Revolutionary Girl Utena

I know from my referrer logs that a lot of people on the Net are looking for episode-by-episode summaries of anime plots.  Well, here are some summaries for Revolutionary Girl Utena.  Please note that these summaries are my own original work, and they are subject to copyright.  You are welcome to link to them.  You are not welcome to copy them onto your own Web site.

For more information on Revolutionary Girl Utena, read the Wikipedia entry.

This is a page full of episode summaries.  Of course it'll contain spoilers.  Don't read it if you don't want to.

I've seen Utena before, but I recently bought the new re-release set, and I'm writing these as I work my way through it, posting them as I go.  New episodes will appear in the right-hand column of this page as I add them, and here are links in chronological order (some of which are broken because the relevant episodes haven't been summarized yet):

Nanami and Himemiya

At first glance, Nanami seems to exist just for comic relief.  My opinion is that she's actually much more important to the plot of Revolutionary Girl Utena than that.  Just consider that she gets eight whole episodes devoted to her (as well as appearing at least briefly in most of the others)!  Nobody else gets that, and the "Nanami episodes," even if they often seem outside the continuity of the main series, always seem to be relevant to and reflective of what's going on in the surrounding episodes.  In a whole lot of ways, Nanami is either exactly like, or exactly opposite, Himemiya Anthy.  She's like a mirror image, and we see part of the story reflected in that mirror that the storytellers couldn't show us directly with Himemiya.  Her function is a lot like that of the shadow girls.  Here's a summary of ways Nanami and Himemiya reflect each other, with many spoilers. (19 May 2006)

Episode 39: And Someday, Together, We'll Shine

Utena meets her fate. (14 May 2006)

Episode 38: End of the World

Akio tempts Utena with a fairy-tale ending, and she successfully resists him only to be betrayed, stabbed in the back at the last minute. (14 May 2006)

Episode 37: The One who Brings the World Revolution

Utena nearly loses her resolve, but makes the decision to go to the arena and claim the revolutionary power in order to save Himemiya. (14 May 2006)

Episode 36: And Thus Opens the Doorway of Night

Utena defeats Touga in what is supposed to be the final duel, then discovers Akio and Himemiya's dirty little secret. (5 May 2006)

Episode 35: The Love which Grew in Wintertime

Utena falls deeper in love with Akio, and starts to forget her silly dreams of being a prince; but her memories will not give up without a fight. (5 May 2006)

Episode 34: The Rose Crest

Flashbacks and memories explain exactly what's going on, but the viewer probably still won't understand. (4 May 2006)

Episode 33: The Prince who Runs through the Night

Himemiya pulls strings to get Utena into bed with Akio, amid flashbacks. (29 April 2006)

Episode 32: The Romance of the Dancing Girls

Akio and Touga convince Nanami to duel Utena again. (29 April 2006)

Episode 31: Her Tragedy

Nanami learns about big brothers, and does not react well. (29 April 2006)

Episode 30: The Barefoot Girl

Akio romances Utena and several other women. (29 April 2006)

Episode 29: Azure Paler than the Sky

Ruka forces Jury to duel Utena again, but maybe it's because he truly loves her. (24 April 2006)

Episode 28: Whispers in the Dark

Tsukiya Ruka returns to school after a long absence, makes Jury jealous, and with the girl Jury loves as his second, duels against Utena. (24 April 2006)

Episode 27: Nanami's Egg

Nanami lays an egg, and hilarity ensues. (24 April 2006)

Episode 26: Miki's Nest Box: The Sunlit Garden

Akio and Touga tempt Kozue and Miki to duel against Utena. (26 March 2006)

Episode 25: Their Eternal Apocalypse

Utena and Himemiya move in with Himemiya's brother Akio, who with Touga's assistence tempts Saionji to fight another duel. (26 March 2006)

Episode 24: The Secret Nanami Diary

Tsuwabuki has been keeping a secret diary that summarizes Nanami's adventures. (19 March 2006)

Episode 23: The Terms of the Duellist

Everything since Episode 14 turns out to have been a dream - or was it? (19 March 2006)

Episode 22: Nemuro Memorial Hall

In which it is revealed the secret incomprehensible origins of the Black Rose necromancers, who sold their souls to Himemiya's brother Akio, many years ago and have not aged since. (19 March 2006)

Episode 21: Vermin

Nanami's lackey Sonoda Keiko has a crush on Touga, and the Black Rose necromancers use her as a zombie Duellist. (19 March 2006)

Episode 20: Wakaba Flourishing

Wakaba is sheltering the expelled Saionji, and the Black Rose necromancers use her as a zombie Duellist. (10 March 2006)

Episode 19: A Song for a Kingdom Now Lost

Shinohara Wakaba's old flame, Kazami Tatsuya, returns to the school and gives her the courage to tell Saionji how she feels. (10 March 2006)

Episode 18: Mitsuru's Impatience

Tsuwabuki wants to be an adult, and the Black Rose necromancers use him as a zombie Duellist. (10 March 2006)

Episode 17: Thorns of Death

Jury's beloved shows up, and the Black Rose necromancers use her as a zombie Duellist. (5 March 2006)

Episode 16: Cowbell of Happiness

A magical cowbell turns Nanami into a cow, and hilarity ensues. (25 February 2006)

Episode 15: The World Seen from Kozue

Miki's sister Kozue is jealous of Himemiya, and the Black Rose necromancers use her as a zombie Duellist. (25 February 2006)

Episode 14: The Boys of the Black Rose

The necromancers of the Black Rose Circle plot to destroy Utena and Himemiya.  We learn that Himemiya has a brother, Ohtori Akio, and the Black Rose people use his fiancee Kanae as a zombie Duellist. (25 February 2006)

Episode 13: Tracing a Path

A strange man comments on the seven duels Utena has fought. (20 February 2006)

Episode 12: For Friendship, Perhaps

Utena tries to be normal, and is no good at it.  She duels Touga again, winning back Himemiya and her own self-esteem. (20 February 2006)

Episode 11: Gracefully Cruel: The One Who Picks That Flower

Utena has a picnic with her friends; then loses a duel to Touga, who takes Himemiya away to be his caged bird. (20 February 2006)

Episode 10: Nanami's Precious Thing

Nanami kills a kitten and Utena forgets Touga's birthday. (14 February 2006)

Episode 9: Castle Where Eternity Dwells

Saionji kidnaps Himemiya; Utena comes to her rescue; Touga comes to Utena's rescue, and is revealed to be her prince; Saionji wounds Touga, and is expelled. (5 February 2006)

Episode 8: Curry High Trip

Nanami tampers with the curry, Utena and Himemiya swap personalities, and hilarity ensues. (5 February 2006)

Episode 7: Unfulfilled Jury

Arisugawa Jury doesn't believe in miracles because she can't admit to being in love with the girl who stole her boyfriend. (5 February 2006)

Episode 6: Take Care, Miss Nanami!

Nanami gets involved in a sick life and death dominance and submission mind game with a disturbingly young boy, Tsuwabuki Mitsuru. (5 February 2006)

Episode 5: The Sunlit Garden Finale

Miki duels with Utena, hoping to win Himemiya and recover his sister's lost music - which only existed in his own imagination anyway. (5 February 2006)

Episode 4: The Sunlit Garden Prelude

Depressed pianist Kaoru Miki decides Himemiya is just what he needs to cheer him up.  Nanami continues to be annoying. (5 February 2006)

Episode 3: On the Night of the Ball

Utena briefly disguises herself as a girl, then rescues Himemiya from Kiryuu Nanami's creepy incestuous jealousy. (5 February 2006)

Episode 2: For Whom the Rose Smiles

Himemiya and Utena move in together, and Saionji unsuccessfully challenges Utena in an attempt to win Himemiya back. (5 February 2006)

Episode 1: The Rose Bride

Tenjou Utena wants to be a handsome prince and rescue beautiful damsels in distress, notwithstanding that she is a beautiful damsel herself.  She defeats Saionji Kyouichi in a duel, discovering too late that Himemiya Anthy is the prize. (5 February 2006)