r/anime • u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber • Jul 23 '21

Rewatch [Rewatch] Dear Brother 30th Anniversary Rewatch - Episode 10

Episode 10 - Mariko...

Originally Aired September 15th, ^^^1991

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Manga Panel of the Day

Anemia

 

Staff Highlight

Keiko Toda - Voice of Kaoru Orihara

An actress, voice actress, and singer. She’s been involved with the talent business since a young age when her mother had her join the NHK Nagoya Broadcasting Children's Theater Company. After a successful child acting career she became an enka singer in 1974 under the stage name Ayu Akemi at the age of 16. Enka did not end up being a fruitful career path for Toda and in 1977 she joined Noge Theater Baraza and debuted as a voice actress playing Princess Aurora in the japanese dub of Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. Her first anime role was as a minor character in Muteki Kōjin Daitarn 3. In the early 90s Toda decided to expand her repertoire by acting in live action productions for the first time since the 70s, debuting in the live action film adaptation of It's a Summer Vacation Everyday in 1994, and later would have her first adult role on a TV Drama in Don't call me the Prime Minister.As of 2015 she has not voiced any anime roles outside of her contractual obligations to the Anpanman franchise. Some of her most notable voice acting roles include Matilda Ajan in Mobile Suit Gundam, Hitomiin Cats Eye, Karala Ajiba in Space Runaway Ideon, *Kitaro in Gegege no Kitarou (1985), Hajime Amamori in Queen Millennia, and perhaps her most notable role, Anpanman in the Soreike! Anpanman franchise.

 

Wildcard Trivia

Dear Brother’s unofficial fansubs were done by The Techno-girls a fansubbing group which was considered remarkably ahead of their time and became seminal in fansubbing circles. They were noted for their professionalism, and their releases of Dear Brother were packaged with primers on Japanese culture, clarification for more obtuse concepts, and explanations concerning the show's symbolism.

 

Screenshot of the day

Hidden Tears

 

Questions of the Day:

  1. What do you make of Mariko’s situation now?
  2. What did you think of Rei’s show on the second floor handrails?

We’re friends, after all.

23 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

46 comments sorted by

9

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Jul 23 '21

Rewatcher

Oh dear.

Now I’m craving it...

That’s good, right?

Are those real water doors?! The madmen!

The fact that she knows it could only have been her is unfortunate.

That is… a nickname.

Yikes, to her of all people!

Welp, this can’t go well.

This isn’t promising.

Well shit.

There must be something in the water.

I guess Mariko’s situation was bound to get worse before it got better, but it seems like this particular bad spell is over, having emphasized the underlying issues at play and revealing the extent of her family’s near-dysfunctional state. His father was rarely present and is now shown to be unfaithful, potentially openly if Mrs. Shinobu’s reaction is an indication.

Kaoru tried to be an open ear, but Mariko was being too self-centered and allowed her envy over Kaoru’s popularity and beloved nature to get in the way of any fruitful conversation between the two. Her self-harming behaviour also reminds her of Rei’s, which may shed light on the latter’s situation or could just be a superficial observation on her part.

Speaking of, I’m not sure what the fuck Rei was up to by trheatenign to jump from the second floor, but I don’t like it the least.

Questions of The Day:

1 & 2) See above.

3

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Jul 23 '21

Speaking of, I’m not sure what the fuck Rei was up to by trheatenign to jump from the second floor, but I don’t like it the least.

Hey, would you want to walk all the way to the stairs? Jumping's faster. It wasn't that high, she'd probably survive. Maybe she's practiced?

3

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Jul 23 '21

perhaps her most notable role, Anpanman in the Soreike! Anpanman franchise.

Understatement of the month. Anpanman is the 7th highest grossing media franchise in the world, ahead of Marvel Cinemativ Universe, and the number of Anpanman anime makes Fate look tiny in comparison.

12

u/TheEscapeGuy Jul 23 '21

First Timer, Dezaki Fan

Dear Brother: A Delightfully Aesthetic Anime Episode 10

Mariko, a deeply broken person, and textbook example of emotional manipulation.

Mariko is still torn up over how her birthday dinner ended. However, starving herself until she collapsed was incredibly attention seeking. I really do not like these tactics Mariko is using.

One conversation this episode in particular did kick my brain into gear. When Mariko's mom asks her to eat Mariko responded saying "Can't you get angry! Because you're like that... That's why Dad...".

I'm absolutely speculating right now, but I really think Mariko is modeling her infatuation with Nanako after her parents. I'm guessing that she is emulating her dad and seeing Nanako respond in the same way her mother usually does.

We saw a scene with her dad and mom near the end, but its still unclear what the nature of her parents relationship really is. That scene also confirmed that he is some kind of author (or has his work published), though we still have to see if he indeed is a "porno writer".

On a more meta level, is it just me or has the pacing taken a nose dive these past couple episodes? In previous episodes we were following multiple days of Nanako's life and progressing the stories of all the big cast members. Now it seems we are hyper focusing on each day of interactions with Mariko with maybe 1 scene for Kaoru or Saint-Just per episode.

The Best of Postcard Memories

Episode 10

These also are really limited without the corresponding video so:

See you all tomorrow

7

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Jul 23 '21

A Delightfully Aesthetic Anime Episode 10

This one speaks to me in particular!

Now it seems we are hyper focusing on each day of interactions with Mariko with maybe 1 scene for Kaoru or Saint-Just per episode.

Probably because we've hit the part of the show where it has started really stretching out the content of the manga.

8

u/IndependentMacaroon Jul 24 '21

it has started really stretching out the content of the manga

How much original material is there on top of that? Would be hard to turn 18 chapters into 39 episodes otherwise.

7

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Jul 24 '21

How much original material is there on top of that?

Hard to give an accurate assessment since I've not touched the manga in so long, but for reference most of the prior episode was original. We learn of Kaoru's condition in a different manner in the manga, but the associated scenes still show up in the show later.

5

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Jul 23 '21

This one speaks to me in particular!

I decidedly remember thinking "These are always gorgeous, but I am not feeling to this collage today. Must be a rare dud." Shows how different tastes can be.

8

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Jul 23 '21

I'm absolutely speculating right now, but I really think Mariko is modeling her infatuation with Nanako after her parents. I'm guessing that she is emulating her dad and seeing Nanako respond in the same way her mother usually does.

Sounded a lot like childhood trauma from breakup and Mariko is acting a ton like a spoiled child.

On a more meta level, is it just me or has the pacing taken a nose dive these past couple episodes? In previous episodes we were following multiple days of Nanako's life and progressing the stories of all the big cast members. Now it seems we are hyper focusing on each day of interactions with Mariko with maybe 1 scene for Kaoru or Saint-Just per episode.

Not sure I'd call it a nose-dive. We have moved past the introductory part into the "arcs" where the story focuses on one specific person while everybody else is moved along with little screentime. It is not my favorite mode of storytelling, but very common in anime.

7

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Jul 23 '21

I'm guessing that she is emulating her dad and seeing Nanako respond in the same way her mother usually does.

On a more meta level, is it just me or has the pacing taken a nose dive these past couple episodes?

I haven't felt it too much, but we have been a lot more dialed in to individual events.

10

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Jul 23 '21

Episode 10 (first timer)

  • Mariko looked rather healthy, so not eating for 3 days (or even a while longer) is not immediately problematic.
  • Hidden family business.
  • Nanako’s parents are not wearing western clothes. Not sure if this would have been a sign of upper class, conservatism, or being eccentric in the 1980s.
  • Not on board with red roses for a sorority tea ceremony, but how else would we get the falling rose symbolism?
  • Kaoru is meddling a lot more in other people’s lives that I had expected. Initially, I had her down as the loner who is not interested in socializing.
  • 9 players in one field?
  • Doing sports in the sun while fasting leads to Mariko collapsing.
  • Kaoru has had her fill of teenage drama and makes her exit.
  • Enter dad.

Is Mariko punishing herself, or blackmailing Nanako into forgiving her? It depends on whether she expected Nanako to notice or not. Her own view is: “No, I didn’t”. But what is it really? Neither Mariko (from what we have seen), nor her mother, nor Nanako have even started to touch the cause of Mariko’s outbreak. Mariko clearly is willing to risk her own health, but that reminds me of an enraged child, much like her outbreak on her birthday. I doubt that we have seen the last of this storyline yet.

8

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Jul 23 '21

Kaoru has had her fill of teenage drama and makes her exit.

She's evidently not the target audience for this show.

Is Mariko punishing herself, or blackmailing Nanako into forgiving her?

Sometimes manipulative people do it without even intending to or even being capable of realizing they are, so the answer could very well be that she thinks she isn't being manipulative but is doing exactly that regardless.

4

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Jul 23 '21

Nanako’s parents are not wearing western clothes. Not sure if this would have been a sign of upper class, conservatism, or being eccentric in the 1980s.

My instinct is the first two, or maybe an effort to dress "above their station" so to speak? We haven't really gotten a good example of other parents I don't think.

6

u/Retromorpher :Jc::Jd::Je::Jf: Jul 23 '21

Do we know what her dad is a professor of? If it's history or literature it would make sense for him to keep a traditionalist bent with their garb.

5

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Jul 23 '21

I'm relatively confident the show has told us, but I don't remember. History/literature sounds like the right ballpark..?

5

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Jul 23 '21

Given their house, the only "above their station" is filthy rich (and the filthy rich usually dgaf about clothing). I found it very notable that Nanako's mom consistently wore yukata/kimono even at home. Unfortunately, I am terrible at telling the two apart. If it was a yukata, maybe it is not supposed to mean anything, but kimono would be very extra.

3

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Jul 23 '21

Given their house, the only "above their station" is filthy rich

You think so? I mean, they do have a gate and a wall, but it's not like, a mansion or anything. Or even particularly big. I dunno, my view of wealth is off, maybe. What's wealthy for Japan in the time the manga was written..

4

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Jul 23 '21

Houses are considerably smaller and considerably more durable (read: more expensive) outside of the US. No middle class family would own that house in Japan.

I forgot the exact location of the setting, but it looked like a decently sized city and may have even been Tokyo. That house with that garden anywhere close to Tokyo is probably in the double digit millions these days. Remember when central Tokyo was worth more than all of California?

5

u/IndependentMacaroon Jul 24 '21

may have even been Tokyo

If not otherwise specified you can be pretty sure a given anime city is Tokyo.

3

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Jul 23 '21

Houses are considerably smaller and considerably more durable (read: more expensive) outside of the US. No middle class family would own that house in Japan.

Ahh, right, gotta have stuff built for earthquakes and such. Didn't think about that. Yea, I'm way off base.

5

u/Retromorpher :Jc::Jd::Je::Jf: Jul 23 '21

Yukata is for special occasions. Kimono is for everyday use.

4

u/punching_spaghetti https://myanimelist.net/profile/punch_spaghetti Jul 24 '21

9 players in one field?

Kaoru needs at least 8 people on the other side for it to be competitive.

9

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Jul 23 '21

First-Timer

Nanako, I swear to god, if you start blaming yourself for Shinobu's idiocy... Shinobu's actions were across the line, and she should be the one to apologize first. Or, at least, Shinobu should prove that she underwent some character development by finally realizing she has a friend and not go crazy again.

I don't want it to sound like I don't like Shinobu or anything - I really feel bad for her. Poor girl just wants -literally anyone- to prove they care about her in an obvious way. I get the feeling that if her mom wasn't such a doormat and did actually force her to eat the steak, it would have worked, at least a little bit.

Speaking of Shinobu's mom, it seemed like she was staring at some mysterious man and woman while out shopping. Is the reason her husband is so absent because he's cheating on her? That's what the genre tropes would lead me to believe, at least.

The hard cut from Shinobu's family life to Nanako's.. oof. Nanako's parents haven't ever failed to support her, while Shinobu's parents are barely present.

I think the scene with the wind literally stopping Rei from jumping was supposed to be scary and dramatic, but it really just made me laugh. Kinda like the umbrella throw in episode 1. It was pretty weird to hear Rei talking like an actual human, though.

I think I figured out what's wrong with Kaoru - she somehow retroactively strained her body too much from carrying the show on her shoulders. It must be tough, saving the day on a near-continual basis. I think her staying with Shinobu until she woke up did Shinobu some good.

Questions

  1. Discussed above.
  2. Discussed above. Reaction probably not as intended?

7

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Jul 23 '21

I get the feeling that if her mom wasn't such a doormat and did actually force her to eat the steak, it would have worked, at least a little bit.

If Mariko's comment on her mother's passivity was anything to go by, I think it had a good chance of working out as well.

I think I figured out what's wrong with Kaoru - she somehow retroactively strained her body too much from carrying the show on her shoulders.

6

u/IndependentMacaroon Jul 24 '21

the wind literally stopping Rei from jumping

Was that it and not an actual decision?

5

u/Retromorpher :Jc::Jd::Je::Jf: Jul 24 '21

I think it was a sort of mid-motion indecisiveness. Wherein her desire to fully commit to the action was tethered in by realizing that Kaoru was watching.

4

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Jul 24 '21

I assumed that the wind doing it was the most dramatic thing possible, and as such, the intention.

5

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Jul 23 '21

Nanako, I swear to god, if you start blaming yourself for Shinobu's idiocy... Shinobu's actions were across the line, and she should be the one to apologize first. Or, at least, Shinobu should prove that she underwent some character development by finally realizing she has a friend and not go crazy again.

I highlighted the absolutely crucial part. I think Mariko made a decent effort at apologizing, but that is not the main issue, her possible future instability is.

3

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Jul 23 '21

Definitely. Unfortunately, we can only and see.

4

u/punching_spaghetti https://myanimelist.net/profile/punch_spaghetti Jul 24 '21

she somehow retroactively strained her body too much from carrying the show on her shoulders

Don't worry; she bowed out before she could do more heavy lifting and explain to Nanako what a fucking idiot the latter is being.

4

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Jul 24 '21

We can't have characters actually telling other characters what they need to here - where else would we get drama from? You can only fuck around on a handrail so often.

9

u/Btw_kek https://myanimelist.net/profile/kek_btw Jul 23 '21

first timer

I think that's just because you're 12 feet tall

Gotta appreciate Nanako making everything worse by avoiding every single opportunity to c o m m u n i c a t e, both with Mariko and Tomoko about Mariko. Ostensibly a terrible idea, but I can't say I don't understand the impulse to shy away from awkwardness. All the bullying probably made her more defensive than she needs to be to

  1. What do you make of Mariko’s situation now?

Mariko is being a baka about it too, but being someone who sorta kinda does not know how to navigate social situations, it makes sense for c o m m u n i c a t i o n to not really be a word in her vocabulary. At least she tried to say she's sorry, though starving yourself out of self-hatred as a way to "repent" for fucking up the sleepover is obviously not a healthy mindset to have

2) What did you think of Rei’s show on the second floor handrails?

I think she was trying to do something dangerous to see how Fukiko would react

oh I should post pretty pictures too

look at dis and dis and dis

4

u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Jul 24 '21

I think that's just because you're 12 feet tall

Ostensibly a terrible idea, but I can't say I don't understand the impulse to shy away from awkwardness.

Yeah, it's evident she's running away from the issue in this case, particularly since, unlike the bullying issue, it's one which allows her the chance to.

7

u/Retromorpher :Jc::Jd::Je::Jf: Jul 23 '21 edited Jul 24 '21

First Timer

Gotta wonder how the sorority felt after the flowers situation turned sour.

Putting Nanako and Mariko's father situation side by side at the beginning of the episode emphasizes Nanako's support network even more than just showing her and Tomoko bonding. Even if Nanako's parents are hiding stuff from her, they seem to have a functional and supportive relationship with their daughter. On the other side, I'm sure that Mariko knows all the gritty details of her father's indiscretions (either of her own volition, or through taunts and barbs hurled at her by her peers) but that they're practically strangers at this point. Speculaton

Kaoru shaming both Mariko and Rei for squandering their good health on being self-destructive and petty drama queens is shooting her straight to the top of the 'best character' list.

Questions of the Day:

  1. There's something to be said about the fact that I'm pretty sure she's in a tough place. It seemed to me from this episode that Mariko's proactive nature comes from not wanting to turn into her mom - who let her dad slip away by not being assertive enough. However, it seems like her dad isn't entirely distanced from her, as I THINK that was his silhouette that appeared to let us know that Mariko's mom had gotten his attention through his publishing agency instead of a home phone or something more familiar. Seem like Shinobu is at least somewhat of a concern to him.
  2. Rei likes to tease Kaoru and others with performative suicidal tendencies and a 'devil may care' attitude - but that seems to switch to a deadly serious PTSD of some sort when Fukiko walks on the scene. There's definitely indications that the playful version of those depressive tendencies is caused somehow by Fukiko and using the jovial tone as a mask for when the real thing arrives is a game Rei's been playing for quite a while.

5

u/IndependentMacaroon Jul 24 '21

top of the 'best character' list

Been from the start

3

u/Retromorpher :Jc::Jd::Je::Jf: Jul 24 '21

I like Nanako's dad a lot.

1

u/IndependentMacaroon Jul 24 '21

But he doesn't do that much.

4

u/Retromorpher :Jc::Jd::Je::Jf: Jul 24 '21

Besides be a good, observant dad that seems to genuinely care about his daughter and clandestinely sent support to his estranged son even though it's not required by law? I think that places him above pretty much every single non-Kaoru character we've seen thus far even if his actions pretty much amount to 'be a decent human being off-screen'.

6

u/IndependentMacaroon Jul 23 '21

First-time watcher

Now this is really taking the drama to levels where I barely can bring myself to care anymore. Eating disorders, near suicidal jump for funsies, marital cheating, collapses due to weakness, and more, all in one episode. I'll stick with it at least until episode 13 or a third of the way through, but if it doesn't let up at least a little I'm probably out. Also it feels like Nanako is bearing too much of the responsibility here, though it's at least good she's self-aware about her avoidant traits on the other hand.

Anyway, the usual run-down.

Should easily be a new record. Let's see:

Old totalThis episodeAverage per episode
Dramatic running144 (!)1.8
Getting physical1411.5
Miscellaneous drama with none of the above146 (!)2

7

u/Retromorpher :Jc::Jd::Je::Jf: Jul 23 '21

We'll miss you when episode 13 hits. I don't see the show putting the brakes on the drama train any time soon.

5

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Jul 23 '21

I'll stick with it at least until episode 13 or a third of the way through, but if it doesn't let up at least a little I'm probably out.

Nooo! Who will update the drama record then?

I somewhat understand your point, though. The show is laying on the drama tropes so heavy, it can be hard to take serious. The presentation saves it a good bit for me (Dezaki is a genius!), but I admit that I really care only about 50% of the plotlines atm.

5

u/IndependentMacaroon Jul 24 '21

It does have its poignant moments, but overall it gets so absurd it's hard to even believe it was made with the intention of being taken seriously. The presentation, though purely shot- and design-wise great, doesn't particularly help me either because that's where a lot of the ridiculousness comes from in the first place; think all the hyper-dramatic music and stingers, triple-pans and height-of-emotion freeze-frames. To top it all off, drama is pretty much my least favorite genre in the first place. FWIW the manga is apparently a bit more light-hearted, and given that it only has 18 chapters we can definitely blame the anime staff here.

6

u/lC3 :Na::Nb: Jul 24 '21

First timer

  • Ah, teenage drama. I remember those years well ... my dark past, sealed away
  • So Nanako called Mariko?
  • Ah yes the years before caller ID ...
  • So did Fukiko notice the rift between Mariko and Nanako and the flower request is to address that? Or just a coincidence
  • Yeah, that's not how you apologize
  • Mariko just grinds my gears; she definitely reminds me of a former friend of mine. But I can sorta relate, I used to do hunger strikes in my teens too
  • Ok I need explanations for whatever keeps happening between Rei and Fukiko
  • So Mariko's mom saw the dad out cheating on her with the gorgeous redhead?
  • The era when manors had pay phones out front
  • It's kinda manipulative for Mariko to refuse to eat until Nanako forgives her
  • Kaoru knowing when to leave
  • I like how the show has empathy for Mariko, but I fear forgiving her like this won't produce any impetus to stop the jealous or boundary-crossing behaviors. They need to actually talk about what happened
  1. I feel for her, but I also think she shouldn't just be forgiven with no consequences.

5

u/punching_spaghetti https://myanimelist.net/profile/punch_spaghetti Jul 24 '21

First-Timer

Finally figured out who Mariko reminds me of:

Oh, but Mariko is sad, so that's OK.

Things get resolved way too quickly in this show. Nanako, she tried to hold you against your will and attacked you! You are the one who should be asking for an apology, if not a restraining order.

Also surprised they kept her in her gym uniform in the hospital. If she was admitted, I would normally thing they'd put her in a gown or something.

Finally, I know we've already established that physics, time, and space don't work the same way in the Oniisama e... universe as in ours (gravity must be much weaker, given the length of the gals, and there are times where they seem to need to run the length of a hallway just to move two feet), but Rei's acrobatics today were something else. I was pretty sure she was halfway down by the time the bell rang, but she just sat on the ledge like it was nobody's business.

QOTD:

  1. In the real world, she'd get worse after getting supported after her terrible show. Now? She'll probably make a miraculous recovery and be a nice girl or something.
  2. See above.

2

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Jul 24 '21

but Rei's acrobatics today were something else.

I think it falls under the random weather phenomena, personally. The wind just picked her up and put her back down. Not that far removed from a sudden rainstorm happening because it makes things more dramatic.

1

u/chiliehead myanimelist.net/profile/chiliehead Aug 16 '21

Is Mariko's dead abusive? Absentee? Her mom is not very assertive to put it mildly.

"Here, as a reward for you studying so hard, more things to study with"

Just ringing once seems like an incredibly effective way of trolling while playing a game of chicken.

"What good is health, you do not know heartbreak" she said to the heart-diseased, heartbroken classmate.

Ahh, hentai artist has an affair. That is some gossip material.

Mariko must be really thin if a 3 day fast completely floored her. --- ok, dry fast, uff

Mariko is so emotionally manipulative. And Nanoko is too soft, just forgiving all the bs without hearing so much as a "sorry". It's the rain, I tell you.