FlipFlappiversary Week 7: Surfacing the Subtext

So, Episode 7. Pure Component. Maybe one of the most important episodes of anime…ever. Sure, its not the action spectacle of Pure XLR, or the deconstruction of classic tropes like Pure Echo, or the deep psychological dive of Pure Play. But in terms of what it does for Flip Flappers, and for Cocona, its immense.

First of all, if you haven’t yet please read Natasha’s piece about Queer Discovery, heavily featuring this episode. It is perhaps the single most important article about Flip Flappers.

Alright, lets talk about, Subtext.

Subtext is perhaps the single most innescapable term when discussing anything involving queer relationships in anime (or most media, but we’ll focus on anime here). No matter what, people will say its “just subtext” or “if its subtext it doesn’t really count”. This ends up causing people to completely miss actual text, passing it off as just more subtext.

Also, lets be clear, subtext is not something people just imagine. Its a real thing that is intentionally put into a work by the author or creators. Subtext is of course often used to slip things in under the radar, including queer themes or characters. This is so common that it often seems like it is the only way to actually include these things, and for some it is used as a way of dismissing the clear intent as not being part of the “text”.

Flip Flappers has no interest in anyone’s subtext, at least not when it comes to Cocona’s sexuality. Sure, episode 1 was fairly standard Girl-meets-Girl Magical Girl, but by the time we get to episode 3 and Cocona meets the lesbian bondage plant monster who is gatekeeping her inner impulses, things are starting to get pretty obvious.

In episode 7, Cocona encounters multiple facets of Papika. Papika as a little sister. Papika as a rebellious schoolmate, Papika as a proper young lady, Papika as a weird stalker, Papika as a hot boy. Finally, ultimately, Cocona encounters the aspect of Papika she’s denied the most. Papika as a woman.

The most common refrain when discussing subtext in yuri–themed shows is “they’re just friends”. Often also with the assertion that the word “suki” can mean “like” not necessarily “love”. Flip Flappers addresses this head on. Cocona is asked, by her mental projection of Papika as an object of sexual desire, whether she “loves” her. Cocona responds, hesitantly, with “as a friend?”. Her repressed sexual desire for Papika is having none of that. Directly confronting Cocona with the realities of her feelings.

In the end, Cocona rejects the offer to have sex, not because they are both girls, but because this isn’t the real Papika, the Papika Cocona truly and undeniably loves.

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