya seemed to have a pretty good idea of what was going on, even choosing to subtly manipulate Nemuro for his own good. (Not that it worked.) Possibly goes a long way towards explaining why Akio chose to use a shadow of Mamiya to manipulate Mikage, and of course it helps that it was Anthy behind the shadow.
Riri-kins also has a good point about Nanami, and you can say the same for Saionji as well -- both of these characters see a LOT of what is going on underneath everything else, but for varying reasons they then ignore or deny what they see. This is why they, as characters, interest me more than the others. They're not blind to what's going on. They just wish they were.
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