* First Impression *

The most important impression something will ever make on you is most likely the first. And my first impression was summed up in one word: WOW.

Of course, the first time I saw Adolescence Mokushiroku it was in raw Japanese. I've never taken any Japanese language courses (I was in the middle of a Japanese History course, however) nor do I plan to (I'm taking Madarin next year, being Chinese.) However, after watching anime and reading manga for several years as well as buying a Kanji dictionary and checking out several language sites, I can understand a little. Not enough for bare survival in Japan, mind you, but I can pick up a few things here and there, I can recognize everyone's names, and since you're watching as much as hearing the movie, I could understand at least some of the dialogue.

However, I definately could not understand the dialogue for many portions, so my first impression was much more visual. I was quite stunned by the character designs, the new Ohtori Academy, the roses, and the various scenes. My favorite scenes are the ones where there is no dialogue - when Utena goes up to the dueling ground for the first time, when Anthy and Utena dance on the dueling ground, and when Anthy is escaping from the Locust Cars. (Incidentally, those are the parts where I love the music most of all - Bara no Kokuin, Toki ni Ai wa, and Rinbu Revolution AM mix.)

The artwork is beautiful. The characters look similar in design and yet are also different. (For more on characters, look at the Character Impressions page.) The way the school is set up is very different from the static Ohtori in the television series - in the movie, all the buildings are constantly moving and sliding away from each other in a mind-boggling view. Colors are bright and vivid, and the color red is prevalent everywhere - naturally, of course, with none if it being blood. With the budget for a movie often being more than for a television series and being lavishly spent on a mere hour and a half (as opposed to 39 half-hour episodes) it really shows. If all you watch Utena for is the artwork, you will not be disappointed. I sure wasn't.

The way the story progresses is also very interesting. Like the television series, there is a very large sense of the surreal, of something happening you're not sure about (for me, that was probably more considering I couldn't understand much of the dialogue...) and of the blending of fantasy with reality. There are long scenes with very fast cuts in between, leaving the viewer a bit startled at the sudden change in events. Within scenes, many things happen, and they are wrought with a visual detail that enhances what is being said. The plot is like, and yet unlike that of the television series. At the heart, the plot is essentially the same - Utena fighting with the members of the Student Council and eventually Akio for the sake of the Rose Bride, Anthy, and to gain the power to 'revolutionize the world.' However, its execution is quite different in the movie as compared to the series. A good grounding in the television plot will definately help you as you watch the movie, but the movie is a retelling of the story - and a very good one at that.

The music was also enchanting, probably because background music doesn't require words for me to understand! ^_^ There were familiar themes such as the 'Sunlight Garden' which plays softly in the background when Utena comes to an understanding about Touga. There is plenty of new music as well, including 'Toki ni Ai wa', the vocal by Masami Okui (singer for Rinbu Revolution) that is very beautiful and sweet. The new version of 'Zettai Unmei Mokushiroku' isn't sung when Utena goes up to the dueling grounds but when she goes through her transformation - into a car. Instead of the deep thunderous chorus-y feel in the telelvision series, it's much more quirky and bouncy. There are two duel songs as well, but duel songs are duel songs and I wasn't paying to much attention to them since I was trying to understand what the characters were yelling at each other... without much success ^_^;. Still, I plan to get the soundtrack (#8) for it! [note: I went out and bought soundtrack 8 - Adolescence Rush - see more about it in the CD page.]

All in all, the first impression left me stunned. It was truly amazing. Visually dazzling, musically enchanting, it was clever in the way the story was retold within the constraints of an hour and a half. If you're a fan of Shoujo Kakumei Utena like I am, you'll definately want to check this movie out.

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