AllMovie

When Utena Tenjou was a little girl, both of her parents died. In her moment of grief and loss, a prince found her and wiped her tears. He left with her a ring featuring a rose seal on it, and told her that one day the ring would lead her back to him, and Utena grew up determined to be a prince just like the good, nobleman who helped her. Now, several years later, the teenage girl attends Ohtori Academy, where she dons her own version of a boy's uniform, still determined to somehow be a prince. One day at school, she reprimands a boy, Kyôichi Saionji, for mistreating the girl he is with. The boy recognizes the rose signet on Utena's ring and challenges her to a duel. An excellent fencer, Utena accepts, only to find that this is no harmless duel between students; the boy is a member of the student council. These four elite students each bear a rose crest ring and fight duels in a magical, hidden arena. When Utena wins, she is given "possession" of the mistreated girl, Anthy Himemitya who the council members call the "Rose Bride." Utena has no wish to possess anyone but she must continue fighting duels in order to protect Anthy, who has become her dear friend. It is a dangerous game to play though, as Utena uncovers more strange secrets about a mysterious organization that the council takes orders from, known as "The End of the World." Just who are these forces and why are they sending more and more students into the arena to duel for the Rose Bride? Could all of this somehow lead Utena to her long lost prince?