a bit of an elaboration on my thoughts about the ring/earrings parallel: they're both gifts consisting of jewelry given to utena by akio with the intention of pushing her into two different roles. the ring is the symbol of the princely ideal utena inspires to, as well as the thing that brings her to ohtori and into the dueling game. it's a more masculine symbol in contrast to the femininity of the earrings, but at the end of the day they're both part of akio's grooming.
and there's something to be said about the way the ring gradually becomes more of a heteronormative symbol too. to utena, originally it was just about her goal of saving anthy, but by the time she has come to ohtori her narrative of what happened and what the ring means has been distorted to the point she barely remembers it, and crucially the line about it perhaps being an engagement ring has been added. and by episode 9 it's no longer even a "maybe". she's now sure it must have been.
another thing: the fairy tale opening having the prince on a white horse when that never happened / utena riding a white horse with akio after receiving the earrings.
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Wukong: "I know who you are, your cruelty reveals everything, you're the Shadow Pirate. Admit it!"
Macaque in disguised: "With pride."
*Macaque bows dramatically*
Macaque: "What can I do for you."
Wukong: "You can die slowly, cut up in a 1,000 pieces."
Macaque: "tsk, oddly complimentary, your highness. Why loose your venom on me?"
Wukong: "You killed my love."
Macaque: "it's possible, I kill a lot of people."
*Macaque walks around Wukong*
Macaque: "Who was this love of yours? Another Prince like this one, ugly, rich, scabby?"
*Wukong turns to face Macaque*
Wukong: "No. A farm Monkey, poor. Poor and perfect, like eyes the sea after a storm."
*Wukong smiles before frowning at Macaque again*
Wukong: "On the high seas your ship attacked and the Shadow Pirate never takes prisoners."
Macaque: "Well, can't afford to make exceptions, I mean once word leaks out that a pirate has gone soft, people begin to disobey and then it's nothing but work, work, and work all the time."
Wukong: "You mock my pain!"
Macaque: "Life is pain, highness!"
*Macaque turns away*
Macaque: "Anyone who says differently is selling something."
*Wukong begins to walk away but Macaque follows him*
Macaque: "I remember this farm monkey of yours, I think. This would be, what five years ago? Does it bother you to hear?"
*Wukong stops walking and looks at Macaque glaring at him*
Wukong: "Nothing you can say will upset me."
*Macaque walks in front of Wukong*
Macaque: "He died well, that should please you. No bribe attempts or blubbering. He simply said please, please I need to live. It was the please that caught my memory, I ask him what was so important for him."
*Macaque sighed and looked back at Wukong who was starring at the ground*
Macaque: "True love, he replied. Then he spoke about a golden monkey of surpassing beauty and faithfulness. I can only assume he meant you."
*Macaque walks pass Wukong*
Macaque: "You should bless me for destroying him before he found out what you really are."
*Wukong whips around glaring at Macaque*
Wukong: "And what am I?!"
*Macaque turned around looking Wukong In the eyes*
Macaque: "Faithfulness he talk about, sage, your enduring faithfulness. Now tell me truthfully, when you found out he was gone did you get engaged to your prince same hour or did you wait a whole week out of respect for the dead?"
Wukong: "You mocked me once never do it again! I died that day! You can die too for all I care."
*Wukong punches Macaque down the hill*
Macaque: "Oh! As. you. wish."
Wukong in realization: oh, my sweet Macaque. What have I done?
*Jumps after him*
Made after this scene:
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