tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569894.post109615103999877603..comments2023-11-08T13:18:07.006+00:00Comments on Distributed Memory: Anime Review — Revolutionary Girl Utena (spoilers)Steve Gilhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03622573187942388226noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5569894.post-78637478132181919192009-06-18T08:05:07.550+01:002009-06-18T08:05:07.550+01:00Nice review of the show. Utena is such an eclectic...Nice review of the show. <i>Utena</i> is such an eclectic series; it's always interesting to hear what other people have to say about it. <br /><br />On loose ends: I always thought that the Anthy-as-stepmother angle was metaphorical, highlighting the fairy tale tropes that the series uses (the witch as surrogate figure of power, luring men into the realm of her influence) to strengthen the implications of the Rose Bride as an Eve figure, so to speak. <br /><br />To the Kaoru twins, it doesn't matter who their new stepmother is; she's just a distant figure used to emphasize their estrangement from their parents. A catalyst, if you will. She is at once every woman, and no one in particular. <br /><br />This is also consistent with how various characters view the Rose Bride throughout the series -- if she's not an maidenly damsel-in-distress (a princess), then she must be an active, corrupting figure responsible for the downfall of all (a witch). And so it becomes even more poignant when this trope gets torn down in the conclusion of the series. <br /><br />In short, it's not Anthy herself the viewer is supposed to see in that scene; what's shown there is merely the role she plays.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com