Revolutionary Girl Utena series recap part 4

These next few episodes I watched during the peak of an edibles high, and I commented a lot on them.

Episode 25

Mikage and Tokiko.. they only have one black rose left. Their only choice is to get Utena to join them.

Your brother's sins are deep, but true eternity will be built upon the sacrifice of those 100 young duelists.

The student council is also considering getting Utena to join them.. even though Nanami has a grudge against her.

Mikage goes up to Utena and asks her again to join his seminar.. he says he finds her very interesting and attractive.. then he says

It doesn't have to be you personally. Is anyone close to you having some problems?

Utena starts recalling her childhood existential crisis...

Please, don't open it. This coffin is for me. Living on... it's just making me sick. Why does everyone go on living if they all have to die someday? Why didn't I realize it before today? There's no such thing as something eternal.

She then wakes up next to Himemiya.. she wonders why Himemiya can't stop being the Rose Bride...

Utena goes to the seminar.. on the way she sees portraits on the wall, of the people who have been manipulated into dueling her...

It cuts back to the Nemuro/Mamiya story...

The path to the Dueling Arena has been opened. Soon it will all begin. With this, professor Nemuro's work is finished.

Mamiya says Nemuro should take the power to revolutionize the world, since he's the one who opened the path to the castle. It seems Mamiya burned down the building/duelists because he wanted eternity for himself and Nemuro...
Nemuro:

One day, the path to eternity will be opened from this school. Mamiya did the right thing. I, too, now wish to grasp eternity with my own hands...

It goes back to Utena in front of the portraits, Mikage shows up beside her... and an identical scene with him and Tokiko is shown... Utena now knows that Mikage is the one who's been manipulating everyone.

Manipulation? Hardly... They all had memories they couldn't forget. Very, very precious memories. And they all fought to preserve those memories. In short, they were people who tried to change their lives according to their memories... And what about you?

Utena flashback:

We'll meet again. My prince... Until that day, I won't cry. No matter what happens, I'll be strong.

Like me, you should be able to make your memories eternal. The world requires it. The path you must take has been prepar-

Utena:

You son of a bitch!

she challenges him to a duel.

Now, Mikage himself is going down the elevator.

Tokiko really has come back to me.. to settle things once and for all.

That girl is closer to the power of Dios than any of us. If we don't beat her, we can't advance.

I take this rose which blooms at the end of the world... UNTO ME!

Mikage keeps calling Utena "Tokiko" throughout the duel.. suddenly he hears Mamiya's voice...

You will never beat my sister, who dwells in your memories.

The memory of Tokiko keeps coming back to him... Tokiko slaps the glasses off Nemuro...

Souji... Take a good look! Back then, in that place, who was really there? Who wasn't there?! Who was it that really set the fire?!

Mamiya now looks different than what was shown in the previous flashbacks...

Utena starts the finishing move, and at that point all the portraits arranged on desks fall face down.
Akio is shown picking up the phone and takes to Nemuro..

Yes. Your companion Mamiya.. who was produced by your lingering regret over Tokiko... actually died a long time ago. You treasured that illusion of memory so much that it stopped time for you. I made use of that. The time you spent not growing up, as you kept possibilities hidden in your heart proved useful to me, but... that's all over now. The path you must take has -not- been prepared for you.

A boy who looks like the Mamiya from the previous flashback scenes is there with Akio..

Miki and Utena are at a burned down building while looking for Himemiya.. Miki says that it was burned down a long time ago, way before the student council was formed.. but nobody was hurt in it...

Back to Akio, he talks to this Mamiya person...

What's wrong? Do you feel sympathy for him? But he isn't here at this school anymore. Rather, he never really was in the first place. Just like you...

suddenly, that Mamiya person becomes Himemiya..

Episode 26

Tsuwabuki gets in an accident, then watches the silhouettes of Nanami, Utena, and Himemiya behind the curtain as they read through his diary, about how he's been spying on Nanami this whole time... he even chased her through the whole India thing.. he plans out a bunch of strategies to make Nanami fall for him... including posing as her big brother if she loses her memory, turning into a cow if she turns into one again..

Suddenly.. Utena and Wakaba are going to see Akio and Himemiya at this huge house.. he says that they've moved in here with Utena or something? Meanwhile, the student council is discussing the latest letter they got. Saionji is there too, just to say that he quits being the End of the World's lackey.
Miki:

I've already verified this letter's contents. I passed through the Rose Gate... and in the middle of a stairway leading to the dueling arena... a gondola appeared.

While he's saying all of this.. a pitcher keeps throwing strikes in front of them...?

I believe it's to carry us to a new stage.

Touga goes to try and convince Saionji to become Akio's (The End of the World's) lackey again. Akio comes and they both go for a ride with him.. Touga says that Akio is the one who helped that girl in the coffin, who wanted to see something eternal. Akio then shows that something to Saionji...

Miki asks Utena if she knows about the Gondola inside the spiral staircase... Saionji comes and declares he will take the Rose Bride and ride it to the castle where eternity dwells... another duel begins...

This time, the spiral staircase scene is entirely different. Utena and Himemiya ride up the gondola in the middle, and it shows them transforming into their duel/bride uniforms... the school uniform getting branches growing inside it...

Saionji somehow makes Utena's sword disappear, after saying that Himemiya doesn't have a will of her own... Himemiya stares blankly while Utena is about to be defeated... then she remembers her words of kindness, and jumps to her rescue... Himemiya does seem to have a will of her own... She puts her hand on Utena's chest...

Rose of nobility... Please... Come forth!

She pulls a sword out of Utena.

Grant us the power to bring the world revolution!

Later, Akio is talking to Himemiya:

The Sword of Dios did not appear... and yet she still won the duel. Oh, it was magnificent...

Touga seems to be in league with Akio in some way... next the student council gets another letter, saying that they must duel and defeat Utena.

Miki:

I don't like it. You can't just an adult who tells you that something is for your own good.

Touga goes to convince Miki next...

There's someone I want you to meet. There... Can't you hear it?
If your soul has not truly given up... then you can hear the sound... that races through the End of the World!

The sound of a car approaches...

Come! Come approach us! Follow us to the world you seek!

This time, Kozue is there in the car with him and Akio...
Akio:

I reveal the End of the World, to you now as well.

He jumps onto the hood of his car as it drives toward infinity...

Episode 27

Nanami's Egg - "Tamago Tamago"... um... wtf this episode... actually this is pretty par for a Nanami episode

Utena and Himemiya in bed:

Miss Utena, do you believe in reincarnation?

Hmm... I dunno.

It's said that when elephants reach the end of their lives... they leave the herd to die in secret.

Maybe they sneak off to die on their own... because they don't want their children to feel sad. Thoughts and feelings... passed from parent to child, till the end of time...