Ask John: Is There More Utena?

Question:
Regarding Utena does there exist a continuation of the storyline after “Power of Dios”(even if it only exist in Japan currently).

Answer:
While Central Park Media currently owns only the first 13 episodes of Shoujo Kakumei Utena, “Duelists Saga,” there are another 26 episodes to the series in Japan. Without giving away too many secrets, here’s a brief run-down on what happens in the rest of the series. Episodes 14-24 are commonly called the “Black Rose Saga.” Within these episodes, a new character named Mikage Souji wants to eliminate Anthy Himemiya to make way for his friend Chida Mamiya to become the Rose Bride and inherit the power of Dios. He believes that the student council duelists have the skill to defeat Utena in battle, but not the will-power. Mikage preys on the dreams and fears of Utena’s friends and associates, including Tsuwabuki, Wakaba, and Kanae Ohtori, making them black rose duelists, who have the skills and swords of the student council duelists, but are under his control. Episodes 25-33 are known as the “Akio Ohtori Saga.” It is especially in these episodes that the series begins to turn much more serious and adult-oriented. In these episodes, the manipulative Akio systematically seduces Utena, while at the same time, convincing the student council members to challenge her once again to a new set of duels. The final six episodes, 34-39, are collectively known as the “Apocalypse Saga.” These complex and surreal episodes reveal the dark fairy-tale origin of Dios and the Rose Bride, and focus on themes of greed, betrayal, and the fall from innocence. Utena fights Akio in the final duel for the power to revolutionize the world, but the conclusion of the fight becomes moot when Utena and Anthy both come to epiphanies about themselves, discover their own power to revolutionize their own worlds, and set forth on new journeys of independent self-discovery. This may sound very abstract and confusing, but to be any more specific would be spoiling the spectacular and unforgettable ending to this series for fans who’ve yet to see all 39 episodes.