Like I said before: it’s been a long time since I saw the last episode of this. I believed that I’d seen up to number twenty-three. Just now I realize that I made a slight error in my calculations, making me miss the twenty-third one. It would probably have featured the downfall of the boys of the black rose. (note to self: track that episode down)
Anyway, this episode featured the start of a new season. If you’d ask me to describe it in just one word, I’d reply with "refreshing". The boys from the black rose were good in order to show some in-depth character development of some of the major an minor characters. It really felt like I got to know the personages more and more. However, it also felt a bit empty. The black rose had nothing to do with the main story and I also felt like some important characters were neglected a bit.
Therefore it was nice to see that this season will revolve around the members of the student counsel again. Sayonji and Touga are back, in all of their bishounen-ness. We also get some very obvious hints that Akio is some sort of bad guy. In what ways and how, when, why which and where are still a mystery. The recycled cells are replaced with old ones, Utena gets a new sword, the music gets even more awesome, and the shadow-play-girls are back against the walls where they were in the first season.
The story certainly takes a twist in the good direction this time. I liked the overall plot twists. I’m really curious now who End-of-the-world might be. It also seems that Anthy finally acts beyond her role of the rose bride, the student counsel meetings are just as awesome as ever (this time with baseball!) and the shadow-play-girls are as weird as ever. The stairs also seemed to have made way for a modern elevator (don’t you love the modern-day sciende?). All the desks and body outlines shown on the battlefield also got their modernization, as they were repaced by red sport cars, sticking out of the arena, literally (do NOT ask me why). My only complaint is that I almost couldn’t take yaoi-scented scenes.
