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NOTE:This episode synopsis may contain spoilers, and you may not wish to read it if you have not seen the series.
Revolutionary Girl Utena
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Episode 1: The Rose Bride
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Characters Appearing in Episode
Duel: Saionji vs.
Utena
Synopsis:
This is the
first episode of
Revolutionary Girl Utena. It opens with what will
become the
oft-repeated backstory of Utena's
childhood.
Utena, when she was grieving over the death of her
parents, was given a
ring by a
handsome prince who told her not to lose her courage and that the
ring would one day bring her back to him. From that experience,
Utena decided that she too wanted to become a
prince herself.
It's the first day of school for
Utena (an 8th-grader) at
Ohtori Academy. While she is at school she is
accosted by an
angry teacher at the fact that she always wears a
boys uniform. She also observes a "
lovers quarrel" between
Saionji and
Anthy by the rose garden.
Saionji slaps her once, but is stopped by
Touga.
During the student council meeting (preceded by
the chick speech), the student council members (
Touga,
Juri,
Miki, and
Saionji) meet about
Saionji's treatment of the "Rose Bride" (
Anthy). He defends himself by saying that he is "deeply in love with her" and
Anthy concurs by saying that she will do whatever he wishes. He speaks of a new,
unknown duelist who will soon
challenge him.
Later in the day,
Utena observes a love letter that has been tacked up and that a lot of
boys are laughing at. She tears it down out of respect for the person who wrote it, only to find that it was her good friend
Wakaba's love letter to
Saionji. She tracks down
Saionji where he is training for Kendo and challenges him to a duel because of the way he treated
Wakaba.
Utena goes to the dueling arena forest outside of
school, and climbs the
huge circular staircase up to the top where she finds
Saionji and
Anthy at the top waiting for her. She also sees a huge
castle suspended in mid-air which
Saionji assures her is a
mirage.
Anthy puts a green flower on Saionji's lapel and a white one on Utena, saying "
The person whose rose gets knocked off loses the duel."
Saionji then proceeds to pull the
Sword of Dios out of
Anthy's chest and they begin to fight. Despite having only a
wooden practice sword, she manages to win against
Saionji.
As
Utena is walking back home for the night, thinking about how weird that experience was,
Anthy steps out along the road and tells her that she is the rose bride and will be her "flower" from now on.