FLCL

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 2000could 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 ratethe 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!

Ah, Fooly Cooly. I was very excited to start watching this series, as I noticed it was from Gainax of Evangelion fame. There were some elements of this show that I thought were very well done, but for me the overall story and characterizations made me feel extremely disappointed after finishing the last episode. First I'll start off with what I really enjoyed about this series. The art design I truly thought was superb, I enjoyed it. What is also very unique and creative is how throughout the series different styles of animation emerge, such as bullet-time, manga panels, a South Park-esque style, and many more.I felt the art and animation was very fresh and exciting to watch. In addition, the music in this shows has a very cool, modern vibe to it. Expect to hear a lot of really awesome guitar and rock music. The visual and audio aspects of this show are what I really feel shines in this show. Now, as for the story... I for one will acknowledge that I tend to be very particular about my anime. My favorite shows are typically character driven, with less emphasis on plot. Unfortunately in this anime, I had a difficult time even following the plot. Perhaps this merits another watch-through, but I honestly did not enjoy the show enough to do that. To me the plot was very frazzled. I did not really understand Haruko's objectives, which I am sure is central to the show. Overall, I believe that the show may have been far too fast paced for my enjoyment. I do understand why it was fast paced, seeing as it is a six episode OVA. And I do feel as if there is a coming-of-age story buried in this hodge-podge of a show, but it is so unclear to me. In conclusion, I would recommend this show to anyone looking for some really well done Japanese ANIMATION, but not story. Stylistically this show is one of the most original I have ever seen, and it does score some points from me for that. And for those of you who enjoy this show, I think that is wonderful; I guess it just isn't my taste.

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 literarysupplement 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.

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