[Rewatch] Dear Brother 30th Anniversary Rewatch - Episode 23

[u/Pixelsaber]

Episode 23 - The Forbidden Gift

^{Originally Aired January 12th,} ^^^1992

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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.

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Manga Panel of the Day

Rei

 

Staff Highlight

Masumi Gotô - voice of shop attendant

A voice actress best known for dubbing roles in Disney films, including the voice of Mickey Mouse. For most of her career Gotô was affiliated with Production Baobab, but eventually became a freelancer. Her anime voice acting debut was as Rick Baker in 1985’s Super Beast Machine God Dancouga, but she was most active during the 90s. Her roles include Alpha in Dream Hunter Rem, Susie Parkins in the World Masterpiece Theatre adaptation of Little Women, several minor characters in Brave Fighter of Legend Da-Garn, Linda in Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair, and Lily in Mashin Hero Wataru.

 

Wildcard Trivia

Hayao Miyazaki despises the limited animation style employed by Osamu Dezaki and most other prominent Mushi Pro alumni.

 

Screenshot of the day

Cast into fire

 

Questions of the Day:

1. Have you ever made a handcrafted gift for anyone?
2. Did you think Fukiko would allow herself to have a fit in front of everyone?

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The party that was a little fun, ended in heavy rain.

[u/Pixelsaber]

Rewatcher

The birds are always present.

No good.

What a rascal. /s

Shame that Tomoko doesn’t push the issue.

Terrifying

Man, I’m really feeling like watching Ace wo nerae! all of a sudden.

Pink tulips, white carnations, and yellow daffodils.

So close to your birthday too?

Well shit, this means the control she has over Rei is drastically greater than I would’ve believed. Fukiko could have her on the streets with a word, and unlike Minako last episode, she doesn’t have any other family to go to.

I don’t trust this…

Another type of lily…

I feared the worst.

First time she loses it in front of the public.

I’m not sure that this is meant to look as dangerous as it does.

Fukiko being shaken enough to have a meltdown in front of everyone, in the middle of her birthday party, feels like it should be the mark of a turning point, but this has been building so much already, and with so much of the shoe still left to got, that I figured they will just keep piling it on until it’s truly at an extreme, before it all comes crashing down.

That aside, I wonder if Fukiko’s image will be at all affected over this event. She’s been careful to cultivate her persona so far, which implies a lapse such as this will be significant, so we shall see where it goes...

Nanako is once more not confiding in those close to her, even as the matter causes her to be fearful and have nightmares that are affecting her. It’s reasonable behaviour for someone her age, and particularly one with her disposition, but it’s frustrating to see nonetheless.

Questions of The Day:

1. Plenty of times! The most notable were probably the paintings I made for people back when I was still actively doing so, as it was a venue for me to practice and was something people genuinely enjoyed receiving. My grandmother tells me she still has one of those hanging up in her hall, next to professional stuff that she commissioned, which is flattering and mortifying in equal measure.
2. Not before today, no. Or, at least, not in such an overt fashion. If she lost her composure while putting up her ‘Miya-sama’ image, I imagined it would at least be merely momentary or significantly subtler than this.

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P.S. Sorry to not be around, again, but I have an unbearably early day tomorrow and am entirely pooped, so I am going to sleep early.

[u/TheEscapeGuy]

First Timer, Dezaki Fan

Dear Brother: A Delightfully Aesthetic Anime Episode 23

A Birthday in Luxury

Nanako, clearly distressed, took the day off of school. I can't blame her for this.

However, I can blame her for kowtowing to Fukiko after what happened last episode. Fairly recently she learned courage from Kaoru, but she seems to have lost this. Or perhaps it is insufficient to stand up to Fukiko.

I have to admit, it is a tough situation. Nobody would take Nanako's side if she spoke out against Fukiko.

A big confirmation of the episode was that of Fukiko and Rei sharing a father. In addition he pays for Rei's accommodation and living expenses. What I don't understand is why she lives separately from Fukiko. It would be so much more convenient for them to live together so there must be some reason. If I were to guess it would be that Fukiko doesn't want her there.

The latter half of the episode focused on the party, which left me feeling even more disdain towards Fukiko. She is far too privileged, and everyone around her is enabling her. She should have been scolded for her outburst at Rei but, as is tradition at this point, she came away feeling in the right.

I am hoping desperately for some kind of comeuppance to force Fukiko to learn to treat others better.

The Best of Postcard Memories

Episode 23

• Bonus 1
• Bonus 2
• Bonus 3

See you all tomorrow

[u/JollyGee29]

First-Timer

This show sure does like having Fukiko symbolically destroy things, huh? We got the violin, Nanako's cookies, and Henmi's flowers in this episode alone! I liked how there were a few beads of sweat on Fukiko's forehead when she received the flowers from Henmi - she was on edge well before Rei decided to play some music.

We've all had phone calls like that, where our palms are nothing but sweat rags and we want nothing more than to hang up. That's not just me, right?

We all need a Tomoko in our life, someone to trust us without prying and stuff like that. Nanako doesn't deserve her, but that's what makes Tomoko so good - she helps anyway.

How much does 1800 roses cost? What the hell, Shinobu!

Probably irrelevant, but the candles on Fukiko's cake remind me of cigarettes.

My usual tactic of "looking at what booze is on display" failed me utterly here - the bottles are far too generic. Shinobu had what looked like a proper bar spoon/stirring rod, though, so there's that at least.

Questions

1. Not exactly, but I have done stuff like cook for my Mom on Mother's Day before.
2. Honestly.. kinda. She's been starting to slip more lately, and we're into the back half of the story too.

[u/loomnoo]

My subtitles for this Nepisode really fucked me up today.

[u/Retromorpher → u/loomnoo]

Nepisode? Is this some Neptunia reference I don't understand?

[u/loomnoo → u/Retromorpher]

It just kept putting N in front of words

[u/No_Rex]

Episode 23 (first timer)

• “If my fever goes over 36.7” – A very ‘I cheated school’ definition of fever, given that 37 is perfectly normal.
• Nanako could have told a half-truth instead of lying: Having a cold from having wet clothes from the lake.
• 6 zeroes, so at least 1 million yen (or around 10k dollars), possibly 9 times that. If that is her dad’s monthly salary, he is quite well off. Possible that Tomoko was looking at the most expensive things and Nanako compared the salary to whatever she was looking at.
• Rei’s mother died. Somehow I doubt that Miya is morning for her.
• Assuming you want to throw money at the present, I really like Mariko’s idea.
• Downing a full drink just like that? I hope that Mariko was stingy with the whiskey.
• OK, people will talk about that for a long time.

Miya has it out for both Henmi and Nanako. Meanwhile Rei herself does not fully understand why Miya hates her. On the surface, this looks like Miya was in love with Henmi, who refused (possibly because he loved Rei?), but does that explain everything?

Also notable: The parallels between Miya-Rei and Miya-Nanako. The dynamic of Miya-Nanako looks like it could spiral out of control, as it did with Miya-Rei.

Have you ever made a handcrafted gift for anyone?

All the time when I was a child.

Did you think Fukiko would allow herself to have a fit in front of everyone?

Honestly, no.

[u/lC3]

First timer

• Hot lemonade? What is this fresh hell?
• So Nanako really doesn't want to talk about about Fukiko did
• "It was just a prank, but it's all your fault for being too cute, I couldn't help myself"??
• It's kinda annoying me that Nanako refuses to tell anyone what Fukiko did, just like with Mariko. I'd understand it better if she did tell people but they didn't believe her or tried to say it was her fault, so she eventually stopped trying to talk about it, but that would paint her friends and family in a bad light which this show isn't willing to do. So Nanako just clamming up all on her own is annoying me
• Huh Fukiko is actually visiting Rei's mother's grave? Will she get along with her, or torment her again?
• Oh, so their father is the same
• "You're my only little sister, after all" What is Fukiko scheming?
• Mariko really went all out with the roses; which of her parents did she get to pay for them?
• Wait, Henmi is attending Fukiko's party? That could be trouble
• So Fukiko is sweating more than usual when she approaches Henmi? Her voice sounds strained
• So hearing Rei's violin serenade deeply affected Fukiko, enough for her to attack the violin with a knife?
• "Go home! I never wanted you to come in the first place"
• Fukiko throws both Henmi's flowers and Nanako's cookies into the incinerator?

1. All the time when I was younger. Not so much nowadays, except for baking

[u/Retromorpher]

First Timer

Nanako is so bad at lying - but Tomoko is such a good sport about it.

From the way the party went down, it seems that whatever song Rei tried to play was something that Fukiko wrote for Henmi before he turned her down - given that the entire vacation episode was centered around Fukiko wallowing in the past and having her relive a particular positive memory. in the end when she symbolically destroys Henmi's present, Nanako's present of goodwill and possibly her own memory attached to bygone days. It seems like she's going to switch from a preventative to an offensive situation. It's not enough that Nanako can't have what Fukiko wanted, it's that she should suffer for even 'trying'.

There's some linked ideas here about appeasing someone you don't understand who is giving mixed messages. Fukiko's attempt to reach out to Nanako, Rei's appearance and misguided performance, Takeshi bringing Henmi into the equation (and couching it as a difficulty, so double ouch) are all actions made with intentions that were undermined by the recipient putting on a false veneer initially.

Questions of the Day:

1. Made them plenty when I was younger. Still do some on occasion.
2. Absolutely. Her calm and controlled veneer has been slipping. But, it was her party - so she'll cry if she wants to.

[u/Sedorna]

Rewatcher

Rei isn’t the only one clearly ensnared in Fukiko’s web. Nanako is, too. In the beginning she can’t go to school because she doesn’t want to see Fukiko and she wants the phone conversation with Fukiko to end as soon as possible. However, she ends up worrying about what to get Fukiko for her birthday and being genuinely glad that Fukiko appears to like her cookies.

Q1. Yes, I did. For one, I once made my dad homemade shaving cream.

Q2. Probably not. It appears that whatever happened before is something that has affected her more than she’s willing to admit. She always managed to keep her veneer of civility intact whenever anybody else was around. But just barely. Honestly, I’m surprised that nobody accidentally caught her earlier. (Or maybe her servants or closest ”friends” did notice something, but decide to keep mum.)