Overall: 7.0
Utena is a slick and sassy shoujo adventure tale with action, romance and mystery.
Story: 9.0
Surreal to the point of confusion in the metaplot, Utena keeps the plots of individual episodes firmly grounded in the reality of school politics and teen love affairs its viewers can relate to.
Character Development: 8.5
Characters are fun and likable, though Anthy remains a cipher. Manic and wacky Wakaba and Nanami steal every scene they're in.
Art/Animation: 8.5
The character designs are smart and elegant. The animation is sharp and fluid, though short cuts like numerous freeze frames suggest corners were cut in production.
Translation: 8.0
Both the dub script and subtitles take occasional liberties with the literal translation, but they work in context. There are conflicts between the subtitles and credits; for example, "Miki" is spelled "Mickey" in the subtitles and "Miki" in the credits.
Acting: 7.0
The Japanese actors are well-chosen to impart a certain quirkiness to their characters, but the American actors deliver their lines with much less panache.
Format: 7.0
Straightforward and easy to navigate. Each episode is divided into two chapters at the shadowplay. A separate menu allows access to the individual duel songs.
MPAA Equivalent: PG-13
Mild violence, sexual situations. Due to the homosexual overtones of the series, some parents may wish to preview the DVD to determine whether it is suitable for their children.
X-Factors
And I'll Form the Head: 6.5
Just like Volton and Sailor Moon, Utena replays stock footage leading up to the final fight in every episode (save one), which can get a bit tiresome when watching several episodes back to back.
