Episode 1: The Rose Bride

SCRIPT (version 1.0; 9/9/1998)

voice Once upon a time...
voice ...there was a princess grieving over the deaths of her mother and father.
voice Before this princess appeared a prince traveling upon a white horse.
voice His appearance gallant, and his smile gentle, the prince enveloped the princess
voice in the scent of roses, and wiped away her tears.
voice "Little one bearing up alone under grief,
voice please lose not thy strength and nobility when thou growest up."
voice "As a token of this day, please retain this."
voice "Pray, shall we meet once more?"
voice "This ring should guide thee to me."
voice Was the ring from the prince meant as an engagement ring?
voice That part was good,
voice but because of the strength of her admiration for the prince,
voice the princess made up her mind to become a prince herself!
voice But is that really good for her?

Title The Rose Bride

Wakaba It's late...
Wakaba Man, how much longer should I have to wait? I'm not going to be late the beginning of the new term.
Girl Wakaba!
Girl What are you doing over there?
Wakaba Waiting to see my boyfriend!
Girl Boyfriend?
Girl Ha ha.. guessed you got dumped, then. Your "boyfriend" left the dorm earlier this morning.
Wakaba Why, you... how could you?!

Title Ohtori Academy Junior and Senior High School
Woman Tenjou Utena-san. Do you plan to keep on wearing those strange clothes this semester?
Utena Strange?
Woman Strange.
Utena All the boys are dressed like I am.
Woman You are a girl! So why do you keep on wearing a boy's uniform?
Utena There's no rule here that says a girl can't wear a boy's uniform. No problem then! So, in that case...
Woman You little... You're going to keep evading me this semester, too, aren't you...

Crowd Go, Utena-sama!
Boy Sheesh, skunked again...
Girl Oh, Utena-sama, use my towel, too!
Utena Sure, sure, wait your turn.
Boy Say, Tenjou, if you'd just join our basketball team, the local playoffs would be a sure thing!
Utena Now look! I'm a girl, you know. I don't like playing basketball with a bunch of stinking, sweaty boys.
Boy Why not? You're mighty boyish yourself, Tenjou.
Utena Don't say such rude things.
Boy Well then, why do you wear that boy's uniform?
Utena That's "prince."
Boy Huh?
Utena Instead of a princess to be protected, I want to become a dashing prince.
Boy What's that mean?
Utena That smell... It's the smell of roses. How long have I felt nostalgic over the scent of roses?

Utena What's going on over there? A lovers' quarrel? At least do that someplace where no one else can see you.
Utena Hey, hey... that's going a bit too far.... Whew...
Wakaba Utena!
Utena Wakaba.. you're heavy...
Wakaba This is your punishment for leaving me behind this morning. Now say you're sorry!
Utena Okay, okay...
Wakaba Oh, Saionji-sama!
Utena Saionji?
Wakaba You don't know who Saionji-sama is?
Utena Oh, is he famous? I know who the guy in front of him is. That's got to be Kiryuu Touga, the Student Council President, right?
Wakaba Yep! And the other guy is the Vice-President, Saionji Kyouichi-sama.
Utena What about her?
Wakaba Ahh... that's Himemiya Anthy.
Utena Himemiya... Anthy...
Wakaba All she does is take care of the roses, though no one's asked her to. She's so weird. She'll be in our class from now on.
Utena So, is Saionji going out with that Himemiya girl?
Wakaba Not even! Tough old Saionji-sama could never have any feelings for a girl like her. The only reason they're together is because they're both part of the Student Council.
Utena Wakaba... he's sort of your type, isn't he?
Wakaba Oh, I hate it when you get jealous! Don't you worry, I belong only to you. After all, you're much, much cooler than any boy!

Saionji This is a sudden meeting, fellow Councilors...
Miki Saionji-san, we are the chosen members of the Rose Signet.
Juri Don't forget that our one and only rule is to uphold the Code.
Touga Saionji, we have a problem with the way you've been treating the Bride recently.
Saionji Oh, is that so?
Touga Certainly, she is engaged to you currently. However, that doesn't mean you can do whatever you please to her.
Miki "Whatever he pleases?"
Juri "Whatever he pleases," you say?
Touga Quit abusing the Bride, Saionji. The existence of our Student Council is the behest of the Ends of the World. Should they know of this matter, the Ends of the World will be displeased.
Saionji Stay out of this. The Bride and I are deeply in love. I don't want to hear complaints from the likes of you.
Miki "Deeply in love?"
Anthy Right now, I am Saionji-sama's Bride. I will do everything he wishes.
Saionji Well, that's how it is between us. If you're so concerned with the Code, then win back the Bride in a duel in accordance with the Code, Councilors.
Touga Don't forget that the next duel will be soon upon-
Saionji I'm already looking forward to whoever it is that will challenge me.

(Commercial break)

Wakaba Ooh, that's so pretty... that rose pattern. Say, that's our school emblem, isn't it?
Utena Sure looks like it.
Wakaba Who'd you get it from?
Utena A prince on a white horse.
Utena "This ring should guide thee to me."
Wakaba What's that about?
Utena I think someone said that to me when he gave me the ring, but I was real little then, so I don't remember too well.
Wakaba I know what you mean. When I was a little girl, my mama said to me, "You're the princess of the Onion Kingdom!" and I actually believed her.
Utena So your head's always been shaped like that, huh?
Wakaba I wonder what that's about...
crowd Now what's this?
Utena What's going on here?
boy Someone's love letter got posted here.
Utena Love letter?
boy hmmm, let's see... "so then I was dancing with you in my dreams, Saionji-san. You were smiling so gently. You must think I'm such an idiot." Heh! I'll say!
Utena You guys are the idiots! This is such a tasteless thing to do.
boy Hey, if it's up there, anybody would read it.
Utena Nice guys wouldn't read this-
Utena Wakaba...
Utena Wakaba! YOU sent that letter to Saionji? That Saionji jerk is not getting away with this...

Saionji How should I know? Someone probably picked the letter out of the trash and posted it on their own.
Utena Why did you throw it away in such a public place?
Saionji What I do with my letters is my own business. But, now that I think of it, if that sort of stupid, no, silly letter has amused anyone, then all the better. Was that all you wanted to talk about?
Utena No. You're the captain of the Kendo Club, right? You've got a duel with me today after school!
Saionji What do you... So that's it. You're the next challenger.
Utena What do you mean by that?
Saionji All right, then. I'll meet you after classes at the Duel Arena in the forest at the rear of the school.
Utena Forest? The one that's off-limits?

A-ko I wonder, I wonder... do you know what I wonder?
B-ko I hear there's going to be another duel out back in the forest today!
A-ko Oh, brave warrior, you're going to fight for your friend, meddlesome brave warrior!
B-ko But beware, brave warrior...
A-ko They fight by a Code, there in the forest.
B-ko Do you know that, I wonder?
A-ko I wonder, I wonder...
both Do you know what I wonder?

Utena What the... Now how am I supposed to get into this place, anyway? And of course, it's locked. Hey! That's cold! What kind of gate is this? Well, whatever. I'm going in!

Absolute Destiny: Apocalypse

Utena A castle in midair? How?
Saionji So, this is your first time to see the castle, eh?
Utena What is it? I sure couldn't see it from outside the forest.
Saionji It's a mirage, of sorts. You can think of it as magic, if you like.
Utena A mirage?
Saionji What surprises me is someone outside the Student Council possessing a Rose Signet.
Utena Rose Signet?
Saionji I mean this.
Utena That ring...
Saionji Anthy! Prepare us for battle!
Utena Himemiya... Anthy... Himemiya, what are YOU doing here?
Saionji Naturally, the Bride ought to be in attendance.
Utena Bride? That smell... It's the same, the same as my prince's roses.
Anthy The person whose rose gets scattered loses the duel.
Utena Huh?
Anthy Good luck to you.
Utena What was that for?
Saionji Don't toy with me, Anthy! You're the Rose Bride, in other words, MY flower. How dare you wish anyone else good luck?
Anthy I'm sorry, Saionji-sama.
Utena Stupid! He does all this, and you still submit to him?
Anthy Saionji-sama is the current duel champion, so he can do with me as he likes.
Utena What does that mean? Isn't he supposed to be your boyfriend?
Saionji So, let us begin.
Utena I'm not sure what's going on here, but it doesn't matter, as long as I beat him, right?
Anthy O roses of the noble castle,
Utena What? More magic?
Anthy O Power of Dios that slumbers within me,
Anthy Harken unto thy master and reveal to us...
Saionji ...the power to revolutionize the world!

When, Where, Who, Which

Saionji You're pretty good... for a girl. So you want to be the prince who saves the helpless princess? Unfortunately...
Utena Oh, no! That magical sword... is real?
Saionji I'm surprised at you. Really now, challenging the Sword of Dios with a simple bamboo practice sword?
Utena Sword of Dios?
Saionji You don't know about the Sword of Dios? Who ARE you? You ARE an intriguing creature.
Utena Hey, this fight ain't over yet!
Saionji If you so desire, I'll gladly stain that rose with your blood, with but a single strike. Go ahead then, risk your life and face me... if you have the courage! You, a prince on a white horse, out to save a princess?
voice "Little one bearing up alone under grief, please lose not thy strength and nobility when thou growest up."
Saionji What? Stupid bitch!
Saionji It can't be... I've... lost? Anthy...
Anthy Take it easy, Saionji... sempai.

Touga This is an unexpected turn of events. And she's in junior high school? All right, baby. You've set my heart on fire.

Utena Ahh.. That was really weird, whatever happened back there. What was all that, anyway? Oh well, better just forget about it!
Utena Huh? You...
Anthy I've been waiting for you, Utena-sama. I am the Rose Bride, and from today on, I am your flower.

Title Preview of Next Episode
Utena What, a rematch at the Duel Arena after school tomorrow? Can I really be expelled for not following the rules of the Student Council?
Anthy Is that okay, Utena-sama? I thought you weren't going to accept any more duels.
Utena I'll just lose on purpose. After that, no problem, right?
Anthy Well, whatever you like...
Utena Next time on Shoujo Kakumei Utena: For Whom the Rose Smiles
Anthy The Absolute Destiny: Apocalypse.

Truth (ending theme)

CREDITS ON THE SCRIPT

TRANSLATOR'S NOTE ON THE EPISODE

voice      "Little one bearing up alone under grief,
voice      please lose not thy strength and nobility when thou
	   growest up."
voice      "As a token of this day, please retain this."
voice      "Pray, shall we meet once more?"
voice      "This ring should guide thee to me."

Why is the "Princess Meets Prince" part in the introduction written in old English despite the modern Japanese in the original?

[Ed Note: Well, not really. Sorry, I can't leave that comment lie: it's not old English, it's an approximation accomplished the usual way -- with thees and thous and thys thrown in. If I were trying to translate the Prince's line, I might try something like this:

"Child who art alone in grief, lose not thy strength and noble heart when thou art grown. As token of our meeting, receive this. We shall meet again, and this ring shall be thy guide to me."

This problem can be reduced to the following translation problem. Excerpt from Kimagure Orange Road:

    Umao       "Ushiko-san, Anata wa Naze Ushiko-san nanda"
    Ushiko     "Umao-san, Anata wa Naze Umao-san nano"

Sometimes, the basic rule of keeping the speech mode the same in translating into another language should be broken because of the difference of cultural backgrounds. The "Princess Meets Prince" part must remind the audience of old European fairy tales. The old English can suit this purpose pretty well. The original writers did not use the old Japanese, because the old Japanese does not remind Japanese people of old European fairy tales. Most of them were translated into Japanese in 20th century, and were written in modern Japanese.

Girl       Ha ha.. guessed you got dumped, then.
Girl       Your "boyfriend" left the dorm earlier this
	   morning.

Woman      So why do you keep on wearing a boy's uniform?

Anthy      Take it easy, Saionji... sempai.

ZUM        A wet-nurse and a midwife in a dark desert