RANKINGS UPDATE!
The Utena movie almsost single-handedly made me actually like Utena!!
Absolutely sublime. Lives up to all the hype in all the areas where the TV show fell short for me.
I think the thing I'm most impressed with is that, like, I expected the movie to mitigate my much-bemoaned problem with the show of everyone feeling like an archetype and lacking specificity just by being short and punchy enough for that sort of thing to matter less.
But no, it does more! The cast feels way more personable and human here in way less time! And the movie oozes charisma as a result!
Reminds me of Cowboy Bebop in a lot of ways. Superb production (though not as polished as Bebop), oozing style, strong personality, rightfully influential - but with a script that is strongly overrated through nostalgia.