GKIDS announced on Thursday that it has acquired the North American theatrical rights for Adolescence of Utena, the 1999 anime film for the Revolutionary Girl Utena series, and it will screen the movie in Japanese with English subtitles in U.S. theaters on June 21-22. Tickets are on sale. The company streamed a trailer:
GKIDS describes the story:
Utena enrolls in the prestigious Ohtori Academy on her quest to become a prince, and stumbles into a mysterious cabal of students dueling for possession of the “Rose Bride.” The role belongs to their classmate Anthy, an enigmatic girl who equally captivates and confuses Utena. While fending off powerful rivals, Utena must uncover the secrets surrounding Anthy and her own desires. As the relationship between the girls intensifies, their thirst for freedom crescendoes into a need for revolution.
Central Park Media released the film as Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Movie in North America on DVD and VHS. RetroCrush is streaming the film. Funimation and Tubi previously streamed the film.
Director Kunihiko Ikuhara’s film premiered in 1999 as a retelling of his earlier television series Revolutionary Girl Utena, which adapts Chiho Saitō’s manga of the same name.
Be-PaPas — a group of industry professionals including Chiho Saitō, Yōji Enokido (Bungo Stray Dogs, Star Driver), Shinya Hasegawa (Golden Time, Taboo Tattoo), Ikuhara (Sailor Moon, Yuri Kuma Arashi), and Yūichirō Oguro (Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Movie) — developed the Revolutionary Girl Utena manga and anime at the same time. Saito’s manga debuted in Shogakukan’s Ciao magazine beginning in 1996, and Shogakukan published the series in five compiled volumes. Viz Media licensed and sold the manga in North America, and also released a collector’s edition.
The 39-episode television anime adaptation from director Ikuhara originally aired in 1997. Central Park Media and later Nozomi Entertainment released the television series on DVD in North America, and Nozomi Entertainment released the series on Blu-ray Disc. Nozomi Entertainment’s YouTube channel is streaming the series, and Funimation previously streamed it.
Source: Press release
