It must be insanaly exhausting to be Anthy during the Black Rose arc. Anthy certainly had it tough all the time, but that especially. Be nice school-girl, act like an obedient rose bride, manipulate the twink by playing his dead boyfrienc, manipulate all the other duelists, yet be there for Utena, keep "visiting" Akio, day and night, again and again. She must play three roles simultaneously: for Mikage, for Utena, for Akio. Not only 24/7 work but also, all of them worsening each other.
She is not only forced to act in the different stages of the cycle of abuse, but also, she is fully aware of that. She is abused by Akio. She must keep driving Mikage further into insanity and fooling him, just exploiting him AS WELL AS simultaneously being nice "bride" to Utena, very much aware of how Mikage is what Utena is on her way to become. She switches from "Mamiya" to "Anthy" and back, but never can escape the role where she is forced to be the one who must eventually break the other one.
I have said it earlier and I further emphasize it: one of the most tragic aspects in Anthy's character is not only how much she is abused but how on the top of that, she must be the enabling force of the abuse herself. She is only allowed to live with different masks and never in the show is it more concrete than in the BR arc, where she has the widest variety of those. Endless work shift of nightmare.
Only afterwards can one see the meaning of the small scene (in the episode 22?) where completely exhausted Anthy takes Utena's hand in her sleep. It is a little, temporary moment of peace for her.
sugurugetos
stormborns
snowghoul
yousharknotpass
