:anime: Alright, Alright…FINE!!

For years, I have considered Revolutionary Girl Utena to be the "greatest show I would never own". Don't get me wrong, I have tons of respect for the series and count it as one of the best things I have ever seen across any media. The great writing, its copious layers, the enjoyable and memorable characters, its unique, almost-Seussian design and animation styles, the ubiquitous scores by Shinkichi Mitsumune (BGM) and J. A. Seazer (duels), its boldness: I have adored so much of it and what it has accomplished, and under most circumstances, I would have dropped down cash on it in a heartbeat and snatched up all of its sets (and probably the movie, too).

However, there has been that particularly creepy little aspect of Anthy and Akio's sibling relationship that has kept me from getting Utena. I know what the creators were getting at and I know why they went that route, but I wish they chose a better way of expressing those themes (while still using the two) without going all there. As much as I like Utena, the incest angle is something that I'm obviously not too warm about, and because of that, I have always been on the fence about getting the series, even though there is more to the series than that.

Central Park Media previously held the licenses for the both the series and the movie, but after they went bankrupt, the licenses was lost to the tangled, sticky sea of Japanese rights holders, where its situation deemed its license to be an "untouchable" one. Last year, though, Nozomi Ent., the licensing arm of the venerable Right Stuf anime retailer, shocked the North American anime community by announcing that they would be re-releasing the Utena anime franchise in the region--remastered, no less.

I was excited for the news--and if there was one series that was deserving of a remaster (and license rescue), it would be a beautiful show like Utena. Enticing as that and the trailer showcasing the spruced-up OP were, I was still unsure about it. Then, recently, Nozomi Ent./RS finally released the details for the first of the show's three boxes…

"That's the box?

"Seriously? It looks that good? Hmm, I don't know, it's gorgeous, but…"

**reads details**

"A booklet? 'Episode commentary?!' No! Not the "C" word! And production notes, too?!

"All of my favorite extras, and for a show with such a rich production like Utena's?! You're really--"

"'Only a limited quantity of this premium set will be produced'…"

"NOOOOOOOO!!!! HOW COULD YOU?!

"I was thinking, perhaps, down the line, but--

"Alright, how much are you actually charging for this thing?"

**checks price**

>>

"THAT low?! But…but--"

"'ALSO, fans who pre-order ALL THREE Utena DVD box sets from RightStuf.com will receive an extra gift w/ 3rd & final set.'"



…



…



T_T


**clicks "Purchase" button**

Well, there's a whole lot more to Utena than that unseemly stuff, anyway. I guess that's why there is a "fast-forward" button on the remote… :)