Original and Subtitled ©1997 B-Papas/Chiho Saito/TV Tokyo/Shonenn Iinakai
English Language ©1998 Enoki Films USA, Inc.

UTENA started off as a shoujo manga series (SHOUJO KAKUMEI UTENA) by Saito Chiho in CIAO, a Shogakukan publication. The creator and director of the anime show is the group Be-Papas, whose members include Ikuhara Kunihiko of SAILOR MOON fame. Like most anime (and especially girls' shoujo anime), its characters are beautiful, melodramatic, and most of the boys seem to have longer and more luxurious hair than the girls.
If you caught Maria M. Rider's review of UTENA's Japanese release, you know that the plot goes so far beyond bizarre that it passes right by dramatic and ends up in the vicinity of really funny. If you like outrageous melodrama this is your show!
The Ohtori Academy is your average anime school, housing lots of fabulously wealthy kids, some of whom apparently have a lot to do with the end of the world... This story reminds me of KEY, but only because it takes a few episodes to gain even a hint of what the heck is going on! RONIN had moviegoers asking, "What's in the case?" This show will have you asking, "What's Miki doing with the flipping stopwatch?"
This show is so weird it completely redeems itself from the overblown melodrama, opaque plot, and that unnerving song during the stair climbing scenes. Chu-chu the mutant mouse is both disturbing and funny, and the shadow girls alone are a must see. The show is filled with strange little idiosyncrasies like that, making it at the very least unique.
The animation is quite good and uses striking character designs and elaborate costumes. The long legs and angular faces will appeal to fans of CLAMP and the like. Even the scenery is surreal, with hanging palaces and other feats of architecture that defy physics. The sword duels are well done, despite the crushing melodrama.
Still, it must be said that the themes and story lines are a bit simple and the ritualized nature of the Student Council Elite leads to a lot of scene recycling. Only the mysterious "end of the world" plot lends any real sophistication to the show. But again, like KEY, it probably gets better as later episodes unfold and the plot is clarified.
This story may throw you for a loop, and it's definitely not for everyone, but I recommend at least a look. It's not derivative and it's not bland, I guarantee at least that! There's talk of a movie in the summer of '99, not a sequel but an independent plot (surprise, surprise), so this franchise seems to be doing something right... And if for no other reason, watch this show just to hear Fuchizaki Yuriko, who plays Anthy, the "bride" who does the ultimate sword swallowing trick. She has one of the most beautiful voices I've ever laid ears on.

Released in N. America by Software Sculptors
SSVD-6035
English Subtitled $29.99
English Dubbed $24.99
100 minutes
Now Available