This review contains mild thematically contextual spoilers but reveals no major plot points. https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/sm/upload/gk/cs/qx/pw/dear20brother12001200675675crop000000.jpg?k=26bf56825c There is a certain romanticism I have for comingofage stories that tickle an innate desire to unpack and analyze my own experiences through media entertainment. Perhaps its because the concept of maturity still feels elusive and grand even as I wax poetic into adulthood. Id like to think that Ive grown quite a bit as a person since my harrowing days of adolescence but I am always searching for the things I may have overlooked or misunderstood as I cross the various junctures of adulthood. Dear Brother offers something that I am always on the hunt to uncover: a perspective different from my own with transcendental ideas to discern. Its in the unabashed emotionally vivid lives of these young women that I found some genuine truths about selflove and life truths that I wouldnt have considered if I was the type to linger solely in the admittedly mundane malehetero perspective I am afforded. So with that said take everything I say about this series with a grain of salt and I vehemently encourage you to seek out the viewpoints experiences and opinions of women or LGBTQ with this series over my own. Although the events and people of Dear Brother are depicted as high melodrama these types of experiences are grounded in truth in a way that deserves consideration beyond what I am able to offer. https://64.media.tumblr.com/68dd93733da2f45b01420144c1fcde1d/85a2250828233983ba/s540x810/f503dc81c98a31bf1e9fc9dbf8be0a6f512d96d5.gifv https://64.media.tumblr.com/2c9b6068844e4934036e829878e838f3/8d182269e7b887cb65/s540x810/d39b751cc794da3e9e858942bc63ee55e055a1e6.gifv Theres almost a layer of irony in that the audience that will undoubtedly resonate the most with this series will likely be appalled by an anime titled Dear Brother. And frankly I cant blame anyone who would turn their nose up at a synopsis centered around a young girl pining platonically for her cram school teacher. I am familiar with mangaka Riyoko Ikedashttps://anilist.co/staff/97912/RiyokoIkeda more famous works such as Rose of Versailles but as for Dear Brother I first heard of the series last year when the Bluray popped up on Right Stuf as well as Retro Crushhttps://www.retrocrush.tv/series/016829s/dearbrother making it more accessible by acquiring it for streaming on their service. Several of my favorite podcastshttps://animeislitpod.libsyn.com/ and bloggers picked up the series for review and after hearing the positive reception I decided to give it a whirl. It makes sense that this anime sits in relative obscurity to a lot of the fandom these days due to its overbearing tone clunky title and licensing difficulties in the West. And yet despite an elusive presence in the medium from a Western perspective the series is undeniably an incredibly pivotal piece in shoujo manga and anime as a whole. https://static1.cbrimages.com/wordpress/wpcontent/uploads/2021/11/reiasaka.jpg?q=50fit=cropw=740h=370dpr=1.5 Dear Brother is emotionally vast and uncompromising in its ideas and the limitations of anime production in the early 90s serve as an opportunity for conveyance as often as they are an obstacle. It has a uniquely European flair to its 70s shoujo style in the costuming atmosphere and screenwriting that has been updated to suit the 90s anime aesthetic and its inspiration on many classics today means that if you can acclimate to its traditional cellshaded animation this has the ability to appeal to old and new anime fans alike. I was not expecting anything spectacular visually considering the release period and pacing of the production but ended up being blown away by how vibrant and distinct it is. https://c.tenor.com/8L3V7ehJ5UkAAAAC/oniisamaedearbrother.gif There are a lot of timesaving and efficiencytype techniques still used in TV anime today that this anime makes use of things that series director and legend of the craft Osamu Dezakihttps://anilist.co/staff/100393/OsamuDezaki had been polishing since the inception of TV animehttps://anilist.co/anime/2747/AstroBoy/ itself. Its not always entirely successful there are the classic jarring triple takes and side pans that can be disorienting or uncomfortable to watch but there are also plenty of moments where its motion or lack thereof embellishes the emotional impact of the moment quite nicely. This is a premier example of limited resources being used effectively and with a clear creative vision in mind to support the directorial choices. Its cheesy and emotionally loaded at times but you can immediately see how this series and its creators became such an inspiration to so many creatives. Imghttps://pbs.tw.com/media/Dd0xSdVUQAALyfx?format=jpgname=900x900 Whether it be the flower imagery of Yamadahttps://formeinfullbloom.wordpress.com/2019/03/16/theflowerlanguageoflizandthebluebird/ and Ikuhara the thematic gravitas and prophetic impetus of Satoshi Konhttps://screenshotmedia.com/visualcultures/entertainment/satoshikonmoviespredicted/ Annohttps://preview.redd.it/6ojx2d2dhgc21.jpg?auto=webps=c0ec60da5b8a7c35e656aac6a2c45dc68d7d9d0c or Ikuhara the character archetypes visual imagery and social commentary of Miurahttps://neotextreview.com/culture/rememberingkentaromiura/ or Ikuhara the style and visual iconography of Shinbouhttps://youtu.be/KvSCDh4Iejo or Ikuhara the timesaving TV techniques used by Asakahttps://youtu.be/hUrc79AIZn8 or Ikuhara or the uplifting minorkey swooning of Kajiuras musical scoringhttps://youtu.be/bzlHPlq8hIs as well as the theatrical musical palette that Ikuhara has become known for Dear Brothers influence can be felt across a wide berth of the anime industry today. Some of these are tangentially related and others are direct references but it is undeniable that mangaka Riyoko Ikeda and director Osamu Dezaki have greatly influenced anime as we know it today greatly and Dear Brother is the lesserknown pinnacle of their works. Did I mention that Ikuhara ripped offhttps://anilist.co/anime/440/ShoujoKakumeiUtena was heavily influenced by this series? https://nanairocosmos.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/1.png Dear Brother is an intellectual ClassShttps://www.google.com/amp/s/remyfoolblog.com/2017/06/15/thoughtsonyurianimetheissuesandinfluencesofclasss/amp/ melodrama permeating with the usual Takarazukahttps://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/20210915/ahistoryoftakarazukarevueinfluencesinanime/.176837 flair using conventions within its genre to explore a seemingly routine comingofage narrative. Its in this adherence to the routine of shoujo storytelling mechanics that it wrestles with many of the insecurities young women face like the burdens of gender and sexuality the competitive social hierarchy among women the responsibilities of status/wealth/lineage trauma/stress and their coping mechanisms therein such as drug use and selfharm and much more. It gives a distinct psychological hue to its swirling mysteries surrounding high school politics and young love and it allows its moments of grandeur to flow through the characters instead of using them like chess pieces on a board to concoct exciting story beats. Theres a sense of tension with the shows polite airs that confide in the audience and promise respect for the struggles of its characters. Its a lofty and emotionally wrought journey through early adolescence exploring the various forms and expressions of love and life through the perspectives of its intensely flawed yet always enthralling cast of young women. The pain and tragedy come in equal parts to the joy and splendor. https://i.ibb.co/HGwjYms/dearbro.jpg Nanako our 16yearold protagonist wanders emphatically through the lives of her fellow classmates many of whom are tormented by their affections wrestling with the proper ways to live and love by the standards of society set before them. She experiences lots of different types of love not just the fluffy chauvinistic love but all sorts by various genders and presumed sexualities. Along the way she uncovers the uncomfortable truth that there is no such thing. You can do everything right by the standards of society and still come up wrong. You can do everything wrong and still come up right. Following the rubric set out by patriarchal norms and acting solely based on a societal role will not necessarily lead you to the storybook ending promised by chauvinism. And yet as a mere teenager uncovering the messy throes of love life relationships and your place in the world is a seemingly impossible but necessary reality of adolescence. Although the conclusions you discern about loving others will vary and how society views you will be beyond your control to an extent above all else you must love yourself and cherish the life you have been afforded. Happiness awaits those who struggle through their own hangups and inadequacies and is rewarded not based on merit or structure but on your own truly genuine beliefs and understanding of yourself. https://nanairocosmos.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/dove02.png?w=768h=572 The story uses the letters Nanako writes as a narrative convention cutting away most of the innermonologue chaff weve come to expect from anime drama series and replacing it with poetic bookends. Through Nanakos interpretations of the maelstrom of events surrounding her we are made privy to what it would be like to feel as the characters do as young women on the cusp of adulthood do. Its not made clear how much of a genuinely unreliable narrator she is but her extrapolation of certain events and decisions made by herself and others adds a layer of uncertainty to the narrative. Dear Brother isnt limited by its exposition pacing or structure the way it might seem at first glance and it manages to broaden the scope of the forms of love typical to its genres beyond the usual fare. In many ways it is still somewhat dated by the standards of todays audience the woe of compulsory heterosexuality looms as it does in most ClassS literature and manga but for the era this was written it is far more progressive in its ideology and expression than one would expect. The series acknowledges the existence of the disproportionate societal forces women experience as they ready themselves to move into adulthood and shows us how different people cope with or rally against these expectations. It takes some interesting stances on selflove showing all sides of the equation. Loving yourself loving others and how balancing them equates to maturity. https://i.ibb.co/XYVddmw/cherie.jpg Although its not uncommon for shoujo or even shounen series to base their thematic exploration on more grand societal concepts such as toppling power structures developing a sense of justice loss of innocence or loving yourself before you can love others Dear Brother adds a layer of nuance to the points of view it depicts that is handled deftly. Many of the shows concepts are presented through simple metaphors such as the sorority as a microcosm of feminine high society and unattainable standards of beauty or the different family structures of each character as various forms of support systems and their varying levels of success. Its ideas are presented through simple metaphors so that younger readers/viewers can identify with them but the complexity it provides with added subtext and visual metaphors allows these simple concepts to permeate deeply enough to remain engaging and thoughtprovoking for more mature audiences. https://nanairocosmos.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/dove10.png?w=768h=572 Each character represents different modes of navigating through societys establishments and expectations but they leave a degree of nuance and juxtaposition underneath that begs analysis at every turn. Nanakos selfserving empathy Fukikos enduring manufactured dignity Reis selfhatred fueled by narcissism Kaorus bravery as a shield for her fear of mortality Marikos pride built upon her weaknesses and Misakis vitriol as a result of her insecurity. Their respective points of view and experiences show us many of the ways that pain and trauma can change a person and how it is through these types of hardships and worldviews that we can discover the things that remain the same our true selves. Nanako tries to experience all of their viewpoints trying each one on to see how it suits her. Its through this and the events of the narrative that she realizes that being able to internalize your own feelings and sense of self to be able to see yourself as others see you and then coming to the understanding that everyone around you is also struggling in this way that intersection of outer perspective and selfawareness is what true maturity is. https://nanairocosmos.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/fukiko0.png?w=620 I kept asking myself as I worked my way through the series: How can this feel so genuine and real despite its overthetop melodramatic conveyance? Why does this sit so much better emotionally than so many modern anime dramas? What sets this show apart from so many of the emotionally manipulative shoujo that came before or since? Despite how unseemly and over the top it is emotionally Dear Brother is engaging and resonant. When I picture melodrama what springs to mind are soap opera telenovelatype pacing and depth and the idea that you are watching the characters lives from an objective perspective. If you want to get to the heart of a compelling portrayal of melodrama then you need to do away with believability and accept the presentational mode for what it is. Being performative and being genuine are not necessarily antithetical. Good melodrama considers how the characters feel and bad melodrama considers how the audience feels. Most modern anime drama series tend to follow more stringent guidelines presenting things evenly across a large cast levying the character perspective shifts and keeping the flow of the scenes succinct and piecemeal. Dear Brother on the other hand thrusts you into how the character is feeling and what they are thinking first cleaning up the narrative and character motivations later. Its undeniably messy at times but this comes from a willingness to linger on things emotionally. Modern anime can be almost too pitchperfect too on the nose and too cleancut sometimes especially when it comes to melodrama or shoujo in general. The pacing of 1cour adaptations demands it. The manga/LN they are adapting often put a lot of focus on narrative in the first 3 volumes to hook readers which translates to breakneckpace anime adaptations. The problem with that for shoujo is that it needs time to linger the characters have to ruminate on their feelings after acting. It helps that the establishing shots are beautiful with amazing color usage and creative compositing that tie visual metaphors to the script and also that the music integrates perfectly with those emphatic symphonic crashes or eerie minor interludes. The voice acting is also incredibly well done down to the different types of language and layers of formality the characters use with each other. All of this adds a layer of something that feels genuine even if it is ultimately manufactured. And feeling is whats most important in a melodrama and what is often forgotten in the curated and prim adaptations we see today. https://1.bp.blogspot.com/mMtxjlDt4jo/VpeeKsBNzbI/AAAAAAAAE2Q/xGl7SZyOGWY/s1600/3.2BOniisama2Be2BTopTenHazy2Banime2Breview.jpg Another large part of what makes it feel so real is that the show truly gives the characters time to wrestle with their actions and reactions and uses the oververbalization/visualization techniques of melodrama soap opera and shoujo conventions to allow the characters their chance to justify and unpack their feelings. And as much as it gives the characters time to ruminate on their feelings/actions after the fact it also takes great care in the setup before the dramatic climax of the scene. The relationship between Nanako and Tomoko is a great way of juxtaposing normal life and relationships with the high society concocted by the sorority. Kaoru serving as a voice of reason in the student body shows the audience the manufactured nature of the sorority giving its overthetop atmosphere nuance. Reis selfdestructive descent feels entirely believable even as it wallows in elongated and moody establishing scenes. Fukikos interactions with sorority members are couched in faux importance conveying the complexity of their relationships with what amounts to simple trials by tea party. Scenes like this go a long way to making the characters feel like they are living in a realworld just in a heightened state. https://i.redd.it/966zd4t32iy81.jpg Throughout every episode they make sure to include moments of normalcy and establish a baseline for daytoday life. Whether it be Nanako putting on makeup Kaoru shooting hoops or Fukiko trimming her roses these small moments of daily life are usually couched in visual symbolism and layers of subtext. Whereas lesser shows often jump into comedy routines linger on inner monologues or dont even give you a break from the drama Dear Brother takes the time to show you that these are ordinary people before thrusting them into precarious situations pacing the story slowly and simply. This way we get to see the characters struggle and make unexpected decisions that propel the narrative forward. Its much less important in a good melodrama to understand why a character does the things they do at the moment than you would think. But modern viewers tend to be unreasonably focused on relatability in their characters rather than allowing the characters to be ambiguous. Ironically trying to manufacture relatability makes the characters in melodrama feel less real. Moments of underpresenting stand out against the wash of hightension scripting and characterization. Dear Brother balances this scale deftly and the intangible truths it reaches because of its commitment to the melodrama style is what allows it to function so well. https://2.bp.blogspot.com/XajN9h6tOng/VIKttMERaEI/AAAAAAAANKE/MyE999btZUw/w1200h630pknonu/dream.png While there is undeniably a barrier to entry for Dear Brother due to its presentation distinct from most anime today the literary aspects and the artistry in its visual storytelling more than make up for what it lacks in age animation or succinct pacing. This is a nearmasterpiece of an anime marred only by its somewhat dated compulsory conclusion arc and the niche nature of its mode of expression as a shoujo melodrama. I cant recommend this to just anyone but I can say with certainty that its audience is far broader than I gave it credit for at first and the resonant nature of its themes and personality have and will far outlast most other anime of its kind. https://64.media.tumblr.com/f35b6f283965e851a691ae0c4355c08e/445e649160934021d7/s540x810/512862640abed38f25ee024775009194ce8f55f7.gifv Thats all Thanks for reading. If you scrolled all the way to the bottom to look at my score first shame on you but feel free to jam that thumbs up/down anyway. If youre wondering why my score isnt higher its because Im cishet and I have bad taste. If youre wondering why my score isnt lower its because you also have bad taste. If you want to get a short and sweet taste for the show to see if it might be something youd enjoy check out this AMV. I think it does a great job of presenting what the show has to offer and itll save you the time of reading my ramblings. https://www..com/watch?v=GBebFGnFPqE