Should I get into Revolutionary Girl Utena if I didn't like Sailor Moon?

[Chuplayer]

Yeah, that's a simple one. I really hated Sailor Moon despite liking shojo stuff, but I just saw the Utena Rose Collection at FYE for a reasonable price, 40 bucks. I haven't gotten any new anime in a while, and I need something to hold me over until the first Gundam Wing box later this month.

Is the Sailor Moon influence really felt in Utena? I know about the whole "from the director of" deal, and that's what put me off from buying it right there on the spot. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

[JackProton]

I confess I don't have much interest in magical girl shows at all and really never paid SM much attention. Just not my cup of tea you know. Having said that, I will say that Utena ranks as one of my top ten series. Ever. Its multi-layered with surprisingly deep characters and a surreal setting and sensibility. Think David Lynch does shoujo. In Utena, appearances are deceiving. The series may appear to be a magical girl show and the hero may appear to have a simple mission but don't believe it for an instant. Like David Lynch films, even the most innocent seeming scenes and characters may hide darkness and corruption. You'd be doing the show and yourself a major disservice by taking the series at face value and considering it just another magical girl show. Its so much more than that.

[ohtori_akio]

Considering how different Utena and Sailor Moon are, there's more than a millions chances that you will enjoy Utena. If you're looking at a Shoujo it resembles, you would get closer to Rose of Versailles than Sailor Moon.

I have a friend who can't stand Sailor Moon but really likes Utena. I can't actually recognise a way in which Sailor Moon resembles Utena, except maybe in its "monster of the week" beginnings. But even those are done with purpose that completely surpass the format.... You should definitely get it!

[Dragon_Shiryu]

I don't like Sailor Moon and I love Utena. They're very different, so don't worry.

[itsuka]

I don't like Sailor Moon either, and I adore Utena, so try it out. Just don't watch the movie ahead of the TV series [img]/images/graemlins/happy.gif[/img]

[LimePie]

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Chuplayer said:
Is the Sailor Moon influence really felt in Utena? I know about the whole "from the director of" deal, and that's what put me off from buying it right there on the spot.

[/ QUOTE ]

The two are very different. It's like sticking "From the director of 'Now and Then, Here and There'" on a volume of Kodocha.

[aquapermanence]

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shounen kakumei akio said:
I can't actually recognise a way in which Sailor Moon resembles Utena,

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Start with Haruka and Michiru. And Haruka's bike. And later, Haruka's car. And finally, Haruka's very nicely creased pants.

Nephrite's infiltration of the school system and his method of targeting individuals from a cavernous mansion and altering their personalities also seems somehow familiar. I also found it amusing that both his alias, Masato Sanjouin, and his first victim, Rui Saionji, share surnames with Utena characters.

Also, Queen Beryl moves her hands a lot when she talks. What they never bothered to explain in the show is that between her and her minions, there's a little screen and they're actually taking their orders in the form of a nonsensical shadow-puppet play.

[Chuplayer]

I'm going to get it tomorrow. It seems like I'd like the series a lot. Thanks to everyone who replied!

[AbeChinchilla]

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Chuplayer said:
Yeah, that's a simple one. I really hated Sailor Moon despite liking shojo stuff, but I just saw the Utena Rose Collection at FYE for a reasonable price, 40 bucks. I haven't gotten any new anime in a while, and I need something to hold me over until the first Gundam Wing box later this month.

Is the Sailor Moon influence really felt in Utena? I know about the whole "from the director of" deal, and that's what put me off from buying it right there on the spot. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

[/ QUOTE ]

Uh... just because it's "From the director of Sailor Moon" doesn't mean it's like Sailor Moon.

It is nothing like Sailor Moon.

In fact, it's not nothing like you've ever seen before...

[Chuplayer]

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AbeChinchilla said:
In fact, it's not nothing like you've ever seen before...

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You got that right.

I ignored Itsuka's suggestion on holding off on the movie until I watch the whole series first. I watched the movie first. I really wanted to watch something dubbed right away. Most of the lesbian references in dialog supposedly are stripped from the TV series's dub, and I didn't care about them being stripped from the movie's dub. That's why I chose to go with the movie first. I gotta have my hot lesbians!

<span style='color:#dddddd;background:#dddddd'>Right up until the washing machine car thing, I was really enjoying the movie. Even after that point, I enjoyed it, but it made about as much sense as the Pink Floyd The Wall movie. I found the shojo-ai/yuri/lesbian content to be to my liking. I especially liked the final scene where Utena and the Rose Bride kissed. That shot was just so beautiful [img]/images/graemlins/happy.gif[/img] I look forward to more lesbian love in the TV series. I'll definitely keep up with Utena no matter how much WTF I feel as I watch it.</span>

So, is Utena really the pinacle of shojo-ai/yuri that has been released in America? If so, I hit the jackpot, but I think after I finish Utena, I'll be disappointed that I won't find much more of it.

Thanks again to all of you who suggested Utena for me. I couldn't be happier [img]/images/graemlins/happy.gif[/img]