Story:
FLCL is a coming-of-age tale. It follows a young boy, Naota, on his journey through the volatile transitional stage of adolescence. Naota's personality and outlook on life are established within the first minutes of the show through the memorable quote, "Nothing amazing happens here." Describing his hometown, the Japanese every-city of "Mabase." As the plot progresses, Naota deals with brilliantly exaggerated metaphorical manifestations of many internal and external conflicts that are faced by almost all adolescent boys. The issues of facing the responsibilities that come with becoming and adult, learning to deal with other people, influence from other societies, coming to terms with loss, failure, rejection, and even success, and of course, surviving puberty and growing into one's sexuality are all touched on. And so-done in a fantastically imaginative and artistic way. You pick up on new metaphors every time you watch it. And it flawlessly blends its more serious messages with humor and excitement.
10/10
Art:
Typical of Gainax, the studio behind classic shows like Neon Genesis Evangelion, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, and many others, the art in this series is quite fantastic. The character designs are all very unique and unmistakeable. The action scenes are chaotic and thrilling. The female characters are not hypersexualized, at least not even close to the degree of other shows. And the scenery and background blend perfectly into the setting. Nothing to complain about.
10/10
Sound:
The show's soundtrack is almost entirely music from the J-Rock band, The Pillows. In my opinion, it is one of the best soundtracks to any anime ever. Besides being excellent music on its own, the songs perfectly complement and accent the tone and feel of the scenes in which they are featured. I'll remember the ending theme, "Ride on a Shooting Star," for the rest of my life. The voice acting is excellent. No voice is overly grating or offensive, and both the Japanese and the English voice actors all do a phenomenal job of capturing the personalities and moods of their characters.
10/10
Characters:
The characters are loveable, memorable, and brilliant. They all bring something to the table and do so poignantly. Much attention is given to the characters and their development, down to whether they are left or right handed. Character development is the main theme of the show and it is expertly highlighted, especially with regards to the ways that each character impacts Naota as both he and they change.
10/10
Overall:
FLCL will always hold a place dear to my heart. I'll vehemently recommend it to anyone with an open mind and an interest in anime. It's an all time classic that does more in 6 episodes than other shows do in 50. Did I mention it's only 6 episodes? It's less than 2 hours! Don't just take my word for how awesome this show is. Do yourself a favor and watch it yourself. Several times. There's a good chance you'll remember it forever.
10/10
