Utena and Anthy in Revolutionary Girl Utena
What’s it about: Revolutionary Girl Utena is about a girl named Utena Tenjou who must battle the elite members of her prestigious school in a sequence of duels, all for the right to marry the rose bride, Anthy Himemiya. Y’know, just like in real life. While most of the men gunning to court Anthy treat her like an object to satisfy their own ends, Utena fosters a doting relationship with Anthy, allowing both characters to discover more about themselves as they grow closer to one another. Aside from having a gay as fuck premise, RGU’s Utena has also become a symbol for positive gender-nonconforming representation. Utena routinely rejects traditional female roles, and on top of that, her peers chastise her for striving to become the prince charming in her own story and sporting a male school uniform while doing so.
