We’re just gonna have to wait for her to figure it out for herself.

Wherein the plot is spurred by Nanami not understanding English!

We start the episode (after a recap of the prologue, because as established, that’s just what they do to fill time) with Nanami throwing a party to debut a fancy new brooch, but she gets upstaged by Juri just being her fabulous self.

Mickey: Juri-san! Where’d you get that necklace?

Juri: Oh, this? One of Soliya Rich’s designers insisted that I have it. […] I just did a little modeling for them. It’s a little much, isn’t it?

Mickey: Wait, does that mean…? That necklace is a one-of-a-kind original? That’s incredible!

Naturally, Nanami’s jewelry is “just” a diamond, not a designer original, so she scrambles to find something better…and it just so happens that such a thing arrives in the nick of time.

Mickey: That logo!

Juri: It’s from Sebastian Dior!

Nanami: And who’s Sebastian Dior?

Mickey: Sebastian Dior…outfitter to the British royal family and the most luxurious of brands…! I’ve never seen one before…

I’ve never been into fashion, and even I know that Dior is a big deal! Although the real person was named Christian Dior.

So Nanami proudly dons the Sebastian Dior…cowbell.

Nanami: (internally) They look positively speechless! This brilliance…this refinement…the best things in life suit me so well…suit me and me alone.

And naturally, she continues to wear her luxury cowbell, causing quite a stir.

Utena: It’s weird.

Mickey: I agree…

Utena: So what’s with her? Did she get hit her head or something?

Mickey: I dunno…

Utena: But, I mean, first of all, a cowbell is for…

Utena: Isn’t it?

Mickey: I agree…

Utena: Well, if we know that we should just go and tell her!

Mickey: You think she’d be willing to understand at this point?

To be fair to Nanami, even Mickey and Utena aren’t completely sure about the translation. But this WOULD look incredibly dumb in the English dub.

but nanami takes people being dumbfounded at her stupidity as admiration

Teacher: Nanami-san! What is that thing you’re wearing around your neck?

Nanami: It’s a cowbell!

Teacher: Cowbell…?

Nanami: Isn’t the weather lovely today?

[…]

Utena: We’re just gonna have to wait for her to figure it out for herself.

And naturally, Tsuwabuki is the first one who tries to tell her.

Tsuwabuki: Excuse me, Nanami-san. Umm…isn’t that heavy for your neck? I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and…that cowbell is just weir-

Nanami: Tsuwabuki…[…]Are you suggesting that my Sebastian Dior cowbell, worthy of the British royal family, is “weird” in some way?

And of course, once he broaches the subject, Utena backs him up.

Nanami: Tsuwabuki, you’re just too young to appreciate an adult’s fashion sense. […]

Utena: It is weird! It is weird to wear a cowbell! I don’t care what brand it is! First of all, a cowbell is something that-

Nanami: Oh, my, is the boy-girl upset? Maybe you just don’t know fashion!

Utena: What was that? Who are you calling a “boy-girl”? 

Nanami: I’ve been meaning to say this for a while now…that boy’s uniform you wear is very weird!

Utena: Don’t compare my clothes to that stupid cowbell of yours!

This highlights how Nanami fills the role of the ideal “woman” under the patriarchy – enforcing gender roles on other girls (she was also eager to put down Juri, who isn’t attracted to boys and is thus “useless”).

And that night, she has a thematically relevant dream where she’s a cow.

Touga: Are you awake?

Nanami: You’re feeling better, Big Brother? You finally came out of your room!

Touga: Never mind that now, Nanami. Never mind that. Go on, Nanami! Your breakfast is ready!

And he’s trying to make her eat hay…

Touga: Be a good girl and eat it. It’s your last meal, after all.

Nanami: M-my last meal…?

Touga: Farewell, Nanami.

Nanami: Big Brother?! Big Brother, what’s going on? […] Big Brother! Big Brother!!!

And during the dream, a Japanese rendition of a Yiddish folk song plays:

On a lazy, sunny afternoon, on the road to the marketplace.
A wagon rattles along, carrying a calf within.
The precious calf is going to be sold.
Such a sad look the calf's eyes hold.
Dona Dona Dona Dona...
The calf rides on inside.
Dona Dona Dona Dona...
The wagon sways from side to side.

and she’s turned a steak for her brother

Significantly, the last verse of the song is sometimes translated thus:

Calves are easily bound and slaughtered
Never knowing the reason why.
But whoever treasures freedom,
Like the swallow has learned to fly.

This foreshadows Nanami’s fate if she continues living as she has…

and she just carries on a she is

Tsuwabuki remains the only person to really care that she’s turning into a cow.

Classmate A: Well, she really does stand out. Although she really has guts to wear that thing.

Classmate B: It isn’t guts so much as stubbornness!

Classmate A: Oh yeah! And she’s never stood in line behind other people before!

Classmate B: Hey, you’re right!

Classmate A: She seems a lot calmer and, well, contented about things lately.

Eventually, she stops doing just about anything but eating sleeping, leading Tsuwabuki to run to Utena one night…

Nanami: I can’t take this anymoooore! Stupid Tsuwabuki…I asked for my favorite foooood! He doesn’t even knoooow what it is? That’s so ruuuuude!

Thia leads into the Shadow Play, featuring a variation of the tale about “belling the cat.”

Mousie: Squeak-squeak! Don’t worry about that! The bell’s already around its neck! The truth is, I just snuck out and did it!

Old Mouse: Squeak! Outstanding!

Young Mouse: Oh, Mousie, you’re wonderful! Squeak!

Mousie: Okay, Mr. Cat, sir. I gave ’em that phony story! Tonight they’ll go to sleep without suspecting a thing! You’ll catch and eat ’em without any problem! So, you’re gonna let me live, like you promised, right?

And of course the cat just kills him, too.

This is what Nanami is being set up for. She thinks if she does what the men in her life want, keeping other girls in line, she’ll be spared come “judgement day”. But even if it nets her a happy life, she’s still a girl under the patriarchy, meaning she’ll always be secondary to the boys in her life, and living at their whims.

Anyway, back to the plot.

Utena: Don’t you know what that thing on you neck really is?

Nanami: Hoooonestly, a Sebastian Dior cowbell!

Utena: Yes, a cowbell, as in a bell that a cow wears around its neck!

Nanami: What are you talking aboooout?

Utena: Take a good look around you!

Nanami: Y-you mean my royal-quality Sebastian Dior bell is…?!

Utena: Not Sebastian Dior…Cows-stian Dior!

And this leads into Nanami’s not-Black Rose duel! Because she only became an official Duelist for her brother’s sake, she has more in common with the Black Rose Duelists than any of the others. Much like Kozue, she fought her duel to destroy a rival (or two), not to win the Rose Bride for herself, and certainly not to revolutionize the world. “Dona Dona” serves as the duel theme, and Utena arms herself with a pitchfork to cut off Nanami’s cowbell.

and anthy supplies a red garment which angers nanami and gets her to fight

and yes, she really did turn into a cow

And it turns out that Anthy just so happens to have a pet cow named Nanami, and she bought the cowbell for her pet…but seeing as Anthy also has a lot of grievances toward Nanami, it probably wasn’t an accident.

Until next time…