Kotetsu's Rave Number Two

Utena is one of my heroes. I'll admit that up front. My parents tease me for having a ficitonal, instead of a living, role model. And I'll also admit, Utena is far from a realistic character. She is a character who is so perfect that she becomes the ultimate end goal for both Anthy and Akio in the series. However, I do not think that Utena is without flaws. She is sometimes childish, sometimes stubborn, sometimes tactless. These flaws are what makes Utena seem, to me at least, more realistic than a "perfect" character could be.

First, I admire Utena for her courage. She never gives in to peer pressure. She is unafraid to stand out from the crowd. It may not seem like a great feat, but it actually takes a lot of courage to wear an outfit to school every day that completely singles you out from every other student. It also takes a lot of courage to stand up for your friend when she is hurt, especially when you have to stand up to one of the most powerful students on campus. (This would be a reference to Utena's initial challenge to Saionji.)

I also admire Utena because she is unafraid to strive for her goals. She is a classic case of "dreaming the impossible dream." Most other girls would have given up on the silly fantasy of being a prince early on in their lives. Utena, however, refuses to give in, even though all the odds are against her (like, um, her gender.) She is not afraid of breaking all of her traditional gender roles to achieve her dream.

That's another reason why I admire Utena - she's so unconvential! Then again, so is the series as a whole. Utena is not a character who can easily fit into a set "role" that most anime characters fill. She is not "the agressive tomboy," she is not "the ditzy but pure-hearted herione," and she is not "the beautiful lesbian girl." She is agressive but has a definite femininity to her. She is pure-hearted, but far more intelligent than, oh, say, Usagi Tsukino. By the way, that's another thing I like about her - she has what I would define as "normal intelligence." She is not a genius or a ditz, as most anime females seem to be on extreme ends of the spectrum. She does poorly in school, but is extremely intelligent in other, more practical matters. This seems closer to how many people perform in real life.

I also admire Utena because she is beautiful and popular, and accomplishes these things without being a shallow person. Okay, so these last two are actually pretty shallow reasons for me to admire her. But they are geniune reasons, regardless.

Basically, I love Utena because she is who she is and does not hide her true self from anyone. I aspire to someday be a person like Utena. I do not want to be tomboyish or athletic or even particularly brave, but I do want to be completely comfortable with who I am. I want to define my own personality, but achieve the level of self-esteem that seems to defining characteristic of Utena Tenjou.

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