i have a 209se brush and it is flexable at the tip but the rest is firm. that is how it is meant to be i believe because if you had the brush bending everywhere it would be hard to apply gel liners in a straight line!
I think the FS 209 is much more "bendable" than the 209SE, but not so much as it's difficult to use, if that makes since. My FS 209 is also a lot finer, at the tip than the 209SE.