* Icons * Kiryuu Touga *
Touga is no longer the head of the Student Council. Instead, he is a ghost from Utena's past who serves as much of her motivation (whether directly or indirectly) for her actions.
Touga and Utena were boyfriend and girlfriend, and they were a cute couple. However, the two broke up and went their separate ways. Needless to say, Utena's quite surprised when she notices Touga hanging around the school. They meet again in the rose garden in the rain. He's there, admiring the flowers as Utena comes running in. He tries to start a conversation but picks the wrong topic - going to a planetarium. He and Utena were supposed to go but they broke up before that happened, and Utena would rather forget the whole idea. She tells him she's trying to become a prince, so he gives her a rose for her high ideals. That's when Utena notices the rose signet, which Touga says led him to the school.
Touga's then seen hanging out with Shiori. Shiori's in love with Touga and has been for some time. However, she's also using him to extract revenge on Juri because she hates the other girl. She asks Touga to defeat her, and Touga says he will, but he cannot hurt Juri.
The plot thickens when Touga learns of the past of the Rose Bride and Rose Prince per a telephone conversation with Akio. He realizes the whole duelist battle is just a game that Akio is using to try and regain his powers, but he wants to eventually be the one with the power.
Touga goes to visit Utena the next day at the pool. Utena asks if he is also a contender for the Rose Bride and if he slept with her. He replies it's none of her business, and then proceeds to shamelessly flirt with Anthy (who also flirts back.) Angry, Utena leaves the two and walks off.
Touga is a sore topic between Utena and Anthy. When the two meet at the dueling platform at night, Utena reveals much about her relationship with him. She felt he'd always be with her, as he had been the night her parents died. They had promised to see the stars together at the planetarium, but this never happened. Utena accuses Anthy of making Touga strange and alienated, and it takes the dancing Toki ni Ai wa scene to begin to patch up the two girls' friendship.
The final encounter between Utena and Touga takes place in the elevator as it descends (ascends?) to the place where the stairs to the dueling platform begin. The elevator is split in half, with a sheet of glass separating the two. There, Utena finally remembers the past and the fateful day when they broke up...
The two were sitting down by the river, when suddenly Touga got up and walked away. Utena remained sitting until she noticed a girl drowning in the river, and leaps up to cry for help. Touga comes running back. He drops two tins (of candy?) he had left to buy and hugs Utena tightly. When he notices the girl in the river, he instantly says he has to rescue here, despite Utena's pleas that he'll die. He does save the girl, but he drowned in the process. That night, Utena cried to herself in the chapel and then blocked out the memory entirely. In the elevator, she realized that's when she wanted to be a prince - she wanted to become like Touga, her own prince. Water fills Touga's side of the elevator as Utena thanks him through her tears. Finally, her past is revealed and healed, and she can put all her ghosts aside and focus on the main thing: going to the outside world.
There are those who may cry foul at the fact that Touga's dead from the very beginning. I think it's quite interesting. Movie-Touga is a lot sweeter than television-Touga, who was a shameless playboy but also a ruthless opponent. Utena and Touga's relationship is touching, and their relationship ties into and explains many of Utena's actions.
By the way, that boat picture in the opening sequence (Rose is Rain, the opening credits) is important. It shows up two more times: in the rose garden where Touga and Utena meet for the first time (in the movie at least) and when Anthy reveals the secret of the Rose Bride to Utena. Watch for it.
