You silly girl.

This episode is mainly about how Touga manipulates everyone in his life (mainly the girls) for his own benefit.

This is from a different writer than usual, Noburo Higa, who has very few credits outside of this show, and this is their only writing credit – they seem to write a lot of episodes featuring Nanami.

But we start off with the fallout from last episode – namely, Saionji’s expulsion from school.

Juri: He was a fool. Without permission from End of the World, he tried to have a personal duel for possession of the Rose Bride.

Mickey: Is there no limit to his shamelessness? I thought he’d try this eventually, but it’s just like him to have actually done it.

Juri: In the end, he turned out to be the clown of the student council.

Note that Touga was the one who must have told school officials what had happened (and the rest of the school only seems to know that Touga got hurt somehow).

Touga: I’ll work hard to get your expulsion reversed.

Saionji: I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused you.

Touga: The exchange diary you kept with Himemiya? I understand. I’ll take care of it for you.

Saionji: I’m sorry. I’m putting you out right up to the end.

Touga: Don’t worry about it. We’re best friends, aren’t we?

And since Touga was clearly responsible for his expulsion in the first place (he could just easily have lied to cover it up, since he deceived Saionji to get him into that situation), he’s not being honest with him. Evidently, he was afraid Saionji might pull a stunt like that anyway, so he manipulated the situation to benefit him the most (he admits that the wound wasn’t even that bad!). And to top it all off, he burns the diary.

Anyhow, the remaining student council members gather because the next duel is fast approaching, but Touga’s been injured, and even if he’s playing it up a bit, the others are rightfully concerned that he wouldn’t be in peak condition, and hence try to step in take his place (despite it evidently being against the rules).

Touga: Don’t be hasty, you two. There is another Duelist

And Utena is left feeling very guilty about it, because that was presumably Touga’s primary motive (at least Anthy’s not taking the blame for once).

Nanami: It’s your fault my brother got hurt! Your fault! Why don’t you say something? Why did my brother have to get hurt on your account?

Utena: I’m sorry. If I’d been more careful, none of this would have happened. I’m sorry.

Nanami: You’re not getting off that easy. Saying you’re sorry won’t heal my brother’s wounds!

Then Touga shows up himself to stop Nanami’s harassment.

Touga: My wounds aren’t worth this much trouble. Besides, it’s a knight’s duty to help a lady in distress.

Utena: Mr. President…

Touga: As long as you’re all right, I’m satisfied.

Nanami: I won’t forgive her. I absolutely will not forgive her!

Touga: Don’t worry about it. I’m sure Nanami will change her mind. She’ll eventually realize that it wasn’t your fault.

But of course, Utena doesn’t fight back in this case because she believes it’s her fault (and Touga’s still paying more attention to Utena than Nanami, which only increases her resentment).

Utena: Maybe a girl really can’t become a prince…

In light of the last episode, we have a much better idea of her headspace before she met her prince (and subsequently vowed to become one). She’d lost everything, and didn’t want to feel helpless like that again, so she resolved to protect others like her. But even the most powerful “prince” needs help every once in a while…

Anthy: What’s wrong? You’re so listless.

Utena: And I’ve got reason to be. Because the student council president got hurt saving me.

Anthy: I wonder if he’s all right.

Utena: That’s what I’m worried about, too. Maybe I should go visit him. I still haven’t thanked him for saving me.

Anthy: Oh, yes! You must be hungry!

Utena: Thanks, but I’m not really in the mood for shaved ice right now.

Anthy: So, what do you think it should be? His name, I mean.

Because she was talking to the kitten (allegedly). But once she actually acknowledges Utena, she suggests that she bring Touga some roses as a get-well present.

Then, we enter a flashback to Nanami and Touga’s childhood.

Nanami: Big Brother. Happy birthday.

Mama: Nanami, what happened? Look at you!

Nanami: I brought this for Big Brother.

Mama: Oh, it’s filthy! Take it out this instant!

Touga: Thank you, Nanami. It’s the best present of all.

Note that not only is he much more affectionate to her in this flashback, but they wear each other’s colors (he wears yellow pants and she wears a red ribbon and shoes), indicating that they were once much closer. Also note that this is the same affectionate gesture Utena’s prince showed her…

Nanami: Big Brother would always embrace me gently. His smile was something for me alone.

But evidently, this is Nanami recalling that occasion. And then she catches him practicing his swordplay in the yard.

Nanami: Big Brother, you shouldn’t. You’ll reopen your wound.

Touga: I’ll be fine. If you don’t exercise your body, you get stiff.

Nanami: If you push yourself now, something awful might happen! Stop it, please! […] Please stop…if anything happened to you, I’d…!

Touga: Nothing is going to happen to your big brother. Right?

Nanami: A kiss…won’t you give me a kiss?

Touga: I couldn’t. We aren’t children anymore, you know. You had me scared. Come on, let’s get to sleep. Good night, Nanami.

And now we get back to the incest question. Yippee.

For one thing, Touga is the one holding her face like that (and outside practicing shirtless to begin with). The way he kissed her when they were children was merely a gesture of affection (especially considering that their parents didn’t seem to show them much physical affection). He’s the one that’s making it weird and acting like hugging his sister would be indecent. It only serves to indicate to her that he’s not as close to her as before.

Also, for the record, this is where I gave up on the show the first time I tried to get through it, because of the incest vibes. Yeah.

Anyhow, the next day happens to be his birthday (and hence his birthday party). While the other student council members continue to pester him about the new duelist he mentioned the other day (because, y’know, the duel is fast approaching), Touga himself is quite confident in his plans.

Touga: Hi. Glad you could come. What’s that?

Utena: Don’t get me wrong. I’m just here to see how you are. I still haven’t thanked you for what you did. What’s so funny?

Touga: Sorry, forgive me. I was just thinking that it’s so typical for you to give a little disclaimer like that.

Utena: Don’t insult me.

Touga: Oh, no! I’m just satisfied with the fact that you came.

because he knows her presence will infuriate his sister

Nanami: What a shameful girl you are! Do you really think giving him these will make him forgive you?

Touga: Nanami, that’s enough!

Nanami: But you’re my brother! And she’s the reason you got hurt!

Utena: No! It was…!

Anthy: Please don’t be angry with Utena-sama. This was all Saionji-senpai’s-

Nanami: Shut up! You’re the cause for all of it!

because of course anthy has to get some abuse too

Also, when Anthy falls, Nanami hears a mew from the box…

Utena: Stop it! What are you doing?

Nanami: I absolutely won’t let you have him. I absolutely won’t let someone like you have my brother!

Utena: No! There’s nothing between the president and me!

But the damage is done, since practically the whole school saw that, and of course Touga doesn’t deny the allegations (because he certainly wants a relationship with her, regardless of her feelings on the matter).

They leave the room, and Touga apologizes for Nanami’s actions (but naturally not his own – he could easily have cleared it all up himself if he wanted to!).

Touga: I remember another birthday party I had. Nanami said she had nothing to give, so she found a kitten for me. […] The kitten disappeared suddenly one day, but it was the present I loved the most.

Anthy: Excuse me. I forgot to give this to you before.

Touga: Thank you. It’s the greatest present of all.

And naturally, this annoys Nanami, since she believed Touga loved her gift because it came from her (even if it was “cheap”), but he seems to imply here that he just likes cats.

Then Nanami remembers the days afterward…

Nanami: Big Brother! Help me pick some apples!

Touga: Sure…in a minute.

Nanami: But I can’t reach them. Please, Big Brother?

Touga: Be quiet. I’m playing with the cat now.

Then, when the cat bites him, Nanami HITS THE KITTEN! It’s not even a bop on the nose or something, she just karate-chops his back!

Touga: Stop that! He was just playing!

Nanami: But-

Touga: Go away!

Then it shows a cardboard box by the river, and recall how Touga mentioned the kitten disappeared?

Nanami: It was your fault. Because you came between Big Brother and me. Big Brother is mine and mine alone!

It seems significant, too, that both of the kittens are explicitly male, because it implies that this is how she acted even when he just had male friends (ignoring for the moment that he might be attracted to boys, too). She hated them because she was no longer the center of his world.

So she throws down a yellow rose, officially challenging Utena to a duel.

Mickey: Stop it, Nanami-kun! Do you understand what you’re doing?

Nanami: You won’t run from a fight, will you, Tenjou-san?

Juri: If you cause trouble, you’ll just end up getting expelled like Saionji.

Nanami: I don’t care.

Touga: The school has rules that must be followed.

And naturally, this gets Utena’s attention.

Touga: Did you forget, Nanami? The only ones allowed to duel in this school are those who wear the rose seal. Now show us your power as one who has been chosen by End of the World.

Mickey: You mean Nanami-kun is also a duelist?

Touga: The arena, tomorrow night. Be ready to accept this duel.

Because Touga is playing all the girls in his life against each other!

Back with the Shadow Players, this week’s skit is about naming the cat (but not really). The girls spend so much time debating what to name him that, before they know it, he’s grown to an enormous size. The moral here seems to be not to waste your time fighting about things that don’t really matter much at the end of the day (like whose fault it is that your brother was injured).

And the tower that fell from the castle last time remains missing…

Utena: You’re determined to do this?

Nanami: You’re both eyesores, always hanging around my brother! I challenge you, Utena Tenjou!

The song for this duel is particularly cryptic, but the allusion to Laplace helps some.

Time is hypothetical, illusory.
The stage setting we create the moment we are born.
Destiny, choices, the theory of goodbyes.
You and I are the Milky Way.
We have no past, no future, only now.
All alone in the cosmic theater.

Laplace’s theory in mathematics is a physics theory in which time is not a factor. The song, therefore, might be about an eternal battle (since time wouldn’t be a factor in the context of eternity).

Nanami is a surprisingly competent duelist.

Nanami: Don’t underestimate me! My brother has always been the most important thing in my life! I know everything there is to know about my brother! Of course I know about sword fighting as well! You could say that my martial art is my brother’s martial art! My ring was given to me by my prince! My prince will lead me to victory!

Utena: No, he won’t!

But this might force Utena to rethink her relationship to her own prince, whose spirit she constantly relies upon to win the duels…

And Utena wins with her prince attack as usual…

Utena: The battle’s over.

Nanami: The battle’s just begun.

And then Nanami pulls out a dagger and continues to fight Utena, presumably intent on killing her. Note also that Touga’s RIGHT THERE, but does nothing to stop her until she’s about to land a killing blow on Utena!

This is the eternal battle: Women fighting each other for men’s attention under the patriarchy.

And she recalls pushing the kitten into the river…

Nanami: It’s your fault. You came between Big Brother and me.

For the record, the popular theory is that she was somehow cursed by drowning this kitten, so that she will forever have bad luck with animals (it’s still hotly debated whether Anthy plays a role in doling out this curse or it’s just karma).

Nanami: I’ll win, Big Brother! I still haven’t lost!

Touga: You silly girl. Nanami, you don’t have to fight anymore. I’ll protect you.

Nanami: Big Brother! Forgive me. Big Brother, forgive me!

Touga: It’s all right. It’s all right now.

Utena: Once in a while, you really do act like a big brother.

Touga: I can’t ignore a damsel in distress. It’s the nature of being a prince.

And now he’s laid the groundwork for his own battle with Utena, making her consider the possibility that he might be her own prince, and sowing doubt in her own abilities.

Until next time…