Touga x Saionji

TougaSaionjiMangaOfficialArt

TougaxSaionji is the slash ship between Touga Kiryuu and Saionji Kyouichi from the Revolutionary Girl Utena fandom.

Canon
Saionji and Tounga are childhood friends. They used to be incredibly close, although their relationship took a turn for the worse at a point in their childhood that is the centerpiece of their respective personal journeys. Saionji used to regard Touga as someone to admire and respect. However, he became increasingly more and more aware of the differences between them. Fearing Tounga might outshine him, he started being jealous and resentful towards him. The first time we see them alone together once again, Saionji whips a sword at Touga’s face and Touga doesn’t even flinch. No matter how often Saionji takes his frustration with Touga out on others, Touga’s the one person he would never willingly hurt, and Touga knows it.

Saionji’s final duel isn’t the conclusion of his character arc, but his lowest point. In an arc where the duels are based around relationships he enters the arena alone and “his” duel is really Utena and Anthy’s. Touga talks him into the duel, a role which will later be the bride’s, but leaves him to fight it alone. As the only one who doesn’t have his sword, Saionji’s heart is quite literally not in the duel. Saionji enters the last duel as a lone warrior who lets nothing stand in his way, especially such petty considerations as decency or feelings, and is promptly flattened by the developing relationship between Utena and Anthy. Finally Saionji has failed hard enough for it to stick. He accepts that he’s done. He won’t be Touga’s equal, he won’t win Anthy, he won’t gain eternity.

Touga and Saionji also can’t move outside Ohtori’s systems. They meet on the student council balcony to discuss Touga’s upcoming duel and letters from Ends of the World. Touga provides an ersatz car ride with his motorbike, following the pattern of the other duels deliberately. But, like Utena, Saionji now has enough distance to question the system even as he participates, and he’s here solely for Touga’s sake. Like the other brides, Saionji is there to delve into his duelist’s feelings and motivations, but he’s not doing it to tempt or manipulate. Touga needs to understand his own motivation if he’s going to be effective. And they manage to leave Akio out of the process.

Saionji drawing Touga’s sword is animated with a real tenderness that both echoes Anthy drawing Utena’s and contrasts Saionji drawing Anthy’s, where his expression was angry and his focus on his opponent. It’s fitting, in a way, that the pair that comes closest to what Utena and Anthy have is the other same sex couple. Saionji makes a good princess in the same way Utena makes a good prince. He’s comfortable in it and it brings out mostly good things in him, letting him be insightful and supportive. It’s a bad role in itself, though, since Saionji doesn’t need to fight for power over others, but he shouldn’t let himself be completely passive and dependant, or rely on other people’s goals to give him purpose.

Later, between Utena’s victory over them and her final duel, we see Touga riding a bike across the balcony with Saionji on the back. Saionji seems more content with this than Touga, totally relaxed while Touga struggles to move forward providing motive force for them both. There’s not much Saionji can do, though, even if he wanted to.

After the Revolution
Touga and Saionji are adults now and they still seem to have a tense relationship. Though it is clear, as the manga progresses, that they don’t recollect why. After regaining their memories, Touga and Saionji prepare to enter the place that houses “The Revolution.” And they do it together, sword clasped. Akio appears and reveals what is the true nature of his word “protect.” Akio does not wish to part with the picture of Anthy that is in the castle. Akio then attacks and wounds Saionji. Seeing Saionji hurt truly alarms Touga and then he asks for “the power to revolutionise the world.” It is now not the spirit of Dios but the spirit of Utena that comes forth and finally helps Touga put the sword right back into Akio. After that Akio vanishes and the portrait changes. It transforms into something with meaning and it screams the colours of freedom and love. Similar to how we last left Utena and Anthy.

Touga explains that perhaps they were just called upon by the prince (Utena) to help her save the girl in the painting (Anthy). And, they have succeeded in that endeavour. Saionji is stubborn to receive Touga’s help yet Touga supports him. As they walk in an embrace, the manga panels show the analogous positionality of Saionji and Touga to Utena and Anthy. This is a very important analogy. The distance between Touga and Saionji can only be resolved by Anthy and Utena as they seem to parallel one another. Both were too stubborn to admit it but the truth did come out.

Fanon
is rare pair within the Revolutionary Girl Utena fandom. Some people view them as friends only, while some other fans of the show notice the homoerotic subtext their relationship seems to have. Both of them have a very toxix dynamic, being both toxic to each other. However, this gets resolved later on, and even further in the "After the Revolution" manga, which helps both of their character developments. Saionji was very loyal to Touga before their fight. Saionji treated Touga as a rival but did not outright hate him. Rather he trusted him enough with his personal belongings and feelings. This was confusing to someone like Touga who believed a means to an end rather than just enjoying an interaction in and of itself. In Saionji, he sees this and it is frightening. It takes adulthood with its own twists and turns for Touga to accept the breadth and width of Saionji’s loyalty with the maturation of his own emotions.

Fandom
FAN FICTION