#akio

something i think about a lot is the way utena twists and subverts the idea of the chosen one protagonist. from the very first sequence in the very first episode, utena is set up to be special in this way. in her past she met this mythical figure, the prince, and it is her destiny to meet him again. eventually we of course start to suspect that this isn't really the case, that there's something else going on, but the narrative still leaves us for a long time with the impression that there is something special and important about utena. she's the dueling champion after all! she keeps winning, seemingly through magic. but, as it turns out, it's all an illusion and a lie. she isn't, and never could have been, this larger than life hero figure. she's just some kid. and the only way in which she was ever "chosen" was by a predator picking out his prey. using this exact narrative about the special and important and heroic to isolate her and gain her trust. and not even in this is she particularly unique. she just happens to be the most vulnerable, the most convenient, of his targets.

A Homecoming {Opener for Akio}