I'm cool I swear

Female spiders, sit down! Next, male spiders, sit down! Are you ready, spiders?

SOMEWHERE SOMEHOW (2025) | EP 12

Somewhere Somehow - episode 1

Kee trying and failing (again) to tell Peem how she feels

Bonus: because the voice over for this had me creasing:

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PBS: Language as Prejudice - Myth #6: Women Talk Too Much (via misandry-mermaid)

Every EVERY women’s studies class I’ve been in has had this problem and failed to address it. 

pros: yay! i finally look like a guy! people think im a man!

The most important aspect of RGU, to me, as a story that centers on grooming specifically, is that it does not shy away from the fact that its victims can "enjoy" many individual moments of the process. The entire point of grooming is to make the victim okay with what is happening, to convince them that this is what they want too. When grooming is successful, they do, even if their feelings change later with more awareness. It's normal to be curious about and enjoy eroticism as a young person, but abusers will take advantage of that. They will try to convince you that your desires are the same as their desires.

Its so important because this aspect is weaponized against victims by those who should be helping them as well as the groomer themself. It's why Anthy is a "witch" according to the world. Utena tells Anthy that for a moment she felt betrayed by her, as if they were rival women competing for the same man. Akio tells Utena she's just as bad as him because she didn't reject his advances. Akio tells Utena that this is what Anthy *wants.*

Countless young people have been successfuly labeled as "obsessive" or "sex-crazed" and forced to take the blame while their abusers live freely. Countless young people have been convinced that is who they are because they didn't hate every single moment spent with their abuser.

the rich symbolism

the suspense

starting in the middle and not expositing the rules of the crazy world they live in, so we the viewer are as baffled as utena, our POV character

not explaining it clearly to the audience, not making it easily digestible to the audience

you have to pay attention. you have to look for clues. in order to understand it fully, you really have to watch it more than once

the references to specific art movements (that leave a deep impression even if you're not familiar with them, even if you've never seen Funeral Parade of Roses (1969)), references to Japanese theater and shadow-puppetry.

pulling off such a sophisticated, stylish story on a shoestring budget. leaning into not being able to afford that many frames by intentionally using repetition of scenes, and scenes with limited movement

so good. so relevant to this day.

and then getting a budget to do a movie version of it, where they retold the story in its enterity rather than doing some goofy one-off side quest story. (or a sequel. a sequel is impossible. a sequel is a different show.)

These two must have done a lot of exploring after the war 👀