Finished watching Utena.

[snarp]

...It's kind of hard to discuss that ending, isn't it.

But anyway, I'm on to you now, N. K. Jemisin.

So, in both Utena and The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, there are three gods/principles: the earth goddess; the god of darkness who, in one way or another, wants to destroy the world; and the god of light, who lives in an inaccessible place in the sky. The two gods are in opposition. One of them defeats the other and imprisons him, and does something unforgiveable to the goddess.

In the distant future, an idealistic young woman is drawn against her will into an inexplicable battle for power among spoiled, wealthy, incest-prone people. She encounters the god of darkness, and finds herself falling in love with him even as she warns herself against it.

She discovers that she is the earthly avatar of (this is the divergent point) either the god of light or the earth goddess. In Revolutionary Girl Utena, as the Prince/god of light's avatar, Utena is destroyed by the forces of human spite (metaphorical) while trying to save her beloved Anthy, the Rose Bride/earth goddess, from enslavement to Akio/the god of darkness. In The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, as the earth goddess's avatar, Yeine is destroyed by the forces of human spite (physically present in the form of Viraine) while trying to save her beloved Nahadoth, the god of darkness, from enslavement to Itempas/the god of light.

In both, the heroine becomes something purer and more powerful in death. In both, the remaining god is abandoned by those on whose adoration he had formerly counted, finding himself in some sense at the mercy of the earth goddess - though Yeine actively exacts vengeance on Itempas, while Anthy simply walks away from Akio.

Conclusion: I'm so on to you, Jemisin.

Comments

[starlady]

Oh yeah! That makes a lot of sense. Her books are so anime, in a lot of ways.

Though the other interesting thing in Utena is that the gods of light & darkness are the same, on one level.

[estara]

You know it's been such a long time since I saw Utena - I was not ready for the meta there - that I hadn't realised how right you are.

I DID recognise the general manga/anime influence in the over-the-top happenings in the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms most in that tentacle sex scene with Nahadoth ^^.

[darkelf105]

I thought that the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms was very anime/manga influence, too. Totally did not make the connection with Nahadoth tentacle sex scene, though. Lol, that makes my day.

[estara]

Now that has me feel all chuffed ^^ - yay for comic relief!

[inkstone]

Jemisin's books are both very anime influenced, written in a style that's a cross between Tanith Lee and Storm Constantine.

[(Anonymous)]

When Dollhouse was airing, I remember thinking that it was a lot like Utena. Not just in terms of the themes of burying your true self to be more appealing to your culture, but also in terms of the whacked out plot pacing. They both had moments of brilliance, and they both had moments of total WTF.

I personally really liked both Utena's last line and Anthi's actions at the end. If you see Akio more as an abusive relative she's having trouble cutting ties with than a god, walking away after confronting him is about the bravest thing she could do.

[darkelf105]

I need to watch Revolutionary Girl Utena, methinks.

[snarp]

YES, YOU DO.