Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to dive back into Dezaki’s majestic Dear Brother, whose last episode presented us with a dizzying array of narrative developments and relational revelations. We swiftly learned the identity of Nanako’s alleged brother, but that was only the tip of the iceberg. In the leadup to the reveal of Nanako’s candidacy, we also saw clear battle lines drawn between the school’s three objects of adoration, as well as plenty more evidence that Shinobu will eventually burn this whole place down.
In the midst of all these passionate, larger-than-life personalities, my most urgent question is how exactly Nanako will make herself stand out. Unlike many high school heroines, there’s little that’s remarkable about her, and she’s spent the first two episodes being guided by others rather than establishing her own path. Her persistent use of Cinderella imagery to describe her school life makes it clear that she can’t quite see her Seiran experiences as real, so I imagine it’ll take a disruption of her current fairy tale framing to bring her down to earth. Regardless, I’m certain Dezaki will realize her experiences with decadent visual splendor, and eager to see how Ikeda’s tangled narrative proceeds. Let’s get to it!
Episode 3
This time we open by checking in on Dear Brother and his companion, as the two meet up at a café. They appear to be performing something of the role of a Greek chorus within this narrative, reflecting on the course of the story and perhaps revealing things that the active players cannot. I wonder if their usage here influenced Ikuhara’s use of the shadow girls in Utena, who perform a similar function
“Is Nanako Disqualified?”
Once again, that persistent shot of the tower is used to frame us back at Seiran Academy, while the rain implies this is the same day that Brother and his companion met up
Shinobu has of course been going above and beyond the call of duty, and has collected a list of things the Sorority sisters dislike
Meanwhile, Misaki sits and stews in her rage
At the cafeteria, Nanako’s candidacy in spite of her outsider status is the hot topic of discussion. Already I can see how the veneer is going to come off Nanako’s impression of this fantastical world. When she just arrived, she had the privilege of merely observing all this drama without drawing attention to herself. But now, her candidacy means she too is a subject of rumor and jealousy, and I imagine these girls won’t stop at that. That disruption of the fairy tale is likely coming soon
Nanako can only sullenly reflect that she also doesn’t know why she was chosen. I’m sorry Nanako, but even if you didn’t ask for this position, it’s now up to you to defend it. You can’t be a wallflower any longer!
Right on cue, Misaki and her underlings appear to block Nanako’s passage
The colorful, welcoming view out the train window has now been replaced by a stark monochrome composition, a blinding white sky arrayed over silhouetted buildings standing like tombstones in a line. This rainy day is facilitating plenty of compositions that echo the characters’ feelings
Some lovely compositions with Misaki walking into the frame, spotlighted against the sunlight glowing on the bay. Another interesting effect used to convey the shimmering effect of the light on the water, employing hundreds of little circles of light that all flash at varying opacities. I love all these unique innovations of the pre-digital era; our current ability to more specifically define what post-production effect we’re seeking to impose on the composition means the unique aesthetics of these solutions have largely been lost
Misaki states that “there’s always some girl feigning innocence and stealing what should be mine,” studiously avoiding the less flattering takeaway
This episode has also been employing a new trick of entirely blocking out the left and right thirds of the screen, creating a sense of entrapment within the remaining narrow pillar of the composition
The next day at school, Shinobu once again drags Nanako away behind her, as she wonders at what dress they might wear to the party
More compositions that simply black out undesired portions of the shot, this time angled to trap Shinobu and Nanako in a diagonal column with these judging classmates. Once again Dezaki abandons any attempt to make the screen feel like an unbiased observer, creating his own negative space wherever he wishes
Misaki’s plan is revealed. She’s scattered countless papers around Seiran accusing Nanako of cheating, and revealing that Nanako is actually adopted. Seems like Misaki’s go-to play is mocking the parentage of her peers, as befitting someone who believes social class and personal merit are indistinguishable
Though Shinobu attempts to comfort her, Nanako instead runs for Tomoko
“This garbage belongs in a garbage can.” Bless you Kaoru
Fleeing in despair, Nanako headbutts Saint-Juste right in the stomach, spilling her pills
“There’s something about her that’s almost like a man.” I suppose time will tell if we’re doing something meaningful with Saint-Juste and Kaoru’s masculine gender presentation. It certainly seems meaningful that the two characters who reject traditional femininity are also the two to reject the Sorority system
An otherworldly array of glowing lights give the school pool an eerie glow as Nanako and Tomoko convene
These cool blues serve as a fine echo of Nanako’s mood, as she reveals she’s decided not to go to the party
Tomoko refuses to accept this, and tells Nanako not to let them defeat her. With their images reflected in the light of the pool, it looks as if Nanako is receiving some sort of mystical vision, and being challenged to acknowledge and embrace her true self. It’s interesting that this call to action is coming from Tomoko; Tomoko herself seems to have a fairly naïve idea of what the Sorority truly is, so I wonder if she’ll come to regret convincing Nanako to fight
“I will attend.” And so Nanako commits to the battlefield of Seiren Academy, having at last received a taste of what the spotlight is truly like
“I realized that I am somewhat vain, frivolous, and a social butterfly.” In her letters to Dear Brother, Nanako reveals that she genuinely is coming to understand herself better through the course of these conflicts. The letter conceit allows both recipients to comment on the ongoing narrative: Brother assessing the overall drama and hinting at this school’s true nature, Nanako revealing what scars or insights she has most recently acquired
But interestingly, she chooses to crumple this letter up. It seems Nanako is unwilling to reveal her transformation to her beloved brother, and still wishes to maintain the innocence represented by their correspondence
Misaki’s next devious plot involves misleading Nanako about when the party starts. Love her fully leaning into this femme fatale aesthetic, wrapped up in a trench coat in a phone booth while a train rushes past
Lots of energetic Tomoko animation as she meets Nanako prior to the party. Her casual outfit and expressive movement make for a strong contrast with Nanako’s formal dress and demure motions
They’re meeting up at twelve, the party’s actual starting time
At the party, Miya-sama wonders where Nanako is. I like her outfit – it’s sort of a fifty-fifty mix of traditional Japanese and European dress, with a silk dress shirt complimented by a dark kimono bottom
They use a similar effect as used for the shimmering water to convey Nanako holding back her tears
While Shinobu rushes to find Nanako, Miya-sama announces the interviews will now begin
She brandishes her dress like a cape as she leads candidates to their interviews
Though Misaki was attempting to derail Nanako’s chances of making it, she might have actually accomplished the opposite. By meeting with Tomoko prior to the party, Nanako now feels refreshed and confident, rather than anxious and sleep-deprived
Shinobu pleads on her knees for Miya-sama to give Nanako more time. It’s clear that Shinobu genuinely does want to support Nanako, at least for the moment, but I imagine Nanako will eventually do something that betrays Shinobu’s image of her
Nanako spies Kaoru shooting hoops as she approaches, before Kaoru is struck down by some kind of chest pain. Another beat linking Kaoru and Saint-Juste; both of them seem almost too magnificent to exist in this world, and are thus wracked by medical problems
And at last, Nanako must face off with the furious Elder Sisters!
And Done
Jeez, this show really doesn’t let up, huh? Misaki’s cruel machinations made for a vivid introduction to the ugliness of Seiran Academy, necessarily deflating Nanako’s rose-colored impression of campus life. Just as I’d hoped, this episode saw Nanako making some key steps of her own, both fighting for her own position on campus, and also acknowledging how this world is giving her a clearer impression of her own past self. She’s really growing into a heroine worth caring about, while Ikeda continues to demonstrate her absolute mastery of propulsive drama. What a cruel cliffhanger! I MUST SEE THE INTERVIEW!
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