Ok theory time I think this song is about Touga fully relinquishing his power to Akio. A dark covenant I think is about Touga agreeing to be his puppet more or less. Before, Touga was convinced he could have the rose bride and take Utenas roll as prince, but now he knows the true meaning of their world revealed by Akio as deal apart of their pact. “Never signed” refers to how end of the world is a fake alias of Akio’s. And him wearing a “mask of stone, Evermore” shows how Touga doesn’t reveal anything he has learned to Utena and therefore to the audience on a surface level, all the up to the last the duel. The sky the sea and the azure winds are referring to the council (sky: Saionji, eternal castle in the sky, sea: Miki?, and Jury: azure, like her episode title) and how even they are oblivious to the worlds true nature even as the story concludes. The meadows is referring to Touga inciting traumatic incident, and how a river still flows (he carries on). Time being set in stone but also make-believe alludes to the unreliable story telling of Utena and how the traumas of all the characters shape their contradictory world views, using Touga as an example. The human creation is about how Touga is “reborn” after his slump during the black rose arc, using Akio’s theory as basis for his interpretation of Ohtori Academy. The dark and light refer to his time alone then with Akio, dark during the day (alone in his room) light during the night (learning secrets at night from Akio). Okay the anagram thing is crazy because it’s a rearrangement of words, like how Touga became a rearrangement of morals from the first arc he’s the duel of self but now he’s inverted to become Akio’s henchman. And we’re all the makers of our own destiny which is the key theme of the show and yet again ties back to Touga duel theme but inverted. (If this is the first duel with Touga it can still be applied because it could be both foreshadowing as well as tell Utena’s own narrative through her trauma and resilience because her and Touga are character foils of one another)
I can’t wait for Paleozoic in the Flesh, that’s got some... let’s say “fun” lyrics for you to play with lol. Do you plan on doing the Black Rose Arc as well?
I just discovered these. I am glad to see that there is someone who hopes to "localize" the songs. I love the duel music in Utena but the translations we are given are off the wall in most cases, likely because in the original Japanese they are difficult to parse. I think you've done a great job with these!
A dark covenant Never signed, sealed my fate To wear this mask of stone Evermore Through the sky And the sea below An azure wind blows! In the meadows Of a time long past, Still a river flows! Time is a memory set in stone, Never to change Time is a memory at once real and make-believe Humans are raised upon castles of fantasy Humans are led astray learning reality Humans are created from the lessons they learn straight from the cradle Isn't it so? In the light it's plain to see, In the dark insivible In the dark it's plain to see, In the light invisble Anagram in all You can see it written there, Carved upon the mask you bear And of course the author of it all: You!
Man am I glad that you're back, I can't fucking wait for more! These lyrics are always so profound and intriguing, and I look forward to my favourite duels! Thank you! :)
Palpad100 he behaves like a manipulative douche-wad out of a desire to become like the “ideal” of (toxic) masculinity which i guess could be read as sociopathic but at the end of the series i think it shown he has capacity to grow as a person ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ depends on how you look at it i guess
Actually, Touga's behaviour from the start of the series to before that bullshit episode where he falls in love with utena, kinda fits with the behaviour of a sociopath - he shows a clear lack of empathy and remorse, is anti-social forming only sex-related relationships with girls that he manipulates, he is controlling as we see when he basically tells Nanami he will abandon her if she gets a girlfriend or becomes pregnant (because it will impact him negatively) (note: hypocrite asshole), he doesn't care that much about social rules or the rules of the school and only cares about them when they can benefit him and be used against his opponents, he uses sex as a tool of manipulation (sociopaths use sex the same way and may not actually enjoy it that much), he is clearly deceitful, dishonest, and only cares about one thing himself and damm the others.
Hmm I agree with a lot of your points, but I feel like Touga's portrayal in his last main episode is purposeful (as this show tends to be). Not because he "falls in love" with Utena (which is just Crap and comes from the same viewpoint that women need to be "saved" that Utena held almost up until the very end) but because of that scene where Akio is surrounded by a bunch of cacti and Touga just has one cactus, but it blooms a little flower. Given that this show is heavily coded with visual metaphor, I view that as showing Touga's slow- but steady!- emotional growth away from the ideal of toxic masculinity. Akio, I feel, is more of a sociopath than Touga. Touga holds more power than the other student council members, but he is still another pawn in Akio's game. Touga was sexually abused, manipulated, exposed to the worst traits of masculinity and taught to embody those traits. That definitely doesn't make what he did right, his behavior for most of the show is downright despicable. But post-revolution he, and the other student council members, are shown living their lives a little differently, a little better, since they're not trapped in the self-destructive cycle Akio & the duels place them in. When Anthy leaves Akio still doesn't understand- what's changed, why it has changed, etc. Their behavior is both contemptible, but at base minimum Touga & the others continue learning and growing and Akio can't even do that.
About that Touga ending, one of the things that pissed me off about it, was seeing Nanami preparing tea for her brother after everything he did and after episodes ago she wanting to construct an identity that was separate from Touga.
I'm not even an English native speaker but I like your translations very much anyway ^^ btw. Are you going to make the song from episode 2? It's kind of missing
Ok theory time I think this song is about Touga fully relinquishing his power to Akio. A dark covenant I think is about Touga agreeing to be his puppet more or less. Before, Touga was convinced he could have the rose bride and take Utenas roll as prince, but now he knows the true meaning of their world revealed by Akio as deal apart of their pact. “Never signed” refers to how end of the world is a fake alias of Akio’s. And him wearing a “mask of stone, Evermore” shows how Touga doesn’t reveal anything he has learned to Utena and therefore to the audience on a surface level, all the up to the last the duel. The sky the sea and the azure winds are referring to the council (sky: Saionji, eternal castle in the sky, sea: Miki?, and Jury: azure, like her episode title) and how even they are oblivious to the worlds true nature even as the story concludes. The meadows is referring to Touga inciting traumatic incident, and how a river still flows (he carries on). Time being set in stone but also make-believe alludes to the unreliable story telling of Utena and how the traumas of all the characters shape their contradictory world views, using Touga as an example. The human creation is about how Touga is “reborn” after his slump during the black rose arc, using Akio’s theory as basis for his interpretation of Ohtori Academy. The dark and light refer to his time alone then with Akio, dark during the day (alone in his room) light during the night (learning secrets at night from Akio). Okay the anagram thing is crazy because it’s a rearrangement of words, like how Touga became a rearrangement of morals from the first arc he’s the duel of self but now he’s inverted to become Akio’s henchman. And we’re all the makers of our own destiny which is the key theme of the show and yet again ties back to Touga duel theme but inverted. (If this is the first duel with Touga it can still be applied because it could be both foreshadowing as well as tell Utena’s own narrative through her trauma and resilience because her and Touga are character foils of one another)
Did you think I was gone? I haven't even finished the Student Council Saga yet.
Utena Themes In Plain English I'm so happy you're still here!
^_^
Please continue doing this! They are great I really appreciate them :)
Thahahahhahahhahahahank you
I can’t wait for Paleozoic in the Flesh, that’s got some... let’s say “fun” lyrics for you to play with lol. Do you plan on doing the Black Rose Arc as well?
I just discovered these. I am glad to see that there is someone who hopes to "localize" the songs. I love the duel music in Utena but the translations we are given are off the wall in most cases, likely because in the original Japanese they are difficult to parse. I think you've done a great job with these!
They're abstract
A dark covenant
Never signed, sealed my fate
To wear this mask of stone
Evermore
Through the sky
And the sea below
An azure wind blows!
In the meadows
Of a time long past,
Still a river flows!
Time is a memory set in stone,
Never to change
Time is a memory at once real and make-believe
Humans are raised upon castles of fantasy
Humans are led astray learning reality
Humans are created from the lessons they learn straight from the cradle
Isn't it so?
In the light it's plain to see,
In the dark insivible
In the dark it's plain to see,
In the light invisble
Anagram in all
You can see it written there,
Carved upon the mask you bear
And of course the author of it all:
You!
Rewatching Utena with my girlfriend, it's been really wonderful reflecting on these translations. I'm glad you're still doing these!
My day is complete
Hopefully it went out with a bang
THANK YOU SO MUCH :) Whats the next song?
Palpad100 I go in episode order, so the next one will be:
ruclips.net/video/4bKFGNGIExU/видео.html
I'm glad you enjoy this project!
I love this still, thank you so much for this work
Man am I glad that you're back, I can't fucking wait for more! These lyrics are always so profound and intriguing, and I look forward to my favourite duels! Thank you! :)
new upload fuckn hype
Thank you for all these localizations
I love your translations so much! Your videos are excellent and they make the music even better!
Welcome back! >w
Hope you come back soon ]: I just found these too
Amo esta canción!
Yo también!
+Utena Themes In Plain English. :0
thank you for these, they're amazing
I love love love this. I feel like you could interpret it to be abt Utena, Anthy, or Touga.
Ok just one thing Touga behaves almost completely like a sociopath correct?
Palpad100 he behaves like a manipulative douche-wad out of a desire to become like the “ideal” of (toxic) masculinity which i guess could be read as sociopathic but at the end of the series i think it shown he has capacity to grow as a person ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ depends on how you look at it i guess
Actually, Touga's behaviour from the start of the series to before that bullshit episode where he falls in love with utena, kinda fits with the behaviour of a sociopath - he shows a clear lack of empathy and remorse, is anti-social forming only sex-related relationships with girls that he manipulates, he is controlling as we see when he basically tells Nanami he will abandon her if she gets a girlfriend or becomes pregnant (because it will impact him negatively) (note: hypocrite asshole), he doesn't care that much about social rules or the rules of the school and only cares about them when they can benefit him and be used against his opponents, he uses sex as a tool of manipulation (sociopaths use sex the same way and may not actually enjoy it that much), he is clearly deceitful, dishonest, and only cares about one thing himself and damm the others.
Hmm I agree with a lot of your points, but I feel like Touga's portrayal in his last main episode is purposeful (as this show tends to be). Not because he "falls in love" with Utena (which is just Crap and comes from the same viewpoint that women need to be "saved" that Utena held almost up until the very end) but because of that scene where Akio is surrounded by a bunch of cacti and Touga just has one cactus, but it blooms a little flower. Given that this show is heavily coded with visual metaphor, I view that as showing Touga's slow- but steady!- emotional growth away from the ideal of toxic masculinity. Akio, I feel, is more of a sociopath than Touga. Touga holds more power than the other student council members, but he is still another pawn in Akio's game. Touga was sexually abused, manipulated, exposed to the worst traits of masculinity and taught to embody those traits. That definitely doesn't make what he did right, his behavior for most of the show is downright despicable. But post-revolution he, and the other student council members, are shown living their lives a little differently, a little better, since they're not trapped in the self-destructive cycle Akio & the duels place them in. When Anthy leaves Akio still doesn't understand- what's changed, why it has changed, etc. Their behavior is both contemptible, but at base minimum Touga & the others continue learning and growing and Akio can't even do that.
About that Touga ending, one of the things that pissed me off about it, was seeing Nanami preparing tea for her brother after everything he did and after episodes ago she wanting to construct an identity that was separate from Touga.
i love your content
hey, utena themes in plain english, its kinda been a while an I just wanted to ask if you are ok?
Why haven't you uploaded in a while?
I'm not even an English native speaker but I like your translations very much anyway ^^
btw. Are you going to make the song from episode 2? It's kind of missing
Wiktoria Wawrzyńczyk
Don't worry, I will be doing it eventually. :)
Great :)
moreeeee
YEAAAAS
This theme I live for it. It pisses me off because Touga is douchebag for how he won