At the end of the day fooly Cooley is saying relationships are complicated sometimes we want stuff that's bad for us and sometimes the people we love are in love with other people instead

man any use of the pillows' music is so perfect

So this is where my *Thing* for older girls comes from.

FLCL has to be a miracle. Every new viewing leads to new realizations in regards to past experiences. When going through the ringer relationship-wise, it's important to keep in mind the lessons that this show tries to teach. It's *really* easy to give in to the temptation like Naota, almost as if it's the only option. The pathetic image of the scornful ex, unwilling to let go. The insecure and misunderstood young adult, yet to discover their value. The facade of a hurting kid, pushing down the uncomfortable feelings. We can all relate to these archtypes, at different stages of our lives. We're all just doing our best, right? We're lucky to have FLCL.

Another point that I think is worth noting is the fact that Mamimi was perfectly content with having a 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘬𝘶𝘯 that was a cat, or a robot, or whatever sort of pet. She wasn't just using Naota for emotional labor, she was using him as her emotional 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘭, and their difference in age does a lot to really extenuate this fact to viewers.

being a 12 year old boy I remember relating more to Ninamori and how she handled things rather than how Naota did

The amount of bitter sweetness in these relationships is so painfully real. Just the fact of them being so surface level and hurtful to us, we cant help but know only that type of relationship. It's hard to grasp genuine expression. It's hard to be genuine as a result. It's such a horrible loop alot of us fall into bc of these connections we have with others that are very lackluster. Mamimi has to be the most tragic of anyone and truly has nowhere to go. And possibly the most relatable character in the sense of that cynical mentality.

Just 6 episodes can contain so much, it’s why it’s my favorite show

It is funny how some years ago I related a lot with Naota, while now instead I do with Mamimi. I feel apathetic, tired, confused and I don't really know what my own desires are, and just like her I tried to trick myself into believing I loved a person, only because I didn't want to feel the emptiness that someone else left in me before. FLCL is so special to me on so many levels, whether because it is fun to watch, it is artistically a miracle and for the unexpected depth of the characters. And also I love your videos because it's like to hear my thoughts with the pillows in background, so just like in my head--

I don't think Atomsk is a person Haruko loves. Remember when we get that description it's coming from Mr. Eyebrows. He's a very jealous insecure person that doesn't really know what's going on but is trying to figure out why Haruko would reject him, and ends up thinking Atomsk is some hot powerful alien dude. But what do we actually see? That big giant bird. And when Haruko talks about Atomsk, she talks about absorbing his power, not falling in love with him. So I think Atomsk is actually that big giant bird that comes out and Haruko wants to absorb it to become more powerful and that first description we got was just that guy's insecure imagination.

I had been struggling with a genuinely toxic and one sided relationship for about half a year before watching this show. I watched it, but admittedly did not internalize the lessons about relationships it taught. That is, until I watched your video. Hearing somebody else explain these themes and lessons at 4 in the morning was all it took. Immediately after seeing this I worked up the courage to tell her I was moving on and remove any avenue of communication between us. That was about a week ago, and I feel liberated. I seriously can’t thank you enough for what this video did for me.

And yet, in the end, Haruko represents what we all love. Endless adventure.

Interesting perspectives on Naota's relationships with the four mentioned characters. Do want to chime in some additional insight beyond what you mention with the four: 1. Haruko: Saying she's in love with Atomsk is possibly false considering that assumption was coming from Amarao, who imagined the Pirate King's form as a muscular man and was clearly shocked to see his massive form as a giant bird. While I largely agree with your viewpoint that Haruko thought of Naota as a means to free Atomsk, it seemed she may have warmed up to the boy by the end of the series as she didn't reject Naota's kiss and offered him to come with her before rescinding the offer. 1.5. Amarao: Outside of the relationship dynamics between him and Haruko, he also represents what Naota could be as an adult if he doesn't get over the hump of mentally maturing. Like Naota does for most of the series, Amarao puts on a front of seeming more mature than he really is. 2. Mamimi: It's suggested that she and Naota are sort of kindred spirits in that both were devastated by Tasuku's departure from their lives, only Mamimi is much worst off mentally since it seemed Tasuku was a significant presence in her life giving her kindness that others never did. While Tasuku's largely the glue keeping them together, Naota does develop a crush on Mamimi that he does eventually try having her reciprocate as he becomes more proactive as a character. But as you mention, Mamimi eventually becomes more distant from Naota as he becomes less passive and causes their relationship to eventually deteriorate, since this was forcing her to recognize Naota as his own person and not a replacement for Tasuku. 3. Ninamori: The more grounded and healthy relationship for Naota in the series. While the two do verbally spar with one another in their interactions at points, Naota seems to be more respectful toward her than Mamimi and Haruko as he sympathizes with her family problems. It is also implied that Ninamori may have a crush on Naota as she showed signs of jealousy for Mamimi and Haruko's closeness to him, as well as her rigging of the school voting to place Naota in a leading role for their school play.

Hey Hiding I just want to take a moment to say thank you so much. Your videos feel so professional yet so personal. I’ve been having extremely rough times as of recently with a huge loss in my life, and you remind me that there’s always good in the world and always someone there who can make me feel alright. Of course I have friends and family but there’s something about a well put together video that can really comfort you and tug at your heartstrings. Also I always welcome more FLCL videos as it and Welcome to the NHK are my favorite animes :). I hope you had fun making this video because I’m having fun watching it! ❤️❤️

More FLCL analysis! Love it.

Nicely done. You briefly touched upon it when you referred to how only Ninamori can match Naota, but I think there's still a lot to be said with regards to the parallelism between Mamimi and Haruko, and their usage of Naota as an means to some end, though perhaps that's best suited to a video on it's own ;)

It's really interesting to me how depression ties into relationships in this series. Naota has many of the symptoms of juvenile onset depression, and it makes him less inclined to spot, care about or understand the severity of red flags in these relationships. Mental illness is a huge factor in how people end up in toxic relationships and toxic friend groups, but usually media doesn't address that, and when it does, it's usually not sympathetic to the person with the mental illness. FLCL is very kind to Naota as a protagonist, never framing him as awful or beyond hope of getting better, and I really like that. Thank you for this thoughtful video essay that made me realize yet another thing this series does well. Every time I watch this series or watch a video on it, I feel like I learn something new.

This is an interesting angle I didn't think about the series from.

All these characters just straight up seem selfish. Taking advantage of a boy for being so naive. Smh 🙄

May I say that everytime you do an analysis of FLCL, my tiny heart grows 5x bigger? 💖 FLCL is my fave piece of media like, ever, and it means the world to me (since I was a kiddo around his age when it originally came out) and you just word things I too think about the show so well, then drop new shit I hadn't noticed or realized yet. Every vid is 👌👌👌

I was pleasantly surprised that you used the house building analogy.

i always knew i could relate to FLCL in the relationship way. When i had my first gf it was similar to Naota and Haruko’s. and when she left, I ended up turning into Amarao for a while. Eventually, I came back to the show for guidance and I realized I needed to be more like Naota and just kinda move on and go back to being myself, just utilizing the lessons I learned from the past relationships. I always felt this but I never really knew how to put it into words, so thanks for making this video

Love it how I can watch these videos n understand the characters better but can't find red flags in my own life or figure out wats wrong with myself.

Glad you're back and I hope you're feeling better dude. Can't wait for more new content

Thanks for making content Hiding. Its always a pleasure.

these flcl videos both keep me sane and remind me I need to rewatch this for the 10th time thank you so much sir

Thanks for all your flcl videos dood. I’m always watching it over and over but it’s nice to see someone go into detail and break the show down to see why I love it so much. Keep up all your great work bro.

I really loved this the first time I watched this awhile back, but after going through some of the things shown in this show, this speaks to me on a whole new level, and I honestly have an even greater appreciation for the show, and especially this video, I love your content man, keep up the amazing work!

Wonderfully insightful! your education, perception, diligence, and effort show.

Great commentary as always. Your vids on FLCL and Mob Psycho have to be among my favourite video essays on anime, thank you and best of luck with the channel ^^

Love your FLCL analysis videos. Watched them all a long while back, came back to take it all in again. :) Well done on em.

Glad you've made another FLCL video, man. I really enjoy your perspectives on this progra/story and I enjoy your videos overall. Cheers and keep up the great work, man! Be well!

Hey Hiding, I just wanted to say your videos have meant a lot to me in hard times, including now. So, thanks.

I love this video. I think another relationship to explore would be Naoto and his father, although that could be tied into Haruko using him as well.

I can’t express how much I love this video analysis of FC it’s so good I find myself coming back to this more than the actual show

Ah! We love your channel! Thank you for this. I feel like I’ve always thought this way about the series but it’s like you go through and sort everything out of the chaos that is FlCl. Keep it up man! I’d love to learn more about this or any show(game/book/movie) from ya. You freaking rock!

Wow another FLCL video, isn't December a great month for giving. Thank you for continuing giving both me and other people great content about both anime and video games, great video about my favourite tv show ever (not being biase) and continue making great content. See you soon space cowboy....

Hi, I am deaf/hard hearing; can you please put CC on for me? So I can read and understand of this video. Thank you!

thank you so much for another great video! the book I'm working on right now actually takes a lot of inspiration from the bizarre relationship dynamics of FLCL, so this video will be a perfect point of reference! thank you so much again! :)

This video was really well done and after years of rewatching this show, really made me look at it in a different and relatable light. Bravo sir.

The ending is something I think about a lot. When Haruko says should I take you along?, nah you're too young; drives off. And I realized that expecting closure from Haruko was just not something I was going to get. There is no such thing in abusive relationships. Because selfish people are thinking about themselves all of the time. She would never understand what he needed to hear. Because she would never be able care for someone else's feelings in an attuned enough way to know when he needed it. And that is the greatest tragedy. More on Naota's other relationships; Every relationship in Naota's life is shallow and held together by a thin string. And he puts up a wall so that when they leave he can maintain his ability to move on. That is why he keeps a distance from Mamimi because he knows that to her he is just basically a body pillow that resembles his older brother. An older brother that treated her the same way. Like a toy that he got tired with when he moved away and met someone new. In return Naota becomes basically Mamini's support animal. And the tragedy is that she didn't get jealous of his relationship with Haruko because she cared about him but because she didn't want to lose this need she had for him as an inanimate object. She wanted to dump her sexual frustration on him and didn't feel like she could if another girl was already with him; but she never wanted a relationship; she wanted to return to the status quo. To be comfortably numb under the bridge until a manageable stream of hope (most certainly delusional hope) that Naota's brother was going to come back, returns to her. This truth is silently reveled to Naota when he decides to "pull the trigger", "swing the bat" and tries to take their relationship to the next level, a real date. Hence the emotional and literal overflow that spawns the mecha. I don't think I even need to explain why Naota's dad and grandfather are hopelessly narcissistic. I think the sexual tension surrounding his relationship with them is a metaphor for the selfishness of their nature and primal addiction to their own pleasure and image. I think his father's talk with the class rep is the best example. He is changing the subject and talking about himself all the time until he eventually just says that Naota can take care of himself. Saying he can take care of himself is just an excuse for not caring about his son enough to raise him/ look for him when he runs away.

I like the video. You've got a great way of speaking about FLCL that describes it so well. It's a very complex show and often I can't quite find the words for the nuanced pieces, but you're great at untangling it and showing off all the dimensions. of the subjects you choose. I'm always happy to see these videos in my feed.

Thank you, your videos always make my day a little bit better.

Ahhhhhh FLCL never gets old, I hope you keep making videos on it. Your videos are so comforting somehow and make me feel bunch of good stuff so thanks for that!

I think we all appreciate the time you take to reply to our comments. :)

I don't think haruka is actually in love with atomsk, eyebrows isnt a reliable source of info since hes a bitter ex and likely didnt know atomsk was a giant bird monster. She's just after power.

One of the BEST analysis I've seen of FLCL. Bravo!!!

I cannot put into words my joy and appreciation for your videos. Thank you.

I know I don't usually comment on things, but your videos are always wonderful! Keep up the good work, and I'm always happy to see your videos, cause they're a good mix of personal and have a sense of professional taste to them! Great work, and I hope you keep making great videos! I thank you for being a great commentator~

FLCL is the best anime ever. I have all 4 of the PoP figures, a hoodie, and a blue electric guitar, and a motorcycle helmet with hauko and naota on it.

This channel and videos like this, really can change the way people think. Eye opening

Always good to see you, thanks for this take on FLCL. Lot of good lessons to take from this show in each viewing, no matter how old you get.

I really like your FLCL videos this one in particular hits home with.

I feel so bad for mamimi because of all she has gone through

Fantastic take on the show. I never even considered looking at it from this angle. Great video.

These videos you make are one of a kind. Thanks for making content😁. Can't wait to see FLCL again.

I've rewatched FLCL about more than 5 times now. I always get the same feeling I did the first time I've ever watched it. So unique, from the story, visuals, music, to the characters. Will always be top 5 favorite animes. I wish it was a bit longer to be honest.

Thank you for putting into words why I absolutely despised Haruko when I first watched this as a kid. I felt so betrayed at the end of the series because I was just as naive as Naota, thinking she actually cared about him, but didn't at all. I still think Haruko is a huge bitch and wish she would get her comeuppance, but I appreciate her as a character a lot more. She's a very realistic kind of person.

I watched FLCL for the first time last week so i can finally see your videos on the topic. Not being interested in relationships myself, i missed most of these messages so I'm glad you pointed them out.

I love hearing all of your analysis on this show. Very inciteful. Keep up the great work, my dude.

Love seeing a new hiding in public video when I wake up

I don't think haruko wanted to marry atomisk, I think she just wanted the power of the pirate king

Thank you for making my day better once again ^^

Love your videos and your takes bud. Awesome job. I just got breath of the wild because of your videos it's been so much fun to play. Thank you!

That damn soundtrack and vibe this series had... It just feels like adolescence.

this is amazing!! im waiting on that lain video

The best FLCL analysis I've ever seen, I love this show so much

Fantastic video worth the wait 100%. I always love when you cover FLCL and this has been my favorite one yet. Take care man

Thanks for this. I love FLCL and I have been dealing with some stuff with an ex-friend of mine. We weren't dating or anything it was all platonic but, I stayed friends with him way after the point I knew it was toxic. I did it because i didn't want him to "overflow". I literally put all my other friends and relationships on hold in Hope's of helping him. When things finally broke down enough between us that I felt I could leave I found out he has told all our mutual friends that I was a terrible person. He claims I constantly mocked him and all this. He says I was never there for him and all this. I will say that is complete bullshit. I stayed on the phone with him for over 5 hours one day trying to talk him down from suicide. He spent over a 100 hours over two weeks on the phone with me at one point because he was having girl problems.

You're vids are awesome keep it up

Big love for FLCL!! Great vid!! It’s a special thing that stays with you!

Keep up the great content, I appreciate your hard work

I wish I can really think and realize the big picture of relationships in my own life like how this video does for fooly cooly. Instead I feel angry, awkward, or sad almost every time I have an interaction with somebody, and I don't know what to do or say, or what that person wants from me.

Great video dude, thank you for remembering me to rewatch fooly cooly as an adult, I think this is gonna be fun. Also, you should try the alternative and progressive, the new seasons of FLCL, don't know if their are good but I think you would be interested, until the next video, goodbye .

Watching this the summer before 5th grade was a truly amazing experience and a favorite memory

Your commentary is so cool. Thank u for making flcl vids 🥺

Just saying to his now: _Eri is Best Girl_

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS I LOVE THIS VIDEOS OF YOURS

Hey! glad your're back on business,hope you're feeling better. It's so cool that this show gives so much to talk about even though there is little to none expository dialog like contemporary anime. As always,good vid. See ya next time!.

One thing I really appreciate is how you take time to reply to most of the early comments in your videos, even if just a few words. It feels like you really care about your audience in an honest way

I think seeing so many stories where the main character gets a significant other, when flcl presents so many contenders and not doing anything , it hurts my head which i find is brilliant (thx for reading the comment)

ENGAGEMENT IS AWESOME!!!!

Thank you for these FLCL analysis videos, I’ve loved all of them! there is a plethora of Anime reviews and breakdowns but FLCL (And blood the last vampire) don’t show up and generalise it on base viewing. Having watched FLCL many years ago while I was coming of age. It resonated with me, not only the amazing and badass visuals. Now I see the subtle to overt messages of growing up, going through toxic relationships, finding meaning through people and yourself. Your videos reminded me of just how great this series is and that it deserves more praise and rewatches. Thank you for doing these reviews. I appreciate you and your work, it’s valid and adds value. Keep up the great work!!

I watched FLCL a few days ago and didn't really get it at first but after going through a lot of your videos I've really come to apreciate it a lot more! I love the way you talk about the show and the themes behind it. Thank you for showing us why this shows so great!

Oh how I've missed you

Personally I found it pretty messed up she was seducing Naoto's father too. Do you know how f'ed up it is to fight with your father over a women? Especially if you're 12 and he's probably 40.

This video made me rewatch FLCL and I'm glad it did. I really enjoyed your way of looking at this anime.

Whaa~ another great video! Keep it up, you got this!! ♡ I'm thinking of rewatching FLCL now.

Still less toxic than my parents and my aunts and uncles marriages. These are important lessons. I wish we all could learn them without having to repeatedly experience power issues and get everybody hurt in the process. Know yourself, respect yourself, trust yourself, love yourself. And have empathy for others. We're all trying to navigate life. Thanks for the video.

Hold up. Wasn't the "Haruka is in love with Atomsk" thing explicitly confirmed by the creators as Amarao's mistaken assumption? She wanted to consume his power, not be with him. It's why Atomsk in Amarao's story looks totally different from the bird like creature when he's actually revealed; Amarao thinks he knows everything and is making bad assumptions.

YYou are a genius! This show is virtually impossible to decipher even if the peices were formulated even close to cohesid this sums it up very introspectively. So bravo. AND yes I love FLCL

Man thankyou I'm gonna rewatch this masterpiece soon.

Mamimi was a lost case! I realized that as I got older, her and Naota big brother had to have dated and shit in my opinion! When he left he didn’t even tell her which left her depressed. I’m pretty sure she didn’t have any friends her age either. She only be around Naota to avoid the pain of missing his big brother. Ditching school and spending all her time by the river and shit with a cat? Maaan, I wonder how long she been doing that shit? Hopefully for a minute cause if you been wearing the same uniform and decide to not go back to school for a year or two? Wandering off in the city? With no direction is fucked up 😞! Not us the audience even know where she lives. Who are her parents and were there close to Naota’s people? Tho we see the grandfather not liking Mamimi! But at the end of the season something hit her faster than anything when she took that picture of Naota with Haruko guitar! She decides to leave and probably go back to school and graduate. Probably off to doing something she loves which maybe photography! She probably understood that she couldn’t be in the same mind state anymore. She began living for herself. If Noata big brother did so can she 🤷🏾‍♂️! That’s my take on it!

Wow, not sure how intentional it was, but this could be called "FLCL when viewed through the lens of Narcissistic Personality Disorder." I'm only a year out on separation from a life partner with exploitation/abuse dynamics, and discovering my blindness to such was due to blindness to parental dynamics (think Haruko+Naota vs Haruko+Naota's father). My survey of narratives, from people who have grown beyond these family patterns, shows a general timeline of about three years from awareness through recovery to wholeness & a new network of healthy relationships. Congratulations Hiding, for being either (1) free from this carnival of damage, or (2) far enough in recovery to address these issue directly, or (3) having unusually high resilience/plasticity around these dynamics.

In one of your videos, you mentioned wanting people to watch your videos for you and not the subject matter (anime). I just wanted to say that I listen to your videos while I'm working at my office job and they put me at ease. Your tone and thoughts resonate with me. This particular video is my favorite.

You literally explained how and why I like the show. I knew there HAD to be a reason why I liked it. It felt so relatable but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Dude, keep up the great work!

"A relationship where someone's insecurities is leveled as a threat against the other person into staying under their control and doing what they like." This has happened to me to a tee, not in a romantic relationship, but by a former friend who would use their mental illnesses as an excuse to keep me from doing the things that I wanted, and away from other people I cared about to the point that they were worried, including my own girlfriend.

HELL YEAH FOOLY COOLY VID FROM MY FAVE TWITTER SAD BOI~♡♡♡♡

Holy shit. Dude I wanna thank you for making this video, very nice, very informative. I remember when I first got into anime back in 2015 and I went on a ultra binge. DBZ Kai, Naruto, Death Note, cowboy bebop, etc. When I saw FLCL during this time I thought it was just another anime to view and go to something else but going in with that mindset somewhat hurt my viewing. I thought it was about life and the problems of relationships colliding with what you want from them. It also didn’t help that I was 13 when I first saw it. I’m gonna give this anime another watch, try to pick up the messages and meanings you talked about and even get something new. Great video

I just recently finished this anime and have being going down the rabbit hole trying to learn as much as possible about the show. Your analysis is brilliant and has put FLCL in my top 5 anime as a result