I hope everyone enjoys their three episodes today!
@heyboots wanted to play D&D so I got distracted. As we delve into these episodes I feel like I need to have a special segment to explain certain things to people who might not be so familiar with anime and Japanese cultural mannerisms as they are depicted in anime. So here’s the first of such segments which I’m tentatively entitling:
Somebody Get ChorpSaway Because Everything I Know About Japan I Learned From Anime
(Or SGCBEIKAJILFA)
WTF is Boku?
If you listen to Utena’s dialog in Japanese you’ll hear her saying boku. Boku is a way of referring to yourself. No other female character in this anime says boku, they say atashi. But male characters say boku. So Utena uses a more masculine form of speech to refer to herself. It’s a thing.
What’s Up With Wakaba
Close boisterous relationships like the one depicted in RGU between Wakaba and Utena are common among Japanese girls in Japan. Though the dynamic is hugely exaggerated in anime. Wakaba and Utena have probably been friends and classmates since elementary school. The way Utena goes along with this suggests it’s been the norm for a long time. There are like all girl schools and if anime is any reflection on this dynamic then this kind of thing is pretty common. Supposedly, girls often get in relationships with other girls to be pure for boys or something and they’re expected to put aside their relationships with girls once they find the right guy but someone please tell me this is a racist lie because yikes. Regardless, talking about being in love and declaring someone your one true love might not be that big of an exaggeration.
Honorifics
I am not an expert on Japanese culture but Japan has this thing with honorifics which some people can actually take pretty seriously. Like, according to anime, you can really insult or offend someone if you use the wrong honorific. Of course, kids being kids there’s like this counter culture about making a joke out of them being ironic/sarcastic. Or even mean/disrespectful with them. We’ll come back to this, for now, what you need to know is that the most common honorific (in anime) are:
-San
-Chan
-Kun
-Senpai
-Kohai
-Sama
And the honorific you use with someone reflects your relationship/closeness with them. According to anime, just calling someone their first name is like, extremely close. And if you have cutesy nicknames for each other you may as well just get married already.
Back to what I was talking about before about sarcasm/jokes: Only the most arrogant, self-righteous, shithead would demand or require anyone to refer to them as [name]-Sama or be pleased at someone sincerely calling them Sama because Sama is what a servant calls a lord. So all the fangirls calling Utena Utena-sama are doing it tongue-in-cheek, it’s a term of endearment and respect but they’re not serious. It’s a joke. But Anthy fucking means it. So Utena is just like, please no.
An example: I like @Fefnir a lot so if they called me Jenner-Senpai (because I know I’m older than you Fefnir) I’d be like, yeah fine whatever because IDGAF. But I really like Fefnir and have mad respect for them. So were I more uptight Fefnir calling me Jenner-Senpai might hurt my feelings because I think we’re close enough that they could just call me Jenner-Chan or, gasp, even Jenner. (
Fefnir.)
Hope that helps!
Last Names, First Names
Calling someone by their last name is pretty much the standard, most formal and respectful way to go. So Utena calling Anthy Himemiya just Himemiya is informal but formal. It’s interesting.
And that ends this segment of SGCBEIKAJILFA.
Spoilers time:
Episode 4: Everything is a Metaphor
Whoever translated “Taihen ne” as “Sucks to be you” is my hero.
Times Anthy has been slapped: 5
Miki status: “Nice guy”
Miki listens to Creep and totally relates.
Miki: “Happiness can be close by…”
Juri: ::changes the subject::
I see you Juri.
Miki: “I’m not going to fight a duel with you.”
Also Miki: ::Fights a duel with Utena.::
Dear Shadow Puppet Girls, if the person you’re dating can’t humor the fact that you like pro wrestling and eat a lot then dump that chump.
WHY DID YOU BRING NANAMI?!
Is a snail in her pencil box an innuendo for something?
Is a snake in her desk drawer an innuendo for something?
Is there being a mongoose in her desk a metaphor for anything? (I have my theories.)
Geeze Nanami, you’d think she’d learn after the first two tries. Nanami you can’t shame a weirdo for being a weirdo among other weirdos.
I like how Nanami gets increasingly unhinged and disheveled as her plots are foiled again and again. Nanami getting outpranked by the demure waifu. Owned.
Please tell me an octopus in her closet is innuendo for something.
Oh no, tentacles in an anime created in the late 90s. ::braces herself.::
Oh. That was completely tame. Good job, RGU!
Oh my gosh she made a little cartoon in her book that’s so precious. Friends this is probably the first time in a very long time she’s been able to laugh and enjoy herself and just goof around. These smiles are probably her first genuine smiles, this laughter her first genuine laughter in so damn long. This may be the first time she’s enjoyed herself in… I don’t want to think about it.
Whoops I made the cute thing sad. #JennerRuinsEverything
Dear God, please let that octopus kill Chu-Chu.
Shaved ice is really good.
LMAO Anthy just noped the fuck out of that awkward as hell conversation.
Damn it, Chu-Chu survived. #LetChu-ChuDie
Miki stop.
Miki: I found it, my “shining thing”.
Me:
Episode 5: Miki Stop.
Miki: ::Aggressively obsessing on Anthy.::
Anthy: ::Awkward smile::
Me: 
Miki stop.
Oh for fucks sake Miki, it’s not your fault you got sick and your family is assholes.
Oh gee Utena just fucking come out and say it, nice.
Utena: This is ridiculous. “I’ll can’t forgive a system that deprives someone of their personal freedom.”
Friends, I think Utena’s finally got it. I think she’s finally figured it out. She has learned a very important lesson this episode. Miki’s totally taking notes by the way.
Looks like Miki learned an important lesson too.
Oh man, Miki, Touga fucked your sister. Rude.
Uh… he called him cute. …he’s flirting with him. Okay people, new theory, there is nothing and no one Touga will not try to fuck.
How to not be the worst in Revolutionary Girl Utena:
- Don’t abuse the Rose Bride.
- Don’t listen to Touga.
MIKI YOU ARE PROJECTING AND FETISHIZING, PLEASE STOP.
Utena’s expression as he holds the rose out to her, lol.
Utena, internally: “Are you fucking serious right now?”
LMAO, the shadow girls rule.
Utena, internally: Goddamnit Miki. You imbecile. You fucking moron.
Utena, internally: I’m going to knock these idiot ideas out of your motherfucking head, Miki!
Oh my fucking God, Miki. :facepalm:
He thinks she wants him to rescue her. Fucking White Knight.
No she’s not.
AHAHAHA 
HIS FUCKING FACE WHEN ANTHY CHEERS FOR UTENA!
“If you look closely you can actually pinpoint the exact moment his heart breaks in two.”
HAHAHAHA, FUCKING OWNED.
Utena smashing the patriarchy in real time today.
Oh my fucking god. My friends, it happened: ANTHY DIDN’T GET SLAPPED A SINGLE TIME THIS EPISODE!
A Very Special Episode.
Episode 6: Just Skip This One.
Please don’t do anything about Nanami’s concerns. #LetNanamiDie
Like, normally I’d frown at victim blaming but no. You know Nanami has made some enemies with her bullshit.
“Even if you are the student council president, you can’t just kill your own sister!” Lol what?
Oh no.
Oh no.
No.
OH MY GOD! UNDER A TREE TOO?!
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Friends, remind me to talk about Tokimeki Memorial.
Incest too?! Auuugh. Okay, you have my permission to just bail on this episode.
Lol Saionji is back and still hung up on Anthy.
LOL HE WROTE A FANFIC.
Utena: “Nobody asked you.”
Lolololol GET DUNKED ON.
Aaaaaaaa, I can’t believe fucking Saionji saved this episode. Hahaha.
Did that child just kill a man.
Utena and this kid have a lot in common. I’m not sure how I feel about this.
Okay they don’t have everything in common. (This is a good thing.)
Where did his boxing gloves come from?!
…Okay I don’t even know what’s going on any more.
Touga?!
…
No Utena, he is garbage.
PS, Anthy didn’t get slapped this episode either.
There we go! See everyone on Monday! (I really need to be better about this.)