Despite the rants of a few individuals who 
have my deepest sympathy because their little 
worlds are obviously about theeees big /).(\, I 
wanted to say thanks for tackling such a 
fascinating subject!

Utena has got to be my top pick, especially the 
movie, because it illustrates not only a 
challenge to norms in gender roles, but is a 
perfect metaphor for the mythological journey 
of every human being.

WARNING: UTENA MOVIE SPOILERS

First of all, the film isn't even really about 
Utena, it's about Anthy. Anthy is the archetype 
for every one of us. Born into the world, we are 
all taught what is "expected" of us; what is 
"respectable". But sometimes the heart 
rebels, telling us we are meant for something 
different than the status quo. As much as the 
sources of authority in our lives might try to 
squash this tiny voice, it just won't quit! ^_^ 

Some of us step up to the challenge, reveal 
our "true colors" to the world, and take what 
comes, no matter what. Others, like Anthy, 
who is too afraid to be everything she wants 
to, retreat into a fantasy world. She, like every 
other character in the film EXCEPT Utena, is 
wounded in some way, and is absorbed in it. 
She meets Utena, who is everything Anthy 
wants to be. Utena becomes her "prince"—ie, 
Anthy now wants to be "rescued" rather than 
taking the hero's journey herself. This, of 
course, can never work.

In the end, Utena is not Anthy's "savior". Dios, 
the "prince" (read "God") is simply a symbol 
for the mystery that lies outside the world of 
roles, expectations, and social duty. So the 
"prince" who is supposed to "save" Anthy 
doesn't exist. She has to save herself, and 
Utena LITERALLY becomes the VEHICLE for 
her to do so. ^_^ In a metaphorical 
interpretation of the Bible, "I am the way, the 
truth and the light", and "I am the Beginning 
and the End", mean just that: a ROAD with a 
starting and ending point. A path to spiritual 
freedom...freedom from imposed thoughts 
that war with what's really in your heart.

In Kundilini Yoga, the final chakra one has to 
transcend before achieving enlightenment is 
embodied in whatever your individual idea of 
"God" is. If you see it, and say, "That's it! That's 
the answer!", (you mistake the SYMBOL for the 
MYSTERY), you fall all the way back to the 
bottom of the chakra scale and have to start 
over again. You must go THROUGH the 
symbol to the mystery of the universe located 
behind it. At the end of the movie, Utena and 
Anthy encounter their idea of divinity. The 
"prince"—this time it's Akio. He is the last 
hurdle between them and the "outside world" 
of mystery and transcendance. If they fail at 
this point, they will be plunged back into 
Anthy's own prison: her escapist fantasy of 
being the Rose Bride.

Joseph Campbell has described anyone who 
is not living according to the dictates of his 
own heart and spiritual self, regardless of 
what the whole world may say, as a "living 
corpse". Interesting now what Akio says at the 
end of the movie, neh?

Here are some links to a couple of posts in 
Crispin Freeman's Yahoo Fan Site, which 
relate to this viewpoint, only from a Christian/
Purgatory angle. Pics and links included!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/
crispinfreemanfansite/message/590

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/
crispinfreemanfansite/message/607

And on another related note, here's my short 
essay on how Slayers relates to Eastern/
Western Mythology:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/
crispinfreemanfansite/message/591

Sorry for the novel, but I wanted to help. ^_^

Izzy