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They control my brain

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little animations

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Note: New submissions are now integrated into the daily posts from this point on!

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these thorns protect me

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in circulation

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The gang

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one step closer to fitting in

close ups:

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deltarune is utena: a collection of parallels

since chapter 3 and 4 came out and it's become increasingly clear to me that deltarune is taking some heavy utena inspiration, i wanted to collect the parallels i noticed along with a friend. this is spoilers for deltarune chapters 3+4 and for revolutionary girl utena.

now, the first and biggest parallel i noticed: kris is anthy in deltarune.

- cages for a "greater power" as part of a plot. agency removed due to that role

- working together with (and being manipulated by) a much older figure as a child to orchestrate the negative events and forces of the plot

- being pushed towards a powerful girl closely connected to their manipulator in order to hold more control over that girl

- the truth is, i...... nevermind.

there's more, even.

kris sleeping "like a corpse" through class and other imagery of death for them; anthy sleeping in her coffin.

kris trying to protect people: susie, noelle; anthy trying to protect dios and utena.

both of them trying to return to an ideal of the past, which is why they're doing the things they do (kris's feelings about dess. anthy's feelings about dios).

both of them taking on the painful and harder part in their plot instead of their co-conspirator/abuser.

the egg rooms; the chick needing to break the shell of its egg.

you can even say that the tendency of players to blame kris for things we made them do, or condemn them excessively for their involvement with the knight or carol or for them not telling susie the truth as though they are a demon and not a traumatized child is similar to how anthy is blamed for everything as the rose bride and used as a scapegoat.

prankster's gambit

what does this all mean for kris? mostly bad things! yay!

the next big parallel i noticed: susie/noelle as utena. noelle and susie both being utena seems weird at first, but it actually makes sense when you consider their interchangeability in the text of the prophecy. i imagine that carol wanted noelle to be the one adventuring with kris in the dark world to control both of them better, but susie got in the way. also, we see both of them are strong, and very much revolutionary in how they can bypass the limits of the game, of what we can normally do

the parallels are pretty strong for each, with susie:

- wanting eternity

- being a deeply lonely girl believing in true friendship and empowered by it. also, the protagonist. and someone who is seemingly miraculous, pulling through even when all seems lost and saving herself and others with the power of hopes and dreams

and noelle:

- manipulated by a ring, a symbol of love. we are akio in the weird route. our scenes with her are coded like an abusive relationship

- i can't remember...

there's also noelle's stuff with nostalgia, and her nervous babbling in That Scene in the weird route is reminiscent of utena's in That Scene of episode 33. basically, susie is utena in the main route, and if you choose weird route, noelle is instead

given all this i would be shocked if deltarune was not taking inspiration from utena here (and i wouldnt be surprised if the rose that was originally in That Scene in the weird route was taking a leaf out of utena's book). deltarune is utena yay yippee

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Sorry

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Weirdoooooos

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they’re like an ant infestation to me. the mountain goats dinu lipattis bones snowgrave animatic

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ribbons

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so how are we feeling about spamtenna

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not like this

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love them

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she’s really looking forward to seeing you