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Anime Fashion Inspiration: Dear Brother

North American streaming website Anime Sols successfully funded the first Dear Brother (Oniisama E...) DVD box set yesterday thanks to many supportive fans. If you've been watching the the 1990s adaptation of Riyoko Ikeda's classic shojo manga, you'll have noticed two things: everyone's off their rockers and has beautiful clothes. We've decided to take the anime series' vintage fashions and update them for some wardrobe inspiration. You can click on any of the image sets to see piece-by-piece breakdowns and prices.


Nanako is the story's well-to-do protagonist who regularly blends feminine, almost doll-like dresses with more mature pieces like blazers and high-waisted pants. She writes letters to her "brother," Takehiko about the day-to-day trials at her elite high school.



For this set, we decided to take a white blazer and blend it with feminine elements, like a floral print blouse. A set of pants would of taken the outfit too mature for Nanako, so a suspender skirt adds youth to the outfit. The houndstooth satchel is a classy choice for all her school books. Last, but not least, where would Nanako be without a way to write to her brother? In this case, the we've chosen a nod to the character via a typewriter necklace.



Mariko is one of Nanako's closet friends, or at least she'd like to be. Her dark hair and purple wardrobe has an elegant-goth appeal that should appeal to gothic-lolita fashion fans. As a character, she's totally bonkers and one of the main causes of drama early in the show.



Playing off of Mariko's demure gothness, the set pairs a black lolita dress with Mariko's favorite color: purple. The character's childlike side is shown in the accessories, including a teddybear phone case and fascinator hat. The "Hug Me" necklace is where her creepy side and cute sides meet together. The red nails are a throwback to the series where Mariko always has one thumbnail secretly painted red; make-up and manicures are against school rules.



Nanako's caring, athletic upperclassman, Kaoru is revered among the student body as "The Prince." She's has a sympathetic ear for her fellow classmates and a close relationship with the troubled Rei Asaka.


Kaoru lives up to her title with an androgynous look that leans masculine without being too hard. She's usually depicted in green pants and yellow top. This set stays true to her character with high-waisted olive green pants and cable-knit sweater with leather elements. The look gets snazzed up with a military-meets-biker women's jacket and ankle high boots. The earrings connect to the character's nickname by including gold crown charms.


Always dressed to perform a piano concert, Rei is the troubled Bad Girl of the series. She's usually skipping class in the school's clock tower where she practices her knife-throwing skills and smokes incessantly.


Rei's color palette is mostly monotone with the exception of roses she occasionally receives from fans. Her fancy 'uniform' of sorts recreated with a pair of modern tuxedo pants, a floral blazer, and white blouse. The outfit gets a bit more feminine with a pair of rose heels. Her piano is represented by a pair of piano-key earrings, but we forewent including an actual dagger and opted for a ring instead.


The school's resident queen bee and head of the school's sorority, Fukiko strikes fear in many a student. Her all around chilly demeanor doesn't exactly make her the life of the party, but the girl exudes elegance.


Fukiko sticks to conservative dresses but still avoids being too frumpy. The blue dress in the set would be short for Fukiko's character but paired with thick knee-patch tights it still covers enough skin to get a nod. Its long sleeves and diminutive print would be right up her alley and coupled with a silver belt, the dress is still informal enough for every day wear, too. Combine a silver headband, sensible saddle shoe-style heels and "The Portrait of a Lady" clutch, and you're ready for high society.

So are you a Nanako, Mariko, Kaoru, Rei, or Fukiko? Are there other anime series you'd like to see for fashion inspiration? Let us know in the comments.