thesunlitgarden (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
thesunlitgarden) wrote2014-09-22 01:01 am
thesunlitgarden) wrote2014-09-22 01:01 am
SHIORI META???
i am too tired to tumbl so here we go
Spoilers for RGU up to and through the Black Rose arc
(bc i'm too tired to meta later episodes so i'm not going past this arc)
In the series it's made obvious that Juri is a foil for Utena, and that thus Ruka is the Touga to Juri's Utena. (To simplify; Juri = Utena and Ruka = Touga.)
It is easy to then say Shiori = Anthy, and indeed there is much support for this. Between their hurtful actions and Anthy invoking memories of Shiori by imitating her in small ways it's certainly no jump to conclusions to say Shiori = Anthy in the series.
I propose, however, that a complex character like Shiori can represent not only Anthy but also another important female in Utena's life.
In the first episode we get to actually meet Shiori (not the Juri exposition episode, I'm talking about episode 17, Thorns of Death) lays a lot of the groundwork for this idea.
Upon meeting her the resemblance to Wakaba is immediate (though first time viewers at this point probably wont know enough about Wakaba to see it); Shiori is cheerful, friendly, and looks up to Juri a lot. She considers her a dear friend-- the best friend she's ever had, although she isn't sure she deserves someone like Juri now. Shiori feels inferior to Juri, as though she is far too special and important to ever be on the same level as someone such as herself. As such, no matter how close she feels she is to Juri it's never enough, because she can never truly reach her.
These feelings mirror Wakaba's own.
Wakaba, despite putting on a happy face and being close to Utena, feels like an outsider. Like someone who could never be as special or important as people like Utena (or the student council + Anthy).
Both characters get a taste of what it might be like to be worth so much, though.
Once they are given something that makes them feel special and important it changes them, though in different ways. Wakaba is outwardly happy, although it is a fragile and jealous joy because even then Wakaba doesn't truly feel she's become worth more. Her inflated worth is handed to her from someone else; Saionji. Shiori uses this power to try and tear Juri down to her level, as even then she doesn't truly feel she is worth more, and that the only way to be equal to Juri is to pull her down to her level. (Which, with the power she now has, is possible-- whereas before the idea that someone as great as Juri could be on the same level as someone like herself was unfathomable.)
So despite how each handles it is a bit different (Wakaba holds on tightly, becoming cheerful and happy about her new secret and Shiori holds on just as tightly, but with much more mixed emotions over knowing Juri's secret) their emotions come from the same place-- in much the same way Utena and Juri have such different reactions from their pasts but still work as foils for one another.
Utena takes hers and runs with it, embracing it fully (dressing like a boy, trying to be a prince, etc) whereas Juri tries to move past it all, keeping it repressed and secret (although she can't quite let go, hence the rose locket).
Spoilers for RGU up to and through the Black Rose arc
(bc i'm too tired to meta later episodes so i'm not going past this arc)
In the series it's made obvious that Juri is a foil for Utena, and that thus Ruka is the Touga to Juri's Utena. (To simplify; Juri = Utena and Ruka = Touga.)
It is easy to then say Shiori = Anthy, and indeed there is much support for this. Between their hurtful actions and Anthy invoking memories of Shiori by imitating her in small ways it's certainly no jump to conclusions to say Shiori = Anthy in the series.
I propose, however, that a complex character like Shiori can represent not only Anthy but also another important female in Utena's life.
In the first episode we get to actually meet Shiori (not the Juri exposition episode, I'm talking about episode 17, Thorns of Death) lays a lot of the groundwork for this idea.
Upon meeting her the resemblance to Wakaba is immediate (though first time viewers at this point probably wont know enough about Wakaba to see it); Shiori is cheerful, friendly, and looks up to Juri a lot. She considers her a dear friend-- the best friend she's ever had, although she isn't sure she deserves someone like Juri now. Shiori feels inferior to Juri, as though she is far too special and important to ever be on the same level as someone such as herself. As such, no matter how close she feels she is to Juri it's never enough, because she can never truly reach her.
These feelings mirror Wakaba's own.
Wakaba, despite putting on a happy face and being close to Utena, feels like an outsider. Like someone who could never be as special or important as people like Utena (or the student council + Anthy).
Both characters get a taste of what it might be like to be worth so much, though.
Once they are given something that makes them feel special and important it changes them, though in different ways. Wakaba is outwardly happy, although it is a fragile and jealous joy because even then Wakaba doesn't truly feel she's become worth more. Her inflated worth is handed to her from someone else; Saionji. Shiori uses this power to try and tear Juri down to her level, as even then she doesn't truly feel she is worth more, and that the only way to be equal to Juri is to pull her down to her level. (Which, with the power she now has, is possible-- whereas before the idea that someone as great as Juri could be on the same level as someone like herself was unfathomable.)
So despite how each handles it is a bit different (Wakaba holds on tightly, becoming cheerful and happy about her new secret and Shiori holds on just as tightly, but with much more mixed emotions over knowing Juri's secret) their emotions come from the same place-- in much the same way Utena and Juri have such different reactions from their pasts but still work as foils for one another.
Utena takes hers and runs with it, embracing it fully (dressing like a boy, trying to be a prince, etc) whereas Juri tries to move past it all, keeping it repressed and secret (although she can't quite let go, hence the rose locket).