Manga4Kids: Manga Reviews for Parents and Kids

Plot Summary:

Utena is an independent girl, and on her first day at her new high school she scandalizes the staff by appearing in a hot-pink adaptation of the boys’ uniform.

Utena is an orphan; her parents died when she was six, and since then she has been raised by her aunt Yurika. She also has a secret love, a mysterious man who rescued her when she fell into the river as a young girl. She doesn’t remember the man’s face, just that he bore the scent of roses, licked her cheek, and told her they would meet again someday. He left her in her aunt’s garden, clutching a ring.

With the help of a friend, Utena figures out that the cards the mystery man sent her over the years are all scenes from an exclusive prep school, Ohtori Private Academy. She persuades her aunt to send her to Ohtori, and right away things start getting weird. The student council has its own rose garden, and looking into it one day she sees an older student, Saioniji, slapping a girl, Anthy Himemiya. The student council president, Touga Kiryuu, intervenes and stops him.

The student council at Ohtori turns out to be a secret society dedicated to following a rigid set of rules dictated by “World’s End.” Anthy is the Rose Bride, and council members fight duels, with real swords, to win her hand. (Each dueler pins a rose to his or her chest, and duel is won when one fighter knocks off the other’s rose.) The Rose Bride is completely subject to the wishes of the duelist who wins her.

When Saioniji humiliates a friend of hers, Utena challenges him to a duel. The dueling ground is in a desolate forest, where a castle hangs upside down from the sky. Anthy pins roses on the two duelers, then draws a magic sword from within her body and gives it to Saioniji. Utena has only a bamboo practice sword, which Saioniji immediately breaks. Incensed by his cruelty toward Anthy, she knocks the magic sword out of his hands and it flies to her. She wins the duel.

This brings new status to Utena: She moves to a special dorm, where she shares a room with Anthy, who waits on her hand and foot. Also living with her is Chuchu, Anthy’s pet monkey. Over tea, Anthy tells Utena that all the members of the student council will challenge her to duels, and she must accept.

Determined to figure out what the student council is really up to, Utena heads out to the rose garden, where she catches a glimpse of her mysterious savior. She rushes to him, but Touga intercepts her and kisses her; when she breaks free, the stranger is gone.

Touga tells Utena that the student council members must duel with one another to win the Sword of Dios, which grants power to the one who wields it. The person who continues to win duels will eventually reach the castle in the air, which holds enormous power. Utena can draw forth the power of the sword even though she isn’t in the student council; apparently she has some special inner power. All this is decreed by “World’s End,” and Touga tells Utena that if she wants to learn more, she must come to the school dance.

Utena comes upon Anthy and Saioniji arguing; Anthy is telling Saioniji that she must be Utena’s bride, and Saioniji responds angrily and slaps her. Utena steps between them and tells Saioniji to follow the rules and stop harassing Anthy—or fight another duel with Utena. Saioniji stalks off. Utena tries to persuade Anthy to go make some friends, but she refuses.

Touga sends Utena a rose-covered dress to wear to the dance; she resists, but Anthy insists she wear it. When they arrive, the other girls threaten Anthy because Saioniji has turned moody since she broke up with him. Saioniji appears and drags Anthy off. When Utena tries to stop him he challenges her to a duel. Utena is unarmed and clad in a voluminous dress, but Saioniji insists. The book ends on this dramatic note.