Retro Review: Oniisama E (Dear Brother) episode 6

This episode opens with Nanako being intentionally tripped at lunch at school while surrounded by gossiping assholes. Fukiko and her posse appear and she helps Nanako up, telling her to pull through quietly enough that nobody else can hear it.

One would think she would make more of a stand against the bullies because she knows what they're doing, but you'll remember that she has a Darwinian perspective. In her view, doing more would be unnecessary handholding and "strife makes people stronger." Obviously she isn't right, though, and the series itself doesn't seem to agree with her.

Nanako's dad catches on that something's wrong at school and asks Nanako about it, but she tries to cope on her own. Which I understand as someone who has tended to try to tackle things alone and consciously try to avoid that.

Then the scene in which Nanako finds her gym clothes were stolen and everyone sucks at lying: Aya at pretending she didn't do anything

and Mariko at pretending she gives a shit about Nanako and Tomoko's friendship when Nanako decides to ask Tomoko to lend her gym clothes.

And Tomoko about her friendship with Nanako being dead.

Nanako gets some gym clothes from Kaoru and we continue to see that Kaoru's more sick than she lets on in front of other people. This episode's title, "Lost and Alone", applies to her as much as Nanako.

And, uh, Nanako sure likes the smell of Kaoru's gym clothes.

Kaoru is so amazing, her scent sparkles.

After school, a trio of seniors/former Sorority candidates who think Nanako cheated into the Sorority show how much more honorable they are by ganging up on one freshman and slapping her around.

Then Nanako decides to leave the Sorority and learns it's like the Mafia.

Finding her gym clothes left cut up in her locker kind of seals the deal.

Nanako finds Fukiko doing the sport of choice for rich chicks whose schoolmates worship them in yuri.

Nanako tells her she wants to quit, and Fukiko gives a good argument against it for entirely selfish reasons.

And some reassurance.

Ahaha

And there's a too-long flashback to what happened just earlier this episode between Nanako and Tomoko and Nanako and the seniors. It's the one lazy part of an otherwise strong episode.

Then Nanako runs into Takehiko and he helps her cheer up as someone completely outside the fish bowl of high school.

Nanako still cries alone in her room because of the situation with Tomoko, though.

And the next episode is Rei-heavy, yay!