Marco Nogata is a supporting character in FLCL Progressive. He is a middle school student in Hidomi Hibajiri’s class and is close friends with Goro and Ko Ide. For much of the story, Marco remains in the background, part of the everyday school setting. His role becomes more active when he accompanies Ide to the beach, where they encounter a shy girl named Aiko. Marco later discovers that Goro has been paying Aiko for her company, and when Goro gives him Aiko’s potted plant, Marco becomes briefly involved in the unfolding events surrounding the plant’s unusual properties. He also develops a short-lived romantic interest in Hidomi after her headphones cause a sudden, cheerful personality change; he finds her new demeanor cute and considers buying her a gift. To earn money for that purpose, he takes a job at the Ohzu amusement park, hired by Tonkichi. Marco is defined by his loyalty to his friends and his willingness to step out of his ordinary routine when something catches his attention, though he never becomes a central figure in the larger conflict. He shows no special abilities and remains an ordinary teenager caught in the extraordinary circumstances around him.