Kanae. <- Previous • Next -> Kozue.
The leader of Nanami’s three minions, Keiko, Aiko, and Yuuko. Unlike the nerd boys who try to be indistinguishable and come close, the minions are all different from each other. The three seem to form a gang, but actually the group is willful and dysfunctional. When Nanami ostracizes Keiko in episode 21, Aiko and Yuuko do too. They are not always good at their job; revealing Nanami’s evil in episode 6 was not good minion work. I don’t know whether their bad group dynamics are an effect of the system of control, or a happenstance that the system takes advantage of. It seems natural that mean girls might be fractious.
Keiko, Aiko, and Yuuko became Nanami’s minions to get closer to Touga. We see them make the decision in episode 21, in a flashback to the start of the school year. But Nanami is a selfish boss, and keeps her gang away from Touga. In episode 21, under the influence of the black rose, Keiko rebels. But then she forgets. In episode 32 she rebels again, and this time Aiko and Yuuko join in.
Episode 21. It is safe to state that Anthy arranged for Keiko to meet Touga in the rain and Nanami to see them. The duels are in a logical order for the job of training Utena, and Touga is the remaining Student Council member. Keiko is already disaffected, and the double meeting is all it takes to drive her into Mikage’s hands. Under the influence of the black rose, Keiko wants to kill Nanami rather than Anthy, but Nanami is in no danger. The black rose sends her into the duel, and the black rose makes her forget afterward.
At the start and end of the episode, the minions tell Nanami that they’re just happy to be around her. They’re lying. Compare Mitsuru in episode 18, who says the same thing and means it. Nanami occasionally shows kindness to Mitsuru, in between exploiting him, but never to her minions.
Episode 32. The shadow play is about manipulating people. Anthy coordinates it with Touga: Nanami sees Touga and Keiko together in the greenhouse, she hears Touga say his kindness to her was an act, and she sees that Keiko despises her. Thanks to Anthy, Keiko’s rebellion comes at the right time to contribute to isolating Nanami from Touga. Nanami slaps Keiko and threatens her, but Keiko reacts with defiance. She is already close to Touga, and doesn’t need Nanami any more.
Later in the episode, Keiko confronts Nanami with Aiko and Yuuko behind her; all three are in rebellion. Nanami beats them up to bring them into line.
I expect that Touga is happy to add all of them to his roster of “girlfriends”.
Keiko’s late-coming rebellion against Nanami foreshadows Utena’s late-coming rebellion against Akio. Nanami and Akio are cruel and inspire resistance. Like Nanami, Akio resorts to violence when immoral suasion fails—see final showdown - the duel and Anthy’s backstab, in particular Anthy’s backstab - Nanami and Keiko. In Utena, violence is less effective than deception at controlling others. The minions will remain rebellious. In the epilog, the minions are still together, but it is hinted that they are free of Nanami.
Jay Scott <jay@satirist.org>
first posted 6 July 2024
updated 27 December 2024