While most people who come to this blog probably already know what Flip Flappers is, if you somehow stumbled by and don’t but are curious to find out you are in the right place!
Flip Flappers can be legally watched for free on Crunchyroll! Please do not use illegal streaming sites such as Kiss Anime!
Flip Flappers is, as I’m sure you can tell, an anime. It aired starting in the Fall of 2016 (October 6th, to be specific). Why is there an entire blog dedicated to it, linking to dozens of other blog posts and reviews? Well, Flip Flappers is a particularly dense show. It has a lot of aspects to discuss and analyze. But lets start at the beginning.
Flip Flappers was directed by Kiyotaka Oshiyama, as his first outing as a Series Director (the person in overall charge of the production of an anime. Generally considered the person with the most creative control.) Previously he had served as Episode Director (oversees the specific details of a particular episode. Reports directly to the Series Director) for episode 18 of Space Dandy, where he first came to the attention of “Sakuga” fans. (“Sakuga” is the Japanese word for “animation” but here it means specifically well done animation.) He had also previously worked as an Animation Director (supervises animators with the Episode Director) and had done Key Animation (the major frames of an animated sequence, later filled in by other animators) for a number of series. So among the community of Sakuga fans, Flip Flappers became highly anticipated.
Other notable staff include Ayana Yukino behind the Story Concept, Kojima Takashi as the Character Designer and tanu with Original Concept Art. The acclaimed Studio Pablo was doing the Background Art based on tanu’s concepts.
The staff wasn’t the only reason people were excited for the show. The early promotional videos showed it to look gorgeous, and the story concept was fun and intriguing. Teased with fluid animation, gorgeous designs and great looking action even people with no idea about Oshiyama were intrigued.
Flip Flappers is fundamentally the story of two girls. A serious, reserved girl named Cocona and an energetic, outgoing girl named Papika. Through what seems to be a chance encounter, Cocona and Papika are transported to the world of Pure Illusion, where dreamlike landscapes take form before their eyes. Within Pure Illusion dreams can come true and fantastic powers will manifest. Flip Flappers follows the adventures of these two girls within Pure Illusion, on a journey of wonder and discovery.
If that was all there was to Flip Flappers, the art and animation behind it would have easily made it one of the most gorgeous anime on air, but that description barely scratches the surface.
Flip Flappers uses visual storytelling, subtext, symbolism and allusions to weave together a story of a girl discovering herself. Cocona’s development of her sense of self and her sexuality are gradually revealed through the tapestry of Pure Illusion, and along the way she learns things about her past and the past of the people around her that shock her, but continually push her forward towards discovering what she wants in her life.
Flip Flappers is the story of an adventure and the story of a girl falling in love. Two sides to the same story.
Flip Flapping! 