FLIP FLAPPERS Episode 11: Many Faces

We continue to become acquainted with Mimi in today’s episode of FLIP FLAPPERS, mostly via flashback. Some stuff also happens in the present day, too.

Papika finds Uexkull in amongst the ruins of Cocona’s house.

We begin with Papika searching for Cocona. She isn’t able to find her, but she does stumble upon Uexkull. Unfortunately, she has no idea what message he’s trying to convey to her.

Mimi – possessing Cocona’s body – arrives at Asclepius.

Whenever any of the Asclepius members try to approach Mimi, she is able to turn them into grass, or make it grow out of them or something along those lines. She swears to protect Cocona no matter what, even going as far as threatening to kill anyone who tries to harm her.

Sayuri and Hidaka make their escape.

Salt had left Sayuri in charge, as he had something else come up that he needed to attend to. Sayuri wonders if he’ll be all right, but Hidaka doesn’t believe there’s anything to be worrying about. When they get outside, they bump into a badly beaten-up Bu-chan. The person responsible is the third child-

Sorry, Nyunyu.

She points a gun at Sayuri and Hidaka, and they aren’t really able to do anything. However, someone shows up to prevent Nyunyu from shooting anyone.

Yayaka saves Sayuri and Hidaka.

Nyunyu gives out her name, and a confused Yayaka just calls her a funny one.

Elsewhere, Salt meets with Mimi.

Salt quickly figures out that Mimi has come back to life in Cocona’s body, though he says that nobody wanted to see her like that. Mimi says it’s for her daughter’s sake, since Salt failed to protect her. Salt acknowledges he couldn’t protect Cocona, whilst pulling a gun on Mimi. Time for a flashback.

Salt, Papika and Mimi before things went pear-shaped.

The flashback shows us when Salt become one of the researchers looking into Pure Illusion, and the use of a machine called ELPIS that allowed them to open up a Pure Illusion specific to the person inside. However, when Papika and Mimi went to Salt’s father’s Pure Illusion, they ended up doing something to his mind and damaging it – or at least that’s the Salt sees it at first.

Mimi and Papika plan to escape.

After the events that revolved around ELPIS and Salt’s father, Mimi and Papika decide they want to escape. They try to convince Salt to go along with them, but he isn’t so keen to go. Papika also tries to tell Salt something about Cocona, but she doesn’t quite get the words out.

Both Papika and Mimi end up being captured after their initial escape.

Salt soon realises just what Papika was trying to say about Mimi earlier, when he sees Mimi begging for her daughter to be given back to her. This leads to Salt leading another breakout together with Papika, Mimi and Cocona, but they aren’t able to get too far. However, the pain of losing her daughter causes Mimi to wind up in Pure Illusion, where another side of herself comes out.

Mimi will do anything to protect Cocona.

These events lead up to the flashback we’ve seen before, where Papika was shouting out for Mimi. In the present day, Papika arrives at the scene where Salt and Mimi are confronting each other. Try as he might, Salt just can’t bring himself to shoot Mimi – despite his memory of her asking him to stop her. She strikes Salt down, and then asks Papika if she wants either Cocona or the Mimi from her memories brought back. Papika can’t bring herself to answer, so Mimi has only three words for her.

The three most hurtful words Papika could hear from this person.

Papika tries searching for salt, but just recalling the words ‘I hate you’ has her collapsing in despair.

Cocona and her mother spend some time together.

Presumably in Pure Illusion, Cocona gets to spend some much sought-after time with her mother. Mimi says she’ll do everything for Cocona, including making new friends and creating any world that Cocona desires. The Pure Illusion they end up in the first one that Papika and Cocona went to together – the snowy one. Pure Illusion begins to bleed into the real world.

Looks like FlipFlap have gained a new ally.

Salt soon arrives, and gets on his hands and knees to beg Yayaka to do him a favour. Yayaka reluctantly agrees, and tracks down Papika.

Yayaka announces her intention to save Cocona because she is her friend.

Yayaka is able to snap Papika out her depression. They set off, though Yayaka does have to give Papika a bit of a push for her true self to really come back.

Now this is the Papika we know and love.

With that, Papika and Yayaka set off to try and save Cocona. We’ll have to wait until the next episode to see if they are successful, though.

This episode presented us with some interesting insight into the history of Mimi, and explained how she became the overprotective mother. Though saying that, it’s clear that Cocona doesn’t quite want to be the child that Mimi thinks she is – her rejection of the longer hair and dress are signs of that.
It isn’t made explicitly clear who Cocona’s father is – the most likely person would be Salt, but nothing concrete has been confirmed yet.
Without a doubt, the best moment of this episode came at the end courtesy of Yayaka. I’ve always enjoyed the moments in media where a character who is in a fun is brought back to being their regular self, particularly with something incredibly important about to happen.
I’m very much looking forward to the next episode, and I’ll certainly be rooting for Papika and Yayaka to save Cocona.