Carousels - Revolutionary Girl Utena Meta
Dec. 20th, 2018 01:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wolffyluna(cross posted from tumblr)
One of the things I love about Utena is that there’s so much symbolism, and apparently the author is of the opinion that all intepretations are correct.
And thus, below the cut is me rambling about the symbolism of that carousel in episode 39
They’re not for adults, and it’s notable that Akio (in the form of Prince Dios) is riding one in that scene. For me, this ties into how I think Utena left and why Akio can’t. Utena matured, and Akio didn’t. I mean, how else would you leave a freaky bildungsroman allegory high school? By maturing. And Akio isn’t very a mature, as much as he’d like people to think he is. For one, completely giving up on any ideals because you can not save literally everyone all the time is not mature. And he seems also really bad at socially dealing with peers? Which isn’t mature either.
And he’s riding this carousel as memory!Dios, which feels like it’s trying to say that the ideal of memory!Dios is for children.
Which leads onto my next point–
2. Carousels are fake
Or rather, they’re not real white horses. They’re illusions of horses.
Tying into Dios’ ideals being for children, that scene is saying that they are as real as Dios’ white horse: not at all. They are facsimiles/ illusions for children.
3. Carousels go in circles
This doesn’t relate to the above two points. (IMO, the first two aren’t easily separable.)
One of the things about the duels etc is the slight of hand going on with the word ‘revolution.’ ‘Revolution’ can mean ‘a complete change, a new order’ or it can mean ‘going in a circle.’ The system of duels is heavily implied to be circular, with Akio cultivating duelists, getting the heart sword from the best, and failing to free Anthy, and doing it all over.
Akio’s plan is as revolutionary as a carousel, going round and round and round.
One of the things I love about Utena is that there’s so much symbolism, and apparently the author is of the opinion that all intepretations are correct.
And thus, below the cut is me rambling about the symbolism of that carousel in episode 39
I can think of three symbolic notable things/meanings(?) of the carousel that Akio rides.
1. Carousels are for childrenThey’re not for adults, and it’s notable that Akio (in the form of Prince Dios) is riding one in that scene. For me, this ties into how I think Utena left and why Akio can’t. Utena matured, and Akio didn’t. I mean, how else would you leave a freaky bildungsroman allegory high school? By maturing. And Akio isn’t very a mature, as much as he’d like people to think he is. For one, completely giving up on any ideals because you can not save literally everyone all the time is not mature. And he seems also really bad at socially dealing with peers? Which isn’t mature either.
And he’s riding this carousel as memory!Dios, which feels like it’s trying to say that the ideal of memory!Dios is for children.
Which leads onto my next point–
2. Carousels are fake
Or rather, they’re not real white horses. They’re illusions of horses.
Tying into Dios’ ideals being for children, that scene is saying that they are as real as Dios’ white horse: not at all. They are facsimiles/ illusions for children.
3. Carousels go in circles
This doesn’t relate to the above two points. (IMO, the first two aren’t easily separable.)
One of the things about the duels etc is the slight of hand going on with the word ‘revolution.’ ‘Revolution’ can mean ‘a complete change, a new order’ or it can mean ‘going in a circle.’ The system of duels is heavily implied to be circular, with Akio cultivating duelists, getting the heart sword from the best, and failing to free Anthy, and doing it all over.
Akio’s plan is as revolutionary as a carousel, going round and round and round.
