There are so many anime out there that there are multiple sub-genres in genres now. Usually, fans can determine just which genre their anime fits. However, Fooly Cooly breaks the mold when it comes to this aspect as it falls into so many different anime categories that it makes one of its own.
Its main protagonist and antagonist Haruko is either one of the most loved anime figures or in some cases, the least understood. For fans who know her and love her, she can be both.
10 Haruko Is An Extraterrestrial Investigator
In most cases, figuring out the career of the main characters is simple. In fact, few fans probably ever give much thought as to what their favorite anime character does for a living. As for Haruko, she is shown in Fooly Cooly as being anything from a teacher to a nanny but her actual real job description is extraterrestrial investigator.
Of course, given her propensity to lie along with her lack of emotional and mental stability, her real job description might never be understood.
9 Her Many Aliases
Most anime are clear about not just the intentions of the characters but also, the real names of the characters shown. Of course, there is always one out there where there is a surprise hidden name-dropped towards the end.
However, when it comes to Haruko in Fooly Cooly, one of the most mysterious aspects of her character is her various uses of aliases when she is in different roles. As a teacher, she is Miss Shimazaki and as a babysitter, she calls herself Haruha Raharu.
8 Director Of Fooly Cooly Personally Chose Haruko's English Voice Actress
For the fans who do not believe that voice acting changes the portrayal of a character has never truly watched anime in both Japanese and its English dub. Sometimes a person's favorite character is given such a bad voice actor or actress that the very being of the character lacks its original portrayal.
Fooly Cooly director Kazuya Tsurumaki personally chose the English voice actress who would portray Haruko, as he wanted someone who portrayed the same essence as the original.
7 Naota's A John Doe
Fans of Fooly Cooly who are not fluent in the Japanese language might have missed one of Haruko's insults. During the first episode when she runs over Naota on her Vespa she refers to him as Taro-kun, she continues to refer to him by this name throughout the episode.
In Japanese, the word Taro is the English equivalent of John Doe. So, even after Haruko learns that his real name is Naota, she still doesn't give him the respect of using it. At least not in the first episode.
6 Sexual Innuendo Around Big Objects Protruding From Naota's Head
Haruko is truly one of those characters that fans can never really gauge. Sometimes she is laid back, other times she is quite hostile and on several different occasions, she appears to have a very sexualized demeanor. This is a bit odd since Naota is still just a kid and she is possibly in her early twenties.
Creepy vibes aside, her sexual fantasies revolving around these objects aren't exactly hidden from fans but her sexual feelings towards those who have these objects protruding from their heads are unknown.
5 Haruko Is Left Handed
It is quite unusual to learn just which hand that a favorite anime character plays their guitar with but luckily for Fooly Cooly fans we can learn this from the type of guitar she is first seen with.
In her opening scene when she hits Naota with her Vespa, she is shown to have a 1974 left-handed Azureglo Rickenbacker 4001c64 electric bass guitar. This guitar has a blue and white mix to it with a fine finish. For its age, it looks to be in absolutely pristine condition.
4 Her Guitar Comes With Many Attachments
The people who are hardcore rockers who end their shows with smashing their guitars to little bits, usually have the money and resources to buy new ones. To most, damaging their prized guitar might be seen somewhat strange and probably ludicrous to do but for Haruko this is everyday behavior.
Mainly because her guitar has many other attachments to it. It can be used as a blunt object such as a bat. It can shoot like a gun, fly like a hoverboard and also features a saw.
3 A Real-Life Vespa Is Shown In The Credits
Usually, only MCU fans stick around for the credits. In fact, in those movies, people actually look forward to the end credits for all the post-scene hints that are dropped for upcoming films.
Sadly, the same can't be said for fans of other movies, television series or anime, who usually cut the TV off as soon as the end credits appear. In Fooly Cooly, the end credits do have a really cool few minutes of the real-life version of the Vespa driving itself around Japan.
2 References To Other Anime Or TV Shows
The great thing about Fooly Cooly is there constant attempts to tie in with other well-known animes and TV shows that come before it. When Miya-Jun's car is destroyed by the Canti in episode 3, a miniature Kenny from South Park is seen in the wreckage.
In episode 2, Naota explains that the reason why his father acts so strange is because he just wrote a book about the mysteries of Neon Genesis Evangelion and in the same episode Haruko fixes her Vespa with a Mobile Suit Gundam part.
1 Haruko's Many Ages
Probably one of the only consistencies in Fooly Cooly is Haruko's ability or inability, to tell the truth. Not only does she give herself numerous names but she also changes her age on a whim in many different episodes.
In the original Fooly Cooly, she says that she is 19, while in the Progressive snapshots she is 16. Even before the anime aired, some of the early concept art had her age at 20 but also explained in Alternative that she can't age past 19.