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Rynnec Killing is my business Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Healthy, deeply-felt respect for this here Shotgun
Killing is my business
#151: Jun 25th 2018 at 5:54:30 PM

@Native Jovian: How would you go about explaining Haruko regaining her original haircolour after absorbing Jinyu?

@Zeromaeus: Can you summarize it for people who can't see or find the full ED? I didn't notice any differences in the version I watched.

edited 25th Jun '18 5:55:22 PM by Rynnec

"I'll show you fear, there is no hell, only darkness." My twitter
Zeromaeus Mighty No. 51345 from Neo Arcadia Since: May, 2010
Mighty No. 51345
#152: Jun 25th 2018 at 5:58:57 PM

Haruko seized Atmosk, but wasn't able to contain his power(?) . It sends lights shooting through space before splitting Jinyu out of Haruko. Atmosk then escapes back into space.

Mega Man fanatic extraordinaire
ThriceCharming Red Spade, Black Heart from Maryland Since: Nov, 2013 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Red Spade, Black Heart
#153: Jul 1st 2018 at 1:03:42 AM

Lunchtime!

Not gonna lie, this latest episode messed me up a little. I'm feeling a low-key version of the sense of wrongness and betrayal I felt when I watched Rebellion for the first time. It was sadistic in a way that FLCL normally isn't, and it turned Haruko, a fun lovable villain, into someone genuinely repulsive.

Like... it's pretty much confirmed now that she fucks her students, right? Ide wasn't making shit up to impress his friends? That "You don't satisfy me" business, and the suggestive pose they end up in after their fight, strongly implies that Haruko committed (at least) statutory rape. I know there were some hints to that effect in the original series too, but there things were vague enough that you could chalk it up to lol racy anime humor for teens. But here, it actually made me very uncomfortable. Is my mind in the gutter?

There's also the way Haruko's Balloon Belly sloshes as she moves around, and all the rubbing and moaning. Is it supposed to be hot that Jinyu is (probably) dead and being audibly digested? That's part of what I'm talking about when I say this episode is sadistic. I feel expected to enjoy Jinyu's humiliating death and the way the show fetishizes it.

I'm gonna keep watching, but I'll probably hate myself a little for it.

Is that a Wocket in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?
slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: Aug, 2015
The Head of the Hydra
#154: Jul 1st 2018 at 4:01:01 AM

Eh her behavior is the same as always.

She was pretty touchy feely with Naota way back when for one.

Same old Haruka.

Also the satisfied comment is clearly related to N.O. Shenanigans. Like seriously why the fuck would she fuck Ide? Yeah your minds in the gutter, get it out.

Edited by slimcoder on Jul 1st 2018 at 4:02:23 AM

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
kyun Since: Dec, 2010
#155: Jul 1st 2018 at 8:17:54 AM

K guys I did watch this but i had a MASSIVE headache and now I do not have the energy to comment on it even though there is a lot to say.

She didn't fuck Ide! They were caught into a compromising position and it was her way of getting her point across to him. I mean they had their clothes on and everything!

Edited by kyun on Jul 1st 2018 at 8:18:48 AM

ThriceCharming Red Spade, Black Heart from Maryland Since: Nov, 2013 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Red Spade, Black Heart
#156: Jul 1st 2018 at 9:18:31 AM

I meant before the first episode. Ide brags to his friends that he spent the night with "Miss Haruko." But if I really am seeing things, then that is a big relief. I didn't want to stop liking Haruko.

Is that a Wocket in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?
kyun Since: Dec, 2010
#157: Jul 1st 2018 at 10:51:53 AM

Pregnancy- Was Haruko's belly really pregnant, and if so, with what? Was it that she was digesting Jinyu? If she was, I would hazard a guess that that's not how them "combining" would work. Aren't they like the same being? In which case her body would accept Jinyu's as just another component of one body instead of a foreign material designed to ingest? And why did her belly go back to normal at the end of the episode?

This is only like 1/10 of every question I had with this episode.

Codafett Knows-Many-Things Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Waiting for you *wink*
Knows-Many-Things
#158: Jul 1st 2018 at 6:35:09 PM

[up] I think she was just digesting Jinyu and using it as a front to get out of class. Not that she has to trick anyone, with that hypnotism she's using.

I'm re watching episode 5 right now and I'm really digging Progressive. My only complaint is the same with FLCL; too short.

I was in a livewatch thread last night on the Imageboard that we all know and love and I just can't get some of these detractors. They demand the same thing as the original, while at the same time getting pissy that there are callbacks at all. Obviously it wasn't everyone but enough to make me raise my huge eyebrows.

I'm excited for how it's all going to end.

Find the Light in the Dark
slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: Aug, 2015
The Head of the Hydra
#159: Jul 1st 2018 at 6:38:58 PM

People are always gonna complain no matter how logical.

It happens to lets say "classic" shows suddenly getting new seasons after so long.

I've seen at least one detractor who makes these extremely gigantic long-winded posts & its very clear their just those fans who put the original show on a tremendous pedestal & assume their an all-knowing expert on it.

Edited by slimcoder on Jul 1st 2018 at 6:39:05 AM

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
Zeromaeus Mighty No. 51345 from Neo Arcadia Since: May, 2010
Mighty No. 51345
#160: Jul 1st 2018 at 6:44:02 PM

Eh. I'm pretty sure Haruko didn't have sex with Ide. Like 99.9% sure. I think the implication was supposed to be that she had tried to repeat Naota's success with Ide before the series started, but failed. Given that Ide put on the persona he does at school, he tried to make it seem like more than what Haruko's antics actually entail.

It's hard to tell what the deal with Jinyu is. I think it was just a full stomach gag being played off as a pregnancy from what was shown in this episode. Episode 6 will show if there's any more to it.

Gonna go on my own spin, and say that red hair guy's daughter is a robot. That brief flash of his wallpaper showing Canti and a robot sitting back to back in a lab really stood out to me for some reason.

For me, this isn't FLCL. Nothing is. But it feels like FLCL. If FLCL was a sour drink, this one is bittersweet.

Edited by Zeromaeus on Jul 1st 2018 at 9:45:30 AM

Mega Man fanatic extraordinaire
ThriceCharming Red Spade, Black Heart from Maryland Since: Nov, 2013 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Red Spade, Black Heart
#161: Jul 1st 2018 at 6:50:14 PM

Haruko's stomach jiggles and sloshes loudly as she moves around. She definitely isn't pregnant. In fact, it was obvious to me that she's using pregnancy as a cover.

Although.

Given that the show is full of things coming out of people, I wouldn't be surprised if she ends up "giving birth" to Jinyu. I don't think we've seen the last of her.

Is that a Wocket in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?
Zeromaeus Mighty No. 51345 from Neo Arcadia Since: May, 2010
Mighty No. 51345
#162: Jul 1st 2018 at 6:52:16 PM

She could always come back via someone's NO channel. Weirder things have happened.

Mega Man fanatic extraordinaire
kyun Since: Dec, 2010
#163: Jul 1st 2018 at 7:43:04 PM

... it is odd that we appear to have mainly two carriers of the N.O. power here instead of one like the original OVA had. If Ide was the main character, he'd serve the same role Naota did only with a different personality, age, and circle of friends. Hidomi seems to be totally a side character in Haruko's grand scheme, and Jinyu also another monkey wrench in the whole machine that was out of her hands. But now that her role appears to be done (and needless), I wonder if the story would've been more exciting if Ide was the central focus.

SO Haruko's goal this week was to harness a ton of N.O. power all at once at the amusement park to try and revive Atomsk (it works), and we'll see how that goes in the finale. I do wonder what the deal is with that old lady though.

You do NOT call Canti junk! Maybe now that he's a dog he'll have more of a role.

ThriceCharming Red Spade, Black Heart from Maryland Since: Nov, 2013 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Red Spade, Black Heart
#164: Jul 1st 2018 at 8:04:58 PM

Something I've been thinking about: when Jinyu and Haruko were talking about an unnamed "him" in the Medical Mechanica plant, are we sure they were talking about Atomsk? Might they somehow be talking about Naota?

Is that a Wocket in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?
BlackYakuzu94 CHADhan Player. from Easy Coast/NY Since: Jun, 2013 Relationship Status: Longing for my OTP
CHADhan Player.
#165: Jul 1st 2018 at 8:27:18 PM

It's pretty obviously about Atamosk.

A lazy millennial who's good at what he does.
NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#166: Jul 2nd 2018 at 8:20:12 AM

Ide's conversation with Haruko was definitely suggestive, but knowing FLCL it's almost certainly not literal. My best guess at this point is that it's about love in the emotional rather than physical sense. Haruko has the rest of the class hypnotized — they love her and everything she does unconditionally. I suspect that Haruko was giving Ide specifically the same treatment, trying to make him love her, but he's "not satisfied" with her all-take-no-give relationship.

That said, I absolutely wouldn't put it past Haruko to sleep with a kid if she thought it would advance her plans. Or if she just wanted to. FLCL has never suggested that Haruko is any kind of moral paragon.

As far as Haruko's Balloon Belly being a bulging stomach or a baby bump, I think it's deliberately ambiguous. They went back and forth between treating it like one or the other between scenes. We'll see if anything comes of it in the next episode, but I wouldn't be surprised either way.

As far as [up][up][up], I actually think that's backwards. Hidomi is the clear main character here, in terms of being more similar to Naota (his ennui vs her depression) and being more powerful. Ide doesn't have an exact parallel in FLCL original, but he's sort of a combination of Amarao (a functional, but smaller, NO channel) and Mamimi (in term of being the most important relationship for Naota/Hidomi).

Ultimately, I feel like this episode was mostly setup for the finale. Definitely interested to see what happens with Ide and dog-Canti at that space station or whatever.

Edited by NativeJovian on Jul 2nd 2018 at 11:22:41 AM

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
Soble Since: Dec, 2013
#167: Jul 2nd 2018 at 3:54:50 PM

Watched it once on a recording. I've got nothing this week.

Except the following 35 questions:

     

just kidding

So:

  • why or when did Hidomi turn into... Monster?Hidomi?
  • is Ide in space with the satellite or
  • did Medical Mechanica build a park that caused a bunch of people to overflow?
  • Haruko
  • Hey, scenes drawn in manga style!
  • What was this week's dream about?

And done.

I'M MR. MEESEEKS, LOOK AT ME!
Mullon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson
#168: Jul 2nd 2018 at 7:49:07 PM

I wish the entire series looked like the latest episode.

Never trust anyone who uses "degenerate" as an insult.
kyun Since: Dec, 2010
#169: Jul 2nd 2018 at 7:51:04 PM

We have confirmation that Progressive will rerun the week after it wraps, after which Alternative will start.

Rynnec Killing is my business Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Healthy, deeply-felt respect for this here Shotgun
Killing is my business
#170: Jul 2nd 2018 at 8:27:04 PM

That makes sense I suppose. Alt is supposed to start in September, and they don't have time to run a show in that slot without going behind schedule.

"I'll show you fear, there is no hell, only darkness." My twitter
TheAirman Brightness from The vicinity of an area adjacent to a location Since: Feb, 2011 Relationship Status: It's so nice to be turned on again
Brightness
#171: Jul 3rd 2018 at 7:31:06 AM

They could if they had another six-episode show/ova, such as, I don’t know, War in the Pocket.

PSN ID: FateSeraph Congratulations! She/They
NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#172: Jul 3rd 2018 at 9:37:32 AM

why or when did Hidomi turn into... Monster?Hidomi?
When she confronts Haruko in the end of the episode, she seems to be in a half-formed version of the power armor she summoned/created through her NO earlier in the series. I think we've only seen its full form in a dream sequence from the beginning of an episode (the first one?) but I'd have to double check to be sure.

is Ide in space with the satellite or
The answer seems to be "partially". When Hidomi saw Ide and Haruko in the pool, Hidomi's NO channel activated and sucked Ide in. The part that floated up into space is what was left over. My best guess is that Hidomi "ate" his heart/soul and what was left was an empty shell, but that the shell and the soul will have to be reunited in order to help Hidomi during the final confrontation.

did Medical Mechanica build a park that caused a bunch of people to overflow?
No, the Mr. Dodo guy is working with Old Man Eyepatch and Red Hat Dude to fight against Medical Mechanica. They used the park to try to build up enough NO to power their weapons and destroy the Medical Mechanica plant (the giant iron), but didn't collect enough NO and their attack failed.

Haruko
Excellent question. I have no idea.

Hey, scenes drawn in manga style!
That's not a question!

What was this week's dream about?
I... actually, what was this episode's dream? There's so much else going on in this episode that I've forgotten what the dream was. I'll have to rewatch it and get back to this one.

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
ThriceCharming Red Spade, Black Heart from Maryland Since: Nov, 2013 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Red Spade, Black Heart
#173: Jul 3rd 2018 at 2:11:25 PM

That said, I absolutely wouldn't put it past Haruko to sleep with a kid if she thought it would advance her plans. Or if she just wanted to. FLCL has never suggested that Haruko is any kind of moral paragon.

For me, liking FLCL hinges on liking Haruko. She may be a villain and a maniac, but I find myself rooting for her anyway because A) she's very funny; and B) I envy her audacity/confidence/zero-fuckitude. If she turns out to be an actual pedophile and not just a troll, the show becomes very difficult to stomach.

Is that a Wocket in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?
Soble Since: Dec, 2013
#174: Jul 3rd 2018 at 2:49:28 PM

[up] (2) Yeah in hindsight I probably should have worded those questions a bit differently. Alas.

I think I've turned off my thinking cap for this show by now.

When she confronts Haruko in the end of the episode, she seems to be in a half-formed version of the power armor she summoned/created through her NO earlier in the series. I think we've only seen its full form in a dream sequence from the beginning of an episode (the first one?) but I'd have to double check to be sure.

I'd have to check too. I figured it was the power armor but since when could Hidomi summon it at will? What changed this episode? It seemed like at one point she was holding Ide's... rubber shirt residue or whatever that was... and then the next we see her she's stomping towards Haruko, already partially-transformed.

And then Haruko seemed to have a nosebleed at the sight of her too... so [up] again, I'm having a hard time figuring out if she swings that way, or if this is just a visual gag.

This show gets off on being ambiguous.

The answer seems to be "partially". When Hidomi saw Ide and Haruko in the pool, Hidomi's NO channel activated and sucked Ide in. The part that floated up into space is what was left over. My best guess is that Hidomi "ate" his heart/soul and what was left was an empty shell, but that the shell and the soul will have to be reunited in order to help Hidomi during the final confrontation.

But then Hidomi blames Haruko for Ide getting eaten... so ok.

No, the Mr. Dodo guy is working with Old Man Eyepatch and Red Hat Dude...

...ohhhhhh.

Haruko

I meant to ask is she pregnant or just... swollen from eating Atomsk? But that's been discussed already.

what was this episode's dream

All I know is Hidomi didn't seem to have a radical change in personality this time, and while there wasn't any excessive gore or decay, the scenery was a lot darker.

Edited by Soble on Jul 3rd 2018 at 2:55:32 AM

I'M MR. MEESEEKS, LOOK AT ME!
NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#175: Jul 3rd 2018 at 4:14:26 PM

I figured it was the power armor but since when could Hidomi summon it at will? What changed this episode?
I don't think it's quite "at will" yet — she's slowly learning to control her NO (much like Naota did), but she isn't completely there yet. Presumably she'll figure it out just in time for the final confrontation (again, much like Naota).

And then Haruko seemed to have a nosebleed at the sight of her too... so again, I'm having a hard time figuring out if she swings that way, or if this is just a visual gag.
Haruko seems to be attracted to power regardless of physical qualities, which is why she's so obsessed with Atomsk (the most powerful being around, and also some kind of giant spacebird thing???), so the nosebleed was likely in response to seeing Hidomi with her NO channel active and (mostly) under control rather than anything else. You'll notice that she explains that she's not interested in Ide after he proves to be somewhat underwhelming in trying to attack her.

Honestly after seeing Haruko transform into an amorphous blob of glowing energy in order to eat Jinyu, I'm not convinced that her human body is her "real" form, so I hesitate to even use the normal labels of sexual orientation. If a blob of energy is attracted to a giant spacebird, what the hell is the name for that?

But then Hidomi blames Haruko for Ide getting eaten... so ok.
What set Hidomi off was seeing Haruko straddling Ide. That's what activated her NO channel (still not completely under her control) and got Ide's soul sucked up. It's not entirely unreasonable to blame Haruko for that, although I don't think she was trying to cause that.

All I know is Hidomi didn't seem to have a radical change in personality this time, and while there wasn't any excessive gore or decay, the scenery was a lot darker.
I rewatched it. The dream this time was the charcoal-drawing-esque thing of her building the outline of a person with random rocks and crap, in front of a man (the corpse of a man?) wearing a hardhat. Then the Medical Mechanica plant spews out a bunch of steam and washes her and the man away. There's a brief full-color shot of her lying asleep/unconscious in shallow water, then it goes back to black-and-white and she looks happy as she's running along the water's edge back toward the plant.

I... kinda got nothing, honestly. The man in the hardhat could be her missing father? The switch from monochrome to color and back suggests that there's another layer to all this. Notably, color-Hidomi has her cat-ear headphones, but she's not wearing them (they're in her hand), while they don't appear at all in the monochrome scene. When she wakes up, she's also not wearing them. Knowing FLCL that probably signifies something, but I'm not sure what it could be other than a general signal that she's growing out of them and no longer needs them as a crutch to maintain control.

In other news, I rewatched the last scene because half-mecha Hidomi is hype as fuck, and I noticed something I missed the first time around. The scene on the space station where the old lady feeds Canti's head some space junk? She actually fills the bowl with Ide (among other things). And Canti eats NO channelers in order to power himself for combat. I'm betting that Canti and Ide (Cantide?) are going to show up at the final battle as a team to help Hidomi deal with Haruko and/or Medical Mechanica.

Edited by NativeJovian on Jul 3rd 2018 at 7:20:44 AM

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.

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