Much of Utena is about the clash between illusion and reality, or the lies told to delude one's self or others and the truth. In Miki's case, he is held back by a dependence on an outside source for inspiration, confidence, and, most importantly, happiness. His revolution would be to posses his "shiny thing," to take what he wants with his own hands. The problem is, what he wants is wrong.

His happiness in the garden was based on a lie, but that doesn't make the happiness any less real. Playing the piano with his sister at his side made him feel truly happy and inspired him to create his beautiful song. Still, the problem with it was he became dependent on the symbols of this time, such as his sister or the garden, and disconnected happiness and inspiration from his own capacity and lost his confidence. The light was always coming off something else, but never himself. His mistake as a duelist is searching for just another symbol instead of trying to create these things for himself.

Utena's revolution doesn't give people exactly what they want. Miki isn't given a shiny thing to help him gain back his old inspiration and confidence nor his he plunged into an euphoric state of self-delusional happiness. In Utena's revolution "doors" are opened and lies (usually self-inflicted ones) are shed. Miki realizes that he can create these things for himself if he chooses and is no longer shackled to his sister and the memory of her in the garden. Instead he can learn to love her as a person and not as a symbol. There is no forcing in this revolution, because all it did was open the doors through which the characters must choose to use.

There is no guarantee that Miki will find the happiness he felt in the garden, but he will no longer have to live in the past. Miki has been distrustful of adults (although he ultimately does what he is told to) and trapped in a state of childhood. His new freedom from the past and all its symbols allows him to grow up and become a better person. This young man who wanted to be a child again is shown mentoring a child who had wanted to grow up quickly, which suggests that both found an equilibrium. Instead of regret or self-delusion, Miki can experience true hope.

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