# Revolutionary Girl Utena (1997)

> A chivalrous teenage girl duels the student council of a prestigious academy in pursuit of a prince's promise and the truth behind a hidden power structure.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/979

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 39
- Episode runtime: 24 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: animation, drama, fantasy
- Network: TV Tokyo
- Cast: Tomoko Kawakami, Yuriko Fuchizaki, Shigeru Shibuya, Takehito Koyasu, Takeshi Kusao, Kotono Mitsuishi, Yoko Soumi, Aya Hisakawa
- TMDB rating: 8.1/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0205410/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: labyrinthine
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: surreal, melancholic, stylized, tense, dreamlike

## What critics say

Audience reception is positive, with the series praised as a bold, symbolic coming-of-age story whose mystery and visual experimentation reward close attention.

## Synopsis

Revolutionary Girl Utena (1997) is a Japanese animated drama series created for TV Tokyo, a single-season run of 39 episodes produced by J.C.STAFF. Its protagonist, Utena Tenjou (voiced by Tomoko Kawakami), is a chivalrous teenager at the prestigious Ohtori Academy who carries a ring from a prince she once met as a child. Her quest to reach him draws her into a series of ritual duels against members of the student council, including the enigmatic Touga Kiryuu (voiced by Takehito Koyasu) and the withdrawn Anthy Himemiya (voiced by Yuriko Fuchizaki). Each duel is staged as a stylized spectacle of swords, roses and castle-like symbolism, and the episodes build an unsettling picture of hidden power within the academy. The tone shifts between dreamlike surrealism, sharp adolescent longing and melancholic unease, with a metaphysical mystery running beneath the school drama. Fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Ouran High School Host Club and Puella Magi Madoka Magica will find kinship in its symbolic style and coming of age interiority.

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