robots, a whacked out school teacher and his self-center father and
grandfather. Eventually it turns out that Naota is the key for Haruko to try
to obtain Atomusuku, an energy containing space being/pirate, who is being
held captive by Medical Mechanica. But Naota has his own agenda and the
story ends with Atomusuku escaping from both Medical Mechanica and Haruko,
Haruko leaving to follow Atomusuku, and Naota being left to pick up his life
from the chaos left over from the aliens.
The story is told with at a breathtaking pace with great panache, incredibly
good and varied animation, a tremendous sound track, various levels of
humor, and references to all sorts of other animations. But this is much
more than just another "kid versus the aliens" story. What we have here is a
multi-level "coming of age" story about Naota. And the key to "coming of
age" in FLCL is sex.
Right from the beginning the story is about sex and Naota's reaction to
becoming a sexual being. Naota is struggling with the whole issue - he is
moody about how life is changing for him. He is no longer just the "little
brother" who hangs around with his big brother when he can. In fact, Naota
is really uncomfortable with being saddled with his big brother's
reputation, the expectation that he will do as well as his big brother, and
even his big brother's girlfriend. Mamimi incessantly flirts with and teases
Naota in the first episode. Naota's friends kid him about Mamimi with some
awe, but Naota isn't happy with the situation because Mamimi is "in charge"
of the relationship, which makes Naota still feel like a "kid brother".
====================================
chrysler pt cruiser в автосалоне ====================================
Naota sees "growing up" as being "noble", so he hides the photo of his big
brother and his new American girlfriend from Mamimi. But the photo is an
indication to Naota that his big brother has turned Mamimi "over to him", if
Naota can make the relationship become more equal.
Then Haruko comes along. She is even older than Mamimi, and is even more
overtly sexual. But not only just with Naota, but also with almost any other
man she is with. None-the-less, Naota is drawn by Haruko's sexuality, while
he is at the same time angry that Haruko also treats him as a child
alternately with pretending to find him sexy. Naota feels some sense of
"ownership" over Haruko and feels threatened by his father's interest in
Haruko. Naota realizes that he can't "compete" with his father and feels
that it is unfair because he met Haruko first.
Haruko has a continuously sexual influence over Naota, and this is
emphasizes by the phallic imagery surrounding the two of them. The "hit the
ball" scene in episode 4 with Naota, Haruko's guitar and the incoming
satellite is an orgasm allegory. When Naota finally hits the satellite he
"becomes a man", albeit with some help from Haruko. This change is
emphasized in episode five when, while Haruko is sitting and rubbing herself
====================================
Мешают волосы? www.lazerhouse.com.ua фотоомоложение это очень выгодное предложение. ====================================
on top of Naota, Naota gets an erection. Now, these two parts are not
gratuitous additions to the plot. Instead, they follow the tradition of
ancient royalty in which a prince had to demonstrate his ability as a man to
be "father of his nation" in order to move along the road to eventually be
declared king. Only after Naota has demonstrated his ability can Haruko's
plot come to fulfillment.
But Naota is not just a passive player in all this. He starts to try to
assert himself earlier on. Eri obviously likes Naota and goes out of her way
to be with him. She also teases him sexually - when she is over at his house
she kids him about "playing around" since she has her period and can't "get
in trouble". But Naota decides not to go along with this. ( Particularly
once Haruko pops up to put a damper on the mood. )
Naota starts to "feel his oats" with all this female attention, so by
episode 5 he is ready to "prove himself" and "be a man", as he tries to take
charge of and "protect" Mamimi. But Naota has totally misunderstood the
situation - Mamimi still wants his brother, not him. Undeterred, Naota goes
off to "save the day" and throws himself into the phallic cannon that Kanchi
the robot has become, but he "shoots his load" at the wrong time and is
====================================
====================================
finished early.
So by episode 6 Naota is even more sullen - Haruko has disappeared and Naota
has humiliated himself in front of Mamimi by not being a "hero". Naota has
also suddenly realized that there is a real world outside of his town, and
he is troubled that he might never get to see it. ( Yet another sign of
growing up. ) When Haruko suddenly reappears, Naota is angry at first
because he felt that she abandoned him, but then when Haruko is willing to
be nice to him, Naota lets down his guard and starts to cry against Haruko.
That's the point that it becomes obvious that Naota and Haruko's
relationship is not so much sexual as it is a case of Naota looking for some
sense of "mother" in Haruko. Haruko recognizes this and lets Naota get a
little closer to her for a while, because "he is still just a kid".
But all this aside, Haruko is still an alien on a mission, and gladly
sacrifices Naota in order to get Atomusuku for herself. Haruko might "like"
Naota, but she lusts after what Atomusuku is and the power he symbolizes.
But things don't go the way that Haruko planned precisely because Naota has
grown up. Naota takes charge of the situation he is in and uses the power of
Atomusuku to be in control of his own destiny for once, surprising everyone
====================================
====================================
including Haruko. But Naota is still a nice person at heart who, like so
many people, is simply "looking for love". So instead of wreaking vengeance
on Haruko for betraying him once again, Naota simply and quietly tells her
that he loves her, and gives her a kiss. Haruko is touched by this, but at
the same time, since has Naota has set Atomusuku free, Haruko sets off again
in pursuit. But maybe Haruko has been changed ever so slightly by Naota too,
because just before leaving for the final time Haruko tells Naota the
truth - that he is still just a kid to her - instead of taking advantage of
him once more.
The epilogue nicely summarizes the changes. The abandoned and wrecked
flatiron factory sits alone and forgotten. Naota and his classmates are out
of grade school and into uniforms for middle school. Naota is taking up new
interests and not trying so hard to be "grown up" since he now knows that he
"is" growing up. ( Naota's rejection of the black coffee at the end is a
sign of this. ) So that whole story of Haruko, Kanchi, Medical Mechanica and
the rest becomes just part of Naota's memories, as it should.
Dave Baranyi
=============================================================================
Ohayou gozaimasu, All!
bi[shounen]
=============================================================================
Юрий.
... -Hу как ты после вчерашнего? -Как Windows95 в Safe Mode :( (c)
--- GolDead 2.50+
* Origin: VYrtual Realizmus, Inc. (2:5022/40.40)
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Конференция: ----- (tula.ranma)
От: Andy Ilyuhin [2:5022/40.15]
Кому: Создатель [2:5022/40]
Тема: Разыскивается
Дата: 10.01.2001 0:16:51
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Hello, All!
Юрий.
... Волеизлияние избирателей... (с)
--- GolDead 2.50+
* Origin: VYrtual Realizmus, Inc. (2:5022/40.40)
-------------------------------------------------------------
Конференция: ----- (tula.ranma)
От: Andy Ilyuhin [2:5022/40.15]
Кому: Создатель [2:5022/40]
Тема: Разыскивается
Дата: 10.01.2001 0:16:51
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Привет, Yuri!
skip...
>> Говоpят, Геpмания - стpана фанов аниме :) Я это к чему? Почем у вас
>> манга (один 200стp. том) на английском? И можно ли будет тебе что-либо
>> заказать? B амеpике это удовольствие доpоже чем в Японии в 5-6 pаз, да
>> и пеpесылка доpоже.
skip...
>Я посмотpю, когда добеpусь до какого-нибудь большого книжного во
>Фpанкфуpте или в Даpмштадте. Я вообще-то этого дела у нас не видел, тем
>более на английском, но я не фанат. Впpочем, то что это будет дешевле,
>чем в США, очень сомневаюсь. Амеpиканские жуpналы, напpимеp, здесь
>доpогие.
Андрей Илюхин
--- http://photohobbist.da.ru
* Origin: mailto:lyu@tula.net (2:5022/40.15)
-------------------------------------------------------------
Конференция: ----- (tula.ranma)
От: Andy Ilyuhin [2:5022/40.15]
Кому: Создатель [2:5022/40]
Тема: Разыскивается
Дата: 10.01.2001 0:16:51
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