
Name: Souji Mikage
Grade: 12
Age: 18
Nationality: Japanese
Blood Type: AB
Height: Shorter than most of the girls. -_- (Say it to yourself!)
Intellegence: A genius (He's smarter than Miki!)
Souji Mikage is the leader of the Mikage Seminar, which is a cover name for the Black
Rose Duelists. He is known for never showing any emotion. -_-!
He is a conundrum, and just as the Black Rose Saga seemed to have nothing to do with the rest of the story,
Mikage is literally forgotton after he plays his part in the series. He appears only in the Black Rose Saga, and is never
mentioned again. At least, not that I remember. Anyway, Mikage was the leader of a research project a long time ago at Ohtori
Academy, so far back that there wasn't a Student Council and therefore no records. He was in love with a woman named Tokiko
Chida, and also had a strong bond with her ailing brother, Mamiya. He hoped, by the research he was conducting, that he could
gain eternity for Mamiya, who was undeniably dying. Akio took advantage of Mikage's genius and it was he who gave Mikage the
idea of gaining eternity. I really can't be sure about any of this, because I need to watch the Black Rose Saga over and see
if I can figure out the nuances, but as far as I can tell, Mamiya died a long time before the show takes place, and Akio used
a younger version of himself to keep Mikage thinking that Mamiya was still alive. Between Mikage's strong feelings for the
boy and Akio's manipulation, Mikage stayed in that one reality and never grew older. His goal, after Utena showed up, was
to defeat her, kill Anthy, and replace the Rose Bride with Mamiya. He thought that this would "gain eternity" for the boy,
and so save his life. Mamiya (or at least the manifestation of Mamiya) cultivated black roses deep under Nemuro Memorial Hall,
where Mikage had done his research years before. Appearantly, the hall had burnt down (Mamiya was suspected of starting the
fire, although it has been hinted otherwise) and one hundred boys were killed. Anyway, any distraught students seemed to be
drawn to this place to talk about their troubles. They would go into an elevator, where they would talk into a small window.
After they had bared their souls, Mikage would say to them, "I see. You have no choice but to bring the world revolution.
The way has been prepared for you." The first Black Rose Duelist was Kanae Ohtori, who came to see him because of her relationship
with Akio and how she couldn't get along with Anthy. Mikage led her into a room, much like a catacomb, where coffins lined
the walls. He pulled one out and gave her black ring, which he told her he took from a dead duelist. Appearantly, the duelists'
white rings turn black when they die. Then Mamiya came from behind and stabbed Kanae with a black rose. Mikage obviously does
this to all of the innocents that he turns into Black Rose Duelists. When they duel, there are rows of desks in the arena,
and the duelists fight around them. There are also red outlines of bodies all over the ground. On each desk is an item that
is specific to whichever Black Rose duelist is fighting Utena at the time. When the duel is over, all of the desks slide together
at the center of the arena. This power he gives them allows them to draw a sword from the chest of whichever duelist they
are closest to. I don't recall if it showed who Kanae drew a sword from, though... anyway, Mikage orchestrated all of the
Black Rose Duelists' fights with Utena. Later on, she found out that it had been Mikage who turned all her friends against
her, and in usual Utena fasion, she almost kicked his butt. If she hadn't seen the white rose signet on his hand, she probably
would have... After that, Mikage dueled Utena, but his delusion was clear he always addressed Utena as "Tokiko". He
lost (big surprise) and afterwards, Akio told him that the Mamiya he had known had died a long time ago and the one he had
been living with never really existed. He also told him that he could graduate now, after all these years. Then he said something
very cryptic (not that that's a surprise either)... something to the effect that Mikage had never existed either. (What's
up with that?!)
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