#but i don't think this fits with the way that utena's visual language speaks about violence

[mollypaup]

utena being a story about stories is great. anthy stabbing utena being treated as a real wound instead of it being the obvious stage trick that it is, the sword passing under her right arm, on the side opposite to the audience, is so fucking good.

#rgu #i guess you could interpret it as anthy actually physically stabbing her #but i don't think this fits with the way that utena's visual language speaks about violence #it is lampshaded in a very specific way throughout the rest of the series #with the spinning rose emblem blocking the portion of the screen that they wish to conceal #but this doesn't happen #there is a hard cut #put in place specifically to give the audience the impression that utena has been mortally wounded #but the rest of the show also implies that anthy has some measure of control over the framing of scenes #specifically she uses this to hide her face and true feelings throughout #anthy is betraying her #she wants the audience and utena to believe this #but i don't think she stabs her #this dovetails into why i think the swords of hatred never touch utena #we don't see it even in the stage performance manner of the show