Revolutionary Girl Utena Movie Soundtrack

By Lauren Goodnight     April 04, 2005
Release Date: June 08, 2004



What They Say
Revolutionize your anime world with 'Utena the Movie Original Soundtrack - Adolescence of Utena ADOLESCENCE RUSH,' based on the masterfully artistic and radically symbolic theatrical film.

Just beneath the film's intricate layered plot and luscious animation lies a marvelous auricular ballet of swooping duel choruses, regal waltz tunes, delicate piano-led melodies and dramatic orchestral salvos. This 14-track CD includes two dynamic vocal tracks, 'At times, love is"" and the remixed version of 'A Round Dance - Revolution' both sung by shining J-pop star Masami Okui (Slayers, Blue Seed, Sorceror Hunters).

The Review!
There is very little to say about Utena that hasn't been said before. This particular release retains many of the familiar elements of the Utena music that fans have come to know and love from the series, such as the rousing and vaguely grating choral numbers that signal important duels between main characters. Rather than bunch these up at the end of the album, like the TV soundtracks do, they are sparingly peppered throughout. Actually, when I listened to this on the go, I was reminded of the flow of the film itself, which is something the TV soundtracks for the Utena franchise could not maintain. One thing that both impressed and depressed me is that several of the pieces are re-orchestrated versions of the TV show's seminal songs. The production values are stunningly high, breathing new life into the songs that graced a very long series over and over again. And yet, I crave original music, not another version of Miki's piano music and the Mokushiroku song. Still, both the presentation and the production on this release are so high that I cannot fault the composer's need to use music as a bridge between the film and television Ohtori Academy. Standout track: Akio's Waltz ~ Video Recollection: Call me a sucker for a waltz, because its 100% true. Beautiful and simple, this track transports the listener to a modern recreation of days gone by.

Skip-it track: A Round Dance - Revolution ~ Adolescence Rush: This feels terribly overproduced and strips the TV show's OP of any character it had left after all these years.
Where I took it: Grading papers, walking around on warm days
Where it took me: Soft, sunny, and utterly familiar places with manners still intact. Its like coming home to a fantastic world.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Features
Rose is rain - Rose Egg Rebirth Record,Scarlet group's dance - Reunion,The Rose Signet - Sky Garden's Bride,Duelist - Resurrection! Never-ending history of the Middle Ages,Illusion - Malice's Pupa,Belladonna's snare,At times love is,Akio's Waltz - Video Recollection,Naked Rose - Carnage - Constellations Alpha Psi Zeta Galaxy ,Abraxas - The Sunlit Garden,The Revelation of Absolute Destiny - Adolescence of Utena,Decisive Battle ~ Bezelbub’s Royal Castle,A Round Dance - Revolution ~ Adolescence Rush,I want to be your fiancée - symphonic instrumental -

Review Equipment
Vocals by Tokyo Mixed Chorus • Suginami Children’s Chorus • Maki Kamiya

Vocals by Tokyo Mixed Chorus • Kunihiko Ikuhara • Hideto Amari

Vocals by Masami Okui

BGM by Shinkichi Mitsumune


PRODUCTION & CREDITS


MOVIE STAFF

Production: Toshimichi Ohtsuki

Planning • Original: B-papas

Original concept • Director: Kunihiko Ikuhara

Original concept • Comics: Chiho Saito

(Published in “Betsusatsu Shoujo Comic Special”, Shogakukan)

Producers: Yuji Matsukura, Atsushi Moriyama

Scenario: Youji Enokido

Executive Producers: Shinkichi Kaneko, Toru Takahashi, Katsushi Oumi

Character Design: Shinya Hasegawa

Mechanical Design: Hiroshi Nagahama

Creative Supervisors: Akemi Hayashi, Nobuyuki Takenouchi, Shinya Hasegawa

Art Director: Shichiro Kobayashi

Color Coordinator: Kunio Kunio

Color Planning: Mayumi Misehashi

Cinematography Supervisor: Toyomitsu Nakajyo

Editing: Shigeru Nishiyama (Tabakku)

Developing: Tokyo Development

Sound Director: Hideyuki Tanaka

Sound Effect: Tsugunari Okuda (Suwara Pro)

Recording Coordination: Yoshio Kohara

Recording Studio: Tabakku

Dubbing Studio: Tokyo TV Center

Casting Cooperation: Masahiko Takahashi

Production in charge: Jun Kato

Music: Shinkichi Mitsumune

Original Chorus Music Composition: J. A. Seazer

Theme Song: Masami Okui

Ending Theme: Mitsuhiro Oikawa (Toshiba EMI)

Animation Production: J.C. STAFF

Production Cooperation: Gandhi

Produced by Revolutionary Girls Committee

Distribution by Toei


MOVIE CAST

Utena Tenjou: Tomoko Kawakami

Anthy Himemiya: Yuriko Fuchizaki

Touga Kiryuu: Takehito Koyasu

Juri Arisugawa: Kotono Mitsuishi

Miki Kaoru: Aya Hisakawa

Kyoichi Saionji: Takeshi Kusao

Shiori Takatsuki: Kumiko Nishihara

Kozue Kaoru: Chieko Honda

Wakaba Shinohara: Yuka Imai

Nanami Kiryuu: Yuri Shiratori

Shadow Girl F-ko: Satomi Kohrogi

Shadow Girl C-ko: Kumiko Watanabe

Operator: Yumiko Nakanishi

Operator: Emiko Fuku

Man A: Masaya Hashimoto

Man B: Shouki Nakai

Akio Ohtori: Mitsuhiro Oikawa

(special appearance)


US STAFF

Executive Producer: Henry Goto

[GENEON ENTERTAINMENT (USA) INC.]

Producer: Nobu Yamamoto

[GENEON ENTERTAINMENT (USA) INC.]

Associate Producer : Michiko Powers

[GENEON ENTERTAINMENT (USA) INC.]

Mastering: Mack • Nightjar

English Packaging: KGI