You've got a duel with me today after school!
"Little one who bears up alone in such deep sorrow, please do not lose that strength and nobility, even when you grow up."
It's the start of a new term at Ohtori Academy, and 8th Grader Utena Tenjou is in search of the prince that saved her life as a child. After Student Council Vice-President and High School kendo team captain Kyouichi Saionji humiliates Utena's best friend Wakaba by posting a love letter from her so that the whole school can see, Utena challenges him to a duel.
"The Rose Bride" provides examples of:
- Alliterative List: The duel song's title and opening lyrics are "When, Where, Who, Which," an appropriate expression of confusion and uncertainty. Notably, "why" is not in the list — and "why" is the most troublesome and persistent question in the series.
- Answer Cut: When Saionji accepts Utena's challenge and names the place as the duel arena in the forest, Utena responds, "Forest? You mean the one nobody's allowed into?" The next shot establishes that precise forest in the light of the setting sun.
- But for Me, It Was Tuesday: When Utena first confronts him, Saionji says he can't remember Wakaba's love letter because he gets lots of them.
- Camera Abuse: Simulated during the guidance coucillor's rant at Utena. She lashes out with a riding crop and the on-screen image appears to shatter.
- Establishing Character Moment: Most of the primary characters get screen time this episode, and even when its brief, it communicates elements of their personalities.
- In Saionji's first scene he backhands Anthy, establishing him as a short-tempered bully.
- Juri and Miki aren't named, but Miki projects fastidiousness and seems envious that Saionji has posession of Anthy. Juri's body-language suggests emotional distance and no-nonsense. She talks only about facts.
- Anthy leans heavily on helplessness and subservience this episode, but she lets slip a glimpse of her Hidden Depths; her smile when she bids Saionji farewell is a little too smug.
- Even Evil Has Standards: The rest of the Student Council may not exactly be good friends to Anthy, but they're not happy with Saionji's abusive behavior towards her.
- Fake Wizardry: Saionji tells Utena that the upside down castle is not something supernatural. In his words it is an illusion; maybe natural, maybe artificial. In Japanese he uses the word tejina, "stage magic," to describe the possibility that it's not a natural phenomenon. Utena extends this notion of stage magic to the sword he draws out of Anthy's chest, imagining it to be the sort of collapsible trick blade that sword-swallowers use. Unfortunately for her, the sword is real, and really sharp.
- Feet-First Introduction: The first shot of Utena focuses on her shoes as the walks through a very grand foyer, and slowly pans up to show the audience her effortless androgynous chic. Other students turn to watch her pass by.
- First Day of School Episode: The action opens on the first day of a new school term. Utena has attended at least one term at Ohtori Academy already, so she has friends and an established reputation as a rebellious School Idol, but is starting new classes with new classmates — specifically, Anthy Himemiya.
- Gendered Insult: Saionji is the only one who's enough of a jerk for this trope:Saionji: You're pretty good... for a girl.
- Lemony Narrator: The introduction to the shadow play girls is a warm-up session with a simple metaphor. Simple enough that at this point, the performance is more like narration in an eccentric style than fourth wall-breaking allegory. The "brave hero" they refer to is the protagonist, and it is worth noting, (since the official subtitles do not,) that they call the brave hero "meddlesome." Other characters accuse Utena of being nosy or a busy-body at several points, and Anthy echoes this exact phrase, "meddlesome brave hero," in the final episode.
- Love Letter: Wakaba gives one to Saionji which is then posted to the school bulletin board to humiliate her.
- Making a Spectacle of Yourself: The guidance councilor wears exaggerated cat-eye glasses with two-tone tinted lenses that give her a dowdy, uptight look, but also make it hypocritical of her to call Utena out for wearing a "weird getup."
- Memory Trigger: Utena notices the scent of roses coming from the rose garden and remarks to herself that it always makes her feel nostalgic. She doesn't mention what memory she's thinking of, but she looks at her ring so it must be her prince. Anthy makes her first appearance in this scene, and it draws a very early association between Utena's memories and Anthy's presence.
- Myth Prologue: The episode opens with a story about a prince comforting a young princess and giving her a ring that should lead her to him. It will become very familiar.
- Prank Punishment: Wakaba pays Utena back for ditching her on the way to school by jumping on her back. Utena strains to support her weight, but she just giggles and playfully demands that Utena accept her punishment. It represents a bit of levity after Utena witnesses Saionji slapping Anthy.
- This Cannot Be!: Saionji delivers this line when he loses the duel.Saionji: It can't be... I've... lost?
- Too Dumb to Fool: Utena makes her ignorance into a boon during the duel. She doesn't have any idea what's going on with the dueling arena, or the illusions, or the strange rules, but she does know one thing: Saionji can't get away with this.
- Uncovering Relationship Status: Utena asks Wakaba if Saionji is going out with Anthy.
- Wooden Katanas Are Even Better: Utena defeats Saionji (wielding the magical Sword of Dios) with a wooden practice sword.
