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Ah, and what is a Nanami shrine without a part about Touga? It's fair to say that Touga is Nanami's world -- ever since she was little, Nanami has romanticized her older brother as the ideal man, which, really isn't that hard to do. He's drop dead gorgeous, the student council president, a consummate ladies' man, and he really does care about his sister. Touga has always been the one looking out for Nanami -- in her eyes, Touga was her shining knight, and no one would ever separate them. She carries this almost childlike attachment to her brother with a fierce passion and, as Keiko says, monopolizes Touga's love and attention jealously. Did I mention he was gorgeous?
Nanami's insecurity becomes the index reason why she challenges Utena. A flashback form her childhood plays during episode 10 ("Nanami's Precious One") where she drowns a kitten, because it had taken Touga's attention away from her. This flashback basically sums up what Nanami would do, to keep Touga with her. Although she had lovingly found the kitten for Touga, she also took it away, as soon as it threatened her bond with her older brother. Unsettling? Definitely. Whether it was Utena, Anthy, or even Keiko, Nanami crushed anyone who attempted to get close to Touga. Why? Because she loved Touga. I personally think that Touga does care about his sister, of course, on a much smaller scale.
Unfortunately, it's true that Touga used Nanami's feelings to his advantage; he goaded her into becoming a duellist, knowing fully that she would lose to Utena. Touga used Nanami as a means of finding out Utena's weakness, but I do think Touga does care about Nanami. It's not the fierce love that Nanami has, but Touga's affection is a sort of big-brotherly "I'll look out for you" sort of attitude. He tells Nanami after she loses her duel that he will protect her and when she leaves the Kiryuu mansion to live at the Observatory with Utena and Anthy, Touga goes to try to bring Nanami back home. Yes, yes, he knew all along that he and Nanami were related -- so what? He simply let Nanami think that way because "it was more romantic that way", to think that they weren't related by blood. Touga is also aware of the fact that Nanami is a little schemer, but he is just amused by his sister's antics, telling her to "restrain herself".
Touga uses Nanami's affection as a pawn in his game to attain the Rose Bride. In the Akio Saga, Touga lets Nanami believe that they aren't related -- knowing fully what that would do to Nanami. Worse yet, he dates Keiko during this painful time in Nanami's life. Nanami, broken and confused, sees Keiko with Touga and loses all stability in her world. Touga was her shining thing, the part of her that made her special, and not just another girl who swarmed around Touga. Desperately seeking that light that made her special, she beats up Keiko and the girls, and challenges Utena; to prove to that her love wasn't like Anthy and Akio's corrupt relationship, and that she was not one of those "bothersome insects". All Nanami wanted back was the anchor of her life, which was Touga - and she would do all in her power to get him back....
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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.