Thread by @ohtori_nu

Look at these two sharing this intimate if confusing moment of mutual attraction that neither counted on or looked for! Let's start volume 4 of the #Utena manga! LIVETWEET FROM THE TUB!

These scenes are roughly equivalent in that both involve Akio demanding a vocalization of compliance from Anthy. In the manga it's a direct question and framed by genuine physical intimacy. In the series, it's cloaked in metaphor and the framing emphasizes how distant they are.

This is definitely confirming for me that Saito imagined much younger versions of Akio and Anthy than the series ultimately depicts. They're siblings, and it's horrifying, and they're a mess... But they're younger, more frank, and still believe in one another to some degree. Boo.

Touga and Anthy are the two sides of Yasha desperately trying to get me out of bed.

Same dumb baby gay not able to properly sit in a chair despite the danger that poses energy

Instead of taking Utena to school, Akio takes her on a joy ride, after waving off the protestations of the counselor. This is the scene that later appears in episode 30, where Akio is seen to both enforce and break rules. Both end with Akio taking Utena away from watchful eyes.

Okay time for some receipts. ohtori.nu/creators/c_kaz…
Episode 30 is an entire ass response to basically this whole volume of the manga. It depicts similar events but Akio is aged up, and the tone is much more cynical and critical of the romantic framing of these events.

Same scene. Younger Akio is more willing to appear thoughtfully vulnerable for his ends, and actually refers to the outside world as a place to want to go. Series Akio, after centuries, no longer considers that a real destination. Manga Akio wants to succeed, still.

In the manga Utena slips on some rocks on the beach because she got distracted by Akio. In the series she falls playing ball because she sees Akio in the window. Either way, he comes to the rescue and gets weird about her feet.

The manga version of this is played straight to the trope. Uwu it's so romantic I fell and he caught me and now he's taking my shoes off. The series has her actually bust her ankle, so that it's framed as dangerous to give Akio your attention. Again, a critical framing.

Part of this conversation is between Utena and Wakaba in the series, but the rest of it when it's Utena and Anthy depicts a much less frank Anthy, though in both cases she is subtly encouraging Utena's interest in Akio.

The manga doesn't utilize Wakaba to the same degree as the series does, and because her conversations are instead with Anthy, Anthy and Utena demonstrate a much more intimate and communicative relationship in the manga. Again, with Akio and Anthy being depicted as younger.

There is a texture to Utena and Anthy in the manga that the series lacks, because this younger Anthy is more open and honest with Utena. Time hasn't built a solid brick wall yet between Anthy and hope, and you can see her develop an attachment more openly here. It's gay af.

This Anthy is genuinely torn between Akio and Utena, and her relationship with Akio is frankly much more intimate. In the manga, Akio takes her glasses off. In the series, she does it herself. Meanwhile Akio sounds 19.

This is the same conversation. Akio choosing to use the telescope is the same as his commenting on how beautiful the stars are, when both conversations are about Utena. In the manga, Anthy goes along with him more readily. In the series, she prefers the projector.

I made this shirt. morphology.ohtori.nu

Manga Touga: I know what's best for you whether you like it or not and I will violate your boundaries to do it because I'm a feminist
Series Touga: same

Oh no it's this scene

Manga Akio goes into a lot more detail, distinguishing when Venus is visible in the morning versus the evening, therefore involving Utena in the metaphor in a way series Akio doesn't bother with. It's honestly pretty slick and kinda -

- oh my fucking God what did he just say

he sure is 19 year old Akio

Akio forces Utena into a vulnerable position and takes advantage of it. The framing in the manga is intimate and even romantic. Utena lingers in her embrace of him, when series Utena is a much more passive recipient of this attention. Anthy is pissed more than hurt.

In the series, this moment is given to Kanae, and is how Akio is introduced. Though I struggle to articulate why, having this intimate romantic manga moment get pawned off on Kanae who never actually obtains Akio's attention strikes me as deeply cynical of the showrunners.

I can't emphasize enough how the series takes these moments that are mostly played straight and warps them into deeply uncomfortable demonstrations of how it really looks when an older man uses his influence to control and seduce a child. Akio being aged up helps emphasize this-

-but it nevertheless remains that the series, in my opinion, is an indictment of the trope Saito is depicting. And there is an uncomfortable energy around Saito's work as well, this is also a criticism of this older man romantic trope, but it clings more affectionately to it.

LMAO IT'S FUCKING MISTLETOE

There's no God damn way the lilies around Juri were a mistake