The Worst Episodes of Revolutionary Girl Utena

Episode Rankings

1. #1 Worst Episode
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   5.4/10(62 votes)

   #1 - The Secret Nanami Diary

   S1:E249/10/1997

   Tsuwabuki heroicly rescues Nanami and ends up spending time in the infirmary. While he is recovering Utena and Anthy have an usual opportunity to read a secret diary he's been keeping on Nanami. But when Nanami's schemes are uncovered chaos arises and the bashful Tsuwabuki can't do anything to stop it.

   Director:Toru Takahashi

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Toru Takahashi

   Writer:Unknown
2. 

   6.4/10(67 votes)

   #2 - Tracing a Path

   S1:E136/25/1997

   In this episode, we review episodes 1 through 12 with Ohtori Akio's monologue (In the next episode, we will learn he is Anthy's brother). When he appears in the Arena, the midair castle falls down. Akio talks to Dios sleeping in the castle. He calls each of Utena's duels as follows: 1. friendship (amitie); 2. choice (choix); 3. reason (raison); 4. love (amour); 5. adoration (adoration); 6. conviction (conviction); 7. self (soi). Akio says Utena might be the one they (Akio and Dios?) have been looking for. At this rate, she could reach to the duel called "revolution" and Dios could be released.

   Director:Toru Takahashi

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Toru Takahashi

   Writer:Unknown
3. 

   6.8/10(89 votes)

   #3 - The Sunlit Garden - Prelude

   S1:E44/23/1997

   Utena and Miki are about to begin a duel. The rest of the episode and the following one are flashback to show what has caused this duel. Miki often plays a particular tune on the piano. He says he cannot truely play the tune as he wishes because he has lost a "glow". Nanami thinks that Miki likes Anthy, and from jealousy, she tries to tease and razz her. Taking advantage of that, Miki makes a good friend of Anthy, and then Utena. Finding Anthy and Utena got poor grades in the previous math exam, Miki offers to tutor them. However, Nanami won't leave them alone.

   Director:Toru Takahashi

   Writer:Yoji Enokido

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   Director:Toru Takahashi

   Writer:Yoji Enokido
4. 

   6.8/10(84 votes)

   #4 - Take Care, Miss Nanami!

   S1:E65/7/1997

   Lately, someone has been trying to take Nanami's life. Overhearing a conversation between Anthy and her brother Touga, Nanami misunderstands that Touga is the one who is trying to kill her. After that, someone saves Nanami out of a danger and she falls in love with him, who turns out to be a young boy. Nanami asks him to be her boyfriend, but she does not seem to know the difference between a lover and a henchman.

   Director:Yukio Okazaki

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Yukio Okazaki

   Writer:Unknown
5. 

   6.8/10(77 votes)

   #5 - Curried High Trip

   S1:E85/21/1997

   Somehow, Anthy's curry and rice explodes and that shock switches Utena and Anthy's personalities. Now Utena is feminine while Anthy is tomboyish. The cause of the incident seems to be Nanami's practical joke, trying to mix in the curry the "100X Curry, an Indian Specialty Hot Enough to Make You Breathe Fire". which has mistakenly been replaced with the "Super Spicy 900 Billion X Curry, So Hot It Will Blast You to Smithereens and Make Phantom Elephants Trumpet Loudly". Scolded by her brother, Nanami flies to India to obtain more of the same spice.

   Director:Akihiko Nishiyama

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Akihiko Nishiyama

   Writer:Unknown
6. 

   7.0/10(70 votes)

   #6 - The Cowbell of Happiness

   S1:E167/16/1997

   Nanami holds a party to show off her designer's brand pendant. However, Juri shows up with a more gourgeous pendant. Luckily for Nanami, a packet comes for Nanami and according to Juri and Miki, the designer's brand is the top class. Nanami decides to wear it. However, the thing appears to be just a cowbell. Not knowing what a cowbell is for, from then on, Nanami is always wearing it and showing it off. Other people are aware of it, but can't bring themselves to tell her the truth. What's worse, Nanami is gradually turning into a cow because of the curse of the cowbell.

   Director:Shigeo Koshi

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Shigeo Koshi

   Writer:Unknown
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7. 

   7.0/10(64 votes)

   #7 - Vermin

   S1:E218/20/1997

   The reason why Nanami's followers, Keiko, Yuuko, and Aiko, are with her even though Nanami is so bad-natured, is that they all have crush on her brother, Touga. One day, Nanami throws a party to cheer up Touga, who hasn't been himself ever since he was beaten by Utena. At the party, Nanami orders Keiko to go to school and do some Student Council paper work for her. Keiko didn't get to attend the party. Keiko realizes that unlike Nanami and Touga, she is in such a low-society that she will never get Touga to look at her. One day, Keiko finds Touga walking in the rain without an umbrella. Keiko gets him under her umbrella. Nanami happens to see it. After this, Nanami tells Keiko that she never knew there was a bad bug so close to her. Nanami says she will exterminate this bad bug, i.e. Keiko. Keiko consults at Nemuro Memorial Hall and she confesses her feelings.

   Director:Hiroaki Sakurai

   Writer:Unknown

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   Director:Hiroaki Sakurai

   Writer:Unknown
8. 

   7.1/10(99 votes)

   #8 - For Whom the Rose Smiles

   S1:E24/9/1997

   Winning the duel with Saionji, Utena is now the Victor of the Duel and is to be "engaged" to the Rose Bride, who is Anthy. Next day, Utena and Anthy start living together in a dorm. Saionji, who is actually really in love, asks Anthy to get back on good terms with him, but Anthy refuses. Then, he challenges Utena to a rematch. Feeling the whole thing is just crazy, Utena decides to lose the Duel on purpose.

   Director:Shingo Kaneko

   Writer:Yoji Enokido

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   Director:Shingo Kaneko

   Writer:Yoji Enokido
9. 

   7.1/10(92 votes)

   #9 - On the Night of the Ball

   S1:E34/16/1997

   Utena unintentionally unleashed the Power of Dios in the last Duel with Saionji, which attracted Touga's interest in her. Touga sends Utena a dress for the upcoming ball. On the other hand, Touga's sister, Nanami, thinks her brother likes Anthy, and in a fit of jealousy, she sends Anthy a water-dissolvable dress.

   Director:Takashi Watanabe

   Writer:Yoji Enokido

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   Director:Takashi Watanabe

   Writer:Yoji Enokido
10. 

    7.2/10(115 votes)

    #10 - The Rose Bride

    S1:E14/2/1997

    Utena Tenjou is a schoolgirl in the eighth grade of Ohtori Academy. She has the strange memory that, when she was very young, she met a mysterious "prince" and was given a ring with a rose signet. One day, Utena finds guys are making fun of a love letter somebody posted, and she finds it was written by her best friend, Wakaba, for the captain of Kendo Club, Saionji. For the sake of her best friend, Utena challenges Saionji to a duel. Then, Saionji tells her to come to the forest of the Duel Arena.

    Director:Toru Takahashi

    Writer:Yoji Enokido

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    Director:Toru Takahashi

    Writer:Yoji Enokido
11. 

    7.3/10(86 votes)

    #11 - The Sunlit Garden - Finale

    S1:E54/30/1997

    In the tune Anthy just casually played, Miki found a "glow" that he had been seeking. He has a twin sister, Kozue, who used to play a tune with a "glow". However, she does not play the piano anymore because (he thinks) of his fault. Miki wishes to protect Anthy's "glow" in her tune; however Anthy tells him that, because she is the Rose Bride, by the Rose Signet Code, she must obey the Victor of the Duel, or Utena at the moment. She even says that, if Utena told her not to play the piano anymore, she would not. Since he thinks it is his own fault that he lost Kozue's "glow" in the past, not to lose a "glow" again, Miki challenges Utena to a duel and tries to set Anthy free and protect her with his own hands

    Director:Shingo Kaneko

    Writer:Yoji Enokido

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    Director:Shingo Kaneko

    Writer:Yoji Enokido
12. 

    7.3/10(64 votes)

    #12 - Mitsuru's Impatience

    S1:E187/30/1997

    Tsuwabuki has still been serving Nanami as if he were her servant. Tsuwabuki's friend, Mari, isn't happy with him for being like that. She says Tsuwabuki is just being taken advantage of because he is just a child. Later, he begins to realize that he is treated as a child by Nanami. He wishes he were Nanami's age. Tsuwabuki asks Utena what he has to do to become a grown-up. Utena says it is probably to experience various things. Tsuwabuki tries to "experience various things" by watching kiss-scenes in films. Mari makes a fun of him, saying it is obvious that one who has experienced a real kiss is more grown up than one who has seen a hundred kiss-scenes. Tsuwabuki tries to do it with Mari and gets slapped. Nanami witnesses. When she asks him about the affair, Tsuwabuki realizes that he is treated as a child after all. At Nemuro Memorial Hall, he confesses that he wishes to grow up right now. Mikage takes advantage of him.

    Director:Yukio Okazaki

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Yukio Okazaki

    Writer:Unknown
13. 

    7.4/10(65 votes)

    #13 - The Landscape Framed by Kozue

    S1:E157/9/1997

    Mikage and Mamiya figure that they can make use of the Student Council members to make duelists strong enough to defeat Utena. They say they were defeated just because they couldn't control their minds, not because of their skills. They say if they arrange someone whose mind they can control and make him/her draw the sword and skill from a student council member, then maybe it is possible to make a duelist and have him/her defeat Utena by mind-controlling.

    Director:Takafumi Hoshikawa

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Takafumi Hoshikawa

    Writer:Unknown
14. 

    7.5/10(64 votes)

    #14 - Miki's Nest Box (The Sunlit Garden - Arranged)

    S1:E269/24/1997

    The End of the World use the recently injured Kozue to get Miki to duel with Utena! Of course, realizing it's his chance to get Anthy again.. he goes for it, and uses Kozue as his own Rose Bride!

    Director:Yukio Okazaki

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Yukio Okazaki

    Writer:Unknown
15. 

    7.5/10(68 votes)

    #15 - Nanami's Egg

    S1:E2710/1/1997

    Nanami is having dreams of her laying an egg.. unfortunately for her, she wakes up with an egg in her bed! Does this mean she's a mother?

    Director:Hayato Date

    Writer:Noboru Higa

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    Director:Hayato Date

    Writer:Noboru Higa
16. 

    7.6/10(69 votes)

    #16 - The Boys of the Black Rose

    S1:E147/2/1997

    Utena meets Anthy's brother, Akio. Akio has been engaged to Ohtori Kanae whose father is the chairman of the board of trustees of Ohtori Academy. Her father is deceased, so Akio is the acting chairman. Mikage Souji is a twelfth grader who organizes Mikage Seminar, aka the Black Rose Association. He is such a genius that he even writes papers for professors. The building of Mikage's office is called Nemuro Memorial Hall, where it is said that one hundred boys were buried alive long ago. Chida Mamiya has a right to become the Rose Bride. Mikage says he will do whatever it takes to make Mamiya the Rose Bride, and will obtain the Power of Dios and the eternal secret. Mikage says the End of the World admitted Mikage and Mamiya. They say they need a duelist good enough to beat Utena. In the elevator of Nemuro Memorial Hall, Kanae confesses she is suffering. She can't get along with Anthy no matter how hard she tries. Taking advantage of that, Mikage makes her a Black Rose Duelist.

    Director:Yukio Okazaki

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Yukio Okazaki

    Writer:Unknown
17. 

    7.6/10(63 votes)

    #17 - A Song for a Kingdom Now Lost

    S1:E198/6/1997

    One day, Utena receives a love-letter from a guy. And the guy turns out to be Wakaba's childhood friend, Tatsuya, who she calls "Onion Prince". The reason why she named him "Onion Prince" is that when they were very young and she was made fun of her hair as "Onion Headed", he helped her out as "Onion Prince" (but the flashback doesn't look like...). Gradually, Utena figures out that Wakaba is still in love with him. Utena tells Wakaba to be more honest. Besides, Utena also finds that Tatsuya is actually still in love with Wakaba and the reason why he sent Utena a love-letter is to get close to Wakaba. Then Utena tells Tatsuya that it's worth confessing his feelings to Wakaba because Utena is sure that they are both in love with each other. Now what's left is that Tatsuya confesses to her on the hill with the legendary tree. So far such a beautiful story! However...

    Director:Toru Takahashi

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Toru Takahashi

    Writer:Unknown
18. 

    7.7/10(73 votes)

    #18 - Nanami's Precious Thing

    S1:E106/4/1997

    Taking the Rose Bride to the Arena without a duel besides inflicting a wound to Touga, Saionji is now expelled from school. Nanami blames Utena for Touga's wound. Utena apologizes, but Nanami doesn't forgive her. A memory crosses her mind that she gave a kitten to Touga as a birthday present when they were very young, and later, from jealousy she killed the kitten. At Touga's birthday party, Utena brings a bunch of flowers to express her gratitude. But Nanami is very upset. Touga suggests them fighting a duel on the Arena by the code of the

    Director:Katsushi Sakurabi

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Katsushi Sakurabi

    Writer:Unknown
19. 

    7.7/10(61 votes)

    #19 - Whispers in the Dark

    S1:E2810/8/1997

    An old friend named Ruka returns to the Academy after a long leave. He takes over the Fencing Team again, and then challenges Utena to a duel, using Shiori as a Rose Bride!

    Director:Toru Takahashi

    Writer:Ryoe Tsukimura

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    Director:Toru Takahashi

    Writer:Ryoe Tsukimura
20. 

    7.9/10(62 votes)

    #20 - The Love That Blossomed in Wintertime

    S1:E3511/26/1997

    Touga suddenly comes back into Utena's life, wanting to spend more time with her. Then, Touga finally realizes the truth about his life.. and how much he was used.

    Director:Hayato Date

    Writer:Ryoe Tsukimura

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    Director:Hayato Date

    Writer:Ryoe Tsukimura
21. 

    8.0/10(62 votes)

    #21 - Their Eternal Apocalypse

    S1:E259/17/1997

    Anthy and Utena move out of their dorm and into the right wing of the chairman's office so Anthy and Akio can be closer to each other. Then suddenly Saionji comes back to duel!

    Director:Shingo Kaneko

    Writer:Yoji Enokido

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    Director:Shingo Kaneko

    Writer:Yoji Enokido
22. 

    8.0/10(65 votes)

    #22 - The Prince Who Runs Through the Night

    S1:E3311/12/1997

    Anthy has Akio deliver some roses to a far away place, taking Utena with him. After a day at the Carnival, Utena and Akio bond late at night.

    Director:Toru Takahashi

    Writer:Yoji Enokido

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    Director:Toru Takahashi

    Writer:Yoji Enokido
23. 

    8.1/10(85 votes)

    #23 - Unfulfilled Juri

    S1:E75/14/1997

    Juri believes there are no miracles. In the past, she secretly loved someone, but she couldn't win the person's heart. She thinks if there were miracles, she could have achieved her love. One day, Juri talks with Utena, and she gets enraged by Utena's words that she believes in miracles for the destiny between her "prince" and herself. Juri challenges Utena to a duel and tells her to show that there are miracles by defeating Juri by a miracle.

    Director:Yukio Okazaki

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Yukio Okazaki

    Writer:Unknown
24. 

    8.1/10(73 votes)

    #24 - The Castle Said to Hold Eternity

    S1:E95/28/1997

    In the Kendo Dojo, Saionji and Touga are fighting a Kendo duel. Touga defeats Saionji by a narrow margin. Utena hears from Saionji that they has fought hundreds of duels in the last ten years. Saionji also tells Utena that he wants to win the duels and take Anthy to the midair castle above the Arena. A memory crosses his mind about that raining day when he was a young boy... One day, he receives a letter from the Ends of the World, in which they say the castle will fall down to the Arena today. On the other hand, Utena gets a phone call from someone and he says Anthy is being kidnapped at the Forest of the Arena.

    Director:Takuya Igarashi

    Writer:Unknown

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    Director:Takuya Igarashi

    Writer:Unknown
25. 

    8.1/10(65 votes)

    #25 - The Romance of the Dancing Girls

    S1:E3211/5/1997

    After Touga attempts to get Nanami back, she refuses and blurts out the truth. Then... that night, she sees Akio doing something very forbidden...

    Director:Shingo Kaneko

    Writer:Noboru Higa

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    Director:Shingo Kaneko

    Writer:Noboru Higa