ECP Flash Forward: FLCL Progressive Episode 5 – Fool on the Planet (June 30, 2018)

Things get confusing as Progressive nears its conclusion

What I watched: The fifth episode of FLCL Progressive, an anime series created by Katsuyuki Motohiro and Production I. G., based off the original FLCL created by Kei Suezawa and Studio Gainax. “Fool on the Planet” was directed by Kazuto Arai and written by Hideto Iwai. The episode first aired on adult swim on June 30, 2018 at 11:30pm, with the English dub cast featuring Kari Wahlgren, Allegra Clark, Xanthe Huynh, and Robbie Draymond. The Japanese version was aired as a compilation movie that first screened on September 28 of the same year, with a voice cast starring Mayumi Shintani, Miyuki Sawashiro, Inori Minase and Jun Fukuyama. Progressive is currently available for streaming on the adult swim page in the US and on VOD elsewhere.

Starring: The character may be gone now, but Jinyu was voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro, a veteran voice actress who got her start as a middle school student voicing a character in Di Gi Charat. She’s also a fairly prolific singer, having performed theme songs for anime like Arakawa Under the Bridge and Bakemonogatari. Allegra Clark, who appeared in the dubs of shows like Aggretsuko and The Seven Deadly Sins, performed Jinyu’s English voice.

What happened: We open with another cool dream sequence, as Hidomi visits a skeleton in a charcoal-styled scene, and is swept away by a wave. We cut to Haruko up on a high perch, with a big bulge in her belly. I wonder what that could be. Aiko’s dad and Eye-Patch have a cryptic conversation about the return of Canti.

There’s a world where this could have adorned a million school binders.

Mori is trying to get Ide to go to the amusement park with him, saying that they can get a discount if they bring dates. Haruko bursts into class and informs everyone that she’s retiring to be a housewife and mother. She also has a creepy doll on her forehead. Haruko shares with us a crayon-drawn flipbook of her story of meeting her husband, who looks a lot like Oyasumi Punpun, at the amusement Park. This is all a big ploy to get everyone to go to the amusement park.

However, Hidomi doesn’t want to go, despite Haruko’s prodding. Ide tells the alien to leave Hidomi alone, and the two battle, with Haruko easily avoiding all of Ide’s attacks with the guitar. Hidomi chases them down and finds Haruko straddling Ide in an empty pool. Classic misunderstanding, but instead of a Three’s Company plot unfolding, Hidomi sucks Ide up into her head, leaving behind just an dried-up husk.

At the amusement park, all of the students pair up, leaving Mori alone. We see a scene with some students we’ve never seen before, with two boys both confessing to the same girl. All three of them get headaches as the old man monitors their “NO” levels. Eyepatch shows Aiko’s dad the theme park website, including an appearance by the mascot Dodo-chan, implying it has sinister meaning. Aiko is listening in on their conversation, and stores some more money in a ceramic pumpkin.