Once upon a time there was a princess who was very sad because her parents had died.  A prince on a white horse came traveling by and saw her.  He wrapped her in a rose scented embrace, and kissed her tears away. He said, "Little one bearing up under so much grief, do not lose your nobility, even when you grow up. I give you a ring to remember this day."  The prince gave the princess a ring with the crest of a rose imprinted on it.  The prince rode away, but so impressed was the princess with the prince, that she decided to become a prince herself one day.

But was that really such a good idea?

And so opens the anime known as Shoujo Kakumei Utena, or Revolutionary Girl Utena.  Given that premise, we open at a rather prestegious looking boarding school with a rose motif.  Walking down the hall, acting the only way she can (which would be kakoii, or cool) is the 'princess', now 14 years of age, her name Tenjou Utena.  She wears a boyish uniform, made to fit her form, and runs into a teacher who proceeds to razzle her about her clothing.  It's obvious she's gone through that sort of thing before, and that will not be the last time she hears about it.
It would appear that Utena's made more than an impression on the students of Ohtori Academy.  Every last one of them seems to be nothing more than her personal cheerleaders, that is, save for the boys basketball team. And even then, the captain of the basketball team seems more than eager to have Tenjou on his team.

Utena seems to have everything going for her: An affectionate best friend, she's athletic, beautiful, outspoken........but she's also got some odd traits no one seems to understand. Not even the best friend, Shinohara Wakaba, seems to understand her when she says "I want to be a Noble Prince."

That nobility lands Utena into trouble when she finds a love letter belonging to Wakaba tacked up on a bulletin board.  Enraged, she challenges the recipient of the letter, one Saionji Kyoichi, also the Vice President of the Student Council.  It would also just happen to be, that the Student Council also have the Bara no Kokoin, "Rose Crest".

Utena, is introduced to the Bara no Hanayome, Bride of the Roses, a meek Hindu girl  named Himemiya Anthy who seems to just do whatever she's told.  Saionji beats her around, and this only fuels Utena's anger.  By a stroke of luck, she manages to defeat Saionji with a broken wooden kendo sword, and enters the mysterious world of the Duels.
As the Victor of the Duels, Utena struggles with each of the other Student Council members, including Saionji again, in an attempt to get back his 'Lost Love'.  While still clueless as to why everyone seems to want to posses the Rose Bride, Utena duels for her, determined not to let anyone else take her freedom away while trying to encourage her to be a 'normal' person like everyone else.  Anthy seems to respond positively to Utena's encouragement, and admits that she wants more friends after an outing with Wakaba and Utena.

Utena and Anthy become closer and closer friends as time goes on, Anthy even seems to cheer for Utena during one of the duels.  She seems to enjoy Utena's company far more than she lets on.  The same could be said for Utena.

The Student Council President, Kiryuu Touga, is the last of the duelists to challenge Utena, and being a bit more knowlegable about the duels voluntarily, he defeats Utena with ease, even when Utena calls upon Dios' help.   He takes the Bride away, breaking Utena into pieces.  Wakaba doesn't seem to like the way Utena's behaving and tries to make her snap out of it.
Wakaba succeeds in undoing the mental damage that Touga's done, and Utena challenges Touga to duel, not for Anthy, but for herself.  Again, by a stroke of luck, and Anthy's sympathy (that connection again), Utena defeats the student council president, and it's Touga who's sent into a depression, that will keep him out of most of the next saga.

While things have been relatively light in this saga, the next one turns dark, with the addition of Mikage Souji, head of Nemuro Memorial Hall...... Next ----->
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