like a star, like a firefly

Anthy's and Touga's situations are both awful in their own ways. :(

With Touga, this time round I can't get past Akio going "what's the problem?" as if to imply Touga might be having some reservations despite ostensibly enjoying this so-called game, or Touga calling Akio an evil man after being taunted about his treatment of his friends while we're seeing that godforsaken silhouette. It also strikes me that both times he's raped on-screen are when he's thrown someone he ought to care about under the proverbial bus... I'm bound to have more thoughts on that when I've watched eps 31-32 again.

Back to Anthy, another painful aspect of her scene is how the light glinting off her glasses obfuscates her expression, yet it's still clear that she knows Akio is going to put her through absolute hell over the sword issue. The way she hesitates... ;.;

The ways in which they both get through being raped hurts me. Touga acts like he enjoys it; Anthy dissociates and is just... resigned.

Ending the episode that way really reinforces what a dangerous bastard Akio is, in a way that makes you so scared for Utena. I'm dreading getting back to ep 33. And when Wakaba was envying Utena for getting to live under the same roof as Akio and thinking of the ~romantic~ possibilities? I was just like "no, Wakaba, you have no idea!"