Utena is a lot of things, and one of those is _technically_ magical girl. I'm a big fan of the series because it's one of the few anime I've seen that tells a complete story with a beginning, middle, and end. I say that with the full knowledge that lots of anime have a "finale" of sorts, but I'm of the opinion that a lot of them are kind of "rushed" and don't really satisfy the audience. Utena has a very complex story and a lot of character development.
I'm currently working on the scripts for an "abridged" version of the show as a way of showing my love for it, and I was wondering if there were any other fans of the series on the AF forums. I've been away for a long time, so I completely missed any earlier discussion threads there may have been. ^^;;;
What do you guys like about the show? I like the fact that it has lots of really complex themes, and some of the tropes that show up throughout the series are rarely used in others - the "Shadow Players" are one of my favorites, as they're a throwback to the traditional "Greek Chorus," putting on a sub-play to help explain themes present in the main plot. Also, their "plays" are usually pretty funny.
And while I'm not a fan of filler, Utena manages to make most of its filler either relevant to the plot, or relevant to a particular character's development. Nanami is probably one of the most loathsome characters in the series, but her "filler" episodes give us the chance to laugh at her expense while also letting us see a little bit of just how twisted her mind is. O_O
Who's your favorite character? I'll just be boring and say that Utena is my favorite - not just 'cause she's the star of the show, but because I find her development throughout the series fascinating. She's very nearly a shounen protagonist, despite the series' clear shoujo trappings. So much to get!
Ciao,
--Dither
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