A boring Boy(Naota) lived in some ordinary town. There was nothing around but a mountain, a river, and a school. The only neat thing was this medical supply factory (Medical Mechanica)on the town's edge. Then enter a charming and highly attractive, not to mention talented, girl(Haruka)on a Vespa. And everything changes. First he gets a bump on his head. Then a robot appear! Does this glamorous girl have something to do with this robot? Was the boy specially chosen by some unknown force for some mysterious purpose? It's Strange. Weird. Fantastic. Ha! Guess things won't remain ordinary anymore.

Characters-

• Naota Nandaba- Main character of the anime, Naota is a sixth grader attending Mabase Elementary School. He tries to act like an adult, and is resentful towards adults who do not act their age (which is just about every adult he knows). He hangs out with his friends from school, Ninamori Eri, Masashi, and Gaku, or with his brother’s former “girlfriend”, Samejimi Mamimi. Naota, whose name means “Honesty”, attempts to act older than he really is. This would not normally be a problem, except his attitude prevents him from growing up, that is going through adolecence. The process is important, without going through this process Naota becomes overly concerned with how people percieve him. He tries to act the role of a mature, “cool”, adult, all the while denying who he really is. When Haruko arrives, she inevertably forces Naota to enter this stage of growing up. Though reluctant, by the end of the anime he does finally accept this aspect of himself.
• Haruka Haruhara- The leading female character in the anime, Haruko appears in the quiet town of Mabase and starts a chain of events which changes everything around Naota. A self-proclaimed alien, and nineteen year-old housemaid for the Nandaba family, Haruko’s true purpose, however, is something far greater. She has invested a great deal of interest in the contents springing from Naota’s head...most of which she tries to destroy with her bass guitar. Haruko arrived on Earth with the intention of opening a N-O Channel through Naota. Through this N-O Channel, Atomsk, who was imprisoned by Medical Mechanica, was supposed to emerge. However, instead two robots appeared instead. Distraught, Haruko stayed with the Nandaba and awaited further orders. Despite seeming to work for a larger organization, Haruko actually has her own plans. She plans on freeing Atomsk, and then merging with him to gain his powers. She ultimately fails, and is forced to chase after Atomsk to some other planet.
• Mamimi Samejimi- Mamimi is the other leading female character in the anime. She is in high school, though you would not know it due to her frequent truancies, but does not have many friends. Actually, besides Naota, who she calls “Ta-Kun”, and the various pets she finds, also named “Ta-Kun”, she has no friends. She apparently used to date Naota’s older brother, though it is my opinion that she was never really dating him, rather she merely hung around Tasuku, who is perhaps the only boy her age who showed any amount of interest (he did save her from the burning elementary school) in her. Tasuku probably did not consider Mamimi his girlfriend, as evident in his lack of writing to Mamimi while in America, as well as getting a new American girlfriend. Mamimi calls just about everyone she is “friends” with in the anime, with the exception of Canti, “Ta-Kun”. At first you are to think that Naota’s nickname of “Ta-Kun” is a shortened version of his name, cutting off the “Nao” part. However, as the anime progresses, we see Mamimi calling everything that she loves/likes/cares for “Ta-Kun”. The cat, the terminal core dog thing, and Naota. Rather than being short for “Naota”, “Ta-Kun” probably refers to Naota’s brother, Tasuku. The cat, the terminal core, and Naota are all replacements for Tasuku, the boy Mamimi really cares about but cannot have.
• Canti- Named “Canti” by Mamimi after the dark angel of fire, Cantide, from a handheld videogame called Fire Starter, this robot was built by the Medical Mechanica and is the first thing to come out of Naota’s head. Within Canti lies the power of Atomsk, who probably used Canti as a method to escape from the Medical Mechanica, until Haruko messed up and split the essence of Atomsk between Canti and Naota. Alone, Canti is a fairly inept robot, however, when combined with Naota he becomes a fighting force to be reckoned with. Canti is able to transform into “gun mode” in which he shoots out a single red sphere (which is actually Naota). When Canti merges with Naota he turns a deep red, symbolic of the power of Atomsk. Canti’s true purpose was to be used as part of the terminal core for the Medical Mechanica. Containing the power of Atomsk, Canti was used by the MM to activate the various Medical Mechanica “Iron” plants and then subsequently raze entire planets for some unknown reason (perhaps to use the razed planets for building stuff much like we raze forests for construction purposes). Throughout the anime Canti takes on several jobs, from being a baker, to playing baseball, to even being a crossing guard.
• Eri Ninamori- Ninamori is the class president for Naota’s elementary class. She is also the daughter of the mayor of Mabase. During the anime, the mayor becomes under fire for some unkown scandal, as well as having his wife threatening to divorce him...meanwhile the man is sleeping with his secretary. They never explicitly say what this scandal is that almost dragged the mayor into the courts, however it is possible that it had to do with the Medical Mechanica plant as Amarao mentions that he and his Bureau were supposed to be the intermeidary between the government and the Medical Mechanica. Eri’s father’s involvement in this is uncertain. During this period of scandal for the Ninamori family, Eri acts unnaturally apathetic, “adult-like”, the mayor’s secretary comments, and refuses to express her true feelings on the subject. This, combined with Naota revealing that she, the class president, cheated in a vote for who got to be the lead in a play, caused Eri to be able to open a N-O Channel, from which a Medical Mechanica robot emerged. Eri eventually was able to express her feelings, and came to terms with who she was, how she felt, and her relationship with her parents.
• Commander Amarao -Commander of the Intersteller Immigration Bureau, Amarao becomes involved in the conflict between Haruko, the Medical Mechanica, and the unnamed government. He apparently had a similar childhood to that of Naota. He knew Haruko, under the name “Rahal”, and apparently was not “man enough” for her needs. Which is quite fitting for his character. Amarao is like a child acting like an adult, in an adult body. Confusing? Yeah, a little. Amarao never grew up. Physically, yes, he aged, but mentally and emotionally Amarao skipped the adolescence stage and jumped simulatianuosly from child to adult. He is obsessed with appearing to be mature and adult-like, an indication that he hasnt quite accepted himself, or really found out who he is...he is basically living life by “going through the motions.” Amarao parallels what Naota was at the beginning of the anime, and what he could have become had Haruko not intervened (though intervening and helping Naota was not her purpose). Amarao tries to get Naota to follow in his footsteps, and act older, act more mature. All the while ignoring the important aspect of actually growing up. The large eyebrows that Amarao has actually serve a purpose. They block the N-O Channel from forming in his head, as well as making him “look older”, well, atleast that is what he thinks anyways. The reddish brown hair color is not natural either.
• Kitsurubami-Second in command at the Interstellar Immigration Bureau, Kitsurubami works directly under Amarao. She is often seen either giving out vital mission data, or on the field in investigations with Amarao. She was ordered in episode five to terminate the target, Canti, in an attempt by Amarao to stop the Medical Mechanica from using him for their own means (even though the IIB was not supposed to do that). After failing to destroy Canti, Kitsurubami was shocked to find Canti to be so helpful and friendly, and offering his hand to help her get out of the river. Kitsurubami appears to be a strong and independent woman, she is never shown as being concerned with frivolous things like her commander, she is one of the only “normal” acting adults in FLCL
• Miyu-Miyu-The Nandaba family cat. Fat and seemingly lazy. Haruko uses Miyu-Miyu to open some kind of communication channel between her and her superiors.
• Kamon Nandaba -Naota’s deranged father. He is the former editor of a Neon Genesis Evangelion Magazine. Currently owns and runs his family’s bakery. Attempts to get back into the publishing business by reporting on rumors regarding the mayor of Mabase’s scandal. Kamon often goes off-topic, and is jealous of Naota’s relationship with Haruko. Also has years of built up torment and guilt after indirectly killing the classroom hamster when he was young ;-)
• Atomsk- The Pirate Lord. The power behind the Medical Mechanica’s Iron plant. Atomsk was an infamous being in the universe, he possessed a power so grand that he was literarly able to steal planets. Somehow, the Medical Mechanica captured Atomsk and have been using him for thier means. Haruko was sent by the Sorority to free Atomsk. However, Haruko rather wanted to merge with Atomsk (like Naota does momentarily) to have his power. Haruko’s plan fails due to Naota, and Atomsk, freed from the clutches of the Medical Mechanica, takes off leaving Haruko to once again go off in pursuit.
• Medical Mechanica-Not much is known about the Medical Mechanica. This mysterious organization built a large factory, shaped like an iron, in the center of the town, Mabase. The factory emits steam at the same time everyday. When Canti, a Medical Mechanica robot, seemingly goes rouge, the Medical Mechanica sends in numerous other robots in an attempt to disable and capture Canti. Medical Mechanica is also in some kind of dispute with the government, this dispute causes Amarao and the Intersteller Immigration Bureau to get involved.

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