You’ve really been up to no good.

This episode is a comic interlude, pure and simple.

This episode is a recap, but unlike the last episode of the Student Council arc, this doesn’t even relate to the main plot.

The main focus of the episode is on Tsuwabuki’s schedule/planner, and the contents therof.

The plot gets started, as it so often does with Nanami, when a wild animal tries to run her down!

Tsuwabuki: My name is Mitsuru Tsuwabuki. I’m an elementary school kid who has devoted his life to Nanami-san. And I have a secret no one else must ever know!

He wakes up in a hospital bed with nothing but a blanket to cover himself with (I can’t imagine that’s common protocol in Japan except maybe when the victim was drowning or something…).

So when these two come in and pick up his book, Tsuwabuki can only huddle behind the curtain and panic.

He proceeds to recap the first instance of Nanami’s goons bullying Anthy (when she was trying to trick her into trusting her) back in the third episode.

Tsuwabuki: “Nanami-san is wonderful. So pure, noble, and beautiful. Seeing her helping the weak and despising evil, she’s the personification of school justice! But I also know about Nanami-san’s true face.”

Utena: “Nanami’s true face”…?

Nanami: What’s with that look?!

Utena: He seems to know you really well. Your image and the real you.

Nanami: Whatever do you mean?

Then he proceeds to recount her prank with the dress.

Tsuwabuki: “The way she stoically watched from the sidelines as her victim suffered, never dirtying her own hands. How appropriate for one who rules the school from the shadows!”

Utena: I remember that happening!

Anthy: So, that was your doing, Nanami-san?

Nanami: T-that must have been something Tsuwabuki imagined! I can’t even picture myself doing something that bizarre! He’s a weird little kid, isn’t he?!

Tsuwabuki: “Nanami-san’s bullying didn’t stop there. Yes…there was that other time…”

i must commend them for going all in on the curry recap

But this also seems to reflect the initial episode order, when the curry episode was meant to come before Tsuwabuki’s introduction.

Tsuwabuki: “Yes…Nanami-san was doing her best. She was paying for her crime with a smile on her face! And then a stronger Nanami-san returned!”

and he even tagged along to india!?

and provided the fateful banana that nanami slipped on

Tsuwabuki: “I remember thinking it had to be karmic backlash.”

Anthy: Now that you mention it, that all did happen, didn’t it?

Utena: You’ve really been up to no good.

Nanami: What are you talking about?! It wasn’t my curry that made your personalities switch! It was all because of your cooking, wasn’t it?!

Anthy: Was it?

And Utena regards the notebook as a source of dirt on Nanami (which, to be fair, it has provided a fair amount thus far).

Tsuwabuki: “Nanami-san never seemed to miss a chance to make life difficult for Himemiya-san. Yes, like that time…”

And then he just recaps the episode with Mickey.

Tsuwabuki: “But it’s tough for Nanami-san, too. No matter how she hurts people, she ends up getting hurt the worst!”

I mean, he could’ve concluded that from the curry incident, too…

Utena: Hmm. You’re really up to no good, aren’t you?

Nanami: No good? Me? Ah, geez! You’ve gotta be kidding me! I was the victim that time, right?!

Anthy: “And so Nanami-san has made Himemiya-san her sworn enemy.”

Nanami: Hold it! Hold it! Hold it! Hold it! I’m not her enemy!

Utena: There’s no use in playing dumb at this point…

Then Nanami tries to get the book away from them, but is distracted by…Chu-Chu snoring?

Tsuwabuki: “Touga-senpai, the former leader of the student council…Nanami-san’s entire world revolves around Touga-senpai.”

Nanami: Listen, you people…!

Utena: “Touga-senpai is the only one who can measure up as Nanami-san’s ideal man.”

Tsuwabuki: “I’m still just a kid, but I want to be a big brother like Touga-senpai someday!”

Utena: Let’s stop. This isn’t right. These are Tsuwabuki’s feelings in here. It’s not right to look at them.

Nanami: You’ve already read a ton! Like his feelings carry much weight! Don’t I carry any weight?!

Although it’s played off as a joke, this IS a fair point: Utena has more respect for Tsuwabuki’s privacy than Nanami’s. Even if a lot of this stuff was fairly obvious (and Nanami might be in denial about some of it), the fact that Utena prioritizes a boy’s feelings above Nanami’s is a sign that she buys into patriarchal culture more than she might think. Only certain girls deserve protection…

Anthy: “Strategy 1.”

Nanami: What strategy?!

Then, we flashback to Tsuwabuki’s introductory episode, in what is clearly how he’d wanted things to go down, with Nanami being run over by the car…

Nanami: Where am I? Who am I…? It’s no use…I can’t remember anything!

Touga: Nanami?

Nanami: Who’s there?!

Touga: Have you forgotten?

Tsuwabuki: I’m your big brother!

Tsuwabuki imitates Touga’s language and speech patterns here…and in his bed, he’s clearly embarrassed.

Nanami: Hold it! What’s that all about?!

Utena: Dunno.

Anthy: “Strategy number 2…”

Tsuwabuki: Agh! No, wait! […] Please don’t read any more!

Nanami: Oh, it’s too late to ask that! We’re going to reveal all your evil conspiracies right now!

Tsuwabuki: They’re not evil conspiracies! I’ve been trying to be a man worthy of you, Nanami-san!

Nanami: Ooh, you awful little boy!

I mean, to be fair, if he’s been modelling his actions after Touga…

Utena: Nanami, calm down! If you get excited, you’ll turn into a cow again!

Anthy: “Strategy number 2. If Nanami-san turns into a cow again, I plan to handle it like this…”

It then recaps her cow transformation, but instead of letting Utena “duel” her, Tsuwabuki steps in.

Tsuwabuki: It’s all right. It’s all right, Nanami-san. Even if you’re a cow, I’ll always take care of you. I’ll join you now…

and he just turns into a cow, too

Tsuwabuki: Stop it! Stop reading!

Nanami: Accept it gracefully, Tsuwabuki!

Tsuwabuki: Don’t look!

then he loses blanket

and they show an elephant to really drive the point home, and nanami faints and falls out the window

Nanami: Where am I?

Tsuwabuki: Oh, you’re finally awake. How do you feel?

Nanami: What are you writing?

Tsuwabuki: Well, it’s all screwed up now. Your schedule. I’m correcting it.

Nanami: Oh…so what is it? I’d like to see it.

Tsuwabuki: I’ll tell you later. Don’t worry about it.

And this is when you realize that this must be (mostly) a nightmare. It’s anyone’s guess whether this is a product of Nanami’s paranoia or Tsuwabuki’s.

Nanami: I got it!

Tsuwabuki: Oh, no!

Nanami: I’m sure I’ll find all sorts of awful things written in here!

Then it finishes off with a Shadow Play, which seems to reference the fairy tale of the Bremen Town Musicians, where neglected farm animals join together to find a better life, accidentally drive off a band of robbers, and live happily ever. And someone flies off on a flying saucer at the end.

This was an amusing episode that leans into absurdity more than usual. The only thing that might be relevant is reminding the audience of how Nanami harassed Anthy in the first arc…but Nanami will be crushed in the final arc. Along with the rest of them.

Until next time…