Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! We got you a gift of this discussion episode for what might be some of the darkest episodes of the series (although I suppose we haven’t gotten to the Apocalypse Saga yet, have we?)

We start our discussion of the Ohtori Akio Saga with a lengthy synopsis of the arc, then start with the lightest material we can by looking into the “Cro High” episodes around Nanami that help ease us into the series’ darker series around the exploitation of sexuality before zooming out into a broader discussion of the general themes across the entire arc. In running through the episodes, we hit on topics including Akio as the tempter and grand manipulator; Akio’s car as a symbol of toxic (and phallic) masculinity; the temptation of Nanami and the way she is confronted with her desires in the form of Akio’s abuse of Anthy; the sympathy the show presents around Juri and how it pairs her desire to save someone else up against Utena’s desire to save Anthy; the relationship between Juri, Shiori, and Ruka and the competitive desire between Shiori and Ruka to possess and control Juri; an extended look at what’s happening with Utena, Anthy, and Akio; and the way the show understands and frames what is happening to Utena as grooming and rape even as it depicts her own struggles with the feeling she wants it and blaming herself for what happens.

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Content Warnings for this Discussion

Incest
Puberty and menstruation
Homophobia and conversation therapy
Sexual harassment and assault
Rape
Grooming
Post-ED discussion: Drug use, eating food on mic, chocolate-based body horror, extended jokes about squirting

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