Uta∽Kata / Utakata

AN Shows
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Uta~Kata / Utakata

Genres: drama, magic
Themes: shounen-ai
Objectionable content: Significant
Number of episodes: 12
Vintage: 2004-10-03 to 2004-12-18

Plot Summary: On the last day of the school year, 14 year-old Ichika Tachibana comes across an old, busted mirror in an unused campus building. When Manatsu, a mysterious girl from inside the mirror, steps out and offers her friendship for the summer, she also offers Ichika magical powers. Now, Manatsu must help Ichika unlock the powers of the 12 Djinn in order to complete her magic training… but perhaps this is something that will prove too difficult a task. Some offers may appear too be good to be true and this one just may turn out to do more harm than good.

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I’ve heard mostly good things about this, so I will probably be picking it up when it gets released. I kinda like the “Kiddy Grade” style character designs. Plus, it’s nice to see a series that’s a few years older getting picked up.

4

Yea, but the story line still sounds creepy as hell. Worth looking into?

5

Though I haven’t watched this show myself, 90% of the feedback I’ve heard on this show has been very positive. Even those who didn’t seem to like the show that much didn’t think it was terrible or anything. Based on that, I think I will definitely be giving this one a try.

Also, the front cover is no surprise but suitable. I really like the logo though.

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This is such a surprise series for me!

I really didn’t expect to like it much before I started it, though I have to admit, I do tend to like most of the maho shojo I’ve watched thus far.

However, after four episodes, I’m certianly thoroughly enjoying this one.

This is another one I have to add to my ‘to buy’ list for the near future.

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I’m up to episode 10 -

spoiler

I find this to be a very strange story and I still don’t understand what exactly Ichika is going through and why. Apparently Sei has been through this as well and wants to tell Ichika all about it. But it’s against the “rules” and Sei is turned to stone by Saya who has also acquired Manatsu’s mirror. I am still unsure of Saya’s role in all of this and who she is, although she appears to be behind most of it and is playing the part of judge and jury.
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And the fact that Saya tells Kai to watch over the “sleeping” Sei leads me to believe that Kai is like Manatsu. I’ve had this feeling for a long time now that Sei and Kai weren’t really brothers, but have the same relationship that Ichika and Manatsu do. Saya says that Ichika has to make some kind of final decision, but Ichika can’t even throw away the charm and momentarily considers suicide. However, something like that just isn’t in her. It seems that she can’t handle the Djin’s powers anymore and it’s making her ill. However, she does get to see the ghosts of her grandmother and her dog and I think it comforts her a bit.
*
Now it turns out that her parents may have dreamed of Manatsu long before she appeared in their lives and they made a promise to Manatsu in the dream long before Ichika was born. Ichika realizes all that is happening to her now had already been planned out before she was even born and she remembers her own recurring dream of Manatsu where she apologizes and says goodbye to Ichika, saying that they are the same person and that Manatsu is going to kill Ichika.
*
Ichika can’t get a hold of Sei and is becoming worried. Kai calls her and lies about Sei’s whereabouts. After the call, Ichika mentions to Manatsu that she and Kai are similar. Another hint that Kai may not be who he’s supposed to be!
*
This whole show is such a mystery and it’s hard putting all the pieces together, but I can’t wait to see how it all turns out. I also like how there’s a piece of artwork in each ED that reflects the Djin power gained in that episode.

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This looks pretty cool!!! May have to look for it. :cheer:

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First two episodes are FREE on the Online Player.

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SWEET!!! Thanx.

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Episode 11 –

spoiler

It was interesting to see that Kai did come through the mirror and it was nice to see some of his early relationship with Sei. Kai now wonders if Ichika will face the same fate as Sei and calls her a “child of the trials”. Apparently there are seven ordeals and seven vices that she must overcome. Kai mentions that she will lose her innocence and I still wonder what the final decision is all about. Sei couldn’t make it at the time and Kai seems to have saved him when Saya would have killed him.
*
Michiru knows something is wrong and wants to help Ichika, but can’t get her to open up and when Ichika finally does, she only talks about moving away. However, Michiru knows there’s something more going on and tries to put all of the pieces together herself. She asks Ichika again about her relationship with Manatsu, but the 11th Djinn, Oceana, appears and so does a tsunami. Ichika’s friends know that there’s no place they can go and await their fate as other people fall into a panic and run from the giant wave. Ichika believes that it’s her fault and wants to stop the wave, but Manatsu tells her that there’s no way she can.
*
Ichika tries to get the Djinn to listen to her and Manatsu watches helplessly as Ichika is consumed by the huge wave. Manatsu starts to move forward to help Ichika, but Saya reminds her that it’s against the rules. Ignoring Saya, Manatsu tries to reach Ichika anyway and is also consumed. But it also seems that the wave affects her differently and puts her in a lot of pain. However, they must have succeeded, because it seems that the tsunami has stopped.
*
Afterwards, while Ichika lies unconscious on the beach with Manatsu, it seems that Saya punishes Manatsu somehow and when Ichika awakens, Manatsu is very weak. Michiru helps Ichika get Manatsu home and they happen to see Saya. Michiru says that Saya gives her the same feeling that Manatsu does and that Ichika is getting more like them. Does this mean that Ichika won’t be human anymore when all this is done?
*
As they head towards Ichika’s house, it looks like things are coming to a head as Ichika passes out and Michiru can’t wake up either Ichika or Manatsu. And Saya looks as if she’s come to a decision of her own. This anime has gotten very dark and while I am enjoying the mystery of it, I really want to know what the big decision is and why all this is taking place. I hope I won’t be disappointed and that there will be some amazing answers presented!

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Episode 12 –

spoiler

Ichika goes to Saya’s house and finding the mirror there, learns it belongs to Saya. Ichika sees Sei in stone and Kai appears with the unconscious Manatsu. Saya tells her that Kai and Manatsu are her servants and part of her. Saya also tells her that she is the Djinn of Reflection, Mirrora and that Ichika must now make the decision and binds her to the mirror. And that decision is whether to see humanity destroyed or to die herself. However, unlike Sei, who could not make that choice, Ichika defies Mirrora and refuses to make a choice. She is of the opinion that people want to be better and can change, as she herself wants to. And I think the love of her friends helped her with this.
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But refusing the decision is a violation of the rules and Saya sends her scythe towards Ichika. Sei is somehow able to break out of his stone shell and saves her and Ichika pulls herself off of the mirror to save him in turn. Ichika lets the scythe pierce her and it turns red with her blood. Saya calls Ichika a fool, but Kai and Manatsu stand up for her and all humans. Manatsu pierces herself with the other end of the scythe and it turns white again. She joins with Ichika in believing that people can change for the better.
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Kai begins to cry and apologizing to Sei, kisses him. As he does so, he reverts to his original form – a shard of the mirror. Manatsu begins to cry as well as starts to disappear. She kisses Ichika and also returns to being a shard of the mirror. Saya places a call to “him” and discusses the outcome of this trial, apologizing for not getting a satisfactory answer, but “he” tells her that it’s a model one and laughingly calls it an “unfair quiz”. “He” also calls Saya a liar when she apologizes again, saying that “a mirror can only be trusted as much as it’s warped” and they both decide to “move on to the next”.
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The next morning, Ichika and Sei wake up in the empty house and find the mirror shards next to them. Ichika still has memories of Manatsu. It was interesting to see that Ichika’s father had gone to Italy alone, leaving his wife and daughter behind. But now her mother is preparing to visit him there. Life moves forward for Ichika as she leaves for school and finds the friends that care for her waiting to walk to school with her. Along the way they see Sei and it’s strange to see him without Kai.
*
In Paris, a girl has just finished reading Snow White and tells her mother that she feels sorry for Snow White, the Queen and the mirror and tells her that “the mirror couldn’t help but reflect the truth”. Saya is listening outside the window and vows to show her as well. And so another child of the trials is chosen and I wonder what her choice will be. Ichika ends by saying that we are constantly being tested and that it’s okay, because “if you can love the you that’s reflected in the mirror, then surely…” And I like the way this ends.

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Episode 13 –

spoiler

Ichika would really like to see Manatsu again, but knows it’s impossible until her friends mention that they saw her. Ichika sees her mother off at the airport and remembers another farewell when they saw Sei off to study abroad in Germany. As Ichika and Sei say goodbye, they each admit they’ve kept the mirror shards and hope to see their counterparts again someday. Sei promises to come back and gently kisses Ichika on the forehead.

With her mother off to Italy again to visit her father, Ichika is going to be all alone for Christmas and her birthday. She thinks of the fact that her friends have seen Manatsu and wonders why she hasn’t come to her. When she checks the drawer that she keeps the shard in, the shard is gone. In Germany, the Kai shard has also disappeared and then Sei meets Kai on the street as Ichika also meets up with Manatsu. It was really nice to see Ichika and Manatsu together again and having fun in the snow.

In Germany, as Kai and Sei spend time together, Sei realizes that Kai has only come back to say goodbye and Kai confirms that he’s only there for the one night, and embraces him. Ichika too knows that Manatsu has come back to bid her farewell, but as the girls say goodbye, they know that they will always be together. Once Ichika falls asleep, Saya appears and tells Manatsu that Ichika will be fine and reminds her that she and Ichika are reflections of one another. Saya disappears, leaving Manatsu to say her final goodbye and Manatsu kisses Ichika on the cheek before disappearing herself. In Saya’s world of mirrors, the two shards are restored to their place in the large mirror.

When Ichika awakens the next morning, Manatsu is gone, but Ichika smiles, thanking Manatsu and bidding her a fond farewell. She celebrates her fifteenth birthday and Christmas with her friends and Sei sends her a happy birthday wish and a picture of Kai and himself. I think Ichika was happy that they had a final goodbye as well. She visits the shrine with her friends and Sei receives a picture of Ichika and Manatsu.

This was a really bittersweet ending to a story that turned very dark towards the end. But it ends well with Ichika starting to grow towards adulthood and realizing that life is full of meetings and partings. I ended up liking this one more than I thought I would. Well done!