La Duelist: Touga Kiryuu | Utena Analysis 

A lot, I'd even say most, of Touga's villainy comes from Akio's manipulation of him. He does eventually break away from Akio's manipulation to him due to his feelings for Utena and instead tries to save her rather than seek power. What a lot of people tend to miss is that Touga attempts to sacrifice himself for her sake by trying to win the Rose Bride from her, which would put himself rather than Utena on the chopping block. He's willing to become Akio's puppet for Utena's sake, but goes about it the wrong way. His attempt to have Utena become "his woman" if he defeats her in their final duel is his way to get her away from Akio so she won't become a puppet. What he didn't understand was that Utena didn't need to be saved by a prince on a white horse, rather he should have helped and supported her in the role she wanted to play. He does this in the manga, but in the anime, he doesn't think she would believe him about Akio (and he's right) because he knows she's in love with Akio and because of his own less than savory past.

I've always felt dislike or lukewarmness toward Touga, but this video actually made me appreciate Touga a little bit more.

"Akio takes all of Touga's traits and dials them up to 11." THIS! I just found myself falling back into the rabbit hole that is RGU, and everything about Akio's actions literally makes me sick to my stomach. If I were still in my teens or 20s, I would regard Akio as an example of the "Draco in leather pants" trope at best, but now that I'm older than 30, that feeling has changed drastically. After watching this video, I can finally view Touga in a slightly different light. Maybe not like him as a character, but just enough to not hate him. Great video you made, as late as I am to the party.

it's more blunt but I also always felt his dynamic with Saionji implied another reason for him wooing so many girls but then rejecting them was a way to run from something else he percieves to be "weak" within their patriarchal structure, the fact he might like boys, and when he sees that Akio can seduce and command the loyalty of both men and women, it's why he then latches onto Akio more, he sees evidence him possibly liking men wouldn't get in the way of his perfection just what I took it to mean when when Touga loses his final duel and Saionji asks if "it's over between us" Touga says "no" I always took that as him accepting he and Saionji probably had feelings for eachother the whole time but had been trying to run from them

YES THE SAGA HAS BEEN COMPLETED I can perish happily

What do you think about Touga’s history of abuse as it is portrayed in the movie? Is it plausible that his womanizing ways are a result of him trying to take back control over his sexuality and deal with the total alienation he felt? Or should I keep the movie and anime plots separate?

Just discovered your analysis series recently. Thank you for doing this. Utena deserves a much wider recognition

I appreciate the disclaimer since Touga must be the character who embodies the most differents archetypes in each medium, heel turned faithfull knight in the manga, misguided youth duped by Akio in the anime and the shadow of a true prince in the movie where he becomes kind of a less evil Akio. I love how his portrayal in the movie uses leftover elements from the manga even if they're not linked to his original portrayal.

i would love more utena vids, theyre so insightful to characterization and symbolism that’s easily missed!

Anyone else notice that the out of all the duels? Utena only ever wore a pink rose once? All the other times she wore a white one, the color associated with an ideal prince. The pink rose shown as fighting for herself that one time. It’s actually pretty cool. I can't wait for Pink rose (utena), the Black roses (seriously, each one is amazing!) and the Purple rose (chairman/fake Prince/end of the world). I honestly have nothing to say about touga because he was pretty one-note in my eyes. He's just a egomaniac who uses abuse as a tool. If anything? Thats the most I've really gotten from him. Not much to dicect(?) and thus not really worth remembering. If anything? The only thing I really cared about was his abusive behavior to others.

Thank you so much for this series! I love some good Utena content🌹💗

damn these vids r pretty high quality for the sub count/ views.

Your insight is amazing! You need a lot more viewers and subscribers

So glad you are continuing this : )

Thank you. That's all I need to say

I was waiting for this! Thank you! 🥰

I hope that you finish this series one day!💕

Aaaaaand.... It's sad Touga hours again for me lol

Subtítulos en español please

I thought you wouldn’t continue this

Finally! This bastard is so complex!