Nanami Kiryuu (桐生七実) is Touga Kiryuu's dramatic little sister who is often used as comic relief throughout the series. Her love for her older brother borders on obsession, and she is often seen using devious measures to punish people who would take her brother's attention away from her. Though her motivations are considered the simplest and least ambitious out of all the Duelists, they are no less real to her, and she suffers just as much as all the other Student Council members throughout the series.
History
Anime
Nanami often makes various malicious attacks on students she deems inferior or worse, especially if they threaten her closeness to Touga Kiryuu.
She has bordered on cruelty by drowning a kitten for stealing Touga Kiryuu's attention from her when she was a child as well as fighting with the intention to kill during duels. However, it is notable that she is one of the youngest in the cast and she does not register the severity of violence and death.
Touga Kiryuu uses her attachment to him against her, often manipulating her to play out her role in The Dueling Game. He believes her feelings for him are genuinely incestuous and teases her, much to her shock and misunderstanding.
Nanami is first introduced in Episode 3, after "saving" Anthy Himemiya from being bullied, inviting her to a party to crown her the "dance queen" and stating how she has wanted to be Anthy's friend for a long time. Nanami also gives Anthy a special dress to wear as a gift. Later, during the party, it is revealed that Nanami had invited Anthy because she deemed Anthy to be stealing her brothers attention. Champagne is accidentally sprayed on Anthy and her dress, causing the dress to disappear. Nanami smiles from the sidelines about the prank that she had pulled to humiliate Anthy. Utena Tenjou then rushes in to save Anthy, while Touga scolds her about the prank.
A few episodes in the series are specifically dedicated to Nanami and are usually standalone-type situations, breaking the convention of a standard Utena episode. Each has a metaphorical theme exploring Nanami's character in a sympathetic light. But also they are meant to be humorous and are especially notorious for their bizarre content. In those episodes, it is shown that Nanami has an oblivious and insecure side, for example when she assumed that girls laying eggs is normal and often thought of ludicrous scenarios where she ended up being considered eerie and unusual.
In the third arc of the anime, her sibling relationship with Touga is compared to Anthy Himemiya and Akio Ohtori after Nanami herself witnesses their sexual relationship. She becomes traumatized and attempts to prove to herself and her acquaintances that she is nothing like Anthy. Touga makes a sexual/romantic advanced towards her, which she declines with disgust.
After this experience, she becomes extremely critical of the duels and often gives advice to Utena Tenjou. She resigns from the student council and begins wearing the normal girl's school uniform again. Despite becoming aware of the faults lying within Ohtori, she remains critical of Anthy.
Manga
Nanami appears once in the manga in a picture with Touga Kiryuu.
Movie
In the movie, Adolescence of Utena, she appears once in a gag sequence referencing the episode where she transforms into a cow but is absent from the rest of the movie.
Gallery
| Characters |
|---|
| Main Characters: | Utena Tenjou • Anthy Himemiya |
|---|---|
| Ohtori Academy: | Akio Ohtori • Prince Dios • Mr. Ohtori |
| Ohtori Academy Student Council: | Touga Kiryuu • Kyouichi Saionji • Juri Arisugawa • Miki Kaoru • Nanami Kiryuu • Ruka Tsuchiya |
| Ohtori Academy Students: | Yuko Ohse • Aiko Wakiya • Suzuki • Yamada • Tanaka • Sanjouin Chigusa • Tatsuya Kazami • Mari Hozumi |
| Black Rose Duelists: | Kanae Ohtori • Keiko Sonoda • Kozue Kaoru • Mitsuru Tsuwabuki • Wakaba Shinohara • Shiori Takatsuki • Souji Mikage |
| Others: | Chu-Chu • Mamiya Chida • Tokiko Chida • Kaido • Aunt Yurika • Mrs. Ohtori • Wakaouji Aoi |