Saturday, July 16, 2011

Utena, Revolutionary Girl, Set 1

When she was a young girl, Utena Tenjo was visited by a handsome prince and given a special ring that he said would lead him back to her once she had grown up. Now in high school. Utena discovers that while her prince may come someday, she’ll have to fence (literally) with a lot of bad guys before she can go to him. Directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara, this anime suffers from a high rate of repetition — there are only so many ways you can show a high school fencing duel and make it interesting — but the art is strong and there are occasional flashes of brilliance (like the shadowy Greek chorus and a killer soundtrack) that keep you glued to the story. The way- too-cute animated mouse who interrupts way too may scenes, however, is annoying.

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