I won’t let a single one of you vermin swarm him!

We turn now to Nanami’s groupies, a.k.a. the more screwed up version of the PriYuki fanclub! Because EVERYTHING has to be more screwed up in this show…

The girls (Keiko, Yuuko, and Aiko) constantly flatter Nanami (and, of course, bully whoever she wants them to). And then we flashback to when they first met Nanami, after their middle school entrance ceremony.

Initially, they just casually ask if Nanami wants to join their friend group…

Yuuko: That’s Touga-sama!

Aiko: You’re right! Touga-sama from the student council!

Keiko: Then, that girl is…

Yuuko: Touga-sama’s…little sister…?!

And naturally, they’re eager to hang out with Nanami in order to get closer to their prince…

Note also the conspicuous yellow rose in the flashback, which is probably meant to invoke both “adoration” and “jealousy”…

Yuuko: We have to be grateful. Nanami-sama chose us out of all the other students.

Aiko: That’s right! We’ve been chosen to serve Nanami-sama!

Keiko: You’re right, Aiko!

Aiko: Keiko, Yuuko! From now on, let’s join forces and try our best together!

Keiko: Right!

Yuuko: Right! We three are The Chosen, after all!

For future reference, Aiko is the one with long brown hair (on the left in the last picture), Yuuko is the one with short red hair (in the middle), and Keiko is the one with pigtails.

Back in the present, Nanami wants to throw a party for Touga in an attempt to cheer him up, and to that end, she deigns to invite “everyone who’s anyone”, including people like Juri, Utena, and Anthy who she’s not generally on good terms with.

And Keiko’s eagerly anticipating this chance to meet Touga again. She gets a new dress and everything!

Keiko: I haven’t seen Touga-sama in such a long time…I know he probably won’t notice me, but…oh, Touga-sama, even if you don’t, I still…

But Nanami evidently senses this eagerness.

Keiko: Everything’s all set.

Nanami: Oh, yes, Keiko-san. I have a favor to ask. […] I totally forgot about something. There’s some student council paperwork I need to finish up immediately. Keiko-san, be a dear and do it for me, won’t you?

Keiko: Huh? But, the party…

Nanami: It’s all ready, isn’t it?

Keiko: Y-yes…

Nanami: Then there’s no problem. The paperwork’s at school. Get going on it, okay?

Keiko obviously wants to ask if she can still go to the party, but it’s dangerous for her to look too much like she has a crush on Touga.

She ends up back at the party anyway, but doesn’t have the courage to do anything but watch him through the window.

Keiko: I’ve…for so long…for so long…I’ve watched Touga-sama from afar. For so long…The only girl who can ever get near the prince is the princess from his fairy-tale world. Touga-sama…we live in different worlds. That’s right. A girl like me…

You might have noticed by now that Touga hasn’t said a word – the only line he gets in this episode is in the flashback. It seems to indicate that none of these girls actually know Touga as a person.

Anyhow, Keiko and the others are back to normal the following day.

Utena: If the president keeps this up, the council’s gonna have trouble, huh?

Nanami: Oh, are you that worried about my brother? Sneaking around and spying on him…it’s disgusting.

Utena: Don’t be stupid! Who’s sneaking around?!

Because, of course, they were actually AT the party last night, but that doesn’t stop Nanami from sicking her goons on them.

Nanami: I can’t stand the thought of people like you hanging around my brother! That’s right! I won’t let a single one of you vermin swarm him! Let’s go, girls.

But Anthy’s just nodding off in broad daylight, which Utena excuses as Chu-Chu keeping her up with his crying…

and now they’re back to akio’s chambers (to make use of his planetarium).

Evidently, Utena’s been visiting him regularly, to the point that she knows quite a bit of trivia about the stars…

Akio: It’s lovely to see two friends together. The twins of Gemini, Castor and Pollux, were said to be very close. But seeing you admiring the stars together is a sight more beautiful than even Gemini.

Utena: Oh, come on. Well, I’ll see you guys later.

Anthy: Yes, Utena-sama.

Akio: Is that clear, Anthy? I want you to continue to be very close to Utena-san. Like the twins, Castor and Pollux…

Anthy: Yes, Big Brother.

And after he complimented Utena again, she just left him alone with Anthy. Who has been suffering from a lack of sleep. Yeah…

Anyway, this episode begins drawing parallels between Touga and Nanami and Akio and Anthy (Miki and Kozue kinda have their own separate issues). Akio seems to have complete control over Anthy at this point, as opposed to Touga, who even earlier in the series when he was on top of things, only managed to control Nanami through indirect manipulation.

But Castor and Pollux are supposed to be twins by different fathers (with Pollux the son of Zeus/Jupiter). When Castor was dying, Pollux chose to split his immortality with him, so that they split their time between the Underworld and Olympus – heaven and hell.

Back to the plot of the episode, Keiko sees her prince out in the rain without an umbrella…

Keiko: What should I do? He’s getting soaked. I have an umbrella…but Touga-sama and me…? This chance will never come again!

So she takes her shot and shares her umbrella with Touga (which Nanami sees and isn’t happy about).

The umbrella in Nanami’s episodes represents the ability to protect another — Tsuwabuki notably lacked an umbrella of his own, while Keiko, Nanami, and even Anthy brandish one in this episode. But of course, there’s an element of intimacy that it brings, since there’s generally only room for two under an umbrella.

And Nanami isn’t about to take this treachery lightly.

Keiko: Nanami-sama. You wanted me for something…?

Nanami: Keiko Sonoda-san, as of now, you are dismissed from all clubs, your dorm council, cultural associations, and any other groups you belong to.

Keiko: But why, Nanami-sama?!

Nanami: “Why?” Don’t play dumb! I was careless. The worst vermin of all was the one under my own feet! I just didn’t realize it until today!

Keiko: Nanami-sama!

Nanami: I warned you! Not one of you vermin will ever reach my brother! And any vermin like you I find, I wipe out completely!

Keiko: No…

Nanami: You’d better resign yourself to your fate, Keiko-san dear.

Because Nanami’s the acting student council president, so she can abuse her power all she wants.

Then Keiko spots Yuuko and Aiko.

Keiko: Yuuko! Aiko! Please! You have to talk to Nanami-sama for me! You’re the only ones I can turn to! Please!

Yuuko: Did you hear something?

Aiko: Not a thing.

The word for “vermin” used in the episode title can also be translated as “bad company”, which is certainly apt for someone who acted as Nanami’s friend…or even to describe Keiko’s “friends”.

And after a day or so of ostracization, Keiko heads over to Nemuro Hall, maybe just to have a place to vent.

Keiko: I used to admire Nanami-sama from the bottom of my heart. I really felt that way as I served her. But I was deceiving myself. I stayed by Nanami-sama’s side only so that I could get a little closer to Touga-sama. If not for that, then who would…?!

Mikage: Deeper. Go deeper…

Keiko: That selfish little…! I’m just a single girl. I thought I could love whoever I wanted to! So why won’t she let me do that?! Just because she’s Touga-sama’s little sister, she monopolizes his love! Right in front of me! How do you think that made me feel?! That girl doesn’t understand! She won’t even try!

Mikage: I understand. Your only option is to revolutionize the world. The path you must take has been prepared for you.

When you compare Keiko to Wakaba, she doesn’t have it nearly as hard, but that’s really not the point. The point is that they were both manipulated into fighting a battle that’s not truly theirs, and it’s unclear if that would even benefit them in the long run.

Keiko: Touga-sama, look at me. Oh, Touga-sama…Touga-sama. From now on, look only at me.

The shadow play features a mantis and a butterfly — and funny enough, while the mantis in the play is called a “bad bug”, in real life, mantises are sometimes used as pest control (although they would probably eat butterflies, too, which are “good” bugs for gardens). And the play ends with both of them being killed by pesticide, representing how innocent girls can be destroyed when society wants to rid itself of a boogeyman.

Keiko: Upon the Black Rose, I swear, I shall win this duel and kill the Rose Bride!

Utena: You’re…

Keiko: With Touga-sama’s sword, I shall defeat you!

Utena: Touga’s sword?

Keiko: For my future with Touga-sama, I will fight. Now! Draw your sword!

Then we get the duel theme, presumably about Keiko’s desire to be Touga’s sole love.

Vanish! Fade away! Melt away! Disappear!
All you instant imposters!
Betrayed by dreams! Avenged by hopes.
I've had enough of this age!
I'm going to run! Everyone, go away!
I don't want anything anymore!
Straddling an unmanned sidecar, taking a fantasy journey of 3000 leagues.

But that line at the end is clearly a reference to an old anime called 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother, based on an Italian book called Cuore, and made by Takahata of Grave of the Fireflies fame (but that anime clearly has a happier ending than Fireflies). The boy in the story eventually does find his mother and bring her home, so the “fantasy” seems to be that hard work actually pays off.

Keiko: You, more than anyone, know what Nanami’s really like! She doesn’t even consider me human! But, even knowing that, I still served her!

Utena: But I still don’t understand. Why do you have Touga’s sword?

Keiko: You don’t have to understand! Can you beat this sword, Utena Tenjou? Can you beat Touga-sama’s sword? The noblest sword in the world?! With this sword, I shall have great power! And with it, I’ll kill her! The one standing between Touga-sama and me, Nanami! That’s right…the real vermin here…is Nanami…that girl…she’s the real parasite…

The irony here is that Keiko never truly had Touga’s heart in the first place — she just took advantage of him when he was in a vulnerable state, much like Wakaba with Saionji.

Utena: I don’t even know her name. I always thought she was Nanami’s friend…it’s scary. How the roots of hatred can spread under the surface, where you can’t see them.

And of course, they just go back to normal the next day.

Keiko: I’m happy to just be near you, Nanami-sama! There’s no way someone like me could ever have someone like Touga-sama, right?

Nanami: Exactly. When you consider your situation, it’s obvious. You’ll stay with me like this forever, right, Keiko-san?

Keiko: Yes, of course I will.

Aiko: And we’ll always be friends, right, Keiko-san?

Yuuko: Exactly. No matter what happens, right?

And THAT’S a friendship that will only last as long as none of them go for Touga again…

Utena: I just don’t get it…[…] Why is she back with Nanami? With all those feelings she really has, why…?

Anthy: That’s easy. If it’s for someone you love, how you feel about others doesn’t matter. You keep lying to yourself for as long as it takes.

And the question thus arises: Who is it that Anthy loves? And what is she lying to herself about?

Until next time…