FLCL

FLCL is as close to a piece of literature as you're ever going to get with an anime series. Fast paced as it may be, the story beautifully presents a theme of growing into maturity, and accompanies it with stunning visuals I've yet to see surpassed. Many comments have been made on how plot is very difficult to follow due to both its speed, and also because of all the symbols, motifs, and dialogue that doesn't reveal its meaning until the very end. Never in any anime have I seen foil characters like Amarao and Ninamori played as such a beautiful literary ... supplement to the main character Naota's journey into adulthood. To me, this series is the perfect balance of seriousness and humour. It makes you laugh, it makes you think, it pumps you up, its aesthetics impress you, it tells an eloquent story with a great mixture of science fiction and real life, it does everything a good story should do. Add to the mixture a soundtrack comprised almost entirely of music by The Pillows, and you have yourself and incredible piece of film work.

I highly recommend watching this series multiple times (it is short enough for sure - about the length of a movie all together). Each time I watch it, I start to pick up more subtleties, like pieces of foreshadowing dialogue, thematic development between characters and their foils, and witty humour. The director's commentary is also extremely insightful to the themes of the story, and I would definitely spend time watching that as well.

Most importantly, I can't stress enough to not be quick to judge this work. If you don't understand everything (and you undoubtedly won't after the first viewing), it certainly does not mean FLCL is "random" or "plotless". It is in my opinion WELL worth a second and third watch in order to pick up as much as you can.

I can't sing enough praise about FLCL. It holds a dear place in my heart, and I hope everyone that reads this can find a great enjoyment in it as well.

Pretentious is a word which is thrown around a lot these days, even though it is a word that almost no-one seems to understand. In order for a creative work to be an example of 'pretentiousness' it needs to present commonplace ideas in an overly elaborate way, and while firmly under the illusion that what it says is deeply profound. It must have a delusion of grandeur, in other words.

There are many out there who say this about FLCL, but there are just as many who will also say, sometimes within the same breath, that it doesn't have any "storyline" or "plot" or that it ... doesn't make any sense. But if you cannot state what is being said, how can you assess whether what is said is novel or trivial? Nothing can be cryptic and conspicuous simultaneously.

As it happens, FLCL is not something which is terribly difficult to understand. The entire picture is little more than a metaphor for adolescence. This is hinted at slightly in the show, by the fact that the lead character Naota, is a young boy who suddenly becomes quite moody and irritable. Perhaps you yourself have experienced adolescence, or you know someone who has: it is the period of life where young boys and young girls begin to develop emotionally, physically and sexually. There are a wide range of symptoms, but Psychologically, they usually manifest themselves in the form of moodiness and irritability.

That is of course not to say that other aspects of FLCL can be considered part of adolescence. For better or worse, most people do not encounter fighting robots or alien bounty hunters until they enter College, or sometimes even later in life. This is an example of 'creative license' wherein creators are allowed to operate outwith the confines of observable reality and produce work purely from their own imagination. Of course, it is probable that in doing so these creations have a connection to something which does exist in the real world, acting as some kind of 'metaphor' or 'allegory'. One example of this which appears in FLCL is the character Haruko. She is the first woman which Naota looks at in a sexual way, and is very alluring despite being completely unsuitable as a romantic interest. In other words, exactly the kind of woman that an adolescent boy would be attracted to. Of course, women are beyond the comprehension of most adolescent males, perhaps to the extent they may be perceived as being 'alien' to them. I am not a literature student, but I believe that there is a term used when a writer attempts to emphasise the similarity between to things by equating them with one another. Oh yeah, a metaphor.

Another important character is Holden Caulfield, or Mamimi as she is actually known in the series. While Naota is in the onset 'angsty' phase of adolescence, Mamimi is in the 'existential crisis' phase where patients become consumed with apathy and decide to take up smoking. For Mamimi, the transition between childhood and adulthood is incomplete, and while she is sexually active she is still very childlike in her reliance on others. Her boyfriend, on the other hand, has left her behind... placing some distance between them... like the distance between childhood and adulthood, possibly... who knows?

If you are not the sort of person who is capable of lateral thought, or are intimidated by the prospect of having to figure something out for yourself, then FLCL is unlikely to be appealing to you. If not however, it is arguably among the greatest anime series ever made. The visuals are as groundbreaking as they are stunning to look at. The level of creativity demonstrated here is greater than the entire output of anime in the past five years. This anime doesn't assume that you are not smart enough to figure out abstract ideas on your own.

This isn't anime. This is art.

This is a fast - paced anime. So fast - paced, that I'm not sure if I understood it clearly and completely. It still did interest me though. Not one dull moment.

Since I didn't understand the storyline all too well, I am not sure if I will be able to give a valid comment on this aspect. For purposes of writing a review that will get other people interested in it, I will give it my best shot.

The storyline is definitely different - it is nothing like any anime I have watched before. I probably said that line a million times, but let me tell ... you, this is in a whole different league. What I like about it is that, the creators were able to get away with a real good story in such an amount of time. I'm tired of anime with a lot of episodes - let's get more 6 episode OVAs.

In three words, I would say that FLCL is funny, weird and different. Every episode made me laugh out loud, and at the same time, every episode made me go "what?" Some of the things that confused me is the emergence of "pedophiles" in this anime. Naota is just 12 years, people. People who go by the names Mamimi and Haruko - here's my message to you. Stay away! Note: Definitely not for kids under 18. I'm 20 and it still shocked me. There are scenes that are too, well, graphic (Scenes with Naota and Ninamori bathing..).

I did notice some american influence in this anime. I don't know if it's just me, but was that Kenny? Yep, pretty sure that was. There was a part in the OAV where they spoofed South Park. I don't know why, but it's all good. . Another thing is that the characters play baseball, Naota's brother is in America for pete's sake! I also noticed that the characters are fond of using english terms, specially Haruko.

But then again, I do understand why they like Naota so much. He is a bit cynical for his age, and he acts nothing like a 12 year old. He's more like a twenty - something guy stuck in a pre-teen's body (but then again, all kids in FLCL are - them kids are driving trucks). I do like his character though. He is rather interesting. Haruko is a bit weird. She is an alien, but I've seen a lot of aliens in other anime before. She is weirder than any of them and all of them combined. She's so weird, but she's still pretty and cute. Mamimi is a bit strange, and would need to see a therapist. She's a pyromaniac arsonist, a sexually charged teenager, etc, etc. She's a bit creepy. She seems to like Canti-sama a lot, and so do I. He's cool and weird. Heck, everyone in this anime was weird!

Drawing style is pretty good. I don't like how their faces morph now and then, specially for Haruko. She's such a pretty girl, and the creators have succeeded in making her ugly. Other than that, character design is an A. The backgrounds are also beautifully designed, and the details are made intricately.

Voice acting is not so bad. I found Haruko's voice to be slightly irritating, but I made it through the end of the OVA without saying much about it. Yes, it can be helped. Everyone else seems to have a more or less, capable seiyu.

And now for the best part : the music! The whole anime was about rock n' roll, which is a good thing, because I just finished watching BECK. I love the music of the Pillows. This is the first time I heard a lot of their music (I heard some of it in the BECK soundtrack) and I have to say I just love it. Every single song in the OVA was so modern and it really rocked out.

I really think this is a must - see for everyone. I do think that it's even for those who don't usually watch anime. I don't think that this review is enough to express how much I liked FLCL at all, so just watch it already and see for yourself!

Expect to be bombarded with imagery you'll be scratching your head at, ridiculous plot line, and a style that's pushed to the very limits of animation and visual storytelling.

In the city of Mabase, nothing amazing ever happens. Nothing to interest adolescent Naota Nandaba anyway. Growing weary of the same old routine: school, bizarre family, and his older brother's girlfriend constantly hitting on him while his brother is away in America playing baseball. Nothing at least until Haruko Haruhara runs him over with a Vespa...

Everything about the visual experience is unique; the series really pushes the boundaries of what animation in all styles can ... do. In one moment the scene appears calm, the palette bright but unsaturated, then in an instant the scene changes and the expressions and anatomies are pushed to extreme levels of in-your-face. Each episode is different and plays around with different techniques that make the whole show stylish and cool.

The music in FLCL is spot on perfect, albeit pretty unorthodox. Japanese alternative rock band, The Pillows, is amazing. While only a couple of the songs were composed specifically for the show, all of their music is top quality stuff. The songs are upbeat and mellow and wouldn't be expected to work with the intense visuals and storyline, but somehow, like the rest of FLCL, comes together and just works.

FLCL completely succeeds in using animation as a visual medium for storytelling, but it's not all style over substance. FLCL sports an incredibly real and likable cast of characters. Naota is your average, nothing particularly special, twelve year old boy; the perfect age for just wanting to rush into adulthood and skip all the awful hormonal happenings that occur in between. Naota's brother's girlfriend, Mamimi, is a photographer and pyromaniac projecting her missing baseball player onto the closest replacement. Haruko is loud, flamboyant, and constantly walks the fine line between incredibly annoying and incredibly awesome.

While the character's don't get a whole lot of development through the OVA, they are complex and they do change. All the adolescents deal with real relatable problems and react in ways to the bizarre happenings and difficult emotional issues in ways we would expect them to. With maybe the exception of Haruko, they all hit home in a way that everyone can sympathize with. Everybody has gone through the motions of transitioning between child and adult, first crushes, dealing with annoying parents, second crushes, and so on.

Now it's easy to become overwhelmed with all that goes on. The OVA is first and foremost a roller coaster ride of an experience. Don't go nit picking at every image asking "what does it mean, what does it mean?!" You'll end up buried somewhere in a psych ward that way. But that isn't to say that all of the weird visuals aren't symbolic or allegorical in some form. In addition to telling the loose story, FLCL is full of pop culture references, homages to other anime, and even some American television as well. It is also intensely funny with the jokes and general insanity running alongside at breakneck speed.

It's easy to write off FLCL as a ridiculous anime, no plot, no complex characterization, just visual flair and no depth, and to an extent that's true; but you don't have to look too hard to see that it's not completely random and plotless. It's about simple truths as well as intergalactic space conflict with robots. It strikes an excellent balance between silliness and sincerity. It might not be for everybody, but don't be too quick to judge the series. It's wild and crazy, but you can handle that, it's thought provoking and a lot of fun.

Anime has brought us some crazy worlds. Ones in which people transform into animals and the fate of humanity rests on the shoulders of teenage mech-pilots. Even by these standards, however, FLCL is in a league of its own. At its core, FLCL is a simple coming of age story. It just so happens that this coming of age story takes place in a world so unhinged that it rivals the craziest works of Douglas Adams.

Naota is a grade school student obsessed with being mature. He is often irritated by the less than mature antics of the adults around him; and looks up to his ... older brother, who he sees as the epitome of maturity. He is so determined to follow in his brother's footsteps that he carries around his brother's baseball bat. He even hangs out with his brother's old girlfriend, Mamimi, who refers to him as "Takkun", a nickname she used for Naota's older brother (who's real name is Tasuku). However, Naota's life gets turned upside down when he gets hit by the pink-haired, bass wielding, Vespa driving Haruko; who is allegedly an alien. Soon after this bizarre encounter, things start popping out of Naota's head, including guitars and giant robots. Just as alarming is that Haruko has taken residence in his house as a housekeeper.

It is hard to imagine a show being as loud, hyper, and as insane as FLCL. There is just so much going on: visual gags and puns, countless pop culture references, and unexplainable sci-fi madness. A hurricane of lunacy is the best way to describe this show. Throughout this all the fourth wall is practically non-existent. In the first episode there is a scene that freezes and cuts back to the characters, who are sitting in a room watching the scene and talking about how difficult it was to pull off, from that moment on it's clear that anything is fair game. The characters often imply they know that they are in an anime, and even are aware of things like the shows constant art-style shifts. Then there is just the absurdness of it all, like Haruko using a guitar as as a multifunctional weapon, and skyscraper sized robots popping out of Naota's head. Everying that happens in this show is just so far out there, it is hard to compare it to anything else. The closest thing FLCL can be compared to is Douglas Adams' "Hitchhicker's Guide to the Galaxy" in all its glorious sci-fi driven lunacy.

This may all just seem like creative venting, but there actually is a method behind it. A lot of what the viewer experiences is a colorful metaphor for the awkward trails of growing up. As the show progresses Noata starts to become his own person; stepping out of his brother's (and later on Haruko's) shadow. Likewise, he learns to make decisions for himself and take action. He also learns to consider the consequences of his actions. These metaphors can come in forms as bombastic as Naota choosing to swing his bat (or guitar in this case) in order to save the town from a falling satellite; or as understated as his attachment to Mamimi and idolization of both his brother and Haruko. It is all very cleaver, even brilliant at times. However, this is not to say all of what you see is a metaphor. In fact, a lot of it is just crazed nonsense or references to pop-culture or other anime. If not for the coming of age story centering around Naota anchoring it down, this show would blast off and float around aimlessly in the exosphere.

For the rest of the cast, first off there is Haruko, who might be one of the craziest anime characters ever conceived (and that's saying something). More than any other character, Haruko embodies the essence of the show. She is loud, unpredictable, and really just a blast to watch. Her relationship with Naota is a rather interesting one; though he is irritated by her at first, by the final episode he grows quite attached to her. However, it seems that Haruko has ulterior motives for wanting to be close to Naota. Then there is Mamimi, who is the perfect picture of a troubled teen. Mamimi is shown to be insecure and unsociable, constantly smoking and scarcely attending school, where she is often bullied. She idolizes Tasuku (Naota's brother) just as much, if not even more, than Naota himself. Mamimi has the habit of adopting things she sees as more helpless than her and naming them "Takkun" (Naota for example), which serves as a way of dealing with her own insecurities. The rest of the cast is mainly used for comedic effect, however also play into the coming-of-age themes. Most notable are the class president, Eri Ninamori, who is having family troubles; and Commander Amarao, an interstellar agent who has history with Haruko and sports bizarre eyebrows.

On the technical-side, there is no experience quite like FLCL. This show is a full out assault on the scenes. The visuals are nothing less than phenomenal. The animation is incredibly fluid and well choreographed. The color scheme is vivid and eye-popping. However, the big attention grabber here is how often and seamlessly the show shifts art-styles. The show goes from the standard anime look, to a more bubbly look, to manga form (which actually still has some movement in it), and once even goes South Park. Just as impressive is the soundtrack, which honestly is a great listen all on its own. Better yet it flows perfectly with what you see, sustaining seemingly limitless energy throughout the shows entirety. As noticeable as the music is, it never interrupts whatever is going on in a scene, which just goes to show how great the sound mixing is here. Really, it is impossible to picture the show looking or sounding better.

The high energy insanity of FLCL is sure not going to please everyone, some people will find it too hyper and ridiculous. However, this is one case where appearances are deceiving. As off-the-wall as it is, FLCL is far from blatant nonsense. While it may at times get too wrapped up in its madness, there is a genuine story here. One about growing into your own person and taking responsibility, and a damn good one at that.

The definitive postmodern animated masterpiece that tells a heartwarming coming-of-age story while simultaneously redefining the boundaries of storytelling in 21st century anime ...or an incoherent stream of pretentious symbolism and innuendos hand-wrapped loosely in the name of a story by the self-pleasuring hands and narcissistic minds of Gainax?

FLCL struck many as one of the more controversial anime series in the collective fandom at the time. The story didn’t seem so sequential, the characters were muddy and cryptic, plus, what EXACTLY was this anime even about? And the fact that this apparent “mess” was polished up in the best damn Japanese animation that the year 2000 ... could produce made you sure that this wasn’t some low-budget shit cooked up at the last moment, so what the hell Gainax? It took itself seriously during the most ridiculous moments and it didn’t take itself seriously in the most serious of moments, this anime was self-aware. It wouldn’t take long before the viewer realized he/she was watching something incredible, it was an anime that was sincerely trying to break new ground, positive or negative, it didn’t matter; it was navigating through uncharted territory, a new territory that would become the foundation for much of 21st century anime.

Of course, many newer anime viewers will watch FLCL and oftentimes ask themselves: why is this anime so controversial? After all, these newer fans have already been fed on a steady diet of unconventional anime of the 21st century (without a doubt, influenced directly or indirectly by FLCL) such as Tatami Galaxy and Bakemonogatari among many more, so it didn’t seem TOO weird to them, but it was still undeniably weird.

Story:

The story follows Naota as he lives his mundane school life with his irresponsible family and boring classmates in a generically uneventful Japanese town. This life, however, is disrupted when a pink-haired girl by the name of Haruko comes around and starts to turn Naota’s life upside down. Slowly, Naota’s viewpoints on adulthood, his family and friends, and life in general begin to change…

The bare bones introduction of this story is very typical to say the least, and if you were to strip away the entire plot to the bare minimal level, you would realize FLCL’s story is childish and silly. But it’s layered, coated, and glazed with so many globs of symbolism, self-parody, innuendos, themes, and character development, the final product looks almost nothing like the starting point. And that’s the beauty of FLCL; the amount of ideas all packed in a loose story gives an extremely wide range of interpretations and analysis of the same show that you wouldn’t find in many other anime.

FLCL, at heart though, is a coming-of-age story of a boy who tries so hard to be adult that he, ironically enough, comes off as a child. The main character is being surrounded by a world of conflicting emotions and it confuses the hell out of him, and the manner of FLCL’s storytelling reflects this mass of bottled up emotions inside Naota. The story is fragmented, but obviously done intentionally, and that kind of intentional randomness creates a very surrealistic atmosphere in the midst of careful doses of self-parody and deconstructions that makes FLCL witty and humorous. It’s not a straightforward story with a clear point A followed by point B, it’s a symbolic and innuendo-soaked story with a vague and muddled point A that may or may not lead to point B. It’s a story that needs to be re-watched for the viewer to notice many things that might fly over the first time (and they WILL fly over the first time). The story is admittedly confusing and seemingly incoherent, until a second viewing dawns upon the viewer that every single “irrelevant” detail was made, discussed, and done for a very precise reason of foreshadowing, characterization, etc.

In a sense (and I say this half-jokingly), FLCL is like the anti-Evangelion, the symbolism isn’t just there for the sake of symbolism, it all ties in for a purpose, and that makes it a deceptive and intelligent show.

Art:

The show likes to experiment in its animation. Exemplified by the now famous “manga scene” and other examples such as a shaky scene in which the character outlines are wobbly to parodies of the bullet time visual effect popularized by the Matrix. This outburst of animation inconsistency further conveys the random and loose nature of the show and keeps mundane scenes exciting, a concept further explored nearly a decade later by the likes of anime such as Bakemonogatari.

The unifying animation style is top-notch and high quality because, well, it’s a six episode OVA and it’s mainly produced by a Gainax blazing after the success of NGE. The palette of the animation is light-toned and the scenery is reminiscent of a watercolor; this creates a dream-like atmosphere to the whole story that ends up quite effectively suiting the surrealist tone of FLCL.

The character designs are decent and individualistic in their appearance, which is a nice step-up from Evangelion where some characters look like palette swaps. Naota has a “cynical brat” look to him, Haruko is alluring and foreign (which is a theme in this show), and Ninamori is traditional and noble. Conceptually, the idea of a robot exploding out of someone’s head is both ridiculous and brilliant, and the robots seem to take their cues more from the designs of Gurren Lagann, which wouldn’t be released until 7 years later, or it’s the other way around. Nonetheless, the newer anime fans that have watched Gurren Lagann will definitely notice the striking similarities in terms of design and animation of Gurren Lagann to FLCL.

Sound:

One thing director Tsurumaki has emphasized in this show is breaking boundaries, and musically, the director did just that by recruiting contemporary Japanese rock band the Pillows to score the soundtrack. The band’s provided theme songs are jumpy and loud, furthermore tying in with the style of the show. One unique thing about the Pillows is that whereas most Japanese bands are content to play ballads and soft rock, the Pillows are distinct among even some western indie rock fans as having a sound reminiscent of 80’s alternative rock. This is especially refreshing considering most anime studios would rather play it safe and hire catchy bands such as UVERworld over the Pillows. As a Japanese rock band taking their cues from Dinosaur Jr. and the Pixies, the Pillows serve as the perfect composers for such a definitive and influential series such as FLCL.

Aside from the contribution of the Pillows, Shinkichi Mitsumune writes the rest of the score, which, of those played in the show, consists mainly of rock instrumentals during the more intense scenes. This soundtrack accommodates the show well because really, what other music besides rock do you expect to be played in a show as unflinching as FLCL?

Character:

As much as the story is important, the characters of FLCL are even more important. For a show as short and abrupt as FLCL, the characterization is exceptionally a cut above most other anime. FLCL’s fantastical situations are completely not relatable, yet the characters themselves are some of the most three-dimensional I’ve ever seen in anime. The characterization of FLCL shows that even though some characters may change, in the end, they don’t change that much because ultimately, you are who you are. And that kind of development in the characters is risky but extremely rewarding if executed right. Whereas most anime series will have the protagonist or the heroine go through the story and emerge as a completely changed person, FLCL strikes that to the ground (with a bass guitar) and sends out the message that your viewpoints may change, but ultimately, you are the same person; but that doesn’t even matter, because it’s those tiny changes that will make it all better in the end, not the drastic ones.

This message is communicated through Naota and Haruko. Naota MAY have been changed by the ordeals as you slowly see the boy change his outlook on life all while the bottle holding his emotions inside slowly crack, but in the end, he is still the furrowed-brow kid he was, albeit a happier, more optimistic one. But it’s FLCL’s characterization that shows you can only progress a little by little, and that in the end, you can’t change who you are, but you can definitely improve it. Haruko, likewise is the same. Throughout the series, she begins to develop a close bond with Naota, and it’s that relationship that morphs her from a manipulative person, to a human being (or alien) with a tiny sentiment for affection. All well until the end, you realize, that she STILL is the same manipulative person, though now slightly less manipulative and more caring. It’s the complexity of these characters that make FLCL a worthwhile 180 minutes.

Other characters such as Mamimi symbolize the feeling of despair and loneliness without warmth in your life, while the mysterious older brother of Naota represents the abandonment of your roots. Every character is there for a reason, and though interpretation of their character is completely up to the viewer, every character is integral to the show (yes, even that blue cat with the big genitals). Ninamori is a specially well-written character used to show the confusion found in adolescence (even though she’s in 6th grade) and her development as a character is intensely subtle, but beautiful nonetheless.

The FLCL cast is quite possibly one of the best casts in anime I have ever seen. The amount of symbolism, depth, and purpose in each character is incredible, even more amazing is that a 6 episode anime was able to develop its characters better than most full length 26 episode shows do.

On a side note, there is a fascinating analysis somewhere online about Naota representing liminal Japan and the various characters around him acting as choices for the propelling nation. I would highly recommend reading it once you finish the series.

Enjoyment:

FLCL can be enjoyed on two levels, one level is the shallower level in which the viewer can enjoy the randomness and watch it as a heartwarming coming-of-age story. The second level is the one in which the viewer must be prepared to think, and really notice the tiny details of this extremely well written and well though-out story. With fantastic animation, a surreal story, a good sense of humor, and detailed characters, the idea is that FLCL will be enjoyable to anyone who enjoys watching good anime, and you do like good anime don’t you?

Overall:

FLCL is one of those shows that every new anime fan needs to watch; it’s a thoroughly engaging anime that sometimes seems as if it has a mind of its own, from constant parodies to breaking the 4th wall to pop culture references. It’s a humorous anime that also manages to be much more than just about humor and randomness, it’s a coming-of-age story filled with self-reflection. It’s also a metaphorical story about Japan. It’s a wet dream filled with symbolism and innuendo about sexuality. Or it’s an animated art piece summarizing the results of postmodernism. Whatever FLCL originally was about, it sure as hell has sprung out of control, and for once, maybe that isn’t a bad thing.

This is somewhat of a head-trip. The story doesn't really make a whole lot of sense at first, but if you can pay attention (meaning no drugs or alcohol...trust me, you won't need them), you can start to understand it. Although there are few parallels in any real way, I have to compare it somewhat to "The Matrix" in that you can't really get a full grasp of the whole story and all the levels of metaphor in just one viewing. At least "The Matrix" sits you down and attempts to really explain things (at least plot-wise)...whereas this series does not.

The only reason I rate ... the story as low as I did was because of how hard it is to follow. There are so many elements that just seem random...and, I do believe, was probably intentional. From my understanding, this was basically the crew at Gainax (the production studio) just blowing off steam and not trying to make a serious attempt. Honestly, I wish they'd do that more often...the result was fantastic! I do rather love the real quick jabs they make at a few other popular anime series (of course, I believe Gainax produced those as well).

The art was incredible in many areas...I LOVE the "3D rotating camera" effects they use in certain places. The sound is AMAZING. If you have surround-sound, it really does add an extra dimension to the action on-screen. The soundtrack is also VERY good. I actually bought the album for the series...it's all done by a Japanese rock band called "The Pillows". "Hybrid Rainbow" and "Ride on Shooting Star" (the end theme) are my favorites.

Although there's not much time to get in character development, the writing is done very well in that you really get a feel for each character's distinct personality. The only thing that bugs me (and again, this goes back to my giving it a 7 for story) is that it seems to be part of a much bigger series or storyline, but I've not been able to come up with anything. Even the manga just basically recaps the anime. Luckily, there is a distinct beginning and conclusion, but it really does seem like there should be more...I wish there was!

Between the surreality, bizarre metaphors, humor, music, and action, this is a series well worth watching. My advice? Watch it once with an open mind and enjoy it for its aesthetics both visually and aurally. Then, watch it again to catch the story and some of the metaphors. Otherwise, you might sprain your brain...I almost did! It really does make a lot more sense the second and third time through. I've seen it many times and will see it many more in the coming years. I highly recommend it!

Overview: Get ready to dive off the cliff of sanity and into the realm of FLCL!

Story: 7/10

The story is a sort of mixture between a coming of age "Bildungsroman" and absurdism. It oddly enough reminds me a bit of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Both plots are rather similar with an alien coming to Earth and showing an unsuspecting human a fun time before Earth is to be destroyed in ridiculous fashion by extraterrestrial forces. In FLCL a giant steam iron vs. a giant bulldozer in Hitchhiker's. However, Hitchhiker's begins with the Earth being destroyed, while in FLCL...well I won't spoil it. Both stories ... show a random and pointless universe that is essentially a giant joke. The writing isn't quite as clever as Douglas Adams admittedly. If it was, then children would be forced to watch FLCL in school instead of reading Hitchhiker's Guide.

Art: 8/10

The art is pretty damn good as would be expected from Studio Gainax and captures the frantic energy of the series quite well. The art style often changes to spoof various series including Lupin the 3rd, South Park, and many others. There are also several scenes where it reverts to manga panels that are very well done.

Sound 10/10

The soundtrack is by The Pillows, and is without question the highlight of the entire series. This soundtrack is an absolute masterpiece and I would highly recommend going out and buying it if you can find it. If it isn't available anymore for some reason, I'm sure you could just download it.

Characters 6/10

With all the randomness, the character development is kind of left behind. Hariko is a selfish, crazy, psychobitch. Naota is a generic angsty teen becoming a young adult. Kante...is there. The father is a lecherous pervert and a complete idiot. Of course you could argue that Naota matures some by the end and is beginning to become more confident and assertive. Despite its insanity this is supposed to be a coming of age story right? Of course, like most works of abstract art it is heavily subject to viewer interpretation.

Enjoyment: 9/10

This is a short and highly enjoyable series. You can choose to watch it repeatedly and try to analyze it like an art house movie, or you can just turn your brain off and embrace the random. Either way, you will probably have some fun with this one.

Overall 7/10

I personally don't consider FLCL an artistic masterpiece or the greatest anime of the early 2000s. There are far more thought provoking series, more emotionally moving series, funnier series, and more exciting series. However, that doesn't mean you should simply skip this one. FLCL is still a unique viewing experience for you and your mates. If you are bored and are looking for something different, I'd give it a watch.

Some may compare it to a meaningless black painting, others compare it to a symbolic innuendo of erotica; regardless of whatever opinions you may hold before watching this, you may toss them all in the wastebasket right now. FLCL is the peak of mental curiosity, the crux of anime history at the turn of the century, the meaningless jumble of human desires scrunched into six short quarter-hour episodes. The pace is so fast that the audience is shot as a paper ball from a bazooka down from a helicopter, blown out to the moon by kamikaze winds, and then pummeled in the face by a ... bat wielding Babe-Ruth. But for all this, only one thing is certain: you will have a great time no matter which episode you begin with.

From the very beginning, FLCL appeals to the most basic of human appetite. Camera aiming from one car to the other as if a sniper aiming through his scope:

Legs spread same width as the shoulders, body tight, and then hit the ball like your defeating the enemy. Here the pinky finger is the key. Then you just hit, hit, hit, kaking-bingo!

With a Nicholas Cage like quality, the speaker rambles on about something vague; you suddenly realize that the person talking isn't a hired hit-man, but rather, a teenage girl holding a baseball bat in a left-handed fashion.

He who conquers the left side conquers the world. Setting the parameters... that’s the really hard part.

With no warning whatsoever, and little dialogue-filler, the girl's body somehow ends up on top of the boy's, right before the boy's body gets mowed down by a Vespa and smashed by a guitar.

That's FLCL for you. Fast paced and merciless, the first episode takes you leaps further than the whole of Naruto, miles above Wall Maria, and leagues beyond the discovery of the One-Piece. You are drawn into a world where your emotions are toyed with, hung upside down on a doorknob, and by the last episode, even your perception of the world has changed. You experience anger and anguish. You have just become another human tricked by the antics of Enokido, but you don't care; all you want is one more episode. Funny enough, there isn't any left; you've finished down all the cookies on the plate.


- - = = Introduction = = - -

FLCL, is a classical piece of anime that is watched by people of all ages. At some point while watching anime, you will have encountered FLCL, whether it is on adult swim, anime networks, friend’s recommendations, or something else. This anime is an extraordinary piece of anime literature. It incorporates many ideas from every single field you can find. The fast-paced plot and the new circumstances keeps viewers constantly on their toes even though the story is only an amazing six episodes long.

- - = = Story ---------- 9

FLCL has an awe inspiring plot. The story starts out mild, as everyday live goes, and the plot quickens as every new character is introduced to the story. The whole story might not make sense to first-time viewers, but this just enables the reader to want to watch the anime over and over again until he or she completely understands what the anime is about. Critics might argue that there did not exist any story, and that the whole anime was based off of characters misinterpreting each other, or a bunch of special ed kids coming together. This is certainly not the case. When one reads a novel by Shakespeare, one does not simply drop the novel just because the language is convoluted and hard to understand. It's Shakespeare for Henry's sake and the same goes to watching FLCL - If the story is less than understandable, then watch, watch, and watch it again.

- - = = Art ---------- 7

The art for FLCL is even more amazing. Every single frame in the anime boils down to completely hand drawn parts, and since FLCL was the test subject for Gainax’s newest and most futuristically equipment for anime, the art is unquestionably great. Plus, if you have watched the movie Avatar, which was produced for millions of dollars, you should know that FLCL was created using the same equipment. Ordinary anime take a long time to make, but FLCL takes even longer. There’s no doubt that, in order to go beyond the scope of human perception, to go outside the box, you would need a corresponding amount of time. Invention is everything.
- - = = Sound ---------- 9

I know, I sound like a hypocrite for saying so many absolute statements. The truth is, FLCL was not only made for testing Gainax's equipment’s; it was also used to make a band famous, namely, The Pillows. Few people could ever erase from their memory the soundtracks after watching the anime. A wave of nostalgia passes every time when steam pours out of the large building and covers the city with a warm, white steam; the soundtrack playing in the background presents us with an unforgettable voice that reminds images of towns with nice people and nicer climates.

- - = = Character ---------- 8

The characters were the pinnacle of classical anime. To be able to develop the characters in only six episodes to an extent where the viewer is left with feelings of abandon and awe, is strangely fantastic. It is impossible to let go, because during the six episodes that we’ve experienced, it seems almost as if we were in the town with the characters themselves. Who wouldn’t want to have an alien as a friend?

Haruko - A crazy good looking girl that drives a yellow Vespa. She plays the guitar and sometimes uses it as a weapon. She also goes and save Naota every time he gets in trouble. Rumors say that she is the member of the international police. A classical clichéd character with a catch: she came before the others.

Naota - A regular schoolboy that has a skeptical outlook on life. He leads a boring lifestyle and has an immature dad, who he doesn't like. A character that would be sure to make you root for him throughout the entire episodes.

- - = = Enjoyment ---------- 10

This anime is all about enjoyment. The whole plot revolves around picking you up from the stress and weights of everyday life and toss you into a whirlpool of desire and ecstasy. Who has time for work when you've got a guitar wielding alien sex symbol?

Indeed, nothing amazing happens here. Only the ordinary~

"I like your head. You never know what's going to come out of it next!" -Mamimi


-~-My 50th Anime-~-

FLCL, Furi Kuri, Fooly Cooly, whatever you want to call it, is unique. Everyone I've ever talked to has referred to it as "strange", "crazy", "insane", or virtually every permutation of something that was at once interesting and perplexing; confusing, funny, wild, or just plain nonsensical. FLCL is just one of those things that you've got to see for yourself. No amount of explaining can ever encapsulate the intensity or liken this to anything ever before, or since.

FLCL is like a microcosm of anime; an amalgam of ... everything there is to like and enjoy about anime. It's got drama, it's got romance, it's got giant robot battles, mystery, intrigue, sports, super powers, military, conspiracy, plot twists, music, sci-fi, virtually every enjoyable thing one can think of; it's here, and compressed together in a microscopic 6 episode set.


The artwork in FLCL is absolutely fantastic, made even more so by the fact that this series is 14 years old and still holds up so incredibly well. It encompasses so many different styles: on screen comic book/manga parody, a hundred different styles of traditional animation, a South Park styled scene, and so many more. It's incredibly fluid and easy to watch- it practically flies on and off the screen, with so many key frames in certain parts juxtaposed with moments animated in a 2d cardboard cutout manner.


Fooly Cooly also has one of the most incredible soundtracks produced for an anime. I hold Yoko Kanno and Hideki Nagamuna in the highest regard of soundtrack compositions, but my hat is off to Shinkichi Mitsumune and J-Rock group "The Pillows". The alternative, grunge, groove funk sound of The Pillows meshes perfectly with the zany acts going onscreen. It reminded me a lot of the music of "Scott Pilgrim Vs The World", for reference. Almost the entire series has music in the background, and while never overpowering, the symbiosis with the action and dialogue is incredible. Such a combination was radical at the time, using nontraditional background music and a popular group to perform an original OST instead of solo composition, and it really sets FLCL apart in that aspect.
The sub has been whacked for its flat voice performances, and truth be told, they do sound kind of bored. In the dub however, the actors really capture the wackiness that FLCL is known for, give it some real feeling, but still retain a similar vocal affect that the original Japanese cast did. Mamimi sounds just as empty headed, Haruko is smarmy, nasal, and obnoxious, Naota sounds appropriately apathetic and stuffy, as an adolescent obsessed with being grown should. Just absolutely outstanding from all audible points.


FLCL is one of those things that's both extremely satisfying and really pleasantly entertaining without delving into any one thing too much. It's a comedy, it's an action series, it's a drama, it has any one of a number of overarching themes that one could pull from it- but to me, the main one is that of growing up.

Naota is 12, and has a bit of the old Holden Caulfield complex. He wishes more than anything that he was like his brother, Tasuku (who is away in America, playing baseball), whom he considers to be the epitome of 'grownness' and maturity. Extremely cynical and totally annoyed by everything he perceives to be immature, Naota goes throughout the series trying to find himself, which is reflected in the utterance heard throughout the beginning of each episode: "Nothing is amazing here. Everything is ordinary." despite the exceptional circumstances he finds himself in daily after his fateful introduction to Haruko.

Adjacent Naota is Mamimi- the 17 year old, high school truant, mischievious (only when nobody's looking) and absent minded girlfriend of Tasuku, the brother. Drifting through life, she's seemingly lost, hanging out under a bridge most of the time smoking, and just generally being a vagrant. She becomes infatuously attached to and dependent upon Naota, whom she calls (like his brother before him) Ta-Kun. Mamimi is very childish in both demeanor and life, and she signifies the start point of Naota's coming of age journey. Lost, alone, isolated, and misunderstood- she's a walking metaphor for the angst many feel as a teenager. She's often seen smoking as well, with her signature "Never Knows Best" phrase written on the cigarette.
The aforementioned Haruhara Haruko (say that one ten times fast) shows up one day to break up the monotony in the life of Naota (and his skull, at several points), riding her yellow Vespa scooter and wielding a Rickenbacker 4001 bass like a true battleaxe. After their initial train(scooter)wreck of a meeting, Haruko proceeds to knock some sense into Naota, and smash the story into orbit.

Like puberty and adolescent hormonal raging, Naota's life too spirals out of control, from the start of the series until the FLCLimax. From the tame, slice of life style beginning to the brain ironing conclusion, everything escalates, everything heightens to a nearly incomprehensible level until it just explodes. Naota too, who was initially unsure of himself, of Mamimi, and just what the hell is going on with his life finally comes around to seeing the big picture, much in the same way that the story of FLCL does. His relationship with Haruko is what marks his change from being the child he was before, but not yet ready to be an adult and leaves him right where he's supposed to be; a confused, but ultimately more mature adolescent.


It's plain to see where many anime have taken influences from FLCL, the signature style and overall wildness of the show have been immortalized through time and endless inspiration for other anime, past and present. Zany 4th wall humor, crazy situations, over the top ridiculousness, giant robot battles, introspective dialogue, nontraditional storytelling, it's all one giant snapshot of anime as a medium and so many of the things that make it great. Detractors will say that there is no story, and it's just a disconnected series of weirdness in an attempt at absurdist humor, but Fooly Cooly is so much more.

Fooly Cooly is art.

We have Yōji Enokido, Kazuya Tsurumaki and my personal hero, Hiroyuki Imaishi to thank for this product. Much like Mr. Imaishi in more recent days, and Gainax before, I like his head. I never know what's going to come out of it either.

Upon viewership, I am compelled to say that this is perhaps the best anime I have yet seen. Don't take that as a compliment. This is anime we're talking about. Day-old bread is a king's feast to the dumpster-diving hobo. In any case, there are many of those that I have seen who criticize this anime based on, in general, one particular issue: that it lacks a coherent plot.

To this I must respond in analogy. Imagine the classic modern American prototype: fat and greasy. He really loves pizza. One day, he wanted to go somewhere to eat. He checked Google Maps and found a Chinese ... restaurant. He drove there in his electric car (which he had purchased because he cared about the health of the environment; yet there happened to be more oil than electricity in the car, due primarily to the littering of fried foods that he had only partially vacuumed up) and arrived at last, naturally trying to park as close as possible so as to reduce the walking distance. To his utter dismay, upon entering and gazing at the menu, there was, as it turns out, no pizza sold in the Chinese restaurant. What heathenry! Such blasphemy! For there is no better food! He stormed out of the restaurant (or so the meteorologists had mistaken, as they thought they heard thunder) and angrily wrote a soiling review.

PizzaSteve1996 two days ago
This place SUCKS! No pizza on the menu!
Did you find this review helpful? Yes No

Would you not find his criticisms rather ignorant? Perhaps a bit insulting?

Now why then would you come into an abstract experimental show expecting a reasonable, coherent plot? Stick to pizza hut, I recommend.

(TLDR at the bottom, thanks for reading.)

A lot of people can't understand why FLCL is so beloved, often writing it off as a bizarre fever dream made into anime. FLCL is much more than that and the purpose of this review is to explain to people who don't enjoy FLCL why so many people do love it.

At its heart, FLCL is a story about maturity.

There is a plot to FLCL that strings all these events together but this review is not going to explain because it's not that important. FLCL wasn't made to be easy to understand but was made to just be a pure ... expression of creativity, when it was made the staff at Gainax took a bunch of things they liked and combined it together and then used that to tell its overall message. It's why Haruko rides a Vespa and why she hits Naota over the head with a Rickenbacker bass guitar and not a bat or some other object and why the pillows performed the soundtrack for this anime.

This story is told entirely from Naota's eyes and therefore not everything is literal. Naota calls this a boring town even though it is clearly not boring, plenty of exciting things are happening, but none of that matter because it is boring to him. This is one of the reasons FLCL gets progressively more bizarre as the story goes on, to show how Naota is changing throughout.
Naota is constantly looking up to his brother in FLCL as he is this idealized symbol of maturity in his eyes even though he is just as selfish as any other teenager is. And due to Naota's brother seeming like this beacon of maturity a recurring metaphor for coming of age is swinging the bat. This is one of the reasons that Mamimi is often shown with a baseball bat and never swinging it and how Haruko is often seen with a bat. This brings me to my next point, how different characters are used to show different stages and types of maturity.

Naota often disregards the adults in his life as immature man-children and honestly who can blame him. But Naota only sees the adult's in his life as immature because he has a very narrow view of what a mature person is, to Naota anything that isn't his brother isn't mature Ironically because of this Naota see's himself as the most mature character in the story which just show's his immaturity and how through ou the series he comes to accept people for whoo they are showing his personal growth. I'm now going to address some of the other characters in the show and how they contribute to this story of maturity.

Ninamori is incredibly similar to Naota as a character as they both think of themselves as mature characters, the only difference being is that while Naota looks down on others while Ninamori tries to hold up a facade of maturity while using the people around her to try and bring her parents back together. She tries to appear mature by bottling her feelings and attempts to seem like a very logical person. She's fake. But one of the best things about Ninamori is that the series often shows how this facade is just that, a facade, there are a few scenes where Ninamori is caught of guard and then shows her true face. This is one of the ways she is shown as an immature character while showing that isn't mature. Until and the end of her episode she realises that acting as a fake character isn't going to solve anything and she admits to herself and everyone that she is fake and she just accepts life for what it is and doesn't try to fight against it, becoming more mature. If anything the core message of Nanamori's arc is to just be honest with yourself.

Describing Mamimi isn't easy because she doesn't easily fit into this theme of maturity, she's much older than Naota and Ninamori but is also much more immature she doesn't have a specific episode for her character arc as Ninamori does, she's just there. But while Mamimi's arc doesn't say anything about being mature it says a lot more about being immature. Mamimi is obsessive, it starts with Naota's brother but when he leaves it is Naota and Canto. When they continue to move forward with their life and leave her in her wake it is then the medical mechanica robots. What this is showing is how she needs something to lean on and how that this isn't healthy. In the most literal representation of this, the medical mechanica robot, FLCL shows how that everything will eventually outgrow her. She starts feeding the robot but as it gets bigger and bigger it eventually becomes too powerful for her to control and leaves her, she is once again left in its wake, she is lonely because she is not living for herself. At the end of her series, after everything has left her, she decides to be proactive and not reactive and leaves the town, she starts to focus on herself and others. Due to this, she matures in her own way.

Haruko is in a weird position in all of this because she isn't really a character, she doesn't change, she doesn't show different sides to themes of FLCL, she is not the main focus of the character-driven scenes of the story. She's a trigger for everyone else's development in the show, she is the chaos that disturbs the peace of Mabase. She is what gives everyone the push they need for their own growth and perfect or a series like FLCL because she encapsulates everything the show is about in one cohesive whole.

And in the final episodes Naota learns that he should just be honest with himself, he stops trying to protect Mamimi, he stops trying to comprehend Haruko and stops trying to pretend to be mature and instead starts acting selfish, childish and completely true to himself. He finally swings the bat, he finally beats Haruko and free's Atomsk but in the process loses Haruko, but instead of fighting against it he just accepts that Haruko is gone. He has come of age.

When you combine this message with some of the most inventive and memorable animation anime has ever made, one of the greatest ever soundtracks and wrap it all up in a tight 6 episode package you get one of the best anime ever made.

TLDR: While there is an overall point to FLCL it can still be enjoyed as an over the top bombastic spectacle of animation and creativity. You can enjoy it however you want to.

FLCL is one of the most amazing anime ever. It’s difficult to find words to describe how magnificent the plot of this series is. Many say it’s just randomness with nothing to it, but I say otherwise. If you really look into this show and pay attention past what is happening on screen, you will realize the amazing plot that this series has set up for those who think hard enough about what they are being presented with.

Story 10/10: The best part about this anime is the plot. It was set up in a way where there are two plots happening at the same time, ... you can look into both of them while you are watching the show. There is the “lol so random” plot which you would experience if you take everything that happens seriously, which is a good route to take if you are easily amused and you already like a lot of anime comedies, however, there is an even better plot going on behind the scenes the whole time.

There is a symbolic plot in this anime, and it’s just about the most complex and well thought out plot I’ve ever seen because the creators managed to have the regular plot of the random things that happen while having literally everything symbolize something for an alternate plot. It gives you the pleasure of imagining things in your head like you’re reading a book, while enjoying the viewing pleasure that is FLCL. Anyways, if anime doesn’t make you laugh often, then you are not going to enjoy this show if you take it seriously. I felt so bored during the beginning episodes of this series until it hit me that the entire anime is an allegory!

I shit you not when I say this, but nearly everything in this anime is not what it seems. Some try to make theories out of the random side of the show, and they don’t work for a reason, that’s because it wasn’t meant to be that way. The real plot is in the symbolism. The real plot is about the coming of age of the main character, Naota. It is about him as his world is changed forever when he begins to mature and let go of his old childish ways. He begins to come to terms with his sexuality and go down the path of trying to achieve maturity through sexual acts with older women in an attempt to grow up now that his older role model in his life, his brother, leaves for college in America. It is the amazing tale of how this cool kid grows up, told through symbolism of things that seemingly have no meaning yet make their own story alongside the symbolic one.

A fun thing to do while watching and after finishing this series is to theorize about what’s going on. You can theorize about not only the symbolic plot but also the silly plot that is mainly comic relief and randomness, but can still be pieced together to mean something less significant, but fun none the less. When you finish watching it, you should go explore other’s theories of the series on the internet. There are many interpretations of the series, and they’re all quite interesting.

Art 10/10: This series has an amazingly expressive art style that really allows the viewer to feel the mood of what’s going on through the animation. It often changes from traditional anime styled, to a slapstick-cartoony style to many more. FLCL also makes references to other anime and media. At one point, the show is animated like South Park. I’ll put it this way, it was a visual pleasure to watch this anime.

Sound 10/10: This series has great rock/punk/alternative soundtrack that really fits with every scene you are thrust into with this anime. Not to mention a phenomenal ending song, which sets this anime up to have a legendary soundtrack. Also, I figured I would put this in the sound section, the dub for this anime is amongst the best I’ve seen. I would put it up against Gurren Lagann and Samurai Champloo in terms of dub quality.

Characters 10/10: Like I’ve said, the character development of this series is something else, especially considering that a lot of it was portrayed through symbolism. You get to see the main character go through the struggle of puberty and coming of age in such a masterful way. Not only him, but all the other relevant side characters are unique and get developed almost as well as the main character.

Enjoyment 9/10: I put this at a 9 only because it wasn’t quite as entertaining as some of the other series I’ve seen but it was still great. As I’ve said there are two different ways to enjoy this series. 1. You can just laugh at the over-the-top-ness of it or 2. You can look into what everything is really symbolizing and enjoy making the story your own.

Overall 10/10: I put this anime at a 10 because of the amazing way it strung together the two very different plots, a legendary soundtrack, stellar character development, and great artsyles to top it off.

So, when you watch this anime, I highly recommend that you really take a deeper look at the bigger picture that this anime is trying to show you, I guarantee you’ll be in awe at the sheer amount of thought put into each and every detail of this story.

FLCL is the most off-the-wall, confusing, insane series I have ever seen. Where everything on screen has some kind of deeper meaning, every character a metaphor for a part of life and every piece of music a sublime expansion of the already over-powering visual assault.

And boy do I love it.

FLCL is not without its flaws, at times the very zany nature that makes it so great will fail to succeed as the majority of it does. Often it will leave you completely baffled, demanding another viewing to fully understand.
However, all this is inconsequential when looking at the whole because almost every other part of ... FLCL is genius.
The overarching story of FLCL is supplamented by the smaller arcs, character development is wonderful and each member of the cast is entirely unique, with their own problems to overcome.
The soundtrack is entirely by a band called The Pillows, and it is perfect for the feel of the show. It elevates the series another notch or two, with LITTLE BUSTERS being the highlight.
I broke tradition for this series and decided to watch the dub, and I made the better choice. This is one of the few instances where the dub is better than the sub.
The art, at surface value, isn't anything to write home about .. until it starts changing. The animation is constantly evolving with the plot, changing and loosening as it goes. There are so many visual parodies and homages that it's hard to keep count, at one point it even breakes into South Park animation. There is always something new to look at.

FLCL is a series that is gauranteed to polarise its audience. Some will love it, and some will hate it. This review is entirely my own opinion, and really FLCL needs to be seen to be understood.
I can't describe everything great about this seres, so in short; watch it and form your own opinion.

FLCL is kind of a hard anime to review, mainly because since it’s so unique, people are bound to have different opinions on it. To some, it could all be a nonsensical, weird show about robots or something. Other people will see it as a work of art that is about the coming of age, or even a social statement about how how we, as a society, need to change our ways. One things for sure, though, and that Fooly Cooly is bursting with creativity, and is something I highly encourage you to watch.

The story of FLCL is interesting. It’s a little complicated to explain, ... but I’ll try my best to explain it without spoiling too much. The story begins with Naota with his brothers girlfriend, Mamimi. One day, while Naota and Mamimi are hanging out together, a girl riding a Vespa hits Naoto in the head with her electric guitar. After that, really strange things begin to happen, but I won't spoil the surprise The rest is basically up to you to figure out. But, that’s what's great about the show. The show will leave wondering what the hell you just watched, deciding what the show really is about. And, with only 6 episodes and an insane plot, this show allows for a lot of rewatchability.

The characters are just as weird too, although not as much. Lets begin with Naota, an adolescent kid who seems pretty empathetic. He doesn’t really care about much, even with all the crazy stuff happening around him, but he does have conflicting ideas about growing up and about life. Mamimi, Naota’s brother’s girlfriend, who seems childish, as she usually stays on the fantasy side of life, and can be a bit destructive. And finally, the weirdest of the bunch, Haruko Haruko. The best word to describe Haruko is this: unpredictable. Haruko is an eccentric, insane character who doesn’t let anything get in her way. She’s a bit hard to understand, but she’s hell of a fun character to watch. After that, we have a small cast of supporting characters. Theres Canti, a robot, special agents, and some school friends. My only gripe with the characters are that since the show is only 6 episodes, there isn’t really any character development and the characters don’t really have that much depth to them, with Naota being an exception.

The aesthetically unique animation is incredible and really shows off that what you're watching is something not to forget. It’s oozing with style The most fascinating thing about is that it always changes once in a while. It can go from looking like a manga, to having amazing detailed fight scenes, to a weird scene that look like it were drawn purposely half-assed.(you’ll see what I mean). There’s even a scene that is drawn like an episode of south park for some reason! This only helps push the weirdness that FLCL, which all in all, only makes it better.

Oh man, the music… the music is just so good, and really is something you should listen to. The japanese rock band, The Pillows, did an amazing job doing the music for the show. The songs do mostly just stick to the same style and tone, but it is focused enough that it really fits the show. The tracks really make FLCL commit to the crazy insanity it is with some heart pumping, upbeat, incredible pieces.

I would definitely recommend that you watch FLCL, if only for the fact that you can hands on see the insanity that is this show. It may not be for everyone, but if you can handle the shows weirdness, you might be able to see the show’s underlying themes, and appreciate for what it is. A nonsensical, thought provoking, enjoyable show that is loads of fun.

Gainax has a reputation for shows that do not make much sense when in reality, from what I've gathered, the only shows they have done that don't make much sense are their popular ones. The Gainax 3, I call them, Evangelion, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, and this gem, FLCL, pronounced fooly-cooly or furi-kuri. What does this word means? Who know. It is a title of a very interesting anime, that's for sure.

An original anime by the above mentioned Studio Gainax directed by Tsurumaki Kazuya (who's also doing the new Eva movies), it tells the story of a boy named Naoto, who lives what he claims ... is a normal life in a normal town. Then one day a lady on a motorcycle runs him over, and things begin popping out of his head. This lady ends up moving into his house as a “housekeeper” and weird stuff begins to happen. Oh yeah, and there's robots. Because why not.

FLCL's biggest problem is the thing that makes it famous. The fact that it makes no sense. Well, okay, maybe it does make sense. The plot is actually rather simplistic. Boy meets girl, robots appear, and they defeat robots. Nothing new. However, it seems like it makes no sense as FLCL is very very random. All of the episodes are filled with these filler comedic moments that aren't really needed and just seem there to fill an episode. These moments are the ones that make no sense, with random usage of guns and a bunch of hyperactive comedy. With these nonsense moments in there, FLCL gets a feeling of randomness. However, you could liekly remove half of most episodes, with perhaps the expection of the last and the first, and not only ould the show be shorter, it would also make a whole lot more sense. As there's only a few plot elements that don't make much sense and most of those I have a feeling would make sense if you rewatch the show. Another thing that gives this show a nonsense feelign is the way the camera cuts. To different events, different angels, it makes it very tough to pick up on exactly what's going on. However, no matter how much I complain, this is not a bad thing. FLCL is what I call a fun anime, shows that despite several flaws they have a good amount of action and moments that make them enjoyable. FLCL has that air to it.

On the story itself, well... FLCL doesn't exactly have one. I mean, it is there, it just doesn't get revealed until halfway through. In a show that's only 6 episodes long. The story itself is decent, even if it's tough to tell what's going on. In a way, you can classify FLCL as a fast-paced slice-of-life comedy coming-of-age with mecha battles.

The characters of FLCL. They aren't very well developed, but they're fleshed out, if that makes sense. I mean, none of them really change throughout the story. Naoto seems to be bored at the start of the show but when strange things begin happening he goes into straight man mood, and he's not exactly a wimp but not exactly not one either. Haruhara Haruko (who is my favorite character on this show so much I'm giving her a tempoary spot on my favorite character list) is one of those characters that you're never exactly sure on who they are. She typically loves teasing Naoto and is very energetic but not overly energetic. She's fun-loving, that's for sure. Oh, and there's also Naoto friend Mamimi, who's childish and acts like an Osaka (from Azumanga Daioh) type idiot for most of the show. The other characters, like I said, are fleshed out but you never really learn about most of them. They're just there.

FLCL's soundtrack is the best part of the show. By a band called the Pillows (who really need to do more work for other anime) it is filled with several nifty guitar rifts and most of the songs have words in them, and that's just awesome. You basically have every other song being an insert song at times it seems. As one who doesn't typically care too much about the background music unless if a certain Kaijura Yuki does it, this surprised me greatly. The voice actors also do their part, especially the one for Haruko who has a voice I typically dislike but they way she used it was really good here,

The animation is very decent (it is by Gainax, who seems to ahev a reputation for either having really bad or really good animation). The style is dark but colorful at the same time and really manages to stand out. The backgrounds fit the mood of the show, and there's plenty of movement too!

FLCL Final Rating
Story: Really fun but doesn't make much sense, too many filler moments- A very very low 7.
Characters: Fleshed out but never really change, Haruko is awesome- A very very high 7.
Sound- The Pillows are awesome, decent voice acting too- 9.
Animation- Good, neat character designs- 8.
FLCL is a fun show, and that's basically all it is. If you are looking for a mindless piece of entertaiment then give it a try, it is just over 2 hours worth of time after all, so even if you like, it's not that much of a waste. If you must have a story however, then skip this. All in all, I give this a score of a high 7, and it is recommended.

FLCL

This being my first anime review, I thought I would set it out with the basic sections and just see how it goes… so bear with me!

Story:

First impressions of FLCL would suggest it is completely random, with no real underlying plot running through. Of course this isn’t true – there is a storyline seeming to involve robots, aliens and things that appear from people’s foreheads – but I personally found that the plot took a backseat to the experience.
If I had to summarise for viewers without spoilers, I would simply say this is a prime example of ‘willing suspension of disbelief’. Through ignoring the facts ... and the seriously surreal events that take place (I mean, seriously, Naota is supposed to be 12 years old??) you can appreciate underlying elements throughout. There seem to be several interpretations for the series, but I felt the most appropriate was to consider it an analogy for Naota’s coming of age; of course feel free to find your own meaning! There were serious scenes as well, integrated very well with the rest, so that they were not overly dramatic.
The pace of the story is perfect, especially given that it is taken care of in only 6 episodes, and should keep the viewer interested all the time – and even in moments where I found myself wondering what was going on, the humour kept me watching. And of course this humour was key, with the creators being completely aware of the randomness of the show.

Art and Music:

I found the art fitted perfectly, with more frantic colours and drawing during the more frantic scenes. It also added to the humour of the series, using several effects, such as black and white manga panels, for variety.
The music seemed to be of a relaxed soft rock style throughout, which was enjoyable and settled well in with casual form of a lot of the show. My only complaint would be that, even during scenes where more fast paced music would have probably been more appropriate, the same music was used; and I felt his was a missed opportunity. Sometimes during such scenes the music was purely made louder, which, although it did serve to change the atmosphere slightly, did take away the emphasis from the speech, which I thought was a pity.

Characters:

All the characters were likeable, even if a little unrealistic (I felt realism wasn’t very important however), and, despite some of them having real issues that another series might have used for dramatic effect, these issues are trivialised slightly to make room for the wackiness of Haruko.
The series is centred around Naota (a serious, mature, 12 year old boy) and Haruko (a strange older woman who leads the storyline). I felt this worked well, contrating the two personalities for comedic effect while suggesting they have depth.

Summary:

At first I thought the series was a bit over the top, with events randomly pieced together just for humour. However, the bottom line was that I enjoyed it. Once I got over the seemingly disconnected storyline, I was able to appreciate the depth of the characters more, and have a lot more fun laughing at the spontaneous Haruko.
The show probably won’t stay with you, and it probably won’t be one of your favourites, but the ending seemed to me to be more poignant than it first appeared.
I would definitely recommend it to anyone: after all it’s only 6 episodes long, and I doubt you’ll have seen anything else like it!

Furi Kuri is an eyegasm, a mindfuck and a nosebleed. I have never seen an anime this graphically appealing before, and it's annoying beyond belief that nothing has bested it in the 15 years since it was created.If you see it mainly as a visual piece of art, you won't be as disappointed by the pointless and random story. Sure, this is supposed to be a nonsense-hysterical comedy, but it would never in a million years have worked if it wasn't for the outstanding graphics. The story isn't contributing at all to the enjoyment of Furi Kuri; it's the animation that pulls the entire burden. ... All the laughs and all the goosebumps are 100% graphics-induced.

Well, the soundtrack helps as well, to be honest. In the meantime the voice talents fit the absurd atmosphere, even though (or maybe just because) they all seem pumped full of Valium.

Well, not much else to say about this. It was absolutely worth watching, but at the same time it's kinda depressing that anime graphics in general hasn't evolved beyond this in 15 years. I would totally love this kind of animation in an anime that actually had anything else going for it.

when I first started FLCL I found the first bit of the show quite boring and weird, with wacky characters, goofy animation and this led me to drop the show, after a week I saw one of my fav youtubers TheAnimeMan talk about how great the show was to him, so I decided to re watch the show for the second time, and I still did not enjoy the anime and dropped it for the second time, until I saw a video of 'Why FLCL is a masterpiece', and for the third time I watched FLCL seriously this time and boy did I enjoy it, ... each and every episode was amazing and this anime was not all about being crazy, it shows how rough it is to grow up and that everyone has to deal with it, not only that but the OP of the anime was incredible, when this show ended I felt a punch in the gut to realize that this enjoyment I have been feeling while watching this anime is over and its been a WHILE since I felt like that, if you are thinking about watching this anime, please do, only 6 eps and one of the greatest to exist...

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you mixed the frenetic pace and animation stylings of His and Her Circumstances with the subliminal messages and symbolism of Evangelion together in a 6 episode OVA? Well, my friends, here is your answer.

Right from OVA 1, I knew that this anime was something special. The art and animation varies from smooth and polished to crazy and gnarled in a heartbeat, yet it still keeps a certain level of artistic genius. Scenes are rendered in bright, vivid colors that draw the viewer right into the action. I also can’t say enough how much I love the soundtrack. ... The Pillows’ rocking tunes mixes and blends perfectly with every moment that appears on the screen. The ending theme, “Ride on Shooting Star”, is most certainly one of my all time favorite songs.

FLCL boasts one of the fastest moving stories around, and keeping up with it can be an issue at time. Just like Evangelion, this series is chock full of symbolism and underlying themes and will most likely leave viewers asking themselves, ‘What the hell just happened?’. If you can keep up, though, then you’re in for a treat. Gainax pulls no punches when parodying Japanese or American pop culture, be it Lupin III or our very own South Park. The seiyuu fit perfectly with their respective characters. I even have to say that this is one of the few anime out there that also has a great English dub as well, a feat that I thought only Cowboy Bebop could accomplish.

If you’ve seen the series already, watch it again and see what else you can find the second time around. If you haven’t, pick it up and join the fun. FLCL stands in a league of its own as an anime that has no bounds to what it can deliver to its viewers.