Nanami Kiryuu is the younger sister of Touga Kiryuu and a central supporting character in Revolutionary Girl Utena. At 13, she is a first-year student in the junior high division. Fiercely competitive, Nanami is the quintessential queen bee: proud, haughty, and with a strong personality that often gets her into comedic trouble, especially due to her extreme affection (bordering on obsession) for her brother. She’s often seen targeting Utena Tenjou and Anthy Himemiya because of their closeness to Touga, but her plans routinely backfire in bizarre, animal-related ways. Nanami is also a skilled duelist, demonstrating unexpected swordsmanship. While her methods can be questionable and even cruel, she reveals a softer, more caring side beneath her proud exterior. Her episodes tend to be surreal and comedic, offering a unique twist to the series.
Nanami has light brown, wavy, semi-long hair, with her bangs braided. Her eyes are a striking shade of violet, darker toward the center. Although only a first-year student, she is taller than Anthy Himemiya. Originally, Nanami wears the standard Ohtori Academy female uniform. However, after Touga loses to Utena and confines himself to his room, Nanami starts managing the Student Council in his place and switches her daily outfit to a yellow jacket and shorts, echoing her dueling attire. According to the series materials, the black part on her legs is actually tights.
Confident and prideful, Nanami is infamous for her queen-like demeanor and high self-esteem. She is highly competitive, can be high-handed, and isn’t above scheming to always maintain her place at the top. Deeply caring for her brother Touga, she suffers from a severe form of brother complex and cannot tolerate anyone she perceives as a rival for his attention—especially Utena and Anthy. Despite her abrasive behavior and jealousy-driven schemes, Nanami occasionally exhibits genuine kindness, showing there is more to her than meets the eye.
Nanami and Touga were adopted together as children and share no blood relation with their current parents. Unaware of this, Nanami once incorrectly suspected that she and Touga weren’t truly siblings after noticing their blood types didn’t match the rest of the family. This misunderstanding only reinforced her already intense feelings towards her brother.
Nanami is a duelist who uses a curved sword in combination with a concealed dagger, employing a dual-wielding combat style. Her swordsmanship, trained by Touga, is not to be underestimated. In duels, the rose she wears is pale yellow.
Nanami’s world revolves around her brother Touga Kiryuu, whom she idolizes and seeks to protect at any cost. She openly targets Utena Tenjou and Anthy Himemiya, considering them threats. Nanami is frequently accompanied by her three loyal followers: Keiko Sonoda, Yuko Ohse, and Aiko Wakiya.
- Nanami’s duel titles are “Adoration” for the first and “Friendship” for the second.
- She has become a comedic staple in the show, with her episodes often diverging wildly into absurd or meta-humor.
- In the manga rendition, she only appears in a photo owned by Touga.
- In the movie adaptation, she reappears only as a cow named “Nanami,” and her human version does not exist.
“Ah! A snail! There’s a snail here!!!”
Conflict with Utena and Anthy
Nanami’s jealousy over Utena Tenjou and Anthy Himemiya’s relationship with Touga consumes much of her early story arc. She makes repeated attempts to antagonize or sabotage both girls, but fortune seldom favors her—her schemes usually end in farcical disasters, often involving animals.
Duelist Engagements
Having been manipulated by Touga, Nanami challenges Utena to a duel twice. Her first duel is under the title “Adoration,” reflecting her deep admiration for her brother. In her second duel (“Friendship”), taking place during the Akio Ootori arc, Nanami has come to terms with the (incorrect) belief that she and Touga are not biological siblings. She begins to see herself as one of the “pests” she used to try to get rid of, much like her subordinate Keiko. To surpass both the “pests” and Touga himself, she has her “Sword of Heart” drawn by Touga and faces Utena once more.
Adoption Revelation and Personal Growth
Nanami’s misguided suspicion regarding her familial ties with Touga, brought about by her discovery of their mismatched blood types, fuels her emotional journey. It challenges her understanding of family and prompts further introspection into her motivations and actions.
Character Data
- Birthday: August 8
- Zodiac Sign: Leo
- Blood Type: B
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