The”Apocalypse Arc” of Revolutionary Girl Utena is going to spend the rest of the anime blowing us up like a balloon and piercing us with pins, just to watch us go “pop!”

I don’t know what to say about this arc other than I wholly wiped it from my memory the first time around and am not at all pleased at having to remember any of it this time. And not to spoil anything, but we learn three things during this arc and not one of them makes us any happier.

The shadow girls tell us what we’ve been guessing for a while, that the true story lay somewhere deep in our subsconscious where all fairytales live – and we’re reminded yet again that the story started with something like a fairy tale. The beginning, which seemed innocent in the beginning takes on a much, much darker meaning now and there is nowhere on the screen to look that does not bring us pain.

I’m reminded of the hatred shown to Akio when fans saw this series the first time. It’s a fair bet to say that he remains the most loathesome anime character I’ve ever encountered.

Of the two things that keep me going towards the end, one of them is revealed in this arc. Knowing Anthy’s true story makes me love her even more, but I do not pity her. Because…

One more disk to go, only a few days left in the contest to win this boxset. Only a few more episodes to the end that I long for, that I cling to like a mirage in the desert. I wonder what my reaction to it will be when I watch it again for the first time in a decade?

My original review for this disk was going to be something like – ARRRRRGGGGHHHHH.

I’ll withhold ratings until the end. I can’t speak of this disk without spitting.