Feline Delight

If you've watched FLCL just once or ten times, you can't ignore the prominent cat theme that seems to be occuring throughout the entire series. Although I can't exactly think of any real significance to this cat theme besides that the directors really like them, there could be a very subtle underlying theme that I'll reveal towards the end of this article.

Beware, this article is very image heavy!!

Here are a few pieces of "evidence" of the recurring cat theme that I have collected throughout the series:

April 13th 2005: ...I was cradling her in my arms, but it was strange because she seemed like a rag doll; lifeless. Her neck and head was on my shoulder, but her body in my arms. I think she was tired; very special moment. God can sure answer prayers.

Meet Haruhara Haruko after she wacked Naota in the head, but before she dresses as a nurse. Throughout the series, usually after she had just said something very witty or sly, she'll have one of these cat faces with the puffy upper lip and whiskers on her cheeks.
April 15th 2005: ...We worked pretty hard and I was pretty exhausted. I went to the restroom and thought 'Why would someone put a toilet here?' because it was blocking the door...

April 17th 2005: I don't recall the first part of my dream, but the second part I do. My class went to go to tutoring on the second floor library. Football players were on the first floor. We made fun of them by acting like cheerleaders. Not quite sure how that works...

Also in episode one you'll meet Miyu-Miyu, the house cat of the Nandaba family. Haruko communicates via Miyu-Miyu to the Galaxy Space Police Brotherhood.
April 23rd 2005: ...Every store talks about it and have ads, but none dared to keep the shoes in stock or have it for sale.

I just thought this was a cool picture. It's Miyu-Miyu and Haruko hanging out as Naota runs off to the bridge to find Mamimi. You can assume that Haruko is probably using Miyu-Miyu right now as some sort of communication device (see other picture below)to talk to the Galaxy Space Police Brotherhood.
April 27th 2005: ...Early on he introduced a new rule when we played chess. He completely wiped out all of my pawns and knights. He basically cheated. So I did an 'earthquake' to the chess board and left.

April 27th 2005: ...I peed outside where we had an extension of our garage and saw two bats go in. They were like hummingbirds - suspended in space.

In episode two, Mamimi befriends a stray kitten that she names Takkun. She found him by the river and rescues him. Throughout the series, Mamimi and Takkun pretty much stays together. And throughout this article, I won't be including every picture of them but a few here and there that look pretty cool.
May 9th 2005: ...I figured that my neighbors were aliens! I overheard them talk about the rumors years before. I just never believed them. Amelia appeared in my sunroom and we talked about it.

In episode three, this is the cat that was crossing the street when Haruko decided to come plow through to pick up Naota. Luckily for the cat, Haruko swerved to avoid it and ended up causing a huge wreck.
Date Unknown: ...I dreamt that I was mash potatoes and someone was eating me.

After Haruko fell off her Vespa, she landed on the bike racks. There's also a cat sitting there too. Although they look different, I think they might be the same because of the white and black pattern on their tails, but I can't be too sure.
December 12th 2005: ...There were millions of butterflies around me. I could hardly see anything around me so I ate my way out. The pollen sticking on to me tasted sweet.

Okay, what the hell is that? Where's the fire? That... that... thing panting at the TV? I know it's not a cat, but what is it? And that lady? Is it Grandma Nandaba? God bless it. Perhaps the first ten times I watched this series I never noticed that - a very special particular actually had to point that out to me.
December 20th 2005: ...I had already noticed the cliff, but decided not to do it because of the scratches on my arms...

A few excerpts from Easy Target's past dreams...


Also in episode three, you can see a small overview of what the bakery looks like. If you look on the bottom right part of the screen when Kanti is dusting out the sheets, you will notice that on the bakery flag-sign there's a cat's face! Another shot of this cat can be seen when Naota goes and talks to Haruko who's fixing her Vespa. And yet again, in episode four, you can see it next to Haruko's head when she talks to Naota at night about swinging the bat.

Haruko's eyes are an unnatural yellowish color throughout the series. Maybe it's because she's an alien, or maybe it's another subtle cat reference? This above screenshot is the most "obvious" one that I could capture in episode three.


In episode three, the teacher lectures the class about cats at school. You can see on her chalk board the various cat pictures that she drew. One of the cat looks like a lady bug because of all the speckles on it. I forget exactly what she says about cats...


By the river, Mamimi takes some pictures with Naota and is dressed up in a cat hat with whiskers. There's about 5 or so pictures that she took, but I just included two of the ones that I liked.

Haruko again displays her mischevious cat looks, this time in episode three. And no, she didn't draw those cat whiskers on like Mamimi.



Instead of sprouting the weird horns that he did before, Naota sprouts cat ears in episode three. Now that's a very obvious cat feature.

Near the climax of episode three Marquis de Carabas, Ninamori begins to the grow cat ears that would eventually transform into another Medical Mechanica robot.

At the conclusion of episode three, Naota ends up playing the role of the cat in the play Puss in Boots. Here he is in his cat costume behind the curtains. Additionally, the play Puss in Boots' main character is actually a cat (about to be performed by Naota) that helps his owner live a better life by taking on the identity of Marquis de Carabas (which is also the name of episode three of FLCL). To read more about the play, go here and scroll down until you see the topic "Puss & Boots."

Alrighty, in episode four, you can see Haruko's eyes and teeth when she's pitching the ball. Although in past references she has that puffy upper lip and whiskers, this time her eyes "glow" a bit more and her canines are a bit more emphasized.

Haruko basically plays as a baseball player for hire. Her baseball uniform is that of a cat on both her jersey and her cap. By the way, I like that cap.

Ha, I bet I'm stretching this one but oh well. If you notice on the electric gauge monitor on the outside of Naota's house, it says "LION" on the bottom right corner. Although, this might be a real company like "Food Lion" (doesn't exist here anymore, got sued over rotten meat and sanitary issues I think), it could be another subtle reference that the directors purposefully decided to plug in there.

Here in episode five, it is revealed that Haruko Haruhara uses Miyu-Miyu to communicate to the Galaxy Space Police Brotherhood. She dangles Miyu-Miyu in the air wildly trying to get a better signal as Naota barges in.
I still like her a lot...

...kind of like Takkun liking the girl kitty.

In episode 6, the kitty Takkun found a girlfriend kitty! So Mamimi is all left alone and she soon adopts this robot-dog thing (which is actually the terminal core). :D

Haruko is again displaying her sly cat looks but this time with cat ears. When she crosses her arms behind her head, the extra large cuffs of her gloves makes it so that she has yellow cat ears.

Alright. I put this one last because... well... look at it. Does that not creep the crap out of you? (Ha, imagine waking up to that one morning. Yep, soiled panties.) That's Haruko. What happened to her? Well, this could probably be the most controversial "cat" screenshot I have. Although it's just Haruko displaying her cat characteristics again, you can't see her yellow eyes, fangs, nor whiskers; but, you do see her puffy upper lip! Additionally, her fingers are all stubby and you can only see four of the finger digits like a cat. Besides, I thought it was kind of a strange picture of Haruko.

Cat Commentary

Well, I understand that the majority of my evidence deals primarily with Haruko's facial expressions (trust me, there was plenty more of that that I could have captured as well), but with so many cat-like features, surely there has got to be a "deeper meaning" behind all of this! Well, Haruko did mention that directors like cats because they can take care of themselves, but would they literally transform FLCL into a subtle cat theme frenzy?

Well, in the end of FLCL, it is revealed that Atomsk is indeed a bird and not some superhuman with muscles. Throughout the series, Haruko was always wanting Atomsk and in the end says that it should of been her that ate him rather than Naota. I think the directors could have metaphorically adapted Haruko's physical facial features every now and then for both her character and her "double duo" as a "real cat." Because, you see, Haruko is the cat that is chasing her prey Atomsk, who is a bird. In other words, Haruko represents a cat that is after the bird Atomsk to eat him. That's what some outdoor cats do.

Additionally, the informal dictionary meaning of cat means "a woman who is regarded as spiteful" which fits Haruko's character. Although most of the cast does "love" her and are more than willing to do almost anything for her (including Naota), she basically uses them for her malicious deeds in obtaining Atomsk solely for herself.

Also another slang meaning for the word "catting" or "catted" means "to look for sexual partners; have an affair or affairs." This is also prominent in FLCL with many characters such as Kamon wanting Haruko which fuels Naota's jeaousy or Haruko toying with Naota making Mamimi a little worried and sad.

Cats are said to have nine lives - meaning they often escape death by a margin multiple times before tragedy strikes. This does bear some significance to Naota who does cheat death and serious injury on several occasions such as getting hit by Haruko's guitar countless times, getting run over by his friend's delivery truck (episode five), surviving Kanti's fall when saving Mamimi (episode two), living without a brain (episode two), and so much more. In one entire episode, Naota literally transformed into a cat with ears and later into a costume which further reinforces his luck with survival. But, Kamon, Naota's father, never had any cat references directed towards him and thus even "dies" in episode four until Naota revives him with water.

Various styles of near-death experiences that Naota faces! Hardcore to the MAX

Besides from being sneaky and sly, cats are also very independent creatures which literally means that they are "free from influence, guidance, or control of another or others; self-reliant." Ironically, as a whole, all the characters are inter-connected with each other and do rely on each other. For example, Haruko may seem like a pretty eccentric person whose fashion statement also doesn't seem to fit the norm. Heck, she even carries a guitar and drives a turbo-charged Vespa. She is a very unique character, but not independent. Some people think that being unique, translates into being independent as well, but the two words and associated meanings are completely irrevelant from each other. Thus, Haruko is not self-reliant because she needs Naota's head as an N.O. portal to accomplish her own goals.

Patti pointed out that most of my speculations revolve around Western connotations that could have perhaps been merely coincidental. She also points out that according to UrbanDictionary.com, the term "neko" (Japanese word for cat) also is the "Japanese slang for the bottom in a homosexual relationship." From my conclusions, I wasn't sure if the definition meant a butt or the person below the other person during whatever intercourse they might be engaged in (which, dumbly as it may seem, reminds me of the sexual egg fetish that Haruko and Kamon did). Anyway, the definition seems irrevelant and unreliable because, as of this writing, it has received 10 thumbs up and 18 thumbs down.

Maybe, just maybe, the directors are secretly laughing at my foolish, vain attempts to figure out these various cat motifs that they meticulously distributed throughout the series...