Shoujo Kakumei Utena 5 was the last Utena tankoubon to be printed in Japanese. It resolves the Mokushiroku plot arc, re-uniting Utena and Anshi. It also has the mini-stories "Fukaki Ruriiro no Kage" (Deep, Lapis Lazuli-colored Shadow) with Tsuchiya Ruka and "Kurobara no Kokuin" (Seal of the Black Rose) with Mikage Souji, as well as a few extra sections in the back.
(Note: massive end-series spoilers follow!)
Having reached the top of the Floating Castle, Utena has found Dios - and he is dead. Then, Akio appears and says that in truth, he is Dios. He shows her that he can see everything that happens, looking down from the castle like a god. Utena asks about that, and Akio says he doesn't know what he would be called, but that long ago he and Dios were one. While the other part of Dios' personality represented the light, Akio represented the dark. Together they made up Dios' personality. Their duty was to help people, but Akio felt that they responded to humanity's pleas far too often. He disrupted their balance, and a battle began - a battle which Akio won. Akio swore to make Dios disappeare, and called himself 'Sekai no Hate' - "The Edge of the World". Dios wandered in a realm between life and death, and found Utena. Touched by her loneliness, which reminded him of himself, he gave her the rose-seal ring - and with it, his noble and strong spirit, his hopes for the future.
Akio says once this had happened, Dios should have disappeared, but Anshi had helped him by sealing him and his power within his castle and kept his sword like a souvenir. But, once everything seems to have failed, Anshi begins to give up. Akio will not help her; the prince she once loved no longer exists. Utena slaps Akio (the look on his face! ^^; ) and says she will help Anshi, even if she has to fight the man who defeated Dios. As they have at it, the castle begins to change ... though she is badly outmatched, Utena does not give up; about this time, Akio makes thorns sprout from the rose at her chest. ... wow ... Akio looks really neat in these scenes, the evil. He reminds her that even Dios could do nothing, and asks her to surrender her sword. With one last burst of strength, she refuses and implores Anshi to come to herself. Though she is (literally) fading fast, Anshi opens her eyes.
When Anshi opens her eyes, Utena's ring gives off brilliant light and (surprise!) Dios appears again. (Can this guy be killed?) I can't tell if Akio is mad or just surprised. "Even though you should have disappeared ... Hasn't 'the power to bring world revolution' become mine??" There's a moment of rapport between the ever-silent Dios and Utena; with one (really, this time) final burst of strength she and Akio rush at each other. This time Anshi is most certainly awake ... and Akio and Utena come away with blood on their swords. Utena and Anshi talk ... (Anshi on page 46! Wai! We love you, Saitou-san! *_* ) Utena thanks Anshi for believing in her, then says that her time as Anshi's prince is over. She steps back, and it's the first in another series of great pictures - Utena takes on the form of Dios, and with the white uniform, cloak, and sword, she looks absolutely wonderful ^_^; Then, for her next trick, she goes to Akio once more - he cuts off the cloak, but in the end she has the advantage (yet another GREAT pic, with the angel wings; nice touch). Then, "with this kiss, I will make you and Dios one again ... " "Utena-sama, no! If you do that, you'll ... Utena- sama ... you're disappearing?" And then, the castle explodes. Everyone and everything is falling ... from somewhere, Anshi hears Utena's voice, and a ring falls down by her hand ...
A month later. Touga is the only one who remember the duelling game, "The Edge of the World", and Utena ... except maybe Chu-chu, who shocks Mr. Kiryuu by donning Utena's black uniform. (He passes the Academy director, and it's an old man. Akio's gone, needless to say.) Touga comes across Anshi running after one of the counselors; she's wearing a white version of Utena's uniform (no glasses) and carrying a tennis racquet. Touga is glad that someone other than him remembered Utena.
A: " ... she really meant a lot to you, didn't she."
T: "Yes ... more than what is between a man and a woman ... as a human being. She was always cute,
and kind ... she was strong. I never thought it would become love. Will we ... never meet
again ... ?"
A: " ... Utena-sama is alive."
T: "What do you mean?"
A: " ... here."
T: "The rose seal ... "
A: "In the last moments, Utena threw it off to me ... This ring is what contained Dios' power -
the power to bring world revolution. So, if it's never used again ... 'The world will never
again be brought to revolution.' ... I knew it. Please, tell the other players for me. I
have to go."
T: "Where?"
A: "To find Utena. It will start the next time we meet. From now on, it will begin ... With that
("sore", written with kanji "kakumei" or "revolution), you and I ... one more time ... "
Shoujo Kakumei Utena 5 * End * February/March 1998
A wonderful end to a wonderful manga.
This is a story especially for Juri fans. It's about her and the old fencing team captain, Tsuchiya Ruka, and is set sometime after the Seitokai arc (Utena is wearing her black uniform). Juri is awakened by Miki, who tells her that someone else is beating everyone else in the fencing room. This someone is Tsuchiya Ruka, the former fencing team captain.
More to come ...
The basis for the Black Rose arc of the anime.
Hosted by Chu-chu, the cute little bugger! It's full of memories and stuff from the Utena manga series, and some other extras. It tells about Utena's school uniforms, remembers turning points in the series, and general Utena details (like the 38-point test result ^^; ) It shows Utena in her various "special" clothings: baseball, no-slip relax, archery uniform, dance dress, tomato apron, Ohtori uniform, and Rose Bride dress. Next is a two-page section comparing the manga and the anime. It also tells about Nanami and Mikage's new extended roles. Then, a two-page Chu-Chu section! Showing Chu-chu in his various duties, and a half-page Saionji slam. The next two pages have a nine-question mini-quiz (can you remember Wakaouji's full name, or the title of Saionji's exchange diary?). Then a really really neat two pages about how Utena first was manifested in Ms. Saitou's mind. It's ... neat. Really cool ^^;
The illustration gallery contains:
5 pages of text, apparently an interview with Ikuhara Kunihiko of B-Papas. No, I haven't read this. Yes, it may be a while ^^; (Thank goodness for furigana. "Osanai koro, boku wa 'kare' to 'ikiru sekai' wo tomo ni shiteita." ... ... I'll get back to you on this.)