ranking Kunihiko Ikuhara anime

hey r/anime! Kunihiko Ikuhara is one of my biggest inspirations in all mediums when it comes to storytelling. his works have had a huge impact on me and how I interpret literary (i.e. all mediums that use written scripts) works. I believe all of his works have strengths and weaknesses, but I would like to know how you would rank them in order of most to least favorite. as for me:

Utena - shocker. it is a classic masterpiece. I don't have to expand too much on this I think. what sets it apart from his other works is its length, which allows for much deeper character development.

Yuri Kuma Arashi - unpopular opinion to rank it this highly? I suppose that the incredibly heavy use of symbology is not for everyone, and most of the characters as a result are quite shallow. however I found the use of symbols extremely compelling. this is one of the densest anime when it comes to the thought-generated-per-episode-ratio, lol. I also really loved the storybook-like art direction and the brilliance of the pure visual symbols throughout. the lily fading into doves-motif for example is genius. I also think this is the funniest of Ikuhara anime because it recognizes just how ridiculous it is and embraces it.

Mawaru Penguindrum - this had some of the most interesting symbology and storytelling elements Ikuhara ever conjured. topics such as feeling unloved, abandoned, or completely replaceable in society are fascinating. I loved the characters and visual direction. the use of advertisement logo design elements and societal infrastructure design elements as the basis for the aesthetic perfectly instills the air of brutal anonymity. my issue with this series is how janky it is in its atmosphere- each episode is a zany rollercoaster of hamfisted humor and complex character development. this made the series overall difficult to digest, even if its storytelling peaks are completely brilliant.

Sarazanmai - another interesting anime, still brilliant, but overall feels less memorable than his other works. unlike Yuri Kuma Ikuhara managed this time to present complex characters despite being a short anime. whereas I feel like the characters and the story told was solid, the artwork and symbol use is probably the least inventive yet. the formulaity this time quite hurt the series. where Yuri Kuma abandoned its mahou shoujo formula largely after episode 3, Sarazanmai overutilizes this formula for just a tad too long. but lets be honest, even Ikuhara's least amazing work is still great anime.

Sailor Moon - is it bad? not at all. in fact, I consider the seasons directed by Ikuhara to be the strongest Sailor Moon has ever been. the Ikuhara-esque sinister undertones to the narrative are just perfect for Sailor Moon, which on the surface is quite innocent. however let's be honest and admit that Ikuhara was very limited by having to interpret the concepts invented by another creator. the weaknesses are those that are integral to the show itself- formulaity, filler episodes, and being targeted toward a younger audience.

now I want to hear your thoughts on Ikuhara's body of work!