FLCL's Story Explained

May 31, 2021 11:01 PM

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Feb 2021

I think the story of FLCL is actually pretty easy to understand, despite what many people say. What I understood from this is that Naota wanted a life that wasn't ordinary, and when Haruka came, she gave him just that.

However, in pursuit of a life that isn't ordinary, he ended up hurting and leaving behind the person closest to him, Mamami. In the end, Naota wasn't able to get a non-ordinary life because Haruka left without him, and now the consequence of his past actions is Mamami leaving and no longer being in contact with him.

And so, in pursuit of something extraordinary, Naota loses the one person closest to him. This is what I believe FLCL is truly about, or maybe I'm just looking too deep into it.

Jun 2, 2021 2:59 AM

Maryca9

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Aug 2015

Interesting explanation 🤔

Jun 2, 2021 3:26 AM

EratiK

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Apr 2012

4896

Mamami's relationship is only through his brother though. Like they both feel left behind because the brother left. Naota is a mini-version of the brother to her and Naota fancies her like he would his brother's toy. But when they both accept what they are, Mamami goes and Naota becomes Atomsk.

The main message I gather from FLCL is you should always pursue your Self, instead of ideal/phantasmal of expectations set by others, society or your own delusions. But it's true that in a way it means accepting the ordinary.

EratiKJun 2, 2021 3:30 AM

Jan 20, 2022 1:10 PM

Franck_Nicolas

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Apr 2016

532

Specalez said:
I think the story of FLCL is actually pretty easy to understand, despite what many people say. What I understood from this is that Naota wanted a life that wasn't ordinary, and when Haruka came, she gave him just that.

However, in pursuit of a life that isn't ordinary, he ended up hurting and leaving behind the person closest to him, Mamami. In the end, Naota wasn't able to get a non-ordinary life because Haruka left without him, and now the consequence of his past actions is Mamami leaving and no longer being in contact with him.

And so, in pursuit of something extraordinary, Naota loses the one person closest to him. This is what I believe FLCL is truly about, or maybe I'm just looking too deep into it.

SPOILERS BELOW

No you're not looking into it too deep but you got some parts wrong. Mamimi never loved Naota, she just loved an idealized version of him, she expected him to be a conformist adult like his brother. And that makes Naota suffers because he doesn t want to be a conformist adult. In the end, he becomes a guitarist (like Haruko, a punk ! and punks are known for rejecting society) instead of a baseball player (baseball players are really famous in japan, so they represent an ideal vision of a conformist adult man), and Mamimi takes a last photo of him with his guitar. And then she realizes that Naota found his own ideal adulthood, and she realizes she can do it too. So instead of pursuing a fake love with an idealized vision of an adult, Mamimi finds her own adulthood too by becoming a photograph (it is said at the end). She left because she is going to find creativity by travelling, going OUTSIDE the box ! The box being society.

Also, she thought she loved the TV character, Canti. Because he is a symbolism of a stern emotionless man, as it is represented in the media for ideal males. So you see she never loved Naota in the first place, she was just affected by a conformist vision of an ideal man because she was starting to be affected by society. It s actually a good thing that she left.

Yes, you are right about the fact that Naota doesn t want an ordinary life. During the whole series, he is fighting against the conformism of society with the help of Haruko, who represents the outside world (you can beat conformism with creativity, and you can find creativity in the outside world, travelling, imagining, other universes, (haruko is an alien), etc). And he wins ! Because the young generation can win against everything thanks to its creativity. The whole anime is a criticism of the conformism of the society and the adults, who aren t able so solve the weird problems that could come (as climate change, there are some symbols of it in the anime)

Franck_NicolasJan 20, 2022 1:15 PM

Nov 30, 2022 1:05 PM

KitsuFrost

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Aug 2020

8632

Yes, Mamimi and Naota's bond, although leaning in Tasuku's absence throughout the plot, is pleasing and bittersweet IMO. Even with their different reasons, they were a support to one another under the city bridge. Wish she could stay in the last episode, but their relationship's end was a closed cycle. Unfortunately, it's part of life.

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FLCL's Story Explained

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