[ SECRET POST #3027 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #3027 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 04 pages, 099 secrets from Secret Submission Post #433.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[fscom]

14. http://oi62.tinypic.com/fm455l.jpg

[(Anonymous)]

I feel similarly, OP. Even though I hadn't seen it early in my anime watching days, I've still never found anything that tops my feelings for Utena. I don't really know if it's out there, tbh. Most other anime I've heard mentioned in comparison to Utena that I've tried have disappointed. (especially Princess Tutu, oh my god)

That said: Assuming you've watched Ikuhara's other shows (Penguindrum, Yurikuma), The Woman Called Fujiko Mine is another favorite of mine? I could probably rewatch it forever, though I know opinions on it are pretty divided. I've heard good things about Sayo Yamamoto's work in general, actually, but I haven't watched anything else by her yet.

OP

[(Anonymous)]

I've seen Princess Tutu and Penguindrum. I liked Tutu because I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was, but Penguindrum was disappointing for me because my expectations were too high!

Yurikuma might be a little too weird for me... I saw the first couple episodes and I was just like "wut, Ikuhara?" I do intend to finish it eventually... I'll check out "The Woman Called Fujiko Mine", though! She did Mitchiko to Hatchin?? Okay, definitely need to look at that one.

[(Anonymous)]

Utena is one of the best anime ever made, there are very few shows that can be as good as Utena is. And if you liked it for the symbolism and feminism themes, it's even more difficult (if not impossible) to find something that can be compared to Utena.

You can try Legend of the Galactic Heroes, it's considered by many to be the best anime. But it's very long and it's about politics and war so maybe that's not your thing.

OP

[(Anonymous)]

Hmm, I've heard it's good, but I have a hard time committing to anything to more than a couple seasons. I might check it out if I get miserably sick for a couples weeks or something, haha.

[silverr]

I guess it depends on what it is about Utena that you love? The worldbuilding, the characterizations, the music, the aesthetic, the shoujo ai, the sparkling threads of WTFery?

The only anime I've ever seen that had me watching with the sort of slack-jawed adoration that Utena inspired was Gankutsuou but it's about as similar to Utena as Tutu is. :p

OP

[(Anonymous)]

Oh, I loved Gankutsuou. It's definitely in my top ten.

[type_wild]

Penguindrum for the brilliant mindfuck.

Princess Tutu for the twisted fairy-tale.

Romeo x Juliet for the swordfighting tomboy.

Ouran High School Host Club for the setting.


All fine shows, but none combine all those elements like Utena does it.

OP

[(Anonymous)]

I've seen Penguindrum and Tutu, and enjoyed them both.

I couldn't get more than a few episodes into Romeo x Juliet, but I might give it another shot.

Ouran I never found funny, unfortunately. Apparently this means my sense of humor is broken.

[ariakas]

Unfortunately, yeah, Utena is one of the best anime ever made, and a perennial classic. Sucks that you started with that, because it's going to be hard to top, probably forever.

That said I'm sure there's other great anime out there. The Kenshin OAVs (at least the first two) were absolutely fantastic if you like historical dramas. I'd rate Millennium Actress pretty highly, too. The original Record of Lodoss War, the original Ghost in the Shell movie... Hrm.

OP

[(Anonymous)]

Seen everything by Satoshi Kon, seen Lodoss (original and the remake), and every Ghost in the Shell thing ever made. GitS is easily my second favourite show after Utena.

I never did watch the Kenshin OAVs... I read most of the manga and got tired of all the typical shounen manga tropes by halfway through the final arc. I hear the OAV has a very different tone, though. I'll check it out.

[dahli]

Mmmmmhhhh I think it depends on what you're looking for and if you're gonna keep comparing them to Uthena. Mononoke is a personal favorite of mine and will rec it to hell and back. And seconding Princess Tutu.

...I dunno, my advice would be go in with low expectations and don't expect the second coming of Utena? Anime is quite varied, after all.

OP

[(Anonymous)]

Oh! I've been meaning to see Mononoke but I totally forgot about it. I'll give it a shot.

[(Anonymous)]

In the 90's Kunihiko Ikuhara had such great (although limited) output. I'm always so disappointed in his new stuff. It's like, what happened? :(

[(Anonymous)]

There aren't many animes like Utena that I've found, I mean that is part of what made it a hit of it's time and a classic now.

Have you watch the original Sailor Moon? It might seem like a weird recommendation since it's not the same type of series but Kunihiko Ikuhara worked on Sailor Moon as well as Utena and I find a lot of people tend to like both those series. Sailor Moon has some pretty emotionally powerful episodes as well.

[(Anonymous)]

Princess Tutu definitely.

There's a newer anime/manga that I really enjoy at the moment, it's called 'Yona of the Dawn". It's kind of like Fushigi Yuugi mixed with Furuba, but also different. It's about a princess who grew up with her cousin and a guy who later became her bodyguard and whose father was a kind king, hated weapons and violence and whatnot. She's spoiled at first, but something sinister happens and she's forced to flee the castle with her bodyguard.

The story then picks up about how her father was not a good king, despite his good nature/kindness. She ends up going on a journey of survival with her bodyguard and learns to live she has to find the four reincarnated dragon warriors who promised to serve/love the crimson dragon king, who she is the reincarnation of, but doesn't believe herself to be. Right now in the story it deals with Yona becoming stronger in order to protect the people who protected her, her struggling with learning to use weapons despite her father's own morals, and fixing the problems in her kingdom caused by her father.

The characters are all really nice, too, and the character development is strong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pcG80gNuQ8

[(Anonymous)]

What about Rose of Versailles? It's pretty old (I think late 60's) and it shows, but it's got its charm.

[hamimi_fk]

I came across this article just yesterday that talks about the similarities between Utena and Kill la Kill. I haven't read it all the way because I don't want to spoil KlK for myself (I'm 4 episodes in) but it might be worth checking out.

[ex_earthshaker594]

I don't think I could add to any of the recs already made, but I would second Rose of Versailles, if you're looking for an anime that isn't--well, very "anime". It depends on what you liked about Utena. I love it, but most of my nerd friends who like it or a series like Cowboy Bebop enjoy them because "they're not very anime," which may be your feeling. There are a lot of style elements that Utena uses beyond what is traditionally seen in the genre, so it can definitely feel different from something like Princess Tutu (which I also love). If that's the case, movies are going to be your best bet. Millennium Actress is another great one already mentioned, and most of Kon's other work is solid. Mamoru Hosoda is fun for spectacle, too.

[(Anonymous)]

There won't be. Not because Utena is the absolute best anime ever, but you've liked it too long for anything to top it.

It's still good though.

[(Anonymous)]

I haven't found another Utena either. I tried Penguindrum and gave up half way, recently spoiled it for myself and was glad I didn't finish it. And tbh the newest one by Ikuhara Kunihiko, Yuri Kuma Arashi, fell flatter to me than Penguindrum... but it's only 12 episodes so not a total time suck to try and see if you'd like it.

It may sound weird but the only thing that sort of resembles Utena to me is Evangelion, for nostalgia mindfuckery symbolism reasons.

[(Anonymous)]

I never actually found Tutu that similar to Utena, outside of certain very general themes. Neat stuff, and I can see why people recommend one to fans of the other, but what they do is pretty different.

I love them both in any case! Though I'm the opposite of OP, with Princess Tutu being my favorite ever.

Transcript

[(Anonymous)]

Image: Utena, sniffing a rose

Text: I’ve been an anime fand for over ten years, but I never found a show I loved more than this one.

it’s one of the shows that got me into anime, but it got my expectations too high. I’ve always been hoping for a show to impress me like Utena did.

None have.

(feel free to rec me things you think could match Utena in my estimation.)

[(Anonymous)]

not anime, but... verhoeven's showgirls! If you're the type of utena-fan who isn't easily offended by BEWBS (as I assume from your liking kill la kill) you might enjoy i as much as I do, as a modern sexploitation/woman's revenge movie, in which both Utena and KLK have their roots in a way (though utena mostly in its 70s-ness, not story-wise). Also, Gina Gershon.

[(Anonymous)]

Utena is awesome. It's hard to find anything else as well done, but there's other anime that are good entertainment despite that. Some of the older anime I loved:

Rurounin Kenshin: The Kyoto arc. Like a lot of longer anime, the first arc is slow and the third arc is terrible. However, the second arc makes up for it. Music, characters, story, and animation are perfect.

Spirited Away: I'm cheating by using a movie, but movies often have a bigger production budget which means better animation. Miyazaki is an anime god for a reason, and this has always been my favorite of his.

Paprika: Hello, surrealism and beautiful animation. Another movie.

His and Her Circumstances: One of the most strikingly told stories. Visually fascinating and solid storytelling.