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For the most part, Nanami is the loveably rotten rich girl -- but Nanami, like all the duellists, has a weakness. Her great love for Touga is the center of her life, and like a two sided coin, it brings both her strength and her downfall. Nanami becomes one of the chosen duellists in episode 10 ("Nanami's Precious One"), during Touga's birthday party. Already resentful of Utena's constant appearances around her brother, Nanami was driven to her breaking point when Anthy and Utena presented Touga with his present -- a kitten. Remembering her own memories about the kitten she herself had drowned, Nanami swore that she would challenge Utena to a duel -- regardless of the strict rules placed at the school. Then, that night, Touga gave her the rose signet ring that would allow her to fight for the one thing she truly loved.
Nanami's duel was the fifth of Utena's trials, called "Adoration". She fought because she felt threatened, of Utena coming between her and Touga. Nanami was beyond logic, beyond reasoning -- all she saw was the pink haired girl who she perceived as a nuisance, to both herself and to her older brother. Enraged with the fact that Touga got himself hurt for Utena's sake, Nanami entered the duel arena not with the intent of besting Utena -- but to eliminate her. She was lost in a sea of rage, fear, and confusion. All she saw was Touga. All she saw was Utena taking Touga away from her. As Anthy says in episode 21, ("Troublesome Insects") "For someone you love, your feelings for any other people become insignificant." Nanami didn't care about the consequences. All she wanted was Touga.
Nanami fought with two curved scimitars, one of which was concealed in her duellist uniform. In all honesty, Nanami never posed much of a threat to Utena in the duel arena -- Utena won easily, piercing the rose at Nanami's breast pocket. What Utena didn't realize was that this was no ordinary duel -- Nanami wanted revenge, not the Rose Bride. Nanami charged at Utena with the dagger she was hiding, and would have seriously injured Utena without a flicker of regret -- if not for Touga's intervention. At the sound of Touga's cry, she angled her dagger so that it hit the wall, and the impact sent the tip of the dagger flying, shearing the braid that circles Nanami's hair. In the end, she had lost the duel, but Touga wrapped his arms around his sister, and told her he would protect her, just as she had been so desperately fighting for him.
Even though Touga cares about Nanami, there was a sense that the duel had been set up -- by none other than Touga himself. Knowing his sister's nature, he took advantage of her rage, allowing himself to witness Utena's power -- the power of Dios that descended from above and possessed Utena. As much as Nanami had truly fought for Touga, she was nothing more than a pawn in the game, and through Nanami's anger, Touga had seen the key to Utena's strength, and the key to her defeat.
In the last arc of the series, Touga manipulates Nanami yet again. Nanami is dealt a heartbreaking blow as she realizes that she is adopted, and may not in fact be related to Touga by blood. Because of this, Nanami's world crumbles. Without the reassurance of the exclusive link between herself and Touga, she realizes that she is just one of the girls vying for Touga's attention. She had become what she hated; a bothersome insect, swarming around her brother. Unable to accept this, she runs away from the Kiryuu mansion, to live at the observatory with Utena, Anthy, and Akio. In reality, Nanami and Touga are adopted, but were really related by blood. But knowing this, Touga kept the truth from his sister, watching her agony with an amused smile. Touga is fully aware of the effect he has on his sister; he uses her rage towards Anthy and Akio's sibling bond to convince her to duel Utena once again. Nanami, torn between the love for her brother and her own conscience, duels Utena, only to lose again.
So, why does Nanami still love Touga, despite the lies and manipulation? Again, it's because he is her world. He was the only one in her life who looked after her, took care of her, and despite what happened, loved her. It is due to Akio's games and the revolution that Touga does what he does -- and no matter what, Nanami will always love him, and look up to him...
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Blonde Bombshell is © 2000-2007 Rose Panzo. Shoujo Kakumei Utena and all its characters belongs to Chiho Saito, Be-PaPas, TV Tokyo, and etc. Please do not take or reproduce the contents here without permission.