Warning Zone: Revolutionary Girl Utena

The why:
Officially this show isn’t rated. If it was at some point, it isn’t now. Although various places rate it between a generic PG14 to an allusive “objectionable content” warning (honestly, what the heck does that even mean?). In any case, to clear up any misunderstandings, this show should be strapped with a big M rating. And not because anything is outright… bad. However, you’d have to be amazingly dense not to know what is going on. And what’s going on is: numerous rape accounts, incest amongst various individuals and countless sexual abuses. Like I said, nothing is ever seen in full detail. But it doesn’t have to be. The “artistic” nudity, where details are always conveniently covered up by long hair and such, hardly distracts from what’s going on.
Aside from these elements, there’s also a decent amount of bad language here and there and some violence (although it isn’t nearly as bad as other TV14 shows).

Personal thoughts:
This show attempts to do far more than most shows. And for that, I commend it. It’s defiantly not for young viewers. It’s not family stuff. And I don’t appreciate the inappropriate elements. Even so, I commend it. I often found that much of the issues presented are extremely legitimate and painfully realistic.
However, while many found the symbolism focused on the breaking of the “Prince as Savior” mentality (aka the Fairy Tale mindset many men and women often live by), I found that Himemiya was a nearly perfect portrait of suicidal depression. Waiting for someone to save her, when she didn’t really wish to be saved. No matter how much others tried to. No matter how much others loved her. She didn’t believe them. And they couldn’t save her. She wouldn’t allow it. And in the end she had to decide for herself what her fate would be. There was no prince to do it. Because the only one imprisoning her was herself.
Of course, the show is so vague on so many points that the conclusion could honestly be anything. The theories are honestly endless (Tumblr is a fascinating example of this). However, it is for that reason that I appreciate this show and found it a refreshing watch. It’s a shame it’s too much for younger audiences. Then again, it tackles some extremely heavy issues that, while they may have been addressed in a cleaner manner, had to be dealt with. The point of the show was to break the fairy tail. To show its weakness. And it did. In what ways exactly, well, that’s up to viewers.
So if you have a solid foundation of fairy tail knowledge (just check out a bunch of Grimm’s tails if you don’t) and enjoy extreme symbolism regardless of some strong content, this show will deliver. Just go in well warned, my friend. This show may have some comedy elements going in, but they disappear at the end and it’s clear that the story is far from funny and very adult centered. You’ve been warned.