- Mangaka : Saito, Chiho
- Publisher : VIZ
- Genre : Drama, Fantasy, Romance, School, Josei
- Published : October 2020
Shoujo Kakumei Utena: After the Revolution (Revolutionary Girl Utena: After the Revolution) Introduction (No Spoilers)
Utena has successfully rescued Anthy by defeating Akio in the final duel which results in her disappearing from the world. After that event, student council members at Ohtori Academy find themselves in their own revolutions.
Contains Spoilers
Discussion Time
To old and new readers, welcome to the classic manga series called Utena. This manga has a collection of three beautiful short stories with a theme, as you have read in the introduction or the title of this article, revolutions. Just a quick warning, the stories can be a little bit trippy so don’t rush it and take your time to appreciate the beauty of its magnificent artwork, and let’s get into.
1. Artwork
Let’s start with the artwork, and wow, Chiho went all out with the characters, surroundings, building designs, text effects, and even the beta, for contrast purpose. Every element Chiho had brought to the manga brings beauty to the table and shows how much attention she shows toward her characters and the world she envisioned.
The upside-down castle falling toward us felt daunting but exhilarating. It was as if we have just entered another dimension or a world that couldn’t define logically. The European style buildings and medieval armory are closely resembled the real ones and let’s not forget the uniform worn by the characters whenever they engaged in a duel in the castle’s world because they are sleek.
2. The Story Behind Each Chapter
If you think this story solely focuses on Utena, it is but to a certain extent. Throughout all three short chapters of this manga, Utena’s primary role is to help these unique characters to face their truth and come to terms with them. It was more of accepting your past and mistakes before they could adequately move on with their lives.
After The Revolution, the first chapter of this manga is a story of Touga Kiryu, a student council president, and Kyoichi Sainonji, a student council vice president. These two handsome boys are living in a world of the art business, where they work and compete against each other to help their clients claiming art piece of their desire for profit. The story progress with both characters learned the truth behind the particular painting called Revolution.
Beautiful Thorns held so many twists that we didn’t even realize until the end. It was confusing at first whether it was related to the first chapter but not entirely as it seems. It shows the secret romance that was held by Juri Arisugawa as she was in love with Shiori ever since they have met. Juri was a world professional fencer, and she believes she was doing this because she thought of herself as Shiori’s prince and no one should be with her aside from herself, but her past competitor came back to haunt her. Will they be together in the end? We will leave that to your imagination.
The Eve of the Revolution was a bit odd. At first, we thought Miki Kaoru was fooling around during the Alumni party night because he told others he wasn’t there, to begin with until we realize that it was Kozue, Miki’s twin sister. The chapter shows the definition of two peas in a pod, which in this case, what it feels like to lose the other half as twins. Without the other half, we are not complete.
3. An Important Lesson from the Manga
Let’s not look at each chapter in separate angles, but look at the entire manga as a whole. The message the mangaka trying to convey is that we have to learn how to learn and acknowledge our past so that we can move on to the next chapter of our life for the better. In addition to that lesson, we shouldn’t forget the fact that we are not alone and there will be someone, who holds a special bond with you, reach their hands toward you and help you.
1. Don’t Rush It
We would like to recommend to readers who prefer speed reading to settle down, take some deep breathes, and enjoy the manga. What we mean is that there are a lot of elements drawn and written on each page, so there is a lot to take in. We know most of us have time for other things, but you wouldn’t want to miss the beauty of this manga and enjoy the immersion.
Final Thoughts
Shoujo Kakumei Utena: After the Revolution (Revolutionary Girl Utena: After the Revolution) is a beautiful piece of work with a bit of confusion, if you read through the pages quickly, and each chapter holds a unique meaningful message to them. The background, character, and text effects are beautiful and help us immerse into their world. The execution of the stories forms a special bond between us and the characters.
Utena is a well-known classic in the world of manga. Chiho Saito, you nailed it. If you’re reading this review about Utena and interested in experiencing the classic manga that entails the beautiful collection of three short stories, give this one a go. If you do read them, which chapter if your favorite? Comment them down below!
Author: Nobodies17
