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February 5 is twins day, this comes from the Japanese play on words “Fu (2) Tago (5)” (twins).
There are many twin characters in anime works. Many of the characters look exactly alike, and when they stand together, they look twice as cute. But in fact, their personalities may be opposites, or they may appear to be good friends but hide a deeper relationship. ……!

In this article, I’ll focus on the relationship between the twins.

■”Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World” Ram and Rem

When Natsuki Subaru dies, time rewinds to a few days before his death through an ability called “Return by Death” (Shinimodori). The main character, Natsuki Subaru, uses this ability to overcome difficulties. The maids working at the Rosewall mansion, where the severely injured Subaru takes refuge, are the twin sisters, Ram and Rem.

They are almost the same height and have short haircuts that cover one eye. However, the difference between the red-haired Ram and the blue-haired Rem is obvious at a glance (and by the way, one of the sister’s breasts are also larger!) The twins look cute in their gothic maid outfits, but they are actually demons. Rem, in particular, is not as cute as her adorable appearance, but she has a high level of fighting ability that allows her to kick away demonic beasts with her spiked iron ball (Morning Star).

The twins, Ram and Rem, are expected to share the household chores of the Rosewall mansion, but …… most of the work is done by Rem. Ram doesn’t work much.
On the other hand, Ram has a caring side that uses picture books to teach Subaru letters, but the reason for teaching him is because “if Subaru learns to read and write, Ram’s work will be reduced”!

Although Ram has a tendency to slack off a bit, Rem has absolute trust and the highest regard for her sister Ram. She is not only good at cooking, but also at cleaning and laundry, even though she asserts that she is better at it than her sister. The reason for this is connected to her distant childhood past.

Her older sister, Ram, was a genius girl who excelled in the demon tribe from a very young age. On the other hand, Rem, who was a dropout, was in the opposite position as the present, being compared with her superior sister and feeling narrow-minded.
In the meantime, the village of demons is destroyed by a witch cult attack. Ram struggles to fight alone, but her horn, the source of the demon’s strength, is broken off. At that moment, she speaks out her dark true feelings that lie deep inside of her. …… “It is finally broken.”

Rem feels happy, even if only for a moment, that her good friend and favorite sister has lost her demon powers. As she continues to blame herself, Rem decides to dedicate the rest of her life to redeeming herself to Ram.

“I should be able to do everything that my sister could do for me from now on. My sister would have done this. She’s better than that. She can do better. If I can’t even do that well, I’m worthless.”

The reason for Rem’s extreme self-sacrifice and low self-esteem is sad. But the encounter with Subaru will change Rem.

What Ram doesn’t have, Rem does.

This is the first time I’ve ever seen such a thing. Subaru’s kindness invites her to stop comparing herself to her sister and look to the future.
This may be the moment when Rem goes from feeling guilty about Ram to being an equal sister.

■”Jujutsu Kaisen” Zenin Maki and Mai

“Jujutsu Kaisen” depicts the activities of sorcerers who exorcise the negative emotions (curses) created by humans. Many people are fascinated by the designs of the evil spirits and the stylish battles.

Zenin Maki, one year senior to the main character Itadori Yuuji, is a rare sorcerer who has no spell power at all, despite being in a position to exorcise curses. That’s why she wears glasses that allow her to see the curses, and combined with her ponytail, she is a very beautiful woman with a dignified and exuberant look! She is a dependable older sister type (in fact, Itadori’s peer, Gisaki Noboru, calls her “Miss”).

Maki’s sister, Zenin Mai , who is enrolled in the Kyoto school, is the one that Maki and her friends from the Tokyo school of spellcraft technology met at a social event. She has short hair compared to her sister, and uses a series of provocative swear words against Nobara who she’s never met before. …… Although she’s a twin, her appearance and personality are the complete opposite of Maki’s!

Mai also calls her sister Maki “You” and not her name. However the relationship is cooling down.

Even in the exchange game, she aims her gun at Maki with hostility. Her sister, on the other hand, intercepted her with a Japanese sword. Yes, even the weapons they use are “swords vs. pistols”, and their fighting styles are very contrasting.
Maki cuts in half the bullets that Mai shoots with a single swing of her sword. It’s a cool thing to see her do, just like Matsuzaki Ginji in “Black Lagoon”. You don’t have to be Nobara to fall in love with her.

The reason for this superhuman physical ability is because Maki has the “Tenyo Juju”, which is a spell that allows her to have inhuman physical abilities in exchange for spell power. This is one of the reasons why Mai, who has no talent, is jealous of her sister.

But that’s a small matter. There’s a much bigger reason why she hates Maki so much.
The twin sisters were born into the prestigious Zenin family, but were not blessed with any talent in spell casting. Despite the fact that they were both dropouts, Maki and Mai were always holding hands together in their childhood. Maki, however, is a highly ambitious woman who is determined to push forward into the future. However, Maki is an ambitious woman who “pushes forward with her future,” and she doesn’t like being oppressed, so she leaves the Zenin itation House as if she were half-insulated.
Mayori, who was left behind, could not forgive her sister. She carries the frustration of being betrayed and hatred towards her sister.

After the battle, when Maki asks her why she left, she says, “You’re a liar ……. She hides behind the words “I hate you. Deep down, she still loves her sister.
The gap between them may be too deep for them to reconcile right now. I hope to see more scenes of the two of them fighting together, shoulder to shoulder or back to back, against the evil spirits.

■”Higurashi When They Cry” Sonozaki Mion and Shion

Mion and Shion are identical twins, with Mion being the older sister and Shion the younger.
Mion is the older sister who takes good care of the children and is the leader of the Hinamizawa Branch School where the main character goes to school, but she is also a bit crass.
Shion, on the other hand, is a polite girl with the air of a lady. She works part-time at a family restaurant, wearing a cute uniform.
When the two girls are together, Shion, who looks mature but is actually passionate, often plays a trick on Mion, who looks delirious but is actually sensitive, but they are basically good friends.

However, their relationship is a bit complicated due to their family background.
Their family, the Sonozaki family, is one of the three most powerful families in the village, and Shion is the heiress of the family.
However, Shion, despite being a twin, is not only not qualified to do so, but is also kept away from the Sonozaki family for one reason or another, and the two live in separate places.

In the story, we see how Mion is torn between her position as the heiress of the Sonozaki family and her desire to protect her friends at school, and how Shion becomes emotionally involved, thinking that if she were in Mion’s position, she could have handled things better.

Even so, it is beautiful and moving to see these two people, who understand each other’s position well, encourage each other in the end to face the tragedy.

■”To LOVE Ru: Darkness” Nana and Momo

The twin sisters in this work, Nana Asta Deviluke and Momo Velia Deviluke, are the second and third princesses of the planet Deviluke, which rules the galaxy.
Nana is a cheerful and energetic girl, but she can be a bit stubborn and childish.
Momo, on the other hand, looks innocent and dainty, but in fact she has two sides to her, and is a bit of a black-hearted devil.

In this work, Momo is trying to get the girls around her to get together with Rito for the “Harem Plan” to create a harem centered on the main character, Rito Yuki, but Nana is opposed to this.
Nana has a conservative and old-fashioned view of love …… and has very little sexual knowledge, so she is not very good at sex.
Momo, on the other hand, wants to be a part of the harem so that she can bond with Rito without having to worry about her sister, the first princess. For this reason, she is always bold in her approach to Rito, and even tries to get her twin Nana into Rito’s harem.

Nana is conservative and pure-hearted, while Momo is liberal and free-spirited, and even though they are twins, their values regarding love are completely opposite.
Even so, Nana and Momo are staying with Rito today, and despite their different values, they live together like kittens playing together.

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The relationship between twins varies. There are incompatibilities and difficult family situations. Even though they quarrel and rebel against each other, deep inside they are thinking about each other. …… I would like to warmly watch over them. Why don’t you pay attention to the “twin” characters and enjoy the anime?

(C) Akutami Shita / Shueisha, Jujutsu Kaisen Production Committee
(C) 2020 Ryuukishi07 / Higurashi When They Cry Production Committee
(C) Tappei Nagatsuki, published by KADOKAWA / Re:Zero to Start Otherworldly Life 2 Production Committee
(C) Kentarou Yabuki, Saki Hasemi/Shueisha, Toraburu Darkness Production Committee