Counterpart: Utena, the one most like him

At first glance, both Utena and Mikage seem very similar, due to their heads of cotton-candy pink hair. I also noticed the resemblance when Mikage and Mamiya seemed to be foils for the duo of Utena and Anthy, with the former even trying to take over the position of Rose Bride and victor. (This comparison of the "couples" becomes even more evident when we find the person Mikage thought to be Mamiya was in fact Anthy the entire twisted time.) Some people may think this is where the similarity between the two ends. However, I have found more parallels between both, and will now do a comparison of the one most like Mikage.

First, we must look at both characters, and their overall role in Shoujo Kakumei Utena. Tenjou Utena is the title character, she goes through a series of duels to bring about what the elite Student Council calls "The Revolution of the World." Much of the plot towards this goal takes place during the Apocalypse saga, the final episodes. However, in many ways the Black Rose saga is a mirror of the final portion, the main difference being it focuses on Mikage instead of Utena trying to bring about the revolution, and the failure of that attempt. (I will go into the reasons why his attempt does not work out later.) While Utena does bring about what could be termed Revolution, we find out that it is a personal revolution for individuals of Ohtori, rather than a sweeping world-wide reform. This can be seen especially in Anthy, who is finally able to leave the confines of Ohtori and Ends of the World because of what Utena did. However, I do not believe that Utena herself had a revolution at this time, but rather had hers long ago, much as Nemuro himself had already had his as well.

One of the main similarities I found between the two is their pasts, when their own revolutions took place. As the story goes, when Utena was a child, she was filled with grief over the deaths of her parents, and entered into her own coffin finding life that would end at some point disdainful. A noble prince came to her and showed her something eternal, which turned out to be the Rose Bride. Once Utena saw the suffering of Anthy, she made a vow to save her, thus giving her something to live for. The girl stepped out of the coffin and began life anew and refreshed. Professor Nemuro's personal revolution took place when he was working on the eternity project at Ohtori, a disinterested researcher amid the hundred youths, a "computer-like man" who lived more as a robot than a human. Once Tokiko entered the scene, Nemuro was shown his own revolution in the form of being able to feel emotions and actually live. It is during this time that he experiences a renewal in his own life, and takes joy in his work. And, it is the memories of both Utena and MIkage that keep them striving for the Revolution of the World. Mikage himself points this out to Utena when she comes to visit the Mikage Seminar, "I know that you're the same as myself. Your eyes are like those people who can't help wanting to make memories last forever."

As similar as Utena and Nemuro are, they are not the same person (such as the way that Mamiya becomes Anthy through Akio's manipulations). And, these differences are the reasons that Mikage fails to bring revolution while Utena succeeds. First, look at their personal revolutions. Although they were both spurred by the same person, they were not. Utena had her revolution prompted by Dios, the pure and nobel prince. However, Nemuro's own revolution was brought about by Ends of the World, the you-know-who that was the fallen angel Dios had become. Unlike the pure motivation of Dios, Akio had his own manipulations in mind when setting everything up for Nemuro. From bringing Tokiko to the Eternity Project, to having Nemuro catch them in a passionate embrace. In this way, it seems Nemuro almost had no chance but to become Mikage. And, it is through Akio's manipulations that Mikage's own ideals for revolution become twisted. It is only through the nobility of Utena's beliefs and desires that she can bring about revolution, saving Anthy and the others of the Student Council, who were each in their own coffins, sealed by the contract of their own Rose Signets. So, we learn that it is a girl's revolution, and the girl is Utena.