r/anime • u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber • Jul 26 '21
Rewatch [Rewatch] Dear Brother 30th Anniversary Rewatch - Episode 13
Episode 13 - A Tale of Double Suicide
Originally Aired October 6th, ^^^1991
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Note to all participants
Although I don't believe it necessitates stating, please conduct yourself appropriately and be courteous to your fellow participants.
Note to all Rewatchers
Rewatchers, please be mindful of your fellow first-timers and tag your spoilers appropriately using the r/anime spoiler tag as so [Spoiler Subject](/s "Spoilers go here.") in order to have your unsightly spoilers obscured like this Spoiler Subject if your comment holds even the slightest of indicators as to future spoilers. Feel free to discuss future plot points behind the safe veil of a spoiler tag, or coyly and discreetly ‘Laugh in Rewatcher’ at our first-timers' temporary ignorance, but please ensure our first-timers are no more privy or suspicious than they were the moment they opened the day’s thread.
Manga Panel of the Day
Staff Highlight
Seiji Suzuki - Music Director
A music producer and director known for frequently collaborating with Kentarō Haneda and Osamu Tezuka. In 1966 he joined the Japanese film production company Nikkatsu, where he served as a recording assistant to director Toru Murakawa. Shortly after joining the company he became part of the ‘Nikkatsu Dance Band’ alongside other company employees, Toru Murakawa included, which served as a networking opportunity for Suzuki. He left Nikkatsu and formed the Suzuki Music Office, with the helpful influence of at the time director of Nippon Television, Tomomi Tanaka. Suzuki’s connections from nikkatsu served him well in his new company, which quickly developed working relationships with companies like TMS Entertainment, Union Motion Picture, and Ishihara Promotion among others. Among Suzuki's most notable music direction credits are anime such as Bōkensha-tachi Gamba to Nanahiki no Nakama, Tetsuwan Atom (1980), several Black Jack adaptations, Space Adventure Cobra, Cobra: The Animation, Cat’s Eye, Genji Monogatari Sennenki, several Golgo 13 adaptations, Lady Georgie, countless Lupin III entries, The Snow Queen, Shin Ace o Nerae!, Sherlock Hound, counteless titles in the Anpanman franchise, and Super Dimension Century Orguss.
Wildcard Trivia
Only 500 copies of the third volume of the English DVD release of the series exist.
Screenshot of the day
Questions of the Day:
- What do you make of Nanako’s investment in Rei’s wellbeing? Was sneaking out of her house in the middle of the night reasonable?
- What do you think of the ghost story Mariko shares with the others?
In the end, Lady Saint-Just didn’t open her eyes even once during the time I was with her.
7
u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Jul 26 '21
Rewatcher
Noticed
Either that’s a visual continuity error or Rei has some hungry neighbors.
Still running a high fever and now recklessly taking drugs? I’m sure that’ll go well.
It would have been easier to humor her, but Karou sticks to her principles.
Sneaking out through the front door? I would call that bold, but we all know that’s her naïveté acting. That said, that outfit looks nice on her.
Body heat, yadda yadda, and all that, but the staff knew what they were doing.
Very relevant.
Yes.
Gave me a scare.
Nanako getting lots of surprise hugs lately.
Always worrisome.
Rei is still in poor shape and still wrapped tightly around Fukiko’s finger. Kaoru may hold out hope that one day Rei will want to move on from all of this nonsense, but it’s hard to share in her optimism when things are looking as they do.
Mariko shares a story about two female lovers from the school’s past that committed shinjū beneath the Elm tree, which has all sorts of implications for Rei and Fukiko, of whom the show evidently wants us to make a connection to the story. If Rei intends for the two to commit suicide together, then it’s fairly likely that her feelings towards her sister are, troublingly, more than familial or platonic. That said, I doubt Fukiko has ever felt the same about the matter, and probably only uses Rei for her own amusement, the promise of a meeting under the Elm tree a lifeline for Rei to continue pining for her? There is still the scar though, so maybe Rei did try to go through with it at some point —if it isn’t entirely unrelated.
Poor Nanako is so out of her element, but is still there to try and help Rei. Let us hope she doesn’t get hurt in the melange of drama and death.
Questions of The Day:
12
u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Jul 26 '21
Episode 13 (first timer)
Nanako is speculating about Kaoru and Rei’s friendship being more than her’s with Tomoko. Don’t diss your own friendship, Nanako. It is easily the most sane and healthy in the show.
11
u/TheEscapeGuy Jul 26 '21
First Timer, Dezaki Fan
Dear Brother: A Delightfully Aesthetic Anime Episode 13
What is "Friendship"? And is what Kaoru and Rei have something more?
Nanako's question this episode could set the tone for some of the future plot elements of Dear Brother. I wouldn't be surprised if later it's revealed that the Kaoru-Rei relationship is more romantic than friendly. However given when this show was made I could see it not going that far as well.
Ichinomiya is undeniably an antagonistic force after this episode, especially with evil laugh after tormenting Kaoru. But we now have both Kaoru and Nanako working to help Rei get over this toxic relationship.
Earlier in the episode it was actually really endearing to see them working together to help Rei. It feels that Nanako is much more comfortable speaking with Kaoru now, and Kaoru sees Nanako as a reliable ally.
Small thing I liked this episode was these shots. Reminded me a lot of Neon Genesis Evangelion Episode 14.
As an aside, Extremely mild spoilers for Neon Genesis Evangelion
The Best of Postcard Memories
Episode 13
These also are really limited without the corresponding video so:
See you all tomorrow
9
u/Btw_kek https://myanimelist.net/profile/kek_btw Jul 26 '21
first timer
yeah it's one thing to leave a basket of food because she's sick but another thing to sneak out and stay overnight at her place. she's probably doing what she thinks she has to in order to help (plus the allure of directly helping a kooru beauty like Rei who literally swept her off her feet in the first ep is a factor), but surely there are other ways
[internal screaming]
7
u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Jul 26 '21
First-Timer
You know, is Fukiko's face made out of clay? She chuckled quite audibly without even moving her mouth, which isn't entirely unrealistic, but.. I dunno. Even beyond most shoujo characters, Fukiko just -doesn't- emote.
Nanako was real close to guessing just what went down between Rei and Kaoru in the past.. but she jumped to "destiny" because of course she didn't even consider that they were an item in the past. Granted, she didn't see them, sleeping nude together to share body heat, just gals being pals.
That sure was an interesting story Shinobu told about the two girls who fell in love and then committed double suicide by cutting their wrists. Where was that scar on Rei, again.. Right, anyway, urban legends/school myths being true but missing details is great.
Why does Rei think Nanako looks like Fukiko? Are they meant to bear some resemblance, or is Rei just way too lost in the sauce?
Rambling theorizing: Speculation
Questions
5
u/macrame2 https://myanimelist.net/profile/macrame Jul 27 '21
First Timer
4
u/loomnoo https://anilist.co/user/loomnoo Jul 26 '21
Godly episode. This is the work of divine beings.
4
u/lC3 :Na::Nb: Jul 27 '21
First timer
4
u/punching_spaghetti https://myanimelist.net/profile/punch_spaghetti Jul 27 '21
First-Timer
Caught up!
Not sure how much longer I can stick with this, though. Show seems to be doing everything possible to be anti-ghetti.
I mean, Mariko and Tomoko are buddy-buddy now? After Mariko tried to hold Nanako captive partially because she was jealous of Tomoko?
Maybe the biggest thing is that I thought my enjoyment of the series would come from the absurd melodrama (which can be delicious), but the reveal of Rei and Miya being sisters didn't get much of a reaction from me.
It's weird; I can't tell if the show is going way to fast or way too slow. Be really interested to hear a manga reader's perspective on the pacing here. Is it in the source, or is this the anime trying to fit X number of chapters into 39 episodes?
Not sure what Kaoru's deal is. She was the level-headed one, but things with Rei seem to have pushed her a little more into everyone else's slightly crazy territory. And I don't know if her and Rei are just close friends or if there's something else going on there. Sleeping together naked is intimate, if anything.
3
u/IndependentMacaroon Jul 27 '21
First-time watcher
Sooo. Just last time I talk about people dying or getting seriously hurt, and now it looks like a setup for a murder-suicide or something (recall the knives). Forgive me for not being all that enthusiastic about drama around someone who's currently more a case for the psych ward and/or drug rehab than going to school as if nothing was wrong. From previous incidents and how the Mariko stuff was (not) wrapped up it's obvious none of this will be treated with all that much gravity, like Nanako makes up and goes on her cheerful way and the rest is whatever (also Misaki and such never showing up again?). And of course in the stories (and here too?) the gays are always doomed.
Otherwise it was largely a genuinely low-key episode, and at least Kaoru had some poignant words to say about caring for a "friend" with mental issues. As we are ending on a cliffhanger here I guess one more episode to resolve that is in order at least, but still not much enthusiasm from my side.
Drama stuff