to write or not to write

THE ALCHEMY OF REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA

Is it sure that Revolutionary Girl Utena is an alchemical story?

Yes.

I'll give just two major examples before digging deeper into my analysis.

1- The lyrics of the second ending Virtual Star Embryology mention the philosopher stone twice:

Yes, a child of earth is conceived. The embryo of philosophy. Egg. Perfection. The origin in the nest. Stamen. Pistil. A single seed.Yes, a child of earth grows. The child of philosophy.

"The embryo of philosophy" and "The child of philosophy" allude to the prima materia that will once day become the philosopher stone. The following lyrics even describe the process of transformation:

And then lunar heaven! Mercurian heaven. Venusian heaven. Solar heaven. Martian heaven. Jovian heaven. Saturnian heaven. Stellar heaven. Motive heaven.And then... The endless surface of the torus. A single organic mechanism. A single perpetual motion machine. Ah, it is empty movement.

This obviously references the system of duels. The kids keep going through fights (solvet et coagula) to refine the prima materia (Utena's sword) more and more until it becomes a philosopher stone.

2- The characters are associated to roses. In alchemy, the rose and the tree are alternative symbols of the self and the philosopher stone. So, RGU chooses the tree/rose symbolism over the stone/gold one. This is highlighted in many ways throughout the series. For example, many characters have botanical names.

Why this choice? It emphasizes the double nature of the journey the characters are undergoing.

On the one hand they are kids going through a process of alchemical refinement. Throughout their fights they mature until they can eventually become adults. They are all nurturing their own roses (their selves), which is why they wear roses when they duel. This flower represents the characters' hearts and they lose if it gets destroyed. They are all fighting to bloom as people. They all struggle to become philosopher stones.

On the other hand the whole process of alchemy has been hijacked by Akio. As a result, what should be a healthy journey of self-discovery and growth becomes a cycle of violence. Akio has no intention to let any of the kids leave the school (aka grow up). He wants to keep them his prisoners forever and to use them to bait other victims he can prey on (like he does with his two major victims aka Touga and Anthy that he transforms in his accomplices). In this context, the idea of "roses" clearly alludes to the act of "grooming". Akio is "grooming" the kids like he would plants (sure, the double meaning of "grooming" works only in English, but metaphorically the series supports this reading).

In short, the protagonists find themselves fighting to break the cycle (inverted alchemy) and properly grow up (positive alchemy).

THREE ARCS = WHITE, BLACK AND RED

RGU has three arcs. Each one stands for a phase of alchemy. Usually, the order would be: black phase > white phase > (yellow phase, when present) > red phase. However, RGU focuses mostly on the archetype of the anima/animus aka the integration of the feminine and masculine. This makes sense for a story which criticizes gender roles, rape culture and patriarchy.

Because of this, the story starts with the White Phase aka the stage focused on anima/animus. It evolves into the Black Phase, which explores the shadow. Finally, it ends with the Red Phase which is about the self and a deeper integration with both the shadow and the anima/animus.

Let's go deeper.

The Student Council Saga is the White Phase (Anima/Animus) - We are introduced to our protagonist Utena whose heart-rose is white. She steps into the dueling arena and keeps winning until Touga defeats her. There Utena symbolically "dies" (white death = her rose gets destroyed). However, she manages to be reborn and to get a part of herself back (Anthy). Symbolically, the part Touga "steals" from Utena is her animus (masculine part). Our girl finds herself constricted into gender roles and decides to refute them by facing Touga again to win Anthy (her anima/animus) back. Symbolically, the transformation sequence in this arc has Utena take the soul-sword from Anthy. In short, Utena is "holding" Anthy aka her anima/animus.

The Black Rose Saga is the Black Phase (Shadow) - Utena's opponents all wear a black heart-rose. This is because Mikage is manipulating the kids' darkest feelings to interfere with the duels. In short, Mikage is using what people are repressing (their shadows) against Utena.

This arc has four layers, when it comes to the shadow archetype meaning.

1- The Black Rose Duelists are the Student Council Members' shadows.

-Miki doesn't want to grow up (hence why he keeps trying to "stop time" :P). He agonizes over his lost childhood represented by his twin sister Kozue. Kozue's obsession for him and her inability to let Miki develop romantic feelings for Anthy represent the oedipal feelings the two siblings share. They are both stuck in the sunlit garden and refuse to let go of each other as their most important bond.

-Juri struggles to express her sexuality and suffers for her masculinity. Shiori is the symbol of Juri's struggle. At the same time, Shiori herself faces similar problems. She resents her femininity, represses her feelings for Juri and projects them on the boys who like Juri. She tries to "steal" them out of jealousy for her "friend".

-Nanami is the kid of the bunch. She wants to grow up, but is still very childish. Moreover, she wants Touga's attention and is ready to serve him loyally to get it. Tsuwabuki represents all these inner conflicts. He is a child younger than her, who wants to grow up in a strong adult (like Touga) and thinks he will succeed if he dedicates his life to Nanami.

-Saionji wants to "catch up" to Touga in terms of manhood. He feels overshadowed by his friend and wants to prove his worth. Wakaba has similar feelings towards Utena and Anthy. She feels average in a world full of special people.

-Touga is a victim of Akio, who rapes him and manipulates him. Touga is forced to play along with Akio's schemes, but deep down resents "his master". Keiko is a member of Nanami's girl posse, but she is secretly interested in Touga and hates Nanami.

Interestingly, all the Black Rose Duelists feel "overshadowed" by someone else (Kozue > Miki, Shiori > Juri, Tsuwabuki > Touga, Wakaba > Utena, Keiko > Nanami). In short, they live in the shadows (both in-universe and meta-narratively since they are background characters). This makes them perfect "shadow-archetypes" of the protagonists. Symbolically, their transformation starts with them stepping into an elevator that goes down (so, they go deep into their unconscious). Then they go to the student council member they are obsessed with and steal their sword. In short, the duelist is left unconscious and their swords are used and refined by their deepest and repressed feelings.

2- The fight sequences in the Black Rose Saga highlight everything that is wrong in Ohtory Academy:

The Black Rose Duels conjure the desks of the students that died in the Nemuro Memorial Hall Tragedy. Moreover, once the Black Rose Duelists are defeated they assume the position of the fire's victims. Of course, it is eventually revealed that Mikage himself killed the students to obtain the power of Dios (aka the philosopher stone). In short, the fights symbolically convey the cycle of abuse implemented by Akio in the school. Akio is sacrificing children for his objectives. Utena doesn't realize this by the time, but the Black Rose Saga is full of warnings our protagonist ignores about Akio.

3- Mikage is a shadow of both Utena and Akio:

Mikage has Utena color-scheme in a lighter tone (cause he is a ghost/shadow). In their final duel, Mikage tries to warn Utena against the dangers of memories that can be used as a tool of manipulation. It turns out that Mikage himself is a victim of Akio, who controls Mikage by altering his memories of Mamiya. The same is secretely happening to Utena.

Mikage is an adult abusing children for his selfish goals. Even the sexual undertones Mikage has towards Mamiya play into this since Mamiya is much younger than him. This mirrors Akio's relationship with Anthy. During his final confrontation with Utena, Mikage even says that the students come to him by their own free will. Later on Akio will say the exact same words about Anthy's role as the Rose Bride.

4- Mikage's death (black death) marks the end of the arc. Symbolically this results in the characters forgetting what happens during this saga. By the end of the arc nobody remembers Mikage nor the Mikage Seminar. This is similar to how the Black Rose Duelists forget their fights once they lose. Why is that so? It's because the shadow archetype is linked to the unconscious. All the kids struggle through deep issues, but they do so subconsciously. This idea is hinted at even in Mikage's botanical name, which means "root". He is the root hidden under the ground aka the unconscious/the shadow.

Utena especially is unable to fully integrate and understand her own shadow in this arc. This is why she will need to face it again in the shape of Akio in the final saga.

The Apocalypse Saga is the Red Phase (Self) - The fights of this saga all happen in an arena full of red cars:

Moreover, this arc has the characters fight together with their respective Rose Bride (Anima/Animus) and wield their own soul-sword. In short, they are fighting with their "selves". Everyone has grown enough to develop a solid enough sense of who they are.

Let's now focus on the final fight between Utena and Akio.

During this last confrontation, the arena surrounding Akio and Utena quickly shifts throughout the three fight sequences of the three arcs (empty arena, desk-arena, car-arena). This symbolizes Utena going quickly through the three phases of alchemy to fully integrate the different parts of who she is. In particular:

-Utena faces her shadow in Akio, who tells her point blank Utena too has been objectifying Anthy to feel strong and noble by protecting her. Symbolically, while Akio says these words, Utena is in the Mikage Seminar's elevator. She is going deeper within herself to face this contradiction.

-Utena fully integrates with Anthy by accepting everything about her, even her most negative and violent traits. By doing so, she helps Anthy reach the Self. At the same, Utena symbolically dies a second time (red death). She disappears from Ohtory Academy (aka "Akio's world").

-Anthy self-actualizes and finds the Self in the last scene of the series. There she leaves Akio and Ohtory Academy to face the world as her own person.

By the end both Utena and Anthy are free of Ohtory Academy. They "graduate", which means they leave the cycle of abuse and grow up. They have both reached self-actualization.

THE STUDENT COUNCIL = 5 ELEMENTS, 5 PHASES AND THE PHILOSOPHICAL TREE

What's the role of the Student Council?

The kids of the Student Council are:

The 5 elements linked with Eastern Cultures

The alchemical phases

The philosophical tree

The Five Elements

Saionji is wood - Wood is linked to the color green. Moreover, Saionji is the captain of the kendo team (wooden swords) and he makes a leaf-shaped wooden hair-clip for Wakaba.

Miki is water - Water is linked to the color black, but this color is used for the Black Duelists. So, they gave Miki a blue color-scheme most people would associate with this element. Moreover, Kozue is strongly associated with water, as she is shown swimming and her "shadow-object" during her duel with Utena is the beverage she used to drink together with Miki.

Juri is metal - Metal is linked to the color white, but this color is used for Utena. Despite the lack of a color connection, Juri is still associated to this element. She is the captain of the fencing team (metal swords) and her most iconic possession is her metallic medallion. This jewel represents Juri's heart since it has Shiori's picture in it. It symbolically conveys how Juri is repressing her feelings by covering them with a metallic armor.

Nanami is earth - Earth is linked to the color yellow. Moreover, Nanami has a bestial motif going on, as her arc is commented by her relationship with several animals.

Touga is fire - Fire is linked to the color red. Moreover, Touga is associated with fire in some scenes like when he burns Saionji's diary.

The Alchemical Phases

Saionji is the prima materia - this substance is associated to the color green and it kickstarts the alchemical process

Miki is the black phase - his element is traditionally associated to the color black

Juri is the white phase - her element is traditionally associated to the color white

Nanami is the yellow phase - her main color is yellow

Touga is the red phase - his main color is red

The Philosophical Tree

The one above is a plate from Splendor Solis aka an alchemy text. It has three philosophers under a tree with golden fruits. The tree is a metaphor for the alchemical process as a whole. It is the philosophical tree and if you climb it you reach the golden fruit (perfection/the philosopher stone).

All the Student Council members have botanical names. If you put them all together, they represent an evolving tree aka the philosophical tree:

Saionji's name means "pod", so he is the seed of the tree

Miki's name means "tree turnk", so he is an incomplete tree

Jury's name means "tree", so she is the whole tree, but she has no fruit

Nanami's name means "fruit" because she is a very special little girl :P

Touga means winter bud. He should be a flower able to bloom, but Akio's abuse has forced him to "hibernate" and repress his feelings. Still, he has the power to blossom into a philosopher stone of his own

In short, the Student Council is just another metaphor for the alchemical process. By fighting them, Utena and Anthy keep refining themselves until they are able to fully bloom.

Let's now go deeper into the character arcs and roles within the story.

MIKI AND JURI = CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE

Miki and Juri are the first two phases of the process. They are linked to two specific stages of life: childhood (Miki) and adolescence (Juri). In particular, they explore two different integrations of the anima/animus.

Miki And Incest (The Shadow)

Miki and Kozue's incestuous attraction is to be read as a first childish understanding of the feminine and the masculine. The twins are each other's first experience with the other sex and they are symbolically still stuck in their childhood (the garden where they used to play together). There they used to complement each other, like their names suggest. Miki means tree trunk, while Kozue means treetop. Together they made the whole tree. Similarly, their music was complementary and made something "shining" and "perfect" in Miki's memories. However, time has passed and Miki and Kozue have grown up. Despite this, Miki is still deeply childish.

Miki superficially appears as a pretty mature middle schooler. He is a stellar athlete and a musical and academic prodigy. He is so good that he is younger than Utena, but he is already in high school. And yet, behind this mature facade hides a child, who doesn't really want to grow up. This part of himself is conveyed through both his relationship with Kozue and Kozue herself.

-Miki is still trying to re-create his old relationship with Kozue. This is why he falls for Anthy. He isn't really in love with Anthy, but projects on her an idealized version of Kozue. In short, Miki's attraction for Anthy is in itself still oedipal. This is why when Miki's father tells him about his new spouse, Miki imagines his new "mom" as Anthy.

-Kozue is the opposite of Miki. Miki is kind, humble and mature, while Kozue is rude, arrogant and childish. However, the point is that Kozue represents a part of Miki (his shadow). Specifically, she represents the childish self he represses. Kozue wants to go back to the sunlit garden, just like Miki wants to. They both want to stop time and go back there.

Time machine! To the past, to the future! Whoosh! Zoom! Time machine! Back to when I wasn a precious young child. On a carpet of lotus blossoms. Playing with my dolls. That wonderous spell! Fi! Fi! Hard candy... That pretty dress I wore. The 7-5-3 festival. Oh, my dream machine! A shower of cherry blossoms. Taking me to my distant, past self... Ten! Two! One! Zero! Take off!

Lyrics from Utopian Past Tense Incantation aka Kozue's Duel Song. Obviously the "time machine" alludes to Miki's iconic stopwatch. Miki keeps stopping time because he doesn't want to grow up. This is what Kozue's duel in the second arc reveals to us.

However, neither Miki nor Kozue can use a time machine. The tree they used to make together (trunk + top) has been cut, like the one in Miki's final episode (ep. 26- Miki's Nest Box). This means Miki and Kozue should just accept growing up. However, none of the twins deep down wants to. This is why Kozue risks her life to save the couple of birds nesting on the tree. Similarly, after his duel with Utena Miki makes a new nest for them. However, they both try throughout this final episode.

Kozue tells Miki he should romantically pursue Anthy and Miki fights against Utena to try and finally grow up. Obviously they are both being manipulated by Akio, so their healthy desire to grow up gets mixed together with Akio's toxic masculinity teachings. In any case, they fail as Miki gets distracted by Kozue seemingly having sex with Anthy during the duel. Symbolically it means Miki is still struggling with his oedipal complex. This is why the two birds are not able to fly free by the end of the episode and Kozue calls Miki "a coward".

Juri And First Love (Animus/Anima)

Juri's conflict focuses on her romantic feelings for Shiori, her childhood friend and first love. Specifically, she is unable to either let go or make any progress in her relationship with the other girl. This happens because both Juri and Shiori are struggling with their queerness and reciprocal attraction. Specifically, Juri sees herself as too masculine, too strong for a girl. She should have been a man, but she is a woman:

Universal light. Mosiac light. Lucifer, son of the dawn. Apocalyptic light. Michael's light. Androgynous, son of darkness. (...) His body shining bright, spherical in shape, Gyes. Born into every possible miracle, Gyes. The pleasure principle. (...) The two sexes, the two poles, there are two of me. Up, down, left, right, there are two of me. Front, back, heaven, earth, two of me. Angel, devil, there are two of me.And inside I'm hollow. Inside I'm hollow. (repeat)

Lyrics from Angelic Creation, Namely, Light aka Juri's first Duel Song. The song describes the masculine and feminine principles mixed together (the androgynous). It hints at Juri's struggle to reconcile her masculine side with her feminine side.

Shiori instead sees herself as weak, feminine and boring. She resents Juri's strength and deep down does not see herself fit to stand by Juri's side. This inferiority complex is conveyed by Shiori's name, which means "branch". Fittingly, Shiori sees herself as just a "branch" of Juri's "tree".

By the third arc, both girls are still hopelessly stuck in this longing relationship. Thankfully, a new character steps in:

Ruka is a member of the Student Council, which means that he too is part of the alchemical process. He represents the so called "rainbow phase". This phase is really just a moment that happens between the black stage and the white stage and brings a quick transformation. Well, Ruka's first appearance has him step between Miki (black phase) and Juri (white phase). He also stays for only two episodes, shares Miki's color scheme and ties into Juri's arc. Not only that, but he brings change and helps Juri transform. This function is suggested by his name that can be combined with Juri's to form the words "tree-fruit" and "lapislazuli". In other words, Ruka is meant to help Juri's fruitless tree to bear fruit, so that she can complete her growth and become a philosopher stone (a precious gem).

Ruka tries to fulfill his role in Juri's arc by operating as a mercurius aka a character that combines two complementary elements (in this case characters) together. In other words, Ruka orchestrates a "chemical wedding" between Juri and Shiori.

What is a chemical wedding? In alchemy stories it is a metaphorical union between characters and it represents two opposites coming together.

Obviously RGU is full of these, but Juri and Shiori's is interesting because it is an indirect one that happens thanks to Ruka.

One or many. Word or object. The very question as it hangs becomes its symbol. Dios Croix! All creation, gender, chaos. Anima Animus!Hurry your spiritual perfection! Namely, revisit your interior! Left and right, the two sides of me. All in heaven and earth and both the sexes.Two heads, two bodies. Two insides, two outsides. Two breeds, two me's. Two fronts, two backs.I'll make the word just for the two of us! I'll make it so that we're the only two in the world! I'll make it so it's only the two of us! The two, the deux, the two, the deux. - - - - I will make the world androgynous! Hermaphroditism!

Lyrics from the Angel Androgynus aka Ruka's Duel Song. The lyrics describe the process of integration between anima and animus that gives birth to the hermaphrodite aka the union of feminine and masculine. It represents the self and the balance between opposites. In short, Ruka is combining Shiori and Juri to make sure that Juri unlocks her whole potential.

Ruka plays the part of Shiori's groom (masculine) and of Juri's bride (feminine). In this way, he symbolically unites them. For example, think about Shiori polishing Ruka's sword (metaphorical sex) only for him to reveal to her that was not really his sword. The implication is that the sword Shiori has been taking care of is Juri's. Metaphorically Ruka is telling Shiori the one she has feelings for is Juri. At the same time, he has Juri fight Utena. By winning the duel, Juri would gain a "miracle" and finally accept herself fully. However, Juri fails because at the last moment she is unable to overcome her complex towards Shiori. Utena breaks her medallion and Juri destroys her own rose. This marks the second time Juri loses to Utena because she lacks faith in herself (she does not believe she can obtain a miracle).

Later on, Ruka leaves and dies off screen because of his own illness. Is that all? Not really, Ruka's sacrifice for Juri kick-starts a deeper transformation. By the end of his second episode, Shiori is seen observing Juri and finally walk towards her. The implication is that Shiori and Juri will manage to re-connect and integrate.

Integrating the Anima

Miki and Juri represent two immature forms of love (childhood love and teenage love). This is why they are unable to fully grow into themselves in the course of their final duel with Utena. That said, the finale implies they are slowly getting there. This is why they both "fall in love" with Utena in their last meeting with her. Miki says he is switching the target of his romantic feelings from Anthy to Utena. Similarly, Juri says she will put Utena's picture in her medallion. These "declarations of love" should not be taken literally. What they mean is that Miki and Juri are developing their respective anima/animus. So, Miki leaves Anthy (who represents his obsession for Kozue) behind. Jury is instead finally moving on from her feelings for Shiori, either in the sense she is letting go of her or that she is finally addressing her. Neither of them is frozen in time anymore.

SAIONJI AND TOUGA = PRIMA MATERIA AND PHILOSOPHER STONE

Saionji and Touga represent the prima materia and the final stage of alchemy. In other words, they are complementary and need to combine to make the philosopher stone.

Saionji - The Prima Materia

Saionji is the prima materia, so the rough stone at the very beginning of the process. He is the seed of the tree, which is what his songs reference:

Rose of the sea. Lily of the sea. Apple of the sea. Bud of the sea. Angel of the sea. Mirror of the sea. Doorway of the sea. Shimmer of the sea. Carboniferous, Permian, Paleozoic!You in the sea. I in the sea. The paleozoic era within the body. Living on and on. Closer and closer to death. The endless cycle of the paleozoic.

Lyrics from the Paleozoic Within the Body aka Saionji's second duel song. The song emphasizes the beginning of time aka the moment when life is born. Similarly, Saionji is the prima materia that starts the process.

This is why Saionji kick-starts the process in arc 1 and arc 3 (this role is taken by Kanae in arc 2). In arc 3 specifically it is thanks to his duel with Utena that the alchemical journey enters a new stage, as Anthy pulls the sword from inside of Utena, rather than the other way around. At the same time, Saionji is also the character with the highest number of duels:

He fights Utena twice in arc 1

He has an illegal fight in the second part of arc 1, where he gets expelled

He fights Utena at the beginning of arc 3

This happens because Saionji needs the most refinement. Basically he needs his ass kicked the most :P Symbolically this ties with him being introduced as the most blatant representation of toxic masculinity.

The irony is of course that Saionji's exasperated masculinity is just a facade. In flashbacks, as a guest of Wakaba and in some of his most intimate conversations with Touga he reveals himself to be very sensitive. In short, Sajonji has a strong repressed femininity (anima). Why does he hide it? He has internalized that to keep being close to Touga he needs to be more of a man than Touga is. This idea ties with the boys' alchemy motifs. Saionji is the prima materia (the seed), while Touga is the red phase (the flower). So, Saionji strives to be like Touga.

Saionji's feelings are perfectly expressed by Wakaba aka his shadow. Wakaba is not really in love with Saionji, but wants him in order to "feel special" and be on the same level as Utena. Similarly, Saionji's pursue of Anthy has nothing to do with her. Who Saionji truly strives for is Touga. He wants to become a "better prince" than Touga to keep their bond alive.

This wish becomes clear in the final arc. There Akio and Touga manipulate Saionji to fight again and point out that what Saionji truly wants is "eternal friendship". Deep down Saionji wants to go back to that sense of closeness he used to share with Touga. A sense of intimacy without the complications of Akio's abuse and of the boys' mutual sexual desire.

In short, Saionji is trying to integrate with Touga, which is why he has a duel against Utena towards the end of each arc:

In arc 1 he kidnaps Anthy just before Utena and Nanami's duel; there he physically hurts Touga and Touga psychologically hurts Saionji

In arc 2 Saionji's shadow (Wakaba) is the one just before Touga's (Keiko). Moreover, the boys' shadows are similar. Both are girls relegated to the role of sidekick that are infatuated with the two boys

In arc 3 Saionji fights by Touga's side during the final duel

These three duels symbolize Saionji's attempts to "reach" Touga. Initially, he tries to "reach" Touga's level by becoming more masculine in a toxic way. Subconsciously the two boys grow closer in arc 2, where Saionji is welcomed back in the school. Finally, Sayonji "reaches" Touga emotionally. He does so not thanks to his strength (animus), but through his sensitivity (anima). This is also why Saionji doesn't have a rose bride. He is a Rose Bride. This is where his development lies.

Touga - The Stunted Flower

Touga represents the red phase, so the final stage of the alchemical process. This makes him linked to the archetype of the "self", which is the theme of his two early duels with Utena. He "steals" Utena's self, but the girl wins it back.

However, Touga himself has a very twisted sense of self because of Akio's sexual and emotional abuse. Touga should bloom into an alchemical rose, but Akio stunts his growth through abuse. This is why his name means "winter bud". In order to survive Touga has to "hybernate" and repress who he is. This negation of the self manifests in Touga manipulating his two closest bonds (two parts of himself):

He makes use of Saionji's insecurities so that he would attack Utena and get expelled. All to frame himself as "Utena's prince" and use her vulnerability in their later fight

He makes use of Nanami's feelings for him, so that she would attack Utena and show him how the power of Dios manifest

In other words, Touga is lashing out against his loved ones because of abuse. At the same time he also tries to drive them away at different points. On the one hand he has Saionji expelled. On the other hand he convinces Nanami they are not blood related. This is interesting because it is as if Touga is both lashing out at his loved ones and pushing them away from the cycle of abuse.

In any case, Touga is a "bad victim", which makes him an important foil to Anthy.

Touga is introduced as the embodiment of toxic masculinity and Akio's accomplice; by the third arc it is revealed he is really one of Akio's victims

Anthy is introduced as a victim of toxic masculinity; by the third arc it is revealed she is Akio's accomplice and has internalized misogyny

Both are scared kids forced to hurt others because of Akio. The trick is that you are bound to miss this initially. You don't notice Touga's victimhood and Anthy's inner darkness. Just like Utena doesn't.

Utena's duel against Keiko aka Touga's shadow conveys precisely this. As Utena faces Keiko, she realizes she doesn't even know her name. Anthy instead reveals she has been paying attention to Nanami's "invisible" sidekicks. This shows two things:

Anthy knows what it means not to be seen

Utena is missing clues about the people around her, like Touga's victimhood and Anthy's complexity

Despite this, Utena is key in the arcs of both Anthy and Touga, who start changing because of her. In particular, Touga is inspired by her actions in arc 1. There Touga implements the manipulative tactics he learnt from Akio, uses them to subjugate Utena and forces her into gender roles. Still, Utena does not give up and decides to fight to get "herself" back. This shocks Touga that by that point has just accepted he can never get his true self back from Akio. To see Utena strive to still be herself opens the doors to Touga's rebirth.

Saionji and Touga's Chemical Wedding

In order to save himself Touga needs Saionji's help. That is because deep down Saionji is the only person Touga trusts. Not only that, but the two boys basically find again their desire to help others. They go back to their most genuine selves.

As children, Saionji and Touga truly want to save Utena, but they fail. Later on they both (and especially Saionji) internalize that to save someone you need to be "man enough". This is obviously a result of Akio's twisted teachings (the same he imparts on Utena aka "only princes can save others"). In other words, Saionji and Touga's selfless desire to help someone gets preyed upon and twisted into toxic masculinity. So, Saionji and Touga's growth lies into remembering what exactly motivated them to pursue masculine values:

This scene is symbolic on multiple levels:

Saionji and Touga consume their relationship (finally! You were tricking no-one) and metaphorically unite into one (they become one vehicle)

Saionji and Touga rebuild their selves from scratch; they deviate from Akio's toxic idea of masculinity (his red car) and find a new one that may seem a bit lame, but is far more genuine and selfless

Touga is still too much under the influence of Akio to fully free himself (leave the duels), but he chooses to fight for his own reasons. Specifically he chooses to fight to protect Utena. This is why Touga is the only one who goes to face Utena not after a car-ride with Akio, but after a motorbike adventure with Saionji

Saionji is the only Rose Bride that does not just ride on the passenger seat of the car, but drives his and Touga's motorbike in the end (aka he is the only Rose Bride actively driving, which shows a deeper integration between him and Touga than the other couples have - not counting Anthy and Utena obviously):

In short, Touga and Saionji do not limit themselves to be used by Akio, but fight to take back control of their lives. Despite this, they fail in their objective to win against/protect Utena. This happens because Touga's idealization of himself as Utena's prince is in itself a form of objectification. He projects on Utena his own desire to be saved. He believes that if he can just save Utena he himself will be saved. And yet, things are not so simple, so he loses. That said, the boys' defeat does not negate the positive effects of their chemical wedding, which gets cemented by the end:

Saionji:  Touga. Touga:  Yeah. Saionji:  Is it over for us? Touga:  No. It's not over until we see it through the very end.

These are basically wedding vows ("until death does us apart"). After this, Saionji and Touga are almost always seen together:

After their duel with Utena, Saionji and Touga's motor-bike gets destroyed, so now they are moving forward by bicycle :P Symbolically, it shows how they are starting over and how they are distancing themselves even more from Akio's ways.

In the scene above Saionji and Touga confront Akio as he takes pictures of them. The implications are pretty dark. You don't have to necessarily read it this way, but there is an obvious sexual association to be made. And what does it come to mind if I say adult taking pictures of underage teens in sexual poses? Yep, Akio is using them to make pornographic materials. What's important here is that Saionji is not letting Touga alone with his abuser, even if it puts Saionji in danger too (it is basically the same thing Utena does for Anthy in the same episode- she goes to face Akio for her sake). Moreover, they are confronting Akio to discover what his plans for Utena are.

NANAMI = THE YELLOW PHASE AND THE PHILOSOPHICAL CHILD

Nanami is a very special little girl! She is both the yellow phase and the philosophical child.

The yellow phase is sometimes a part of the red phase. This is why Nanami and Touga are siblings and she is strongly linked to him. At the same time, this phase is the first step of self-actualization. It is the moment the child gains wisdom (the wise woman) and starts growing up as their own person, outside of their parents. It is really the Eve of the Evolution Revolution, just like Nanami's first song says:

That's me! Wait! My last evolution, revolution, everlution

The philosophical child is the symbol of alchemy itself. They are basically another symbol of the philosopher stone and the fruit of alchemy (Nanami's name means fruit btw). Moreover, one of the most common images used to represent them is... the child of the egg :P

Philosophical existence. The realm of the Grand Guignol of common magic.

Lyrics from Conic Absolute Egg Archibras aka Tsuwabuki's (Nanami's shadow) song. The title itself says it all :P

So, Nanami is the child that grows up. She starts the story as the youngest and most childish person in the student council (and the series as a whole). However, by the end she is the first to acquire wisdom, grow up and escape the cycle of abuse.

Nanami's arc is commented metaphorically by her animal motif. A running gag is that the little princess gets often dunked on by animals or that she gets mockingly associated to them. This is not by chance, but is part of a commentary on who Nanami is as a person.

-Nanami's story starts with her gifting Touga a little kitty, only for her to get jealous of it and kill it. Symbolically the little cat is Nanami herself. Both girl and cat enter the party dirty and scrappy. However, Touga welcomes and adores both. Touga's love and care (it is clearly implied Touga is the only one taking care of Nanami) makes Nanami willing to dedicate herself to him completely. As a result, she kills a part of herself (the cat). Deep down, she does not want to and runs back to save it, but by the time she does the cat is already gone. Nanami has similarly negated a part of herself for Touga's sake.

-Nanami turning into a cow in the second arc goes deeper into this psychological mechanism. Nanami is happy just being "Touga's little sister". She simply follows him along and is content. However, if she keeps doing so, she may truly end up a "cow". This is the meaning of the cow-episode, where Touga symbolically "sells Nanami away", so that she will be consumed. It is meaningful that the episode happens in the shadow arc since this archetype is also called "the inner beast". Nanami's inner beast temporally takes control of her. The "cow" represents both Nanami's fear of Touga separating from her and the unconscious realization this separation needs to happen for Nanami to grow healthily.

-Finally, Nanami lays an egg :P The egg is a clear symbol of the first menstruation cycle. So, it implies Nanami is growing up and it metaphorically prepares the terrain for the girl's eventual development.

First of all in Nanami's Egg the little girl has her personal alchemical journey. She goes through the different phases as she confronts the Student Council members over her beautiful egg.

Miki > black phase

Juri > white phase

Touga > red phase

They all have conversations with Nanami about adolescence and growing up. The most important one is obviously the one Nanami and Touga share. There Touga essentially tells Nanami he does not want her to grow up. Nanami tries once again to make her big brother happy and abandons her egg, like she did the cat in the past. Just like last time, Nanami changes her mind and runs to get her egg back. This time she is given the chance to retrieve this precious part of herself. It is rather important that Saionji is the one granting her this:

Saionji is Touga's anima aka the part Touga needs to integrate to grow up himself. So, for Saionji to be the one who retrieves the egg for Nanami symbolizes how the two siblings are ready to move on from each other. They can both grow up. Let us also highlight that Saionji here is wearing a frilly yellow apron. Yellow is Nanami's color and the apron plus the cooking link Saionji to the feminine. In short, Saionji here plays the part of Touga's anima and the yellow phase in Nanami's journey. He helps her self-actualize.

Nanami's egg eventually cracks as Utena and Anthy are talking about reincarnation and the cycle of parents and children. The meaning is pretty clear. Nanami's egg is breaking as she is ready to grow up:

"If it cannot break out of its shell, the chick will die without being born. We are the chick, the world is our egg. If we don't crack the world's shell, we will die without being born. Smash the world's shell, for the revolution of the world!"

The student council's motto seems to allude to some great power to change the macrocosm. However, it is really about the microcosm. The power the Student Council and Akio seek is simply the ability to grow up. To break the egg is simply to be born. It is not about some magical and obscure magic, but it is the ability every individual has to gain wisdom and to become an adult.

Nanami si the first character who breaks out of her egg. This transformation happens after the climax of her arc. There two things happen:

Nanami breaks away from her bond with Touga. She discovers she and Touga are not biological siblings and her world crashes. The whole situation is to be read in context. Touga basically plays the role of a parent for Nanami, in the sense he is the one who gives her warmth and who protects her. Nanami defines herself as Touga's little sister, which is why she is so obsessed with her brother. Touga is literally at the centre of her identity. This dynamic mimics that of a parent and a child, where the child sees herself in function of the parent. To grow up means to break this bond and to face who you are outside of it. This is what Nanami does. She is the school's little princess because she is Touga's sister. However, if she is not actually Touga's sister... who exactly is she?

Nanami sees Akio rape Anthy. The whole scene is highly traumatic and it works as a warning of what would happen if Nanami keeps her obsession for her brother up. The union Nanami childishly speaks about is not the fairy-tale one she imagines. It is a dynamic, which is abusive and wrong. To see Akio and Anthy's sexual relationship wakes Nanami up about her bond with Touga. Nanami loves Touga, but not romantically. If anything, Touga's lie that they are not biological siblings just makes Nanami's feelings clearer. She is not romantically attracted by Touga, but loves him platonically, just like a sister loves her brother.

In other words, Nanami (differently from Miki) fully breaks her oedipal bond with Touga. However, before she can do it, Nanami faces Utena one last time. This finali fight is Nanami's attempt to both keep her old self together and to pursue a newer self. Nanami wants "to overcome Touga", but she tries to do so by participating in the same cycle she has entered for his sake. At the same time, Nanami's last fight against Utena shows her growth:

In her first duel Nanami says she has learnt to fight by observing Touga. In other words, she is imitating him, rather than being herself. This is conveyed by Nanami's two weapons. The swords she uses is symbolic of Touga (she wields it, as Touga would). The knife is symbolic of Nanami's childish self. This is why she uses it after she already loses the duel. That is because deep down Nanami is too childish to truly fight as her self there.

In her shadow-duel, Tsuwabuki uses both Nanami's sword and her knife from the get-go. Nanami's two sides (Touga and her childish self) are coexisting and growing closer.

In her final duel, Nanami's soul-sword is not her little knife anymore, but a full fledged sword. Her sense of self has grown enough to be a usable weapon. Symbolically Nanami is able to fight much better here than in her first battle. She has grown enough to be on equal footing with Utena.

In the end, Nanami loses and metaphorically "dies":

Nanami:  Tell me. What do I have? Nanami:  Am I just one more insect? Nanami:  I can't stand that!

She is forced to realize that being Touga's sister does not make her special. She is just like everyone else, which does not make her an insect, but a person. This moment may be painful, but it is necessary and marks the beginning of Nanami's self-actualization.

It is the moment where she breaks the egg and prepares to become a beautiful swan:

shadow:  Cuckoo! Cuckoo! shadow:  Now I'm gonna sneak my egg into somebody else's nest and get them to raise it cuckoo. shadow:  In the jargon this is known as "parasitism". shadow:  Ta-da! A newborn cuckoo. shadow:  But, it's a cuckoo who's real identity is secret! shadow:  Check it out, mom. Some strange duck is here! shadow:  Nya, ugly little duckling! shadow:  This can't be, dammit! shadow:  Just watch! One day a beautiful white swan - From the shadow theatre of the Episode "Her Tragedy"

It is the moment where she gains wisdom by eating the fruit of knowledge (again Nanami's name means fruit):

Nanami:  There's no meaning. My brother was part of how I could be me. Nanami:  I believed... Nanami:  that there had to be some sort of bonds between us. But... Nanami:  there was nothing! Nanami:  Nothing at all!!

After this, Nanami leaves the Student Council aka the institution she joined because of Touga. She is also the only duelist that takes her ring off and leaves the cycle before the ending of the series. The child has grown into the "wise woman" to the point that by the end she sees Akio and Anthy clearer than Utena does. She together with her brother are the ones who warn Utena about Anthy's darkest side and complexity.

AKIO, UTENA AND ANTHY = SHADOW, ANIMUS AND SELF

Akio, Utena and Anthy are the three key characters of the series and they too represent the three major alchemical phases:

Akio is the black phase - his rose is purple, which is the color most similar to black; he is also everyone's shadow

Utena is the white phase - her rose is white; she is everyone's animus/anima

Anthy is the red phase - she is dressed as a red rose; she represents everyone's self

Akio - The Shadow

Akio is everyone's shadow.

He is the shadow of the Student Council's kids because they are all being manipulated to fight for him. Not only that, but deep down what Akio strives for is the same thing the students want. He wants the power to grow up. Akio's problem is in fact that he is an adult that has failed to grow up healthily. His and Anthy's background implies that they were once abused children, who tried to protect each other. However, as Akio grows up he just accepts Anthy's sacrifice for him as a given. Not only that, but he decides that to save her is impossible because Anthy is a "witch", a person that can never grow; she is "not a princess". From Anthy's ally he becomes Anthy's abuser and turns her into his accomplice. Then he acquires a position of power, so that he can prey on vulnerable kids. Let's highlight that all his victims are in complicated familial situations and lack support from adults:

Utena is an orphan with no family

Miki and Kozue have divorced and distant parents

Juri is lonely and struggling with her sexuality, which she is unable to disclose

Nanami and Touga are adopted and have emotionally distant parents

Saionji is implied to have no-one and to suffer of economical problems (hence why he accepts Wakaba's hospitality after his expulsion; he really has nowhere else to go)

The kids' lack of a support system is the only reason why Akio is able to go as far as he does. As a matter of fact for all of his supposed power and wisdom Akio lacks both. This is made clear in the finale:

Akio has been leaving the fighting to the kids for the whole series, so when Utena finally faces him... he feels underwhelming. You get the impression that not just Utena, but any of the kids could kick his ass. This makes sense because Akio is trying to "grow up" without putting in the emotional work and pain to do it. Everyone in the student council, Utena and Anthy have been struggling to break "their personal eggs". Akio hasn't, so by the end Utena's "prince" is far weaker of both her and Utena's past opponents.

Akio keeps blabbering about how he tricked the "stupid children". He reveals the castle in the sky was simply an illusion he created to manipulate the kids into fighting. He basically mocks Utena and everyone else for still believing in fairy tales. However, Akio himself is motivated by his own personal fairy-tale. He believes that if he uses the kids he can become a noble prince, like he used to be in the past. So, the "adult" is more childish than children because he truly believes that if he grows up he will become "a prince". He is himself a cartoonish character in his own twisted fairy tale.

Despite Akio's weakness and stupidity, he still manages to trap all the characters in a toxic illusion. This is true especially for Anthy and Utena that find themselves trapped in the characters Akio chooses for them. Akio enforces on both a sexist fairy tale, where women are either princesses (Utena) or witches (Anthy). Of course he himself (the prince) is the one who determines what a woman is. Because of this, Akio also plays the shadow of our two protagonists:

Like Akio, Utena has internalized that only "princes" are pure and noble. This is why Utena is so fixated into being a prince, rather than a princess. She truly cares for Anthy and everyone else of course. However, on some level Utena fights for Anthy and her friends because she wants to be a hero. She wants to be "pure" and "noble". On a certain level, she wants to be special and better than others. Akio represents this selfish wish of Utena and he is the worst declination possible of Utena's ideals.

Like Akio, Anthy has just accepted that the world is horrible, cycnical and evil. If her brother is the chosen prince, then Anthy is just the witch. She is a woman after all and women are there to serve men. This is why Utena can't be her prince, even if she loves Anthy and Anthy loves her. Utena is not a man. It's easy peasy. A woman can't be a prince nor save anyone. Akio represents Anthy's inability to grow up and he is who Anthy will turn out to become if she won't separate herself from him. Just an adult tormenting children.

Utena - The Anima/Animus

Utena is everyone's anima/animus. This is why she is associated both to the prince (masculine) and to the princess (feminine). She wears masculine blue clothes, but has long feminine pink hair. She is both Anthy and Wakaba's prince, but she references many fairy tales' princesses (Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Dorothy).

As everyone's anima/animus, everyone falls in love with Utena as they mature. As a matter of fact there are 4 different stages of integration with the anima/animus:

Eve > love for a nurturing/parental figure

Helen > physical attraction

Maria > infatuation and spiritual guide

Sophia > love, full integration

Of course the Student Council kids represent them 'cause... why not?

Miki > Eve (oedipal bond with Kozue)

Juri > Helen (physical attraction to Shiori)

Nanami > Maria (devotion to Touga)

Touga and Saionji > Sophia (they fully integrate)

Miki, Juri and Touga all fall for Utena as they enter a new phase of their anima/animus integration. Miki leaves Eve (Kozue, Anthy) and enters Helen (Utena). Juri leaves Helen (Shiori) and enters Maria (Utena). Touga leaves Helen (his initial physical attraction for Utena), enters Maria (a more genuine devotion for Utena) and finally reaches Sophia (his integration with Saionji). In other words, Utena motivates everyone to grow up.

At the same time, Utena too is a child that needs to grow. In particular, what Utena does throughout the whole series is to simply invert the gender roles. She is a girl, but she can kick ass! However, this is not sufficient to fully reach self-actualization, which asks for a deeper understanding of one-self and others. Utena is still a "prisoner" of gender roles that she uses to read the world and objectify others to an extent. At the same time, Utena is simply not mature enough to fully understand the complex dynamics around her. This is something she is called out on by multiple characters. She is told many times she is meddlesome, she tries to give well-meaning advices that are rather superficial for the characters' current struggles, she misses people's suffering, she is told point blank by Nanami that she is "dense" towards the end.

In short, Utena wants to help others, but she lacks maturity, which is why she is not fully successful. This trait of hers fully comes out in her relationship with Anthy, where by the end she struggles to go from Maria (full devotion) to Sophia (full integration and acceptance of the other as a person). Utena struggles to see Anthy as a person and only focuses on her as a victim. This is why by the end she is stabbed in the back by Anthy. The point is to show that Anthy herself is complex. She is a victim sure, but she is also a perpetrator. Akio has been abusing and raping her. However, Anthy has been helping Akio all along to groom Utena and the others.

It is only after this betrayal and moment of realization that Utena can fully grow up and integrate with Anthy. Utena sees Anthy in all her complexity and she still decides to fight for her. She rejects Akio's cynical understanding of adulthood (the world is cruel and there is nothing that can be done). She still fights for Anthy and tells her she should not be scared of the world, cause they can meet there. And yet, at the very end she is unable to save Anthy. For all her pain and determination Utena does not get to defeat Akio and to victoriously hold Anthy in her arms. Anthy falls and they are physically separated by Akio that has Utena leave the school. Utena does not get to be a prince. If anything, the girl's final words are "I could not become your prince".

This may sound as a defeat, but it really isn't. Utena's last words mark her first step into self-actualization. Differently from Akio, she is able to let go of this childish understanding of life and people. Just like Nanami, Utena lets go of an idealized version of herself. Nanami is not the "school princess" and Utena is not a "heroic prince". They are just people. Just like Anthy is no witch nor princess, but a person. This moment Utena goes from Maria (devotion) to Sophia (love).

Anthy - The Self

Anthy is everyone's Self. This is why her final blooming mirrors everyone's growth. Anthy's own name alludes to this, since it means "to bloom". In the end, Anthy is able to fully bloom into herself (she becomes an alchemical rose) thanks to Utena's support (Utena's name means calyx). However, she does not bloom because Utena saves her. Anthy blooms and saves herself. That is because in the end someone else can't define who you are, for better or worse. Nobody can save you, but yourself. Utena and Anthy are proof of this.

As a child, Utena is not saved by Akio or Anthy. She saves herself. She is in pain and wishes for death. However, she sees a person who is suffering like her and decides she wants to help her. Utena finds in herself the motivation to keep on living.

In the end, Anthy is not saved by Utena. What Utena does is to open the door for her. She shows Anthy life can be more than what Akio offers her. However, the final step is to be made by Anthy herself:

This simple truth is what Akio is missing. He thinks he can become an adult through someone else's struggle and pain. Still, this is not the case. This is why Anthy's final words to Akio are of condescension:

Akio:  It hasn't been that long since then, but everybody's forgotten about her completely. She didn't cause a Revolution after all. Now that she's gone, she was just a dropout to this world. I've got to rebuild the Code of the Rose Signet from scratch. I'm counting on you, Anthy. Anthy:  You don't know what happened, do you? Akio:  What? Anthy:  It's alright now. Please go on playing make-believe "Prince" in this comfortable little coffin forever. But I must go. Akio:  Go? To where? Anthy:  That person hasn't vanished. She's merely left your world. Akio:  What're you talking about? W-wait a minute! Anthy! Anthy!! Anthy:  Farewell.

The revolution did indeed happen, but Akio can't see it. He is stuck in his fairy tale, so he will never crack the egg nor escape the coffin. He will die without truly being born. He will never become an adult. Anthy and everyone else instead will. As a matter of fact in the final sequence everyone shows the signs of the revolution:

Wakaba has stepped into Utena's role with her new best friend. She is not a background character anymore. She is the "new leaf" (like her name suggests).

Miki has taken Tsuwabuki as an assistant and is teaching him how to grow up (how to handle time with the stop-watch). So, the child who does not want to grow up is now a mentor and the child who is in a rush to grow up is about to learn how.

Shiori is now a memeber of Juri's fencing team. So, she has started to cultivate her animus, so that she can develop enough to become her own tree and to stand next to Juri proudly.

Saionji and Touga are together sparring (doing metaphorical sex). Saionji is trying to catch up not physically, but academically (he is taking up more classes). He is determined to grow up healthily. Touga is shown spending time with his two closest bonds (Saionji and Nanami) in a healthy way.

Nanami is seen without her girl posse; she does a humble act for service for two people she cares about. Not only that, but her spending time with Touga and Saionji without any sign of jealousy towards Saionji shows she has overcome once and for all her obsession for Touga. She can simply love him as a little sister would.

Everyone has grown thanks to Utena.

In the very last scene, Anthy is finally able to step into the adult world aka the world where she will meet Utena again:

Anthy's final frame and line are both powerful:

Anthy is saving herself, but she is not doing this dressed up as a badass prince. If anything, she has never looked more feminine. She has no glasses, her hair is loose and she wears pink (Utena's color).

Anthy's final word is Utena and she says the name of her lover without the suffix sama. She is finally seeing herself and Utena as people on the same level. She is not Utena's princess and Utena is not her prince. They are two people in love that want to spend life together.

FLOWERS

Rosie and Lilith might share a flower-motif.

Rosie is obviously associated with roses:

Lilith often appears surrounded by flowers in official arts:

Moreover, the wiki states that Lucifer calls her Lily (even if I am not sure what exactly they are referencing). Whatever the case, given Lilith's name I would not be surprised if it were shortened in Lily by her loved ones. So, the Queen of Hell might be linked to lilies.

These associations are interesting for two reasons.

1- Flowers might be a motif shared by mother figures

After all, there is a third character whose name links her to a flower/garden:

"Carmilla" means "orchid" or "garden" and "carmine" means "red". So, Carmilla wears a red flower during the Vees' party. She is also strongly motivated by her motherly feelings and she plays the part of Vaggi's "mentor" and "mother". I would not be surprised if she ends up foiled with both Rosie and Lilith.

2- Plants and flowers bring to mind the Garden of Eden

Eve and Lilith are both created in the Garden of Eden and their stories tie with the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil:

Eve is offered the apple of free will that gives birth to Sin.

Lilith has her phone decorated with a golden tree.

TWO TREES

It's interesting that the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil that we see in the Story of Hell looks very different from the golden tree that decorates Lilith's phone. This doesn't need to mean anything specific, but out of fun let's consider two possibilities.

1- The Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge

According to the Eden myth, God creates two special trees:

The Tree of Life, whose fruits give eternal life

The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, whose fruits humans are forbidden to eat

They are both put at the centre of the Garden of Eden to symbolically represent a choice between life and death or even... between good and evil :P

2- The Tree of Good and the Tree of Evil

It's very possible Hazbin Hotel won't adapt the Tree of Life. Still, it could take inspiration from this idea and establish a Tree of Good and a Tree of Evil. Alternatively, the tree of Knowledge could change its looks to resemble either Good or Evil (after all, it is the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil). Whatever the case, let's consider Eve and Lilith's respective trees and how they appear:

Eve's tree is red and black aka Evil and Hell's color scheme

Lilith's tree is golden aka Good and Heaven's color scheme

This is pretty interesting, especially considering that Good and Evil are two entities bound to appear. Are they going to overlap with Lilith and Eve? I'm not sure about that, but it is possible the two goddesses might have some link (either plot-wise or theme-wise) with the first two women.

GOOD WOMAN VS EVIL WOMAN

The idea of the Good Woman and the Evil Woman is at the root of Eve and Lilith's myth.

Eve is usually associated with "the good woman" because she was loyal and obedient to Adam. (Even this does not stop misogynists to blame only Eve for disobeying God)

Lilith is usually associated with "the evil woman" because she rebelled against Adam and chose to join the demons of Hell.

If Rosie is Eve, this difference between her and Lilith's mythological counter-parts may be parodied by their attires.

On the one hand Rosie embodies classical femininity:

She wears traditional clothes that cover her body. Moreover, her color palette is a mix of reds and pink, both are colors associated with femininity.

On the other hand Lilith embodies a more provocative femininity:

She wears revealing clothes that are very sexy. Moreover, her color scheme uses a lot of purple, a color traditionally associated with ambiguous and powerful women.

In other words, Rosie fits the wife-archetype, while Lilith fits the seductress-archetype. The twist here is obviously that Rosie is a mysterious figure looming in the background, while Lilith is Lucifer's titular wife.

So, is it just a twist on the mythological tale? Is Rosie/Eve the bad woman and Lilith the good woman?

I feel the point is really to deconstruct these archetypes and to criticize them.

As for now, I think Rosie is set up to be a villain, but I think she will be humanized. For example, I think this moment with Charlie is genuine:

Rosie: It can be difficult to admit to things you're not proud of, especially if those things hurt the ones you love. She fucked up, sure. She's flawed. But, hey, who down here isn't? If there's anything I've learned, it's that words are cheap, but actions, they speak the truth. So, what have her actions said?

Lilith is probably going to be a positive character, but she is set up to be ambiguous and deeply flawed. For example, she has been acting very cold towards her family, despite probably loving them deeply:

Charlie: Mom would know what to do. She was always so good at this. Staying calm, being the voice of the people. Being the center of attention with everyone looking to her, to follow her. Ignoring meaningless things. And people. Lucifer: Yep. She was, uh, so good at that.

LISTENING AND SINGING

As the majority of this meta, this might be just me over-analyzing/projecting things. That said, it might be interesting if Rosie and Lilith commented on two different sides of Charlie's journey.

As I have written here, here and here, Charlie's arc is commented by her singing motif. Charlie wants to become a singer, who empowers others with her voice. Still, to succeed, she must first learn to listen.

Well, I wonder if Rosie and Lilith might somehow tie with these two different ways of "singing".

First of all, both characters are probably going to be associated with some kind of stage performance.

Rosie is strongly linked to Musical Theatre:

Lilith might be linked to cabaret. In any case, she is bound to be an ace in the three arts of musical theatre: singing, dancing and acting.

At the same time, Rosie seems to put a lot of focus on listening:

Rosie: Alright, what has you so out of sorts, Darlin? Ya clearly got more on your mind than angels Charlie: What do you do when someone you love lies to you about who they are? Rosie: Romance? My specialty! Come on, dearie. Details, details!

Rosie: Sounds like you really could do With a little reminder of who you're talking to An honest woman, always there to lend an ear I've dealt with you fairly, been patient, it's true

While Lilith is strongly associated to singing:

Charlie Morningstar: But Lilith thrived, empowering demonkind with her voice and songs. And as the numbers of Hell grew, so did its power.

So, I wonder if they are going to comment on Charlie's arc in different ways. (In general, Rosie could be a very interesting shadow to all the Morningstars, but it is too soon to elaborate on this).

THE ROSE OF SHARON AND THE LILY OF THE VALLEY

Let's finish this post by pointing out what may just be a very funny coincidence. Roses and lilies are mentioned in the Song of Solomon aka a love poem present in the Bible:

I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.

It is an erotica poem some interpret as a celebration of human love, others as a metaphor of Jesus Christ and the Love of God.

In any case, I find it pretty fun that Rosie and Lilith might be tied specifically to these two flowers. Not only that, but the poem describes a garden full of fruits (among which apples). Somehow it seems to perfectly fit the set-up of the Eden Garden in the Hellaverse as the theatre of the messiest love square ever:

SIR PENTIOUS'S REDEMPTION

Sir Pentious's redemption brings joy to both Emily and Charlie. Still, it also challenges them:

-Emily finds a Winner she can't bring happiness to because Sir Pentious's happy place is Hell:

Sir Pentious: They say time heals all wounds But the wounds are what I miss 'Cause every brush with death Meant much more than a kiss

-Charlie finds out that just because she is right about redemption, things won't immediately fall into place:

Charlie: Well, one of our guests, Sir Pentious, has been redeemed. Redemption IS possible! Which proves that the Hazbin Hotel actually works! Take that, fuckers. Vox: You can't be serious. That's... Good television! Congratulations, Princess! Bring the lucky Sinner--or should I say "Winner"--on down! Velvette, start a live broadcast. Charlie: Whoa! Wait, wait. Well, he's not... Actually here anymore since, you know, he's... in Heaven now. That's how redemption works. You go up. Vox: Oh. Then how will you prove these fantastical claims?

Like You and Speedrun To Redemption are the two girls' attempts to deal with these unforeseen situations.

LIKE YOU

Like You deals with two themes:

Happiness aka Emily's key theme

Identity aka Season 2's main theme

MATERIAL HAPPINESS

Emily's goal is to make Sir Pentious happy:

Emily: No. No, I'm here for you. And you'll love being in heaven.

Initially, she tries to convince him he will find new friends in no time:

Emily: You're gonna make so many new friends here Potential amigos around every corner

However, as the song keeps going, she shifts the focus towards Heaven's best features:

Emily, Abel, and St. Peter: Scented candles Ponies Marshmallow Discotheques! Sir Pentious: Do you have enriched uranium? Emily and Abel: No! But we got a unicorn polo stadium! St. Peter: Christmas romcoms all year long at the Multi-plex! Abel: I'm in love with you Santa Claus Emily, Abel, and St. Peter: Five stars!

Emily, Abel, and St. Peter: So wave your lonely days bye You big weird lonely snake guy Beagles! Sprinkles! Friendship! Guinea pigs! Churros! Pangolins! Everyone will like you 'cuz no one here is like you

And we are shown the Kingdom's different attractions:

In other words, Sir Pentious asks Emily for something deep and existential:

Sir Pentious: Yes, um, I really just want to see my friends. I want to know that they're okay.

And is offered something shallow and materialistic:

Emily, Abel, and St. Peter: We literally will (Sir Pentious: No, no, no, no, no) Have forever to chill (Sir Pentious: NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!)

As a result, our snake progressively spirals throughout the song.

In the first part of Like You, Sir Pentious breaks and steals the wonderful things Emily shows him, so that he can go back to Hell. His wish is highlighted both by the lyrics:

Sir Pentious: I'll get back to my friends Once I gradate the voltage and calibrate this lens I will find a way To quantize this frequency Updrive the peak speed So I can see them today!

And by the visuals:

Sir Pentious and Emily fly upside down to convey Sir Pentious's inner desire to go "downstairs". Moreover, the frame shows how little our serpent fits in Heaven.

In the climax of Like You, the transition of the scene in the Multiplex to the one in Sir Pentious's lab shows our snake move downwards on the screen to symbolize his attempt to go "back down". Sir Pentious's own lab is a call back to his old Sinner's self, as it is a strange place made with stolen things. Not only that, but the invention he is working on is a drill (something to go down) in juxtaposition with the blimp (something to go up) that he built in Hell.

However, Sir Pentious's escape plan fails and the Winner is told he can't leave Heaven:

Emily: Yeah, I forgot to mention You're not able to leave

So, in the second part of the song, he grows more and more desperate until he tries to shoot himself. By the end of the song, Sir Pentious is as unhappy as ever, which is exactly the opposite of what Emily hoped to accomplish:

Emily: Ooh, maybe that didn't help actually.

IDENTITY AS EXCEPTIONALITY

Emily's main thesis is that Sir Pentious should be happy because he is exceptional:

Emily: 'Cause no one here is like you Not one remotely like you You've got mystique You're strange and unique

So, of course everybody is going to like him:

Emily: You'll make pals come hither With every hiss and slither Evеryone will like you 'Cause no one here is like you

This implies two things:

1- The friends Sir Pentious loves and misses are below the people of Heaven. Or at least they can be easily replaced:

Emily: No bullies or bums, the chums are tens here! It'll be a breezy piece of cake to form your Brand new squad, crew, or clique If you want some buddies You'll have your pick

Emily uses terms associated to "cool" people, like "clique". Moreover she highlights that Heaven has no bullies nor bums and that everyone is a ten. So, why should Sir Pentious look for company elsewhere?

2- Sir Pentious has value because he is exceptional. He is special, one of a kind, a "Winner":

Ironically these two ideas go against the way Sir Pentious redeemed himself.

On the one hand Sir Pentious overcomes his flaw thanks to the love for his friends.

In life, Pendleton is alone, so he has no drive to overcome his cowardice. In death, Sir Pentious finds friends that inspire him to be better. To disregard Sir Pentious's friends (the people he changed for) means to disregard his redemption (his change).

On the other hand Sir Pentious's transformation starts because he gives up the idea of being a "winner".

When he is introduced, our snake is focused on personal success. He wants to be a respected figure in Hell, which is why he fights Alastor and serves the Vees. He fails miserably and gets ready to be hurt or killed. Still, Charlie sees value in him despite his mistakes. She accepts him when he is at his worst and this makes Sir Pentious's growth possible. So, Sir Pentious isn't inherently exceptional. He is human, he has flaws and weaknesses. Still, he is told he can be more than a failure and this makes him the first redeemed soul.

In general, the idea that you are someone, only if you are exceptional is highly toxic. And yet, it is a belief deeply rooted in Heaven, to the point the human souls there are called "Winners". They reach salvation because they are inherently "good" and "special". They are the "chosen ones". This way of seeing things leads to two problems.

1-People are not "good" because they behave morally, but simply because they are in Heaven.

Like You even jokes about it. Sir Pentious is weird (he's strange and unique). At the same time, he is in Heaven, so his strangeness is not condemned, but seen as cool, almost "exotic" (he's got mystique):

Emily, Abel, and St. Peter: No one here schemes like you (Sir Pentious: I'm coming, Cherri!) Sheds skin or blasphemes like you (Sir Pentious: I'll see you in Hell!) In no time we shall become your best pals!

And yet, what Sir Pentious is doing is "technically bad". He is stealing and building potentially dangerous things:

Charlie: He invented the best things. Even though a lot were scary weapons that hurt people. But we were working on that.

However, there is no moral condemnation whatsoever. He is excused because he is the first redeemed Winner.

Now, this is not a big problem when it comes to our lovable snake. Still, it becomes a problem, when thinking about people like Adam:

Adam: Fair is fair, an eye for an eye! And when all's said and done (Said and done) There's the question of fun (Ah-ah) And for those of us with Divine Ordainment Extermination is entertainment!

Adam kills innocents, abuses other angels and mistreats his soldiers. And yet, he is excused because he is the first Winner.

2-Winners are the best of the best. They are special, successful, even hot! So, of course they must be happy. Super-duper happy, right?

Charlie: I hear things in Heaven are going well. Panic among the winners subsided quickly. I guess it’s easy to let things go when you live in paradise.

And yet, Sir Pentious makes clear this is not the case. He was happier in Hell and now that he is in Heaven he feels lost and out of place. It turns out that to be in "Heaven" is not enough to be "happy" and that to be a "Winner" is not enough to be "yourself".

WELCOME TO HEAVEN

Like You highlights a simplistic idea of both happiness (as materialistic) and identity (as personal success).

So, is Emily such a shallow person that she likes only popular people and thinks of herself as exceptional? Obviously no. She is the "Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven", after all. She genuinely cares for others, Sinners included, and she even risks her life for everyone in the finale.

So, why does she sing such a superficial song? There are two reasons.

1- Emily's Like You shows us Heaven's shallowness. The people in there are not bad, but they live in such a privileged society they don't realize how disconnected they are from what is truly important. This is true even for a character as positive and altruistic as Emily.

2- The Little Seraphim's misguided song shows how naive she still is. She has yet to gain a deeper understanding of concepts like "good", "evil" and "happiness".

These two ideas are already hinted at back in Welcome to Heaven, which is the same genre (house music) and has the same function (welcome song) of Like You:

1- On the one hand Welcome to Heaven presents the Kingdom as perfect and emphasizes that:

St. Peter and Emily: 'Cause every single day in Heaven is a happy day

On the other hand there are already cracks in Heaven's performance.

Like Sera's fake enthusiasm:

Sera: Of course, it is just temporary I'm sorry you can't stay

And Saint Peter's exhaustion after the song:

St. Peter and Emily: Welcome to Heaven St. Peter: Yeah! *panting*

This forced performance hints at the fact that basically no-one is happy in Heaven:

1- Adam is unfulfilled, still obsessed with Lucifer and Lilith and resorts to attack Hell to "entertain" himself

2- Lute... do I even need to go there? The girl ain't alright :P

3- Sera is crushed by pressure, fear and guilt

4- Abel is a nervous wreck and in all his years in Heaven he could not fix his relationship with Adam

5- Saint Peter is stuck looking after the Pearly Gates and is looked down by others

6- Lucifer... again, do I even need to go there? He literally falls and becomes the devil :P

7- Vaggi... brainwashed child soldier, loses an eye, is stripped of her wings and abandoned... Heaven is surely the best place ever for her!

2- Emily is the only one who is not acting in Welcome To Heaven.

Differently from Sera, she is genuinely welcoming of Charlie:

Emily: Gosh, I'm so pleased to show some outsiders around After you see our realm, you'll never wanna go back down

Differently from Saint Peter, she doesn't pant after the song.

In short, Emily is the only angel who is truly happy in Heaven. This is thanks to Sera, for better or worse:

Emily: Sera, tell me that you didn't know Sera: I thought, since I'm older It's my load to shoulder Emily: No... Sera: You have to listen It was such a hard decision I wanted to save you the anguish it takes to Do what was required... Emily: To think that I admired you Well, I don't need your condescension I'm not a child to protect Was talk of virtue just pretension? Was I too naive to expect you To heed the morals you're purveying?

On the one hand Sera teaches Emily the right morals. On the other hand the High Seraphim doesn't practice what she preaches and hides inconvenient truths from Emily. As a result, the younger Seraphim keeps herself innocent, both in the sense she is a good person and in the sense she is immature.

In conclusion, Emily is good, but naive. In order to grow she needs to face complexity and hard truths. However, she finds herself in a Kingdom where everyone performs, but her. This is why her meeting with Sir Pentious is so important. Our snake is the only other angel that refuses to perform. He won't play the part of the "happy winner", when he is heartbroken. He makes his sadness known and challenges Emily to do better.

In the end our little Seraphim does manage to help Sir Pentious, not by doing something incredible, but simply by being there for him:

Emily: You also have at least one friend here, Pen. One super fun, silly, very cool friend. Me! I'm talking about me.

She becomes Sir Pentious's first friend in Heaven, spends time with him and invites him to help in the Heaven and Hell's conflict. Finally, she becomes Sir Pentious's link with Hell (she is a true angel aka a "messenger" :P). In the end, it is not Emily's song that helps Sir Pentious feel welcomed, but her humanity.

SPEEDRUN TO REDEMPTION

Speedrun To Redemption deals with two themes:

Redemption aka Charlie's key theme

Identity aka Season 2's main theme

It explores these ideas through two motifs:

A performance metaphor - Charlie is the director and Angel is the star

A school metaphor - Charlie is the teacher and Angel is a child/student

REDEMPTION

Redemption as a Performance

Speedrun To Redemption is a performance Charlie puts together to impress the Vees. This is why the song starts with Vox and Velvette ready to record Charlie and Angel:

Vox: Alright! Show me redemption.

And then Charlie starts the music like an orchestra director would:

The lights are switched on:

And Charlie directs them towards Angel:

This whole set-up makes clear Charlie and Angel are "performing" for the cameras. They have to leave a strong impression and to convince the Vees. The problem with this approach is that it puts Angel on the spot. This is shown by the use of two different "entertainment-metaphors" linked to Charlie:

Musical theatre (Lilith/the singing world)

A carnival (Lucifer)

On the one hand Angel is put on a theatre stage. On the other hand Charlie is wearing a Carnival outfit and advertising her "attraction" with a megaphone.

Angel becomes both the "star" pestered by the medias:

And the target of a Dunk Tank attraction:

In short, Charlie takes a moment that should be highly intimate and personal for Angel and turns it into a freak-show, which humiliates both her friend and herself.

The Redemption Formula

Speedrun to Redemption is a "checklist of good deeds" that Charlie forces Angel to do:

Charlie: Step one, say you'll get it done Make redemption your resolution Angel Dust: Fine Charlie: Step two, bid the booze adieu (Angel Dust: Hey!) A sober mind's primed for absolution Step three, dignity! Try dressing more modestly! Step four, feed the poor! Demon: Hey, ain't you that fancy whore? Charlie: Five, six, seven, eight Come on, buddy, concentrate! Change some babies! And Help old ladies across the street! Isn't he sweet?

This idea is expressed through two sets of imagery.

A school-lesson:

Some visual details that I love in this frame:

Charlie wears a Mortarboard, so she is not exactly a teacher, but an older and more experienced student.

Angel has an apple on his desk, which works as a healthy snack for a child in elementary school, but it is also because they are studying "sin" (apple = the first sin).

In the frame before this Charlie wields a pointer that also resembles an orchestra director's baton, tying the two main motifs of the song together.

A board game for children:

It was probably unintentional, but I like that the game Road To Redemption is similar to games like the Goose Game (Lucifer's duck symbolism) or Snake And Ladders (Sir Pentious climbed the ladder first, while Lucifer is the first fallen angel, etc.)

Both the school motif and the board game motif make the point rather clear. Charlie sees Angel as a child to educate, but she is child-like herself. The overall childishness of the song is conveyed also musically, as it uses instruments like wood-blocks that are typical of elementary school.

In short, Charlie's approach to redemption is that of a child and it is too simplistic. That is why she finds herself at the end of the lesson and at the end of the game with zero results:

Charlie: Step ten, do one through nine again (Angel Dust: Again?)

Consider the frame above -The board is full of question marks and unfinished schematics. Moreover, the light at the window shows it is already evening. The overall frame implies they spent a whole day only to find themselves back at square one.

There is no solution to the equation and no way to win the game. What happens is simply that she and Angel get caught in a melody that goes faster and faster and leads to no catharsis, but to chaos:

Charlie: Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen Better, nicer, faster, quickly!

Consider the scene above - It reminds me of the Community Fire Pizza Meme (the visuals) and of the song Harder Better Faster Stronger (the lyrics). Overall it is also deeply ironic, as Charlie is trying to lead Angel to Heaven, but she herself is in a blazing Hell.

IDENTITY

Playing a Character

In Speedrun To Redemption Charlie forces a part on Angel. Specifically towards the end of the song she has him play Sir Pentious:

Charlie: Wear this top hat, and build a rocket You gotta commit! Sssstart ssspeaking like thisss! Have depression! An egg obsession! And a leathery hood! Then you'll be good for good! Then save a friend from a certain demise— oh, fuck! Maybe the key is self-sacrifice! If you offer up your life with pure intentions! We'll speedrun from here to redemption!

This is important for both Angel's character and Charlie herself.

For Angel - Angel's arc has an "acting" motif. To be precise this art comments the difference between performance as repression and performance as self-expression. In Speedrun To Redemption Angel is being forced to repress who he is, so that he can become someone better. Basically, Charlie is uncounsciously doing out of panic exactly what the Vees accuse her of:

Velvette: Is it true you believe that Sinners need to change "literally everything about themselves" in order to be redeemed?

For Charlie - Charlie is forcing Angel to perform because she is herself performing. Once again the visuals make this clear:

As the frame above shows, it is not just Angel that has the spotlight on himself, but Charlie too.

In other words, Charlie needs Angel to be a better version of himself and succeed, so that she herself can be a better version of herself and succeed. She wants this so much that she doesn't care if either Angel or herself have to discard their own identities. This is no surprise because deep down Charlie doesn't want to face who she truly is.

A Wounded Inner Child

Charlie chooses to play a teacher and her performance tells us exactly who she is deep down: a wounded child. This is made clear the moment Charlie's mask cracks and it is shown how naive she is:

Charlie: You can be good! For good! (Angel Dust: Woah!)

Charlie: Just in case the angels in charge didn't notice!

She speaks of "being good for good", which is a very fairy-tale way of thinking. Kinda like "happily ever after".

She has Angel going through the steps twice in case "the angels in charge didn't notice". Except that Heaven has no idea of how this works either and there is literally no-one in charge on their side.

This is no surprise, as Charlie's childhood wounds are clearly at the heart of her character:

Vaggie: Did you hear from your mom yet? (...) Oof… how long has it been now? Charlie: Not that long, only...seven....years, off doing something important, I'm sure! But, this kingdom was something she really cared about. Something I care about.

Charlie: No, we just have never been close. After he and mom split, he never really wanted to see me. He calls... sometimes, but only if he's bored or like, needs me to do something.

Charlie is deep down a neglected child. This is why her way to care for Sinners involves treating them as little kids. She is projecting on them and nurturing them like her inner child wished she was cared for by her parents. However, since she herself has still to fully grow up she comes off as excessively childish and even annoying.

IT STARTS WITH SORRY AND SIR PENTIOUS

Speedrun To Redemption gives us an idea of redemption, which is performative and simplistic. At the same time, it shows us what Charlie is going through emotionally and why she is screwing up. To end this section it is useful to compare:

Charlie's performance in Speedrun To Redemption to her one in It Starts With Sorry

Charlie and Sir Pentious's way to deal with redemption and grief

1- In It Starts With Sorry Charlie acts both differently and similarly to how she does in Speedrun To Redemption.

Charlie acts differently in the two songs because she is more genuine in It Starts With Sorry than she is in Speedrun To Redemption. This happens because she is under no pressure to perform. She simply sees a person in pain and tries to help him.

When it comes to this, let's compare these two moments:

Charlie and Sir Pentious: It'll take time to cover (Sir Pentious: My vast multitude of sins) (Charlie: Your vast multitude of sins) But sorry is where it begins

Charlie: Come on, Angel! You're far from shameful Just misunderstood!

On the one hand they are very similar. Both have Charlie and a Sinner holding hands and a background depicting a meteorologic phenomenon ("sinful clouds" for Pentious and "hopeful sun" for Angel). Moreover, in both scenes Charlie is genuinely encouraging both of her friends. In fact, this is the only moment in Speedrun To Redemption where Charlie shows to genuinely believe in Angel.

On the other hand Sir Pentious is taking part in the song, while Angel isn't. Sir Pentious by that point is singing and dancing together with Charlie. Angel is instead not given the chance to sing and a second later Charlie pulls him into an uncoordinated twirl and turns him into an unwilling attraction for the Vees.

At the same time Charlie acts the same in the two songs because she has a naive understanding of redemption in both:

Charlie Morningstar: It starts with sorry That's your foot in the door One simple sorry Spoken straight from your core

In It Starts With Sorry too she treats Sir Pentious as a child and the music itself is sweet, but again childish. There is nothing wrong with it, as it lets Charlie and Pentious connect. I would argue that sometimes the ingenuity of a child is what's needed to change things and to face a problem. Still, Charlie's understanding of redemption can't stop there:

Charlie: Angel, I'm so sorry. Can we please talk-- Angel Dust: You know, "sorry" starts to lose meaning after a while, Charlie.

Redemption starts with sorry, but it doesn't end there, as a wise Snake tells us :P

2- Charlie and Sir Pentious are both going through grief in their respective songs.

Sir Pentious grieves Cherri and his friends

Charlie grieves Sir Pentious

However, their way to deal with grief is very different.

Sir Pentious faces his grief and makes it known. He is not scared to express his sadness, which lets him seek help and eventually deal with his current situation in a healthy way. He finds a new friend in Emily and tries to do the best he can to live well in Heaven. This lets him develop the clarity of mind and emotional intelligence needed to help Sera out:

Sir Pentious: It starts with sorry Though it cannot just end there I learned from Charlie First, you must prove you care Mistakes are innate to being human and alive We fall, we repent, we survive

He takes Charlie's teachings and deepens them because he is able to face himself and his own mistakes. He knows the fear Sera feels because he is scared too. The Winner can help the Seraphim precisely because they are both people and none of them is God.

Charlie is instead unable to face her grief, which is why it comes out in bad ways. In particular, Charlie has a layered system of projection going on.

First of all, she projects her grief over Sir Pentious on Angel by forcing the Spider to try and become like the Serpent.

Secondly, Charlie's grief over Pentious is a wound that triggers her on a deep level because she associates the loss of her friend with the abandonment of her mom. In general, Charlie associates people leaving with Lilith leaving:

Charlie: But it's not okay. I got so caught up in all the drama and my mom. Look, this hotel was my way of finishing what she started, and I think I've been trying so hard to hold on to it because if I can make it work, maybe she'd be… proud of me. And maybe she'd come back and tell me what I did to make her leave. But all I've done is drive everyone away. Sir Pentious, Husk, Alastor, my dad. Everybody leaves.

In other words, in Speedrun To Redemption Charlie has Angel become Sir Pentious because she misses her friend. At the same time, Charlie misses her mom so much that her solution is to become Lilith. Charlie unconsciously believes that if she becomes her ideal self (Lilith) everything will be fixed (herself, her family, the world).

And yet, Charlie is not Lilith. If anything Charlie's performance in Speedrun To Redemption makes clear Charlie is much like Lucifer:

Lucifer: You're actin' out Like you want teacher's attention Well, I'm the principal of this eternal detention I hope you had your fun, but son It's time to ring the bell

It is not by chance that both father and daughter use the same metaphor to deal with Sinners. Sure, Lucifer presents himself as the stern teacher and Charlie like the sweet and understanding one. Still, both position themselves as superior to the Sinners.

In general, Charlie's desire to be like Lilith and her struggle to accept how much she is like Lucifer are an ongoing conflict:

ITS CRAZY LIKE THERES LIKE NOTHING OF LILITH IN THIS CHILD. LUCIFERS DUMBASS GENES MUST BE SO STRONG (A random text comment during Charlie's TV interview in episode 4)

These issues are probably going to be explored and evolve throughout the series. What's sure is that Charlie needs to face herself and to accept she is her own person, not her parents. There lies the key for Charlie's identity. Exactly like Angel not being Sir Pentious is where the key to Angel's redemption is:

Charlie: He's not Pentious. Maybe... maybe that's it! Okay, we have been trying to re-create Pentious' redemption but maybe... Maybe what he did redeemed HIS own sin! That's why it didn't work for Angel. All we need to do is have Angel act against HIS sins!

WINNER AND SINNER

Let's now focus a little bit on Sir Pentious and Angel. These two characters are set up as foils since early on and Like You and Speedrun To Redemption keep this foiling go. Throughout the two songs Winner and Sinner end up being juxtaposed.

Sir Pentious is told he is better off since there are no people like Angel around:

Emily, Abel, and St. Peter: And no one here's addicted to crack!

Angel is told to become like Sir Pentious:

Charlie: Step twelve, what the hell? Pentious was redeemed by now!

So, Angel is bad and should try to change himself completely to get into Heaven, right? And yet, there is already someone in that Kingdom probably missing Angel:

In short, both Heaven and Hell operate through a black and white morality system. And yet, things are not as easy, which is why Like You and Speedrun To Redemption find their respective thematic counterpoint in Loser, Baby (a Hell song) and Sera's Confession (a Heaven song).

LOSER, BABY AND SERA'S CONFESSION

Loser, Baby

Like You claims it is great to be above others because you are special:

Emily: 'Cause no one here is like you Not one remotely like you You've got mystique You're strange and unique

Loser, Baby says it is okay to be a loser as long as you are not alone:

Husk: You're a loser, baby A loser, goddamn baby You're a fucked up little whiny bitch Angel Dust: Hey! Husk: You're a loser, just like me

As a side note, let's highlight Speedrun To Redemption too references Loser, Baby a little bit to emphasize the difference between Charlie and Husk's approaches in helping Angel.

On the one hand Charlie has Angel give up booze and wear more modest clothes:

Charlie: Step two, bid the booze adieu (Angel Dust: Hey!) A sober mind's primed for absolution

On the other hand Husk typically chats with Angel while they get drinks and tells him to embrace his inner loser:

Sera's Confession

In Speedrun To Redemption Charlie looks for redemption outside through a performance and a series of "good deeds". Moreover, she sings in Angel's place and even uses a megaphone to make her voice louder:

In Sera's Confession the Speaker says that to find redemption a soul must look inside. Moreover, she makes clear that redemption can be found only by a person finding their own voice:

Speaker of God: You speak of choices Made by other voices You can only atone (Sera: Tell me how to atone!) Once you speak with your own

CONCLUSION: HEAVEN AND HELL

Like You and Speedrun To Redemption are two songs that highlight:

Emily and Charlie's flaws

Heaven and Hell's need for integration

1-Emily and Charlie (microcosm)

Emily and Charlie have jobs that deal with complex ideas (happiness and redemption), but they are still too inexperienced to properly "teach" others about these concepts. In particular:

Emily can't properly understand happiness because she is already happy and doesn't have to question what makes a person happy

Charlie can't properly understand redemption because she struggles to accept her own flaws, which makes it difficult for her to empathize with others' weaknesses

In short, Emily will have to experience sadness for herself, while Charlie will have to face her own "sins".

2-Heaven and Hell (macrocosm)

Heaven and Hell are two imperfect Kingdoms that should stop fighting each other and start integrating. Interestingly, this integration involves also Emily, Charlie and their respective themes.

Emily is supposed to bring happiness in Heaven, but her most important song so far is Hear My Hope, which starts Heaven's redemption:

Emily: Hear my hope Let it echo In every soul that needs Something to believe

Charlie wants to redeem Hell, but her signature song is "Happy Day In Hell", which gets a reprise at the end of season 1, where everyone sings about the hope of happiness to come:

Everyone: We can do this (Charlie: We can do this) We'll be better (Charlie: We'll be better) Though redemption may take a while (Charlie: Though it may take a while) Wayward sinners, clear their ledger Alastor: And we're doing it with a smile Charlie: Al! Angel, Vaggie, and Niffty: Yeah! Lucifer: Oh this guy... Charlie: We'll make a difference, wait and see Charlie and Vaggie: We're gonna do this, you and me Everyone: And then tomorrow it will be a fuckin' happy day in Hell!

Finally, it's fun to see how both in 1x2 and 2x2 Sir Pentious finds himself breaking down and crying on the floor: