a_flyleaf | utena 2: smiling flowers? i love undertale

Galaxy brain thought: dueling is sexually charged via Intentional Phallic Imagery, and I also know RGU is inverting the Princely Ideal (masculine!) somehow. To win a duel one must knock the rose off the opponent, therefore dueling functions as a f. as a def. flwo. Remove Flwoer, De

i’m not being fully serious with that but I was trying to think of a good title joke and realized I still don’t know what the rose means. Freud bashing my head in the gutter aside, this episode’s title likens the rose to Anthy, who just declared she “belongs” to Utena, so that’s interesting.

still don’t know what to make of most of this intro but it’s so gaaaaaayyy
see I was joking about Utena’s lesbian harem but the canon writes itself
so we see a lil more of the land around Dicks Academy, huh. Not much to say there except that it’s populated like a normal countryside and there is no sign of that weirdass spiral building-island in sight.
Oh hm, so that orange fade around the edge was intentional (based on it showing up at the start of Utena’s flashback). Interesting 🤔
the entire Magnolia Waltz story sounds like an analogue to Anthy going from Saionji to Utena
“I belong to you” Wakaba,,
Pausing real quick here: so, uh, ^that’s a hell of an echo. Something something gender roles, traditionally/archaically (in the west anyway) the woman is said to “belong” to the man, Utena continues to amass a harem,,, She seems alright with the randos but it’s awkward with the Designated Best Friend. Understandable have a nice gay
oh hey, I’ve seen that egg quote before
so I’m guessing the egg thing ties into all this Extremely Charged Imagery; the phrase “walking on eggshells” is a thing but I wonder if that’s only an English thing? probably better to take this wrt the “revolutionary” framing—smash egg, break barrier, change shit/be born
I don’t know enough about cards to know what they’re playing >:(
ooo didn’t notice all the Council people had the ring seals
“Such a regal and lovely young girl” I don’t trust like that.jpg
oh damn I love that rose stained glass in color >:o don’t know enough about the character dynamics to comment on the color symbolism here but It’s Gotta Be Intentional (also oh yeah, roses are conventionally pink/red)
I’m probably gonna have to rewatch this conversation without pausing every two lines but “End of the World” sure is a Name, and we just had a metaphor about the world ending (egg smashing) meaning “revolution”…
-rewatches the scene- the card backs look suspiciously similar to envelopes, and I like how the Council’s more concerned about Utena not being One Of Them moreso than a girl taking the rose bride. gay rights!!!
iiis blue some kind of scribe/record-keeper?

Wakaba leans on Utena while they walk back from school together, like a straight person

^Genuinely not even joking I think Wakaba has a crush on Utena
>next shot immediately has her walking a couple feet away
>and then piggybacking
alright that is a big fuckin house for one student what’s the deal here
that room looks very Destroyed
you know I get so many layers deep in the Analysis Shit that I forget/don’t realize the entire show isn’t like that. these lighthearted Anime™ bits are so charming
Anthy just writing her name on the door sjdghsdgjksdgjhsdgjkdsghsdjgs
Utena I don’t think you two being roommates is a “coincidence”
I kind of love that shot of Utena trying to shove all the junk in the closet
Utena slapstick real
“I must be engaged to whoever wins a duel” Anthy who told you that and Why
this is a weird thing but that is a low fuckin bunk bed. (for a “single” house it sure is convenient there are two beds in one, too.) wonder if that’s a cultural thing
[about following all the mysterious rules] “because I like to” @anthy, Doubt.jpeg
oh hey it’s that mouse thing
I have. No fuckin clue what to make of this segment
like at all
something something it reflects Anthy’s inner whatever the fuck
the constantly-panning shots in the next scene are uhh. Interesting
“I’ve no intention of fighting those meaningless duels!” and then Anthy just sipping tea sgjhdfs, yeah same. the episodes are called Duels for a reason
oh hello were Saionji’s eyes purple last ep. I might’ve missed/overlooked it but wow that was an ominous shot to leave off on
Saionji experiencing the character arc where the devoted trainee gets usurped by a rando on day one except instead of it being Experienced Woman surpassed by Bumbling Dude it’s not that and also the nineties
“exchange diary” I have no idea what to make of this
“that girl” Utena be nice to your future spouse
I’m sorry is this scene with Anthy and Saionji invoking a literal gaslight
oooo those dissolves are really cool. almost definitely ~symbolic~ too; Anthy associated with the light, Saionji with.. himself, and then the obelisk
>belatedly realizes Saionji (green hair) has purple eyes, Anthy (purple hair) has green eyes
green sure is an Envy Color too; idk if that’s cross-cultural but it certainly seems to fit Saionji’s setup thus far

Utena and Anthy being gay (sorry idk how to describe this)

^no comment just felt like saving this shot
Chu-Chu prodding Saionji’s foot (uselessly) and then getting stepped on, yeah it’s definitely analogous to Something. (not an evasive use of caps there, idk what except -gestures vaguely in Anthy’s direction-)
“Those who oppose the student council vanish from this campus!” well that doesn’t sound cultlike at all
that mouse has a heart on its ass.
“I’ll just purposely lose” Utena have you thought through the ramifications of this on Anthy or,,

^rad colors
ooo shadow girls again
the cowboy allusion also where the hell did that hose come from. we’re obviously not supposed thello the cactus???
so yeah. I like how the shadow people convey (what I think can safely assumed to be) the School Gossip, on a diegetic level, but also they’re so fuckin Out There visually there are clearly Layers to it. what are they even in front of again, -rewinds real quick- panels of roses? Interesting
just something very fairytale about the whole thing I dig it
ayyyy spiral sequence again
did they literally reuse the same shots from the first ep
-jams out to the song anyway-
“My own birth, absolute birth. Apocalypse.” there is something related to that egg metaphor here
oh hello this shot with Anthy is new
so those were conspicuous crotch shots,,
oh yeah, we’re getting The Pose but with these two proper this round, right? Nice
is she actually gonna lose it on purpose though. Utena,,
like playing into The System here is bullshit but it doesn’t seem smart to test that either
yeah good luck not getting hurt here Utena this dude’s going for the kill
why the fuck are the lyrics listing off prehistoric eras and bacteria sdjghsdfjds
-looks it up real quick- stromatolite are ancient sedimentary formations and the bacteria are associated. cool cool. i have No fuckin clue how this is relevant to anything here but I’m sure it is somehow
beginning of the world → creation and birth metaphors?? anyway let’s unpause
Saionji: -has no chill- / redhead: 👀🍿🍿🍿
hi what the fuck is going on
why did the rose cover up ???floating T-pose dude like a censor nooooooo
(as a side note I sure was raising a figurative eyebrow at Wakaba constantly piggybacking/otherwise literally, physically on Utena’s back but it seemed like a stretch. I No Longer Think That Was A Stretch)
goddammit I don’t remember enough Homestuck to make a reference about the sword breaking
but huh, Mysterious T-Pose Dude (the.. dark-skinned guy from the intro?) refuses to let Utena lose. (wonder what Anthy’s reaction to that was, if any)
“I didn’t do it for you. I did it for ChuChu” rude???
I mean I’m sure Chu-Chu represents something Anthy-related and Utena not feeding Anthy’s little complex here is a good thing but sjdghsdjsgjsfs
well, that was a nice note to end the ep on :D …I think,
- post-watch note: I mean even if Utena didn’t mean it in a subtext way, Anthy could’ve taken the Chu-Chu comment as being about her (Anthy) anyway. and/or the laughing was just Gay and Heartwarming. either way, #hashtagValid
“I want to keep on smashing lies apart” more destructive language.
“Excuses are fitting for adults who just cling to old stories.” out with the old, in with the new; #revolution
(someone’s made one of those “[character] loves… [trivial thing]! character loves… another thing! character loves… revolution” memes with Utena right)
dancing queen, young and sweet,
redhead behind Utena in the preview there… Fear.jpg
oh hey, it’s that blondie with the Classic Anime Laugh. …that’s about all I know about her so far really,,
“The absolute destiny apocalypse.” it would not be hard at all to take the absolute piss out of this show for being pretentious with symbolism and metaphor every other sentence/frame and i love it for that
aaand blondie has purple eyes and was set up with Anthy (while Utena gets red dude, I guess :( ). Inch Resting

huh, I don’t really have much to say (that I didn’t cover mid-watch) except that if you take a shot every time I use some variation of “interesting,” to not-really-conclude A Thought that stuck out to me for no currently-articulated reason, you would be dead now

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