Adolescence of Utena made waves in Japan and all over the world when it made its initial 1999 theatrical debut. That’s because it’s basically the anime film follow-up and conclusion to the hit Revolutionary Girl Utena anime series in 1997. Both the anime film and the anime series earned critical acclaim for their extensive use of metaphor and symbolism to discuss gender, sexuality, and coming-of-age themes. Oh, and with both being some of the first true yuri anime to boot, with multiple lesbian and gay couples depicted throughout both the film and the anime series. It’s no wonder why they have a devoted cult following even to the present day. It might also be why GKIDS is bringing this anime film back to U.S. theaters.
GKIDS is proud to announce that they will soon be bringing Adolescence of Utena back to U.S. theaters. That announcement includes a brand new official trailer that reveals that the anime film will make that theatrical re-debut for two days on June 21 and June 22, 2026. You can watch that trailer for yourself either on YouTube, or just look below:
As for tickets? Well, you can purchase tickets for Adolescence of Utena right now directly from GKIDS’ official website for that anime film.
Synopsis
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.
ADOLESCENCE OF UTENA is a standalone genre classic that brings together the creative genius of director Kunihiko Ikuhara (Revolutionary Girl Utena, Sailor Moon), writer Yoji Enokido (EVANGELION franchise), and art director Shichiro Kobayashi (ANGEL’S EGG) with J.A. Seazer’s transcendent music. Straddling the line between fairytale and surrealist opera, the film stands as a bold display of the ways social roles chain us— and demands we smash through them.
© Shojo Kakumei Utena Seisakuiinkai. All Rights Reserved.
Adolescence of Utena Seeing Theatrical Re-Debut 27 Years After Original Debut
Honestly, this is a surprise for me. Not only because of the age of Adolescence of Utena since it made its debut 27 years ago, but because of the content. Given the current political climate, it’s rather radical for GKIDS to make a theatrical re-release/debut of an anime film that is itself quite radically progressive in its themes of gender and sexuality. On one hand, GKIDS does stand to make a whole bunch of money from this, so you can understand why on a practical level. On the other hand though, it is a political risk for GKIDS to do so given the attacks on LGBTQ+ people here in the U.S, so you can appreciate their courage here.
In the end though, the fact that Adolescence of Utena is a great movie is not in doubt. If you want to check out one of the best yuri anime films in anime history in theaters, then you have the opportunity to do so on June 21-22. Who knows? You might even be interested in the 1997 anime series after watching that anime film. In fact, you can check out Revolutionary Girl Utena for yourself entirely for free on YouTube.
What do you think of this theatrical re-screening of Adolescence of Utena? Are you an old fan eager to see this anime film in theaters, or a new fan discovering this revolutionary work for the first time? Tell us your revolutionary thoughts in the comments section below.
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