Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Black Rose Saga

This anime offering from director Kunihiko Ikuhara is the second part of a series involving the unlikely adventures of Utena Tenjou, an orphaned girl who grows up to attend the Ohtori military academy, dresses in a male uniform, and wins the love of Anthy, a rival's girlfriend. In this part of the saga, Utena encounters new foes: duelists who wear rings featuring a black rose (Utena has her own red-rose ring, given to her by a mysterious prince when she was a child). These opponents report to Souji Mikage, who uses a funky type of mind control that claims victims who share their deepest hatreds with him. Needless to say, Utena is seen as the stumbling block in Souji's attempt to not only spread his malice across Ohtori but also kill Anthy. As in Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Student Council Saga (VL-11/11), this follow-up takes a mature approach to gender roles and sexuality without ever becoming exploitative or smutty. Unfortunately, Souji is not a particularly memorable villain. Compiling episodes 13–24 in a dual-language set, rated 16-up, DVD extras include interviews and art galleries. A strong optional purchase. [Note: Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Apocalypse Saga is also newly available.] (P. Hall)