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utena

Revolutionary Girl Utena

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Episode Reviewed In: EMAIL CHIAKI IF YOU KNOW THE EPISODE – use the contact form

Alternate Titles: Ursula’s Kiss, Utena, Girl Revolution Utena, Shoujo Kakumei Utena (少女革命ウテナ)

Original Japanese Release Date: 1997

Episode Length/Run-time: 39 Episodes

Summary:

When Utena Tenjou was a young girl her parents died and during her despair a prince on a white horse gave her a ring, telling her to never lose her nobility and strength.  She was so impressed by him that she decided to become a prince herself and dresses as a boy at her school, Ohtori Academy.  One day she observes what seems to be a lovers quarrel involving Anthe Himemiya and Saonji, a member of the student council.  When she approaches Saonji she is swept into a world of duels because of her ring surrounding Anthe, the “rose bride” and the power to revolutionize the world.  What these duels are, who the mysterious letter sender known as “End of the World” is, and Utena’s place in it all remains a mystery.

Review:

How to make this review not a small novel will be a mystery for me.  It’s no secret that this is likely my personal favorite anime of all time.  But, even if this wasn’t the case this anime is so full of symbolism, story, and general “WTF?” that it’ll be hard to keep this review short(er).  But, here goes nothing…

The anime is, foremost, a Shoujo anime.  Despite having its share of action in the duels and sometimes hostile relationships between the characters the anime is primarily relationship driven.  Utena’s role is similar to what the main character of a Shounen anime would be.  Strong, determined, kind-hearted, yet naïve in a way that often times will land her or those she cares about into trouble.  Despite this she retains her femininity often times through the affections of other masculine characters.  However, to say it is “relationship driven” is well, an understatement.  The relationships in Utena are so jacked that it’s one of the hardest things to follow.  To illustrate this or perhaps help some confusion I made a relationship map of the most basic of relationships, and even then there are some question marks.

The series is broken up into three arcs.  The first arc is about 12 episodes and this is the “Rose Bride” arc.  This sets up the characters, world and the duels.  As this arc ends the world is thrown into chaos through the second arc the “Black Rose” arc, about another 12 episodes.  This arc brings forward sub characters to duel Utena for Anthy’s hand.  The final arc is the “Apocalypse Saga” where the conclusions of the series are drawn.

This series could’ve done fine without the Black Rose arc and duelists.  They do bring out backstories for each of the characters, and provide some further detail on the story, but beyond that they’re next to filler, making the series even more episodic.  And the series is pretty episodic to begin with.  The other problem with this arc is things begin to get really cracked out and crazy (dueling on convertibles anyone?).

The ending is complex, and is something most people debate.  That’s one thing I love, this series is steeped in symbolism and every person can have an equally valid interpretation of it.

It is mature content which I wouldn’t recommend for younger viewers.  Otherwise, I personally recommend this series as a favorite that everyone checks out.

 

kashimasi

Kashimashi

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Alternate Titles: Kashimashi ~Girl Meets Girl~

 

Original Japanese Release Date: January 1st, 2006

Episode Length/Run-time: 12 Episodes

Summary:
Hazumu confesses his love to Yasuna, a girl he has known for a long time.  Unfortunately, she rejects him and in his dejected state he goes off to be by himself and walks up to Mt. Kashimayama where an alien spaceship crashes into him, killing him.  The aliens revive him and all is well except there is one problem.  They revive him as a girl!  Thus begins Hazumu’s new, drama filled life as a girl.

Review:

Kashimashi is a weird series.  It’s basically a love triangle between three girls.  If at this point you aren’t interested, I won’t blame you.  Still, I gave this show a 2.5 because there were scenes in the show that I enjoyed, but most of my comments here won’t be all that positive.

The most annoying thing about this show is the indecisiveness of the girls involved.  I think Hazumu changes her/his mind about whether he wants Yasuna or Tomari about four times throughout the course of the series.  Tomari changes her mind a couple times as well which is equally annoying.  First she likes Hazumu, then she wants to just be friends, then she wants her again.  That is pretty much the theme for the show overall.  I suppose its the kind of drama that some people will really like, but I found it tedious.  Yasuna, on the other hand is a strange case.  She initially rejects Hazumu as a boy, but then wants him as soon as he becomes a girl.  There are some spoilerish reasons for this beyond her just being a lesbian.

The shows ending also has some Deux ex Machina type themes going on.  After working through the entirety of the show, which wasn’t my favorite, I really wasn’t too happy to see this happen.  I never want to see a thrown away ending but I feel like the director just got into some plot elements that he didn’t know how to resolve.

The series also tosses away it’s veil of being a serious drama once they introduce the aliens into the mix.  The aliens come to Earth to watch and to study Hazumu and the rest of mankind but they are just so goofy.  And of course, as well, they couldn’t resist but enlist the male alien as a teacher at Hazumu’s school.

All in all, I can see how some people might enjoy or even identify with Kashimashi but I really just didn’t think it was well executed.  The plot was clumsy, the characters were at times unbelievable and certainly annoying and the ending sloppily done.  Perhaps viewers of the female variety can get something out of this series that I just couldn’t.

[starrater]

kamfer

Kämpfer

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Alternate Titles: けんぷファー

Original Japanese Release Date: October 1st, 2009

Episode Length/Run-time: 12 Episodes

Summary:
Senou Natsuru is a high school boy who is chosen to be a Kampfer.  The Kampfer’s soul job is to battle other Kampfers using either swords, guns or magic but there is one catch.  You can only be a Kampfer when you’re a girl.  Therefore, Senou must transform into a girl to fight, usually whether he wants to or not.

Review:

This anime is horrible.  I’ll just say it now that you can stop reading this review because it will be short and to the point.  Kampfer is about a lesbian sex romp with no actual sex.  Yes, it’s one of those shows.  The “hero” Senou Natsuru gets turned into a girl so that he can be a Kampfer, and thus, he attends an all girls school.  Of course, in typical new age anime style, every girl in the school is seemingly a lesbian and of course they all want Senou.

So what does he do? Does he deceive them and take advantage of this and score some ladies?  Hell no.  It doesn’t happen so don’t bother.  Really now, do not watch this series.  Your IQ will drop with each passing minute.