I’m not going home with you, Big Brother!

Nanami gets a taste of the horrors to come…

The episode begins with the prologue again, and we’re getting pretty close to explaining the Paradise Lost reference, but not today, because this episode is about Nanami.

She picks up a call from what is clearly one of Touga’s many girlfriends and tries to scare her off, but it seems to be a fruitless endeavor.

Nanami: Stupid girl…I’m not like the rest of you. Touga is my brother. We’re joined by blood.

And the next day, she follows him to the greenhouse, where he’s making out with one girl while on the phone with another, and somehow pretends that he’s being exclusive to both of them.

That evening, Nanami’s reading some sort of romantic compatibility chart based on blood types (evidently that was popular in Japan, at least in the 90s).

Nanami: It says that couples that are blood type B are the least compatible! That has to be a lie! Mother is type B, and so is father, and so am I! The whole family is! But we all get along-

Touga: I’m not interested.

Nanami: Where are you going?

Touga: To take a shower. Care to join me? 

Touga: Just kidding.

And thus begins the episode’s pattern of guys saying their scandalous intentions aloud, only to play it off as a joke (when it’s dubious if it actually was). The ensuing awkward silence is only funny the first few times.

Nanami: We used to share everything. Our meals, our bed, our baths…but now Big Brother doesn’t care about me at all. Are brothers and sisters doomed to drift apart like this…?

I mean, if you want to meet new people, you have to drift apart sooner or later. I mean, I took baths with my siblings when I was little, too, but I stopped when we grew up. Granted, bath culture in Japan is more communal in general, but it’s still gender-segregated after a certain point!

Thankfully, she’s not just here to ogle her brother. She’s here to steal his phone!

but he clearly knows that she’s out there, and probably that she took his phone

So Nanami answers Touga’s calls, hears all the girls he’s seeing, and tells them he dumped them, this is not going to end well

And then, after she’s just ended another call, Keiko comes and asks for Touga’s blood type.

Nanami: And what do you hope to predict with it?

Thus she sends her groupies running, but of course, she’s still consumed with jealousy.

Nanami: Big Brother belongs to me. I won’t let anyone take him. Not anyone…

because of course she’s jealous of utena, despite her constant protestations and refusals to go on a date with him

So when Utena and Anthy stumble upon her in the stairwell, things get messy.

Nanami: It’s your fault!

Utena: Huh?!

Nanami: It’s your fault my brother is so cold to me now!

Utena: What are you talking about?!

Nanami: Don’t play dumb!

Utena: Then what’s the deal?!

Nanami: Quit hitting on my big brother!

and anthy just so happened to toss a banana peel on top of the stairs. and nanami is carrying a couple stone busts?

Anyhow, Akio comes to the rescue. yay

So naturally, he brings her up to his room to tend to her leg, as he so loves doing for girls.

Nanami: The chairman?

Akio: Well, the acting chairman, for now. I do live here in this residence, though. I’m engaged to his daughter, you see. There. All set.

When Akio hands the first aid kit to Utena to put away, their hands touch, Utena blushes, and Nanami takes note.

Then Anthy comes in with shaved ice for everyone, and spoon-feeds it to Akio.

Nanami: You’re siblings?!

Anthy: Yes.

Akio: She’s my precious, irreplaceable little sister.

At this point, it seems as if Anthy’s lack of culinary competence is merely meant to highlight Akio’s prowess in that field.

So Utena seemingly walks Nanami out.

Nanami: Makes you jealous, doesn’t it? Seeing stuff like that.

Utena: Yeah, they’re all so showy about it, too.

Nanami: I was talking about the chairman! A wonderful brother like that is wasted on Anthy Himemiya.

you sweet summer child

Utena: Brothers and sisters aren’t “wasted” on anyone!

Nanami: Oh? Most girls would be lovesick if they had a brother as cool as that! Even Anthy Himemiya.

Utena: You’re the only one like that!

Nanami: Touchy, aren’t we? You’re in love with the chairman, aren’t you?!

Utena: W-what are you talking about?!

Nanami: Oh, my! I was right! So, that’s how it is…Let’s both try our best.

Utena: What’d she mean by that?

Utena, you really are too thick for your own good sometimes…

Then we get back to the compatibility tests with her goons…

Keiko: What was Touga-sama’s blood type again?

Nanami: And just what do you plan to do with that information?

Aiko: Oh, uh, it’s nothing…

Yuuko: It’s just an innocent little compatibility test.

Keiko: W-what’s your blood type, Nanami-sama?

Nanami: I’m type B. Father is type B. Mother is type B. The family is type B. B must stand for “beautiful” in our case.

Aiko: Then Touga-sama is B, too?

Nanami: No. Like a typical perfectionist, he’s type A.

and THEY notice the incongruity, but so they make sure to have her restate the facts.

Aiko: But…two type B parents can’t have a type A child…

Keiko: You don’t suppose you and Touga-sama aren’t blood relatives, do you?

Nanami: Shut up! Have you ever seen siblings so perfectly smart, popular, and beautiful as we are?! Even if we don’t have the same blood-

But that’s when it sinks in, so she runs home to look at their family photos…

Nanami: It can’t be! Why…? Why didn’t I notice it sooner?! Nothing. Nothing! Nothing at all! Not one picture of Big Brother when he was a baby…Then, he and I…my big brother and I…aren’t really brother and sister…We’re not really brother and sister…

You may notice that we don’t see any pictures of Nanami as an infant, either, but that’ll have to wait…

Later that evening, she gets another call on his cell phone, but can’t even muster the energy to tell the girl off.

Nanami: It just…it can’t be. My brother and I…aren’t really brother and sister. We’re not connected by blood…

And that’s how Touga finds her when he checks up on her.

Touga: What’s wrong? Why are you sitting in the dark?

Nanami: Oh, uh, nothing. I just drifted off to sleep, so…

Touga: I see. By the way, have you seen my cell phone? I’ve been looking for it since yesterday, but I can’t find it.

Nanami: I…I haven’t seen it.

Touga: Are you okay? Your face is flushed.

Nanami: It’s…it’s nothing.

Touga: You don’t seem to have a fever.

Nanami: S-stop it. I’m not a little kid.

Touga: Sorry about that. Okay, how about a goodnight kiss? Just kidding. Goodnight, Nanami.

She’s suddenly wary of Touga, because she’s based her entire identity on being his sister, and now she knows there’s something he’s not telling her.

So she runs away, first crashing at Mickey’s place and then with Juri. Naturally, they want to know what happened, but she doesn’t want to talk about it.

Mickey: Nanami-kun would normally never want to be away from Touga-senpai! Normally!

They ask Utena, but of course she’s equally clueless.

But when Nanami asks if she can stay with Tsuwabuki, Akio catches her.

Akio: Ohtori Academy Rule number 34…Middle school students sleeping outside of their assigned quarters is strictly forbidden. Please accompany me to the Chairman’s Residence, Nanami Kiryuu-kun.

I can’t help but wonder if Rule 34 was already a thing in 1997…but seriously, this is not going to end well.

Nanami: Forgive me for being so selfish and running away.

Akio: It’s all right. My job is to ensure that every student has a pleasant life on the campus.

Nanami: Aren’t you going to ask what happened…?

Akio: My true dream is to turn the Chairman’s residence into a harem, you see.

it’s not funny, just true

But he still plays it off as a joke.

Akio: Just kidding. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. Consider yourself family.

and we all know how he treats his family

Utena: You get the feeling Akio-san’s trying to make a harem? Now he’s got Nanami in here!

See? Even UTENA’s catching on!

Anthy: That’s true. He doesn’t discriminate when it comes to girls.

Utena: Huh? Is that…true?

and now she’s just thinking back to the kiss and PLEASE SEND HELP

Anthy: Just kidding.

But really, that’s the closest thing to a warning she gives…and it’s lost on Utena, anyway.

Utena: O-of course! Akio-san isn’t like that! He’s got Kanae-san to think about, after all, right?! And he’s your big brother, too, right?

This isn’t the sort of show where you can be THAT dumb!

Anyway, they play rock-paper-scissors to see who gets the bed, and Anthy loses…

Akio: Nanami-kun! You have a visitor.

Touga: Nanami, I’ve come for you.

Nanami: Go home. […] I’m not going home with you, Big Brother!

Touga: What’s wrong, Nanami? There’s no reason for you to suddenly start living in a dorm.

Nanami: No…

Touga: You’re the only sister I’ve got. We should live to help each other, shouldn’t we? Come on. Come home with me.

Nanami: But you and I aren’t really brother and sister!

Touga: How did you find out…?

Nanami: So, it’s true…I kept hoping it was a lie. Kept hoping it was all a joke…it’s not fair, suddenly not having a brother…what am I supposed to do?

Touga: Nanami…

Nanami: I still consider you my brother! I can’t just ignore everything I’ve felt till now! Because I love you! Because I love you, Big Brother! […] Go home! Please, just go!

While it seems as if not being blood relatives could solve her dilemma – after all, she could actually date him if she wanted…but that’s not really what she wants.

So Utena tries to chat with Nanami instead, giving her as much sympathy as she can as an only child.

Nanami: It’s fine…just leave me alone.

Utena: This might be a cliche, but try to cheer up. Nothing’s really changed, and probably nothing will.

Nanami: Didn’t I tell you to leave me alone?!

Nothing might technically have changed, but her absolute trust in Touga has been shaken.

Then Nanami gets up to go to the bathroom…

AND FINDS THIS GOING ON NEXT DOOR

the combination of his casual demeanor and her dead eyes is horrifying

i feel ya, girl

until next time