On the surface, Anthy is a princess quietly waiting to be rescued, and Utena is the noble prince who will save her. Perhaps in a conventional fairytale that would be all there was to the story, but Shoujo Kakumei Utena is hardly a conventional fairytale. Neither character is what she appears to be on the surface, and thus their relationship is far more complicated.

Long ago, when she longed to see something eternal, Utena was shown the suffering of the Rose Bride. Young Utena begged the prince to save the girl and, when he replied that he could not do so, she declared that she would become a prince and save her. Although she forgot the exact circumstances of the meeting, she remained true to her word and devoted her life to becoming a prince. Princes are noble and strong, but above all, they exist to save princesses.

Anthy certainly looks like the perfect princess for Utena. As the Rose Bride, she is the slave to victor of the duels, bound by the rules of the Rose Crest. There is nothing protecting her from an unscrupulous or cruel master—nothing, except of course, a prince. If Utena wishes to protect her, she must literally fight for her just like a prince in a fairytale. There are swords, a castle floating in the sky, and magical powers. If Utena wants to play prince, this is the perfect place to do it.

Utena cannot understand how Anthy can stand being the Rose Bride, a prize won by the victors, so she decides to change her into a normal girl. She grows to love Anthy and even considers her family, but she is so blinded by trying to change her, while still using her as her princess, that she never really understands Anthy. She sees a girl who has been damaged by the duels, but could return to normal if only she could see the light. There are at least two things wrong with that—Utena is never really able to define “normal” and Anthy was damaged long before the duels ever started.

Anthy isn’t nearly as innocent as she seems. As the Rose Bride, she manipulates and moves the duelists in whatever way her brother, Akio, desires. She and Akio promise their victims their desires, than exploit the person’s weaknesses to their advantage. While she is somewhat bound to her brother’s will, she sometimes carries out her own little plots, inflicting a tiny bit of pain back on those who have hurt her. Sometimes she is moved by Utena’s sincerity, but ultimately she remains cynical. She enjoys the taste of friendship while it lasts.

Now Akio enters the picture. While using his sister to achieve his ends, he methodically seduces Utena. This, of course, puts Anthy in an uncomfortable position. Although he abuses her, he is still her brother, and love, even tainted love, is better than nothing at all. Utena is a kind girl whose friendship has even penetrated Anthy’s detachment. While she loves Akio and desperately needs him, she also hates and resents him. She also grows to love Utena, but she cannot deny the jealousy and resentment towards her as well.

In the end, Anthy is forced to choose between the two of them. At first, she chooses Akio and the safety of stagnation, and uses Utena’s sword to stab her in the back. Of course, Akio is not really going to revolutionize the world, so Anthy will remain safe in her coffin. Somehow, Utena finds the strength and pries open Anthy’s coffin, offering her freedom. Although she loses Utena at that moment, her strength and courage inspires Anthy to leave the safety of her coffin and her brother to seek the world outside. Perhaps out there she will be able to find Utena once more.

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