Are Weeb There Yet?
An Exploration and Education in Anime!

AWTY 30 - Princely Shorts (Revolutionary Girl Utena with Amanda Jean)

4 years ago
Transcript
Speaker A:

I don't want to get all covered.

Speaker B:

With smelly boy's sweat.

Speaker C:

Hello and welcome to our wiese variation exploration and education in anime. I'm your anime idiot, patrick dugan.

Speaker B:

I'm an anime expert, dana hollander.

Speaker D:

And I'm brenda mccullough. Your anime space girl, George Washington.

Speaker C:

Okay, I need some explanation on that one.

Speaker D:

It was very hard to come up with a revolutionary anime pond joke. And the only thing I know about the revolutionary war is that George Washington was involved.

Speaker C:

Wow. The American education system at its best.

Speaker D:

That's great.

Speaker A:

A failure to watch Hamilton also or.

Speaker D:

Listen to Hamilton also true.

Speaker C:

He only got through the first few songs. And we have a guest joining us this week. We have the editor of queer romance and speculative fiction, the host of the Red Pen podcast dissecting fiction and former host of the hopeless Romantic, which is a queer romance literary podcast. We have Amanda Jean.

Speaker A:

Hello. I am your secondary anime idiot. And also, I'm just Hamilton. I'm just going to lake claim.

Speaker B:

Perfect.

Speaker C:

Our anime Hamilton, my new Twitter bio. So, yeah, I always appreciate having backup on this show. With the anime idiot side, we know nothing.

Speaker A:

It's great.

Speaker C:

So, yeah, this week we are watching a 1998 anime, revolutionary girl UTENA like.

Speaker D:

A fine wine just to get the old classics out of the way.

Speaker B:

Like, wow, let it delicious. Sometimes with anime, that doesn't work out.

Speaker D:

A lot of time with anime, it.

Speaker C:

Doesn'T work out, although we'll see because we have been very into the 90s shows that we've watched on this podcast so far.

Speaker B:

That is true.

Speaker D:

There was, like, a late 90s, early 2000s, like, I don't want to say renaissance because that makes it sound good. It's just kind of like a boom. A cataclysm happened in, like, late 90s, early 2000s anime where they all got, like, very, I guess, gentrified where they like it became the trophy anime. They all looked the exact same, but, like, the early 90s still had, like, a unique style to a lot of them and were its own thing versus just, like, generic power, to be honest, is when Dragon Ball Z happened and everything just started copying after Dragon Ball Z. Hopefully, this is before the Dragon Ball Z boom.

Speaker C:

So, yeah. Amanda, did you partake in this anime boom? What is your anime history?

Speaker A:

Despite having many friends who are full on weeps, who I adore, and despite having lived on the internet since the dawn of time, I somehow missed anime.

Speaker C:

I envy you so much.

Speaker A:

I understood it through osmosis. Living on the internet, you pick things up. But I was thinking back in prep for the show and I realized that I was wrong about the first anime I thought I watched. I really watched a dub of vampire Hunter D at someone's house, which is a weird window into anime, especially because it was a dub.

Speaker D:

Yeah, it's a famous one, but it's one of the better ones, but it's definitely a rough one to be thrown into.

Speaker A:

Yeah, it was strange because I had very narrow ideas of what anime was like. I knew that sailor Moon existed. And then Vampire Hunter dctrum two Ends of Anime the Anime binary And then in the years after that, I actually sought out a couple or I made friends with even more intense weaves who were like, you've never seen anime, which is like, catnip to many people. They're like, you have to. So I watched I watched a little bit of sailor Moon and a little bit of sailor Moon crystal. I watched, like, a season of some 90s racing car racing anime that I.

Speaker B:

Don'T remember.

Speaker D:

Either Speed racer or initial.

Speaker A:

D. Oh, it was initial D. It was initial D. Yeah.

Speaker D:

I remember to have a very Internet meme anime.

Speaker A:

Yes. I was trying to work while I was watching it on my friend's couch, and I just kept looking up and being like, what? What? I don't understand this.

Speaker C:

Yeah, that's the biggest problem with anime is you look away for more than 5 seconds. You've missed seven scenes and 18 character introductions, and you have no way of getting back into the story.

Speaker A:

Yep, and it's and I mean, I'm pretty good at reading subtitles, but sometimes your your eyes are drawn to the frenetic action of the animation and you're like, wait, I'm sorry. They were speaking. I didn't even notice. So I watched that. And then of my own volition, I've watched, like, half a season of pokemon. I've watched a little bit of shingeki. I've watched all of the first and only season of urion Ice because I'm big gay. I mean, it's mine, too, by virtue of it being wonderful and ridiculous and the only one I've, like, seen all the way through.

Speaker B:

Well, I'm glad that that's the only one you've seen all the way through. That's a good one.

Speaker C:

Yeah, let's keep it at that. Keep your anime viewing pure.

Speaker A:

I feel like that was peak. Like, it was peak me and peak anime. And I was like, I don't need any more. I'm good.

Speaker D:

Downhill from here.

Speaker A:

Any full metal.

Speaker C:

I'm sorry to take that away from you because we're about to watch some more anime.

Speaker A:

I know, but I'm excited because this one is like, girl anime. And also, I mean, I say that it's basically a pejorative term, but it's like girly anime. And it's, from what the Internet has told me, kind of gay.

Speaker C:

Yes. Fans of the show know we love some good gay anime. I found this in a list of and I found this in a list of some of the gayest anime. So, of course, it was at the top of my list. Of course, we have to watch it with blog queer Romance Expert.

Speaker A:

Yes. I'm here to bring the three things I'm good at to this podcast queer Romance and Expert.

Speaker D:

I also looked up some of this list of, like, gay animes. And just like, this is the only one I've actually heard of before. And number one, charter, like, top three on a lot of those lists was I don't even remember the name anymore. But it was like a cat boy thing. And I'm just like, I don't think this would be good representation for anyone.

Speaker A:

Certainly.

Speaker D:

This is the one that looked like a good show versus some of the other ones were like, I don't think they knew what they were doing. And they just wrote the character gay for the sake of solely conveying the plot. It's like, that's not going to be a good one from the images.

Speaker A:

This one, I've heard of it. So that.

Speaker C:

Is always a plus point in its favor.

Speaker D:

Yeah.

Speaker C:

So, yeah, we are watching the first three episodes and I believe there are about 30 out total.

Speaker D:

Okay.

Speaker A:

Yeah.

Speaker C:

So, yeah. Shall we dive on into the gayness?

Speaker A:

Let's get gay.

Speaker D:

Let's lead the gay revolution.

Speaker C:

Gay revolution.

Speaker B:

Hashtag.

Speaker C:

This is definitely a 90s dub.

Speaker D:

Got that high quality.

Speaker B:

It's nothing else. It's definitely 90s.

Speaker D:

Tell by all the roses everywhere.

Speaker A:

Wait, did you watch the dub?

Speaker B:

Yeah.

Speaker C:

Oh, yes. I watched all three episodes.

Speaker B:

Dubbed me too.

Speaker D:

I did my traditional dub sub dub, so I watched both.

Speaker A:

Oh, wow. I am pure sub. I don't watch the dubs, apparently. Also when I was looking up the wiki and googling around as I do because I love it, apparently the dub translation is pretty egregious. Apparently the voice acting was bad, too.

Speaker B:

It's fun to hear the dub and their choices, but also it makes it easier to take notes.

Speaker A:

Yes. You're not reading anything.

Speaker D:

It's rare that I've had it. Like, it's not too often, but there are some very like, what show was it? There was some show we already did where they just full on cut out or rearranged scenes different. I think it was sailor Moon, maybe, where between the sub and the dub. So there are moments where it's just wildly different between the two. So it is fun to have both sides of it.

Speaker A:

Yeah, I guess I yeah, I think in the future, I I accidentally clicked on the third episode as a dub and I was very disturbed. I was like, no.

Speaker C:

I'm a little bit confused why the dub wasn't as good. Of course, it was the 90s, so it's not going to be stellar by any account. But looking at the cast, there are some notable dub actors. The lead UTENA is misty and Jesse in the pokemon dubs. Liam O'Brien is in it. This is the second role, crispin freeman is in, who goes on to be like, the animated loki for most of Marvel.

Speaker B:

Yeah.

Speaker D:

And Winston overwatch.

Speaker B:

He made the big times.

Speaker C:

So there are some big actors that can do good stuff. But yeah, I guess working with a 90s script and adaptation that's not going to do a lot for you.

Speaker D:

Yeah. I very rarely blame the actor for it because it seems like a lot of times there's just like no direction with it. And all the lines read very flat. And they're just like, yeah, that's good enough. And it just keep going because it's ninety s and they didn't really know what they were doing.

Speaker C:

Yeah, they made it English. That's the bare minimum they were recording.

Speaker A:

In someone's basement, probably because the studio is just someone's LLC.

Speaker D:

It's fine.

Speaker C:

So, yeah, we open up with the history of UTENA, which is immediately establishing dead anime parents. Check that off the bingo card. So we see this orphan princess and a prince comes to cheer her up and inspires her to be a prince because he is so noble, he gives her a rose ring and promises when she grows up that she will find him or he will find her. So rather than going with the traditional, oh, she's so in love with him. She's like, oh, yes, I want to be a prince. Yes, I love that.

Speaker B:

That's what she took away from that interaction.

Speaker D:

I want to be like him.

Speaker C:

I don't miss my dead parents at all anymore.

Speaker A:

I want to give out rings like party favors.

Speaker C:

Go to Party City, get.

Speaker B:

A bag of 50, and semi promise myself to a child.

Speaker D:

Wait a minute.

Speaker C:

So yeah, we see her as a young teen going to this fancy school. We see a girl waiting for her boyfriend, okama is the friend's name. And everyone's like, oh, that's not a boy, that's a girl. And I was so afraid that this was going to be transphobic right out to the top.

Speaker D:

It's ninety s. I wouldn't be surprised.

Speaker C:

But luckily we get more nuanced identity stuff going on.

Speaker D:

I'll also point out they're in middle school, which once again seems to be a trend with our 90 shows with sailor Moon and, uhaka, show and stuff like that.

Speaker C:

So that's true.

Speaker A:

This is also the same I believe it's the same creator and a lot of the same team behind sailor Moon. So I'm not surprised, especially because sailor Moon was first yeah, they're like, oh, we already made this thing. That is great. And lots of people liked it. Let us make I mean, it's not similar, but there's certainly some elements. Yeah, that makes sense.

Speaker B:

Yeah.

Speaker C:

And I think we still have our lack of understanding of the Japanese school system. Middle school and high school sort of doesn't quite line up. So I believe yeah, around like 1314 ish for these characters. Yeah, that seems to track maybe a little older for like the upper classmen student council that we'll get to. So this is otori Academy, and when UTENA arrives in a boy's uniform, a teacher stops her and tries to shame her and make her change. And she's like, oh, go fuck yourself. There's no rule to saying I have to wear a girl's uniform, so I'm going to keep doing this. But everyone thinks she's so cool.

Speaker B:

What she's wearing is for sure not the boys uniform. And I want to know where she got it.

Speaker A:

She had it tired.

Speaker D:

She's a princess, so it's possible.

Speaker A:

I don't even know where she was living before she I mean, she's starting the new school year, but I don't know where she was beforehand. She's not living with parents. Who's she living with? Who got her that outfit? Who tailored it for her?

Speaker B:

There are so many questions that I'm sure are never answered.

Speaker A:

And it's like, I know that the show isn't meant to be 100% literal. It's like 90% motif and that's fine, but I'm also just like where'd you get those shorts? Who do you live with when you're not in school?

Speaker D:

Yeah, it's one of those where, like, the outside world doesn't exist beyond the school property. It only exists for the school. UTENA is playing basketball, right?

Speaker C:

Yeah, we get utina playing basketball. Just destroying and I just love that they firmly establish that she is the coolest person in this school.

Speaker A:

Everyone loves her. She's just like she's basically a non shitty guest on yes, exactly.

Speaker C:

Just destroying the boys team. And then one of the boys tries to invite her to join the boys team and she's like, oh, I don't want to be around a bunch of smelly boys. So this is where we start to get where she identifies with being a prince, not being a boy. So that sort of alleged my transphobia fears of sort of just accepting this role as a regal prince and just wanting to go to the rescue of princesses rather than being a prince in the boy sense.

Speaker B:

Sorry. No, you're not, actually. To make this recent and topical and bring something relevant into it. I watched the first episode of the New Queer I season the other day, and there was a very similar situation going on where there was a woman and she was like, yeah, I have really masculine traits. And they were like, no, you're a feminine person. You just like a different way of being feminine. And I feel like that's kind of what UTENA is saying. She's like, no, I don't want to hang out with you guys. I don't want to be a boy. I'm just a prince. It's just who I am.

Speaker C:

Yeah. And we get that a little bit with Princess jellyfish, where we get the Japanese cross dressing culture that isn't related to gender identity, but just, I want to wear the clothes that society typically says I can't wear.

Speaker A:

Yeah, she's very firm in her, like, I'm a girl, but I'm also a prince. And those two things coexist happily within me. And I'm not wearing that ugly or OutFamily wear my shorts.

Speaker B:

You're really hung up on those shorts.

Speaker A:

I'm just obsessed with them.

Speaker C:

I can't dunk on a fool in a dress. Although she probably could yeah. So, yeah, she's roaming around and she sees this rose garden and the scent of roses always makes her think of the prince that gave her the ring. For some strange reason. It's not like there's a rose etched into it very clearly.

Speaker A:

It's not like he wasn't joust in, like, rose water cologne.

Speaker C:

Yeah.

Speaker D:

It'S not like every time we see a main cast member, we get the rose vision with all the roses and thorns around the camera framing them perfectly.

Speaker C:

I don't sense the common theme here.

Speaker D:

Yeah.

Speaker A:

I just feel like nothing was tied together imagery wise, and I would like to file a complaint.

Speaker C:

So we see UTENA looking at this rose garden and sees a couple arguing outside of it. And the boy slaps the girl, and she's about to leap to action to stop this nonsense, but someone else breaks it up. And we get to be introduced to our student council, which is Seyogi, the vice president who slapped his girlfriend, Anthony. And the person who stopped it was the president. tuga. I think I mispronounced that.

Speaker B:

You mispronounced both, but it's fine.

Speaker A:

I think you meant and that's what matters.

Speaker D:

Settlement in your voice says it's not fine.

Speaker B:

You got auntie, right? And then the green haired boy is seonji. Yeah. And then the president is toga not Toga. It's Toga.

Speaker C:

Toga. Okay, I missed the end on the first one. I got it right in the rest of my notes, but I'm learning.

Speaker D:

Guys, this is where the subtitles come in handy.

Speaker A:

Yeah.

Speaker B:

I didn't know the president's name until the third episode, so, I mean, who am I to talk?

Speaker C:

He floats in and out.

Speaker D:

Yeah.

Speaker C:

So, yeah, we see. Okama, the friend waiting for UTENA earlier catch up to with her, and she tackles her and was like, I love you, I love you, I love you. Damn, they're hanging out. And we also see the student council meeting where we see Seyongi and Anthony are engaged in a weird ritual thing that we'll get to.

Speaker A:

Yeah, because teenagers being engaged isn't weird.

Speaker B:

It's just so much ick coming off. Especially Seiongi, he's just yeah, he's nasty.

Speaker A:

I was like, I can't wait to see you get I assumed he was going to get stabbed, stab him.

Speaker D:

I didn't think that would happen, but I really wish it did now.

Speaker C:

But yeah, toga in the meeting is like, hey, idiot, stop being abusive to your fiance. And he's like, no, I technically own her. Gross. So I can do whatever I want. And it's introduced that a dual competitor opponent is going to be coming to the school soon and possibly shaking up their relationship dynamic. It's all very vague at this point.

Speaker A:

They know they're talking about is this when they're talking about getting the letters, or do they talk about that later?

Speaker D:

I think later.

Speaker A:

Okay.

Speaker B:

Yeah, I think they talk about a separate time. Yeah, they do mention like this, the end of the world thing. Yeah, I think in this moment but we're really just like left in the dark on that.

Speaker A:

Weird teenagers get together on what looks like a rooftop to talk about weird.

Speaker B:

Stuff and getting strong.

Speaker C:

Yeah, we know all the edgy anime kids hang out on the roof and talk big world ending things.

Speaker D:

Oh, and the boy haired boy is taking notes and has a stopwatch.

Speaker B:

I don't know what he was taking.

Speaker A:

Minutes, I guess. I don't know. I didn't understand that either, but I figured he might be taking minutes. How strict is your strange student council secret society that you have to bring a stopwatch to meetings?

Speaker C:

We need to know the exact second that Anthony calls her fiance master. So we then see a hallway crowded with a bunch of students around, a note posted on the wall. And it turns out seongi posted a love letter that Anthony wrote him out in the public because he thought it was stupid and he wanted to embarrass her.

Speaker A:

It wasn't Anthony, was it?

Speaker C:

Not Anthony?

Speaker A:

No, it was the friend who I believe in the sub, her name is wakaba.

Speaker D:

Wakaba? Yeah.

Speaker B:

In the sub it kind of sounds like they're saying okaba, but I think it is wakaba.

Speaker C:

Wow, I'm just blowing it today. Normally. This is brendan's job.

Speaker D:

It's fair. But yeah. So it's utah's friend who wrote the love letter to Saiyanji.

Speaker B:

I didn't even notice that you had said it was Anthony because I'm so blind in my rage for sanji that I just don't care. He's an asshole and I hate him.

Speaker A:

Yeah, he's terrible. Yeah.

Speaker C:

Give me any excuse to hate him. Oh, he kicked a puppy. Oh yeah. I hate him. Oh, that didn't happen. The show. I don't care. I'm still mad about that puppy. He probably yeah, it's assumed at all times.

Speaker D:

What's the Ng doing right now? Oh, he's standing in a corner. Fuck that guy.

Speaker B:

Fuck him.

Speaker A:

He's practicing kendo. I hope he trips on one of his kendo sticks.

Speaker C:

So yeah. UTENA is not standing for this public humiliation of her friend and goes to confront Seyoungi.

Speaker D:

God, welcome to my hell.

Speaker A:

She goes to confront the bad guy.

Speaker D:

The big green guy.

Speaker C:

Mean man.

Speaker A:

Yes, green boy.

Speaker B:

Have we talked about their hair yet? The boy's hair is luster long.

Speaker A:

It's so good.

Speaker B:

Yes.

Speaker A:

The president's hair looks like a weird fancy helmet because it's the red one. Also, his face shape. I was looking at the President's face shape. He looks like I don't know. You guys are probably most of you too young for this. There was a McDonald's commercial in the early 90s called Mac Tonight and it was like a moon.

Speaker B:

We've talked about Mac Tonight on this show.

Speaker D:

Like first episode, I think. Oh my God.

Speaker C:

The second anime we watched, there was a moon that had an angry face. So it was the evil Mac tonight.

Speaker A:

Well, listen, the president's very pointy face and profile looks like Mac Tonight. I took a screen cap of it because I was like, what is this? This is Mac tonight with a red wig on.

Speaker D:

You get a very chiseled chin and the hair, like, swoops over his brow. So yeah, it does that. Perfect crescent. I definitely see it.

Speaker C:

Is this going to be the second promo we have of Mac tonight?

Speaker D:

I hope so.

Speaker A:

McDonald's really needs our help.

Speaker D:

Never forget.

Speaker C:

Finally we can turn around their dying.

Speaker B:

Business, put an ad in this very small anime podcast.

Speaker C:

With a mascot out there.

Speaker B:

Sponsorship.

Speaker A:

Yeah. This mascot has been, like, off the books for like, buried 1520 years, maybe more.

Speaker B:

I think they should bring him back.

Speaker A:

Bring him back.

Speaker C:

Let Max Live performed by technical Oscar winner Doug Jones.

Speaker A:

Yes.

Speaker D:

And harvest.

Speaker C:

David, water.

Speaker A:

Yep.

Speaker B:

Love it.

Speaker D:

Oh, my god. I didn't know that.

Speaker A:

Is there anything he can't do?

Speaker C:

No, he can sell burgers. He can be hot as a fish man.

Speaker A:

He can be in the new Star Trek show with ganglia. Yeah, he's on Discovery.

Speaker C:

He does it all. So Rutaina goes to confront Mean Man, and basically it ends up with him seeing the Rose Ring and being like, oh, you are the new dual challenger. So let's go meet in the forbidden Forest arena behind the school, as most schools have.

Speaker B:

Just a big old unusable arena that.

Speaker A:

No one can see.

Speaker B:

Yeah.

Speaker C:

So naturally, UTENA is like, oh, yeah, this is going to be just like a practice fight. So brings a wooden training sword along, but we get this weird shadow puppet like Greek chorus thing that's shadow girls.

Speaker A:

Yes.

Speaker B:

I love themselves. Did you know I wrote down I'm.

Speaker D:

Like, is this a shakespeare trope? This feels familiar. And I didn't know the word, but yeah, Greek chorus is appropriate.

Speaker B:

Yeah.

Speaker A:

Yeah. They're also dictating the narrative and the way that we see the show. Without that, I think that the episodes, honestly would be a little bit more incoherent. So I fully enjoy that. There's this performative Greek chorus aspect. Also when she's on her way to the big magical castle area, I don't know if you all who watched the dub would have caught the absolutely metal song that was playing the lyrics to it. The translation to Absolute destiny Apocalypse were like, what?

Speaker B:

Yeah, we still got that.

Speaker C:

It has the English and Japanese lyrics on the screen. It was so metal and confusing.

Speaker A:

I copy pasted these lyrics into a Google doc because I was like, I have to look at these.

Speaker C:

They're so well, could you give us a little sample of it?

Speaker A:

Starts out with the refrain of the absolute destiny apocalypse. I mean, I guess that's the apocalypse of an absolute destiny. I don't know. And then it goes into talking about birth records, baptismal records. And it's like, okay, this is kind of weird, but fine. She's walking up this giant staircase, and then it goes into a shining place in a desert of darkness a gold plated shangri la day and night turning back on one another a timeplated paradise lost and then it's like the darkness of sodom what magical girl anime, basically.

Speaker B:

What is this?

Speaker D:

Although this would probably be the fourth time we've had a biblical reference in.

Speaker C:

An anime, japan just is so down for christianity.

Speaker D:

I don't get it.

Speaker A:

Gnostic. I don't know lyrics content.

Speaker C:

It's wild, bizarre. It's too much.

Speaker D:

I noticed it in like, the third episode, but halfway through the song where they're just naming, like, elements of the periodic table and then they talk about they just end the song with, like jurassic. jurassic crotoship. What the fuck is this song? No sense.

Speaker C:

Aside from incredible what is I can't imagine it makes any more sense in the original Japanese, though, because just like, we go from like birth records to dark desert to just naming elements.

Speaker D:

Anyway, the duel.

Speaker C:

So, yeah, we get to the duel. So anthy is there to sort of officiate the duel. And basically the one rule is Anthony puts a rose on each of their chests and if the rose is knocked out or destroyed, you lose.

Speaker A:

And whoever wins retains, basically ownership over Anthony, the rose bride.

Speaker C:

Yeah. And aunty wishes UTENA luck, which makes man slap her because he's like, don't you want to be my bride for that moment?

Speaker B:

My note for that very moment is, oh, gross. He's a bastard. A gross, terrible bastard.

Speaker A:

Accurate, highly accurate stamping.

Speaker C:

But we also have the I don't know if this is much better. Mean Boy pulls a sword out of anthony's chest for this duel.

Speaker B:

She goes into a sort of weird magic.

Speaker A:

She goes into like a trance, kind of and it's sort of not completely solid while he's drawing it out. Like, it looks overlaid a little. I don't know what the technical term for that would be. So it's like, well, I guess that doesn't hurt her, but what the hell does? She just inside of her is there just like a cosmic sword just sort of hanging out with her internal organs? What's going on?

Speaker C:

Do not take an X ray of her.

Speaker A:

She doesn't have a spine. She has a sword blade.

Speaker B:

She just takes the sword out and she just like, slips in the cuddy.

Speaker D:

Disgusting melted.

Speaker C:

So basically they fight uteinez wooden sword breaks because she's like, Holy shit. Why does this teenager have a real sword but sword ends up winning the battle?

Speaker B:

How do you curse a real sword? I'm sorry. Keep going.

Speaker A:

I got that right.

Speaker D:

I hope our listeners do because we make a lot of them.

Speaker B:

We make a lot of Macroe references.

Speaker A:

I've had to put a note to myself, stop doing that.

Speaker C:

We just lean into it here. But yeah, tonga is watching from far away and is like, oh, that UTENA girl is something.

Speaker B:

No, he says, oh, baby, you've lit the fire in my heart. What?

Speaker D:

Gross.

Speaker B:

What he says in the English dub.

Speaker A:

Oh, that's right. It was in the baby was there, and I was just like, I missed something. Like, this is cultural, and I get it.

Speaker B:

I was so excited for this red haired boy. And then he was also nasty.

Speaker C:

I assume you're hot because I watched you fight from 10 miles away.

Speaker D:

But I also love that he has the opera glasses on the stick, and it's just like, oh, man, just so fancy.

Speaker A:

He could have just walked over.

Speaker C:

Fancy lad.

Speaker A:

He could have had front row seats.

Speaker B:

Yeah, he's an authority over saionji.

Speaker A:

He's like, Now I'll just watch with my fucking glasses.

Speaker D:

Just like a pervert.

Speaker C:

Real perv. And now Anthony is utena's bride, and UTENA is very confused. And that's where we leave episode one. I went very long. Sorry.

Speaker A:

A lot happened.

Speaker B:

It was completely relaxed to talk about.

Speaker D:

Yeah. Episode three is a lot shorter, so it bounces out.

Speaker B:

Yeah. So in episode two, we just open on them walking into the school, and all of the girls are just fawning over UTENA. The girls love utina, and so do.

Speaker A:

I. Yeah, she's great.

Speaker D:

Understood.

Speaker C:

They all accurately state, she's so cool, sugoinet.

Speaker B:

And then she's actually in a class. She goes into class, which we didn't see in the last episode.

Speaker A:

Yeah, I didn't realize the school actually included schooling. I thought it was just, like, basketball.

Speaker C:

And gossip and about half of anime schools only have that and just pretty boys.

Speaker A:

Yeah.

Speaker B:

So she goes into class and she sees her friend, and we get, like, her friend wakaba, that was humiliated because Sanji posted her love note. And we are reminded of that even though it just happened in the first episode. We get the recap of the scene, and then she tries to cheer up by being like, oh, you never read? Like, what are you reading? And then she tells her that it's a book about a girl who falls in love with a guy and then is rejected by the guy, and then another guy comes along, and she just immediately falls in love with him. So she was like, I knew it. UTENA, you're my true prince. I love you so much.

Speaker D:

I like that she said, like, I read this book before and thought it was dumb, but now I love it because it speaks to me now. Oh, my God.

Speaker A:

Middle school.

Speaker C:

This book is about me.

Speaker B:

Oh, my God.

Speaker A:

Hashtag me.

Speaker B:

She'd be very into Twitter, this girl.

Speaker A:

She'd be very into, instagram.

Speaker B:

Oh, yeah.

Speaker A:

Lots of selfies, lots of tags. Not that there's anything a selfie of.

Speaker B:

Her crying, being, like, just got humiliated in front of the whole school.

Speaker C:

Like you subscribe.

Speaker B:

I'm fine. And then we're shown the student council hangout session introduced by a very strange metaphor about a chick trying to get out of its shell and be strong. To get out of its shell. And that the. World is our shell and that we have to bring about the revolution.

Speaker C:

So they are canonically mole people. If they are, in this metaphor, living.

Speaker D:

Inside the Earth in the shell.

Speaker A:

You know what? To have a revolution, you got to break a few eggs. I tried to make that funnier, but I couldn't find the hook for it.

Speaker D:

Oh, don't worry, my puns are never funny, so you're in the right crowd.

Speaker B:

And this was when I realized that they were the student council. I was like, oh, all right.

Speaker D:

Yeah. They say sewing and toga are like, the president and vice president of the council, but they don't say these other people are at a council, I think, until this episode.

Speaker A:

Yeah. And it's not really clear. They do.

Speaker B:

In anime. They just, like, rule the school.

Speaker D:

Yeah.

Speaker C:

And is this one technically plot to overthrow the Earth?

Speaker B:

Yeah.

Speaker A:

I'm not really sure how much counseling that they actually do. Did they talk about what's going to happen in the school? No, I think they just talk about the revolution that they're going to bring about somehow.

Speaker B:

Yeah.

Speaker C:

Okay. We need to plan prom for next week, how we're going to destroy Europe, and then the water coolers are acting up again.

Speaker B:

Yeah.

Speaker D:

Because, like every anime, the student council is, like, the highest form of authority in the school, like, bar none. And I just want to see, like, the one kid with a stopwatch in the corner of, like, man, this lunch menu is kind of like bland chicken nuggets at ten. He's like, the one actually doing the school council duties and not trying to.

Speaker B:

That'S probably what he's doing in his notebook. He's, like, actually doing things.

Speaker C:

He's like, God, I'm running this council by myself because everyone else just wants to overthrow the Earth.

Speaker B:

God, but I was just I'm secretary.

Speaker C:

And I'm doing the president's job.

Speaker B:

If they were elected into these positions, I guess maybe sanji is just, like, so pretty that people voted him into the vice president position, but it seems.

Speaker D:

Like people well, he's the best sportsman.

Speaker A:

He's good at kendo.

Speaker B:

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker D:

He's the best in the kendall, so.

Speaker B:

Obviously he's a good vice president.

Speaker A:

Listen to talk about what may or may not qualify people for political office.

Speaker C:

Yeah, that's a different podcast.

Speaker D:

I think it's because they're just the richest students, so that yeah, maybe it's.

Speaker B:

Not that far off legitimate, so yeah. They're sitting around the table. They're playing cards. I think I think Toga is like, have you received your letter from the end of the world? And I'm just like, what poost are.

Speaker A:

You all talking about? toast? What's up?

Speaker B:

And they're kind of discussing how now anthy is betrothed to UTENA, and Toga is very into UTENA. He just closes his eyes and he's like, oh, what an interesting young girl.

Speaker A:

And I'm like, ooh, wow, mac tonight needs to stop.

Speaker B:

He's also, like, probably much older than her, which is also pretty icky.

Speaker A:

Yeah. Even just in the animation style, he looks much more mature.

Speaker D:

And I'm like, yeah, they say middle school a lot, but you're definitely like 32.

Speaker A:

So what are you doing here?

Speaker B:

Definitely been held back a few times.

Speaker D:

This is the Dolphins Creek of anime. You're a full on adult now.

Speaker A:

It's the twilight of anime. He's definitely an Edward cullen.

Speaker D:

Yes.

Speaker B:

Yeah. So they're talking about whoever marries Auntie the Rose bride gets to go into the upside down castle and bring about the revolution. I think that's what I put out.

Speaker D:

You're right. We pause just because hearing out loud again, it's just like, man, this shit is weird.

Speaker B:

Yeah.

Speaker A:

Listen, it's very confident in its choices. You don't doubt it while it's happening.

Speaker B:

Mostly they're so confident that they just assume you will just be on it with them. They're just like, oh, hell yeah.

Speaker D:

People are going to love this along for the ride.

Speaker B:

And then we go back to UTENA and she's walking out of the school with wakaba. And they're talking about how UTENA was placed in a dorm by herself. And wakaba is like, oh, you're going to be all alone in this haunted house. If you ever want to come see me, this is my room, wink.

Speaker C:

It's the key to my room.

Speaker D:

Use it.

Speaker B:

I'll jump on your back because I always do. And this was when I asked myself where were they living before?

Speaker A:

Yeah, it's clear that this is some sort of a boarding school. Like they're there most of the time, but they must have summers off.

Speaker C:

And also this is like the second day of school.

Speaker B:

That was my main thing. I was like, but where were they overnight yesterday?

Speaker A:

Well, wait a minute.

Speaker C:

It's a very large motel down the road that everyone stayed at for the first night.

Speaker A:

It's possible. Did a full night pass between the previous episode and this one?

Speaker B:

That's unclear. I mean, it doesn't maybe not.

Speaker A:

We're arguing about that.

Speaker C:

We see Anthony and UTENA talking at night.

Speaker A:

You're right.

Speaker B:

I think the duel was like after school also.

Speaker A:

Yeah, you're right. It's just such a strange thing because I don't expect the show to have a particularly sensible linear progression.

Speaker D:

I don't know why you expect that from any storytelling.

Speaker B:

She gets to this house and she goes inside and she's all by herself. And I was like, damn, really? Because it didn't look like a dorm either. It just looked like a house.

Speaker A:

Yeah.

Speaker D:

Mansion.

Speaker A:

It looks like a very fancy but empty, like sorority or fraternity house. It's not quite a house, but it's not quite a dorm. It's some weird, fancy, empty old hybrid.

Speaker B:

Yeah, this school is pretty bougie. Maybe everyone's living in abodes like that. abodes?

Speaker A:

No, that's right.

Speaker B:

Yeah. But so she goes to the room that's specifically hers and she opens the door and it's just a huge mess. Like there's wood planks and cobwebs, a little mouse disgust. It looks a little mouse eating some cheese.

Speaker D:

Where did he get that cheese? This place has been a bit where he gets that.

Speaker C:

Cheers.

Speaker B:

And then she closes the door because she's like, oof, wow. Gross. Whatever. Let's just do this. And she opens the door again, and it's perfectly clean because Auntie is in there. And she's been cleaning it, I guess, for 12 hours.

Speaker D:

I think she went to a different room. That's how I took it. I don't know if that's I'm pretty.

Speaker B:

Sure she opened the same door.

Speaker A:

Yeah, it was like she had gathered herself, but I don't know how much time passed or if it was just magic.

Speaker B:

I think it was magic. I think Anthony has some kind of magic.

Speaker C:

I mean, we know she has some kind of magic because she has a goddamn sword in her chest. Magic part of it in the opening, too.

Speaker B:

They like, show her, like, doing some rock magic.

Speaker A:

Yeah, that's right.

Speaker B:

Yeah.

Speaker D:

Riding unicorns and armor, which looked really fun.

Speaker B:

Yeah, but so she's like, oh, my gosh. Sorry it took me so long to clean this room with tina.

Speaker A:

Oh, my God.

Speaker B:

We're roommates now. At which point I said, like, out loud, oh, my God.

Speaker A:

They were roommates.

Speaker B:

But it's funny because aunty has just, like, posted her name on a piece of paper under Uteina's, like plaque designating that this is their room.

Speaker C:

Also, they had the opportunity to do everyone's favorite trope of oh, this was supposed to be a single room. There's only one bed.

Speaker B:

Oh, no, but there are bunk beds.

Speaker A:

Cheap.

Speaker B:

I know, but so it's the rules of the rose seal. UTENA won the duel, so now she gets the rose bride and they're having tea. Did you want to say something about that?

Speaker D:

Yeah, when they're having tea, Auntie kind of says she talks about it, kind of thing. Lieutenant is like, what's the deal with all this bullshit? And Auntie's kind of like, I know a lot about the rose bride stuff. I don't know a lot about anything else.

Speaker B:

Yeah, that's what I was about to say.

Speaker A:

What you treat what's going on?

Speaker B:

And he's like, I don't know.

Speaker D:

Why do you go along with it?

Speaker B:

I just don't know.

Speaker D:

I like it. It's like, what?

Speaker A:

Why hey, why do you wear this clothes? Yeah, I like the clothes.

Speaker B:

I like my shorts.

Speaker D:

They're breezy and comfortable.

Speaker B:

And then she, like, asks, does she see the weird monkey thing, or is she like, do you have friends? And she's like, this is my friend.

Speaker A:

She's a weird monkey thing. chuchu. And then chu, chu. And then she's just like, this is my friend.

Speaker B:

She's like, your pet? And she's like, no, he's my friend.

Speaker A:

My only friend.

Speaker D:

My weird this is my one friend, anthony's. Anthony.

Speaker B:

Anthony.

Speaker D:

Anthony is kind of like, yeah, we decide to move in with you, and it's like, we and then you look down and there's just a monkey wearing a tie with a pierced that's what it was.

Speaker A:

I didn't know it was a monkey at first. I mean, I thought so because there were like the little bananas in the side screen thing. And then I looked it up and it was like, yeah, that's supposed to be a monkey. And it's more clear in the manga that it's a monkey, but I don't know what that thing is. It's not a monkey.

Speaker C:

It's like a mouse size monkey.

Speaker A:

It's a mouse monkey named chuchu.

Speaker B:

Very small.

Speaker A:

It eats human food.

Speaker C:

The best character and makes the most sense so far.

Speaker A:

True. Accurate.

Speaker B:

But so people who have this rose seal ring are like they're just marked as duellers and they just all duel for the rose bride, I guess. Yeah.

Speaker A:

It's not clear how frequently they were dueling.

Speaker B:

Yeah. And it's like implied that others with the ring will come and fight UTENA for the chance to marry auntie. And then they were shown Seonji practicing his kendo again, being all angsty and mad because he got his girlfriend taken away even though he was super awful to her. And he wants to duel her again because he believes that he's the one who should bring about the revolution.

Speaker D:

He's supposed to have the rose bride. It's written in his exchange diary, which.

Speaker B:

Is something I don't know what that means. And then Toga is there talking to him and he's like, you have an exchange diary? And I'm like, is it just a diary?

Speaker A:

Hold on 1 second. I mean, hey, I've got google open. Let me find out.

Speaker D:

Let's wallow in our ears for a while.

Speaker B:

I hope it is just a diary.

Speaker A:

Okay, so wiki is telling me it's a notebook share between friends who take it in turns to write their thoughts or other comments. They were really popular in the elementary and junior high schools. It's a special notebook. It's annotated with photographs that can be decorated.

Speaker D:

It's a burn book.

Speaker A:

Yeah. It looks like, I don't know, like a blog or instant messaging that you just hold right in give to your friend. They do it.

Speaker B:

But he doesn't have any friends.

Speaker A:

It's just him. That's why.

Speaker D:

Yeah.

Speaker C:

I assume tonga was like his best friend and he was like, you have that.

Speaker A:

Yeah, he's like, I don't want that. Don't give me your weird therapy diary. So apparently, I don't know, this is a very interesting thing, and it looks like it's not in favor anymore, which I'm sad about because it seems kind of cool.

Speaker B:

That sounds cute.

Speaker A:

Except for green man. He shouldn't have it.

Speaker C:

He deserves it. No friends.

Speaker B:

Yeah, so he's real mad. He's very mad because he thinks he's the one that should bring about the revolution. But also he's just angry that he doesn't have auntie anymore. And then we're shown UTENA waiting to eat dinner with Anthony, and she's like, where is she? And then chuchu comes over and he's like, hey, she's in trouble. And I was like, oh, no. Is sayonji, did he kidnap her? But not really. She's just kind of outside having a conversation with him.

Speaker A:

He's being ridiculous.

Speaker B:

And he is being ridiculous. He's like, didn't you devote yourself to me when you were my rose bride? And she's like, well, yeah, but the rules say that now I have to devote myself to UTENA. But she's like, happy about it because now she gets to be with someone who isn't super shitty. And then guess what? He hits her again.

Speaker D:

Shock her.

Speaker B:

He smacks her to the ground, which is really upsetting. Made me really mad.

Speaker A:

Yeah, it's brutal.

Speaker B:

He's terrible. Truly awful. He's very childish. Nasty.

Speaker D:

Yeah, but the new teenager yeah.

Speaker B:

She comes out and she kneels down and helps Anthony up. And Seionji wants to challenge her to another duel. And she's like, I don't care about this Rosebride stuff. Like, please just leave Auntie alone. And then he says, those who oppose the student council vanish off this campus. And I was like, Is that a threat to murder her? Yeah. Do you have people murdered?

Speaker D:

Yeah. I think in the next episode, they say, like, oh, yeah, people get, like, kicked out of school or expelled or something. But the way he says it here is definitely like, people die. And she's like, oh, shit, I don't know enough about that.

Speaker B:

I don't want that.

Speaker D:

To disagree with that.

Speaker B:

Yeah. So she agrees to be dueled again because she doesn't want to she said she doesn't want to get kicked out of school, but it's like, you don't want to die. You'd probably die. Yeah.

Speaker D:

Used a real ass forward.

Speaker B:

So aunty is like, oh, you're going to duel him again? And she's like, yeah, but I don't really want to deal with this shit. I know I'll just lose. And auntie's. Like who?

Speaker C:

Are you sure?

Speaker D:

I'm glad you don't have to do this. You don't have to do this thing for five minutes.

Speaker B:

She seems to get along with aunty really well, and she knows that Seionji is abusive toward her, so why would she be like, oh, I'll just lose and give you back to him. It's fine.

Speaker A:

Yeah, it was a really non congress to her characterization decision. But also, she's young, so I feel like she could forget that this is a bad idea.

Speaker C:

Yeah, it's like an impulsive.

Speaker B:

Like, I don't want to deal with this.

Speaker C:

I also assumed she was like, oh, I don't want to disappear. Take her back. You are going to try to make me disappear over this girl. So have the girl back.

Speaker A:

Yeah.

Speaker B:

And then we get the Shadow puppet little Greek course again. And they talk about how losing might be harder than you think. And I wrote foreshadowing of some kind.

Speaker A:

That's what they're there for. They set us up.

Speaker B:

And then we see the whole sequence of UTENA going up those stairs to that metal music again, we get the whole thing. I was like, really? Are they not going to condense this?

Speaker A:

I was surprised by that. Actually.

Speaker B:

Skipped it.

Speaker A:

Yeah.

Speaker B:

I was like, I don't want to watch this again.

Speaker A:

I don't have so long.

Speaker C:

More minutes for the satan song. I watched Edwards ago.

Speaker D:

I think this is the closest we get to a transformation sequence. allah like sailor Moon. Yeah, but this is where I started writing down the lyrics. And towards the end of it, it just says, like, erosion, accumulation, 3 billion years, the birth of life, stronium, light, baserium, cullion, triassic, jurassic character, cryotosian. It's like, what?

Speaker B:

My God.

Speaker D:

Fucking song.

Speaker A:

So they just looked up things that are old in the universe?

Speaker D:

I don't know.

Speaker C:

Space, rocks, earth, ocean, sand, puppies, bacteria, stars, protozoa tvs. No, that's too new. Cross that one out.

Speaker D:

TV land brendan's references as old.

Speaker B:

Oh, my God. So she gets to the top, she's ready to fight. Auntie places the roses on their chests again. And I think Auntie is like, please don't get hurt. And she's like, it'd be dumb to get injured in a fight I plan to lose anyway.

Speaker D:

And it's like, oh my, really hammering that home.

Speaker B:

Read the room, please. And then she pulls the sword out of Auntie and she just like, knows the lines to this sequence she's in.

Speaker A:

It also, her outfit, when she's dueling changes, she gets like, military apollo fancier. Her school uniform is still basically the same, but it gets fancier and more military somehow. I don't know. The magic.

Speaker B:

Magic, yeah. That's why it's the transformation sequence. And Toga is shown sitting from the same really far distance with his opera glasses, just smiling. He doesn't say anything this time. He's just smiling. And then Seionji, while they're fighting, is talking about how the sword itself isn't magic, but it needs to be wielded by a powerful person. And I think I'm that person. Give me my sword back. Sword, please.

Speaker A:

Sword, please.

Speaker B:

And while they're fighting, UTENA is like possessed by some thing from then.

Speaker C:

The spirit of revolution.

Speaker B:

Yeah. And then she wins the duel. oops didn't plan on it. And I don't remember who says it, if it was Toga or seongji, but they were like, oh, is this the power of dios? And again, it's another thing. It's like, whatever that is, we're not going to explain.

Speaker A:

You're going to have to find out later, probably.

Speaker B:

Yeah, maybe.

Speaker C:

We assume you're in for the long haul.

Speaker B:

It's only up to you at this point. I have the thought, why aren't all of the student council members just always fighting for anthony's hand?

Speaker A:

Apparently the only one super invested in it is Green Boy.

Speaker B:

Apparently. But isn't that their whole thing?

Speaker A:

Maybe they did fight Green Boy and.

Speaker D:

He won because he is like the president of the Kendo Club. So he is the best swordsman.

Speaker A:

Yeah.

Speaker D:

Maybe they're just like, it's not worth it.

Speaker A:

Yeah, I don't want to, but apparently.

Speaker B:

They can also keep doing it. But I guess if they don't care enough yeah.

Speaker A:

Maybe they've already done it off screen and it's just like, you know what? This is the way things are. And then then things get shaken up.

Speaker D:

Yeah, could be. Yeah.

Speaker C:

We'll be his ally so he doesn't try too smite as when he revolts.

Speaker D:

I don't want to piss off the guy with all the fucking swords.

Speaker A:

Not a sword guy. Yeah. Don't make an enemy of a sword boy.

Speaker C:

A sword boy with a bad temper.

Speaker B:

Yeah, but so they're back at their little abode, and she has a cake in front of her, and chuchu is trying to eat it. And then Anthony comes in and she's like, you didn't lose. And then utilize. Just like, don't get it wrong. I didn't try.

Speaker D:

She says, I didn't win for you. I won for chuchu. And she's like, wow, I won for chuchu.

Speaker A:

Kind of an asy thing to say to an abuse victim, but cool.

Speaker D:

Yeah.

Speaker B:

I was like, you dumb bit. So rude.

Speaker D:

Chuchu'S not in a marriage. He doesn't give a shit.

Speaker B:

I mean, I guess he follows anthy because they're besties. And sanji did squish him early.

Speaker A:

That bride on him. What a dick.

Speaker B:

Yeah.

Speaker C:

So he does kick monkey mouse puppies.

Speaker B:

Yeah, exactly. That's episode two.

Speaker D:

Yeah. Episode three opens up with the story again. Are they just reusing sequences to fluff time? It's a thing. They do anime.

Speaker C:

They reuse another one later on.

Speaker D:

Yeah. So Octana wakes up and immediately starts monologuing about her ring first thing in the morning. Because that's what you do, right?

Speaker A:

You've worn it all your life, too.

Speaker D:

And you're like, I finally found other people who are wearing it, and they're all assholes.

Speaker B:

Does that make me an asshole?

Speaker D:

She's kind of treating Anthony like that, and she's saying, like, how weird it is that they're in the dorms all by herself. And then anthony's kind of like, I like it. I don't like being in big crowds of people. Everyone kind of looks the same, and I get nervous. It's like, yeah, that's kind of racist, Auntie, but okay. Excuse me. Like a goraphobia. Just when she said everyone looked the same, I was like.

Speaker A:

Face lines.

Speaker D:

Yeah, that's what I thought. Maybe chuchu's doing, like, monkey stuff. I remember what it was when I watched it, but I forget what it is now. utina tells Anthony to stop calling her miss. UTENA saying, it's kind of weird that you're following around and you're calling me miss. I mean, it probably works better in the dub. And in Japanese, they have honorefic, so it probably feels weird. Yeah, but she's basically saying, don't be as formal with me. It's not necessary. And as she's saying that, they're walking to school and just the swarms of girls that are all waiting to see Utah are just like, ms. utina.

Speaker C:

Ooh, hello.

Speaker D:

Over here. Miss Utah and just, like, swooning over her like crazy. So it's kind of like, don't be like them sort of thing.

Speaker A:

Yeah, it's like they can because they're just like random hangar honors. And it's hard to say.

Speaker D:

Maybe yeah, it's middle school.

Speaker C:

My fans can call me that.

Speaker A:

My unwanted bride.

Speaker D:

But lutin also says she doesn't want a normal girl. She wants a normal boy. And I guess that I didn't like that.

Speaker B:

I didn't like that either.

Speaker A:

I mean, she's a lot like I'm by she can be by love, by representation. But I'm also just like, have you seen Anthony? She's good. Protect her.

Speaker C:

Watch.

Speaker A:

Marry her, wife her up.

Speaker C:

I assumed this was established. She's not interested early on. So feelings can develop throughout the show.

Speaker A:

Yeah, of course.

Speaker C:

Because they gay in the opening credit.

Speaker D:

It's super gay in the opening.

Speaker B:

It has to get there.

Speaker A:

And also, I mean, the show has a reputation, although it is hotly debated amongst this is kind of an aside, but when I looked it up, it was like, how gay is the show, really? And the manga is gayer, like, more explicitly canon. And apparently the anime is hotly debated.

Speaker D:

We saw that actually, with a uri on ice because it's super fucking gay. But there were scenes where god, I'm forgetting all their names because it's been more than a second.

Speaker B:

There are two yuri and one Victor.

Speaker C:

Victor not even the craziest names we.

Speaker A:

Had on the show.

Speaker C:

Not even the craziest names on this episode.

Speaker D:

But when Victor kisses yuri, the scene is actually cut. The mouth to mouth scene is actually covered by his arm.

Speaker A:

Yeah.

Speaker D:

To show it in different countries, especially Russia, they had to hide it. So it's the creator's intent of, like, they're super fucking gay. But because of dumb censorship stuff in different countries and to make it more broad appeal, we have to kind of hide it a bit. Kind of smokescreen it.

Speaker A:

Unfortunately, we have to make it a little bit more ambiguous, which I'm fully like. I understand that. And I'm fully for it. And I feel like in the 90s with something like this, obviously, especially if you're on the heels of sailor Moon, which had such a broad audience, of course you're going to be careful, but yeah.

Speaker D:

Well, in sailor Moon, they had two of the sailors gals were lesbians.

Speaker A:

Yeah.

Speaker D:

And then but in the dub, they were cousins.

Speaker A:

They were, yeah.

Speaker C:

Which makes it gals being towels.

Speaker A:

Oh, yeah.

Speaker D:

Just counts. Being towels.

Speaker A:

Yeah. They they chopped that anime so badly in America. And well and honestly, like, that anime was just done dirty by the dub. Worse than pretty much anything I've heard of. At least this is my impression of it.

Speaker D:

Yeah, we saw a bit of it with the first three episodes we watched. But hey, that dub gave us some of the craziest Brooklyn accent in an animate I've ever heard. And it's so good.

Speaker C:

I am still very obsessed with giving a child a Brooklyn accent, but not the mom.

Speaker D:

Let's go down to the ramen shop and get us a nice bowl of ga.

Speaker A:

It's so great.

Speaker B:

Let's go to the deli and get a hot pastram salamoon.

Speaker D:

It's on par with that. It's so great.

Speaker C:

A serita. You want to get some jelly doughnuts?

Speaker A:

You want some meatballs?

Speaker B:

I love a good jelly doughnut.

Speaker D:

Anyway, utina or the president's there talking to them, and he kind of puts or holds utina's hair in his head. It's kind of like saying, like, oh, you're very beautiful. And she just smashed his hand away, just like, yo, back off. Calm.

Speaker A:

You're nuts.

Speaker B:

Nasty. Nasty.

Speaker D:

Watch yourself.

Speaker A:

Any part of you that touches me, you're not getting back.

Speaker D:

I mean, love that she has a walking sword right next to her. That's possible. I wouldn't try her. And it's when she smacks his hand away that she sees he has or he's talking about. His ring is also a rose like hers, and that's what lutana kind of, like, worries up. Like, could it be is he the prince, or does he know the prince? Or are they in the same group? Like, could my Prince I've dreamed of this whole Time be an asshole?

Speaker A:

Like, this guy kind of an asshole with opera glasses. Also, I mean, maybe he she should know he doesn't smell like rose body spray. Yeah.

Speaker D:

I think you would also remember that hair.

Speaker A:

Yeah, I feel like years ago, even from childhood, I would know. Also, doesn't she think, like, hey, this dude is presumably a teenager, and the prince I met was not a teenager. Yeah, or a child.

Speaker B:

In the little flashback scenes, we're shown what the prince looked like a little bit. So I would assume that she remembers what he looked like.

Speaker A:

Yeah, even a little like a hazy recollection, because she's pretty.

Speaker B:

He has, like, that short lavender hair and dark skin.

Speaker C:

So it's like, what other character looks more like that than this tall, very pale boy with red hair?

Speaker A:

Jerk. Also, there are plenty of people in that count. I mean, they all have the ring. So it's like, if you suspect Mac tonight, this one, then you have to suspect Green boy too. It's like, what if greenboy is the prince? He might be. You don't know. Apparently you don't know.

Speaker D:

He dyes his hair.

Speaker A:

He wears wigs.

Speaker B:

Where'S a wig?

Speaker D:

After this encounter, we get the snippet of the council going up to their penthouse suite in the elevator, giving the whole chick breaking out of its shell monologue again. And it's like, oh, cool. Reuse the scene budget. And UTENA is looking out. It cuts back to utina looking out of the window, and she sees the president of the council just sworn with girls. And this is when wakaba wakaba yeah, wakanda Wakanda jumps on her back, as she usually does. But since they're by a window, eutina hurley almost fall out and kind of like chastises her fort saying like you're going to kill me one day, fucking knock it off. It's fair. And when wakaba sees her looking at the president or no, she looks over and sees Auntie, right?

Speaker A:

Yeah. Because she gossips about her.

Speaker D:

Yeah. utina is like looking at Auntie and wakaba is kind of saying like oh, careful around that anti girl. I have heard a few rumors that she kind of like ruined one of the popular boys like lives. So clearly the rumors about her and say, oh, she's already spreading around the school and stuff.

Speaker A:

Like I was going to say sounds like high school but it technically isn't. Sounds like middle school.

Speaker D:

It's middle school. Yeah. Very posh middle school. And it cuts down to Auntie and she's just being circled around by three girls who also slap her like yeah, what the fuck?

Speaker C:

Why is she the punching bag?

Speaker A:

Yeah, why are they? I mean I get the social hierarchy and weird things happen in school but they're just like so upset that she ostensibly rejected Mean Boy and they're just like mad about it. He can fight his own battles, y'all? I mean he can't because he won't win. But he's got a sword. He could he's fine. Just go swoon over him. Don't hit Anthony who's just like trying to live.

Speaker C:

Well, he's been locked in his room ever.

Speaker A:

Oh that's right, that's when he was mad. I forgot.

Speaker C:

So she's depriving them of his beauty because he's so sad he locked himself away.

Speaker D:

I mean, I'm locked up in my room and no one's pissy about that. I wouldn't know though, because they'd be outside and I'm in my room.

Speaker A:

Exactly.

Speaker B:

Brendan, I'm sad that you don't come out of your room every day so.

Speaker C:

Much so that you physically attack some middle schoolers.

Speaker A:

I know you know it, but this is an intervention to get you to come out of your room more.

Speaker D:

Listen, I bought you worry popcorn from those boy scouts and they never gave it to me so if I see them again, I'm coming out. That actually happened one time.

Speaker A:

I work at home.

Speaker C:

So daylight is optional.

Speaker A:

Yeah, it's very much optional.

Speaker D:

Got those vitamin D lamps because it's the only way you can get it.

Speaker A:

Oh, I have one.

Speaker D:

Anyway, auntie's getting bullied and when she gets knocked down, this is when another girl shows up and we get the rose vision around her. She's got yellow roses so it's kind of like intent. Presumably this is one of the main characters in the opening sequence we see. And she's kind of like she chews away all the other girls handle. Yeah, I get the hell away from her. And picks up Anthony kind of saying like oh, I came to tell you a bunch of people requested that you be the dance queen at the ball.

Speaker A:

I guess this isn't suspicious or mean.

Speaker B:

Heavy carrie.

Speaker D:

And kind of just saying, like, oh, I've come to invite you and tell you about this ball that you're going to apparently, that you did not know about and kind of just started saying.

Speaker B:

And also don't want to go to.

Speaker D:

You don't want to go to and you don't like crowds of people. And I'm forcing you to do this for reasons. So Anthony kind of gets invited to that. And that night, chuchu and Anthony are playing Old maid. Yeah, okay. This monkey wears a tie, has an earring. Can understand human communication. Can understand human games. I got a lot of questions about this damn monkey. He's much more interesting than the actual plot of the show.

Speaker A:

My theory is the prince. Yeah, I think he's a prince or something.

Speaker C:

He better be. But I just loved how they set up this scene because it was framed that it looked like Anthony was, like, purposely losing, playing with UTENA. And UTENA is like, do you have any friends? Because it sounds like she's purposely losing and she's getting bored. And she's like, yeah, chuchu. And he's been playing the whole time. And I thought that was a very good joke.

Speaker D:

I really hope butina leaves the revolutionary army and just gives chuchu just a fucking gun. And like, he's not a prince. He's just a monkey with a gun.

Speaker C:

And my presidential platform is giving chuchu a gun.

Speaker A:

I think monkeys should have guns.

Speaker D:

Yeah, we've all seen that hellboy comic.

Speaker B:

I think dogs should exactly.

Speaker C:

Dogs should vote. Monkeys should get guns and ear piercings and a tie.

Speaker D:

While they're playing, they get a delivery, and it's just a guy dropping off two packages saying, like, oh, Auntie, here's a dress for you. That was sent by, I guess, the committee that's running the ball.

Speaker A:

Weird.

Speaker B:

I think it was nanomi. It was nunami, the girl that told her to come.

Speaker D:

Yeah, but I don't think the delivery guy says that. I think he's like, oh, this is from the committee, so it's not obvious. That what happens later. And then he's also like, oh, tina, you also have a convenient package. And it's just this, like, they're both dresses. And auntie's is like, oh, it's a nice green dress. And then UTENA is like a big wedding dress looking thing with roses embedded into it and stuff. And she's just like, oh, Jesus, no. Not wearing this.

Speaker B:

I can't wear my shorts.

Speaker D:

No, thank you.

Speaker C:

I have my formal shorts and everything.

Speaker B:

I had them steamed.

Speaker D:

And then we cut to or this is what Anthony says. She doesn't like the big crowds, and she gets very intimidated by them. And then it cuts to another Greek course with the shadows that are kind of foreshadowing. haha.

Speaker B:

Oh, wow. I'm so mad. I said foreshadowing earlier, and I didn't even think of that. They're foreshadow puppets.

Speaker D:

And then it cuts back, and it's time for the big ball. And namine? We find out.

Speaker B:

Namine what's her name?

Speaker A:

Nanami.

Speaker D:

Nanami. naomi watts is talking to her brother.

Speaker A:

Not a bad.

Speaker C:

Mahamana is at the ball.

Speaker D:

Doodle Bob is at the ball talking to toga. We find out their brother and sister, because of course they are.

Speaker A:

Yeah.

Speaker D:

And we find out she's the one that sent the dress to that's actually.

Speaker B:

My favorite line that toga ever says is when she comes up behind him, she's like, guess who. And he's just like, stop it, nunami.

Speaker D:

Knock it off.

Speaker B:

I don't know why I thought that was so funny.

Speaker D:

Just make sure the bullshit.

Speaker A:

Later, I have more context about that because of course I'm a sleuth. I lift fingers.

Speaker D:

More research than us. And she's kind of wondering why toga is talking about Anthony all the time. And she says that's why she invited her to the ball, because toga talks about her so much. And toga is blown away when they arrive because he sees utina in her dress that he sent her, which he never thought she'd actually wear. She looked beautiful. And she's like, I fucking hate this. And they would make a great couple together, him and Utah. And she's just like, I hate this more. But she's kind of like inflicted because she's still thinking about, like us. He the prince from back then with the ring and all. She's still not sure because she definitely doesn't like them. And this is when I realized, why are all the girls in fancy dresses and all the guys are just in their school uniforms?

Speaker A:

Yeah, unfair. Yeah, unfair.

Speaker D:

And this is when nominee naomi fucked me up. Daniel. Now he can't get it right even if I'm reading sonic.

Speaker C:

It's sonic.

Speaker D:

Sonic.

Speaker B:

No.

Speaker D:

The nine tail fox from naruto leads Anthony out onto the floor. She's like, oh, you're the dance queen, so you got to be out in front and center. And leads her out onto the floor and then just leaves her and slips away into the crowd. Because she knows she gets anxious in crowds. And she's like, oh, I'm going to be a catty bitch and just leave you to your worst nightmare. And this is when we see those, like, petty girls from earlier that hit auntie are also her friends. And we're kind of like, everything's going according to plan because Auntie got our special dress. wink. Fucking right. Here it goes. And the whole time we see a waiter picking up a bottle of champagne. But I'm guessing it's like something else because it can't be champagne if they're in middle school. Like, I don't care what country you're in.

Speaker A:

It's martinelli. sparkling cider.

Speaker D:

There you go.

Speaker B:

He just shook it up a lot.

Speaker D:

And as he's walking over, he pops the cork and sprays it all over an athe. And her dress starts dissolving because it's a shitty high school or middle school prank.

Speaker A:

That was a very intense prank to invest in. It's like, we're going to essentially make a dress out of autonomissue paper and.

Speaker D:

Then have it that's not immediately notable.

Speaker A:

Yeah.

Speaker B:

Again, very cary. If Anthony did have magical powers, this would have been a great time to.

Speaker D:

Write that entire but not like yes, telekinesis murder powers. That's true. And at this point, everyone, like she screams and everyone's attention gets drawn to her. And toga's basically like, it's my sister again. God damn it. He immediately knows it's her.

Speaker A:

Yeah.

Speaker B:

Wait, we didn't talk about naomi's reason for doing this, which was very, very strange. She said that toga would not stop talking about Auntie. Yeah, which is weird because he's clearly a good wife.

Speaker A:

UTENA.

Speaker B:

UTENA.

Speaker D:

Yeah.

Speaker C:

But I guess unless it's, like, just assumed off screen, he doesn't really talk about aunty that much.

Speaker D:

Yeah, but I guess he would talk about her, like, the whole rose bride thing and the duels. I guess so. I guess he's just, like, monologuing or talking to her about it and just venting off his student council bullshit to her. And maybe he maybe because yeah, we don't really see it from him, but I guess it's implied that he talks about her because he's only met U tana for, like, two days at this point.

Speaker A:

I mean, he did gape at her with opera glasses.

Speaker D:

Oh, my. At this point, she's jealous that her brother focuses on any girl besides her. So check off that anime and stuff.

Speaker B:

We also definitely forgot to mention earlier that toga says that UTENA is so beautiful when she's angry, which was continue. I just got mad about that because I remembered it.

Speaker D:

Yeah. But yeah, so we get some little weird incestuous vibes from the sister because it's anime. You got it for some reason, apparently. And this is around a time where UTENA shows up at the top of the staircase in her regular school uniform. She's gotten out of that dress because fuck it. And she runs down the stairs and then jumps onto a table and just knocks everything over, which I thought was excessive.

Speaker B:

Yeah. She just wrecked that table.

Speaker D:

And she yanks off one of the table cloths from another table and wraps it around Anthony. And it's not just like, hey, you're wearing a Temple golf now. It conforms to be a full dress in and of itself.

Speaker C:

Didn't you just have a perfectly good dress you could lend her?

Speaker B:

I didn't even think of that.

Speaker A:

She threw it away.

Speaker C:

Quick, let me throw this dress in the garbage so I can make one out of a tablecloth.

Speaker D:

Can't Nancy also summon her rose bride dress whenever, or is that only in the arena?

Speaker A:

I feel like if she did that in front of the entire school, it might be a little weird.

Speaker C:

Yeah, because it is supposed to be, like, a secret from the general population.

Speaker A:

Yeah.

Speaker D:

It'S weird. I don't understand the bureaucracy and social cues of this middle school. So UTENA and Auntie start dancing and that's it. That's pretty much. Episode three.

Speaker A:

Yeah.

Speaker D:

And that's revolutionary girl utina, at least as much as we were watching of it.

Speaker C:

So yeah. Are we there yet? Would anyone continue watching this?

Speaker B:

We should let our guest go first.

Speaker A:

Yeah, I appreciate that. So my answer is like, no, but only because I did further research on the show and I personally would find it too frustrating and triggery to watch. But overall, I think it is probably a very good, very interesting animal, I feel like. For me, no. For other people, sure. I would encourage them to. I just found it, like, later on do you guys mind if I give, like, content warning spoilers?

Speaker C:

Oh, go for it.

Speaker A:

So later on, it gets super rapey.

Speaker D:

Another classic 90s trope that everyone fucking hates.

Speaker A:

Yeah. And and it's not like it's it's it has an ambiguous ending that, depending on how you can depending on how you take it as literal or not, could be seen as character death. Major character death. And I don't know, I just feel like from what I read about the conclusion of the show, I would just be frustrated, especially because, again, there is that hot debate over whether or not this was canonically queer. I think it is. I think it counts as it from everything that I saw. However, I feel like that ambiguity would just be too frustrating when combined with stuff like, you know, rape and incest. So it would get rough. And so I'm glad that I watched what I watched. I actually really enjoyed it. I thought it was delightful. Like, the aesthetic was wild and I loved it. And I love fairy tales and I love motif and the idea of performance, and I love teenage girls being weird and being somewhat what's the word I'm looking for? subversive in their gender roles. Like, I love that. I loved all of it. I also love that Anthony is very clearly some like, she's a woman of color, and I'm not really sure. Like, I tried to find out where she was, what her heritage was, and I couldn't get a definitive answer on that. But it is clear that she is maybe East Indian because she has the bindi.

Speaker D:

And I really like that I saw that. When I initially saw that, I started getting, like, weird England Indian vibes, and it made me kind of uncomfortable. Yeah, they were kind of like, this is our prize wife that we win because she's an object and she's Indian and different. I'm like, yeah.

Speaker C:

Especially with all the subservient master stuff. It just gets very weird.

Speaker B:

However, I ethnically charged bullied for season two is like it's coded.

Speaker C:

Yeah. Let's make the brown character the punching bag. That's not great.

Speaker D:

Yeah, we pointed out it's not just, like, teasing or like, ha, she's a nerd or something. Like, everyone's just beating the shit out of her. It's just like, this is bad.

Speaker A:

Yeah. And I think interestingly. I really liked. I mean, I can't say that I really liked danzie because I feel like we don't know that much about her. But that was what I found so fascinating, is, like, how much of her is a role and how much of her is a facade. Because the only things we know about aunty for sure in terms of her personality, are that she has not a lot of friends, she gets anxious, and that ostensibly she likes being the rose bride. That's pretty much all we know about her. We know a lot about it, jenna. We know a lot about her personality. But Auntie is more of a cipher, and I like that. So, again, I really liked what I saw. We thought it was really cool. I wouldn't personally finish the anime, especially because there's, like, a lot of episodes.

Speaker D:

Well, I mean, this is one of the shorter. Well, now it's not true. But yeah. anime's typically go either, like, 13 episodes, 30 episodes, or they become one of the giant moneymakers. Just go for 900.

Speaker A:

This has several seasons. The first one is the one that's, like, most readily available because it was the first one that was translated and released into the wild. But I believe it has, like, three, four seasons.

Speaker D:

Oh, that's a good run for an anime.

Speaker A:

I'm looking yeah. I like to know these things for sure. To be precise, this has five volumes, but I don't think that's the anime.

Speaker D:

Yeah, that'll be the manga, no?

Speaker B:

Yeah, that'd be the manga.

Speaker A:

Wow. This is not telling me what I want to know at all.

Speaker C:

Well, that could be. Anime sometimes are cut into volumes. I don't know if they're doing that in, like, the 90s because working on stuff, we did volumes of things, but I don't know if that's a more recent thing.

Speaker A:

They broke this up into sagas. It looks like like, arcs, and it looks like there's four of them. So there's 39 episodes. That's not that bad. That's really not that bad.

Speaker C:

Okay.

Speaker B:

Yeah. But still, based on what you've told us, very fair that you would not continue watching it, knowing what happens later on. I feel the same way. Like, I like the aesthetic a lot. It actually reminds me a lot of a show that I'm going to recommend to you, Amanda. It's called Princess tutu. And it is very much this, but very much more innocent. And I think you'd probably really like it. It has a very similar aesthetic.

Speaker A:

Cool. Yeah.

Speaker B:

I'm down along with, like, a Greek chorus type thing going.

Speaker A:

That's so cool.

Speaker B:

Yeah. But yeah, I'm not super into 90s anime. Like, super cheesy. I think it could be good. It could have been good. But now knowing what happens later, it's just especially disappointing. I don't want to be disappointed.

Speaker A:

I feel like I should mention, from everything I saw, it looked like a really interesting, well executed story with a lot of cool themes and interesting character development. It looked cool, but at the cost of potentially being very frustrating and potentially triggering for people. So I was like, I'm already busy. Let's not you don't want to chore the show. Yeah.

Speaker C:

I think this is something because the narrative is so good, but it could be handled better. I think this would be something that would benefit from, like, a remake.

Speaker A:

Exactly.

Speaker C:

Or a retelling of it where there is more nuance. Because I would love this to be because we firmly established in the first episode, UTENA wants to be a prince that helps rescue princesses.

Speaker A:

Yeah.

Speaker C:

So I think reframing this sort of as like assisting this abused person in an abusive relationship to actually stand up for themselves and sort of be a friendship romance that blossoms based on trying to help get her on her feet and out of this weird ownership thing. That would be an interesting reframing of it.

Speaker A:

Yeah.

Speaker D:

It reminded me a lot of I haven't watched a bunch of it, but Star Versus the Forces of Evil, which is like a Disney Channel show. And there was just one segment I caught where it was kind of like the secondary character. The boy character is Marco. Marco, I guess. And spoilers. I don't know where this is in the show. I've never watched I've just seen this clip, but where he wants to be a princess. And it's got a similar vibe of like, but he's not a girl. It's like, well, but he wants to be a princess. He just wants that status. And that, I guess, role of a princess without being that gendered stereotype on top of it. And it reminded me of a lot like that with otina. So I think it could definitely do well if it was remade in this period right now, of animation and stuff. Because it's definitely a lot more progressive than, let's say, the 90s.

Speaker B:

Yeah. Just ballpark time period.

Speaker D:

Yeah, I'd probably be on board.

Speaker B:

How do you feel about it, fellas?

Speaker D:

I'm not going to fight.

Speaker C:

I would pass on it because I thought it was going to be gayer.

Speaker D:

We blew it all with you're already on ice. The gayest animator. Is.

Speaker A:

It? Hold on a second. I'm going to double check this. Does this exist as an anime? So apparently gravitation still exists. I don't know if it was ever made into anime. I think it was. Yes, I think so.

Speaker C:

I am unfamiliar.

Speaker A:

The gravitation was a shonen anime. I think the manga, it was produced in 2000 to 2001. And it's real.

Speaker B:

Oh, God.

Speaker A:

This animation style, it's apparently extremely look, it's very gay. It is explicitly gay. It is very problematic. Yeah, it's fully gay. So I feel like, yeah, these things exist. But at what cost? When were they made? Who were they made by? What were they able to get away with? What unfortunate tropes were baked in because of when it was made? Or who made it. I don't know. It's hard to engage with queer media in any decade when you look at who made it, when it was made, for what audience was it made, there's no perfect queer representation. And everybody finds what they resonate with, even in the darkest, most terrible, by whatever metric media. So I got a lot of out of the TV show hannibal, and I know other people didn't. And I know.

Speaker B:

A lot of people.

Speaker A:

Got stuff out of UTENA and a lot of people got stuff out of other very heavily queer coded or ostensibly queer anime that wasn't as explicit as other mediums. That was a very roundabout way of saying, like, everybody gets something from their favorite stuff. And I don't want to pretend like I haven't done the same thing from bless.

Speaker D:

We all enjoy junk food every now and then.

Speaker A:

Exactly.

Speaker D:

Yeah, that's what we said with the show where it's like, it's not a bad show. We've watched bad shows. We've watched some real bad shows. It's like, this isn't bad, but it's not particularly for any of our specific taste because I know I'm definitely not a fan of really high school centric stuff. Kind of gets boring after a while because I've seen so much. And I'm not a fan of the very bougie aristocrat of like, how can you call it a yacht if it's not over 50ft more? I don't want to pay bullshit. I want the dirty, homeless gremlin under the bridge overpass. Like, that's my anime.

Speaker A:

Anime.

Speaker D:

Yeah. This isn't for me. I can say for sure.

Speaker A:

Yeah. I feel like I missed a boat with this. I know my best friend, this was a very important anime to her. It was formative because she was born in the early 90s, so when she saw it, she would have been babu, basically. She would have been young. And I get that there was stuff that was very formative to me that remains resonant. And I can see why just from what I've seen, I can see why it is. But also, I'm not a thirsty twelve year old anymore. The age I would have been to watch this or whatever is not the age that I am now. And the things that I get out of it are different. And the way that I see it is different.

Speaker C:

And half of this show is looking back and seeing how anime has not aged as well as we thought it did.

Speaker B:

Yeah. Even anime from like, ten years ago.

Speaker D:

Is like, wildly different.

Speaker C:

So, yeah, we'll chalk this up to maybe we would watch it if it was still 1998.

Speaker A:

Yes. There we go.

Speaker D:

Queen us will watch it.

Speaker B:

Or if they've reworked it now.

Speaker A:

Exactly.

Speaker D:

Give it the shera treatment.

Speaker B:

Yes.

Speaker C:

So, yeah. Thank you all for joining us this week. What do we have going on next week? I don't know whose pick it is.

Speaker B:

It's me. And you're going to hate me so much.

Speaker C:

Oh, boy.

Speaker B:

We're going to watch the first three episodes of kake Guru.

Speaker C:

Okay.

Speaker A:

I don't know what that is. Please tell me more.

Speaker C:

This is the show we all met at a dubbing studio. This is the show that almost killed me working on it.

Speaker D:

It's less about the show content itself and more just personal trauma. Yes.

Speaker C:

Dubbing. Twelve episodes in one month.

Speaker D:

That's real fun.

Speaker C:

Normally, that's the time you get to dub. Four episodes.

Speaker B:

Yeah. That's what I've chosen.

Speaker C:

Oh, boy. So, yeah. Thank you for joining us, Amanda. Where can people find you online, and what would you like people to find of yours?

Speaker A:

Well, thank you so much for having me. This was actually a blast, and I was excited leading up. And this was more fun than I even thought it would be. I'm on Twitter at Amanda H Jean. And I also have the podcast that you mentioned at the top of the show, the Red Pen. And you can find that on Twitter at RedPen pod. And basically, that's just where I hang out on the Internet. Twitter a hellscape filled with filled with hell.

Speaker C:

Filled with gayness. That is also questionable.

Speaker B:

Just like this.

Speaker A:

That's also my new Twitter bio.

Speaker C:

You can find me and my Twitter bio at Mr. Patrick dugan on Twitter. And Instagram.

Speaker B:

You can find me on Instagram at queen. Period. We have u. And on Twitter at Queen underscore Wiyavu.

Speaker D:

You can find me on Twitter at abts. Brendan, I'm going to warn you now, it's a rough ride, but the initials stand for Almost Better Than Silence, which is my video game podcast.

Speaker A:

Nice.

Speaker C:

And you can find the show on Twitter and Instagram at rweeb there yet. And we are always looking for recommendations for your 90s anime favorites. So any recommendations of shows you would like us to watch, you can tweet at us or email us at rweebariat@gmail.com. Thank you to camille ruley for our artwork. And thank you to Louis zong for our theme song stories off the album Beats. You can find all of louie's music at Louisong bandcamp.com. Thank you, and we hope you will join us next week as we learn to live with and bang.

Speaker B:

Good luck in the revolution.

Speaker C:

Revolt. revolt. revolt. revolt.

Speaker A:

Hashtag revolt.

Episode Notes

Every Rose has it's deeply problematic world-ending death cult, and boy howdy do we have one this week. We are joined by Amanda Jean of The Red Pen Pod to watch Revolutionary Girl Utena!

Amanda's Twitter: @amandahjean Amanda's Website: amandajeanedits.com Amanda's Podcast: theredpen.simplecast.fm

Twitter: @Areweebthereyet

Instagram: @areweebthereyet

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/areweebthereyet/

Thank you:

Camille Ruley for our Artwork

Louie Zong for our Themesong "stories"

https://louiezong.bandcamp.com

Find out more at http://areweebthereyet.com

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Copyright 2018