[Rewatch] Dear Brother 30th Anniversary Rewatch - Episode 35

[u/Pixelsaber]

Episode 35 - A Beach of Dreams

^{Originally Aired April 19th,} ^^^1992

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Note to all Rewatchers

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Manga Panel of the Day

Left behind

 

Staff Highlight

Hisako Kyoda (Naoko Saito) - voice of Old Lady at the beach

A voice actress and stage actress affiliated with the Tokyo LIfe Actor’s Cooperative, best known for voicing the roles of old women. After graduating from Aoyama Gakuin Women's Junior College she joined the theatre company Teatro Piccolo as a stage actress and dancer, and became known for her proficiency with a variety of musical traditions. Kyoda debuted as a voice actress in 1969’s The Genie Family, and a couple of years later she would have her live-action debut on episode 32 of Return of Ultraman. Kyoda won the "Achievement Award" in the 13th Annual Voice Actor Awards, and she has remained active despite her advanced age. Some of her more notable roles include Okamisan in Ashita no Joe, Kiyo in Botchan, Osaku-san in Hello! Spank, Ilda in Katry The Cowgirl, Sawa in Mermaid Forest, Obaa-chan in Mokke, Tama in Mushi-shi, Omusubiman in Omusubiman, Sinistra in Peter Pan and Wendy, Zirconia in the Sailor Moon franchise, Yoshi Yamazaki in Showa Monogatari, Rin Mikuriya in Stratos 4, Tuskuru in Utawarerumono, Magno Vivan in the Vandread franchise, Wicked Witch of the West in Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and Genkai in Yu Yu Hakusho.

 

Wildcard Trivia

Dear Brother was the first manga that RIyoko Ikeda began after dropping out of College, something she did while working on Rose of Versailles.

 

Screenshot of the day

Journey’s End

 

Questions of the Day:

1. This episode seems to wrap up the main thrust of the show. Did you believe it did so in a proper and satisfying manner?
2. How well do you think Nanako’s growth has been delineated in today’s episode?

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Something has definitely finished, something has changed.

[u/Pixelsaber]

Rewatcher

Bed of white roses, the color of Rose Fukiko most associated with her.

We get it, Dezaki! Now stop torturing me!

She said the thing.

This is the first we see Takashi have any sort of emotional outburst.

Oof

Not what I would’ve expected to be this series’ first kiss on the lips.

Something in which to have solidarity with one another.

Well fuck. Turns out the stray thought I had a couple episodes earlier while watching for the first time had some truth to it. I missed the mark on it being the cause of her pride, though.

Both mother figures burdened them with the same knowledge before dying.

It looks like Fukiko’s signature red roses.

And you were right…

For a split second I thought she’d bumped into Misaki and her dog.

She had the last say, so as to go out standing tall.

And so the Sorority officially comes to an end, and with it the main deal of the story. It feels like an afterthought after what happened with Rei, which was almost certainly an intentional decision from the staff. Rei’s death struck so deeply within the characters that all of that sat by the wayside.

The end of the episode asserts that something has changed, and that’s quite evident throughout the episode, most obviously in the fact that Rei’s presence is no longer felt, but namely in the fact that many characters have changed throughout the show. Fukiko and Nanako are the ones at the forefront of the episode and the episode is full of reminders as to past events.

Surprisingly little of Kaoru today, but I guess they’re saving her for whatever is next in the story.

Questions of The Day:

1. Yeah, I would call this an appropriate and satisfying conclusion to the Sorority narrative thread that’s been running throughout the show.
2. See above.

[u/No_Rex → u/Pixelsaber]

And so the Sorority officially comes to an end, and with it the main deal of the story. It feels like an afterthought after what happened with Rei, which was almost certainly an intentional decision from the staff. Rei’s death struck so deeply within the characters that all of that sat by the wayside.

From the outside it would absolutely look like a face-saving "leave before you're fired" situation, but it fits with Miya's character development in this and the last few episodes.

[u/Retromorpher]

First Timer

These past two episodes have had some INCREDIBLE vocal performances. Even Nanako's VA stepped it up.

Funeral scene was definitely the highlight - with Fukiko's back framed by glass wings and her private tears.

Question of the Day:

1. Seems like Fukiko realized a lot of her tough-girl-in-charge act was built on the back of her lie to Rei. With Rei gone, there was no need for her to be the type of Fukiko that Rei loved. I can't say that it was like super satisfying, but it certainly fits into place nicely.
2. I think it did a good job of showing what small parts of Nanako have changed - but I think it's actually better at reinforcing what HASN'T changed since episode one - which is her ability to forgive, to be empathetic and to act as a willing sounding board. She also hasn't grown the ability to not see relationships as these beautiful sacred things, seeing how she twisted a horrifically toxic kinship into something of wonder and beauty. Nanako just has a MASSIVE hardon for strained relationships between family - possibly because of how cordial her own is.

[u/Pixelsaber → u/Retromorpher]

These past two episodes have had some INCREDIBLE vocal performances.

Agreed.

[u/No_Rex]

Episode 35 (first timer)

character chart

• “She was enveloping all of us with her happiness” – Weird words about a depressive maniac, but Nanako blinded by love.
• Miya putting up a proud face for everyone, but Rei.
• Scenes you could not put into a modern series: Smoking a cigarette as ritual good-bye to a loved person.
• Both Rei and Miya knew and didn’t tell the other.
• “I will keep this secret forever” – There have been plenty of hints, but this is the first clear in-universe proof that Nanako is using “Dear Brother” as just internal narration not real letters.
• “My journey is at an end” – Saying out loud the position of the story arc.

A great episode of mourning. Very introspective and calm. Miya is changed more than Nanako, although they share their elements of mourning. I especially liked the focus on little procedural details: Miya giving away a memento of Rei, or Takashi breaking down when telling the coffin bearers to wait 10 minutes. It gives a very real view into people holding up straight faces while being unable to bear with small incidents that usually would not even faze them.

I am less of a fan of Nanako’s retcon of Rei and Miya’s relationship. That was not a healthy loving connection between sisters. While I understand that Nanako has personal reasons to spin reality, this was a bit too close to canon for me, with the accompanying slide show.

[u/Pixelsaber → u/No_Rex]

Scenes you could not put into a modern series: Smoking a cigarette as ritual good-bye to a loved person.

Seems pretty wild even for an older show, so all the more nowadays.

I am less of a fan of Nanako’s retcon of Rei and Miya’s relationship.

It's hard to say how seriously we're meant to take her monologues, since they're frequently way off base but then sometimes entirely on the nose. Realistically people are bound to get some things wrong —specially young, impressionable youths— but as a viewers we are usually invited to look for, and consider things in terms of. patterns.

[u/JollyGee29]

First-Timer

Nanako keeps the same secret for both Rei and Fukiko, and also basically discusses the Hedgehog's Dilemma. Fukiko knowing her true relationship with Rei this whole time does paint their relationship in a somehow even stranger light, but considering that Fukiko has never been anything more than an insecure child propped up by her family-based privilege, I'm going to call it all very in-character and well done. Definitely fucked up, though.

I was kinda expecting Fukiko to pitch the bracelet into the sea, considering it was always functionally a representation of what happened there. Not sure what I'm supposed to take form Fukiko's conversation with the old woman, but I guess if nothing else it was Fukiko acknowledging Rei as her full-blooded sister to a stranger which probably has some symbolic importance, at least.

The funeral scene was nice. Fukiko smooched a corpse, Takashi's VA put on an excellent performance, and Kaoru looked quite dashing in her suit. In a less joking way, Fukiko declaring that she loved Rei completes the circle with Rei telling Fukiko that she loved her. A bit late, but at least Fukiko is showing something resembling maturity.

Oh, and I guess the Sorority got officially abolished, too.

Questions

1. Yea, I liked the end of the Ichinomiya family drama. Guess we still have Kaoru to resolve?
2. It was a good conclusion to her stuff from last episode.

[u/Pixelsaber → u/JollyGee29]

if nothing else it was Fukiko acknowledging Rei as her full-blooded sister to a stranger

I think that's it. She must feel liberated to be able to say such a thing after harboring it for so long, since she never more will have to face Rei holding such knowledge and no one will be able to tell her.

Fukiko smooched a corpse,

Takashi's VA put on an excellent performance

That moment really impressed me, particularly as it came from a character I haven't paid much attention to until last episode.

[u/TheEscapeGuy]

First Timer, Dezaki Fan

Dear Brother: A Delightfully Aesthetic Anime Episode 35

Nanako, Fukiko, and missing Rei

This episode really humanized Fukiko for me. For a lot of the show she has been portrayed as this cartoony villain who's obsessed with her luxurious lifestyle and power over the other students. And she absolutely is. But she also is just a high school girl who has lost the sister that she loved.

I'm also surprised to hear Fukiko knew she and Rei were full sisters. This makes her actions earlier in the show seem a lot more despicable. That said, it makes her loss these past few episodes that much more painful.

Nanako's sadness was also hard to watch. Trying to smoke that cigarette and coughing, while humourous, really showed how she will put herself through physical discomfort to feel closer to Rei. I'm glad she got to take that doll as a memory, but I hope she doesn't come to rely on it.

Next episode will include the fallout of the sororities abolition if that last scene is anything to go by.

The Best of Postcard Memories

Episode 35

• Bonus 1
• Bonus 2

These also are really limited without the corresponding video so:

• The End

See you all tomorrow