As irreverent and exaggerated as the series is, FLCL is a series built on subtlety and attacking the subconscious. Rather than explain its leading cast through heavy exposition, the series chooses to define them to their audience through design, tone, body language, and subtle details.

It is with that last point where the series shines most, where the very normal case of information overload affecting the audience may leave a few key details to be missed, as the loud foreground of the series forces audience's to look away.

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However, there is a lot to appreciate with these characters in the frames gone by, as what they're wearing or doing not only says a lot about their own personalities but whatever happens to be running in the minds of Gainax's impassioned staff. As such, this list will be running down a few details about the main characters that some fans may have missed.

10 Sawejima Mamimi-Child of Divorce

The detail is not exactly worn on her sleeve, Mamimi subtly reveals that her parents are divorced during the first few minutes of the episode, "Marquis de Carabas." However, she doesn't say it directly and never really mentions it again. But when she goes off on a tangent about how embarrassing being in a certain school play, she casually exclaims, "Mom and Dad both came to see me together, so it's a good memory!"

Besides Naota's stating that she was poor and all the other kids describing how she gets consistently bullied, this little tidbit is one of the most foundational details about Mamimi yet it passes by the ear as easily as breathing does.

9 Kamon Nandaba-Gundam Rant

Naota's father, Kamon, is more or less the fill-in character for the facetious, know-it-all type of otaku. He is aware of the limitations and fallacies keeping most media from an authentic, responsible experience, yet he himself doesn't exactly embody that genuine, responsible nature himself, often using that knowledge throughout the series to mock other people than actually, critically reflect.

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One of the best cases of this being in episode one, where he goes on a slight rant during the manga scene, talking about calling something "Gundam," when it is essentially giant robot anime, referencing an actual debate from Yoshiyuki Tomino himself. He states referencing how clearly embarrassed and coy Naota is with his current rung of relationships and is simply trying to expose him the same way Tomino eventually would admit that Gundam was, in fact, a giant robot anime.

8 Kamon-Lupin III

Not so much continuing his trend of in-your-face meta-commentary and more of just an otaku reference, Kamon actually dresses as Lupin the Third around the beginning of episode 5. After being rejected by Haruko, he comes bursting through the family's living room, all adorned in Lupin's red, suede suit, much to Naota's confusion.

Instead of actually explaining why, Kamon simply just furthers how knowledgeable he is about Lupin the Third by assuming Naota just prefers Lupin's green costume and retorting by saying "Monkey-sensei," i.e. Lupin's mangaka, actually prefers the red one. He is an obsessive otaku but man does he know his stuff.

7 Lord Canti-Kanji Symbol

One of the most mysterious symbols people see when entering the FLCL scene, the red symbol that appears on Canti's face just so happens to be one of the series' most direct labeling. Throughout most of the series, that symbol is actually the kanji for the word "adult," just with the characters overlapping with one another, clearly displaying Canti as an "adult."

However, when Haruko gets her way towards the end of the series, and he fuses with the other terminal core, the kanji on his face actually changes to an overlapping version of "child," showing Haruko's exact effect on him and Naota.

6 Eri Ninamori-Rising Above Adversity

While Naota may be the main focus within the series, he clearly isn't the only character with harsh stuff going on. One character in particular whose issues of maturity and rebellion seem to reflect Naota's is Eri Ninamori. As revealed in episode three, Ninamori's parents seem to be getting a divorce on top of her father's well-advertised sex scandal, leaving Ninamori to try and play it off cool in the same way Naota for the majority of the series.

However, it quickly becomes clear to her that this facade is not going to make her situation any better as much as it just makes her feel worse, leaving her to finally confess her feelings to her parents. When she does a high jump during the series finale, this is her actually characterizing her own character arc, as she's learned to be more mature and genuine with herself.

5 FLCL Progressive-Haruko's Hair Color

Tuning into the world of the sequel series, a major understated element of Haruko's character during Progressive is the fact that, in addition to losing a bit of Atomsk's power when she separated from Jinyu, Haruko's hair also becomes lighter and shorter.

At one end, this directly means that Haruko has lost a piece of herself. At the other, this could also symbolize her own regression as a person, as her own personality during this season is much more erratic and immature.

4 Kana Koumoto-Turns into Nono from Diebuster

FLCL is a series not only born from the experiences of its creative staff but also the various media surrounding them that helped shape a formative childhood. As evident by the series various references to other anime, especially Gainax's other seminal work, Neon Genesis Evangelion, this series loves its references.

This carries over to the later seasons with one of the most blatant additions and homages to another Gainax work having Kana essentially transform into Diebuster's very own Nono, as she starts to complete her own character arc.

3 Haruko Haruhara-Daicon IV

During the episode "Brittle Bullet," Haruko fights off another one of Medical Mechanica's giant robots yet, for some reason, she arrives at the scene dressed as a bunny girl.

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Funny enough, this is just another one of Gainax's own love letters to itself, as this is a clear reference to one of their older series, Daicon IV, which not only features a fighting bunny girl but whose opening features her riding on a flying sword, akin to Haruko surfing on her guitar. During this scene, Haruko even shouts out, "Daicon V!" as she charges at her target.

2 Ninamori-Guitar Lessons

Guitars play a pivotal role in defining the mature mental state of its leading cast. Haruko, of course, has her Rickenbacker 4001, whereas Naota is shown having earned a Gibson Flying V and a Gibson EB-0, all instruments clearly shown and blatantly stated on the screen. However, one of the most profound uses of a guitar in the series is one not looked at for long let alone explicitly mentioned.

This would be Ninamori's own guitar, shown in the background of the final scenes of the series finale. It is revealed that Ninamori is, in fact, taking lessons, furthering the idea that Ninamori is character consistently looking to improve herself.

1 Naota & Mamimi-Baseball and Change

Baseball as a whole has a very clear and direct meaning in the series. Not only do bats and the sport in its entirety represent masculinity and even phallic imagery, but the concept of "swinging the bat" or taking one's chance is heavily stated during the series' fourth episode. However, a major underlooked element of the sport is its relation to Mamimi.

When Naota finally swings the bat to knock away Medical Mechanica's falling satellite, Mamimi can only depressingly stare and mumble, "He swung the bat..." At one end, this signals her jealousy with Haruko, however, baseball as a whole has come to mean significant, negative change to her.

This is the very sport that made her ex-boyfriend, Tasuku, move away, and it is now symbolizing Naota's own independence and possible abandonment of her.

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