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First time I saw FLCL as a kid, toonami had run a marathon of all the episodes one night. I woke up in the middle of the night and ended up watching because I couldn't fall asleep. The next morning, I tried to check the TV guide but it couldn't go back far enough. Just figured it was a weird dream. Years later in high school, a friend was talking about the show. I quickly jumped in and started asking questions to the if it matched up with this weird dream show I was years earlier. Turns out it was. To this day, I still watch it annually. Truly a one of a kind show, with different meanings for different views.

I love this interpretation of Mamimi. I think I usually thought of her as another immature interpretation of adulthood, contrasting all the other characters' equally off base assertions about maturity. But the idea that she's outright rejecting growing up is a really compelling argument. I might have to give it a rewatch with this interpretation in mind.

Flcl is a part of my childhood. I still listen to The Pillows even now when I'm in my 30's

Man I love your breakdown of Mamimi. A character I couldn’t quite understand properly. Shit hits hard, thanks for this.

This series is so rad. How often does a director get to do whatever he wants? A 6 part anime about growing up with barely a plot, with guitars, random giant robots, sexual innuendo and the best original soundtrack ever? There’s nothing else like it

I watched FLCL when I was 19 after I decided to stay off the internet and spend my time watching media on a CRT and VCR TV. I found FLCL on VHS. What a wonderful time.

Seeing characters I strongly relate to become analyzed make me realize how closed minded I am. Its like seeing yourself in third person, not sure if I worded anything right but I really appreciate this video

I've never seen any anime or show or read any manga that I love as much as FLCL. this show changed my life when I was a kid watching it on adult swim. it inspired me to start playing guitar and because of that music has been a huge part of my life ever since. I even have "never knows best" tattooed on my chest lol. my best friend loved this show too but sadly he passed away when we were 14, so watching it kinda brings me back to staying up late with him and watching it and talking about it at school. RIP Zach ❤️

You know what, this just helped me realize that Mamimi was a more interesting character than I first thought. When I watched this as a teen she just seemed like an air headed girl that skipped school and never wanted to go home. Watching this video and the series again as an adult, she was more lonely and now I understand why. It's also fitting that she loves photography since she can capture those fleeting moments in a healthy way.

This has got to be the best exploration of Mamimi; I really love her.

This video was insane, not only was your voice setting the serious tone with a look towards the future vibe, really made me feel like i was right there witnessing FLCL all over again for the first time. Well done man cant wait to see the next one.

one of the theories I subscribe to about Mamimi is that she never actually dated Naoto's older brother. She was just an obsessed little girl who followed him around and the affection was always one-sided. there's hints of it throughout the series, like how Naoto's brother never actually kept in touch with her and just "moved on" to an American girl.

Notice in the first scene of the show mamimi is giving him not just baseball advice but life advice as well “he who conquers the left side conquers the world chief” which is an old baseball saying but also a metaphor for mastering the left side of your brain , and then naota just looks at her and says “your hands are upside down” 🤣🤣🤣 basically just calling out her pseudo philosophical BS . Such a good opening exchange

FLCL is a touchstone of my childhood. One of my friends from birth moved away when I was 9 or 10, and him coming back to visit as a teen, I shared FLCL with him, I had downloaded it after seeing it for the first time on adult swim a year or two previously. For me the show was life changing. For him, he was just confused, didn’t feel any connection to the narratives of the show, it was just chaos. I was Mamimi, clinging to the past as he was focused on school and a new life.

FLCL is definitely in the conversation of objectively best animes of all time

i finished binging all of your videos (including the ones with 20 views) yesterday and it was very fun! your videos genuinely make me want to see more essays like that and your personality + editing are very unique. i’ve already put around 10 animes on my watch later just because i want to watch your videos about them. including fooly cooly, as of this video! thanks so much for making these prof

Ive been waiting for someone to make in depth analysis’ of flcl and its characters because putting my love for this anime into words is very difficult. You should make one on atomsk and how he represents maturity, which is why haruko (an alien who physically cant grow and mature) isnt able to catch him

i loved this. you're amazing. the faint guitar loop in the background really set the vibe. made me emo.

I’m 29 and my only tattoo is of Canti with the angel wings. FLCL is a big part of my life.

I'm so glad I found your channel! This video was fantastic.

i relate to mamimi so much,and the way you broke her character down was perfect

Loved this! Dont see much buzz or interest for FLCL much these days so so happy to see this - especially abt mamimi defo the most underrated character on the show

I’ve been waiting for someone to make a video about flcl like this for ages

Wonderful interpretation! Commenting to support. Hope to see more videos like these!

Great video man, just subscribed! Can't wait for the next one!

Great video man! You’ve really given me a newfound appreciation for her character. I’ve watched a few FLCL commentary videos and this is one of my favorites, I actually ended up watching it twice. Will be subscribing

in this house we stan Mamimi

YESSSS !!! I would love more flcl content ~ •☆ Your analyses are quickly becoming some of my favorite vids

What a coincidence, I was just listening to The Pillows on my drive back home from my 9 to 5 job lol

Best anime of all time hands down. Amazing story telling in a way that only anime can. Good vids too ;³

You've had my attention for a while now, but as of this vid you have beckoned me to comment since you speak of my favorite anime of all time. I'll get back to this later, especially since I also did a Sameji breakdown years ago, but I already know that this is going to be enjoyable.

Great dissection. Loved the video

Incredibly well thought out view on one of my favorite anime. Thank you for sharing it.

On some level, I sympathize. It's easy to say you can't let yourself be swallowed up in the stagnation of memories, and it's no excuse to drag others down with you into the way you wish life was, but likewise, the concept of adulthood itself is ironically just the opposite extreme of Mamimi's own fantasy; "growing-up" and "reality" as they are used to defined the way life "really" works, is just the unhappy opinions of the many that are dragged helplessly into it, but factually, there is nothing concrete in the universe that demands any human live their life identically to any other, and in that understanding, "growing-up" and "reality" are just unhappy delusions the many settle on, and then enforce as the "only" way so they aren't alone in their misery. When we're children, we listen to ourselves about what makes us happy, and when we've convinced ourselves that we are adults, we do everything we can to please and impress others around us, silencing our own voice in the process of chasing external meaning; an external god or divine rule-- a savior. It's no wonder then that so many don't want to grow up; we wanna go back to when we didn't have to lie to ourselves to feel loved or accepted. Ultimately, while the way Mamimi goes about pulling others into her delusions is selfish in the way it's depicted to only benefit her, likewise, the implied proper goal where everyone else should aim for an arbitrary definition of growing-up is equally delusional in it's own respective selfishness.

I wish I could have watched these videos after I first saw flcl. Great vid bud ❤️

Beautifully worded. Thank you for this

I rewatched FLCL a few days ago and it hit me a lot harder than I expected it to. Great video man, keep up the good work 😎

Great breakdown. Honestly surprised how much there is to the series than meets the eye

i love that i still see videos of this gem every now and then

Great analysis. Looking forward to the haruko video!

I want to rewatch this show now, genuinely such an incredible show

Great video. Just found you channel and skimmed through ypur videos. I wanna watch A TON of them and will do soon when I have time. You cover so many Animes I love.

I moved up to another state a year or so ago. I felt like I had nothing as my friends still lived in my old state. I feel that I am pressured to grow up and become an adult. She is literally me!

I didn't realize I knew this anime but I recognize the voices and lines for a song that I loved in middle school "about last night"

I absolutely love this video👍👍👍

This was amazing

Was my favorite anime when I was 16. Still slaps a full 16 years later.

god how do you not have a million subs

This guys really go against algorithms, I wish this one blows up.

Yo! Thank you for this insightful breakdown! I've always appreciated FLCL, but I never quite understood the depth of the story telling until this video. I'm sure there's plenty of overarching themes that still went above my head. Would sure like to hear about those as well. Keep up the good work!

I just recently watched Fooly cooly an amazing anime. And I'm really happy to see a video this detailed in my recommendation I would love to see more

I actually have a tattoo that says never knows best, reminds me of one of my favorite shows that lead to a love of anime

Seeing this video helps me realize why the sequels didn't have the same impact. Both tried to tell the same story of leaving your childhood behind, but I think both got bogged down in trying to create a FLCL style and having the same amount of substance to go with that style.

Fantastic analysis

She was also hilariously one of my first anime crushes

I absolutely love your videos please keep doing this amazing work :3 Btw did you hear about the new Psycho-Pass Movie : Providence? What do you think about? I personally can’t waiiiittt

After all these years FLCL is still my favorite

Hey man. I just binged your three videos about FLCL and I wanted to say thanks for covering the first season. I remember watching it on Adult Swim and it hit me hard. Also wanted to ask, have you seen the following seasons and if so, can we expect a video(s) about them? I honestly think FLCL is a series that deserves more people talking about it.

nice essay!!!

I always tell people FLCL is alot deep than it seems

I accidentally stumbled across FLCL in Middle/High School on Adult Swim; I started midway through the series (baseball episode I think) then watched through to the finale and was entertained but highly confused. A couple of years later in Junior year I ran into a classmate that was wearing a shirt with Haruko eating Ramen on it; asked around with some of my friends and was finally able to see the Entire thing. We ALL loved the insanity of FLCL and it almost inspired me to try the electric guitar. I watched that series so much I had practically memorized all the major plot points and could time when things would happen. Only wish that FLCL progressive could have held a candle to this, at least Alternative was a love letter to the fans even if it still wasn't as good as the original.

this vid hit like an emotional truck

Fire channel

lmao this analysis serves as yet another validation that all those salty mal reviews saying FLCL has no story are crap... This has been my favorite anime for 13 years and ive probably watched it at least 100 times in those years. everything you said was spot on - except for a minor nitpick, but I could be wrong, but wasnt it true that Naota was not actually piloting canti, but it was in fact atomsk using naota and his N.O portal in his head as a catalyst to do so himself? either way, great video man

golden

Yo. I saw this as a kid but forgot the anime name. Now I see this video and can go watch it all. Thanks for this

I think you misinterpreted Noata in episode 5. The point of that episode is that he thought he was the man and being cocky (literally depicted by the visual metaphor of a gun being cocked). So while you're correct that Mamimi was threatened by him growing up, she was also correct to question his newfound "maturity". It was because she challenged him on this that he wanted to prove himself to her by taking her on a date. After he saved the town and swung the bat, he thought himself a hero who deserves the girl, first competing with his dad for Haruko, then when that fails trying to advance on Mamimi instead. But him getting overly cocky and "triggered" (again visual metaphor) is what leads to him releasing the monster in the first place. Then when Mamimi calls for Noata's brother to save her, he is outraged because she doesn't wanna see him as the hero he thinks he is, so he claims he'll save her and goes to pilot Canti. But the joke is that he's not the pilot, he's the bullet. Canti/atomsk and Haruko actually save Mamimi and the the town, and the episode ends with Haruko stepping on a disfigured Naota in her high heels, admiring the real hero (more amazing visual metaphors), revealing to everyone that his heroism is a farce.

I see FLCL. I click.

Flcl is so good youtubers are still talking about its genius all these years later

Mamimi really teach and help me understand myself better

What's the music in the background?

Nailed it

If Mamimi didn’t want Naota to swing the bat, why did she tell him that he should play baseball at the beginning of episode 1?

this was such a great analysis! not enough good commentary about filch in my opinion

FLCL is one of my favorite animes

i relate to her a little bit to much i fear, thank you

Haven't seen the second season.... But the first is LITERAL GOLD. EMOTIONAL GOLD

One of the best anime too tbh Definitely within my top 5

FLCL is a mood. And a part of me.

A school burning down amongst other things; other animated adult shows have made light of this, but only anime can cover these mature and emotional topics in a mature matter. I never did understand why American adult animation could make fun of death, murder, and suicide. I like how anime approaches these topics with heart.

Yes more people be aware of the awesome weirdness that is FLCL!!!

FLCL,pope of post vaporwave colliding to the stars..forever...

Great video! Also, what is the guitar ost in the beginning?

Psycho-pass is baccccccccck

Uff bruh I have to watch this anime your video got me.

Also someone on KZfaq got send the camera mamimi used in the last scene

I relate to mamimi alot

Bravo.

I still need to watch this fully cause I was too small to understand it,

The very first time I watched FLCL I thought mamimi was the weirdest and one of my least liked characters. The second time I watched it she struck me as perhaps the saddest character, I think her issues with accepting reality especially when it’s hurtful even though she’s obviously really hurting underneath it all is a large part of why.

Flcl is a seminal work in media in general

Honestly the original flcl was such a master piece that it's sequels kinda miss the point of what made it great in the first place. Just another cash grab at nostalgia without understanding it's source material

This is a good breakdown and essay but it's honestly bizarre that you never figured out that the main character's name is Naota.

these 6 eps made me

your brain is so much bigger than mine

Hey, kind of a weird question, but does anyone know the name of that guitar music that starts off the video?

A+

TOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mamimi is very much the PROBABLE arsonist, since the confined world of a fiction has to roll into itself in adherence to Chekov's Gun. The important thing to take away here, is that there WOULD BE another kid like Mamimi, a whole lot of them, and one them is the arsonist. Ore none of them. Or all of them. Mamiji represent all the aspects of what this person IS in society, sometimes falsely accused and sometimes rightly accused, and sometimes, slips through the cracks unnoticed. That's where the most important idea is, Mamimi is the personification of NOT being seen, because reality is not a cartoon that catalogues all its characters. That's why she's not visible in her own circles. These particular things that FLCL has to teach, I think a lot of them are handled more in depth in Abenobashi Magical Shopping Arcade. FLCL is so dense it has plenty of other topics as well, but on these ideas I would name Abenobashi. And somewhat its spiritual successor in my mind is Kyousougiga, not by Gainax. Neither is very acceptable at the moment in the western sphere though, because of the limited ways western cultures have taken to these lessons this far. We revel in taboosand pretending what isn't seen doesn't exist.