Spotlight Anime: Furi Kuri MAL Series Information Page: Furi Kuri MAL Score – 8.21 (by 22321 users) Ranked - #178 Popularity - #28 Link to Old Spotlight For the next two weeks I would like to have a discussion about the anime that focuses on the key elements that we here on MAL use to critically rate an anime: Animation, Sound, Characters, Story, and Enjoyment. I would like everyone to approach this thread as if you were going to write a review and structure your initial post like this: Animation - insert rating Sound - insert rating Characters - insert rating Story - insert rating Enjoyment - insert rating Animation - discuss any pros and cons of the animation styling used in the series, try to include some specifics. Sound - describe any of the things you liked or didn't care for in regards to the music and sound effects used in the series etc... If you are having trouble writing up a review or coming up with specific pros and cons, please don't worry. Just do the best you can with it and if you can only write two or three sentences about any of the 5 elements then that's OK. Not everyone here is currently at a level which will allow them to articulate their thoughts and opinions. After your initial post is made you can feel free to civilly discuss issues of contention. I am sure there will be many opinions expressed here that some of us will disagree upon and criticise and it is for that reason that this entire club exists. So I hope everyone has fun and I am really looking forward to watching this discussion unfold. RESULTS OF THE RESURRECTION YOU DECIDE POLL (28/02/2015) - Yes: 16 - No: 29 - I haven't watched this anime: 11 ~ Abstained: 8 This anime was NOT inducted into the club's Anime list - 35.6% RESULTS OF THE YOU DECIDE POLL: Furi Kuri was NOT inducted into the club Anime list and is now PERMANENTLY dead: 41 Yes - 50.6% 40 No - 49.4% 23 Don't know - 22.1% of the total number polled ------------------------------------------------------------------------ RESULTS OF THE "YOU DECIDE" POLLS 9-16-2008 FLCL did NOT get inducted into the club Anime list: 45 Yes - 58.44% 32 No - 41.56% 12 I haven't seen this Anime - 13.48% of the total number polled Resurrection You Decide results: FLCL (Anime) (15/04/18) - Yes: 46 - No: 19 - I haven't watched this anime: 10 ~ Abstained: 3 - 70% |
TruePeinApr 21, 2018 3:08 PM
| You do not beg the sun for mercy. |
| this show is just full of win. Hated it when i first watched it, but now its one of my favorites. and it has been for over 5 years now. 10/10 + yes vote <3 (i wrote more in the first spotlight thread. dont feel like finding it and re-quoting) |
| I seriously hate it. I remember that I managed to invent some awesome interpretations for it just to say that I could but it's not enough when the interpretations need to be invented. Randomness is not an attribute of quality. |
 Waratte Oemashou Sore ha Chiisana Inori |
| I do not think FLCL is "random" at all. yes things may be a bit odd but everything in the series does make sense. I did not realize this until i had watched it 3 times though :x It's very easy to miss stuff, and dismiss it as just being randomness. |
| I just did not care. The longest 6 episodes I've ever watched. Except for the Ending Theme. That was awesome. |
Waratte Oemashou Sore ha Chiisana Inori |
| Animation - The animation style for Furi Kuri is very kinetic during the scenes of the action which has been Gainax's MO as of late. While this fits the show and certainly makes things high octane, it can also be so hectic as to be confusing of exactly what is going on. During the non-action scenes the style frequently changes oftentimes for the purpose of parody. They spend whole minutes as characters inked onto a manga page or done in the paper cut-out South Park style. The style can be off putting but the quality of each parody and action scene is undeniable. 8/10 Sound - The soundtrack by the pillows does with good rock what good techno did for Eureka 7. It doesn't have much of a BGM to speak of but the inserts by the pillows all fit the overarching emotion and feeling of the show. The ED (also by the pillows) is quite a fun number too. 8/10 Characters - The characters...aren't much to shake a stick at. Naota is a rather whiny type who needs to grow up. He's thinks he has already grown up though. The other main character (leaving out Mamimi) Haruko is a much more interesting character. She is pretty archetypal in some respects as the magical girl/goddess/alien that moves in with the main character. She's has a lot of secrets. Unlike the archetype she isn't devoted to Naota. She mainly uses him and then sort of throws him away. She is far more unbalanced than a typical magical girl character. The interactions between these two are the major plot movers and comic relief bringers. Due to length of the series and the certain liberties with the plot the characters can be somewhat hindered in their fleshing out. 5/10 Story - Here is where things get difficult. The pace of FLCL moves extremely quickly. As stated above there isn't really any time to slow down and get to know the characters a little better. Due, to this it is extremely easy to miss important plot points. Some of which I feel the director may have purposefully been attempting to downplay so that the show felt wilder and random. On the first watch through I would say it is almost impossible to completely understand what is going on. This might be a hindrance to the average viewer. Even when you feel like you have all the details the whole thing feels rather convoluted and even maybe like some kids fantasy. (which may or may not be what the director was going for) I've personally seen the show many times so I can say that I feel like I understand the story. It left me wanting more and in my experience that's means I liked it. 6/10 Enjoyment - I think it is interesting that from what I have read FLCL was more popular in the states than it ever was in Japan. What exactly contributes to this I'm not sure. It may be the fact that Adult Swim tends to cultivate random shows. For me though FLCL was a wholly enjoyable experience that I continue to rewatch whenever the mood strikes me. It's short, only 6 episodes, but so much happens in that short time that it feels longer. It's high octane, cracked out, hyped up, energy filled show that shines in music, parody, and animation. Any confusion I may have had upon initial viewing only made me want to watch it again. 9/10 OVERALL: 8/10 |
takaJun 20, 2009 3:11 AM
| Animation – 8.5 Pretty good, at the time it was top notch. It had a very free and crazy style which fitted perfectly on the unusual theme. They even inserted a scene with manga, it was very good. The character design at the time was original, later some other animes came to “steal” it’s character design, so it makes it more important for that. Sound – The sound was most rock music, which was pretty nice to hear and well executed too. Again it fitted the theme well because one character always used a guitar with her. Even today, years later, I do remember some musical themes from it. Characters – 8.0 All the characters were likeable, there were four main characters; Naota “Tak-kun”, the lead, the rational kid. The crazy Haruko, the woman that suddenly appear in his live, his long time friend, the lovable Mamimi, a sexy older high school girl which Naota has some feelings towards and, finally the weird robot with a television as a head, which appears from no where in the most esquisite conditions. Story – 7.3 The story is a little bit confusing, but it can make some sense if you put some logic into it. It deals mostly with the relation between Naota and Mamimi, it also has some weird figts in the middle to fit some shounen taste the viewer might want, and it even brings some social issues in the end. Enjoyment – 8.5 This short OVA series brought a fresh air when it came out, and the unusual concepts allied with a very good animation+ sounds, made it a very pleasant watch, I watched it two times I a row, the first time I came across the series I would advice it to any free spirits interested in unusual concepts in anime. |
| FLCL makes anime in general a whole lot more worth watching so yes. |
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taka said: Characters - The characters...aren't much to shake a stick at. Naota is a rather whiny type who needs to grow up. He's thinks he has already grown up though. The other main character (leaving out Mamimi) Haruko is a much more interesting character. She is pretty archetypal in some respects as the magical girl/goddess/alien that moves in with the main character. She's has a lot of secrets. Unlike the archetype she isn't devoted to Naota. She mainly uses him and then sort of throws him away. She is far more unbalanced than a typical magical girl character. The interactions between these two are the major plot movers and comic relief bringers. Due to length of the series and the certain liberties with the plot the characters can be somewhat hindered in their fleshing out. 5/10 The characters are the best part about FLCL in my opinion. There is an insane amount of character development in only 6 episodes. While the characters themselves may not be very likeable (like Haruko and Naota) each main character gets quite a bit of development. In my eyes, i think haruko had the least, and that may be why i dislike her the most. But Naota, Mamimi, his dad, Ninamori, and even Canti have such particular characters that im shocked that i grew to love them as much as i did in a span of only 6 episodes. Mamimi alone , in my eyes, is one of the most interesting anime characters ever. Between her lingering love for Ta-kun(brother) and using Naota as a replacement, her arsenist tendencies, etc, I feel that I really understand her character mentally very well. Sure, they could have done more character development with a longer series, but FLCL definitely used their time wisely with characters. I understand the FLCL characters more in 6 episodes than some other series that have 26 episodes. The fact that the robot, canti, had some unique characteristic traits that grew over the series says a lot, to me. |
| Animation - 9 I liked the unique character designs and perspectives they took. The manga storyboard was interesting as well both times they did it. it looks clean and although it was drawn more comical it came together nicely. Sound - 8 sound effects and music really do play a big role in this anime too. although it was a while ago that i last watched it i remember liking alot of the dramatic music that played. Characters - 6 Characters kinda fall short for me since i like smart, confident, decisive characters, they all miss this category lol. but they were unique and fun to watch. Story - 7 Story.... yea <_< well it wasn't a normal cause and effect story but it had a message that it was getting across quiet well, the boy who tries to grow up too fast~ Enjoyment - 9 Enjoyment. This is where the series scores most of its points. its fun to watch and see what happens next. |
| Oh no, not this one... Uniqueness ≠ quality Randomness ≠ quality I will write something to elaborate if I find the time. |
| furi kuri furi kuri furi kuri furi kuri furi kuri i'd vote yes purely out of the enjoyment facter but idk how far it's artistic merits stretch |
Suna_Kujira said: Oh no, not this one... Uniqueness ≠ quality Randomness ≠ quality I will write something to elaborate if I find the time. For me, those aren't the only things it has going for it, though. There's more to it, such as the fantastic art direction & animation, the show's sense of humor, the way the scenes flow from one to the next, the overall quality of the scriptwriting and the characters who all manage to be either likable or interesting, and some of them who grow and develop over the course of the show such as Naota. FLCL is far more than simply uniqueness and randomness. it is those things as well, but that's not ALL it is. ladyxzeus said: I remember that I managed to invent some awesome interpretations for it just to say that I could but it's not enough when the interpretations need to be invented. I don't feel like a show needs any hidden meaning or interpretations to be labelled as exceedingly good. There doesn't need to be any interpretations. If you ask me, a show can succeed on the merits of it's characters and the way it handles it's storytelling and it's style... it doesn't need to be deep or meaningful with symbolic imagry in order to be respected. |
::End of Transmission:: What have I been watching? Click here and find out on my viewing blog, "Vigorous Viewing" |
| Gotta say, this thread really drives home both the critics and the connoisseurs part of the name. Anyway form what I gather the club’s consensus seems to follow the common idea of “FLCL is random and incoherent, but fun for some people”. And that makes those who think that way at least partially right since the plot really is a disjointed group of events that in themselves never meant to create an impressive narrative but rather serve as catalysts for character growth and as framework for the show’s themes. Even if the sequence of event is nonsensical and incoherent, same cannot be said about the character progression and the themes. The opposite holds true in fact. This was actually what they were trying to do with Fooly Cooly, take a random-ass plot and somehow, someway tell a coming of age story about interesting and compelling characters with complete comprehensibility within said characters. FLCL manages to pull that of incredibly well unlike anything else in the medium. Hell there isn’t many serious show that can compete with FLCL when it comes to thematic depth. Next to nothing in this show happens that wouldn’t be connected to puberty. The symbolism, character actions, metaphors, important plot event, monologues, all of them are in some way related to the themes of adolescence, maturity or growing up, to a point where the show is completely in your face about it. But the main way the show presents and explores said themes is by having characters at different stages of adolescence interacting which is how they and the viewers glean insight into what make one mature. The main cast consists of an angsty preteen that needs to learn to mature, a sexually open but emotionally frustrated late teen, a kid that thinks she is more mature than her peers and adults as well as a care free young adult that doesn’t have to deal with puberty. The show most closely follows the first one, Naota, as he learns about himself and his own maturity through observing others and being shaped by them. A few examples from the show would be when Ninamori acts like and adult which make Naota realize the immaturity or kids, or how Haruko’s carefree self helps Naotha accept and be confident in his own feelings, or how Mamimi uses Naota as a replacement for his brother witch drives Naota to step out of this brother’s shadow an be his own person, which in turn leads Mamimi to stop escaping reality and start dealing with her problems. Naota and the viewers is constantly faced with questions of what it means to be an adult. Is it to do the things you don’t want to do but have to (Naota in episode 1), is it to protect the ones you care about (Naota in episode 2), is it to try your hardest to get what you want despite your shortcomings, taking responsibly and acting despite knowing you might fail to measure up to other’s and your own expectations (Ninamori episode 3 and Naota in episode 4), is it to step out of your role model’s shadow and become your own person (Naota in episode 5), is it to leave others to their own devices when is necessary them to deal with their own problems (Mamimi in episode 5), is it find a goal in life you can try to achieve for yourself by yourself (Mamimi in episode 6), Is it to be honest with yourself and your own feelings(Naota in episode 6), is it coming to terms and embracing your own immaturity (Haruko and the adults throughout the show), or is it quite possibly a mix of all of the above. Each episode comes to a different conclusion of what it means to be an adult and each subsequent episode either builds upon or questions the already given answers. Ultimately the show leaves it’s up to the viewers to come to their own conclusion as to what make one come of age but it does suggest that it’s not through method that one attains mastery but rather through experience, given how Naota, after everything he went through, is left behind by both Haruko and Mamini and only moves to his next stage in life, middle school. The aesthetics are also an area where FLCL is quite unlike anything else. The show changes through plethora of styles at a drop of a hat, while managing to retain its identity and make it feel natural without breaking immersion. The differing art styles are always high quality and the same goes for the animation, be it for the looped and exaggerated comedic scenes or fluid sakuga of the highest caliber in the important action set pieces. Similar things can be said about the soundtrack. The use of alternative rock is something rarely seen in anime and it lends itself well to the tone on feeling of the show and probably gives the wacky, insane and even dramatic moments as much personality as moments themselves. FLCL is unlike anything else I’ve seen in anime and it surpasses most in both style and substance. Of course you might not see it that way but just remember that your feelings hold a lot less weight than fifteen years (and counting) of relevancy. |
ladyxzeus said: I seriously hate it. I remember that I managed to invent some awesome interpretations for it just to say that I could but it's not enough when the interpretations need to be invented. Randomness is not an attribute of quality. Same, but I didn't hate it, I just found it horribly boring. Since people either say "it's good because it's deep and symbolic" or "it's not deep or symbolic, it's good because it's funny", I watched it twice. When I watched it for "fun", I found it really dumb and annoying. Basically a pain in the ass to watch. And when I watched it for the "symbolism", I got literally nothing thought-provoking from it. The only good thing about the show was the soundtrack. If personal interpretation is all that's needed to make a show a masterpiece, I might as well call harem anime symbolic of Stockholm Syndrome from an abusive relationship, and call them high art because of it. |
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Eisigerhauch said: The animation is fantastic. Flow, movement, camera angles. No one in favour has argued in this thread using symbolism. Nobody is using your strawman argument. When did I ever imply anyone said anything about symbolism in this thread? I was talking about people in the review section and elsewhere praising it for its symbolism. If someone likes it for the animation, then that's fine, even though animation quality isn't a criteria for me liking a show or not. I was just agreeing with ladyxzeus's post. |
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| My post is from almost 10 years ago. I still keep with it. Attacc |
Waratte Oemashou Sore ha Chiisana Inori |
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