Revolutionary Girl Utena
Sep. 7th, 2025 09:01 pm![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png)

Today we’re highlighting Revolutionary Girl Utena - the shoujo series considered by many to be one of the most influential work in the genre. The story is often praised for its deconstruction of fairy-tale tropes and its handling of themes of gender roles and identity.
The story follows Tenjou Utena who, as a child, was rescued by a prince and received a rose-engraved signet ring from him. This encounter inspired Utena to one day becoming a prince herself. Years later, a teenage Utena now attends Ootori Academy, where she is drawn into a dangerous sword-dueling tournament. Duelists with rings matching Utena’s own all compete for a unique prize: the Rose Bride Himemiya Anthy, who possesses the mysterious power to “revolutionize the world”.
Revolutionary Girl Utena has a strong femslash fanbase due to the romantic nature of Utena and Anthy’s relationship. Utena and Anthy’s canonical interaction uses many popular fannish tropes, such as accidental marriage, shared dormitory, school dances, crossdressing and others. Unsurprisingly, this has made Anthy/Utena the juggernaut pairing of the fandom.
Want to learn more about this shoujo classic? Check out its Fanlore page!
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