FLIP FLAPPERS Episode 7: Many Faces of Papika

It’s back to Pure Illusion for Papika and Cocona once again in this episode, but not without the pair of them trying to find some answers as to what happened previously.

It seems that Cocona is still calling her Senpai, so I’ll guess I’ll do the same.

Senpai is cleaning some space, which involves throwing away a fair few of her old paintings. This change of behaviour seems strange, particularly to Cocona. Papika and Cocona intend to ask about Iro, but don’t manage to do so.

Cocona and Yayaka talk about the hole that Papika and Cocona entered in Pure Illusion last time.

Yayaka believes the hole to be dangerous and tells Cocona that she should just stay away from it.

Hidaka tries to explain Pure Illusion

Hidaka offers up an explanation for what Pure Illusion is, but that goes over the heads of Papika and Cocona. The hole they went through was a deeper level of Pure Illusion, and it seemed to be a place that can affect the real world. Salt also adds that the worlds can’t exist without friction. Cocona is reluctant to go back into Pure Illusion, just in case they change something in the real world again.

‘Sister’ Papika

Cocona returns home, only to find that her grandmother and Uexkull are nowhere to be seen. Instead, she is greeted by Papika, who keeps calling her sister. After eating dinner and bathing together, Papika pulls a disappearing act.

Papika reappears at school.

At school, a different Papika encourages Cocona to skip class. Cocona quickly figures that she is in Pure Illusion – seemingly identical to where she lives in the real world. This includes a Pure Illusion version of FlipFlap, where Cocona does some investigating.

This Papika encourages Cocona’s curiosity.

Different Papikas keep appearing in this Pure Illusion, and Cocona decides to hang out with each of them.

This Papika likes building and then destroying sandcastles.

Delinquent Papika

Papika and Cocona use a photo booth

When the day comes to an end, a tired Cocona says that she wants to turn Senpai back to normal. Another Papika joins her and asks if change is that bad.

The conversation turns to love.

When Papika asks if Cocona loves her, Cocona doesn’t really have an answer. Part of the reason seems to be that this Papika isn’t Cocona’s Papika.

Papika wants to do something fun.

Cocona is determined to find her Papika, which leaves the other Papika wondering if she isn’t good enough before disappearing.

Yayaka decides to not get involved with Cocona’s business

Cocona doesn’t even notice Yayaka leaving with another fragment. After shouting out her frustration, a hole opens up beneath her and she falls. Fortunately, Papika is able to deliver on the promise she made earlier on in the episode: that she’ll be there to catch Cocona if she falls.

This is definitely best Papika.

Papika is happy to have found her ‘lost Cocona’. Cocona is about to say that Papika was the one who was lost, but she realises that may not have been the case.

We check in with Yayaka and the organisation she works for.

Yayaka can’t get into Pure Illusion unless she follows someone, and she’s being left out of the loop about things such as the hole from before. It also seems that her organisation’s plan is nearing completion. Yayaka is also called inferior to the amorphous children. Isn’t that the type of thing that leads to people switching sides?

A mysterious man

Papika and Cocona land in a field after escaping the hole – possibly still in Pure Illusion. Papika’s fragment starts to glow, and she has a vision, or recalls a memory – something along those lines.

All we know at this point is that this is Mimi – and something happened to her.

It seems that mysterious man is connected to Mimi in some way as well.

FLIP FLAPPERS always manages to deliver interesting episodes, and this one is no exception. Papika and Cocona have finally sought answers for what Pure Illusion is – admittedly we only got vague answers, but hey, it’s something.
It’s also been confirmed that there’s a deeper level of Pure Illusion that can affect the real world – could this be a target for either FlipFlap, the organisation Yayaka works for, or both?

As for this episode’s Pure Illusion, it gave us a chance to learn some more about Cocona and the relationship she shares with Papika. She admitted to having fun with all the different Papikas, but ultimately she wanted to find the real one.
Throughout this episode, it was Cocona who was lost – after discovering that their actions in Pure Illusion affected the real world, it was Cocona who was scared of going back.
In the past, Pure Illusion has been malevolent, but I feel that this time around was a benevolent experience. Pure Illusion presented Cocona with many different Papikas to find her way. I also like how each individual Papika was credited individually, even though they’re all voiced by M.A.O. Interestingly enough, each one had a slight alteration to the name Papika.
I loved the way Papika lived up to her promise to catch Cocona, too. Papika and Cocona share a great relationship, and this episode just continues to cement that.

Yayaka switching sides seems to be something that’s on the cards, at least in my opinion. It seems she isn’t getting much trust placed in her, but at the moment she has nowhere else to go. Maybe something will happen that will convince Yayaka to join FlipFlap, or perhaps Papika, Cocona and Yayaka will find themselves opposing both organisations – particularly with that revelation that the deeper part of Pure Illusion can affect the real world. FLIP FLAPPERS is unpredictable, so almost any theory could be viable at this point, though.

Papika’s flashback definitely brings up some interesting thoughts. That screenshot up there showing Mimi – it’s not just Mimi in that screenshot, is it? Guess we’ll have to wait and see exactly what happened there.