Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Movie Now Streaming on RetroCrush

RetroCrush is now streaming the acclaimed Adolescence of Utena, the theatrical reimagining of the beloved and highly influential Revolutionary Girl Utena anime series.

Adolescence of Utena was first released in 1999, shortly after the conclusion of the Revolutionary Girl Utena TV anime. The movie was directed by series co-creator Kunihiko Ikuhara, who is also known for his work on the Sailor Moon R anime series, as well as 2011's Mawaru Penguindrum, and was written by veteran scriptwriter Yoji Enokido, who has worked on a large variety of high profile anime series such as Neon Genesis Evangelion, FLCL, Ouran High School Host Club, Nodame Cantabile and Bungo Stray Dogs. Adolescence of Utena is widely regarded as one of the best anime movies of all time, and was ranked eighth on Anime News Network's Top 100 Anime Movies of All Time. RetroCrush is streaming the film both with an English dub and also with the original Japanese audio and English subtitles.

The movie is a loose retelling of the events of the 1997 Revolutionary Girl Utena TV anime series, albeit with substantial changes to the plot and several of the character's personalities and motives. The series tells the story of Utena Tenjou, a young, athletic girl who doesn't see the point of many of the gender-norms that society tries to impose on her. Utena transfers into the prestigious Ohtori Academy, where she is quickly drawn into the affairs of the mysterious student council and the school's "Rose Bride," the submissive but kind Anthy Himemiya. Utena agrees to take part in a series of increasingly dangerous and bizarre duels to protect Anthy and unravel the mystery surrounding the school and the shadowy figure manipulating events from afar.

More than twenty years after it aired, the Utena franchise continues to gain fans due to its avant-garde presentation, its mix of gut-wrenching psychological drama and absurdist humor, and for being one of the first televised anime series to feature openly gay and bisexual protagonists. Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar has cited Utena as a major influence on their show, saying "[Utena] was an epiphany for me. The way that it plays with the semiotics of gender. I was a bisexual teenager watching a show like Utena. It was stunning, I related to it in a way that I had never really felt before and it really stuck with me."

RetroCrush is a streaming service that specializes in classic and hard-to-find anime titles from past decades. In addition to the Adolescence of Utena, the service also hosts many other classic anime titles such as Kimagure Orange Road, The Story of Saiunkoku and more.

The Revolutionary Girl Utena anime series is also officially available for free streaming on YouTube, via distributor Nozomi Entertainment's YouTube channel.

Source: Twitter