Hello gentlemen. Name's Corrado, and I've been an avid EPU reader for almost a year now.
I kind of favor reading over writing, and that's why I haven't enlisted in this excellent forum (which has become a part of my daily Internet routine) since a few days ago. And besides I was afraid Gryphon would skin me alive at my first remark :)Anyway, the EPU works have had an interesting effect on my life as an anime and manga enthusiast. I saw the first half or so of SK Utena long before reading SotS, and somewhere during last summer I got my hands over some more episodes. I remember clearly watching that episode in the Black Rose Duellists story arc where Shiori makes her first appearance, and thinking "hey, that's Juri there. She's in a bit of a mess now, but eventually she's going to be displaced in another dimension, have a lot of adventures and find her true love." and right after that "whoa, that's weird. Comforting, but weird."
(BTW, a friend of mine lent me the manga SKU is based on. I found it kind of.. diminutive. I enjoyed a lot more "the Madonna of the Garland", from the same author- a beautiful story of love and war set in Reinassance Italy. You get to see a Cesare Borgia which is every ounce as power hungry and twisted as Aiko, but a lot more human. And a kick ass Leonardo da Vinci ^_^)
See, I can't help myself from blabbering every time I make a post. I'll better return to my silent and faithful lurking ;)