"Fire Starter" is the second episode of the first season of FLCL. Its English dub aired on August 6th, 2003 on Adult Swim.

Summary

Mamimi has been seeing weird things, including a black winged angel from a pocket computer game she keeps playing. Naota has yet even bigger and weirder lumps coming out of his head. Haruko scans Naota’s head and reports that he doesn’t have a brain. Robots seem to be coming out of Naota’s head.

Synopsis

Mamimi is obsessed with a handheld video game called Fire Starter, in which the player controls an arsonist and agent of Canti: the god of black flames. While she plays she's addressed by Naota who asks why she's at his school as his three friends look on from a distance. Ninamori asks who the girl is as the two boys refer to her as Naota’s girlfriend or wife. She calls Mamimi unintelligent while the teenager becomes infatuated with Naota’s hat and calls it cool, a claim Ninamori immediately dismisses.

Meanwhile, the robot who emerged from Naota takes an X-Ray of his head, revealing that his brain is gone and that there's something new sticking out of his head. Naota blames Haruko for the strange occurrences but she dismisses it before flashily revealing her identity as a First Class Space Patrol Officer, to an unimpressed Naota. When asked why Miyu-Miyu was on her case the previous day she claims she's in trouble, pinning the blame on Naota before he changes the subject and asks how the robot can take x-rays, Haruko alleges that it's from Medical Mechanica, hence why it can do such things. Naota asks why it came out of his head as Haruko asks him what his connection to them is as she pokes him with her guitar.

Later, Naota yells at his father for using the robot outside and calls it weird to have one in the house. Kamon tells him not to worry and goes on an intelligible rant, when Haruko asks what he's talking about, Naota tells her that his dad wrote a book on the deep mysteries of "Eva". Naota yells again claiming that the robot was walking loose the day before Haruko mentions that fires have been cropping up lately, including one the previous day. Kamon says the robot deserves his own free time as the being looks towards a cloudy sky.

Underneath the bridge, Mamimi is playing her game as a black kitten scurries around before Naota tosses her a pair of sandals, it's revealed that Mamimi was playing with "Takkun" and her shoes floated off. Naota is confused before Mamimi reveals that she also calls the kitten that name, before asking if Naota has anything for it to eat. Naota asks if she saved it to which Mamimi confirms, referring to herself as a god who protects the weak like Lord Canti. Naota asks if he's referring to her game, Mamimi says she's addicted before asking if he wants to play. Naota declines saying he's busy, Mamimi remarks that he's always busy before Naota says he has a lot of people to look after before he leaves.

Haruko tries to infiltrate an off-limits facility of the Medical Mechanica plant, but fails after crashing her Vespa. A burly guard says it's bad enough without her trespassing and reveals the series of fires around Mabase are thought to be arsons. A scrawny guard who tries to look up Haruko's skirt ironically refers to the perpetrator as depraved before Naota knocks down a box containing a Gunpla model and is chastised by the guard claiming that they're trying to work. Haruko says that the plant isn't a place for people to work, noting the lack of any way to get in or out as she uses the figure to fix her Vespa and thanks Naota for coming for her and says she'll reward him with something better than CPR.

In its leisure, the robot wanders near the Mabase bridge in search for the missing red shards of its head from when Haruko smashed it with her bass guitar the previous night. Mamimi, with her new stray cat, comes upon the robot while he is attempting to recover the red shards. She follows him to the ashes of the old schoolhouse she once attended. After seeing him take flight off the building, she declares him the god of black flames and protector of the weak: Canti, from her video game. She affectionately names him "Cantido-sama" and brings pictures back to the Nandaba residence.

The robot handles menial chores at the Nandaba residence, e.g., lifting boxes. Meanwhile, Haruko, despite being the live-in housekeeper, performs no work herself. On the contrary, she even forces the robot to do her bidding and run errands, such as pre-recording television specials for Kamon and buying magazines for Shigekuni. The robot does all that's asked of him but his efforts go unappreciated; Haruko even goes so far as to call him a 'crony' and 'useless' despite being the one who broke him, and Shigekuni throws the magazine at his head for purchasing one with the wrong centerfold, even implying he cannot do anything right.

When the robot returns from Haruko's errands, with snacks and new issues of Focus and Bomb (Hustler in the English Dub) magazines, Mamimi welcomes him with a prayer, claiming the black wings prove he is Canti from Fire Starter. Naota insists it's just a video game. While reading Focus, Haruko finds an article containing a photo of Canti flying above the bridge: described as a 'mysterious UFO' and 'apparition'.

Naota visits the site of one of these fires, a boathouse by the river, with his three school friends. On the way home, he spots Mamimi wringing out her skirt in the river after losing her shoes, at which point he learns from his friends she is being bullied at high school. It is then Naoata sees Mamimi with a despondent expression on her face, her eyes cold and empty. At this time, white smoke begins to expel from Medical Mechanica.

Later, while Naota and a barefoot Mamimi are walking on the bridge, the Fire Starter handheld game falls out of her pocket. After Mamimi lights a cigarette, Naota realizes that not only is she behind the arsons, but she truly believes her game to be reality. He mulls over the game and her apparent delusions. Fire Starter takes place in Endsville, a city of devils whose origin is veiled in mystery. No sooner had it appeared than it began to prosper and even slowly consume the surrounding world. The player's objective, as an agent of Canti, is to stop Endsville from destroying the world. Their only tool is flame—matches, lighters, and firebombs—deceiving firefighters and avoiding police to purge Endsville of its devils. However, if the entire city burns down and there is nowhere left to live, the battle is lost. The endgame is to receive the blessing of Canti, the god of black flames and protector of the weak. Naota recalls that the schoolhouse fire from six years ago was rumored to be an arson, and finally makes the connection that his brother saved her life.

That night, another fire crops up along the riverbank: the ruins of Mamimi's already-burned elementary school. Naota finds her performing a 'fire ritual' in a candle circle; there she fully explains what transpired six years ago. Mamimi burned down her school because she hated the place and wanted it to go away. Previous bullying is implied to be her motivation; she says the 'remains' and 'wreckage' stayed behind, even after she burned it down. During this first arson, Mamimi was saved from her fire by Naota's brother, leading her to call him Canti-sama, protector of the weak. This incident is the first time Mamimi and Naota's brother met, and is the root of her love for him.

In an effort to project her 'savior' onto the robot Canti as a way of coping with the abandonment she feels after Naota’s brother left, Mamimi approaches Canti seeking a blessing in the form of a kiss. Naota watches on in jealousy as a new robot emerges from his head, much bigger than before as its revealed that it's the other half of the robot that emerged from his head the last time. Meanwhile, Haruko rushes to the scene on her Vespa as the Medical Mechanica alarm goes off.

During their battle, Naota saves Mamimi by pushing her aside, but the robot prepares to strike them both down. On the ground and helpless, Naota instinctively calls out for someone named 'Tasuku', causing a strange symbol to appear on Canti's screen-face. Canti quickly strikes the robot aside, grabs Naota off the ground, and eats him whole. The two merge, transforming Canti into a large howitzer-like weapon: again turning red in hue. With a finishing swing from Haruko's bass guitar, the three destroy the enemy robot. The ensuing explosion dispels the remnant ashes of the burned schoolhouse. Police sirens approach in the distance.

In the end, Naota ponders what he can do to help Mamimi, and ultimately he decides to stay by her side: forever.

Monologue

Naota: Exactly where does the truth end and the lies begin? Samejima Mamimi and Haruhara Haruko. A lot of lies are flowing around me. These two new horns that sprang up. A true story that seems like a lie.

When you're on a bike, the ocean's a lot closer than you think. The autumn salt wind went right through into the back of my nose and maybe it's because, like Haruko said, my head was empty.

"Fire Starter", it's a hand-held video game. No one knows how Endsville, the city of devils, was created, but as soon as it appeared, it started to grow, and slowly eat up the world. You are an agent of Canti, the god of the black flame, and you must stop Endsville from destroying the world. Your only weapon is flame: matches, lighters, and fire-bombs. Get the weapons, outsmart the firefighters, hide from the police, torch the city, and purge its devils. But you must be careful; you cannot burn everything. If the entire city burns down, there will be no place to live. Thus, the battle is hopeless: there is no final victory. The only thing you can do is burn and burn and burn. Your highest goal is to receive the personal blessing of Canti, the god of the black flame.

At the time, I didn't notice the sirens that were coming toward us. I don't know where the lies end and the truth begins. I asked myself what I could do for Mamimi. I decided to stay by her side... forever.

Mamimi: I saw a god the other day, by the river on a rainy afternoon. He helped a kitten that was left all alone. It's a god that only I can see. A black-winged angel that came down from the heavens just for me.

Songs

• "Instant Music"
• "Sad Sad Kiddie"
• "Hybrid Rainbow"
• "Carnival"
• "Beautiful Morning With You"
• "Stalker Goes to Babylon"
• "Stalker"
• "Advice"
• "Little Busters"
• "Ride on Shooting Star"

Credits

• Original Concept: GAINAX
• Directors: Kazuya Tsurumaki, Takeshi Ando
• Executive Producers: Toshimichi Ohtsuki, Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, Hiroyuki Yamaga
• Planning: Hirotaka Takase, Masatoshi Nishizawa, Hiroki Sato

Japanese Cast

• Naota Nandaba: Jun Mizuki
• Haruko Haruhara: Mayumi Shintani
• Mamimi Samejima: Izumi Kasagi
• Kamon Nandaba: Suzuki Matsuo
• Shigekuni Nandaba: Hiroshi Ito
• Eri Ninamori: Mika Itou
• Gaku Manabe: Sho Miyajima
• Masashi Masamune: Kazuhito Suzuki
• Junko Miyaji: Yukari Fukui
• Miyu Miyu: Hideaki Anno (uncredited)
• Takkun: Jun Mizuki

English Cast

• Naota Nandaba: Barbara Goodson
• Haruko Haruhara: Kari Wahlgren
• Mamimi Samejima: Jennifer Sekiguchi
• Kamon Nandaba: Joe Martin
• Shigekuni Nandaba: Steve Kramer
• Eri Ninamori: Melissa Fahn
• Gaku Manabe: R. Martin Klein
• Masashi Masamune: Steven Blum
• Junko Miyaji: Jessica Straus
• Miyu Miyu: Steven Blum
• Takkun: Barbara Goodson

Gallery

Fire Starter/Gallery

Trivia

• Initial airings of this episode on Adult Swim were edited for broadcast and removed Haruko uttering the word "shit" when she heard the police sirens. As of 2018 this edit has been undone.
• During Naota's head examination, after Haruko mentions her connection to the Galactic Space Police Brotherhood, he quips that it is a terrible band name. Haruko then hits him with her bass and tells him that they are not on Ika-ten.
  • Ika-ten is the shortened name of Miyake Yuji no Ikasu Band Tengoku (三宅裕司のいかすバンド天国, "Yuji Miyake's Cool Band Heaven"), a weekly Japanese music competition show featuring live performances by amateur bands from 1988 to 1990. ^[1]
    • In the English dub, Haruko calls it Star Search, an American talent show competition that aired from 1983 to 1995. In contrast to Ika-ten, Star Search focused more on pop singers, dancers and comedians rather than bands.
• The part that Haruko uses to fix her Vespa while being questioned by Medcial Mechanica security appears to be modeled after RX-78-2 Gundam from the Mobile Suit Gundam anime series.
• When Canti is putting boxes into the car, Kamon goes into a speech and list off several anime and pop culture references:
  • "Initial D" - Japanese manga and anime series about drifting.
  • "Robot Detective K" - Titular character from the live action Japanese series, Robot Detective.
  • "Nakamori Akina's Young Girl A" - Referring to Japanese actress and singer, Akina Nakamori and her 1982 single "Shōjo A" ("Young Girl A").
  • "Satsuki Midori's Passionate Woman B" - Referring to Japanese singer and AV actress Midori Satsuki, who became known for increasing interests in "mature woman" porn during the 1970s and 1980s. She released a single titled "Jukujo B" (lit. "Mature Woman B") in 1983, in response to Akina Nakamori's "Shōjo A".^[2]
• After Kamon's speech, Naota tells Haruko that his father previously wrote a book about "EVA", referring to the anime series, Neon Genesis Evangelion.
  • Evangelion was created by Hideaki Anno and animated by GAINAX, which also animated FLCL.
  • Anno also has a brief cameo in this episode, voicing Miyu Miyu when Naota explains how to play Fire Starter.
• When Canti is shown at a convenience store reading a magazine, Haruko said that he was looking Delabe, the shortened name for Deluxe Beppin, a Japanese men's magazines featuring nude women.
  • In the English dub, Haruko says that he was reading Hustler, an American men's magazine that is more sexually explicit compared to other men's magazines.
• When Canti returns and gives Shigekuni a magazine, he throws it back at the robot and yells out that he wanted the one with "Shaku-chan", referring to Yumiko Shaku, a Japanese actress, model and gravure idol.
  • In the English dub, he said "Anna Nicole", likely referring to actress and Playboy Playmate, Anna Nicole Smith. Though in real life, she did not appear in Hustler magazine.
• After Shigekuni threw the magazine back at Canti for getting the wrong one, Mamimi looks down and says that it was Bomb!, referring to a Japanese magazine that features gravure idols in swimwear or skimpy outfits, but not nude.
  • In the English dub, Mamimi says that it is Hustler, which is far more explicit than Bomb! in terms of content such as prominent nudity.
• When Canti gave Haruko the curry bread and a can of orange juice from the convenience store, the can has a frowning face and おっちゃん (otchan. uncle / middle aged man) written on it.
  • The can is a parody of なっちゃん (Natchan!), a brand of orange juice by Suntory, known for its distinctive orange color and smiling face on its cans and bottles.
• Right after Haruko chastises Canti for being late a brief sentence appears on his screen which reads, "The stupid clerk at the store was slow...".
• When Naota and his friends visit the charred ruins, Ninamori says that a stressed out housewife set the fire, due to her having to do too many chores at home. In the Japanese version, the line is meant to be a joke using the homonym, kaji (家事, housework, chores) and kaji (火事, fire, conflagration).
• During the group's discussion about what started the fire, Gaku claims that UFOs started the fire and claims that the pictures were published in Focus, a Japanese weekly magazine that covered the latest news and gossip. It was one of the 3 major weekly magazines in Japan before it shut down publication in 2001.
• In the book, FLCLick Noise, character designer Sadamoto explained that the scene where Mamimi is sitting on the porch at the Nandaba residence while waiting for Canti and its rather unique look was done by Shinya Ohira.
  • Ohira is an animator and director who is known for his particular style of art, drawing characters with rough lines, undulating figures (sometimes described as the “Ohira wobble”), constantly adjusting perspective as well as incorporating realistic movement.
• The enemy robot from this episode is the remaining body of the previous robot which Naota battled in Episode One, Fooly Cooly, as evidenced by the fact it emerges while missing the same hand.

• In the preview for the next episode, in the Japanese version, Haruko talks about the relationship between humans and cats and then concludes by asking if it would be funny to see Nekohachi and Koneko greet each other with cat sounds.
  • "Nekohachi" and "Koneko" refers to a father-son duo known for their particular skill of mimicking animal noises. The duo has spanned multiple generations, with Edoya Koneko now set as the fifth generation member.^[3][4]
    • In the English dub, Haruko talks about how anime directors love cats because they do not have to take care of them, as directors already have trouble taking care of themselves. She then concludes by saying that "Oshii" is the only director who likes dogs because he thinks he is one.
      • "Oshii" refers to Mamoru Oshii, an anime director who is affiliated with Production I.G., the studio that produced FLCL and its sequels. He is best known for directing films such as Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor: The Movie, and Urusei Yatsura. As Haruko noted, Oshii is a dog lover, particularly basset hounds and uses them as a common motif in his works, where they serve as a representation of himself.^[5]
• An early episode draft found in The FLCL Archives reveals that there was originally going to be a scene where Mamimi explains to Naota that years ago there was a big fire in Mabase that burned down the house of a classmate who was bullying her, with Mamimi stating, "I 'used to' get bullied".
• In the preview for the next episode, Haruko is wearing a bright blue maid uniform whereas she wears a dark blue one in the actual release.

References

FLCL (Series)
FLCL (Season 1)	Fooly Cooly • Fire Starter • Marquis de Carabas • Full Swing • Brittle Bullet • FLCLimax
FLCL Progressive (Season 2)	Re:Start • Freebie Honey • Stone Skipping • LooPQR • Fool on the Planet • Our Running
FLCL Alternative (Season 3)	Flying Memory • Grown-Up Wannabe • Freestyle Collection • Pit-a-Pat • Shake It Off • Full Flat
FLCL: Grunge (Season 4)	Shinpachi • Shonari • Orinoko
FLCL: Shoegaze (Season 5)	Full Barricade • Generational Battle • Far Friend