History TearJerker / RevolutionaryGirlUtena

* [[spoiler: Wakaba]]'s duel (pictured). Just... [[spoiler: Wakaba]]'s duel. Specially when [[spoiler: Utena can't bring herself to pull her sword from Anthy's body and raise it against Wakaba while she, having completely snapped, chases after Utena while screaming about how everyone looks down at her and how Anthy stole Saionji's love for her.]] Poor, ''poor'' [[spoiler: Wakaba]]. The depressing duel theme doesn't help, either. And ''then'' the episode ends with her coming back to find [[spoiler: that Saionji isn't there anymore]].

** Before that got this troper. [[spoiler: Seeing Utena gravely wounded, unable to get up, and utterly helpless as she watches her friend get stabbed by a million swords, begging and crying for her brother to save her, while the background music is mourning the meaninglessness of life, and Dios telling her she did pretty well "for a girl"]] was nearly UNBEARABLE. But then there were tears ''[[CrowningMomentOfAwesome of a much more triumphant kind]]'' [[spoiler: when she got up]].

* Utena losing her first duel against Touga, the destruction of everything Utena thought she knew about him and Anthy and the accompanying HeroicBSOD made [[SomePoorSod this troper]] start welling up. And start wanting to beat Touga into pulp.

* This trooper finds [[spoiler: Mikage/Nemuro's]] backstory and duel in episodes 22&23 to be pretty gut-wrenching, since [[spoiler: Nemuro went nuts out of desperation for Tokiko's love, and in the end Mikage is just dismissed and forgotten about, with no hope for a happy ending.]] That strikes a very, *very* personal nerve for [[{{Ar}} this troper.]]

* To say nothing of the manga finale. "My name means 'calyx'... the cup that shields the young flower," and seeing Himemiya in [[spoiler: the boys' uniform]] were both the limit for this troper.

* Seeing Shiori in her room, broken after [[spoiler: Ruka loses the duel against Utena and cans her in front of the entire school.]] Despite the fact that Shiori is [[TheScrappy an incredibly unpopular character in the fandom]], there is something absolutely ''heartbreaking'' about someone being [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown kicked when they're down]], especially given that her self-esteem is so crushingly low to begin with. And as if the humiliation of being dumped publicly wasn't enough, the wound is only salted further when Juri swallows her pride and visits Shiori. Most fans only see this through Juri's perspective and consider Shiori to be harsh needlessly, but in truth, Juri is doing exactly what Shiori ''[[DontYouDarePityMe doesn't]]'' want her to do. Not to mention that it's Shiori's hand on the knob desperately trying to open the door.

!!'''TheSeries'''

* Seeing Shiori in her room, broken after [[spoiler: Ruka loses the duel against Utena and cans her in front of the entire school.]] Despite the fact that Shiori is [[TheScrappy an incredibly unpopular character in the fandom]], there is something absolutely ''heartbreaking'' about someone being [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown kicked when they're down]], especially given that her self-esteem is so crushingly low to begin with. And as if the humiliation of being dumped publicly wasn't enough, the wound is only salted further when Juri swallows her pride and visits Shiori. Most fans only see this through Juri's perspective and consider Shiori to be harsh needlessly -- this troper didn't feel that way.
** Especially once you realize it's Shiori's hand on the knob desperately trying to open the door.

* Utena's final scene with [[spoiler: Touga ]] in the movie. That elevator and that kiss...

* To say nothing of the manga finale. "My name means 'calyx'... the cup that shields the young flower," and seeing Himemiya in [[spoiler: the boys' uniform]] were both the limit for this troper.

* Seeing Shiori in her room, broken after [[spoiler: Ruka loses the duel against Utena and cans her.]] Despite the fact that Shiori is [[TheScrappy an incredibly unpopular character in the fandom]], there is something absolutely ''heartbreaking'' about someone being [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown kicked when they're down]], especially given that she has so little self-worth to begin with. And as if the humiliation of being dumped publicly wasn't enough, the wound is only salted further when Juri swallows her pride and visits Shiori. Most fans only see this through Juri's perspective and consider Shiori to be harsh needlessly -- this troper didn't feel that way.

* Speaking of Touga, the end of Utena's first duel with him, the destruction of everything Utena thought she knew about him and Anthy and the accompanying HeroicBSOD made [[SomePoorSod this troper]] start welling up. And start wanting to beat Touga into pulp.

** Hell, just Ruka's two episodes. From his brutal emotional warfare against Juri and Shiori, to that scene where he [[spoiler:sexually assaults]] Juri, the anger and frustration clearly in both of them. The duel, the locket [[spoiler:breaking, and Juri's stumbling across the arena, gasping like someone ripped her heart out.]] Him saying, [[spoiler:"It'll be alright, Juri,"]] and then finding out [[spoiler:he was dying the entire time, and everything he did he did knowing he had no other options. He loved Juri, he made her hate him, and he hurt her,]] knowing all along [[spoiler:he'd die with her hating him, but he had to help her.]] It's really so complex and tragic for everyone involved...

* From the movie:
** After getting into a massive fight with Anthy [[spoiler: after Anthy brought up painful memories about Touga]], Utena breaks down sobbing in her lap.

** According to Ikuhara's commentary, the reason Shiori is always seen with Touga is because she feels so ''lonely'' that she can only find company with [[spoiler: the dead.]]
** Utena's final scene with [[spoiler: Touga ]] in the movie. That elevator and that kiss...
*** Especially poignant in that [[spoiler: it takes a character whom the series made out to be an absolute ''bastard'' and [[RedemptionEqualsDeath turns him into a hero]].]]
*** The music, a 2-part melody, sells the scene perfectly. The first half is accompanied by the tension-building "Abraxas"...which, just as the tears are dammed up to the point of bursting, gives way to its second part: the movie's glorious rendition of "Hikari Sasu Niwa."
* From the manga:
** After Touga [[spoiler: leaves his service of Utena because she knows Akio's identity and cannot stop loving him despite this]], Utena goes to take a shower, only to end up bent-double and sobbing.

*** The music, a 2-part melody, sells the scene perfectly. The first half is accompanied by the tension-building "Abraxas"...which, just as the tears are dammed up to the point of bursting, gives way to its second part: the movie's glorious rendition of "Hikari Sasu Niwa."

* Utena's final scene with [[spoiler: Touga ]] in the movie. That elevator and that kiss...

** According to Ikuhara's commentary, the reason Shiori is always seen with Touga is because she feels so ''lonely'' that she can only find company with [[spoiler: the dead.]]

** After getting into a massive fight with Anthy [[spoiler: after Anthy brought up painful memories with Touga]], Utena breaks down sobbing in her lap.

-->Utena: there was never a prince!

* Episode 9: We see a flashback to Utena's dark childhood where she lost her parents. She left the funeral in tears and found her parents in coffins and saw an extra one. She decided to hide in it awaiting death, thinking it was meant for her. Touga and Saionji find her there but she tells them to leave her there. She feels sick because since she witnessed her parents death she now thinks living on is pointless if all humans eventually die someday. She has completely given up on life.

** The infamous Cantarella scene. Anthy is warning Utena that she has and will hurt her, just like she poisoned the cookies. Utena, however, acknowledges this by saying she poisoned her in return, showing that she's still hurt over what she saw between Anthy and Akio. However, they both partake in their "deadly" treats anyway, and saying how good it tastes: saying that they forgive each other, despite the hurt. Notice how when Utena says "We'll definitely meet in ten years to laugh and drink tea", and Anthy agrees, her hand twitches in Utena's grip: at the point, she knows what she's saying is a lie, [[spoiler: because she plans to kill herself that very night.]]

* Episode 9: We see a flashback to Utena's dark childhood where she lost her parents. She left the funeral in tears and found her parents in coffins and saw an extra one. She decided to hide in it awaiting death, thinking it was meant for her. Touga and Saionji find her there but she tells them to leave her there. She feels sick because since she witnessed her parents death she now thinks living on is pointless if all humans eventually die someday. She has completely given up on life. And she says it all in such a sad and unhopeful voice too. Thankfully, Touga is implied to show her something eternal so she leaves the coffin and regains faith in life again.
** [[spoiler:It wasn't Touga...]]

* [[spoiler: Wakaba]]'s duel (above). Just... [[spoiler: Wakaba]]'s duel. Specially when [[spoiler: Utena can't bring herself to pull her sword from Anthy's body and raise it against Wakaba while she, having completely snapped, chases after Utena while screaming about how everyone looks down at her and how Anthy stole Saionji's love for her.]] Poor, ''poor'' [[spoiler: Wakaba]].
** And ''then'' she comes back to find [[spoiler: Saionjii isn't there.]]

* Seeing Shiori in her room after [[spoiler: Ruka loses the duel against Utena and cans her.]] Despite the fact that Shiori is [[TheScrappy an incredibly unpopular character in the fandom]], there is something absolutely ''heartbreaking'' about someone being [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown kicked when they're down]]. As if the humiliation of being dumped publicly wasn't enough, the wound is only salted further when Juri swallows her pride and visits Shiori. Most fans see this through Juri's perspective and consider Shiori to be harsh needlessly-- this troper didn't feel that way.

** Speaking of Touga, the end of Utena's first duel with him, the destruction of everything Utena thought she knew about him and Anthy and the accompanying HeroicBSOD made [[SomePoorSod this troper]] start welling up. And start wanting to beat Touga into pulp.
*** Agreed on the last part. Although he's a very polarizing character, Touga arguably gets WORSE when [[spoiler: he doesn't tell Nanami that they really were related]], basically making her entire breakdown over a ''lie''. Actually a lot of stuff about Nanami can be a tearjerker, simply because she gets it so bad towards the end of the series.

** [[spoiler:It wasn't Touga...]]
* The aftermath of Utena losing the duel to Touga in episode 11.

** The infamous Cantarella scene. Anthy is warning Utena that she has and will hurt her, just like she poisoned the cookies. Utena, however, acknowledges this by saying she poisoned her in return, showing that she's still hurt over what she saw between Anthy and Akio. However, they both partake in their "deadly" treats anyway, and saying how good it tastes: saying that they forgive each other, despite the hurt.

** In episode 37 in the infamous Cantarella scene Anthy is warning Utena that she has and will hurt her, just like she poisoned the cookies. Utena, however, acknowledges this by saying she poisoned her in return, showing that she's still hurt over what she saw between Anthy and Akio. However, they both partake in their "deadly" treats anyway, and saying how good it tastes: saying that they forgive each other, despite the hurt.

** In episode 37 in the infamous Cantarella scene Anthy is warning Utena that she has and will hurt her, just like she poisoned the cookies. Utena, however, acknowledges this by saying she poisoned her in return, showing that she's still hurt over what she saw between Anthy and Akio. However, they both partake in their "deadly" treats anyway, and saying how good it tastes: saying that they forgive each other, despite the hurt. Notice how when Utena says "We'll definitely meet in ten years to laugh and drink tea", and Anthy agrees, her hand twitches in Utena's grip: at the point, she knows what she's saying is a lie, because she plans to kill herself that very night.

* [[spoiler: Anthy's suicide attempt]], especially followed by Utena and Anthy's tearful apologies to each other.

* Episode 9: We see a flashback to Utena's dark childhood where she lost her parents. She left the funeral in tears and found her parents in coffins and saw an extra one. She decided to hide in it awaiting death, thinking it was meant for her. Touga and Saionji find her there but she tells them to leave her there. She feels sick because since she witnessed her parents death she now thinks living on is pointless if all humans eventually die someday. She has completely given up on life. And she says it all it such a sad and unhopeful voice too. Thankfully, Touga is implied to show her something eternal so she leaves the coffin and regains faith in life again.

* Episode 9: We see a flashback to Utena's dark childhood where she lost her parents. She left the funeral in tears and found her parents in coffins and saw an extra one. She decided to hide in it awaiting death, thinking it was meant for her. Touga and Saionji find her there but she tells them to leave her there. She feels sick because since she witnessed her parents death she now thinks living on is pointless if all humans eventually die someday. She has completely given up on life. And she says it all it such a sad and unhopeful voice too. Thankfully, Touga is implied to show her something eternal so she leaves the coffin and regains faith in life again.

* Episode 9: We see a flashback to Utena's dark childhood where she lost her parents. She left the funeral in tears and found her parents in coffins and saw an extra one. She decided to hide in it awaiting death, thinking it was meant for her. Touga and Saionji find her there but she tells them to leave her there. She feels sick because since she witnessed her parents death she now thinks living on is pointless if all humans eventually die someday. She has completely given up on life. And she says it all it such a sad and unhopeful voice too...

* Episode 34: "Then I'll become her prince! I'll become her prince and save her!" Makes me tearyeyed every time.

** Especially once you realize it's Shiori's hand on the chain desperately trying to open the door.

* What, no tears were shed at [[spoiler: Anthy's suicide attempt]]? This troper started sobbing right when [[spoiler: Anthy]] did.

* Nanami breaking down in tears at the end of her first duel with Utena. Actually, that whole backstory with the kitten.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Series_ep20_183_5269.jpg
[[caption-width:330:You don't know HALF of it.]]

[[caption-width:330:You don't know HALF of it.]]
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* This trooper finds [[spoiler: Mikage/Nemuro's]] backstory and duel in episodes 22&23 to be pretty gut-wrenching, since [[spoiler: Nemuro went nuts out of desperation for Tokiko's love, and in the end Mikage is just dismissed and forgotten about, with no hope for a happy ending.]] That strikes a very, *very* personal nerve for [[{{Ar}} this troper.]]