The Troubled Abuser in his natural habitat
"Pretty courageous of you, valuing that rose more than your own life."
After defeating Saionji, Utena finds herself surprisingly engaged to "The Rose Bride," Anthy Himemiya and part of a dueling tournament where the winner will be allowed to enter a Castle in the Sky and gain the power to "Revolutionize the World." Utena thinks this is all nonsense and wants to throw her next duel to be rid of the hassle, but when Saionji challenges her to a rematch she struggles to follow through with it.
"For Whom the Rose Smiles" provides examples of:
- As You Know: The Student Council meeting in this episode is an example, with Touga explaining to Juri and Miki the dueling game and that they receive the letters from End Of The World, so the audience is able to know this.
- Combat Pragmatist: Saionji kicks Utena to the ground during the duel.
- Daydream Surprise: Utena opens the door to her new dorm room and is greeted with a dilapidated ruin complete with a cartoonish mouse holding a piece of cheese. She collapses in the doorway. Meanwhile, back in reality, she's still standing in the hall with her hand on the doorknob, steeling herself to see what her new room is actually like. (Answer: homey and pleasant.)
- Diagonal Cut: The duel this episode contains the first instance of the Sword of Dios being preternaturally sharp when used by certain duelists. When Utena wins the duel, she goes through Saionji's katana, cutting it so cleanly that it takes a moment for the blade to separate from the hilt.
- Goblin Face: Saionji's contorts his face in rather disturbing ways when he has the upper hand during his duel against Utena.
- Heroic Second Wind: Saionji overpowers Utena in their rematch duel. He kicks her, sending her flying backwards leaving her grimacing on the floor of the arena. As he winds up his final blow, Utena apparently taps into the Power of Dios and wins the duel Single-Stroke Battle style.
- Insistent Terminology: Anthy presents Chu-Chu to Utena, saying he's her friend. When Utena asks Anthy if Chu-Chu is her pet, she insists on calling Chu-Chu "a friend".
- Most Common Card Game: The student council members play Old Maid during their meeting. The standard choice for the old maid card is either a queen or a joker, but pairs of both cards are specifically shown; the old maid is implied to be the letter from the End of the World.
- Nerves of Steel: Saionji puts a katana to Touga's neck but neither of them bats an eye. They have a tense but not hostile conversation after this until Touga suggests that he should give up on Anthy. Saionji slashes at Touga again, but Touga's only response is a disapproving frown.
- No, You: Utena's comeback to Saionji when she comes to Anthy's rescue.Saionji: How shameless you are!
Utena: You're the shameless one! - Refusal of the Call: Utena plans to lose her second duel on purpose to end her involvement in the dueling game and get back to her normal life. But when the moment comes for her to throw the duel, she doesn't go through with it.
- Showdown at High Noon: The shadow play is old west themed, and in the showdown B-ko shoots A-ko with her Finger Gun. But, in a clear analogy to Utena's plan to throw the rematch duel, A-ko insists it doesn't matter because she lost on purpose.
- There Are No Coincidences: Utena remarks on the odd coincidence of ending up as Anthy's roommate. Anthy replies that it isn't a coincidence at all.
- Think Happy Thoughts: Wakaba is bouncing back from the humiliation of having her feelings for Saionji publicly mocked in the first episode. She is reading a book (with a pretty accurate description of the plot of Chiho Saito's Magnolia Waltz) and comments in the most over-the-top cheerful tone she can muster that it bored her the first time she read it, but now that she can relate to its theme of moving on from heartbreak, she loves it.
- Timmy in a Well: Chu-Chu mimes and brandishes a fork to communicate to Utena that Anthy is being threatened by Saionji.
- You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: Utena says this stock phrase when Anthy tells her that since she is now the victor, other people will challenge her to more duels.
