FLCL

Weird. Really weird. At least that’s what I thought when I finished watching FLCL or also known as Fooly Cooly or Furi Kuri in Japanese. I was wondering and curious to know about this show because I read somewhere that this series got some top spot in some whatever-that-award-name-is in the USA and Japan. It seems a lot of people really do like it. So I had to really see it for myself to find out what it’s all about.

 

Yes there is a comedy element but it’s in a weird sense just like Suzumiya Haruhi No Yuutsu. Probably weird and funny go hand in hand and mean the same thing. Plus, there’s a mecha factor in this series. I’m not to fond of the mecha genre but I suppose decided to go ahead and watch because it’s only 6 episodes long. Yup, that’s right. Only half a dozen episodes. Even so, at some points (maybe most at points), I find the story a little hard to understand what’s going on and had to replay that scene over again just to grasp a little. Because there’s this mecha factor in it, this series has a little science fiction element and the rest are of course, drama. Be wary though. It’s not for little kids because there are a few sexual innuendos but short of what I could classify it as being ecchi.

 

The storyline is about this unlucky kid, Naota Nandaba. His big bro has left for America to become some baseball player and because of that, his bro’s girlfriend, Mamimi Saejima (has that uncanny resemblance to Osaka of Azumanga Daioh), is ‘left behind’. Thus she’s sending mix signals and advances on Naota who’s younger than her. Since Naota isn’t the perverted type (because he’s a bit cynical), he doesn’t really know what to do with her and she really does stick to him (but not like a leech). And well, his life takes another turn for the worse when something weird happens to him. So what is the weird thing? Continue reading the spoilers…

 

Episode 1

Naota and Mamimi under some bridge with the former doing his homework (at such a place?) while Mamimi practices her baseball swings when she then send some mix signals to Naota like hugging him from the back and kissing/blowing his cheeks. Okay, so it starts off like this already. But it isn’t so bad. Mamimi says that she needs to do it or else she’ll overflow. Okay, sounds that bad. We then see some huge strange factory which looks like a giant iron, and Naota narrating "Smoke that’s blown out everyday at the same time seems like an ominous signal. That smoke disperses out and covers the town".

 

Later, Mamimi passes Naota a can drink when suddenly a mad girl riding a vespa, Haruko Haruhara (looks a bit like Sakura of Naruto), collides into Naota. Of course at that impact, Naota’s unconscious. As Mamimi approaches him, Haruko warns not to touch him. Haruko calls him Taro while Mamimi denies everytime she calls him that. Haruko’s in a panic and thought she had killed him and decides to revive him through mouth-to-mouth CPR. Mamimi is in shock. I like this slo-mo camera angles for this part when Mamimi’s in shock, zooming in and out. Reminds you of like The Matrix. When Naota comes to, Haruko saying it’s a good thing he isn’t Taro because if he was, it would’ve been dangerous and be dead for sure. I don’t really get it. Now Haruko’s got a weird personality and probably why the series is weirdly funny.

 

Haruko then uses her electric guitar and hits it on Naota before shaking him! Pass out round 2. She wants to hit him again when Mamimi grabs him away. Naota comes to again and asked what she has done. But Haruko says goodbye and left on her vespa quickly. What a way to make an exit. But they’ll be meeting again.

 

At home, Naota notices a bump on his head and puts a band aid on it. Next day at school, his friends, Gaku Manabe, Masashi Masamune and Eri Ninamori, are bugging him and saying about some vespa woman that if you get stung by her, an evil sign will appear if you do bad things. They think Naota did something perverted as they want to see what’s underneath that band aid. As usual, Naota denies everything. After school, Naota decides to go to hospital and on his way, he met Haruko at the crossroad. Remembering his previous encounter with her, Naota runs away before she finishes blabbing about the bump on his head.

 

At the hospital, Naota is being attended by a nurse who says that it’s Flictonic Cliple Weber Syndrome (AKA FLCL), a stress induced skin condition (I wonder if it’s true). If a child pushes himself too hard, he’ll grow a horn. Naota says he never heard of such thing (so do I) when he looked up only to see Haruko! Yeah, she’s impersonating as the nurse. She’s gonna smash him with the guitar again! Whoops. She barely misses as the bed and the surroundings gets destroyed. Naota runs out of the hospital.

 

Back at home and during dinner time, Naota is surprised to find Haruko with his dad and grandpa. So now she knows where he lives. She’s better than a stalker! So this next scene is a bit messy because it’s like a manga storytelling scene with lots of blabbing and words in it which I didn’t get. Eventually, Naota’s dad too gets hit by Haruko. Some talk of fooly cooly as they find out about that mouth-to-mouth incident. Before you know it, Naota’s dad hires Haruko as their housemaid for grandpa. Great. That’s what Naota just needs.

 

In Naota’s room, Naota and Haruko talked about what’s under the band aid and some other talk which annoys Naota. Since he has no place to sleep (Haruko’s sleeping on his bed because Naota earlier said she can’t touch his big bro’s bed), he heads downstairs. He finds his dad there and chats with him. Naota realized that Mamimi has been at his place earlier on and rushes off to the bridge. I’m thinking that Mamimi’s homeless and her dwelling place is under that bridge. Like a troll. I wonder why Naota or his dad wants to take her in. What about her own family? Dunno.

 

Anyway Naota finds her smoking there (another bad habit picked up during those younger days) and they had some talk. As usual some mixed signals and moves from Mamimi. Meanwhile Haruko’s going through Naota’s personal things and jokingly says how she got no respect for people’s privacy. Now the weird part begins. Mamimi is in pain and says she’s gonna overflow and collapses. At the same time, Naota’s horn grows into a mecha and a… robot hand?! Haruko then leaves on her vespa.

 

That mecha, Kanchi and that robot hand battle it out mecha style. Naota is confused on what’s going on when Haruko arrives and smashes Kanchi with her guitar. Naota saying to himself that for a second there, Haruko resembled his brother. The next day, Naota’s bump is gone and so is the horn. He and Mamimi meets as she hands him a can drink and he tells her how he doesn’t like sour drinks. So if you find this episode is weird, wait till you see the rest.

 

Episode 2

Mamimi waits outside Naota’s school as the latter asks what she’s doing. Looks like she’s trying to look at something at him but Naota keeps avoiding. Naota’s buddies watching and teasing him like saying how that older girl is his wife. Eri then says how uncool it was and isn’t too amused by it. Later, Naota is being diagnosed by Haruko as she says there’s nothing unusual. Nothing unusual? Now there’s a horn sticking out from the back of Naota’s head! Yeah, he’s blaming her too with that vespa and guitar smashing incident. Some blabbings like how the robot can take x-ray of his skull. Haruko seems to be toying with Naota by playfully poking him with his guitar.

 

Next morning, Naota’s dad is using Kanchi to move things and Naota isn’t too amused by it. Soon they both argue. Dad goes on blabbing about all those technical stuffs. Then Naota spots Mamimi under the bridge playing a portable video game. Naota asks her what she’s doing when she’s supposed to be in high school. She says she’s playing with Ta-kun the black cat when her shoes floated away in the river. With that Naota leaves.

 

Haruko riding her vespa when her scarf covered her face. When she manages to see again, she crashes into the big factory. Two policemen investigates her vespa as Haruko just sits there watching them do their stuffs. A perverted officer examining the vespa is looking under Haruko’s short skirt when Naota arrives and steps on him and tells him isn’t he embarrassed to act like that. That officer is annoyed and asks if Naota is Haruko’s brother. Naota denies and mentions that he’s just her guardian. He then asks Naota to get lost as they’re working here but Haruko says this isn’t a place to work because there are no doors to get in and out. Must be referring to the factory. She took her tools and proceeded to fix her vespa. Haruko says Naota came here for her (with that smirk on her face) and says she’ll give him a reward better than CPR.

 

Mamimi under that bridge spots Kanchi and follows him to dilapidated house. As Kanchi climbs on top of the house filled with crows perching on it, while stretching its arms and some small power blast (?!), scaring the crows away. Kanchi then flies to the sky as Mamimi watches in awe and says it’s a God. Meanwhile, Naota riding with Haruko on her vespa and she’s riding it real recklessly and dangerously, weaving in and out. Don’t ever imitate this. Of course it’s natural for Naota to be scared and worried.

 

At night at Naota’s place, Mamimi telling about that Kanchi incident. Then a blazing bright light from above which is actually Kanchi, landing. Mamimi is like in ‘receiving God’ pose and in total awe. Seems that Kanchi’s actually running some chores for Haruko because the latter got annoyed when it bought her the wrong can drink. Looks like grandpa is dissatisfied too with the wrong stuffs Kanchi got. Haruko saying it’s useless and Naota mentioning how she broke it in the first place. Mamimi then tells Haruko that she shouldn’t do that because Kanchi’s a God. Haruko wondering what she’s talking about. Naota explains that it’s a video game that Mamimi played and how Kanchi resembles so much like it.

 

We then see Kanchi digging and finds a piece of red thing at that dilapidated place when Naota and his 3 friends arrive. They’re talking about some abandoned school being burned down. While walking across the bridge, Naota’s friend spots Mamimi drying herself. Naota looked in shock as the big factory gives off steam in the background. At night, Naota is walking behind Mamimi on the bridge when she dropped her portable video game. She then lights up a cigarette and continues walking. Naota narrating something about that game, Firestarter. Not that I really understand anything here.

 

Soon Naota spots a big fire across the river bank and notices Mamimi is missing. He remembers 6 years ago when a fire broke out at his elementary school and probably that’s how Naota’s brother saved Mamimi from the inferno. It’s the day they first met. Naota then finds Mamimi sitting in the middle of a ring of candles in front of that dilapidated house, which I think is that burnt school. Naota decides to return Mamimi’s dropped video game but she says she doesn’t need it anymore. She continues how she hates this place though it’s burned down, the wreckage and ash still remains. Kanchi is there too searching for something. Mamimi stands up and walks toward Kanchi and asks it to bless her with its kiss.

 

Haruko is riding her vespa when Naota suddenly feels pain because the horn grows out from his head once again. And it’s bigger than before! Another giant robot emerges as it swings Naota towards Haruko, who arrived just in time. Naota crashes into her. Kanchi then engages in battle with that robot. Haruko is gonna smash that robot with her guitar but its long tentacles hits her away. She tries again but is being blasted away each time. Naota comes to and pushes Mamimi out of harm’s way. The robot is gonna smash them again when Kanchi revives and hits it away. Kanchi grabs Naota and eats him! What the? But it seems that devouring made Naota ‘merged’ with Kanchi and now he has powered up. Some terror transformation as seen here into a giant canon as he blasts that robot. Haruko takes her guitar and hits it when a large explosion occurs. Kanchi spits Naota out when it’s over. The police soon arrives and Haruko tells them to get out of here but Naota and Mamimi staring at each other. You know that take a picture because it lasts longer saying? Naota narrates how he decided to stay by Mamimi’s side forever, what he could do for her as he doesn’t care where the lies end or the truth begins anymore. So another robot growing out from Naota and I find it amusing that Haruko likes to use her guitar as her weapon. It must be really tough and indestructable, don’t you think?

 

Episode 3

We see Eri in some car driven by her dad’s secretary. From the look of things, it seems her parents are in some sort of scandal and trouble. The secretary seems to like Eri’s maturity in handling such matter. Naota wakes up due to Haruko noisily fixing her vespa. Yeah, lots of exhaust fumes. He’s annoyed when she doesn’t respond when he calls her. She finally does when Naota calls her an alien and tells her to clean up the mess in his room. The vespa backfires emitting more smoke. Kanchi is seen doing housework. Boy, this robot is useful. It can do chores and fight evil robots too. Naota’s gonna leave when Haruko grabs him from behind and holding on to him. He tries to get away desparately as Haruko’s teasing him. She says she’s gonna buy him curry for supper, which Naota hates. Naota breaths a heave of sigh.

 

At school, Naota being ticked off by Eri when he’s late for some rehearsal. She tells him that he’s got the role of playing as a cat (?!) and warns him not to be late again. Some lecture of cats in class amd spacing out from Naota. The teacher is causing some funny fuss when some students aren’t paying attention and being noisy (she looked like a psycho when she saw that magazine). Later, Mamimi in a cat costume, is taking pictures of herself with Naota under the bridge. Some blabbing about school plays when Mamimi accidentally knocks off Naota’s hat. Uh oh. You know what. Now there are 2 cat-like ears on his head. First horns, now cat ears. Mamimi couldn’t resist playing with it and saying how cute it is. I suppose Naota just let her do what she please because he’s just sitting there and letting her fiddle with his cat ears.

 

Meanwhile Kanchi putting together that red piece, hidden in some closet when Haruko asks it to do some laundry as she leaves on her vespa. At the same time, many reporters seem to be waiting for somebody outside a house. It must be Eri’s because she’s watching them from afar behind a post. At the subway station steps, Eri is sitting alone and saying to herself how she’s got no home to go back to when Naota spots her, much to her surprise. He asks her about if there’s anything major happening at her house since there’re lots of reporters there. Eri says she doesn’t care as Naota tells her not to worry and also that he’s waiting for someone. When Eri asks who, he replies his housekeeper. You know who lah. Haruko arrives in high speed, toppling all the vehicles she zooms pass. Exaggerated. But a cat appears in front of her path as she swerves to avoid it. She loses control and once again her vespa hits Naota as he flies away towards Eri. And all in good timing and position, Naota’s lips met with Eri’s! Wah! So you could still consider that Naota kissed Eri and then bumps her head. Eri comes to and saw Naota’s cat ears. Curiosity kills the cat as Eri is gonna touch it when Haruko tells her not to but too late. Eri asks what’re those and obviously Haruko is toying with her like saying that could possible be cat ears. Yeah. Then Eri’s stomach becomes painful and soon faints. Haruko then teases her by saying how she told her not to touch it and thus this isn’t her fault.

 

At Naota’s home, everyone including Kanchi is having a curry meal. Naota and grandpa don’t really like it while dad is eating everything like a glutton. What about Eri? She’s eating it cooly. Eri then saw Kanchi and asks what it is as dad replies it’s their tv. Eri wonders why it’s walking and dad has another answer. It’s their tv walkman. Uh-huh. Dad finds out from Naota that Eri too got run over by Haruko’s vespa, much to his surprise but Eri says it isn’t a big deal. Dad offers Eri to stay over at their place because of her parent’s scandal. Another no big deal answer from Eri. I think it must be the curry because Eri experiences stomach discomfort as she rushes to the toilet.

 

Looks like Eri is staying here for the night and is wearing Naota’s pyjamas in his room, which are too short for her. Naota finds out she wears glasses but she tells him it’s contacts and this will be their secret and to keep it that way from everyone in school. He agrees and asks her not to hang around him for awhile starting tomorrow. Eri asks if tonight is okay then as she sits close to him. Naota getting embarrassed but Eri says what she meant wasn’t in that way. Naota asks her to go home as this this is weird. Eri responds that the weird things are his cat ears. Naota is surprised and asks if she had seen them as Eri relates that earlier incident. We find out that Eri rigged the votes to play the lead role and Naota got the cat because people won’t suspect that the class president (Eri) did it. Looks like Haruko’s eavesdropping on their conversation from the top bunker all this while but says she doesn’t care what they say. Then it seems Haruko and Eri are engaging in some catty argument like Haruko saying how Eri had blackmailed Naota into making him play the cat role and doing such a thing isn’t nice. Haruko then pats and scratches Naota’s cat ears, much to his annoyance.

 

Naota is awakened by Haruko’s kiss (gasp!) at their school rehearsal and Kanchi’s there too. He doesn’t want to do the play and wants to go home. Eri doesn’t allow him and the 2 argue. Naota knocks off Eri’s hat and in retaliation, she knocks off his too, revealing his cat ears. Everyone is surprised when Naota shouted how Eri cheated to get the lead role. Suddenly, Naota’s cat ears disappear and they grow instead on Eri’s head. Not only that, they grow into yet another mecha and it possesses Eri. Okay, remains me like some creature from Half-Life. As usual Kanchi fights with this new mecha and Haruko whacks it with her ukelele but it broke. Yeah, Haruko saying it in a funny tone that the ukelele’s no good. I suppose it’s better to stick with her usual guitar. Haruko then tells Kanchi to let’s get out of here and whistles for her vespa. Okay, so now her vespa is like a horse and responds to her calling too. Haruko and Kanchi runs to the rooftop with that mecha holding on to Naota as it chases them. Haruko takes her electric guitar and whacks that mecha as they battle further. Naota gets flung away during the heated battle and crashes into somebody’s parked car. Kanchi then eats Naota and once again he powers up into that red canon. That mecha got a tummy ache and is rushing to the restroom (Naota’s curry lunch spilled into it earlier on. The curry’s that bad, huh?). With that the canon blasts it away as Mamimi watches the explosion afar from that bridge.

 

Later, Naota narrating how Eri’s dad wasn’t prosecuted and didn’t get a divorce. We see Eri doing her play when her classmates asks her about her glasses at the backstage. Eri turns to them and says that they are fake. Is she saying that she’s a megane freak then? Dunno. So this episode is mainly on Eri and Mamimi didn’t make much of an appearance here. Plus, I wonder if everybody remembers about that mecha incident which grew out of Eri instead of Naota this time. Maybe they thought it was just a bad dream after all.

 

Episode 4

Haruko is playing baseball and beating some team flat. Of course that team isn’t too happy about it and is dreading about the whole thing. It’s Naota’s turn. He just stood there not hitting the ball once. With that, he gets hit by Haruko’s dead ball. Kanchi is seen picking up balls and is also playing. The team is impressed with Kanchi and thinks that they’ve got a chance. Before Haruko leaves on her vespa, she tells Naota that he must hit the ball before anything happens. Naota looking puzzled at what Haruko just said.

 

Back home, Naota spots his dad giving Haruko a body massage. Well, it looked like some ahem ahem… I mean those ambiguous sounds with all that moaning. Makes your imagination go wild. But Naota just leaves the room. Outside, he’s hitting some vending machine with a bat when some guy, Amaro told him not to hit it with a bat, but a bagel if he were to do so. The 2 have some chat at a bakery but Naota’s being silent. Before he leaves, He told him to quit fooling around with older women. Naota saying to himself grown ups here are really stupid. Be careful. You’ll be one too in the future.

 

After a short meeting with Mamimi at that bridge, Naota heads home and it seems Haruko offers to coach baseball to him. Then at some secret HQ, members of the department of interstellar immigration, one of them being Kitsurubami, seems to be reporting on some damage after some attack. Looks like a satelite coming down. Naota wakes up in the middle of the night to find Haruko’s not in her bed. He peaks into a a room where sounds of Haruko and his dad are coming from. Yup, some ambiguous talk there. When Haruko’s eyes met with Naota’s, a beam appears on his forehead (as though like he’s been shot) and he felt pain. That department then picks up a marker beacon and supervisor Amaro seems to know of something happening there. Umm… this Amaro guy has got such thick eyebrows and his department staffs can’t help stare at it or be disgust at it.

 

Next day, Naota and Mamimi together at that bridge when Haruko comes by and tells Naota the game is about to start. Natota says he’s not playing but when Haruko mentions that some Lord Canthi is playing, Mamimi gets excited and eager to go see the game as she hitch a ride on Haruko’s vespa. Naota goes back home and has a word with his dad. He heard that his dad and Haruko are like in a ‘mouth to mouth’ relationship. And then there’s some weird happenings and distorted visions which I don’t really get. Naota’s dad seems drunk and/or insane. Then Naota whacks his head with a bad and we see a pool of blood on the floor. Naota in shock over what he has done. Did he just killed his dad?

 

At the baseball match, Haruko is playing the match cooly when a blimp passes over them and announces a state of emergency for the entire area and directs all citizens to evacuate immediately. Meanwhile Naota is being interrogated by Amaro as he’s spelling out all the details about Naota, his family and records. Naota says he didn’t hit anyone and only accidentally hit the tv. Some more interrogating talk as Naota keeps mentioning how Haruko’s not involved in all this. Amaro says he’s jealous of them being so close.

 

At home, Naota’s dad still unconscious and Naota is shocked to find a dead person in his closet as he runs for his life. Yeah, some more weird scenes. We then see Mamimi is sitting on top of Kanchi’s head on some electrical grid chanting some weird stuffs. So some back and forth between the scenes of Naota’s interrogation and him back home with his dad who is now conscious and telling him how Haruko just wanted to use his head, literally. Just then, Haruko bursts in on her vespa and runs over his dad and at the same time, decapitated his head. Bloody violent. Naota’s initially in total shock but it’s revealed that his dad is just a mechanical puppet. When Naota asks what is she, Haruko says she’s the illusion of youth in the heart of his childhood days (whatever that means). He tells her that a satelite is approaching (just like that Amaro guy asked him to tell her so).

 

Back at the HQ, some talk about Haruko by those staffs like how she engineered this situation to disrupt negotiations between them and some Medical Mechanica and she’d destroy this town to achieve her goals. So it’s getting complicated as well. Haruko brings Naota on her vespa to the top of that factory and it seems Naota’s forehead is blinking. There, she reaches into Naota’s forehead and pulls out a giant red guitar. What the?! Then a satelite is seen entering the atmosphere. Mamimi watching it in awe. Kitsurubami is also watching it and saying how Naota’s got no chance at all. Naota is holding the guitar and is being hugged from behind by Haruko as she tells him just do it the way she taught him.

 

Then the satelite transforms (more like mutating) into a giant baseball and is approaching real fast. Naota is still indecisive when he hits it with the guitar. The giant baseball seems like it’s gonna explode when Haruko arrives and helps by hitting it with her guitar as the department people and Mamimi are still watching in awe. The giant baseball exploded like a nuclear blast so powerful that it was sent flying back into outer space. The next thing you know, Naota is sleeping as Haruko rides him back on her vespa. Yeah, Haruko’s laughing like mad. Back at the HQ, Kitsurubami seems to confirm that the bomb has achieved escape velocity and is entering satelite orbit. Amaro isn’t too happy as 1 of his thick eyebrows drops off and Kitsurubami saw that and gets the shock of her life. Too disgusting. I suppose with the introduction of Amaro and this department, things will get further complicated. Looks like they have something to do with Haruko.

 

Episode 5

This episode starts off with Haruko and Naota playing some survival game in a field with long grass. Reminds you like one of those war movies. Then a change of scene whereby Naota and grandpa are watching tv when Naota’s dad comes crashing in causing havoc and mayhem to the place. He says he and Haruko are playing as the latter shoots him with fake bullets. Naota gets irritated and goes to his room only to find Haruko in a towel. Some weird blabbings about boyfriends and guitars, and Haruko occassionally shooting at Naota with her guitar like a machine gun.

 

Not sure how during the mayhem, Haruko ends up on top of Naota on his bed and she’s asking him to show her how he used the guitar like before, though he says he isn’t interested. Suddenly a guitar-like horn grows out from the back of Naota’s head, jacking him up so much so his lips met with Haruko’s. Didn’t see that one coming. Naota’s dad saw this and is in shock. Yeah, you could see his face change into many different colours. Naota denies everything and says it’s a misunderstanding but Haruko seems to be saying ambiguous things. Dad can’t tolerate it anymore and screams as he can’t believe his son did those things behind his back (what’s the difference with himself, right?). Thus he challenges Naota to a duel, which Haruko gladly accepts.

 

So that’s how the gun survival game came to as the scene shifts back to it. Haruko saying and rubbing on Naota ambiguously so much so it made Naota’s dad jealous as he fires on him. Mamimi on the other hand is watching from the bridge above. Then, Kitsurubami takes out some gun from her car and aims at them while Amaro blabs. Naota seems to get hit by all the traps and he’s asking Haruko to help him but she seems uninterested as she’s just lying there. Kanchi, who is on dad’s team, engages in a gun battle with Naota. Kitsurubami then starts firing as Haruko takes her guitar and hits it back at her till her car exploded. Such precision. A truck appears and bangs Naota and Kanchi as the latter got Naota cornered when Naota says time out and he’s got no ammo left. Naota finds out that it’s his 3 buddies that is driving the truck and they’re doing deliveries as part time job. When they ask what Naota’s doing, he replies it isn’t what they think and tells Kanchi to get some drink, in which it flies away to do so. So did the game end there?

 

Naota’s friends tell him if he’s heard of the rumour of him saving town from the satelite and that he’s also controlling robots. Naota blushes but his body language seems to indicate a yes. His friends are in awe when Haruko jumps on him. Naota’s friends thought he’s kissing her. Meanwhile Naota’s friend gives Eri a water gun as a prize he bought for her. She says it’s beautiful while she looks at it, she spots Mamimi at a distance on a bridge. Haruko waves to Mamimi but the latter don’t look impressed. Naota looking worried.

 

Later, Naota’s 3 friends are discussing whether Naota’s in line with Mamimi. Then at the bridge, Mamimi and Naota are talking like she’s asking if he likes strong stuffs and Haruko. Why is she asking that? Because she said she saw it. Must be the kissing part. Naota replies that he’s not interested in Haruko and just how things got carried away. Meanwhile, Kitsurubami reports back to Amaro through her walkie-talkie that she has lost target (she’s in the river). Kanchi arrives and freaks her out. Amaro at some saloon also getting freaked out as some shampoo girl pours cold water on him. But when shampoo girls mentions about fooly cooly, a slight moment of pause between the 2 before Amaro kicks into high gear as he points his gun at her. It’s revealed that the shampoo girl is Haruko! What the? How did she? When did she? So some big talk here and there before a big gunfire ensued. Yeah, real messy gunfight.

 

Mamimi is pointing her gun on Naota, saying things like as though she’s jealous like when Haruko arrived, she can’t figure out when he got to be like this. Naota depicted like Kenny of South Park and asks if it’s bothering her and takes her hand and asks her to come with him. Kitsurubami meanwhile is still freaking out and telling Kanchi to stay away and is firing endlessly at it. At the same time, Amaro is still duking out with Haruko and the former saying that robot’s too dangerous and needs to take it out quickly or Medical Mechanica will take action. Amaro’s many clone henchmen-in-black appears and they all fire at Haruko making the entire scene messy and clutter with bullets. Amazingly, Haruko must have watched the Matrix because she dodges all of them and even manages to fire back. More henchmen comes in as she fires using her guitar. Lots of exaggerated gunfight and explosive action so much so in the end, all the henchmen are down and Amaro and Haruko are the only ones left standing. Those guys are useless.

 

Natota is taking Mamimi’s hands running towards somewhere. Some talk about if Naota likes Haruko which of course he denies. Naota tries to prove this as he attempts to kiss Mamimi but she avoids. He then says why is she doing this and thought she liked him. Mamimi in a little shock. Back at Amaro-Haruko showdown, more gunfight action as Haruko is firing like mad. Also, it seems Kitsurubami isn’t afraid of Kanchi anymore when it offers her a helping hand. See, not all robots are evil.

 

Suddenly Naota’s forehead juts out a horn, just missing Mamimi by inches like a gunshot. As expected, it grows into a big monster. Everyone in town watched in horror. Amaro (who’s lost his eyebrows) saying to Haruko how they’re all doomed and it’s her fault. She chides him and says it has nothing to do with her. A small horn than grows out of Amaro’s forehead as Haruko plucks it out and tells him Naota is more manly than him and leaves. Amaro looking sad and says what’s so great about that kid and is he still a loser. Haruko flying and riding her guitar in a bunny playboy suit while she attacks the monster. Mamimi is scared and is calling for Naota’s brother to come rescue her. Naota then says that it’s gonna be him who’s gonna save her as he calls for Kanchi. Naota gets swallowed by Kanchi and powers up.

 

Haruko is still battling with the monster and soon rides on the red Kanchi as it transforms into a canon as it blasts the monster. During that, Mamimi falls off. Kanchi swoops down to save her and drops her off on Naota’s friends’ truck. Some more blasting which wrecks havoc on the town. But then Haruko runs out of ammo and the monster is heading towards the factory and is gonna activate it. Amaro could only watch in horror when Kanchi pulls out some 1961 Gibson electric guitar from his head and smacks the monster. Another smack sends it flying. Soon the town is shrouded in pink smoke. Parts of the monster is scattered as it falls here and there over the town. One of them fell on Naota’s dad who is coming out of the river (poor guy). Another one just right at the Mamimi and Naota’s 3 friends’ feet. That piece soon transforms back into Naota. Haruko steps on him and is staring with those lovey-dovey eyes at Kanchi saying "Atomsk". And about that monster, it becomes a giant hand next to the factory.

 

So I suppose this episode sees the relationship between Naota and Mamimi getting a little strained. Is that boy having feelings for Haruko even though he doesn’t admit it? I thought he wants to stay be Mamimi’s side forever. Maybe that’s in the past. However, I find that the drawing quality in this particular episode isn’t really good as it the lines are too simple and felt like a rush job. But I like the South Park parody drawing part, especially Amaro’s part. It’s hilarious. Oh, I also find that wanted poster of Haruko and Kanchi to be funny because it is a picture of Haruko smiling and sticking her finger in her nose! Hahaha.

 

Episode 6

In class, the teacher is teaching how to use chopsticks to her students (?!) and she herself is having a hard time using it. Naota is spacing out, looking depressed and leaves the classroom. He’s narrating since that day where that monster hand covered the town in white smoke, people can’t see the sky or stars. He further adds "Can’t go anywhere… Giant hand telling them to stay here forever". He also wonders if Haruko and Kanchi managed to get out into the outside world after they’ve disappeared from this place.

 

At HQ, Amaro and Kitsurubami are talking about the hand and wonders if it’ll grab it among other blabbings. Amaro then says that they need to find it before the factory starts up. At the same time, Kitsurubami chokes on some… poison water?! Or maybe she heard something surprising from Amaro. Meanwhile, Mamimi is calling out Naota’s name and searching for him when a bike zooms by and splashes a puddle of water on her. Naota and his 3 friends are passing by when they saw Mamimi down at the bridge. Naota just left depressed without saying anything as his pals are wondering why. Mamimi is smoking and spacing out when she spot some weird 4 legged mechanical creature as it appears out from the river. It started moving when Mamimi approaches close to it and comments it’s an energetic one.

 

Naota bumps into Amaro at the construction site amd the latter tries to talk some sense into him. He tells him Haruko’s real name is Rahal and she wants a man named Atomsk who posses fantastic powers so much so that he can steal planets. Therefore, he’s also known as Pirate Lord. Atomsk had fallen into Medical Mechanica’s clutches so Rahal has come to this planet to rescue him because she’s in love with him. Over to Mamimi, she’s playing with her handphone when that 4 legged creature stole it and plays with it. Mamimi tells it to stop and it listens. She then changed her mind and allows it to go ahead and eat it, which it does. She then says that it must do her a favour in return, that is, to become her Ta-kun.

 

Back home, Naota (with thick eyebrows?!) is sitting forlornly on his bed. Later as he heads down for dinner, the scene changes into that messy manga style just like in episode 1 as Naota spots Haruko sitting there with dad and grandpa. They both argue on some topic about taking a vacation and other stuffs and more fooly cooly terms. Haruko takes her guitar and smackes Naota. Soon all of them starts fighting and the house is in havoc. Later that night while sleeping, Naota asks who is she really and where is she from. Haruko teases him and asks if he’s in love with her. Naota isn’t too amused though he’s blushing (must be true). Haruko tells him she came back to see him and that’s the truth. He asks if she’s going away and she replies if he wants to come with her. Naota wonders why she’s being awfully nice to him today and Haruko responds because he’s still a kid. Naota gets teary and hugs her. He seems worried from the way he says things.

 

At an abandoned building, Mamimi brings something to eat for her Ta-kun while Haruko giving Naota a ride on her vespa.  At school, Naota’s 3 friends discussing that Naota may have eloped with Haruko. Amaro and Kitsurubami in a car discussing about the outcome of Earth, Pirate Lord, etc. A lot is going on in this final episode. Mamimi is giving Ta-kun stolen handphones of other students as food. Haruko and Naota takes a break from their ride, eating some ramen and chats. Haruko says she’s got something she really wants badly from Medical Mechanica and they took it from her. Thus she is gonna get it back with Naota’s help. Mamimi now has Ta-kun on a leash and is searching for that bike who splashed the puddle of water on her. When she does, she orders Ta-kun to rip it apart real bad. Ta-kun gets a little bigger after devouring the bike. Then they’re off to find another one.

 

Eri spots the vespa and caught glimpse of Haruko and Naota sleeping on the street bench together. She leaves them alone and goes away. Gaku and Masashi are telling each other about motorcycles and bicycles getting trashed when they saw Mamimi. Ta-kun is giant size now and is starting to attack the 2 guys but actually went for their truck. They could only watch in horror as Ta-kun devours their truck. I hope he has insurance. Then Naota’s teacher is seen talking to Naota’s dad at his home about his absence but dad blabs about some hamster thing. Hamtaro? Didn’t get this part.

 

Amaro and Kitsurubami are driving when suddenly Ta-kun appears and it’s going out of control, causing havoc over the town. Kanchi in some uniform disguise was there too. He merges with Ta-kun as they become monstrous and causing more havoc. Haruko is woken by that sound and instantly took Naota there. We see Amaro and Kitsurubami shooting their pee-shooter guns at Ta-kun but to no avail. Because of that Amaro is slightly injured from the attack. He then spots the vespa arriving and shoots them down. A confrontation between Amaro with Haruko and Naota. Amaro lectures Naota on things like not to trust Haruko, that he wants to save his family, friends and girlfriend, don’t let Haruko manipulate him, bla bla bla. But Naota turns away and walks toward Haruko. No use buddy. Naota’s on Haruko’s side. She hugs him and tells him to get her what she wants as she flings him into the air and whacks him with her guitar. Naota flies into Ta-kun’s mouth as it becomes a crop circle symbol, activating something. Amaro watching in horror and saying they’re done for. Haruko tells him that she doesn’t care what happens to this planet because she just wants Atomsk. Soon the giant hand grabs the factory and Amaro is being squashed…?!

 

Naota comes out from Kanchi’s mouth, now crimson red as he blasts that giant hand upwards, sending Mamimi flying in the air. Apparently Amaro isn’t really squashed yet because he’s watching and wonders has he give over the Pirate Lord’s power. Haruko gets furious and says Naota can’t have that power because that’s what she wants and it belongs to her. She repeatedly whacks super Naota with her guitar and the 2 begin to fight. As Naota’s gonna deliver the final blow, he stops and transforms back to his normal self. Naota confesses that he loves Haruko and kisses her! So it’s confirmed, this boy is in love with the weird alien girl. Amaro is crying (not sure by jealousy or that we’re doomed thing). A giant Atomsk with wings grows out of Naota’s forehead and starts sucking everything. Just like the Wind Tunnel of Miroku’s from Inu Yasha. Soon it becomes a round red light and blasts away into space. Everything that was sucked fell back into place. Haruko then saying to Naota that thanks to him, she’s lost that bastard again (yes she did said that). She asks if he wants to come with her then says maybe not because it wouldn’t work out as he’s still a kid. Naota looking spaces out and depressed as Haruko flies off in her vespa chasing after Atomsk. So now that bike can fly.

 

Naota picks up the guitar from the rubble as he stares into the sky. Mamimi who came out from underneath the rubble saw Naota in that pose and took a photo of him. In the end, Naota narrates how Mamimi left school to become some pro photographer and he doesn’t know what became of her as she bid him farewell. Looks like Mamimi has decided to move on with her life. Naota and his 3 friends are having their usual chat amd Eri is saying how Naota’s still a kid when he says he still can’t drink bitter stuff. Finally, Naota says "Nothing out of the ordinary ever happens. It’s all just the same old, same old. I cross the bridge everyday, same as always, and seasons change in their time". We see Kanchi becoming Naota’s housekeeper doing some chores and a view of that guitar in Naota’s room. A parting gift left behind from Haruko?

 

Final Last Commenting Lines

Okay, I can’t believe I actually thought of that title as my overall conclusion. I still find the ending and the whole series to still be weird. I suppose they tied up and explained everything in the last episode, though I felt a little dissatisfied with the way things turned out. I mean, everything is back to normal as though as all of this has never happened at all. But generally, the ending’s quite okay though it feels a little sombre. I really didn’t expect Haruko to be some galactic Silver Surfer-like mission to find her love and I still don’t really know Atomsk true identity. Unless that last bit where Naota transforms is his true form. Why Haruko sees or choses Naota remains a mystery. Probably because of that first encounter with her vespa. As for the rest of the side and supporting characters of the series, I felt that they were just sufficient. Not that they really had an impact on the entire show, but just enough to lead the story to how it is.

 

Aside that, the drawing, art and animation seems old school since it’s a year 2000 production. In the sense that the colouring looks kinda mundane and sometimes the scenes are cluttered with whatever is is. But I suppose animes at that time are like that and it doesn’t seem to put the series down because it was a hit. Though there are only 6 episodes, there are tons and tons of trivias in each episode from mecha rip offs to other old anime parodies. So you really need to have a wide knowledge base and keep your eyes and ears peeled. Since I’m a blur case, I didn’t really spot that much. Only after when I read the trivia section of the series, then it made me go "Ah, I see. Why didn’t I noticed it before" or "Is it? I didn’t know that". With the latter being more obvious.

 

I’ve watched the versions without the opening theme songs and I later found out that each of the episodes have a different opening theme. However, all of the opening theme and the ending theme, Ride On The Shooting Star (the animation is a mix of real time and 2D animation riding through the view of a vespa), are sung by the group called The Pillows. They may sound like a sleepy group but rest assured, most of their songs are rock-like. Even the entire series’ soundtrack is sung by them. Speaking of which, out of the many insert songs, I like the one called Little Busters best. Yeah, it’s usually played when Naota or the mechas do battle. It really fits the atmosphere.

 

So the next time if you see a woman riding a vespa, think twice especially if she’s having a guitar in hand. Besides, I don’t think that there are many vespas in the world nowadays (though I could be wrong). And if you’re wondering what Furi Kuri really means, I too later found out that it’s an old Japanese slang and term which refers to the fondling of a woman’s breasts and butt. I’m not kidding!