{"id":786,"date":"2024-07-04T17:25:36","date_gmt":"2024-07-04T17:25:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/?p=786"},"modified":"2024-07-04T17:33:08","modified_gmt":"2024-07-04T17:33:08","slug":"the-sapphic-90s-anime-that-inspired-steven-universe-and-she-ra-a-discourse-focused-analysis-of-revolutionary-girl-utena","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/the-sapphic-90s-anime-that-inspired-steven-universe-and-she-ra-a-discourse-focused-analysis-of-revolutionary-girl-utena\/","title":{"rendered":"The Sapphic 90s anime that inspired Steven Universe and She-ra: a discourse-focused analysis of Revolutionary Girl Utena"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Even if you\u2019ve never heard of <em>Revolutionary Girl Utena<\/em> (Ikuhara, 1997), you\u2019ll absolutely know <a href=\"https:\/\/tvtropes.org\/pmwiki\/pmwiki.php\/ReferencedBy\/RevolutionaryGirlUtena\">something that\u2019s referenced it,<\/a> if not taken direct influence from it. From <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt3061046\/\"><em>Steven Universe<\/em><\/a> (Sugar, 2013-2019), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt8050756\/\"><em>The Owl House<\/em><\/a> (Terrace, 2020-present) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt7745956\/\"><em>She-Ra and The Princesses of Power<\/em><\/a>\u00a0(Stevenson, 2018-2020), to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0168366\/\"><em>Pok\u00e9mon<\/em><\/a> (Yuyama and Tomiyasu, 1997\u2013Present), <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Scott_Pilgrim\"><em>Scott Pilgrim<\/em><\/a> (O&#8217;Malley, 2004-2010) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt1751105\/\"><em>My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic<\/em><\/a> (Faust, 2010-2020), it has had undeniable reach within animation. With strong queer protagonists and exploration of fairytale tropes, it is no wonder <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0205410\/reviews\">it still stands up to critique<\/a> 27 years later. Many recent animations, like the ones above, pay direct homage to it: in <em>Steven Universe<\/em>, <a href=\"https:\/\/steven-universe.fandom.com\/wiki\/Steven_Universe_(character)\">Steven<\/a>\u2019s sword lessons with <a href=\"https:\/\/steven-universe.fandom.com\/wiki\/Pearl\">Pearl<\/a> in the episode \u2018Steven the Sword Fighter\u2019 mirror the titular character <a href=\"https:\/\/utena.fandom.com\/wiki\/Utena_Tenjou\">Utena<\/a>\u2019s swordfighting exactly, and in episode 7 of The Owl House, is shown reading an <em>Utena<\/em> comic.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_788\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-788\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-788\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/files\/2024\/07\/Luz.png?resize=300%2C292\" alt=\"Picture of Lux from the Owl House reading a comic with Utena on it\" width=\"300\" height=\"292\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-788\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Cr: Disney \u00a9 2020<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Utena references in Steven Universe\" width=\"685\" height=\"385\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vW9efEOf-64?start=85&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h1>What is Revolutionary Girl Utena?:<\/h1>\n<p><em>Revolutionary Girl Utena <\/em>tells the story of Utena Tenjou, a teen girl who believes she was rescued by a prince as child and was inspired by him to become a prince herself and save princesses. She discovers that the ring he gave her makes her eligible for a\u00a0sword duelling\u00a0tournament at her school, where she accidentally wins the hand of <a href=\"https:\/\/utena.fandom.com\/wiki\/Anthy_Himemiya\">Anthy Himemiya<\/a>, a quiet classmate known as the &#8220;Rose Bride&#8221; who possesses the &#8220;power to revolutionize the world&#8221;. It is tonally very surrealist and the story\u2019s direction and meaning relies heavily on metaphor and symbolism. It\u2019s not always clear whether what the audience or the characters perceive to be happening is reality and when repeated, scenes often vary to show the unreliability of the characters\u2019 memory. Directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara, the same director who worked on <em>Sailor Moon R<\/em> (Ikuhara, 1993-1994), <em>Revolutionary Girl Utena <\/em>uses many sh\u014djo tropes prevalent in his earlier works and others of the genre in order to critique them. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.animenewsnetwork.com\/encyclopedia\/lexicon.php?id=3\">Sh\u014djo<\/a> is a genre of Manga and Anime aimed at girls, often focusing on personal and romantic relationships. <a href=\"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/campanelli-2019-gender-nonconformity-and-lesbianism-in-the-magical-girl-genre\/\">Campanelli (2019)<\/a> points out sh\u014djo works&#8217; tendency to fetishise (and therefore sexualise) its underage protagonist as the ideal \u2018Magical Girl\u2019 while punishing and trying to fix tomboys and lesbians. While Ikuhara apparently wasn\u2019t able to make the romance between Anthy and Utena as obvious as he wanted due to disagreements with the Manga author, Chiho Saito, there are still clear discussions of lesbianism in the show and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ix1HQ67GFmU\">Ikuhara has discussed in several interviews his inclusion of \u201clesbian elements\u201d.<\/a> It is a \u2018queering\u2019 of the genre, as described by Bailey (2020). The show concerns itself with how fairytale ideas of princes and princesses enforce gender roles, and how its main characters might overcome or fail to live up to them. There are many characters whose gender representation would make an incredibly interesting analysis \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/utena.fandom.com\/wiki\/Touga_Kiryuu\">Touga<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/utena.fandom.com\/wiki\/Akio_Ohtori\">Akio<\/a>, princes who secretly fail to uphold their nobility, Anthy, the damsel-in-distress and simultaneously a witch and the popular girl <a href=\"https:\/\/utena.fandom.com\/wiki\/Nanami_Kiryuu\">Nanami<\/a> who desperately wants to be a princess. However, this post will focus on analysing discourse, mostly textual, surrounding Utena\u2019s gender, sexuality and interaction with fairytale ideas of princes and princesses. There is also a film version (<em>Adolescence of Utena<\/em>, Ikuhara, 1999)), but the characterisation and plot here are different, so I\u2019ll only be referring to the anime series.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Revolutionary Girl Utena - The Prince and The Princess\" width=\"685\" height=\"385\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5ZSGPfRtBqQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h1><em>\u201cDespite appearances, I\u2019m a totally normal girl!\u201d<\/em><\/h1>\n<p>This quote comes from episode 3 \u2013 \u2018On the Night of the Ball\u2019. Across the show, quotes like this make it clear that Utena is definitely a girl, and her defiance of gender roles is simply because she likes it, not because she\u2019s unhappy being perceived as a girl. Of course, her idea of what a \u201cnormal girl\u201d is shifts within the series as she encounters new people, but she always considers herself one. This idea is carried across to her design; she always chooses to dress in her school\u2019s boy uniform, but keeps her very feminine long, pink hair. A final note on her character design is how it subverts the typical sh\u014djo transformation scene; in the archetypal <em>Sailor Moon<\/em> scenes, the characters magic themselves into bodices and skirts with bows, to match their thigh thigh-high boots and gloves. In other words, they are hyper-feminised. <em>Revolutionary Girl Utena<\/em> obviously mimics this scene, but instead of becoming more feminine, her outfits become even more masculine. She gets shoulder braces with chains and a shirt with cufflinks added under her men\u2019s blazer. As <a href=\"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/zulkifli-haris-2021-brave-2012-vs-puteri-2014-the-representation-of-androgyny-characters\/\">Zulkifli and Haris (2021)<\/a> suggest, androgynous characters can be a great way to avoid reinforcing harmful gender stereotypes.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Revolutionary Girl Utena Transformation Sequence 1\" width=\"685\" height=\"514\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ijY4X5OQKxs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Sailor moon season 1 (all Sailor transformation) Japanese\" width=\"685\" height=\"514\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ye0IuAZgy50?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>Most of the other characters\u2019 reactions to Utena\u2019s defiance of gender roles are also quite refreshing; unlike the tendency to try to \u2018fix\u2019 tomboys that <a href=\"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/campanelli-2019-gender-nonconformity-and-lesbianism-in-the-magical-girl-genre\/\">Campanelli (2019)<\/a> highlights in sh\u014djo, Utena is generally seen as very attractive and liked by both genders. For example, the following scene from Episode 1:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"320\">Episode 1: 00:05:13-00:06:10 (Extract 1)<\/td>\n<td width=\"281\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"320\">Crowd of girls:\u00a0 Go, Utena-sama!!<\/p>\n<p>Boy:\u00a0 Sheesh, skunked again&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Girl:\u00a0 Oh, Utena-sama, use my towel, too!<\/p>\n<p>Utena:\u00a0 Sure, sure, wait your turn.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Boy:\u00a0 Say, Tenjou, if you&#8217;d just join our basketball team,<\/p>\n<p>Boy:\u00a0 the local playoffs would be a sure thing!<\/p>\n<p>Utena:\u00a0 Now look! I&#8217;m a girl, you know.<\/p>\n<p>Utena:\u00a0 I don&#8217;t like playing basketball with a bunch of stinking, sweaty boys.<\/td>\n<td width=\"281\">Utena wins a game of basketball on the boys\u2019 team, being cheered on by a crowd of girls.<\/p>\n<p>After, the girls stand round Utena, passing her their towels and water<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Cuts to a corridor where one of the basketball players is walking after Utena<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-796 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/files\/2024\/07\/basketball.jpg?resize=300%2C225\" alt=\"Utena playing basketball with rose petals falling around her\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/files\/2024\/07\/basketball.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/files\/2024\/07\/basketball.jpg?w=578&amp;ssl=1 578w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The honorific \u2018-<a href=\"https:\/\/gogonihon.com\/en\/blog\/sama-san-kun-chan-the-many-japanese-honorifics\/\">sama<\/a>\u2019, used by the crowd of girls indicates a high level of respect, or possibly a crush (Utena\u2019s best friend, <a href=\"https:\/\/utena.fandom.com\/wiki\/Wakaba_Shinohara\">Wakaba<\/a>, calls <a href=\"https:\/\/utena.fandom.com\/wiki\/Kyouichi_Saionji\">Saionji<\/a>, her crush, \u201cSaionji-sama\u201d in the same episode). Additionally, the lack of address that the boy uses to talk to her also indicates that he treats her quite casually \u2013 most characters refer to each other with the honorific \u2018-san\u2019, if they aren\u2019t particularly close (e.g., Anthy calls Touga\u2019s sister \u201cNanami-san\u201d). Gendered terms for Utena are used quite interchangeably: Wakaba, often calls her her \u201cboyfriend\u201d and \u201cfuture husband\u201d and Touga calls her \u201cUtena-kun\u201d, an honorific normally used for teen boys and men. However, the same characters will just as often refer to her as a girl or princess. Anyone who does critique Utena for her gender non-conformity is treated as an antagonist or a joke \u2013 the best example of this is the reoccurring \u2018bit\u2019 with her teacher.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"601\">Episode 1: 00:04:30-00:05:10 (Extract 2)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"601\">Teacher:\u00a0 Tenjou Utena-san.<\/p>\n<p>Teacher:\u00a0 Do you plan to keep on wearing those strange clothes this semester?<\/p>\n<p>Utena:\u00a0 Strange?<\/p>\n<p>Teacher:\u00a0 Strange.<\/p>\n<p>Utena:\u00a0 All the boys are dressed like I am.<\/p>\n<p>Teacher:\u00a0 You are a girl!<\/p>\n<p>Teacher:\u00a0 So why do you keep on wearing a boy&#8217;s uniform?<\/p>\n<p>Utena:\u00a0 There&#8217;s no rule here that says a girl can&#8217;t wear a boy&#8217;s uniform.<\/p>\n<p>Utena:\u00a0 No problem then!<\/p>\n<p>Utena:\u00a0 So, in that case&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>Teacher:\u00a0 You little&#8230; You&#8217;re going to keep evading me this semester, too, aren&#8217;t you&#8230;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>This character only appears to complain about Utena\u2019s outfit, and for other characters to roll their eyes at. Although she uses demeaning adjectives like \u201clittle\u201d and \u201cstrange\u201d, she\u2019s the one that ends up being ridiculed, not Utena. It\u2019s clear in this scene that Utena considers it a waste of time, saying there\u2019s \u201cno problem\u201d. Here, the teacher is the one being made fun of for calling out Utena\u2019s non-conformity, not Utena herself. It\u2019s also very obvious from the design of the scene that the teacher is meant to be laughed at.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-798 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/files\/2024\/07\/Teacher.jpg?resize=299%2C230\" alt=\"Utena laughing behind her teacher's back while she yells\" width=\"299\" height=\"230\" \/><\/p>\n<h1>Princes, Princesses and Sexuality<\/h1>\n<p>Part of what makes <em>Revolutionary Girl Utena<\/em>\u2019s gender representation so interesting is its exploration of gendered social pressure, and the impact it has on each female character. Unlike the tendency in 90s and early 2000s cartoons to write strong female characters into post-feminist worlds that <a href=\"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/blush-2021-bending-the-elementary-queering-gender-and-sexuality-in-avatar-the-last-airbender-and-beyond\/\">Blush (2021)<\/a> identifies, <em>Revolutionary Girl Utena<\/em> delves into the power dynamics between its male and female characters i.e. princes and princesses.<\/p>\n<p>Focusing on Utena, the question is whether the pressure of older men and her own fairytale ideas of gender will inevitably lead her to become a princess. The repeated opening scene of her meeting the prince as a child calls her \u201cthe princess\u201d four times within a minute long scene. In this way, the show conflates girlhood with becoming a princess. Male characters wanting to position themselves as Utena\u2019s prince also often describe her as a princess; in episode 11, Touga describes her as \u201ca lonely princess\u2026no one can see her but me\u201d. The insinuation here is that her attempting to be a prince is a fa\u00e7ade that he sees through to her \u2018true\u2019 princess form. Episode 38 makes it clear what the dynamic between prince and princess is designed to be:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"601\">Episode 38: 00:04:33-00:06:12 (Extract 3)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"601\">Akio:\u00a0 I always dream of the castle.<\/p>\n<p>Utena:\u00a0 The castle?<\/p>\n<p>Akio:\u00a0 Yes. The castle where the Prince and the princess will live&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>Akio:\u00a0 &#8230;happily for ever and ever and ever after.<\/p>\n<p>Akio:\u00a0 The Prince is me. And the princess is you.<\/p>\n<p>Utena:\u00a0 Himemiya!<\/p>\n<p>Akio:\u00a0 You needn&#8217;t be alarmed. Anthy is right over there.<\/p>\n<p>Akio:\u00a0 That ring would have led you here sooner or later.<\/p>\n<p>Akio:\u00a0 You truly have done well, coming all this distance without losing your noble heart.<\/p>\n<p>Akio:\u00a0 My judgement was sound.<\/p>\n<p>Akio:\u00a0 You&#8217;re beautiful.<\/p>\n<p>Akio:\u00a0 Bearing your noble heart all the way here&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>Akio:\u00a0 You are my true princess.<\/p>\n<p>Akio:\u00a0 Swords no longer suit you.<\/p>\n<p>Akio:\u00a0 I shall keep this sword. And from this day forward, I will protect you.<\/p>\n<p>Utena:\u00a0 And what happens then?<\/p>\n<p>Akio:\u00a0 You&#8217;ll be happy. You&#8217;ll receive eternity and we will love each other forever.<\/p>\n<p>Akio:\u00a0 And the princess will live forever and ever with the Prince in the castle.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Despite the fact that Utena has duelled every other character and defeated them, by becoming a princess, swords no longer \u201csuit\u201d her.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-801 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/files\/2024\/07\/Akio.jpg?resize=300%2C225\" alt=\"Akio holding Utena up behind her back\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" \/>The role of the princess is submission and the prince to own and look after her, as suggested in the possessive adjective \u2018my\u2019 in \u201cmy true princess\u201d, and the use of the verbs \u201ckeep\u201d and \u201cprotect\u201d. There is no such thing as royalty within the world of <em>Revolutionary Girl Utena<\/em>; everyone is part of a typical high school structure, whether a student, student council member or the chairman of the whole academy. Princes and princesses are as much a fantasy element to them as it is to us, and therefore the lesson and presentation here is that preoccupation with fairytale ideas of gender and sexuality can be dangerous. Even for Utena, the least conforming character of the series, we can see how the pressure to become a princess strips her of both autonomy and power. In representing its female characters as both subject to patriarchal powers but still strong, the show avoids the shallow, overpowered female stereotype that <a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/@RationalBadger\/a-problem-with-strong-female-characters-in-hollywood-b9d5bfe21dec\">many newer Marvel films are critiqued for portraying<\/a>. The explicit use of language to highlight the power dynamic between male and female characters makes the underlying themes of sexuality often present in sh\u014djo incredibly obvious. A final example of this comes from Anthy in Episode 37:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"601\">Episode 37: 00:07:07-00:07:33 (Extract 4)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"601\">Utena:\u00a0 I seem really feminine tonight. Akio-san said that.<\/p>\n<p>Utena:\u00a0 What does it mean to be feminine?<\/p>\n<p>Anthy:\u00a0 Girls&#8230;girls are all like the Rose Bride in the end.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>She believes that like the Rose Bride, all girls are victim to men\u2019s desires due to their relationships with them, even Utena. Of course, she can actually be freed from her fate as the Rose Bride, but she doesn\u2019t believe that anyone would and therefore views girls, or princesses, as eternal victims.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-804 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/files\/2024\/07\/the-rose-bride.jpg?resize=400%2C266\" alt=\"a picture of the Rose Bride's sanctum\" width=\"400\" height=\"266\" \/><\/p>\n<h5><em>\u201cGenerally, sh\u00f4nen manga (manga for boys) tend to linger on war, while sh\u00f4jo manga (manga for girls) cope with love and romance. Part of the success of Revolutionary Girl Utena lies in its blurring of the boundaries between these two worlds\u2014via its girl prince. This may explain why Utena so deftly exposes the structure of sexuality implicit in manga for girls.\u201d (Kotani, 2006, p.167)<\/em><\/h5>\n<p>The \u2018girl prince\u2019 is the show\u2019s ultimate subversion of this dynamic. Despite her struggles with men to try to become her prince along the way, she maintains her role as both magical girl and the prince saviour. By using her magical girl powers (\u201cthe power to revolutionise the world\u201d) to duel men, she becomes Anthy\u2019s prince and ultimately her own. Akio, in Extract 3, tries to persuade her that becoming a princess and falling in love with a prince is the right thing, repeating the adjective\/adverb \u201chappy\u201d and \u201chappily\u201d, as well as the temporal phrase \u201cforever and ever (and ever)\u201d in order to highlight its fairytale reference. In contrast, to become a true prince unlike him, she has to earn Anthy\u2019s trust and love, as well as empowering her. In the aptly name episode \u2018the Love that Blossomed in Winter\u2019, the only way to access \u201cthe power to revolutionise the world\u201d (a.k.a. to subvert Utena and Anthy\u2019s gender roles as princesses\/brides) is explained.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"601\">Episode 35: 00:02:33-00:03:13 (Extract 5)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"601\">Dios:\u00a0 The only one who can save her is a Prince she believes in.<\/p>\n<p>Dios:\u00a0 I can&#8217;t become her Prince.<\/p>\n<p>Utena:\u00a0 Then I&#8217;ll become a Prince!<\/p>\n<p>Dios:\u00a0 If you can retain that nobility even when you grow up,<\/p>\n<p>Dios:\u00a0 you may indeed be able to save her from her eternal suffering.<\/p>\n<p>Dios:\u00a0 But you will surely forget all about this night.<\/p>\n<p>Dios:\u00a0 And even if you do remember, you&#8217;re a girl.<\/p>\n<p>Dios:\u00a0 Soon you&#8217;ll become a lady.<\/p>\n<p>Utena:\u00a0 I will! I&#8217;ll become a Prince no matter what!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>In a subversion of the fairytale prince and princess roles, the passive male character, <a href=\"https:\/\/utena.fandom.com\/wiki\/Prince_Dios\">Dios<\/a>, cannot \u201cbecome her Prince\u201d, so the girl chooses to \u201cretain\u201d her masculine traits of \u201cnobility\u201d and assertiveness to fill the role instead. Of course, as Dios point out she\u2019s still a girl, but a girl who decides to undergo the revolutionary act of becoming a prince too. That is the secret of the show\u2019s hinted \u2018revolution\u2019 and what makes for such interesting gender representation. The characters\u2019 world is revolutionised by Utena\u2019s role as the girl prince; her overcoming the patriarchal pressure to conform is what canonically frees her and the woman she loves.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-807 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/files\/2024\/07\/Dios.png?resize=414%2C259\" alt=\"Dios and Utena as a child\" width=\"414\" height=\"259\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/files\/2024\/07\/Dios.png?resize=300%2C188&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/files\/2024\/07\/Dios.png?w=500&amp;ssl=1 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 414px) 100vw, 414px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1>Why Does This Matter?<\/h1>\n<p><em>Revolutionary Girl Utena<\/em> has been and continues to be hugely influential to animation internationally but is somehow rarely mentioned. From the use of typically gendered honorifics and character design to textual discussions of queerness and androgyny, the show uses language very purposefully to create a dichotomy of normative and non-conforming gender representation. With its exploration of patriarchy\u2019s effects on young women and men, it\u2019s a show almost entirely dedicated to gender. Analysing the representation of its main character allows us to see how \u2018revolutionary\u2019 its writing was for the genre. Watching newer shows such as <em>Steven Universe <\/em>and <em>She-ra and the Princesses of Power<\/em>, it\u2019s clear how the \u2018Magical Girl\u2019 genre has been shaped by the subversive gender representation in <em>Revolutionary Girl Utena<\/em> and I hope that the move away from harmful gender stereotypes that it inspired is something we continue to see in animation.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-810 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/files\/2024\/07\/Anthy.jpg?resize=385%2C289\" alt=\"Anthy stood next to Utena\" width=\"385\" height=\"289\" \/><\/p>\n<h1>References and Further Reading<\/h1>\n<p>Bailey, C. E. (2020). Prince charming by day, superheroine by night?: Subversive sexualities and gender fluidity in \u2018Revolutionary Girl Utena\u2019 and \u2018Sailor Moon\u2019. <em>Colloquy<\/em>, <em>24<\/em>, 207\u2013222. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3316\/informit.588807596575706\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3316\/informit.588807596575706<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/blush-2021-bending-the-elementary-queering-gender-and-sexuality-in-avatar-the-last-airbender-and-beyond\/\">Blush, S. (2021)<\/a>. <em>Bending the Elementary: Queering Gender and Sexuality in Avatar: The Last Airbender and Beyond<\/em> [B.A., Vassar College]. <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalwindow.vassar.edu\/senior_capstone\/1090\">https:\/\/digitalwindow.vassar.edu\/senior_capstone\/1090<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/campanelli-2019-gender-nonconformity-and-lesbianism-in-the-magical-girl-genre\/\">Campanelli, C. (2019)<\/a>. <em>Gender Nonconformity and Lesbianism in the Magical Girl Genre<\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/soar.suny.edu\/handle\/20.500.12648\/13233\">https:\/\/soar.suny.edu\/handle\/20.500.12648\/13233<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Faust, L. (Executive Producer). (2010-2020). <em>My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic <\/em>[TV Series]. Allspark Animation.<\/p>\n<p>Ikuhara, K. (Director). (1997). <em>Revolutionary Girl Utena<\/em> [TV Series]. TV Tokyo Network.<\/p>\n<p>Ikuhara, K. (Director). (1993-1994).<em> Sailor Moon R <\/em>[TV Series]. TV Asahi.<\/p>\n<p>Ikuhara, K. (Director). (1999). <em>Adolescence of Utena<\/em> [TV Series]. Toei Company.<\/p>\n<p>O&#8217;Malley, B. L. (2004-2010). <em>Scott Pilgrim<\/em>. Portland: Oni Press.<\/p>\n<p>Sugar, R. (Executive Producer). (2013-2019). <em>Steven Universe<\/em> [TV Series]. Cartoon Network Studios.<\/p>\n<p>Stevenson, N. D. (Executive Producer). (2018-2020). <em>She-ra and the Princesses of Power <\/em>[TV Series]. Dreamworks Animation.<\/p>\n<p>Terrace, D. (Executive Producer). (2020-present). <em>The Owl House <\/em>[TV Series]. Disney Television Animation Company.<\/p>\n<p>Yuyama, K., &amp; Tomiyasu, D. (Directors). (1997\u2013 Present). <em>Pok\u00e9mon<\/em> [TV Series]. TV Tokyo Network.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/zulkifli-haris-2021-brave-2012-vs-puteri-2014-the-representation-of-androgyny-characters\/\">Zulkifli, N. N., &amp; Haris, N. \u2018Anira. (2021)<\/a>. Brave (2012) vs Puteri (2014): The Representation of Androgyny Characters. International Journal of Advanced Research in Education and Society, 3(4), Article 4.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Even if you\u2019ve never heard of Revolutionary Girl Utena (Ikuhara, 1997), you\u2019ll absolutely know something that\u2019s referenced it, if not taken direct influence from it. From Steven Universe (Sugar, 2013-2019), The Owl House (Terrace, 2020-present) and She-Ra and The Princesses of Power\u00a0(Stevenson, 2018-2020), to Pok\u00e9mon (Yuyama and Tomiyasu, 1997\u2013Present), Scott Pilgrim (O&#8217;Malley, 2004-2010) and My &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/the-sapphic-90s-anime-that-inspired-steven-universe-and-she-ra-a-discourse-focused-analysis-of-revolutionary-girl-utena\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">The Sapphic 90s anime that inspired Steven Universe and She-ra: a discourse-focused analysis of Revolutionary Girl Utena<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1840,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5],"tags":[212,17,72,46,19,173,194,187,92,65,177],"class_list":["post-786","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-analysis","tag-androgynous-characters","tag-animated-tv-shows","tag-anime","tag-content-analysis","tag-critical-discourse-analysis","tag-gender-roles","tag-japanese-language-culture","tag-shojo","tag-steven-universe","tag-textual-analysis","tag-the-owl-house"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/786","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1840"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=786"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/786\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":813,"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/786\/revisions\/813"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=786"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=786"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.lancs.ac.uk\/glare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=786"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}