Flip Flappers is one of the most polarizing series I’ve ever seen in anime. On the one hand, there are those who would defend it as ingenious and philosophically meaningful, while on the other hand there are those who dismiss it as cheap yuribait with a contrived and unfitting final arc. Obviously, I’m not going to be in the hate camp. But I won’t be trying to defend the show’s philosophical value either. I’m simply here to explain the reasons why I enjoyed a fun little Alice-in-Wonderland-style romp through the mind-bending world of Pure Illusion.
CHARACTERS - 7/10
The characters in this series are quite simple to understand, be it for better or for worse. Three stand out as our main heroines: Cocona, a melancholic schoolgirl who desires to quietly lead a normal, safe life but often finds herself going on fantastic adventures; Papika, an energetic girl who seems to be the polar opposite of Cocona in almost every way, and Yayaka, a more mature girl who seems to be grounded in reality as is Cocona, but even less so susceptible to the emotions that drive Papika.
Some fans have compared these three girls to the proposed three parts of the human psyche: id, ego and superego. This comparison would paint a picture of Cocona (ego) being pulled towards emotional, spontaneous desires by Papika (id) while simultaneously being pulled toward more realistic, colder motivations by Yayaka (superego). Now, there is no way to confirm whether or not the writers initially intended to structure the interactions of their characters in this way. However, it certainly makes for interesting and believable interactions, because the fact remains that, whether intentionally or not, the characters do reflect the psyche and the internal conflicts felt by almost everyone.
One of the biggest appeals of this show is the way that it embraces the “show, don’t tell” style of storytelling. The first eight episodes of the show focus almost solely on Cocona’s relationship with Papika, demonstrating to the viewers their characteristics and the clashes in their ideals by putting them in various fantasy situations that they’ll need to work together to get out of. Because of how, as the viewers, we able to experience the girls’ interactions firsthand rather than by being told about them via exposition dumps, the climax of the series when Yayaka starts to play a bigger role in the story feels much more meaningful than it would have if the show hadn’t spent its first two-thirds introducing us to our characters.
The side characters, although fun, don’t serve much of a purpose other than to provide occasional exposition or fanservice. However, each of them, no matter how small their role in the story may be, undergoes a complete character arc by the finale. All of their motivations and worldviews are explained through flashbacks, which additionally help us to understand their reasons for doing what they do and, more importantly, why Pure Illusion behaves for them in the way that it does.
VISUALS - 9/10
Easily one of the strongest aspects of this show is the visual style. The art is totally unique, looking very much like a strange combination of SHAFT’s character designs and Trigger’s vibrant, energetic artistry. The characters are drawn beautifully, and the landscapes of Pure Illusion somehow look even better. The trippy watercolors that blend together to form the backgrounds are stunning, and very well convey the atmosphere for any given episode. The dull grays that blend together during the “horror” episode set a completely different tone than the neon lights of the “mecha” episode, which feels altogether unique when compared to the infamous “Mad Max” episode.
Because Flip Flappers is a show about differences in perception of reality, another thing that it does exceedingly well is conveying a character’s emotion by showing what they can see. In one episode, Cocona and Papika are experiencing childhood through the eyes of girl in a dysfunctional family. When she walks in on her parents fighting, they are drawn very loosely, and they pulsate and distort, colors blending and changing to reflect the terror and confusion that this girl feels.
Flip Flappers also likes to tell its story through the use of symbolism and optical illusions. Early on, a character shows up who will later be revealed to be a villain masquerading as a kindhearted woman. Her first few appearances depict her as the famous illusion that makes it impossible to identify whether the figure in question is a beautiful girl or an old hag. Later on, the show teaches us to associate two characters with each other by giving them the same clover crown at two different times in two different episodes. It even warns us that it will get darker near the end during the first episode, when Cocona and Papika huddle together in the unmistakable shape of a human skull. Even simple things like inconsistencies in reflections tell entire stories in themselves, and a sharp-eyed viewer is rewarded handsomely for their attention to detail. If you pay close attention, you can predict almost the entire show just by watching the OP.
Finally, the animation during action sequences is absolutely brilliant. The fights are characterized by colorful explosions and bright streaks of color as the camera does loops and flips to follow our heroines. My personal favorite sequence is when Cocona and Papika fall through a tunnel into Pure Illusion, and the lines of their characters and the colors of ear skin and clothes begin to change and flash in a total acid trip of gorgeous animation. There is a beautiful scene when someone explodes into clover leaves that drift through the air in a single spectacular shot.
During the final episode, the Flip Flappers team ran into budget problems. Because of this, there is an obvious drop in quality during the finale, causing the show to just look “good” and not “phenomenal.” But hey - Evangelion ran into the same situation, and everyone loves that show.
SOUND - 10/10
The soundtrack is, simply put, one of the best I’ve ever heard. The OP is very catchy, and all of the insert songs are memorable and fit the tone of the scene well. However, the real shining point in the soundtrack is the ED, which is not only easily the best ending theme ever, but one of the best pieces of music ever. Listening to the ED just once will give you a good idea of how the series plays out. It starts as a simple, upbeat song accompanied by little bubbles and other sound effects that fully immerse you in its musical world, but it gradually evolves into an epic, more-than-slightly foreboding and mysterious orchestral piece that sounds like something out of Madoka Magica.
STORY - 7/10
Flip Flappers is a show about the Umwelt. The Umwelt is a theory proposed by a scientist named Uexkull (people who have watched the first few episodes of Flip Flappers may recognize Uexkull as the name of Cocona’s pet rabbit). This theory states that perception of reality is different for every given organism, and that each interpretation of the same experience is just as correct as the next. This show takes the seemingly abstract and advanced concept of Umwelten and makes it much more accessible and fun by presenting us with a story about two magical girls who have the ability to jump into these realities created by other people’s interpretations of their surroundings.
Now, what sets Flip Flappers apart from other magical girl anime is the fact that, after jumping into these Umwelten (called “Pure Illusion” in the show), what our characters do has a clear effect on the “real” world after they leave. Large amounts of the story are told through symbolism, and the viewer has to be paying full attention in order to get the full experience. For the first eight episodes, very little plot development actually occurs, or, at least, very little that is immediately visible. The final arc harkens back to everything that has happened thus far, and has the potential to catch the viewer by surprise if they got too used to the idea of being drip-fed a story. Flip Flappers draws influences from, parodies, and gives not-so-subtle nods to (some would even say “rips off”) Evangelion, Mad Max, Code Geass, Gurren Lagann, Alice in Wonderland, and Nausicaa, to name a few. I won’t try to defend these influences due to the fact that they didn’t bother me. The story was still a good one, and that was what mattered.
There are many theories as to what deeper meanings may be concealed within Flip Flappers’ eccentric plot. One of the more obvious points is the fact that, as the story goes on, it becomes more and more apparent that Cocona and Papika are in love with each other. As Cocona struggles to come to terms with her sexuality, she is eventually forced to confront an over-protective mother who is less than pleased that her daughter is a lesbian.
Additionally, Pure Illusion has been compared to the Dantean model of Hell by some, as various characters in the show state that Pure Illusion has layers, much like Dante’s model. Symbols of Hell and similar concepts such as the Thinker statue, the Drowning of Ophelia, and a literal vision of eternal damnation populate the show’s early episodes. Now, as I said, I’m not going to try and defend the show’s supposed philosophical value. But I will state that the entire series is very open to interpretation, almost as though it is the viewer’s own Umwelt. I can’t say whether or not this is intentional, but it’s very enjoyable either way.
The show can be divided logically into two halves. As previously stated, the first half is about Cocona and Papika’s relationship, and is very episodic. Some of the episodes suffer pacing issues, but nothing too dramatically awkward happens. Following the girls’ ninth trip into Pure Illusion, the plot finally kicks in and the show starts to feel more deconstructive, or at least much darker and more mature. Similar to how the Harry Potter books get progressively darker to reflect Harry’s maturing, Flip Flappers does the same as Cocona finally comes to terms with her sexuality. This is what has awarded the show with the most criticism: the ending. However, it didn’t bother me, because I saw it coming all along.
ENJOYMENT - 9/10
There’s not much to say here. I love this show. I would run home from school on Thursdays just to watch the latest episode, then lie down and ponder it for at least a good hour afterwards. I participated in drawing the great big thank you card that /a/ sent to the studio after the last episode.
OVERALL - 8/10
Flip Flappers is quite the enjoyable ride, for someone willing to keep an open mind and accept the show for what it is. It’s unique and pretty, if nothing else. Give it a try, and see if it suits your taste. If you aren’t sold by episode 5, it’s probably not going to be worth your time. But if you’re looking for something equal parts tender and intricate, this is a perfect choice.
