Anime Review: FLCL

Naota is a normal Japanese 6th grade boy (although a little cynical), but when his older brother leaves for America to play baseball, his brother leaves his homeless 17 year old girlfriend Mamimi behind. Mamimi is sending mixed signals and advances to Naota, and he doesn't know what to do about her. But to make matters worse, Naota's world is totally turned upside down when he is run over by a woman on a Vespa. During their first encounter, she hits him over the head with her bass guitar, which then causes a horn to grow out of his forehead. She calls herself "Haruko" and her presence changes Naota's life to even further insanity.

(Source: ANN)

FLCL Genres: Action, Comedy, Mecha, Sci-Fi

FLCL Synonyms: Fooly Cooly, Furi Kuri

FLCL Studios: Gainax, Production I.G, Starchild Records, FUNimation Entertainment, GANSIS,

FLCL Review

FLCL is a show that does a lot right and appeals to many viewers - story and action seekers alike.

A lot of people watch shows for a well thought out and complex plot. Others seek an extravagant soundtrack. Some just want good animation. Every now and again though, people just want to have fun. For all of those viewers, it doesn't get much better than FLCL.

The story of FLCL seems incoherent upon a first viewing. As the episodes continue and chainsaw guitars and intergalactic robots fly across the screen, it's no wonder as to why. Honestly though, the plot is hardly the focus of the show and serves mostly as a silly way to push the story forward. FLCL chooses to focus instead on its characters, and it's all the better for it. The protagonist, Naota (also known endearingly as "Takkun") , serves primarily as a character struggling with the concept of adulthood. More specifically, the ineptitude of the adults around him amazes him. In watching this zany, bounce-off-the-walls type of show, it's no surprise why, but FLCL executes its themes with grace and fluidity. In the world of FLCL, all the adults in Naota's life are failures in one way or another. This ironically, is the case for most people in the real world. Essentially, people (regardless of age) are just trying to get along in the world to do what they can, constantly stumbling along the way. This "coming of age" story is perhaps one of the most effective as essentially every mature viewer can easily connect to it.

Whether or not the overarching themes of growing up, facing reality, and taking responsibility resonate with the viewer, this show is simply a pleasure to watch. The soundtrack (provided by The Pillows) is absolutely stellar, within the context of the show. Frankly, the songs don't all stand out on their own as amazing musical pieces, but nearly every song is at least good, and they all fit their settings well. The music marches to the forefront only when it needs to, and more songs play in the show than one will recognize after a first viewing - they fit the background that well. Additionally, the animation (though a bit bland for some modern viewers) remains fluid and creative, never failing to entertain. There are scenes, for instance, which look like manga, 3D (with fabulous 4th wall breaking), and even South Park. If one does not particularly fall in love with the story, they are at least likely to love the production value of the show and episodic fight scenes - all of which are great.

Overall, this show has a lot to enjoy whether the viewer takes it very seriously or not. In the short span of 6 episodes, the show tells a story that will engage, if not invest, most viewers. The music is consistently good, especially in setting the rapidly-changing mood of the show. The animation is somewhat dated, but nothing to complain about. Ultimately, a show with this short of a run time that brings this much to the table is a much watch for most viewers.

If you're the type that loves spontaneity, dumb jokes, and ridiculous plot, then this is definitely for you.

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FLCL or Fooly Cooly is a 6 episode OVA with a weird plot that's pretty hard to grasp at first, but I'll try to explain it to the best of my ability spoiler free. I remember watching Fooly Cooly as a kid on Toonami. This is a kind of coming of age story that symbolises the change from childhood to adulthood. In order to enjoy this anime, you have to not take it seriously.__ Don't try to examine every motive or every action because a lot of times it just won't have any reason.__ This is the type of anime to just sit back, relax, and buckle up because you're in for one hell of a ride.

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~~~Plot~~~

FLCL is about a boy, Naota, who's boring life gets turned upside down upon meeting Haruhara Haruko via getting run over by her yellow vespa. Things go south from there. I really don't know how else to explain it, but let's just say a bunch of events happen that involves fighting robots and aliens. 6/10

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~~~Characters~~~

The characters are...well...not your ordinary set of characters. We have the main character, Naota, who is an often cynical 12 year-old kid who feels everything in his life is boring. He is just a kid in this crazy world of Fooly Cooly. Samejima Mamimi is Naota's older brother's ex-girlfriend. She's constantly showing her affection to Naota and she symbolizes childhood. Haruhara Haruko is the catalyst of the entire anime. She's an energetic, random, and spontaneous girl who has an ulterior plan behind all this fuckery. She symbolizes adulthood. 7/10

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~~~Music/Sound~~~

One of the strongest points of this anime is the sound. The soundtrack was provided by The Pillows. They did a fantastic job blending the music with the scenes and setting the mood. I still listen to the soundtrack to this day. The VA's were very good as well. I watched the English dub since it's what I've heard when I first watched it. 10/10

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~~~Animation~~~

Someone people absolutely love Gainax animation. It was actually pretty good. There were a few scenes where the animation was just incredible in terms of fluidity and detail, but it was generally average for the most part. Some scenes were animated in such a ridiculous way that you know you shouldn't be taking it seriously. At one point in the first episode, there was an entire scene animated as a manga page. 7/10

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~~~Personal Enjoyment~~~

Overall, this anime was a fun ride. It's not a masterpiece of an anime, but I would say it's definitely something everyone should watch, even just to have it in their list. The soundtrack is probably the best thing to come from this anime honestly. This anime isn't for everyone. If you're the type to take things seriously or analyze character motives or whatever, I suggest you not watch this. If you're the type that loves spontaneity, dumb jokes, and ridiculous plot, then this is definitely for you.