One of the most interesting, and telling, things about episode 16 "The cowbell of happiness" is that while everyone KNOWS it's a cowbell and that cowbells are for cows and that Nanami looks like an idiot while wearing it, no one ever actually explains it to her. They think to themselves "isn't that for..." but they say nothing to her or just repeat the english word cowbell when she clearly does not excel in English. Even Utena and Miki decide that she will just have to learn for herself. Which is all very funny on a first watch, but I think it actually parallels the way no one really confronts Nanami directly about her brother complex, and the sort of bystander attitudes people have about grooming that's happening right in front of them. Sure, Miki mentions that Nanami has a brother complex to Utena, but he never says or does anything about it. In fact, everyone knows. Everyone knows about it and everyone knows how weird it is, but they just keep to themselves about it all.
