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Gio's Note: This interview was scanned and sent to me by forum member Clarice. It was later posted in a translation request thread where forum member gumi did us the honors, making this, once again, an awesome In the Rose Garden collab. :) Because gumi noted which pages he was translating when, I have linked them at the point he starts translating, so you can see the awesome page formatting. Pages with no text are included because they're awesome. There are two interviews here, apparently; one with Ikuhara and Saito, and another with Ikuhara, Enokido, and Hasegawa.
Animage Be-Papas Interview
Magazine Cover [click to see]
sku04 [click to see]
Having entered the season 3 “Ohtori Akio Arc” “Revolutionary Girl Utena” is becoming even more suspicious and even more surrealistic with even more high tension!
There has probably never been such a strange anime before!
NOW, ALLOW US TO INVITE YOU, TO THE WORLD YOU DESIRE!
LET’S GO TO “THE END OF THE WORLD”
sku05 [click to see]
sku06 [click to see]
Only those who hold beautiful memories are allowed to wish. Wish things like: if only that moment could last forever… If only present could be still the same way as it was at that moment…
sku07 [click to see]
Laboratory of Playwriting or Revolution of Production
People make various expressions. Baby when feeling hungry calls his/her mother by crying loudly – act like this is probably the simplest example of “expression”. In that way, every person is making “an expression”.
When growing up people start to make more complicated expressions. Women wearing makeup and dressing up is a form of expression, as is sport player’s competing for a record. Among various people who make expressions those who make outstanding, meta-“expressions” are called “creators” and among them some percentage is called “artists”.
Baby’s crying and author’s conveyment of social themes through his/her work, though the level is different, does not change the fact that both are “expressions” which one person uses when interacting with other person. Also, similar to novels and movies, works of animations are also types of entertainment and at the same time, “expressions” of author.
And so, here we have “Revolutionary Girl Utena”. We can probably say that this work is very enthusiastic when regarding the relation between “reality” and “story”. Things like, railway crossing located without any explanation in Student Council room and which indicates the passing of train. Baseball match taking place nearby the members of the council. Touga who rides a car towards “The End of the World” with, for some reason, unbuttoned shirt. Akio Ohtori making an ecstatic face while sitting on a bonnet. Or existence of Shadow Girls. Or cars sprouting on a dueling arena.
Here what staff is pursuing is not to make “expression” of something through a story, but to play with the expression itself. In episode 22, “pointing finger mark” which appeared on a screen and pointed at a lipstick stain on a coffee cup or cats outside the window, was invisible. It was to show something, that had no meaning (even if, like Ikuhara-san himself has said on the next page, it had in fact a meaning from storytelling point of view) like it was something very meaningful. Or to emphasize audience’s incapability to understand. In other words, it is interesting because from the storytelling point of view it has no meaning; because the “expression” exists apart from the story - it was to show this sort of thing. It was this kind of a acrobatic (?) playing.
What creator should show is not necessarily a “neatly written story”, but a far more excellent “expression”. And if that “expression” is interesting it will also have value as a commercial work.
Something like “neatly written story” is nothing more than a kind of form.
But “Revolutionary Girl Utena” is by no means a work that prioritizes the expression or that denies the story.
Each duelist’s individual episode is very dramatic. For example, episodes like 28 and 29 in which Shiori, Juri and a new duelist, Tsuchiya Ruka show up can be said to be extremely dramatic. Also, the story concentrating on Utena is going to truly start from now on.
A thorough prioritizing of expression which could destroy the story and a dramatic story. These two dragnets (?) are probably the true essence of “Revolutionary Girl Utena”.
sku08 [click to see]
Conversation during Driving
Ikuhara KunihikoxSaitou Chiho
VIRTUAL STAR EMBRYOLOGY
Right now, it’s the normal scenes that are much less frequent, isn’t it?
The car is running through “The End of the World”
Ikuhara Kunihiko who is driving a car towards “The End of the World” and mangaka, Saitou Chiho. Let’s GO to “The End of the World”!
AM – So, this time, it’ll be a conversation during a drive while discussing the content of the third season of the story.
Ikuhara – So, Saitou-sensei, let’s go.
Saitou – Ok.
(Ban, ban, ban, car is starting to run)
Saitou – Woah, what a speed! Aren’t we speeding up?
Ikuhara – It’s alright. We still haven’t reached that high of a speed.
AM – Talking about speeding up, recently “Utena” is also speeding up more and more.
Saitou – I was a little surprised when a railway crossing appeared in Student Council room (episode 22) (laugh).
Ikuhara – Yes, it was strange, wasn’t it? (smile)
Saitou – Ikuhara-san, I thought that you really are speeding up. Recently, ‘speeding up’ scenes is appearing rapidly. Student Council scenes are speeding up, Shadow Girls scenes are also speeding up and even duel scenes are speeding up. And drama is moving around somewhere between those ‘speeding up’ scenes (laugh).
Ikuhara – Certainly. The proportions inside the whole story are being reversed (laugh).
Saitou – I’m enjoying watching it while wondering how far will it go. Because in my case, I’m turning the typical drama elements in my “Utena” manga that I’m drawing into manga (?).
Ikuhara – The typical scenes that can be used in manga are almost non-existent in anime.
Saitou – That’s right. That’s why, how to say it… I think that it’s a work worth of doing (laugh).
All – (laugh)
Ikuhara – I’m really sorry
Saitou – No, no, when it’s the anime that is speeding up I start thinking something like “I’m not gonna lose!” and I gain more motivation for making my manga. I think something like “If anime is going that way, then I’m going this way”.
AM – In the beginning, the scenes with Shadow Girls were the ones that stood out very much, but now other scenes are even more surrealistic.
Saitou – Right, now scenes with Shadow Girls look almost dimly in comparison. It’s frightening how easily people can get used to things.
(Ban, ban, ban, the car is running)
Saitou – The pointing finger mark at the end of the second season (episode 22) was also interesting.
Ikuhara – Interesting, wasn’t it?
Saitou – Is there a meaning in it?
Ikuhara – Yes, there is. It points at things that are epoch-making (laugh). Usually, when people are watching a particular work they feel and decide on their own what and how something is interesting, but here it is producers who are pointing “Here, this is interesting”.
Saitou – So that’s how it is… (laugh). I thought that it maybe holds a very deep meaning, like maybe a hint to solving some of the mysteries.
Ikuhara – Of course, it has a meaning.
Saitou – Really? So, why the number of cats outside the window increased?
Ikuhara – In the beginning, one cat met a cute little kitten and they fell in love. And so, as the time went on, they had children.
sku09 [click to see]
Saitou – So, that finger is showing the passing of time?
Ikuhara – As expected, you’re smart (laugh). Certainly, all of them have a connection with passing of time, no doubt about that.
Saitou - The theme of second season was “time”?
Ikuhara – Hmm, it wasn’t a theme, but “time” is quite an important thing in this series. Both “memory” and “time”.
(Ban, ban, ban, the car is running)
Saitou – So what will be the theme of the third season?
Ikuhara – Cars (laugh).
Saitou – Is that so? Really, cars will be the theme? (laugh)
Ikuhara – Of course. The theme will be a sport car that Ohtori Akio drives. That’s why we’re talking like this while driving, aren’t we?
Saitou – What does sport car symbolize? Male person? Authority?
Ikuhara – When I was little there was a supercar boom. Maybe because of that, even now such a car is something that satisfies childish desires in the adult world. A car seems like that sort of thing. As you grow up toys tend to disappear quickly from your life. Even if, as a child you wanted a model of robot, when you’re an adult these sort of things that you want seem to disappear, isn’t that so? Well, you may want something like a house, but obviously, it’s a little different from wanting a toy. My idea of a car is something that is exceedingly close to an adult’s toy.
Saitou – Hmm. So, when Akio is riding it what does it mean?
Ikuhara – It means status. Obviously, you can buy toys when you have lots of money (lit. when you have composure). So, a person who have a car of high status brand is someone who has lots of composure and that’s why the car is depicted as a symbol of calm and composed adult.
Saitou – So car is adult’s play and adult’s toy.
Ikuhara – Right. It gives a feeling like “He’s really showing off”.
Saitou – Hmm.
AM – Moreover, Akio and other guys bare their chests while driving. Is that also a way of showing off?
Ikuhara – Yes, it is. And what’s more, they sit on a bonnet.
AM – I see. It is certainly a showing off.
Saitou – And they do it all while driving (laugh).
AM– As a director, are you depicting it as something cool?
Ikuhara – Of course.
AM – Even that moment when Touga is baring his chest every week?
Saitou – Eh? He bares his chest every week?
Ikuhara – Yes.
Saitou – I can’t wait to see that (Saitou-sensei is staggering)
Ikuhara – Yeah, it’s sexy.
Saitou – Hmm, in other words, what’s the meaning of having an adult’s toy and baring one’s chest? Does it mean that all the pleasure lies there?
Ikuhara – Yes, that’s probably how it is. I think that in this world there are only few people who are allowed to return to being a child. Because only if one has that much of composure he can return to being a child. In that sense, I feel that those who ride naked on a luxurious, high brand car must really have lot of composure.
Saitou – Yes, that may be true. So something like that is close to your ideal adult, right Ikuhara-san?
Ikuhara - Yes. But only if we’re talking about ideal that exists in a fantasy, a virtual ideal. Even apart from his actions, Ohtori Akio himself is my virtual ideal. Because he is a virtual star.
Saitou – So, when Touga and others ride in that car that symbolizes Akio’s status or when it appears on the dueling arena and they ride in it, that also has a meaning, right?
Ikuhara – Yes.
Saitou – And Utena will be tempted by Akio who knows such adult pleasures, right?
Ikuhara – That’s how it’s going to be.
(Ban, ban, ban, the car is running)
AM – From now on, “Utena” is heading towards the climax, but can you give us more details about it?
Ikuhara – From episode 30 on, Utena and Akio’s quite deep relationship will show up, so look forward to it. I’m going to do even something that will make people say “Now way, something like that too!”
Saitou – About the climax, will it be different from the one in the manga?
Ikuhara – Basically, the story itself is identical. The only difference will be in how it’s going to be presented, but what I’m going to do is not going to differ that much.
AM – In case of manga, we’re already right before the climax.
Saitou - Anime’s scenario moves on simultaneously with manga. After Enokido-san (scriptwriter) finishes up the script I draw the manga while trying to make use of it as much as possible.
Ikuhara – If the basic plot is the same, you can just draw it whatever way you like, Satou-san.
Saitou – I don’t think I could draw it in exactly the same way as anime, because I want to match it with drama’s conclusions and I don’t want to lose to anime in terms of highness of tension.
Ikuhara – I look forward to it. Ok, I’m going to speed up now
Saitou – Please go wherever you’ll be able to go.
sku10 [click to see]
I’m going to show “The End of the World”… to you too.
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Let’s go to the End of the World!
Go Go! “The End of the World” is The End of the Heart, Go Go! “The End of the World” is a despair! Go! Let’s go, let’s go, to “The End of the World”, let’s go, let’s go, to “The End of the World”, so let’s go, to the world you desire!!
It looks like “The End of the World” that manipulates Duelists is Anthy’s brother, Ohtori Akio. Go Go!
Whether the academy grounds or roadway, Akio seems to appear in his car, takes young people with him and shows them “The End of the World”, Go!
Young people who saw “The End of the World” take swords and once again challenge Utena to a duel, Go Go!!
With “The End of the World” meet those who have romantic hearts. Those who pursue their dreams, Go Go! Every person has “The End of the World” in his heart. Every road leads to “The End of the World”. “The End of the World” feels good. “The End of the World” feels like a lukewarm bath. It’s a world where you don’t need will or making decisions. Go Go! Go Go!
What is “The End of the World” that they saw? If Akio is “The End of the World” why does he call himself “The End of the World”? In the end, can Utena win with “The End of the World”, can people win with “The End of the World”?
Let’s go, let’s go, to “The End of the World”! Let’s go, let’s go, to “The End of the World”! Go Go! “The End of the World” is The End of the Heart, Go Go!! “The End of the World” is a despair! And, and, “The End of the World” is “The Reality”! Go!!
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“UTENA” Q&A CORNER: BRING YOUR HEART CLOSER TO A MONKEY.
Members of Be-Papas answer the questions from readers.
AM – Let’s start the Q&A corner.
Ikuhara – Please, be gentle.
Q – Do you have favourite character in “Revolutionary Girl Utena? (reader from Chiba prefecture)
Enokido (scriptwriter) – Every character is my favourite.
Ikuhara – But isn’t that obvious?
Enokido – We have to start from a light jabs (laugh).
Ikuhara – As for me, Anthy is probably my favourite. And then, the frog that appeared in episode 9 (laugh). I like it, especially that sound of crunching the insect, I like it very much.
All – (laugh)
Hasegawa (character designer) - For me, it’s Utena, because I had the most hard time creating her character design.
Q – Is it true that Saionji is crying in the opening? (reader from Aiwa prefecture)
Ikuhara – He is crying indeed. Hasegawa did it at the stage of creating animation.
AM – So it’s not a sweat that’s scattering but tears. Why did you make him cry?
Hasegawa – Because he obviously has a bad luck.
Ikuhara – (laugh)
Hasegawa – Saionji is turning into a troublesome child when things aren’t going the way he wants.
AM – So it was an adlib animation.
Ikuhara – That’s right.
Q – Who came up with that venomous lines from episode 9 “Those who really believe that friends exist are idiots”? Enokido-san or Ikuhara-san? (reader from Kanagawa prefecture)
Ikuhara – Enokido (bluntly). Basically, I think that friendship is something very important.
Enokido - People who says things like that are the most dangerous ones.
AM – Does real friendship exist in this world?
Ikuhara – Of course. If it wasn’t so, such groups as Be-Papas wouldn’t even exist, would they? We’re tied with bonds of friendship.
Hasegawa – Really, was that so?
AM – Enokido-san, you don’t need friends?
Enokido – Someone, please teach me how to make friends (laugh).
Q – To Ikuhara-san. Please tell if there were any scenes where you thought like “I aimed at something like this, but seems I missed”. (reader from Kanagawa prefecture)
Ikuhara – The episode in which Nanami turned into a cow – she turned into it much more than I expected.
All – (laugh)
Hasegawa – Yes, certainly too much was shown. Though we tried to hide it more.
AM – You made the drawings for the scenes with cow, but didn’t intend to show them on the screen.
Q – Please tell what is every member’s so-called “my boom” (=current obsession) (reader from Kanagawa prefecture)
Hasegawa – Japanese alcohol. Especially Ginjo sake. I drink it every day.
Ikuhara – Bruce Lee.
AM – In what way do you turn Bruce Lee into “my boom”?
Ikuhara – I watch films with him, wield a nunchaku and all-around act like a Bruce Lee (laugh).
AM - It’s your way of living.
Ikuhara – That’s right.
Enokido – Well in my case, when I finish the script for the last episode I’m probably going to party like crazy.
Ikuhara – That’s not a “boom” (laugh).
Q – In “RGU” world, do all the monkeys look like Chuchu? (reader from Tochigi prefecture)
Enokido – First of all, is Chuchu even a monkey?
Ikuhara – Dunno.
AM – Real monkeys like ones we know probably don’t exist in that world.
Hasegawa – No, a real monkey appeared in scenes with Shadow Girls.
Enokido – Oh, that’s right. Even in “Utena”’s world, there are many kinds of monkeys.
Hasegawa – Chuchu might be a specific Chuchu-kind of monkey.
Q – I wonder if Utena will continue wearing boy uniform even when the Prince appears. (reader from Tochigi prefecture)
Enokido – Now, that’s a sharp question. I can only say “Look forward to it”.
AM – The next question came up most often.
Q – What does Miki measure with his stopwatch? (reader from Hokkaido)
Ikuhara – Let’s just say that it’s connected with the structure of the world.
All – (laugh).
Enokido – That’s a really hard-to-understand answer.
AM – This one also came up very often.
Q – What is the origin of Be-Papas name? (reader from Yamanashi prefecture)
Ikuhara – It has a considerably deep connection with whether a friendship exists in this world.
All – Eh?
Ikuhara – (laugh).
Enokido – And also some connection with themes of “RGU”.
Hasegawa – I think it should be taken literally.
Ikuhara – Well, it can mean that we just want to do things from subjective point of view.
Q - Please tell how does Chuchu feel to touch in TV series. (reader from Kanagawa prefecture)
Enokido – That’s something I’d like to know too.
Ikuhara – No amount of words can express how wonderful it is.
All – (laugh).
AM – Even so, Utena doesn’t seem to touch Chuchu that often.
Ikuhara – No no, she touches him so much that he gets numb.
Hasegawa – To tell the truth, Chuchu kinda feels like this (this said, he slowly he takes out a certain thing).
AM – Oh, this?
Enokido – I see. This is certainly how Chuchu feels like in TV series.
Ikuhara – Yes, this feels great.
AM – I see, but what is “this” thing?
Enokido – We can’t say it in a magazine, can we?
Ikuhara – It’d be awkward if we did.
Enokido – Because there are also children reading this magazine.
Hasegawa – Those who don’t know what we’re talking about will get to know it when they grow up.
All – (laugh).
Q – During the gym class, does Utena wear things like tennis skirt, bloomers or school swimsuit? (reader from Kanagawa prefecture)
Ikuhara – I haven’t thought about it.
Enokido – Bloomers would be weird.
Ikuhara – I think she doesn’t wear bloomers, because during the baseball or soccer classes she was wearing shorts.
Hasegawa – I think that during tennis class she wears boy shorts too.
AM – The problem is, what is she wearing during swimming classes?
Hasegawa – It’d be good if she wore a boys’ swimsuit, but please everyone (=readers) make her wear whatever swimsuit you like.
Q – What was the “eternal thing” that was shown to the girl from episode 9? (reader from Gunma prefecture)
Enokido – Look forward to episode 34.
AM – This one was easy.
Q – How do you decide on songs for each duel? Do you match them with personality of particular character? (reader from Kobe prefecture)
Ikuhara – We match them with character’s personality.
AM – So does that mean that in the second episode, Saionji who holds “paleozoic within his body” is an ammonite?
Ikuhara – He is an ammonite.
All – (laugh).
Enokido – It means that he’s bound by old-fashioned ideas.
AM – Oh, I see.
Q – Chuchu is a male or a female? (reader from Kanagawa prefecture)
Enokido – In episode 20, when Onion Prince stared at Chuchu he turned red, right? When Saitou-sensei saw that she was surprised and asked if Chuchu wasn’t a girl.
AM – But the truth is, he’s a male, right?
Ikuhara – Probably, he’s a male.
AM – He’s a male but when being stared by Onion Prince he turned red and put on a skirt.
Ikuhara – That’s right.
Q – To Enokido Jouji-sama. Do you do any kind of writing besides writing scripts? Please tell if it’s not a nuisance. (reader from Hokkaido)
Enokido – Besides writing scripts, mainly I write a dairy. Well, I could probably say something like “Look forward to my activity from now on”.
Q – What kind of person is Yamaguchi Ryouta who always writes Nanami’s story? (reader from Hokkaido)
sku13 [click to see]
Enokido – Even if you ask me what kind of person he is…
Ikuhara – He likes animals very much (laugh). That’s why animals always appear in scripts he writes (laugh).
Enkido – Oh, that’s right. He’s a friend of director’s pet (laugh).
AM – What pet do you have Ikuhara-san?
Ikuhara – I have a raccoon. It’s really hard to keep.
AM – You probably met Yamaguchi-san at pet hospital or somewhere like that.
Ikuhara – Oh, yes, that’s how I met him and asked him to create a script for me (laugh).
Q - Who came up with the names of albums and names of every song on them?
Ikuhara – That was me.
AM – The title of second album “Virtual Star Embryology” is impressive, as is track 23’s “Gougai Shoujo (Saru)”.
Ikuhara – I made that one too. Cool, isn’t it?
Q – Anthy isn’t a virgin anymore, right? I’m a little curious about that. (reader from Tokyo)
Enkido – I’m also curious about that!
Ikuhara – Of course she’s not a virgin, is she?
All – (laugh).
Hasegawa – It’s obvious (laugh).
Q – Could it be that Chuchu is a very important character who holds a key to the whole story? (reader from Tokyo)
Ikuhara – Giku! (startled) Now, that’s sharp (laugh).
Q – Anthy-chan doesn’t have any personal clothing? Are there rules that say Rose Bride has to wear specific school uniform, sport clothes, etc. anytime? (reader from Mie prefecture)
Hasegawa – Please everyone (=readers) make her wear whatever you like.
Q – To my blonde haired, cool, manly, smart Ikuhara-director-sama whom I love. Are you married? I’m ready to be your partner. If marriage is not an option please tell me everything about yourself. I love you, Ikuhara-director! (reader from Ibaraki prefecture)
Ikuhara – Thank you. I’m not married. But right now, I’m sacrificing everything to my friend raccoon, so I can’t tell you everything about myself.
Q – What should I do to be able to receive electromagnetic waves from C-ko-chan? (reader from Tochigi prefecture)
Ikuhara – You should bring your heart extremely close to a monkey.
All – (laugh).
Hasegawa – It means you should live by your instinct.
AM – If I do that, the waves will come to me?
Ikuhara – Yes, they’ll start coming to you.
Q – In season 2, when Utena saw the planetarium projector why did she ask “Is that your brother?”? (reader from Tokyo)
Enokido – I just want to say that this line wasn’t in my script.
Ikuhara – Because well, Utena is a bit of an airhead.
All – (laugh).
Hasegawa – Yeah, she’s an idiot (laugh).
Ikuhara – But come to think of it, people probably do say things like that (laugh).
AM – Oh really?
Ikuhara – Girls I fall in love with tend to say things like that.
Hasegawa – I thought she meant it as a joke to make Anthy laugh.
Ikuhara – It’s nothing like that. It was good, I like it. I think that it was an extremely good portrayal.
Q – Is Anthy near sighted or far sighted? (reader from Tokyo)
Enokido – To tell the truth, she doesn’t really have a bad eyesight.
Ikuhara – Actually, she can see everything.
AM – But didn’t she say “I can see so much without my glass” in episode 8’s preview?
Enokido – Saying things like that is Anthy’s scary aspect.
Q - In the first episode Wakaba said something like “Anthy and Saionji are in the same Student Council, that’s why they’re together” but if that’s so, does it mean that Anthy is a student council’s member? (reader from Tochigi prefecture)
Enokido – She’s not a member of Student Council Executive Committee, but it seems that she’s a part of lower structures.
Q – What is Akio-san’s faculty? (reader from Tochigi prefecture)
Ikuhara – I think it’s astronomy.
Enokido – It might be veterinary.
AM – What about his club activity?
Ikuhara – Lambada or something like that (laugh).
Hasegawa – Yes, he’s probably into that sort of things.
AM – So it’s not a car club.
Ikuhara – Yes, he’s extremely good at dancing lambada.
Hasegawa – Especially the way he moves his hips.
Ikuhara –He’s trained in it. He’s so acrobatically trained in it that he can dance lambada everywhere.
All – (laugh)
Q –Many relationships, not only between men and women, for example Utena and Anthy, Mikage and Mamiya, Juri and Shiori and also between brothers and sisters, appear frequently in this series, but is there any deeper meaning to this?
Ikuhara&Enokido – Of course.
AM – Please explain it a bit more.
Enokido – It has definitely a deep connection with director’s own trauma.
Ikuhara – Trauma? I don’t have one.
AM – So the reason there’s so many brother/sister relationships is because of Enokido-san?
Enokido – That’s not the case either.
Ikuhara – The reason there’s so many of them is because they have close connection with the themes of these series.
Enokido – I think I’ve already discussed it somewhere before, but I have a particular interest in human relationships at the time when there is no confrontation in them or maybe better said, peaceful human relationships at the time of childhood when there was no confrontation are most easily understandable through the relationship of brother and sister – and that’s why there are so many of them.
Ikuhara – And maybe because those relationships have connection with feelings of searching of one’s prince that appear so frequently in these series.
Q – In the first episode, we saw Saionji being engaged to Anthy, but with whom did he fight a duel and won her? (reader from Chiba prefecture)
Enokido – It’s a secret.
Ikuhara – Saionji surely must have brushed his teeth everyday.
AM – What is that suppose to mean?
Q – Are Ikuhara-director and Enokido-kun in love with each other? (reader from Tokyo)
Enokido – It’s already thing of the past (laugh).
Ikuhara- Even now, I take bath everyday.
Q – Ikuhara-san, do you have any relationship with “The End of the World”? (reader from Tokyo)
Ikuhara – He’s my friend.
AM – Your friend? So does it mean that you sometimes receive phone calls from him?
Ikuhara – Yes, I do.
AM – You don’t make phone calls to him?
Ikuhara – Sometimes I do, but when I’m listening to a CD during work before I notice that CD turns out to be a CD of “The End of the World”.
AM – You’re scary, really.
Q – Please tell about impressive events that have recently happened in your life.
Enokido – I swam in the sea. It was fun.
Hasegawa – The color manuscript I was creating all day long has been torn to pieces.
Ikuhara – I’ve started keeping a tadpole.
Q – What kind of girl is your type? (reader from Tokyo)
Enokido – If we’re talking about RGU, then my type is Kozue.
Hasegawa – I think for me it’d Utena. She doesn’t seem like a type who will cause troubles in the future and I’d like to drink sake together with her.
Ikuhara – Obviously, Anthy, both in terms of looks and personality. The runner-up would be Shiori, but instead of having her as my girlfriend, first I’d would get her and then I’d send her away to my rival’s house and tell her to prepare a poisoned meal and feed it to him. I think such kind of dating would be good.
All – (laugh).
AM – But Utena is also a type of girl you like, right?
Ikuhara – Yes. I like idiots. I want to be an idiot too.
AM – So, it’d ok with you if someone came to the Be-Papas studio and asked “Is this Ikuhara-san?” while pointing at the film projector?
Ikuhara – Yes, but if someone really said something like that I’d hit that person from behind (laugh).
AM – And finally, some questions from me, the editor.
Q – What kind of team is Be-Papas for all of you?
Enokido – “How beautiful congeniality is” – something along those lines.
Ikuhara – It’s filled with feelings of friendship.
Hasegawa – When we drink sake together we all seem to look like friends.
Enokido – It’s possible that there are in fact times when I think that we could be friends.
AM – Saying something like this means that members of Be-Papas are indeed looking for friends, right? (laugh).
Ikuhara – I don’t like it! (suddenly gets up from chair)
Hasegawa – Oh, my (laugh).
Enokido – We have this mutual agreement to betray each other depending on the situation and that’s probably why we get along so well with each other (laugh).
AM – I see. Could it be that you don’t like Ikuhara-san, Enokido-san?
Enokido – Giku! (startled). No, it’s nothing like that (laugh).
AM – Could it be that you don’t get along very well with Enokido-san, Ikuhara-san?
Ikuhara – Not at all. By the way, I went Enokido’s home yesterday and made him a meal. So I think that something’s going to happen eventually.
Enokido – Uuuh… I’m choking… (that said he starts wriggling).
Ikuhara – Here it is!
All – (laugh).
Q – What are the highlights of season 3?
Ikuhara – Anthy’s “this kind of things” and Utena’s “that kind of things”.
Hasegawa – I’m going to use lots of skin tone colors so look forward to it.
Enokido – I think that I’d like to betray all of yours (=reader’s) expectations in a good way.
AM – And the last words to our fans.
Enokido – From now on also look forward to our activity.
AM – Hey hey.
Ikuhara – I really believe that friendship exists so I want you all (=readers) to do your best in your life!
Ikuhara – (roar of laughter).
Hasegawa – It’d a boost of libido! Look forward to it.
Shoujo Kakumei Utena (Revolutionary Girl Utena) is © Kunihiko Ikuhara, Chiho Saito, Shogakukan and bePapas/TV Tokyo and/or their respective copyright holders. The US release of the Revolutionary Girl Utena series and movie was © Central Park Media and now belongs to Right Stuf. The US release of the Utena manga is © VIZ. The various sources used in this site are noted where their content is presented. Don't sue us, seriously. Blood. Stone.
Animage Be-Papas Interview
Magazine Cover [click to see]sku04 [click to see]
Having entered the season 3 “Ohtori Akio Arc” “Revolutionary Girl Utena” is becoming even more suspicious and even more surrealistic with even more high tension!
There has probably never been such a strange anime before!
NOW, ALLOW US TO INVITE YOU, TO THE WORLD YOU DESIRE!
LET’S GO TO “THE END OF THE WORLD”
sku05 [click to see]
sku06 [click to see]
Only those who hold beautiful memories are allowed to wish. Wish things like: if only that moment could last forever… If only present could be still the same way as it was at that moment…
sku07 [click to see]
Laboratory of Playwriting or Revolution of Production
People make various expressions. Baby when feeling hungry calls his/her mother by crying loudly – act like this is probably the simplest example of “expression”. In that way, every person is making “an expression”.
When growing up people start to make more complicated expressions. Women wearing makeup and dressing up is a form of expression, as is sport player’s competing for a record. Among various people who make expressions those who make outstanding, meta-“expressions” are called “creators” and among them some percentage is called “artists”.
Baby’s crying and author’s conveyment of social themes through his/her work, though the level is different, does not change the fact that both are “expressions” which one person uses when interacting with other person. Also, similar to novels and movies, works of animations are also types of entertainment and at the same time, “expressions” of author.
And so, here we have “Revolutionary Girl Utena”. We can probably say that this work is very enthusiastic when regarding the relation between “reality” and “story”. Things like, railway crossing located without any explanation in Student Council room and which indicates the passing of train. Baseball match taking place nearby the members of the council. Touga who rides a car towards “The End of the World” with, for some reason, unbuttoned shirt. Akio Ohtori making an ecstatic face while sitting on a bonnet. Or existence of Shadow Girls. Or cars sprouting on a dueling arena.
Here what staff is pursuing is not to make “expression” of something through a story, but to play with the expression itself. In episode 22, “pointing finger mark” which appeared on a screen and pointed at a lipstick stain on a coffee cup or cats outside the window, was invisible. It was to show something, that had no meaning (even if, like Ikuhara-san himself has said on the next page, it had in fact a meaning from storytelling point of view) like it was something very meaningful. Or to emphasize audience’s incapability to understand. In other words, it is interesting because from the storytelling point of view it has no meaning; because the “expression” exists apart from the story - it was to show this sort of thing. It was this kind of a acrobatic (?) playing.
What creator should show is not necessarily a “neatly written story”, but a far more excellent “expression”. And if that “expression” is interesting it will also have value as a commercial work.
Something like “neatly written story” is nothing more than a kind of form.
But “Revolutionary Girl Utena” is by no means a work that prioritizes the expression or that denies the story.
Each duelist’s individual episode is very dramatic. For example, episodes like 28 and 29 in which Shiori, Juri and a new duelist, Tsuchiya Ruka show up can be said to be extremely dramatic. Also, the story concentrating on Utena is going to truly start from now on.
A thorough prioritizing of expression which could destroy the story and a dramatic story. These two dragnets (?) are probably the true essence of “Revolutionary Girl Utena”.
sku08 [click to see]
Conversation during Driving
Ikuhara KunihikoxSaitou Chiho
VIRTUAL STAR EMBRYOLOGY
Right now, it’s the normal scenes that are much less frequent, isn’t it?
The car is running through “The End of the World”
Ikuhara Kunihiko who is driving a car towards “The End of the World” and mangaka, Saitou Chiho. Let’s GO to “The End of the World”!
AM – So, this time, it’ll be a conversation during a drive while discussing the content of the third season of the story.
Ikuhara – So, Saitou-sensei, let’s go.
Saitou – Ok.
(Ban, ban, ban, car is starting to run)
Saitou – Woah, what a speed! Aren’t we speeding up?
Ikuhara – It’s alright. We still haven’t reached that high of a speed.
AM – Talking about speeding up, recently “Utena” is also speeding up more and more.
Saitou – I was a little surprised when a railway crossing appeared in Student Council room (episode 22) (laugh).
Ikuhara – Yes, it was strange, wasn’t it? (smile)
Saitou – Ikuhara-san, I thought that you really are speeding up. Recently, ‘speeding up’ scenes is appearing rapidly. Student Council scenes are speeding up, Shadow Girls scenes are also speeding up and even duel scenes are speeding up. And drama is moving around somewhere between those ‘speeding up’ scenes (laugh).
Ikuhara – Certainly. The proportions inside the whole story are being reversed (laugh).
Saitou – I’m enjoying watching it while wondering how far will it go. Because in my case, I’m turning the typical drama elements in my “Utena” manga that I’m drawing into manga (?).
Ikuhara – The typical scenes that can be used in manga are almost non-existent in anime.
Saitou – That’s right. That’s why, how to say it… I think that it’s a work worth of doing (laugh).
All – (laugh)
Ikuhara – I’m really sorry
Saitou – No, no, when it’s the anime that is speeding up I start thinking something like “I’m not gonna lose!” and I gain more motivation for making my manga. I think something like “If anime is going that way, then I’m going this way”.
AM – In the beginning, the scenes with Shadow Girls were the ones that stood out very much, but now other scenes are even more surrealistic.
Saitou – Right, now scenes with Shadow Girls look almost dimly in comparison. It’s frightening how easily people can get used to things.
(Ban, ban, ban, the car is running)
Saitou – The pointing finger mark at the end of the second season (episode 22) was also interesting.
Ikuhara – Interesting, wasn’t it?
Saitou – Is there a meaning in it?
Ikuhara – Yes, there is. It points at things that are epoch-making (laugh). Usually, when people are watching a particular work they feel and decide on their own what and how something is interesting, but here it is producers who are pointing “Here, this is interesting”.
Saitou – So that’s how it is… (laugh). I thought that it maybe holds a very deep meaning, like maybe a hint to solving some of the mysteries.
Ikuhara – Of course, it has a meaning.
Saitou – Really? So, why the number of cats outside the window increased?
Ikuhara – In the beginning, one cat met a cute little kitten and they fell in love. And so, as the time went on, they had children.
sku09 [click to see]
Saitou – So, that finger is showing the passing of time?
Ikuhara – As expected, you’re smart (laugh). Certainly, all of them have a connection with passing of time, no doubt about that.
Saitou - The theme of second season was “time”?
Ikuhara – Hmm, it wasn’t a theme, but “time” is quite an important thing in this series. Both “memory” and “time”.
(Ban, ban, ban, the car is running)
Saitou – So what will be the theme of the third season?
Ikuhara – Cars (laugh).
Saitou – Is that so? Really, cars will be the theme? (laugh)
Ikuhara – Of course. The theme will be a sport car that Ohtori Akio drives. That’s why we’re talking like this while driving, aren’t we?
Saitou – What does sport car symbolize? Male person? Authority?
Ikuhara – When I was little there was a supercar boom. Maybe because of that, even now such a car is something that satisfies childish desires in the adult world. A car seems like that sort of thing. As you grow up toys tend to disappear quickly from your life. Even if, as a child you wanted a model of robot, when you’re an adult these sort of things that you want seem to disappear, isn’t that so? Well, you may want something like a house, but obviously, it’s a little different from wanting a toy. My idea of a car is something that is exceedingly close to an adult’s toy.
Saitou – Hmm. So, when Akio is riding it what does it mean?
Ikuhara – It means status. Obviously, you can buy toys when you have lots of money (lit. when you have composure). So, a person who have a car of high status brand is someone who has lots of composure and that’s why the car is depicted as a symbol of calm and composed adult.
Saitou – So car is adult’s play and adult’s toy.
Ikuhara – Right. It gives a feeling like “He’s really showing off”.
Saitou – Hmm.
AM – Moreover, Akio and other guys bare their chests while driving. Is that also a way of showing off?
Ikuhara – Yes, it is. And what’s more, they sit on a bonnet.
AM – I see. It is certainly a showing off.
Saitou – And they do it all while driving (laugh).
AM– As a director, are you depicting it as something cool?
Ikuhara – Of course.
AM – Even that moment when Touga is baring his chest every week?
Saitou – Eh? He bares his chest every week?
Ikuhara – Yes.
Saitou – I can’t wait to see that (Saitou-sensei is staggering)
Ikuhara – Yeah, it’s sexy.
Saitou – Hmm, in other words, what’s the meaning of having an adult’s toy and baring one’s chest? Does it mean that all the pleasure lies there?
Ikuhara – Yes, that’s probably how it is. I think that in this world there are only few people who are allowed to return to being a child. Because only if one has that much of composure he can return to being a child. In that sense, I feel that those who ride naked on a luxurious, high brand car must really have lot of composure.
Saitou – Yes, that may be true. So something like that is close to your ideal adult, right Ikuhara-san?
Ikuhara - Yes. But only if we’re talking about ideal that exists in a fantasy, a virtual ideal. Even apart from his actions, Ohtori Akio himself is my virtual ideal. Because he is a virtual star.
Saitou – So, when Touga and others ride in that car that symbolizes Akio’s status or when it appears on the dueling arena and they ride in it, that also has a meaning, right?
Ikuhara – Yes.
Saitou – And Utena will be tempted by Akio who knows such adult pleasures, right?
Ikuhara – That’s how it’s going to be.
(Ban, ban, ban, the car is running)
AM – From now on, “Utena” is heading towards the climax, but can you give us more details about it?
Ikuhara – From episode 30 on, Utena and Akio’s quite deep relationship will show up, so look forward to it. I’m going to do even something that will make people say “Now way, something like that too!”
Saitou – About the climax, will it be different from the one in the manga?
Ikuhara – Basically, the story itself is identical. The only difference will be in how it’s going to be presented, but what I’m going to do is not going to differ that much.
AM – In case of manga, we’re already right before the climax.
Saitou - Anime’s scenario moves on simultaneously with manga. After Enokido-san (scriptwriter) finishes up the script I draw the manga while trying to make use of it as much as possible.
Ikuhara – If the basic plot is the same, you can just draw it whatever way you like, Satou-san.
Saitou – I don’t think I could draw it in exactly the same way as anime, because I want to match it with drama’s conclusions and I don’t want to lose to anime in terms of highness of tension.
Ikuhara – I look forward to it. Ok, I’m going to speed up now
Saitou – Please go wherever you’ll be able to go.
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I’m going to show “The End of the World”… to you too.
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Let’s go to the End of the World!
Go Go! “The End of the World” is The End of the Heart, Go Go! “The End of the World” is a despair! Go! Let’s go, let’s go, to “The End of the World”, let’s go, let’s go, to “The End of the World”, so let’s go, to the world you desire!!
It looks like “The End of the World” that manipulates Duelists is Anthy’s brother, Ohtori Akio. Go Go!
Whether the academy grounds or roadway, Akio seems to appear in his car, takes young people with him and shows them “The End of the World”, Go!
Young people who saw “The End of the World” take swords and once again challenge Utena to a duel, Go Go!!
With “The End of the World” meet those who have romantic hearts. Those who pursue their dreams, Go Go! Every person has “The End of the World” in his heart. Every road leads to “The End of the World”. “The End of the World” feels good. “The End of the World” feels like a lukewarm bath. It’s a world where you don’t need will or making decisions. Go Go! Go Go!
What is “The End of the World” that they saw? If Akio is “The End of the World” why does he call himself “The End of the World”? In the end, can Utena win with “The End of the World”, can people win with “The End of the World”?
Let’s go, let’s go, to “The End of the World”! Let’s go, let’s go, to “The End of the World”! Go Go! “The End of the World” is The End of the Heart, Go Go!! “The End of the World” is a despair! And, and, “The End of the World” is “The Reality”! Go!!
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“UTENA” Q&A CORNER: BRING YOUR HEART CLOSER TO A MONKEY.
Members of Be-Papas answer the questions from readers.
AM – Let’s start the Q&A corner.
Ikuhara – Please, be gentle.
Q – Do you have favourite character in “Revolutionary Girl Utena? (reader from Chiba prefecture)
Enokido (scriptwriter) – Every character is my favourite.
Ikuhara – But isn’t that obvious?
Enokido – We have to start from a light jabs (laugh).
Ikuhara – As for me, Anthy is probably my favourite. And then, the frog that appeared in episode 9 (laugh). I like it, especially that sound of crunching the insect, I like it very much.
All – (laugh)
Hasegawa (character designer) - For me, it’s Utena, because I had the most hard time creating her character design.
Q – Is it true that Saionji is crying in the opening? (reader from Aiwa prefecture)
Ikuhara – He is crying indeed. Hasegawa did it at the stage of creating animation.
AM – So it’s not a sweat that’s scattering but tears. Why did you make him cry?
Hasegawa – Because he obviously has a bad luck.
Ikuhara – (laugh)
Hasegawa – Saionji is turning into a troublesome child when things aren’t going the way he wants.
AM – So it was an adlib animation.
Ikuhara – That’s right.
Q – Who came up with that venomous lines from episode 9 “Those who really believe that friends exist are idiots”? Enokido-san or Ikuhara-san? (reader from Kanagawa prefecture)
Ikuhara – Enokido (bluntly). Basically, I think that friendship is something very important.
Enokido - People who says things like that are the most dangerous ones.
AM – Does real friendship exist in this world?
Ikuhara – Of course. If it wasn’t so, such groups as Be-Papas wouldn’t even exist, would they? We’re tied with bonds of friendship.
Hasegawa – Really, was that so?
AM – Enokido-san, you don’t need friends?
Enokido – Someone, please teach me how to make friends (laugh).
Q – To Ikuhara-san. Please tell if there were any scenes where you thought like “I aimed at something like this, but seems I missed”. (reader from Kanagawa prefecture)
Ikuhara – The episode in which Nanami turned into a cow – she turned into it much more than I expected.
All – (laugh)
Hasegawa – Yes, certainly too much was shown. Though we tried to hide it more.
AM – You made the drawings for the scenes with cow, but didn’t intend to show them on the screen.
Q – Please tell what is every member’s so-called “my boom” (=current obsession) (reader from Kanagawa prefecture)
Hasegawa – Japanese alcohol. Especially Ginjo sake. I drink it every day.
Ikuhara – Bruce Lee.
AM – In what way do you turn Bruce Lee into “my boom”?
Ikuhara – I watch films with him, wield a nunchaku and all-around act like a Bruce Lee (laugh).
AM - It’s your way of living.
Ikuhara – That’s right.
Enokido – Well in my case, when I finish the script for the last episode I’m probably going to party like crazy.
Ikuhara – That’s not a “boom” (laugh).
Q – In “RGU” world, do all the monkeys look like Chuchu? (reader from Tochigi prefecture)
Enokido – First of all, is Chuchu even a monkey?
Ikuhara – Dunno.
AM – Real monkeys like ones we know probably don’t exist in that world.
Hasegawa – No, a real monkey appeared in scenes with Shadow Girls.
Enokido – Oh, that’s right. Even in “Utena”’s world, there are many kinds of monkeys.
Hasegawa – Chuchu might be a specific Chuchu-kind of monkey.
Q – I wonder if Utena will continue wearing boy uniform even when the Prince appears. (reader from Tochigi prefecture)
Enokido – Now, that’s a sharp question. I can only say “Look forward to it”.
AM – The next question came up most often.
Q – What does Miki measure with his stopwatch? (reader from Hokkaido)
Ikuhara – Let’s just say that it’s connected with the structure of the world.
All – (laugh).
Enokido – That’s a really hard-to-understand answer.
AM – This one also came up very often.
Q – What is the origin of Be-Papas name? (reader from Yamanashi prefecture)
Ikuhara – It has a considerably deep connection with whether a friendship exists in this world.
All – Eh?
Ikuhara – (laugh).
Enokido – And also some connection with themes of “RGU”.
Hasegawa – I think it should be taken literally.
Ikuhara – Well, it can mean that we just want to do things from subjective point of view.
Q - Please tell how does Chuchu feel to touch in TV series. (reader from Kanagawa prefecture)
Enokido – That’s something I’d like to know too.
Ikuhara – No amount of words can express how wonderful it is.
All – (laugh).
AM – Even so, Utena doesn’t seem to touch Chuchu that often.
Ikuhara – No no, she touches him so much that he gets numb.
Hasegawa – To tell the truth, Chuchu kinda feels like this (this said, he slowly he takes out a certain thing).
AM – Oh, this?
Enokido – I see. This is certainly how Chuchu feels like in TV series.
Ikuhara – Yes, this feels great.
AM – I see, but what is “this” thing?
Enokido – We can’t say it in a magazine, can we?
Ikuhara – It’d be awkward if we did.
Enokido – Because there are also children reading this magazine.
Hasegawa – Those who don’t know what we’re talking about will get to know it when they grow up.
All – (laugh).
Q – During the gym class, does Utena wear things like tennis skirt, bloomers or school swimsuit? (reader from Kanagawa prefecture)
Ikuhara – I haven’t thought about it.
Enokido – Bloomers would be weird.
Ikuhara – I think she doesn’t wear bloomers, because during the baseball or soccer classes she was wearing shorts.
Hasegawa – I think that during tennis class she wears boy shorts too.
AM – The problem is, what is she wearing during swimming classes?
Hasegawa – It’d be good if she wore a boys’ swimsuit, but please everyone (=readers) make her wear whatever swimsuit you like.
Q – What was the “eternal thing” that was shown to the girl from episode 9? (reader from Gunma prefecture)
Enokido – Look forward to episode 34.
AM – This one was easy.
Q – How do you decide on songs for each duel? Do you match them with personality of particular character? (reader from Kobe prefecture)
Ikuhara – We match them with character’s personality.
AM – So does that mean that in the second episode, Saionji who holds “paleozoic within his body” is an ammonite?
Ikuhara – He is an ammonite.
All – (laugh).
Enokido – It means that he’s bound by old-fashioned ideas.
AM – Oh, I see.
Q – Chuchu is a male or a female? (reader from Kanagawa prefecture)
Enokido – In episode 20, when Onion Prince stared at Chuchu he turned red, right? When Saitou-sensei saw that she was surprised and asked if Chuchu wasn’t a girl.
AM – But the truth is, he’s a male, right?
Ikuhara – Probably, he’s a male.
AM – He’s a male but when being stared by Onion Prince he turned red and put on a skirt.
Ikuhara – That’s right.
Q – To Enokido Jouji-sama. Do you do any kind of writing besides writing scripts? Please tell if it’s not a nuisance. (reader from Hokkaido)
Enokido – Besides writing scripts, mainly I write a dairy. Well, I could probably say something like “Look forward to my activity from now on”.
Q – What kind of person is Yamaguchi Ryouta who always writes Nanami’s story? (reader from Hokkaido)
sku13 [click to see]
Enokido – Even if you ask me what kind of person he is…
Ikuhara – He likes animals very much (laugh). That’s why animals always appear in scripts he writes (laugh).
Enkido – Oh, that’s right. He’s a friend of director’s pet (laugh).
AM – What pet do you have Ikuhara-san?
Ikuhara – I have a raccoon. It’s really hard to keep.
AM – You probably met Yamaguchi-san at pet hospital or somewhere like that.
Ikuhara – Oh, yes, that’s how I met him and asked him to create a script for me (laugh).
Q - Who came up with the names of albums and names of every song on them?
Ikuhara – That was me.
AM – The title of second album “Virtual Star Embryology” is impressive, as is track 23’s “Gougai Shoujo (Saru)”.
Ikuhara – I made that one too. Cool, isn’t it?
Q – Anthy isn’t a virgin anymore, right? I’m a little curious about that. (reader from Tokyo)
Enkido – I’m also curious about that!
Ikuhara – Of course she’s not a virgin, is she?
All – (laugh).
Hasegawa – It’s obvious (laugh).
Q – Could it be that Chuchu is a very important character who holds a key to the whole story? (reader from Tokyo)
Ikuhara – Giku! (startled) Now, that’s sharp (laugh).
Q – Anthy-chan doesn’t have any personal clothing? Are there rules that say Rose Bride has to wear specific school uniform, sport clothes, etc. anytime? (reader from Mie prefecture)
Hasegawa – Please everyone (=readers) make her wear whatever you like.
Q – To my blonde haired, cool, manly, smart Ikuhara-director-sama whom I love. Are you married? I’m ready to be your partner. If marriage is not an option please tell me everything about yourself. I love you, Ikuhara-director! (reader from Ibaraki prefecture)
Ikuhara – Thank you. I’m not married. But right now, I’m sacrificing everything to my friend raccoon, so I can’t tell you everything about myself.
Q – What should I do to be able to receive electromagnetic waves from C-ko-chan? (reader from Tochigi prefecture)
Ikuhara – You should bring your heart extremely close to a monkey.
All – (laugh).
Hasegawa – It means you should live by your instinct.
AM – If I do that, the waves will come to me?
Ikuhara – Yes, they’ll start coming to you.
Q – In season 2, when Utena saw the planetarium projector why did she ask “Is that your brother?”? (reader from Tokyo)
Enokido – I just want to say that this line wasn’t in my script.
Ikuhara – Because well, Utena is a bit of an airhead.
All – (laugh).
Hasegawa – Yeah, she’s an idiot (laugh).
Ikuhara – But come to think of it, people probably do say things like that (laugh).
AM – Oh really?
Ikuhara – Girls I fall in love with tend to say things like that.
Hasegawa – I thought she meant it as a joke to make Anthy laugh.
Ikuhara – It’s nothing like that. It was good, I like it. I think that it was an extremely good portrayal.
Q – Is Anthy near sighted or far sighted? (reader from Tokyo)
Enokido – To tell the truth, she doesn’t really have a bad eyesight.
Ikuhara – Actually, she can see everything.
AM – But didn’t she say “I can see so much without my glass” in episode 8’s preview?
Enokido – Saying things like that is Anthy’s scary aspect.
Q - In the first episode Wakaba said something like “Anthy and Saionji are in the same Student Council, that’s why they’re together” but if that’s so, does it mean that Anthy is a student council’s member? (reader from Tochigi prefecture)
Enokido – She’s not a member of Student Council Executive Committee, but it seems that she’s a part of lower structures.
Q – What is Akio-san’s faculty? (reader from Tochigi prefecture)
Ikuhara – I think it’s astronomy.
Enokido – It might be veterinary.
AM – What about his club activity?
Ikuhara – Lambada or something like that (laugh).
Hasegawa – Yes, he’s probably into that sort of things.
AM – So it’s not a car club.
Ikuhara – Yes, he’s extremely good at dancing lambada.
Hasegawa – Especially the way he moves his hips.
Ikuhara –He’s trained in it. He’s so acrobatically trained in it that he can dance lambada everywhere.
All – (laugh)
Q –Many relationships, not only between men and women, for example Utena and Anthy, Mikage and Mamiya, Juri and Shiori and also between brothers and sisters, appear frequently in this series, but is there any deeper meaning to this?
Ikuhara&Enokido – Of course.
AM – Please explain it a bit more.
Enokido – It has definitely a deep connection with director’s own trauma.
Ikuhara – Trauma? I don’t have one.
AM – So the reason there’s so many brother/sister relationships is because of Enokido-san?
Enokido – That’s not the case either.
Ikuhara – The reason there’s so many of them is because they have close connection with the themes of these series.
Enokido – I think I’ve already discussed it somewhere before, but I have a particular interest in human relationships at the time when there is no confrontation in them or maybe better said, peaceful human relationships at the time of childhood when there was no confrontation are most easily understandable through the relationship of brother and sister – and that’s why there are so many of them.
Ikuhara – And maybe because those relationships have connection with feelings of searching of one’s prince that appear so frequently in these series.
Q – In the first episode, we saw Saionji being engaged to Anthy, but with whom did he fight a duel and won her? (reader from Chiba prefecture)
Enokido – It’s a secret.
Ikuhara – Saionji surely must have brushed his teeth everyday.
AM – What is that suppose to mean?
Q – Are Ikuhara-director and Enokido-kun in love with each other? (reader from Tokyo)
Enokido – It’s already thing of the past (laugh).
Ikuhara- Even now, I take bath everyday.
Q – Ikuhara-san, do you have any relationship with “The End of the World”? (reader from Tokyo)
Ikuhara – He’s my friend.
AM – Your friend? So does it mean that you sometimes receive phone calls from him?
Ikuhara – Yes, I do.
AM – You don’t make phone calls to him?
Ikuhara – Sometimes I do, but when I’m listening to a CD during work before I notice that CD turns out to be a CD of “The End of the World”.
AM – You’re scary, really.
Q – Please tell about impressive events that have recently happened in your life.
Enokido – I swam in the sea. It was fun.
Hasegawa – The color manuscript I was creating all day long has been torn to pieces.
Ikuhara – I’ve started keeping a tadpole.
Q – What kind of girl is your type? (reader from Tokyo)
Enokido – If we’re talking about RGU, then my type is Kozue.
Hasegawa – I think for me it’d Utena. She doesn’t seem like a type who will cause troubles in the future and I’d like to drink sake together with her.
Ikuhara – Obviously, Anthy, both in terms of looks and personality. The runner-up would be Shiori, but instead of having her as my girlfriend, first I’d would get her and then I’d send her away to my rival’s house and tell her to prepare a poisoned meal and feed it to him. I think such kind of dating would be good.
All – (laugh).
AM – But Utena is also a type of girl you like, right?
Ikuhara – Yes. I like idiots. I want to be an idiot too.
AM – So, it’d ok with you if someone came to the Be-Papas studio and asked “Is this Ikuhara-san?” while pointing at the film projector?
Ikuhara – Yes, but if someone really said something like that I’d hit that person from behind (laugh).
AM – And finally, some questions from me, the editor.
Q – What kind of team is Be-Papas for all of you?
Enokido – “How beautiful congeniality is” – something along those lines.
Ikuhara – It’s filled with feelings of friendship.
Hasegawa – When we drink sake together we all seem to look like friends.
Enokido – It’s possible that there are in fact times when I think that we could be friends.
AM – Saying something like this means that members of Be-Papas are indeed looking for friends, right? (laugh).
Ikuhara – I don’t like it! (suddenly gets up from chair)
Hasegawa – Oh, my (laugh).
Enokido – We have this mutual agreement to betray each other depending on the situation and that’s probably why we get along so well with each other (laugh).
AM – I see. Could it be that you don’t like Ikuhara-san, Enokido-san?
Enokido – Giku! (startled). No, it’s nothing like that (laugh).
AM – Could it be that you don’t get along very well with Enokido-san, Ikuhara-san?
Ikuhara – Not at all. By the way, I went Enokido’s home yesterday and made him a meal. So I think that something’s going to happen eventually.
Enokido – Uuuh… I’m choking… (that said he starts wriggling).
Ikuhara – Here it is!
All – (laugh).
Q – What are the highlights of season 3?
Ikuhara – Anthy’s “this kind of things” and Utena’s “that kind of things”.
Hasegawa – I’m going to use lots of skin tone colors so look forward to it.
Enokido – I think that I’d like to betray all of yours (=reader’s) expectations in a good way.
AM – And the last words to our fans.
Enokido – From now on also look forward to our activity.
AM – Hey hey.
Ikuhara – I really believe that friendship exists so I want you all (=readers) to do your best in your life!
Ikuhara – (roar of laughter).
Hasegawa – It’d a boost of libido! Look forward to it.
Shoujo Kakumei Utena (Revolutionary Girl Utena) is © Kunihiko Ikuhara, Chiho Saito, Shogakukan and bePapas/TV Tokyo and/or their respective copyright holders. The US release of the Revolutionary Girl Utena series and movie was © Central Park Media and now belongs to Right Stuf. The US release of the Utena manga is © VIZ. The various sources used in this site are noted where their content is presented. Don't sue us, seriously. Blood. Stone.