Utena - Sailor Moon

By the magic of perseverance, I watched all 200 episodes of the 1990s Sailor Moon, plus the three movies and a few appendages. I can’t recommend it. The creative enemies and ridiculous attack names are not enough to make up for long tedious stretches of monster-of-the-week with predictable fights. The world is made up of vague elements like “darkness” and “energy”, and the various powers have whatever relative strength the plot calls for at the moment, with no underlying rationale. And, forgive the nitpick, it bothered me that Jupiter was counted as an inner planet.
Stay away from the Sailors. Wherever they go, danger appears.

Ikuhara (Wikipedia) directed large parts of Sailor Moon (Anime News Network Encyclopedia) before Utena. It would be astonishing if there were no influence. Sure enough, Utena can be read as a direct answer to Sailor Moon. As I understand it, Sailor Moon was a progressive step in the magical girl genre, the first to give its protagonist a fighting role rather than a purely traditional female role. Utena carries that over and replies, “Oh, such a small step? What about the rest of the way?” Like The Rose of Versailles, it’s a work that was progressive for its time and is already out of date. Really now, “moon prism power make up”?

Sailor Moon’s message of working together to solve problems, aka defeat evil, is the same as Utena’s, depicted in a different context. Utena also equates solving problems with defeating evil. They share the same conventional, anime-standard thematic kernel of individuality plus teamwork as the ideal. And the same conventional structure of working up through a series of fights to a big fight at the end.

Did years of work on anime for a younger audience distort Ikuhara’s sense of anime humor? Is that why Utena’s comedy episodes contrast so jarringly with the serious episodes?

A question about the story. The villains have various teleportation powers, which they use easily and frequently. The Sailor senshi can teleport as a group, but it’s cumbersome (and destroys the pavement). How did the bad guys ever lose?

Magical girls. I read that Sailor Moon introduced the magical girl transformation sequence. Anthy’s transformation of Utena in the dueling arena is a magical girl transformation sequence. Utena’s transformation is not intrinsic to Utena but to Utena and Anthy as a pair, because the two are aspects of a whole. Anthy’s role in the transformation visually refers to Sailor Moon’s transformation (below). On the one hand, the transformation points out that Utena has the power of miracles, a kind of magic that acts for good. On the other hand, later we realize that the transformation is mediated by the planetarium projector, evil magic controlled by Akio and used by Anthy. Evil and the idealistic reaction to evil, or idealism and the evil reaction to idealism, are aspects of a whole—from an abstract point of view, the same whole.

And why not? Utena is fighting for love and justice, right? Well, justice as she sees it.

In the Apocalypse Saga, the rose Anthy sequence before a duel can be Anthy’s transformation sequence.

Chu-Chu can be the magical girl mascot animal, which I imagine developed from the witch’s familiar. Chu-Chu corresponds to Sailor Moon’s cat Luna... loosely. Usagi at first calls Luna her friend, and Anthy calls Chu-Chu her friend. Chu-Chu does not introduce Utena to her powers or act as a mentor, which are conventional magical mascot functions. From a story point of view, Chu-Chu is mainly an authorial convenience and a way to make the show richer, a character who can quietly update the audience and stay out of the way of other action. See Chu-Chu’s arc for my take on Chu-Chu’s true nature, which is not obvious on the surface.

Color coding. The sailor senshi are color-coded in a way that ties in with the Japanese names for the planets, which are derived from the Chinese five elements (Wuxing, Wikipedia). The color-coded hero team, and other points like the transformations, come from Sentai shows (Wikipedia). Utena characters do not make up a hero team, but they are color-coded as part of its thorough color symbolism. It is probably not a coincidence that both Sailor Moon and Utena are pink and associated with white (Princess Serenity wears white).

The opening sequence of Sailor Moon R shows the color coding, though only Sailor Moon is on the screen.
Sailor Moon R opening

Clockwise from the top:

VenusyellowYellow gold. Venus is the metal planet, and its name is includes the character for gold.
MarsredThe color of Mars and of fire. Mars is the fire planet.
MoonpinkHer white costume is formed of pink ribbons. The moon is not named after an element.
MercuryblueBlue water. Mercury is the water planet.
JupitergreenGreen plants. Jupiter is the wood planet.

Nail polish. In Sailor Moon, nail polish is standard. Nail polish gets fancy animation in transformations. In Utena, nobody wears nail polish. How curious!

Small stuff: The sailor senshi are “chosen”, like Utena’s duelists. Tuxedo Mask’s cape is lined with red like Dios’s. A theme of Sailor Moon is controlling people through their romantic desires—not a big difference from sexual desires. Utena’s astronomy references might be inspired by Sailor Moon. The color purple is associated with evil. Plants are evil surprisingly often (compare Anthy watering her roses). In episode 30, Wakaba tells Utena “If you’re so uptight—” and the scene cuts to a teacher saying “you’ll never fall in love.” It echoes an event in Sailor Moon episode 2, where Chiba Mamoru (still a stranger) tells Usagi that she’ll never get a boyfriend that way. Is it a genre trope that I don’t know, or is it a direct reference? The locket in episode 42 reminds me of Juri’s locket, both in its meaning and its effect when destroyed. Saionji’s “I’ve got you!” in the episode 25 duel is from Sailor Moon episode 139; see Saionji’s television world.

The two series share genre elements that in Sailor Moon are atmospheric background, and in Utena are made meaningful. In the first couple episodes are flower beds, girls’ clothing with lots of bows and whatnot, and an exchange diary. There are thematic connections too. Rings worn on the ring finger like engagement rings are used to exploit people. Separately, Utena’s ring is a gift that comes with hidden obligations—it is a contract with Akio and entices her into duels. Usagi is given a compact that she is pleased with, and at first she is not told that it comes with the obligation to fight evil as Sailor Moon. Both gifts turn out to lead to good outcomes.

characters

Sailor Moon at the culmination of her “I’ll punish you” routine.
Sailor Moon episode 1, hair heart
Episode 1, Anthy is surprised at Utena’s selflessness.
Episode 1, Anthy’s hair
The back of Sailor Moon’s head, showing her wisps of hair behind the neck.
SuperS movie, hair wisps
Sailor Moon transformation in Sailor Moon R.
Sailor Moon R, transformation
Episode 1, Anthy is surprised at Utena’s selflessness.
Episode 1, Anthy ejects a sword

Hair hearts. Sailor Moon’s hair displays a thematic heart shape front and center, closed at the point by the jewel in her tiara. Her red-jewel hair buns can be the lobes of a larger heart shape. Anthy’s hair makes a heart closed by her bindi (Wikipedia), and the rolls of hair at the sides align with Sailor Moon’s buns. Both have a pair of hair wisps at the back of the neck; see character designs - hair wisps. Imagery of Anthy manifesting the Sword of Dios visually references Sailor Moon’s transformation sequence in Sailor Moon R starting in episode 51. Both are princesses. Both are bad at schoolwork. Sailor Moon/Usagi is a glutton, and Chu-Chu’s gluttony reflects on Anthy. It’s a surprising connection between characters that seem poles apart, hero and victim. It suggests that Anthy is a hero in her own way, a survivor who wins through in the end; after all, she and Utena are parts of a whole. And it points out that Anthy is ultimately driven by love. Her love of Dios was key in forcing her into the psychological trap she is in (in the origin myth), and her love of Utena is key in her escaping it. Anthy’s purple hair means that her heart is corrupted. Sailor Moon’s name is Tsukino Usagi, which flat out means moon rabbit—she is The Rabbit in the Moon. Tying Anthy to Sailor Moon makes Anthy the Rabbit in the Moon too.

To an American, a purple heart (Wikipedia) could mean she was wounded in combat, which seems sort of appropriate but is probably not intended.

Utena has her own parallels with Sailor Moon: Both are heroes low in insight who often stray from good action but believe in themselves and do the right thing when it most matters. And Utena is independently tied to the Rabbit in the Moon—see the constellation Lepus the rabbit.

Lilica the vampire, with purple hair and purple eyes, with earrings resembling Anthy’s.
SuperS special, Lilica

Anthy resembles Lilica from the SuperS special episode. Lilica has purple hair with a central part, and teardrop earrings that are like Anthy’s princess earrings. She is innocent at heart, but is possessed by a malevolent vampire. It fits Anthy.

SuperS is the season that Utena draws thematic structure from. That makes me more confident that Anthy’s design is a meaningful reference to Lilica. It’s another clue that Anthy becomes good when she leaves the Academy.

Miki draws from Mizuno Ami, Sailor Mercury. Both are academically superhuman, short-haired, short in stature, and associated with the color blue. Sailor Mercury’s blue is specifically the blue of water; in Japanese, Mercury is the water planet. Miki’s blue means naive acceptance of illusions. Sailor Mercury’s water powers are related to obscuration and illusion; the complex of blue = water = illusions matches Utena. Both have a sense of justice and are slightly shy. Miki’s androgynous character design helps make the connection, and it connects Miki with Kozue. Ami’s earrings (standard in Sailor Moon) match the earrings worn by Kozue. Miki corresponds to the mythological Hermaphroditus. Miki lacks the aggression of most male Utena characters and has to be manipulated into fighting for Anthy. In episode 5, Juri tells Miki that his sword is not for battle. Her character is about knowledge and information, and her powers are initially about denying information to the side of evil (though during Sailor Moon R she gains attacks as well).

Nikita Chestnov wrote to me to mention that Miki and Mizuno Ami are played by the same voice actor, Hisakawa Aya. I have to imagine that the audience is meant to notice that! But it went over my head. It makes Miki’s gendermixed nature unmistakable, which ties him to gendermixed Utena. In other words, not only Utena + Anthy = Kozue + Miki holds, but Utena + Anthy = Miki + Kozue as well.

Nephrite leaps over a tall fence from ground level, doing a flip with hands in pockets. loading=
Sailor Moon episode 14, Nephrite
Akio does a flip over his car’s windshield.
Episode 25, Akio over windshield
Nephrite’s epaulets resemble fried eggs with red yolks.
Episode 24, Nephrite’s epaulets
Nanako, a little girl with odd ribbons in her hair.
Episode 152, Nanako

Utena draws from Tenou Haruka, Sailor Uranus. Their names are similar, and both refer to the sky: Tenjou (天上) heaven above, Tenou (天王) king of heaven (Uranus (Wikipedia) is god of the sky). Both are heroes. Both excel at all sports. Both mix male and female aspects. Both have a close relationship with another woman. Haruka is the wind, which in Utena is associated with the prince and therefore with Utena.

Utena shares traits with Kino Makoto, Sailor Jupiter. Both are seen as boyish because they are tall and strong, and both are good at fighting. Both avoid wearing the school’s uniform. Both are gendermixed: Kino Makoto likes traditional female things like cooking, and aspires to be a florist and cake shop proprietor (apparently one shop with both) in a happy marriage. She seems to show romantic or sexual interest in another girl in episodes 31 and 96, at least. She wears rose earrings that might be related to the earrings Touga gives to Utena. In the Sailor Moon R movie, she wears green shorts that might have inspired Utena’s red shorts.

Akio draws from the villain Nephrite, introduced in episode 14. He guides himself by the stars, he drives a red sports car, women fall for him on sight (and he makes use of it), and he leaps over a fence with a flip similarly to how Akio leaps over his car’s windshield. Nephrite is cooler, though: He does the flip with his hands in his pockets.

Nephrite’s home base, where he chooses his targets according to the stars, looks somewhat like Utena’s church, with a cathedral-like air and similar stained glass windows.

In episode 21, Nephrite calls on his monsters Castor and Pollux, whose strength is the teamwork that arises from their friendship. They are defeated when their friendship and teamwork fail. Utena draws directly on that meaning of friendship and working together—and their breakdown. See Castor and Pollux and the episode 25 shadow play.

Nephrite’s epaulets look like fried eggs. He has hot shoulders. They are curiously similar to Utena’s dome-and-tassel epaulets. The asymmetrical military-esque uniform with the cylindrical collar is broadly in the same tradition as Utena uniforms.

Wakaba draws from Nanako, starry-eyed guest character of episode 152 in Sailor Moon SuperS. Nanako sees her own dreams as impossible and follows other people’s dreams instead. The lesson of the episode is that that’s a poor idea. Wakaba sees her dream of Saionji as impossible, and follows Utena instead, wanting to be special like Utena. Her feeling could be: Maybe if she is special she will deserve Saionji. Wakaba borrows Nanako’s hair color and forehead curl. And shows starry-eyed behavior.

events

The ends of Usagi’s twintails are visible after she has passed by an ad for the Sailor V video game.
Sailor Moon episode 1, Usagi’s hair
Utena’s hair following behind her in episode 1.
Episode 1, Utena’s hair

A meaningful reference. Usagi passes by an advertisement for the Sailor V video game, and her hair trails behind her. It foretells her future. She is destined to become the hero Sailor Moon, but she coincidentally meets Luna and at first is pushed unwillingly into the role.

Utena charges Saionji with her stub of a bamboo sword. Her hair trails beautifully behind her. Utena will become a hero. She seems to coincidentally fall into the dueling game, but behind the scenes Anthy manipulated her into it—she was pushed into the role. The aspects line up fairly neatly. Utena gets more mileage out of the image than Sailor Moon.

Trailing hair shots are not rare in Sailor Moon, and I’ve seen them regularly in more recent anime. I feel they’re a kind of punctuation as a long-haired character leaves the frame. That is not how Utena uses it, so it’s another trope subversion.
The camera looks out a window at night. Some stars are picked out, sparkling brighter.
Sailor Moon, episode 13
Bright stars seem to sparkle in the night sky. The castle in the sky is about to fade in.
episode 36, sparkling stars

Another meaningful reference. Usagi looks out the window at night, and some stars sparkle brighter. Then she picks out constellations, including imaginary ones. In Utena episode 36, Utena and Touga arrive at the arena and some stars sparkle brighter, then the imaginary castle in the sky appears.

It is the episode when the Sailors defeat the first mid-level enemy, Jadeite. Jadeite’s evil boss Queen Beryl gives him one last chance. In the fight he is forced to flee, and Queen Beryl disposes of him. In Utena, it is the night with Touga. The evil boss Akio (via Anthy) gives Touga one last chance to gain Utena. But to spend the night with her, Touga must promise it is the last time, and Utena enforces it—as Akio planned, she finally defeats her first mid-level enemy. Akio sidelines him.

A lighthouse divides the new Sailor Venus from the established sailor senshi.
Sailor Moon episode 33, lighthouse

This lighthouse resembles Akio’s tower, which also projects light. The tower visually divides the newly-introduced Sailor Venus from the four established sailor senshi. Compare the obelisk in episode 2 of Utena. In general, I felt that this Sailor Moon episode made heavy use of visual framing devices of the kind that Utena likes. And, well, it’s episode 33. The episode number alone may have earned this Sailor Moon episode extra attention from the Utena crew. (The Rose of Versailles episode 33 definitely got extra attention.)

In the following episode 34, Sailor Moon’s tear of love and compassion activates the MacGuffin and undoes a tremendous amount of work by the bad guys. She awakens as the moon princess. It’s the model of Utena’s tear in episode 39 that opens the Rose Gate and undoes a tremendous amount of work by Akio. Utena soon awakens in the Buddhist sense. Having become Princess Serenity, Usagi wears shoulder puffs that remind me of Utena’s puffy shoulders, especially little prince Utena.

View from the palace on the moon.
Sailor Moon episode 35, palace

I see a lot of similarities in this run of Sailor Moon episodes. On the right is a view from the palace on the moon, Silver Millenium. The Earth is reflected in the water and seems afflicted by a dark cloud representing the threat of the Dark Kingdom. The pillars remind me of the pillars in Utena’s architecture, and the crenelations are like those at the edge of the dueling arena. The Academy is a fantasy palace on the moon, which Akio rules as a dark kingdom.

Sailor Moon has collapsed. Mercury supports her while Venus checks her.
Sailor Moon episode 34, helping Usagi
Anthy helps Utena walk after her injury, holding one hand on Utena’s boob.
Episode 30, helping Utena

Is there a connection between these two pictures of supporting the fallen? Mercury is holding Usagi up, but only with one hand.

The characters cast three-point and four-point shadows.
Sailor Moon episode 34, shadows
The characters cast unrealistic three-point shadows.
Episode 25, dueling arena

This I read as visual influence. Imaginary spotlights cast unreal dark pointy shadows. Both have diagonal compositions across the frame, with a prominent triangle in the middle. Both emphasize the person at the top vertex of the triangle. There is a reference in the Utena image, but it is to Nadia (three versus four points), not to Sailor Moon.

Spotlight shadows are a motif of Sailor Moon. I notice them in episodes 54 and 154. They seem to be associated with apartness, including the apartness of loneliness and the apartness of being special.

View from the palace on the moon.
Sailor Moon episode 35
Dios and Utena dance.
Ending sequence, Dios and Utena

A meaningful reference. Usagi/Princess Serenity is equated with princess Utena, and Tuxedo Mask/Prince Endymion (Wikipedia) with Dios. In both, wind blows in two directions at once. Sailor Moon depicts an idealized relationship, an ancient true love unbroken by minor setbacks like reincarnation with loss of memories. Keyword “eternity”. I think Utena reverses the characters’ positions to reverse the meaning. Utena loves Dios due to trickery by Akio; Dios is not real when little Utena meets him, he is played by Akio. The aspect that is ancient and true is that Akio controls and exploits Utena, as he does all women.

After this, Tuxedo Mask/Endymion is corrupted to the side of evil (temporarily). Compare Dios and Akio. Utena becomes corrupted too. When evil, Tuxedo Mask’s red rose turns black.

The ice rink shutters slamming closed in episode 39 reminded me of the shutters of Akio’s tower. The ice rink was a trap intended for Sailor Moon, so it’s a meaningful reference. Akio’s phallic tower, which is equated with the dueling arena, is a trap for Utena. She does not escape the duels until she has fought all of them.

Sailor Venus’s face as she is under attack by a butterfly monster.
Sailor Moon episode 42, Sailor Venus
Nanami’s face when in Akio’s arms. She is lost in admiration.
Episode 31, Akio rescues Nanami

The images are for very different events, but they look so similar that I doubt it is a coincidence. Sailor Venus is under attack by a butterfly monster. She is trapped and in pain. Nanami is in Akio’s arms, just saved from falling down the stairs. She is lost in admiration. Both have narrowed, glassy eyes with oversize reflections.

Akio’s rescue is an attack on Nanami; he engineered her danger through Anthy. Nanami faces left for delusion. Venus’s butterfly monster took over her dear friend, a woman who is in a relationship with the man Venus loves. It seems to be about Nanami’s jealousy. Sailor Venus soon comes to terms with it. Akio is isolating Nanami and setting up her duel with Utena. Nanami is trapped and will suffer for it.

Queen Serenity lies on a cross made of fallen beams from her palace.
Sailor Moon episode 44, Queen Serenity
Akio flourishes Utena’s sword. A four-pointed shadow is centered on them.
Episode 38, Akio and Utena

Utena, the first season of Sailor Moon, and Sailor Moon S all associate climactic tragic moments with the crucifixion of Jesus, though they don’t take details literally. The tragedies are followed by rebirth, like the resurrection of Christ. This is the point at which it makes sense to equate the Fenghuang bird with the Western phoenix.

Queen Serenity dies on a cross formed by the fallen columns of her palace. In Sailor Moon S, Hotaru is shown bound to a cross. Akio turns Utena into a princess (murdering the prince) on a cross of shadows.

In Sailor Moon R, episode 74, four sailor senshi are immobilized on crosses. It’s a lesser climactic moment. In the Sailor Moon R movie, Sailor Moon is visually crucified during a plant-based attack.

Princess Serenity/Usagi and Endymion/Tuxedo Mask reach for each other.
Sailor Moon episode 44, reaching
Princess Serenity/Usagi and Endymion/Tuxedo Mask are separated.
Sailor Moon episode 44, parted
Anthy in her open coffin falls away from Utena.
Episode 39, falling

Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion reach hands toward each other, and then are forced apart. Utena echoes the images when Utena and Anthy reach hands toward each other in Anthy’s coffin, and then Anthy falls away as the dueling arena crumbles. Anthy is reaching with the opposite hand, but her fingers are splayed in almost the same pattern. Anthy reaches with her left hand, the hand of illusions, because she sees Utena as her prince.

Sailor Moon has collapsed. Mercury supports her while Venus checks her.
Sailor Moon episode 60, kissing Mamoru
Utena moves to Akio and kisses him.
Episode 36, kissing Akio

Left, a kiss of true love. Right, Akio has captured Utena’s love by trickery. And yet the kiss poses are similar. Both girls are leaning forward, with the right leg behind, and both have a hand on their partner’s chest. Usagi’s hand is flat while Utena’s is grasping. Mamoru has his right hand on Usagi’s face, while Akio put his on Utena’s butt to claim desire for sex. Both images isolate the characters from the real background; Usagi and Utena are absorbed in the joy of love.

Utena sticks close to standard anime tropes and iconography as part of subverting them.

Sailor Moon has collapsed. Mercury supports her while Venus checks her.
Sailor Moon episode 74, gravity attack
A tear drips from the end of Utena’s nose, falling in sparkles.
Episode 39, Rose Gate tear
Sailor Moon has collapsed. Mercury supports her while Venus checks her.
Sailor Moon episode 74, standing
Utena pushes herself up with a fist, wider view.
Episode 39, standing

Gravity attack. Episode 74 is a showdown with villain Rubeus. He flattens Sailor Moon with a high gravity attack. Utena compares it to Utena fallen after the backstab in the final showdown.

Above, Sailor Moon comes under attack and sinks to the floor. She is in agony, struggling to resist. It visually matches Utena at the Rose Gate. Sailor Moon succumbs for the moment, but will soon stand again. Utena weeps in frustration because she cannot help Anthy, but her tear opens the Rose Gate and she progresses to Anthy’s coffin.

Below, Sailor Moon is strong enough to overcome the attack. She pushes herself up with her fists and is able to stand, though shakily. Utena’s visuals are different, but the events match closely. It is determination resisting oppression.

Utena’s references are time-reversed compared to Sailor Moon. (Utena must stand before she can stagger to the Rose Gate.) I think it is because Sailor Moon succeeds in her chosen heroic task, while Utena fails and must transcend her role as hero to reach her victory.

The faces of Sailor Moon (holding Chibi-Usa) and Tuxedo Mask are glowing red with embarrassment.
Sailor Moon episode 83, red-faced

When Usagi and Mamoru are told that Chibi-Usa (with pink hair) is their daughter from the future, they run through a range of reactions. After several seconds, they realize what it implies and are deeply embarrassed. Never mind that they both dream of eventually marrying, for now neither is anywhere close to ready to advance the relationship that far.

It’s a gag, but it’s about right. Usagi and Utena are 14. Utena is at a similar level of emotional readiness when Akio maneuvers her into a sexual relationship in the First Seduction. Utena is out of her depth, and remains so at least until the middle of episode 37 when she looks outside her coffin and starts to make sense of the world—and perhaps throughout, considering her temptation in the final showdown.

shared elements

A few shared elements are meaningful references. Some look like Utena borrowing either from Sailor Moon or from the same wider media universe that Sailor Moon and Utena are both embedded in. Some may be bits that Ikuhara likes, or came to like. I imagine that most came to the minds of the creative team because they’d seen them not long ago. Utena’s big reference is to SuperS, which it borrows thematic structure from.

Elements Utena shares with the first season of Sailor Moon. Episode numbers are in parentheses.

adulthood = love (23, the equivalent of Utena’s adulthood = sex), amusement park (11), apple as control device (11 - remote controller), boxing (26), cuckoo clock (9), evil due to love (23), exchange diary (2), falling from a building (33), force field repulsion (3 - Jadeite repels Sailor Moon, little Utena repelled from little Anthy in episode 34), hero’s tear of love and compassion brings victory (34), makeshift bandage (24), math II book (20), merry-go-round (11, second ending song), no one will marry me now (2), roses scattering (opener), Saionji (14 - Saionji Rui female tennis star), seduction and control by evil (22 - Nephrite and Naru-chan), stars and constellations (13), you don’t have to apologize (9 - Usagi to Ami; Utena uses the same wording to Anthy in episode 26)

Elements Utena shares with Sailor Moon R, the second season of Sailor Moon and the first that Ikuhara (mostly) directed. A shared theme in the Makai Tree arc is that the villains An and Ail (aka Eiru) claim to love each other but betray each other constantly.

aloneness versus family and friends - Andromeda and Perseus (47) - badminton - barely able to walk - basketballs (see Luna-P dribbled like a basketball) - clocks striking the hour - cracked picture (69) - dipping a hand in pool water (97, like Kozue in episode 15) - dream control - exchange diary - fairy tales - forget-me-nots (R movie) - free will versus control by others - illusions (80, also Sailor Mercury’s powers) - miracles - one rose petal falls to signify love ended (61) - pink hair for a key character (starting in episode 60) - pinned in place by thrown syringes (77) or umbrellas (85, cf. knives) - rabbits - recovering lost memories (48), redirected love and the power of seduction - red-background silhouettes of violent actions (R movie) - sleeping drug in the tea (60) - splash of a water drop (Sailor Mercury) - stress eating (like Chu-Chu) - time travel - UFO

Utena reuses the Andromeda and Perseus reference in reverse: Female enemy An has long pink hair like Utena and is Andromeda. In Utena, Anthy is Andromeda. Well, in Sailor Moon Andromeda and Perseus are the monsters, so it was reversed already.

In episode 77, the villain attacks have a ring theme.

.
Sailor Moon episode 83, jaw grip
Anthy feeds a slice of the poisoned apple to the drugged Kanae.
Episode 32, poisoning Kanae

In episode 83, evil Prince Dimande (why did they spell his name that way in English?) takes physical control over Usagi, who he desires. It contrasts with Akio’s mental control over Utena, who he wants to exploit.

But the way Prince Dimande holds Usagi by the jaw (intending to kiss her) reminds me of Akio holding Kanae’s jaw open in episode 32 as part of murdering her. They are pictures of helpless women under the physical control of a powerful man working against them.

In Utena, a hand on somebody else’s face seems to always mean manipulation or control.

Elements Utena shares with Sailor Moon S, the third season of Sailor Moon, directed by Ikuhara. There are more, I left out some minor ones that I noticed.

acting - birthday cake (101) - car standing on end - Cinderella (101) - corruption as losing your pure heart (from 90, especially 94) - distracted from studying by battles - donating blood - elephants - grasping pool water (97) - handkerchief as hand bandage (96) - harassment by snails - hatching from an egg (from 90) - locker messages - lured into a car ride (96) - objects extracted from the heart (from 90) - octopus balloon - Old Maid card game - opera glasses - planetarium with projector - rose garden and greenhouse - streetlight blinking on - sword fight (101) - Takarazuka (96) - two characters as one person - underage car driving - underground professor character (from 90) - winning by caring for another

Elements Utena shares with Sailor Moon SuperS, the fourth season of Sailor Moon, directed by Ikuhara.

Utena borrows some of its thematic structure directly from SuperS. The Crystal Forest, located in the World of Dreams, is a fairy tale enchanted forest and corresponds to the dueling forest. The unicorn/flying horse (Wikipedia) Pegasus with alter ego Helios corresponds to prince Dios. Dreams, children’s dreams, and immaturity and wishing for adulthood are themes of the season; compare Utena’s childish dream to become a prince. The villains examine a victim’s dreams by calling forth a mirror from their heart, like drawing a sword from the heart to reveal a duelist’s patriarchal beliefs. Calling on Pegasus to protect dreams matches with Utena calling on Dios during a duel—Pegasus powers up Sailor Moon’s fancy weapon (the Moon Kaleido Scope), which is not sharp but resembles a sword. Utena might wish her dreams were protected. The villains believe that a child who destroys their dream becomes an adult who cannot use magic. (Episode 164. Sailor Moon answers that a truly beautiful dream cannot be destroyed.) It corresponds to Utena becoming an adult and losing her power of miracles. Pink-haired Chibi-Usa corresponds to Utena, starting from the kiss by Helios/Pegasus that matches Dios kissing little Utena’s tears away, all the way to Queen Nehalennia and Akio saying (in different words) that a child like you could not understand. Helios is guardian of the dream-powered paradise Elysion, which is the original Greek for what is latinized in English as Elysium, an eternal paradise for the virtuous and the heroic. It sounds like the castle in the sky.

The mid-level villain Fish Eye is decorated with a fish skeleton like Utena’s fish skeletons, and a spherical hair tie like Akio’s.

Front wheel of a car.
Sailor Moon episode 138
Akio’s car arrives. We see its front wheel and bumper.
Episode 25, Akio’s car

Episode 138 has a car theme. The villain’s car arrives with a skidding stop much like Akio’s car. It crushes a blooming dandelion; you can see it under the wheel. Akio’s car is worse: If its destination is inside a building, it breaks in.

The Sailor Moon image emphasizes the villain’s uncaring nature and gives some prominence to the background. The heroes win with only one episode’s worth of trouble. The image of Akio’s car emphasizes the car’s coolness and power and obscures the background, representing Akio’s dominance.

This time I was clever enough to write down episode numbers. Besides the numbered episodes, there is a special episode, a movie, and a movie bonus episode.

becoming adult in a moment of realization (150) - boxing kangaroo (133) - breaking a long-standing seal (164) - carrot as unicorn horn (129) - corruption by temptation (156) - cuckoo clock (movie) - finding thematic love/adulthood after many experiences (141) - impersonation, imitating another (148; see the TV impersonation contest in episode 33) - immortality by consuming the dreams of others (166) - jumping to conclusions (138) - koi pun, fish and love (159) - merry-go-round (143) - mirrors show the truth, people’s hearts distort the image (though in the season’s final showdown, mirrors are associated with illusions) (156 and movie) - naked are clothed in the opener - pinned in place by thrown knives (132 151 153, and thrown letters in the movie bonus episode) - purple hair with earrings similar to Anthy’s (Lilica the vampire in the special) - samurai sword duel (139, matching “I’ve got you!” dialog from the episode 25 duel) - silhouettes (130) - time stopped by falling in love (159) - trapped in coffins (movie) - unfree princess (146, princess Rubina)

Elements Utena shares with Sailor Moon Sailor Stars, the fifth season of Sailor Moon, directed by Igarashi Takuya (Wikipedia; not Utena’s Ikuhara). This season finished less than two months before Utena started to air, so influence is probably limited. There are fewer shared elements.

The enemy Galaxia is a former hero, like Dios turned into Akio. It may be a coincidence. The lighthouse of Sailor Moon episode 33 returns in episode 179.

betrayal, no true friendship (197) - dunking a basketball to cheering fangirls and other sports superskills (174) - exchanging thoughts wordlessly (189) - ferris wheel (190) - forced forgetting through dreams (171) - gleaming tears on a black background (191 and others) - making decisions for others (190) - refusing to give up hope (200) - train vendor (183) - “who are you?” (200) - winning by forgivenness (172)

Galaxia in a column of light, with falling petals.
Sailor Moon episode 200, Galaxia
Utena surrounded by pink and rose petals.
Episode 9, Utena

Galaxia. Unless both borrowed this from somewhere else, it must be a meaningful reference. Galaxia is a hero who knows that she will be corrupted by evil and prepares for it by releasing the means to defeat the evil. The color is pink for love. Utena is a future hero who does not know she will be corrupted. The color is shaded toward purple for corruption. The Utena scene tells us that Utena wants to be a princess and marry the prince, which is the handle that Akio grasps to control and corrupt her.

Both are looking upward. As in the princess-prince reference above, Utena flips the picture left-to-right to flip the meaning: Galaxia looks forward toward a realistic hope. The flower petals are constantly moving, but in many still frames, as here, they give Galaxia wings. Utena looks left toward an illusion—she’s looking toward the castle in the sky, where the prince and princess will live happily ever after (though the castle is not visible from where she is).

Galaxia is defeated when she is corrupted by evil, but planned ahead and won through in the end thanks to the help of Sailor Moon. Utena is looking toward an illusion and cannot see what is coming—her situation is worse than Galaxia’s, and her column of light is narrower and dimmer. Utena is corrupted by evil, and defeated in Akio’s eyes though not her own, and wins through thanks to the betrayal and the help of Anthy.

The picture makes Galaxia=Utena. But Galaxia is a hero of the distant past, and it makes sense to set Galaxia=Dios. It makes the parallelism closer in two ways. First, Dios like Galaxia changes from hero to villain. Second, it suggests that Dios knew he was to be corrupted by evil and performed the miracle of creating the Rose Gate and the dueling arena, with their rules of admission, to prepare for a future hero to defeat the evil. Dios’s interaction with Utena in the final showdown says that he wasn’t expecting the future hero to overturn his sexist world order. Dios’s goal is to save all girls, so under this interpretation the dueling apparatus will continue to exist down the sequence of heroes until all girls are saved, which requires that Akio is defeated.

Anthy and Utena’s dance in episode 3 comes with a somewhat similar image with a column of light and flying petals. The effect is quite different.

observation

Sailor Moon at the culmination of her “I’ll punish you” routine.
Oshi no Ko
Sailor Moon at the culmination of her “I’ll punish you” routine.
oshioki yo

Nothing to do with Utena, just a funny point. I can’t overlook what’s alike: The sound, the rabbit, the cool poses, the horizontal slices. And the pink. Sailor Moon’s white costume is counterintuitively made of pink ribbons. We see it in her transformation (including when her transformation is undone in episodes 51 and 90), and it’s alluded to in openers.

Jay Scott <jay@satirist.org>
first posted 20 January 2022
updated 13 February 2025