Masashi Masamune

Eri Ninamori

Haruko Haruhara

Junko Miyaji

Mamimi Samejima

Naota Nandaba

Gaku Manabe

Kitsurubami

Amarao

Kamon Nandaba

Miyu Miyu

Canti

Shigekuni Nandaba

Takkun

Naota is a detached sixth grader afflicted by the pangs of puberty. He's fooling around with his brother's ex-girlfriend when a crazed girl on a motor scooter runs him over, brains him with a bass guitar, and moves into his house. This pink-haired girl, Haruko - who claims she's an alien - hurls Naota into the middle of a mega-corporation's secret agenda. Oh, and now giant battling robots shoot from his skull. Mix in mind-bending animation and tunes that echo through your cerebellum to top off the trip that will have you falling hard for <i>FLCL</i>.<br>
<br>
(Source: Funimation)

~~~img200(https://cdn.oose.io/static/2f7ed2ad60434141e66e1780970ba7ba04d995c3/thumbnail.jpg()~~~ 
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.

~~~img420(https://media.giphy.com/media/RuPKtmRMcaZ1u/giphy.gif)~~~

~~~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

~~~img420(http://45.media.tumblr.com/8a1c053c65d85b824edb3e7ac7f620d3/tumblr_o4gekoNAJc1ued5n9o1_500.gif)~~~

~~~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

~~~img420(http://45.media.tumblr.com/9eb0f18afdfd2f2877e570ef052e74af/tumblr_nnwgamHUgQ1rb06tgo1_500.gif)~~~

~~~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

~~~img420(http://45.media.tumblr.com/c06a71ead3d4319079c7661365eefe7c/tumblr_nv20ms5CXx1uoyl2uo3_500.gif)~~~

~~~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

~~~img420(https://media4.giphy.com/media/pdCOm8PjgdOlG/200.gif)~~~

~~~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.

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

*"You can't win the game until you swing the bat."*
-maxim

There's not much a point to summarizing *FLCL*--pronounced, "Fooly Cooly". Either you have seen it, are going to see it, or have decided it's not of interest to you. Besides that, what literally happens in *FLCL* is only half the story; and the series is famously obtuse. *FLCL* has been, since its release, read as everything from a parody of Ganaix' own *Neon Genesis Evangelion* to a critique of Japan's low age of consent (yes really, look it up). *FLCL* is probably best understood as an anime that looks how puberty feels, and indeed on the longtail, the show hasn't persisted in cultural memory entire episodes or chunks at a time the way many more narratively straightforward anime have. What burns into the brain about *FLCL* is fragmented images--a yellow vespa, "Lunchtime!", "never knows best" scribbled in pencil on a cigarette, a Rickenbacker bass, the giant iron resting on the hillside, Naota's horn protrusions, eyebrows, just to name a few examples--plus knotty fan theories, and the soundtrack--courtesy of Japanese pop punk group The Pillows, and one of the best of its kind.

That second point is especially funny, given that the character of Kamon seems like something of a jab at the very sort of person who'd dream up complex "explanations" for *FLCL*, and to tell the truth the idea of trying to *solve* the show does seem a bit like a lost cause, not because *FLCL* is devoid of meaning but for the exact opposite reason. In a way, it's a Rorschach Blot, *FLCL* has so much meaning--symbolism, allusion, and so on--that it's possible to read it in just about any way you want. Far from detracting from the series' quality, this is arguably what's let *FLCL* have such persistence. Turn it one way; it's the story that happens on the other side of a space opera, the natives of a planet being disrupted by the presence of Haruko, that hypothetical series' hero, bringing her fantastical weirdness to Earth. Turn it another; it's a psychosexual examination of Naota's coming of age, all the colorful gonzo nonsense merely being the medium through which that confusion is conveyed. Turn it a third; it's a surprisingly tragic story about a young boy who's manipulated into doing a pink-haired femme fatale's bidding in her quest to capture Atomsk for her own nefarious purposes. *FLCL* is all of these things simultaneously. Fiction is interpretive in general, but *FLCL* opens itself so willingly to so *many* possible interpretations, it has ended up meaning a lot to many people. Even in the official realm, the manga adaptation takes one tack (stripping away much of the comedy, and altering some key events, leaving a much bleaker story) and the novel another.

Even if you strip all that away, though, you're left with a truly bizarre action-comedy romp that really has no peers. To say that the animation in *FLCL* is excellent is underselling it. *FLCL*'s visual style draws from a plethora of influences both Japanese and western (check the *Looney Tunes*-esque slapstick, and the *South Park* homage in the penultimate episode) and plays with them for all they're worth. The soundtrack too, as mentioned, is just great stuff. Single-artist soundtracks are hard to pull off at the best of times, but The Pillows' straight-ahead rock n' roll works well with the series' more experimental visuals. The voice acting--both the original and the English dub--are great, and the latter in particular is often held up as one of the best of its kind. Reworking gags that relied on obscure Japanese pop cultural knowledge and replacing them with American ones (a reference to Cherio Pop becoming a gag about Crystal Pepsi is probably the most well-known of these) and choosing pitch-perfect VAs, with Kari Wahlgren as Haruko in particular being outstanding, though in a rarity for dubs there really aren't any weak links at all.

Like a lot of people, I was fairly young when I first saw *FLCL* and it's tempting to--by turns--either try to strip all of its possible meanings away and present it as "purely" an aesthetic work of art, or to force it into a single interpretation, a single box. Again, to risk repeating the obvious, this is a show that has meant a lot to a lot of people. But even more than its sheer fun (and make no mistake, it is a real treat to watch even now), it *is* *FLCL*'s openness to interpretation that's let it have such a legacy. For a show that never hit the same level of popularity as that *other* strange Gainax show people like to argue about, *FLCL*'s fingerprints are all over modern anime. Detectable on everything from Gainax' own later *Diebuster*, *Gurren Lagann*, and *Panty & Stocking*. To Studio TRIGGER's grand debut *Kill la Kill*, to *PUNCHLINE!*'s whacked-out conspiracy rambling to *Flip Flappers* more polished (but no less weird) serial dimension-jumping take on the world story genre. And of course, because history repeats, we come to the thing I've been tiptoeing around this entire review.

At the time of this writing we are just months away from *FLCL Alternative* and *FLCL Progressive*. Two sequel series-of-sorts that sees Haruko--but no other characters--return, and to judge by the trailers and by the episode of *Progressive* aired early as an April Fools' prank, these series lean again heavily on the same trick the manga pulled. Less definitive continuation, more alternate interpretation (and I have a feeling that this is why the initial branding of *FLCL2* and *FLCL3* has been downplayed since the subtitles have been adopted), an effort to recontextualize *FLCL*, to turn it inside-out, or to bring it into the present day. There is a frustrating, and, yet, entirely understandable, fog of anxiety cast over these continuations of the franchise name. *FLCL* is a lot like Haruko herself, it will enter your life for a brief time, fuck everything up, and then leave, leaving you to wonder just what happened and what to make of it. People, from the standard anime fan on up, have been sifting through *FLCL*'s rubble for years. That sifting has led to plenty of great art in its own right, and it's for that reason that speaking solely for myself, I look forward to *Alternative* and *Progressive*. But, one thing's for sure, no matter how they turn out, the series' renaissance ensures a single very simple thing: the future is fooly cooly.

With "FLCL Progressive" on the horizon, there is no better time to look back on the original 2000 OVA.

__- I N T R O -__
FLCL is a series that's full to the brim with chaotic comedy, amazing action scenes, hidden metaphors and underlying themes.
It's a coming of age story focusing on our protagonist Naota, just a normal ordinary sixth-grader living in an ordinary city where nothing exciting ever happens. Naota took it upon himself to look after everything his older brother Tasuku left when he went to America to play baseball, from from his top bunk bed to his ex-girlfriend Mamimi Samejima, who hasn't stopped clinging to Naota since Tasuku left. 

Little does Naota know, however, that his mundane existence is on the verge of being changed forever: enter Haruko Haruhara, a Vespa-riding, bass guitar-wielding, pink-haired psychopath whose first encounter with Naota leaves him with tire tracks on his back and a giant horn on his head. Though all he wants is some peace and quiet, when Haruko takes up residence at his parents' home, Naota finds himself dragged into the heart of the greatest battle for supremacy that Earth—and quite possibly the entire universe—has ever seen.

__- S T O R Y -__
FLCL tells a story that is a lot more clever and thought provoking than one would expect.
Often requiring knowledge of the left and right brain and color perception, how the red represents aggression and anger, and how blue stands for calmness and wisdom.

The main focus is the character development of Naota, his road to maturity.
Growing up isn't the easiest thing, and this goes double for Naota. As he is surrounded by people who are older than him but lack the maturity that he has. He doesn't understand women and often confuses their signals.
He tries his hardest to be taken seriously, but he feels alienated from both the adults in his life and his classmates, as he still isn't ready for the adult world, despite trying so hard to seem like one, but he also isn't a part of the other young people, because he's running away from his childhood despite secretly wishing to have one.

Everyone has that someone that they look up to, and to Naota that's his older brother Tasuku, with his brother now gone to America. With his rolemodel gone, he now forces himself to grow up which puts a lot of pressure on and tires him.
He pretends to be ignorant about other's problems, despite caring, and he even though he doesn't like sour drinks, he drinks them to appear more mature.
He's trying to cast away a childhood he wants to have.
The thing Naota has the most trouble with is his own feelings, he doesn't know how to deal with his own feelings.
Throughout the series, the dialogue is filled with sexual innuendos which represent Naota's mind being assaulted with thoughts of sex (mainly because of Haruko). With no trusted adults to go to for help, his feelings of isolation only grow and grow.

FLCL does have a plot besides character development, which is really Haruko's part.
She is the one that actually progresses through the plot, but the main character we see is Naota.

Medical Mechanica, a monolithic industrial corporation that makes a lot of robots has captured Atomsk, the Pirate King who is actually the most powerful space pirate in the universe.
It is unclear what relations, if any, Haruko had with Atomsk, but one thing is for sure: She wants his powers and her current goal is to free him from Medical Mechanica's confinement by directly warping robots randomly out of N.O. channels. To do this she needs brains that matches the proper signals, so she comes to Earth in hopes of finding someone.

__- C H A R A C T E R S -__
Each and every FLCL character is not what they seem. All of them face their demons and struggle with something, or have hidden objectives. 

Mamimi, Tasuku's ex-girlfriend is using Naota to vent her sexual frusturations and is a severely depressed chain-smoker. Mamimi can be seen to lack control over her life or willpower, hence the near-constant smoking and child-like reliance on others, whether it'd be Naota or his older brother Tasuku. This could also explain why she loves taking care of things that are weak-willed, which she leaves (or which escape, like Ta-kun, the black kitten) when they start to show independence.

Eri Ninamori is much like Naota, with the exception that she's a bit more selfish.
She projects a proper, even slightly stuck-up personality, and conceals personal information to an almost obsessive degree; she does not even let her classmates know that she needs corrective lenses, instead wearing contacts while at school. Even with her class president status, however, Eri isn't above breaking the rules to get what she wants. She rigs the voting during the casting for the school play in order to get the lead role and have Naota cast opposite her, which (along with letting him see her wearing glasses) hints at her crush on Naota. Other hints are her expressed dislike of Mamimi and a final scene with Naota by a vending machine that mirrors Mamimi and Naota's early-series interactions. Ninamori is highly intelligent, if a little jaded. Much like Naota, Ninamori attempts to act mature

Mentioning anything about Haruko except that she's completely nuts would be a big spoiler.

__- A N I M A T I O N & OST -__
The animation was extremely fluid and gorgeous, it really sets the right atmosphere for the show. It's full of color and energy.
The OST is probably one of the best I've heard in anime, the western inspired indie rock in FLCL fits perfectly and the only one we have to thank for that is The Pillows, an amazing band that to lend it's talent to FLCL's production.

__- O V E R A L L -__
FLCL is a great series, a coming of age story with a lot of energy and chaotic comedy that also has underlying themes about growing up and sexual frusturation.
It's a lot of content packed into just 6 episodes but it manages to convey everything perfectly without feeling rushed.

Somehow a wacky non-sense comedy and a substantial coming of age story with great characters at the exact same time.

Fooly Cooly is the story of Naota, a cynical 6th grader, and his brother's exgirlfriend, Mamimi, as they meet with Haruko; a (childish) space police officer tasked with stopping Medical Mechanica. She soon begins to cause trouble for Naota and his family as she drags them into absurd situations were they will need to fend off against evil corporations, secret societies, and giant robots. 

img(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_original/kuiuumjutebsqfooyyc8.jpg)

It is an understatement to say that FLCL is just a fun show. It is much more than that. It delves into topics of puberty and  maturity. How do we manage our relationships with others and what those relationships mean to us? What does it means to be a kid? What does it mean to be an adult? These are all concepts constantly explored throughout the series with the utilization of its diverse cast of characters and over the top animation.

In essence, this is a show about growing up. The coming of age is nothing new, but the ability to tell a compelling message about becoming an adult through dick jokes and space travelling pirates is something spectacular. But it can a lot more than just that. Even if you do not connect with Naota's journey of growing up, this show can express so many emotions you will surely find something to relate to. You could describe it as a mirror, the viewer finds his own meaning in the show. The surrealism and abstract nature of FLCL lets any type of viewer appreciate it. Because there is meaning to be find behind all of its absurdity; even if it only seems like a dumb show about aliens and robots. 

FLCL is about a lot of things. In 6 episodes the viewer is bombarded with information due to the fast paced style of the show. Action and dialogue fly past the viewers head at a thousand miles per hour. If it isn't exploring the themes of sex, violence, and puberty the show is having wild gunfights or intense robot battles or skits utilizing new forms of animation (the manga scenes were the best). The show never stops moving forward, and it can be a little disorienting at times. But do not let that intimidate you, even if you do not catch everything the show launches at you the first time, there is much to be appreciated here. It is still, just an anime, just another television show to be watched and let the viewer have fun. I guarantee it will not disappoint you.

The incredible soundtrack by [The Pillows](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFUlO16mbb8) and experimental animation by GAINAX make FLCL an unique experience. This incredible presentation combined with an exciting story and interesting characters makes this show like no other. 

FLCL is the explanation of the inexplicable phenomenon that is growing up.

<p align="right">[ img20(https://bestanimations.com/Signs&Shapes/Arrows/Right/right-arrow-29.gif) ](https://anilist.co/review/3981)</p>

~~~*Part ⅕ of the FLCL Review Series*~~~
~~~img520(https://i.imgur.com/XFTietm.jpg)~~~
FLCL (or FLCL Classic as some fans apparently call it) is a 2000-2001 anime produced by a production committee that consisted of Gainax and Production I.G. staff. In North America, it aired on Adult Swim during August 2003. 

Despite being relatively new, FLCL has cemented itself as an anime classic and many anime fans got their start watching FLCL when it originally aired nearly two decades ago. Having watched the series twice now, I can see why. The show’s quality, stylized animation and mature themes, while possibly daunting, is in some ways the perfect gateway to a new world showing them all that anime can be.


As stated before, I have my own history with FLCL. I originally watched it during 2012 or so, when I was first getting into anime. While in some ways FLCL isn’t a good gateway series, I still enjoyed the show. I might have not loved it, but it snatched my attention and refused to let go. It was one of the anime that stuck with me long after I had watched it. I generally don’t rewatch/reread things. I find it a waste of time. After all, even if you loved a world, why revisit it? It’s not like you’ll experience the world in the same way. Well, after deciding to rewatch the FLCL series for the purpose of reviewing it, I’ll admit that I enjoyed my rewatch.

~~~img520(https://i.imgur.com/TL5lB8g.png)~~~

FLCL tells the story of Naota, a boy living in the nondescript (well, besides the giant iron that appeared one day) town of Mabase. He lives with his father and grandfather, and spends his time with Mamimi, his brother’s withdrawn and somewhat off girlfriend that he abandoned when he moved to America to play baseball. In Naota’s own words “nothing amazing happens [in Mabase]. Everything is ordinary.” As if she heard his narration, a pink-haired woman runs him over on her vespa then beats him over the head with her vintage guitar. This woman is Haruko Haruhara, and at her appearance, Naota’s life will only grow more topsy-turvy.

~~~img520(https://i.imgur.com/d0wHuKz.png)~~~

It’s nearly impossible to talk about FLCL without talking about the animation/art. The animation is a big part of the show’s appeal and you can see that a lot of care went into it. The art is downright beautiful. Episode one opens with art that is fairly realistic for an anime. It isn’t hyperrealistic, nor is it realistic to the point of being uncanny; just enough that it sticks out. This art style isn’t generic — on the contrary, you’ll seldom see art such as this — yet its purpose is to lull viewers into a sense of comfort, backing up Naota’s claim that he lives in a normal, boring town. When Haruko comes, Naota’s normal life shatters, and this is shown by the art shifts, the staple of FLCL.

It’s been said that the art shifts in FLCL were used to test several styles. No matter what their purpose was, they added a lot of energy to the series, with the very way we see the show shifting from one second to the next. Due to the jarring nature of the shifts, they’re mainly used comedically to great effect. Even knowing what was coming next, I still laughed at the inexplicable changes. Most notable are the two manga panel sequences (interestingly enough, these costed *more* than the standard animation) and the South Park animation. Even when the animation goes back to a more “normal” style, it’s still beautiful to look at. If there’s one thing you cannot say about FLCL is that it’s lazy.

~~~img520(https://i.imgur.com/kQbQQ1H.png)~~~

Another big part of FLCL is the soundtrack, provided by the Japanese alternative rock band, The Pillows. The Pillows apparently were wary of scoring the anime since they hadn’t done something like that before. It’s great that they did, for they provide much of the anime’s charm. Sometimes tense, at others languid, the music is perfect for creating tone. Having an entirely rock OST is interesting enough that I’d recommend FLCL for that alone. The insert songs are greater still, injecting the anime with even more energy; if they even like rock a bit, viewers won’t help but groove to the music. All these years later and the music of FLCL still brings a smile to my face. I really should check out a The Pillows album sometime.

Before I get into the characters and story, I just want to take a moment to talk about the dub. While I like dubs in general, FLCL in particular has a great dub, with characters portraying emotions (or suppressed emotions like Naota trying to appear mature) well. Many diehard subbers also find FLCL’s dub great. This is no small part due to Haruko’s American VA, Kari Wahlgren, who voices the wacky, Haruko quite well. She also can give a more subdued performance as well. The voice actors for Mamimi and Naota are also great - nailing more “normal” voices. 

~~~img520(https://i.imgur.com/FbxgOsw.png)~~~

Now, onto the story…

…*oh no*, it’s not terrible. I’m not sure that, even with brilliant art and music, something with an awful story could become such an unironic cult classic. I wouldn’t even call the story bad. I’m not even saying I dislike it. I’m not crazy about it, but it’s decent enough. 

To start talking about the story, let’s say that FLCL is part coming of age, part space opera(?). It is very much more of the former than the latter. My marks against the story aren’t due to inherently enjoying space operas more, it’s just that there’s a bit of setup for something bigger, but it doesn’t really takeoff and leaves much to be desired in my mind. When watching FLCL, it’s kind of best not to focus too much about the insane robots and focus moreso and Naota’s life and struggles. Doing so will lead to a better experience, in my opinion. In FLCL, you’ll find a decent coming of age story about a child who must figure out how to mature after his brother that he idolized has left. Not helping matters is his burgeoning sexuality, acerbated by both Haruko and Mamimi. 

~~~img520(https://i.imgur.com/0BLJ8os.png)~~~

However, this explanation is an indicator of one of my gripes. What I just told you is my take; it’s not necessarily correct. FLCL doesn’t hand you anything. FLCL Production Committee is the absolute master of “show don’t tell.” That isn’t a bad thing, but with little being explained, I find the show hard to get into at times, story-wise. It’s the type of show you will understand a tiny bit more after watching it, and you’d most likely have to rewatch it several times to get a satisfactory picture. As far as the space opera side of things go, your own interpretation should be good enough. Depending on where you look, looking it up might prove *more* confusing. I fully understand that I’m a moron and maybe I just don’t *get* “deep” things, but if I have a hard time understanding your work, the story isn’t enjoyable. It might be objectively *good*, but that’s moot if it doesn’t garner joy. It’s kind of disheartening when I don’t know if my understanding of the show is due to picking up more upon rewatch or simply reading what others have gleaned from the show. 

On the shows Wikipedia page, it states that FLCL director Kazuya Tsurumaki responded to criticism of FLCL, stating "comprehension should not be an important factor in FLCL." Alright, I can see that it’s not really that big of a deal in the producer’s minds if everything makes sense, that the feeling is more important. Some will be completely fine with this. However, I like my stories concrete and cohesive, and FLCL is rarely both at once. Still, giving credit where credit’s due, there are a ton of metaphors which helps make FLCL a unique experience for every viewer. The show deals with mature themes such as sex in a subtle, generally respectable way. 

I’ll always love FLCL’s “nothing can happen until you swing the bat” more than “you miss every shot you don’t take.”

Overall, I’d say the story is pretty good at best, fine at worst: not the best thing ever, but it’s good enough for me and pretty engaging at times.

Despite some flaws, I find FLCL a very hard show to hate.

~~~img520(https://i.imgur.com/hl8eGOI.jpg)~~~

On one hand, the zaniness and high-octane energy of the show can prove daunting, placing FLCL squarely as a Widget Series. It might be “too weird” for some viewers. If that’s not enough, I found that the story left a lot to be desired, wishing it was more cohesive and coherent and finding that it placed too much responsibility on the viewer to make something out of it.

Despite this, I’d be remiss to write off the show. Its lows aren’t that low, while its highpoints soar. FLCL has been compared to a music video, which I find quite apt. There’s great rock music abound, its highly experimental in its direction, story at times takes a backseat to mood, and it's quite short and fast-paced. I recommend FLCL for a unique, comedic anime experience that you’ll find nowhere else.  At six episodes, it’s not much of a commitment; just one evening that you won’t soon forget.

~~~img220(https://i.imgur.com/xkgl8UN.png)~~~

youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeFkpBZ3ZX0)

FLCL is a high-octane, wonderfully bizarre anime experience that has to be seen to be believed.

Where on Earth am I supposed to start with this one? It's one wild ride from beginning to end with as much unpredictability as the universe is vast. So I mentioned in the summary this anime has a lore. I mention this because not a lot of people seem to know that, actually, which is probably because of how completely random and made up everything seems to be. I'll save the spoilers, obviously, because why watch it if I spoil the whole thing in this review? Main point would be though, if you watch it all and still don't understand a bit of it (completely understandable, I didn't either), you can read up on the wiki about all the in detail stuff. But setting lore aside, if you aren't here (or anywhere) for the story of the anime, then it's still worth watching as it is crazy loads of fun to watch. The action scenes are so well animated it gives modern action anime a run for its money, and I don't even think this anime was trying! It's hilarious, goofy, but also serious and sad sometimes. It's a perfect blend of emotion and if you enjoy lo-fi hiphop music there's a 200% chance you'll love this anime based purely on style.

Pros:
-Story is honestly rather interesting and the characters seem well thought out.

-It's just so much fun to watch. It's hard to review this one because of how crazy and random it is. It's simply hard to describe aside from fun.

-Beautiful animation style, unique at that, with downright great music.

Cons:
-I dunno. The plot is hard to get based off just watching the anime alone, I guess.

-Maybe not a con for some, but perhaps too much love interest between the 19 year old girl and the 12 year old boy?

-Not entirely watchable if you have epilepsy. No, seriously. Do not watch this if you are prone to seizures. Maybe most anime, but especially this one.

More pros and cons are hard tot think of due to the nature of the show as well as how short it is in comparison to most of the anime that I watch, but it may also be worth mentioning here that this recently got a 2nd and 3rd season that I fully intend to watch soon and hopefully making a review for those could be much easier! If the text review here alone hasn't done it any justice for you (and I feel it hasn't either, no worries), then feel free to at least take my score for the show into consideration when deciding whether or not to watch. I assure you it's very much worth it!

Believe it or not, this anime has a lore!

What is there to say that hasn't already been said? It's a great anime. 
I'm not good at writing reviews where I list different pros and cons, so I'll just tell you the things I like about it, and maybe some things I dislike.

There's not much story to FLCL, at least, not at the surface. There's a good bit of lore you can find in the Wikia page for the show, but almost none of it is shown directly. A lot of it is simply mentioned, or left entirely for the viewer to wonder.  On the surface, FLCL is simply a crazy show that doesn't take it's self too seriously for most of it's run-time.

The music in the show is absolutely amazing, all of the soundtrack being done by one band titled "The Pillows". It's mixed so well with what's happening on screen, and sets the tone of each scene perfectly. Fight scenes are fast paced yet still somewhat composed, comedic scenes are just as fast paced but have a crazy, somewhat uncontrolled flair to them, and the serious stuff really hits you hard. Using slower songs like "Bran New Lovesong". The music is the main reason I began watching this show, and every track I've listened to from The Pillows has yet to let me down. It's seriously one of the best anime soundtracks I've ever had the pleasure of listening to.

The art is great, and has inspired my own art even. It fits the vibe of the show outstandingly. And allows for all the crazy moments to truly shine, with insane movements and proportion changes that might leave your head spinning if you're not paying close attention. It also plays with colors a lot, which is always a treat.

As for what I don't like:
I feel like the really creepy vibe of older girls going after this 12 year old boy will definitely put a bunch of people off. It almost did for me as well. Haruko Haruhara, the girl who's usually on the front cover of everything FLCL related, is stated to be 19 years old in the show. Though further looking at the wiki for the series makes it appear as if she was lying about that age. As it lists her age in FLCL as 19, but for the continuation of the series that recently released, it's listed as 16.
It's still creepy either way, but it plays a lot into the story and the main character Naota's psyche. 

I feel like we didn't get enough character development with Haruko, as she goes from being a wacky asshole, to being somewhat sympathetic and remorseful, straight to being an asshole again within 6 episodes.

Other than that I can't think of things I don't like about the series. I feel like everything else was handled perfectly, definitely recommend any anime fan to give this one a shot. Just don't watch it if you have epilepsy, that won't be very fun.

~~~_Furi Kuri ? Puri... Kuri. Fuli... Cula ? Fully Cool ?! Fuku quoi ?_
__Fooly Cooly !!__~~~

Difficile de caractériser l'oeuvre, totalement barré, réalisé par [Kazuya Tsurumaki](https://anilist.co/staff/101076/Kazuya-Tsurumaki) et [Yoji Enokido](https://anilist.co/staff/100062/Yoji-Enokido) basé sur le manga d'[Hajime Ueda](https://anilist.co/staff/97402/Hajime-Ueda)... Survolté, déjanté, loufoque, qui part en vrille en permanence, et qui navigue entre science-fiction, steampunk, mecha, comédie dramatique et même horreur. Les situations s'enchaînent, les dialogues blindés de punchlines et de métaphores sexuelles fusent et les clins d’œils sont hilarants!
_FLCL se paye même le luxe d'un hommage appuyé à South Park, pas banal pour l'époque._

Un gars périodiquement prit d'excès cutanés faisant sortir un robot de sa tête... Une fille en vespa qui colle de monumental coup de guitare dans la gueule, un entrejambe avec une culotte toujours rose, des gentils monstres qui mangent les portables, des robots qui accouchent des enfants, un fer à repasser tutélaire sur les hauteurs de la ville, des chats, le roi des pirates, des extraterrestres...

~~~_"C'est à ce demander si votre cerveau et d'origine !!"_~~~

La grande force de cet anime, est d'introduire un univers avec une cohérence propre, certes complètement décalé, mais qui ne tombe jamais dans la _"branlette intellectuelle"_. Au premier abord, FLCL est un joyeux bordel, mais tellement travaillé, à la fois dense et compacte, cet anime ne se laisse pas appréhender aussi facilement qu'on pourrait le croire. Il faut plusieurs visionnages pour comprendre et voir tous les innombrables petits détails et le symbolisme qui donne à l'oeuvre toute sa richesse et toute sa dimension.

Mais pas grave, FLCL est suffisamment riche et bien rythmé pour que ce soit une claque dans la gueule à chaque fois !
C'est un véritable OVNI se permettant de sortir des sentiers battu des genres tout en les parodiant, le tout magnifiquement servi par une réalisation superbe _(changeant de style lorsque cela permet de plus appuyer la situation)_, et une bande originale ébouriffante signée par le groupe de rock japonais _The Pillows_ !

Pour moi, FLCL est l'équivalent d'un film de David Lynch. Alors soit les gens aiment le voyage, soit ils le détestent. ___Cet Anime n'est simplement pas pour tout le monde !___ C'est très abstrait et laisse la plupart des choses à comprendre aux spectateurs au lieu de les exposer de manière simpliste et soignée. ___Et plus vous le regardez, plus vous le comprenez !___

Bref, déjanté mais très amicale, grâce à ses personnages cools, tarés, drôles. Mais aussi grâce à son goût pour l'excentricité, passant pour un essai débridé où tous les coups de l'imagination sont permis, un instant de stase à savourer entre deux animes plus convenus !!

An hyperactive odyssey through puberty... A Masterpiece !! (French Review)

~~~Not getting poetic while talking about FLCL is a sin. If you asked what was my favorite studio back in the day, oh boy, Gainax. Those guys were the bomb. I have a personal bias towards groups of people who gather and decide to do shit out of passion. Gainax was a family of individuals who just loved animation and wanted to partake in this creative medium and make history. For some time, they did just that. Oh man, DAICON opening animations inspired a whole generation of people to get into anime and otaku culture. Meanwhile, those animators would provide some of the best anime to date to fulfill the desire they instilled within the community. But what does that have to do with FLCL? Basically, FLCL is DAICON in its final form, DAICON V. It's the Gainax spirit that traveled 20 years in time in order to have its vision perfected, its greatness exposed in all glory. FLCL is not only the encapsulation of what animation is capable of, but also of the studio itself. It almost feels like every step taken envisioned its realization. Gainax is the only studio out there whose entire identity can be found in a single title. Now, without further masturbatory ado, let's proceed to the art piece itself.~~~

~~~Fooly Cooly is a cool title that fools the viewer into thinking it stops there. If EoE wore everyone out, FLCL was chill time. That is not to say the work is any less thoughtful. Actually, FLCL is perhaps the most thoughtful and maturely conceived and presented Gainax title I can think of. Just think about this. Most people who like FLCL like it cause it's cool and fun to watch. Some people hate it beyond belief cause of its supposedly pretentious nature and nonsensical script writing. However, there is a legion of hardcore fans such as myself who pinky swear there is much more to it than meets the eye, and in hiding its true nature it actually ties to the overarching theme of reaching genuine maturity. Why is that? Cause Naota is a pretentious cunt.~~~

~~~Naota is the central figure and thematic pillar of this narrative. He is a pretentious kid who thinks every single adult around him acts like a child and should grow up. He thinks being serious all the time and schooling others proper behavior is acting mature. We all know he's full of shit. But for some reason, the absolute majority of people who think FLCL is no big deal relate to Naota to unhealthy degrees due to thinking just like him of everyone in the cast. Haruko is annoying as fuck, Mamimi is a tacky bitch, Naota's school friends are hyperactive sickos, etc. This is where FLCL fishes you. If you think like Naota, you're supposed to learn just like he did that no one's hot shit and silliness is not the opposite of maturity. To go to such lengths to prove a point, to act condescending while misinterpreting reality and making a fool of himself, to humbly apologize for his behavior and admit he's just a kid with a brother complex, to confess to this alien woman of his fondness of her, etc. Angsty teenagers who miserably fail to comprehend mature adults and their ways to deal with life and its hardships are so commonplace it surprises me most people miss this obvious point FLCL attempts to make. Naota is just like an inattentive viewer who misjudges the series' genuine take on growing up. Like the creator himself said, it's ok to feel dumb. What is normally taken as a response to EoE and general outlook on FLCL, I think it's pretty much him alleviating for everyone who just doesn't get the message.~~~

~~~With that out of the way, where was I? Oh yeah, FLCL is godlike. Another misconception about the show is about its supposed 'bad writing'. To claim FLCL is badly written is as outlandish as it's understandable, after all, anything that is not obvious will be labeled as so by a handful of people, ever. Believe it or not, but FLCL actually shits on Evangelion in terms of writing. If you want a coherent storyline filled with instances of foreshadowing and proper use of what had been previously established, well, welcome aboard. There are so many scenes that connect in ways people barely see. So many details they don't pay attention to. Not their fault, the anime, in spite of its loud surface, is pretty subtle about its message and plot threads. Maybe watching it 10 times unveils a whole lot, who knows. All you need to know is that everything is fully realized to the extents it needed to. It's a rule of cool after all, not hard sci-fi. It just amazes me how smartly written it is despite its fundamental nature.~~~

~~~To me FLCL isn't just the chill time I mentioned. I think it's a direct response to EoE. I always saw the movie as kinda tryhard in its display of emotions, its subtext, and Shinji's final self-realization. Anno truly wanted to give the series a proper closure, but it's needless to say EoE is the most self-serious title Gainax ever created, almost going against the studio's general feeling. FLCL is the ultimate break from that, a 'let's show people you don't need to be serious to teach real wise lessons'. In a way, I'd say EoE is Naota, surrounded by the oppressive atmosphere that is only as oppressive as you allow it to be by being dense fuck who can't see beyond your bellybutton. And by breaking from that, it restores what Gainax was all about while ultimately giving closure to its big arc in anime's history.~~~

~~~I avoided talking about the audiovisual presentation cause that just felt unnecessary. Even a total retard would attest its undeniable beauty. There is a lot of eyegasm sakuga and visual storytelling to be dissected. Gainax is best known for its aesthetic, and if there is something that looks, sounds, and FEELS wholly free spirited and zany, that is FLCL.~~~

~~~My favorite character is Mamimi, but quite honestly, Haruko is Fooly Cooly embodied. That is because this series hits you in the head with a fucking guitar and you get all mad and shit but ultimately have to admit how cool it is. Haruko is the mature alien gal who treats Naota like the little brat he is and in the end he knows he's just that. FLCL blew me away and made me feel like a bratty idiot... and I loved that feeling. Being vulnerable towards it made it all the more inspirational and respectable. I was left awestruck by how humble and wise it is deep down despite its purposeful loud and silly exterior... like Haruko. The parallels don't end here, but I really need to finish this. How can I end this in the coolest manner possible? I can't... I'm just a kid after all. ~~~

At the turn of the millennium, American culture exited an era of ‘tude, grunge, and MTV nihilism. ___FLCL___ was passé at its release, missing the zeitgeist by a couple years. To an American teenager, that may as well be an entire lifetime. My teenage self was not ready to appreciate _FLCL_.

Now, we are both certifiably old, with the minutiae of the anime’s release window lost to time. Though a product of the year 2000, it’s a nostalgic capsule of 1990s zeitgeist — of divorced families, confusion and angst bubbling under a poker face of feigned indifference and aimless rebellion. Nobody wears the mask better than the teens of _FLCL_. Space Pirate Haruko plays the trickster, bashing their masks to bits with her _spirit guitar_, accessing a portal “between the left and right brain” through which all manner of inner demons and 90s trash culture manifest.

While _FLCL_ inadvertently commemorates an end of a cultural era, it also features two important beginnings. Though not the first digitally composited anime (4°C’s _Tobira wo Akete_ and Satelight’s _BitCupid_ take that honor), I.G’s larger-scale effort was nevertheless cutting edge and became a trendsetter for all looking to ditch animation cels, paint and physical film from their production workflows. For all the hemming and hawing over the loss of traditional photography’s “warmth”, _FLCL_ looks quite normal today. But unlike most anime, including its own sequel, _FLCL_ actually has a look.

A towering alien monolith shaped like a clothes iron smothers the city of Mabase in a persistent haze, rendered in stylish watercolor backgrounds that fade into the wistful hues of dusk & dawn, the inky blue of night, and the oppressive grey of midday. Its lack of warmth matches its bleak, teenage nihilism; a world that threatens to vanish into the fog of indifference.

Hiroyuki Imaishi (of studio Trigger fame) is its other important beginning. Though his animation is noticeably present in every episode, the gun-crazy #5 is where Imaishi creates a frenzied look & feel that plays like a prototype _Dead Leaves_. He would later redefine Gainax’s identity before whisking its animators away to studio Trigger, but nevertheless, it feels like Trigger's primordial beginnings are here, in the newfound swagger of its setpieces from animators like Imaishi and Yō Yoshinari (_Little Witch Academia_).

In the modern day, _FLCL_ can be watched as a period anime depicting youth culture before the onset of full-blown emo, moe and social media. The ashes of a cigarette enjoyed in teenage rebellion fall from a bridge like snow. The director’s hand hovers over the fuzz knob for its turn-it-up action scenes, and sure enough the vintage guitars and nonsense mecha of idle youth come spilling forth from the cranium alongside a 90s alt-rock anthem.

A capsule of 1990s teen nihilism, and the primordial beginnings of digital production & studio Trigger.

FLCL is some important shit to me. i finished re-watching it today and found more in it than i ever have before, so now i am writing about it. most people who have heard of FLCL will know it for its craziness and chaos, with the series destroying basically any logical storytelling or consistency that it might have, instead going for pure emotional expression over anything else. every episode is an onslaught of bizarre imagery and haphazard, ridiculous plotting, with consistently more energy and excitement than most blockbusters. the show got turned into one of anime's biggest cult classics through much airing and promotion on [adult swim] and it'll often be one of the first shows that entry-level weebs find out about. while FLCL undeniably functions extremely well on the pure entertainment level it's also one of the best renderings of a coming of age experience in fiction because of its ultra chaotic haphazard nature. that chaos is an inherent part of the coming of age experience whether we like it or not.

with each new viewing the show goes from feeling like the writers were just throwing whatever they could think of at the wall to something where every aspect was carefully designed to create the reflection of that experience - a type of controlled chaos. maybe the writers were just throwing shit at the wall for all i know, but it doesn't matter because FLCL just fuckin gets it! it knows the discomfort, anxieties, excitement and melancholy of a time where your body and emotions are rapidly changing and becoming uncontrollable and you just don't understand it. while i think there's a lot of reward to be found in navigating FLCL's Confusing Horny Puberty Nightmare Labyrinth and creating interpretations of what the symbolism means, the show is so effective on the pure emotional level that there's no need to do that. it works whether you want to decipher every piece of imagery or if you don't try to interpret even the most obvious symbolism. i first watched this shit when i was 12 years old and my dumb 12 year old ass def wasn't up for making any complex interpretations, but the show still HIT, especially since i was watching it at the same age as the main character and experiencing many of his feelings.

my interpretation prob isn't gonna break any new ground but i think it's worth sharing because it might bring something new to someone who loves this show or might be helpful for someone who the show doesn't really "click" with. i don't think it's anything definitive but it's what i personally get out of the show. i think the most important thing to consider is that the show is from the perspective of naota, a shithead 12 year old who desperately wants to be mature and likes to think of himself as such. this perspective is not very reliable. i think the show's world lives somewhere within naota's headspace. i wouldn't call the entire show his fantasy - more an extremely exaggerated version of his real life combined with some fantasies, with the occasional crack of truth coming through. for example, naota projects onto his father by turning him into an absolute buffoon who is more childish than he is. naota clearly feels some kind of resentment for his father and takes pleasure over feeling more mature than others, so why not extend that to his own father? despite this resentment, naota can't always keep up this projection, which is why his father will sometimes say something that actually sounds like it came from an adult's mouth amongst all his perverted rambling and anime references. this type of projection and uncharitable fantasizing about being more mature than others is actually immature as all hell because that's what naota is: immature. he loves the idea of maturity, but he actually has a deep anxiety of the process of maturing. he wants a "skip to the end" button basically where he can be grown up without needing to actually reflect on himself in meaningful ways, because doing that is incredibly scary and difficult when you're 12 years old.

when he starts to experience the other scary and difficult part of growing up, his anxieties over puberty become part of his projection. this is where the character of haruko comes in - unlike his father i don't think haruko exists in the "real world" of the story. i think haruko is how naota has processed his newfound primal and sexual desires and changes in the body. rather than accepting these changes as a natural part of growing up, he projects them in the form of a crazy alien woman from outer space who harrasses him and forces giant robots to come out of his head. the rapid changes of his body need to be explained away as part of an intergalactic conspiracy, which both "rationalizes" these unexplained changes and gets naota to put himself on a pedestal and think of himself as being more important than he really is, as boys going through puberty quite like to do. he goes from disgust at haruko's sexual advances to attraction to them, representing his own increasing acceptance towards his desires - an acceptance that doesn't automatically grant maturity and actually leads to more chaos. the show goes into a very interesting direction in its final two episodes with this idea and i think it's better to not spoil it for anyone reading this who hasn't seen the show yet - tho i will (hopefully!) talk about those episodes in a spoiler review for people who have.

while i have spent two paragraphs trying to unpack some of the show's metaphors and symbolism which emphasizes the more serious aspects, it's also worth mentioning that a good chunk of all this is shown through slapstick comedy and dick jokes. FLCL doesn't take itself seriously in the slightest and is probably all the better for it - i like surrealist art that lets itself have some fun with its lack of limitations. it only adds to the delightful chaos and excess and doesn't take away from any of the emotional moments. i also need to stress how fuckin amazing the soundtrack for this show is - it's pretty much all some of the best alt rock tunes ever written, being key to why the show is as emotionally successful as it is despite its density and goofiness. FLCL was pretty formative to me while i was going through the feelings that it covers and it still holds a lot of emotional weight on this re-watch as i transition from teenager to adult. i do have a lot of bias clouding my view on it and i don't think it's a show everyone will enjoy, but it's def going to be a memorable experience for anyone who sees it at the very least. okay bye!!!

one of the best portrayals of the absurdity, excitement and anxieties of growing up ever. 

FLCL is another piece of work from our boys over at Gainax. It was released in 2000 & proved to be a hit amongst audiences, garnering it a place in history. Is it deserving of that though? Lets take a look. For the record, this review will most likely contain massive spoilers for the series, so read at your own risk.

Story:

FLCLs story starts us off down by a river underneath a bridge. A boy named Naota & a girl named Mamimi are hanging out with each other & talking. After Naotao makes a comment about how doing homework at home isn’t “cool”, & Mamimi fondles him for a bit, they decide to walk home. Before they can get home however, a crazy alien on a vespa named Haruko quite literally crashes in on their day & hits Naota on the head with her bass guitar, which is later revealed to create a gateway for robots & all sorts of zany things to pop out of Naota’s head. Haruko then proceeds to do things that manipulate Naota into helping her meet Atomisk, a being with a power that she wants to harness for herself because she simply wants to become powerful. Naota ends up stopping Haruko by the end & releasing Atomisk's power so that Haruko can’t obtain it. The series ends off with Mamimi taking a shot of Naota holding Haruko’s bass guitar & starting a career in photography, Naota coming to the realization that he has quite a ways to go in life before becoming a mature individual, & a final shot of a string on Haruko’s bass guitar being strummed by an invisible force.

I did skimp out on some details in my synopsis. For starters, I don’t want to explain the entire series in one essay, giving you absolutely no reason to watch the series, but I’d also like to lay to rest the myth that “FLCL has no plot” by explaining the basics of what you need to know. Now, I will admit, FLCL isn’t very direct about what its plot is, in fact the plot really doesn’t become abundantly clear until episode 3 of the series, so first time viewers may end up being confused and not understanding what the story is, so I do understand why some may say “FLCL has no plot”. I’d also be lying if I said the plot was the strongest element of this series. It’s definitely a good plot for sure, & creates plenty of scenarios for great character dynamics & amazing action sequences (more on those later) to take place. However the plot definitely takes a backseat compared to the rest of the series. It’s also impressive that this story only had 6 episodes to work with & yet it still managed to cram as much as it did under the hood & has more to offer me than a certain 110 episode sci-fi series I’ve seen.

Characters:

Given the fact that FLCL only has 6 episodes to work with, it’s impressive how fleshed out & memorable our main cast is. I will start with a negative though, the side characters are kind of lackadaisical & suffer from being unmemorable. This isn’t to say they’re bad, rather they really don’t have much to offer outside of 1 character trait & gag to the story overall. Now back to the positives, Naota is a child who lives with a very dysfunctional family & a father who was never really the best care-taker or most mature individual out of people Naota knew, so Naota has an obsession with being mature & has always had trouble looking up to adults. The only one he could ever look up to really was his older brother, but his older brother went off to play baseball in North America, so Naota is back to being by himself with nobody he can really look up to.

Mamimi is somebody who craves attention & suffers from getting bullied in school. She also struggles with knowing what she wants to do or where she’ll go in life (until episode 6 of the series). She was once the girlfriend of Naota’s older brother, & Mamimi loved Naota’s older brother & sort of relied on him to give her attention, which is why Mamimi hangs around Naota so much, & fondles him. Given everything that has happened to her throughout the series, how lonely she feels, & how lost she is in life. Mamimi decides to take revenge by feeding a robot dog she found down by the river (which turns out to be the core needed to power Kazuya Tsurumaki’s hand & unleash atomisk). Mamimi is a pretty shitty individual when you break her down, & she also does a lot of terrible things throughout the series, but FLCL wouldn’t be the same without Mamimi, so her presence is very much welcomed.

Haruko is the arguable antagonist of FLCL. She’s a crazy alien who pops into Naota’s life seemingly nowhere (though we see an establishing shot of Haruko on her Vespa beforehand). Speaking of, her main mode of transportation is a yellow Vespa, & her weapon of choice is a Bass guitar. As I mentioned earlier, Haruko is a power-seeking individual who manipulates people into helping her get what she wants. Haruko is an asshole, but her zany antics are part of what makes FLCL so great. When the scenes aren’t revolved around her, the series is very grounded in reality & centered around the life of Naota & how he goes about it. But then Haruko rears her head and then a bunch of insanely bombastic & awesome action sequences play out. It’s a nice contrast.

Our final character to discuss is Ninamori. Ninamore is kind of like the girl version of Naota, but don’t take that as me saying she has no stand-out traits. Ninamori, like Naota, is concerned about maintaining a mature appearance, as well as not having much trust in the adults around her. Ninamori goes through her own arc (offscreen) about coming to grips with understanding her parents & their living situation (her mom & dad are going through a divorce in the series), what maturity really means, & becoming an overall better person for it.

FLCL may be a 4 character cast with some side characters sprinkled in there for good measure, but I love this cast, they’re all fun to watch, (well, the main characters anyway) bring their own schtick to the series, & create great character dynamics.

Art:

FLCL is a masterpiece in terms of animation quality. There’s a sense of fluidity to the bombastic action sequences that just make them a joy to watch. Even the tamer scenes with not a lot of action going on there’s a nice attention to detail in the movements of the characters to where even scenes like those are fun to watch. So Gainax not only took advantage of the fact that FLCL was an OVA that wasn’t held back by TV animation, but also learned to manage their money for once. Good on ya Gainax.
Backgrounds are good but nothing spectacular. There was a good deal of effort put into the backgrounds, & they’re all nice to look at, but they’re not the most impressive displays of background art I’ve seen. Though they’re good enough to the point where they do more than just “get the job done”. The directing tricks in FLCL are also really good. Some of the episodes have what I’ll call “Matrix cams”, what I mean by that is that the camera will zoom in & spin around the characters, these are used sparingly thankfully, & they show restraint. The camera work in the action scenes also gives them a grandiose sense of scale & tension in the air while watching them. I wish Kazuya’s talents weren’t wasted on the Eva Rebuilds.

Sound:

The music is by the pillows, it fits the scenes perfectly, & they’re great to listen to, do I need to say anything else? 10/10!

The voice acting is incredible. I watch the English dub of this series, & these actors all do great work. Kari Wahlgren as Haruko brings out her zaniness perfectly. Barbara Goodson is a bit of an odd choice for Naota, but she does a good job making Naota sound a bit like a brat, which is part of character. Everyone else also does good work & plays the rolls great.

Overall:

Have I done my job & convinced you that FLCL is one of my all time favorite things? I can only hope I have. FLCL is a piece of work that will stay with me forever. From the bombastic & exciting action sequences, great characters, amazing music, awesome directing, I could just go on and on about why FLCL is one of my favorite things ever made. But I think I’m gonna call it here because I don’t want this to become unbearably long. In spite of my few criticisms, I’m giving FLCL a full 10/10. It’s by far my favorite OVA of all time.

6 episodes filled to the brim with beautiful chaos 

_Nothing can happen till you swing the bat._

_FLCL_ is something else entirely. It is a show filled with pure and raw entertainment, from mind-numbing action-packed fights to suggestive and sleazy comedy. It is absurd, it is crazy, and it is for sure something that will leave you scratching your head, especially when you dive head-first into its first episode. It does not seem like the type of show that you could imagine enjoying at first glance if you are not the type to be drawn to the quirky and crazy. But there is something deeper that lies below. At its core, _FLCL_ is a coming-of-age story about growing up and adulthood, and these themes are executed wonderfully with a wild and crazy ride through the phases of youth.

_FLCL_ is much more than its craziness, but you do not need to fully understand it when watching it for the first time. In fact, you can enjoy it solely as a piece of entertainment. The show never beats you over the head with its themes, serving perfectly in the background with a rewatch helping in understanding the show a bit better. 

The animation is exceptional; the spectacles of experimentation and quirkiness that the show produces are astounding, and it does not hold back in its absurd nature. Its sequences of fights and its sleazy and witty sense of humor feel fresh and endearing. It holds up extremely well despite its age, and its unfiltered style helps in creating its sense of identity. It is undeniably and unapologetically itself, and its style of animation plays a major part in shaping this identity throughout the show’s course.

_FLCL_ is a coming-of-age story at heart, and it is exceptionally portrayed through its amazing characters. Naota's growth as a person through his relationships with Haruko and Mamimi is executed meticulously with elements of the surreal. Haruko and Mamimi themselves are captivating individuals that are much more than first impressions. The characterization that this anime injects blends comfortably alongside the story, creating characters that are easy to like, easy to understand, and easy to relate to which gives the show a stronger sense of personality. Naota’s journey throughout the show is realized in a way that complements its subject matter, and it makes _FLCL_ all the more loveable and unique.

_FLCL’s_ music serves to create the perfect atmosphere and mood for the show, enveloping the show with an oddly nostalgic mood that emphasizes the fleeting notion of youth. The show has a very relaxing and comforting feel to it because of the various songs that play during points of dramatic tension and action. The music makes the show all the more endearing and contributes to the show’s unique sense of self.

_FLCL_ is polarizing and understandably so, but it is genius in the way it incorporates its themes through an erratic and wild story that speaks to many on a personal level. It is a coming-of-age that deals with the notions of growing up and the things that come with it, making it feel real and relatable, and most of all, authentic. _FLCL_ contains a concept that is genius and fun, creating its own unique identity amidst the world of anime and leaving itself as a refreshing and loveable show that I can recommend anyone to watch.

A genuine coming-of-age story that is filled with raunchy, explosive, unfiltered entertainment

Art: 10/10

No one can deny that the art for this show is stunning. The animation is crisp and fantastic. The visuals pop off the screen and are incredibly unique in my opinion.

Sound: 10/10

The best use of a soundtrack of all time in anime. They only use sounds when necessary and when the sounds are used, they are spectacular. The sounds were balanced well with the voice acting, allowing you to enjoy the incredible music while focusing on the ever-important dialogue.

Story: 10/10

Now the controversial part. The story. This gets overlooked by so many idiots who fail to go beyond the surface level. Anyway, the story is about an ordinary kid living a dull life. It has lost all spice. But, when he meets Haruko, a figment of his imagination, all this changes. (Yes, she is a figment. You would know that if you bothered to pay attention.) But, this drug, FLCL, forces all humans to face their trauma. This is shown when people "overload." Forced to face all trauma. Incredibly unique concept, deserving of a 10

Characters: 10/10

At first glance, the characters are bland, I will admit. But, once you fully grasp the plot, they are great.

Naota.

Our main character has lost all spice in his life. He feels dull all the time. But, he is incredibly scared to change. He wants to stay in his comfort zone at all times. This is shown when he firmly chooses sweet drinks without trying anything else. And when he quite literally puts a bandage on his trauma in episode one. Also, when he refuses to swing his bat because he fears failure. He can't tell Mamimi he likes her because he fears being rejected. But, by the end of the first episode, after his first experience with FLCL, he gets closer to reality, moves out of his comfort zone and tries the bitter drink. While he admits that he doesn't like it. Progress! And while I could write much more, I will skip to episode 6 when he is finally shown how to live life again, no longer tormented by the demons. And by the time Haruko leaves, Naota is back to his normal life. But, now he is aware of himself. He is able to realize that the outside world never mattered in the first place. And now he is content with living any experience, just like Haruko (IMPLIED) Naota figures out he really is Haruko. He is able to live life like Haruko did, without form, but full of life.

Haruko

Best character ever created. Haruko is a figment of Naota's imagination. She is pure conciousness incarnate, formlessness characterized. She goes against the societal norm (pink hair, outgoing personality, free from all attachments) Haruko is from another galaxy, and her job is to make everything return to nothingness. But, the Galaxy Force tries to stop her. The Galaxy Force has tried to make people identify with many things, other than themselves. Which is why Naota and Mamimi are out of touch with reality. Haruko is shown to be formlessness because she can do everything Naota can't. Like hitting the baseball. Haruko isn't scared of failure. In short, she is a projection of Naota, Ninamori, Mamimi, and all other humans affected by FLCL. She is the universe. And her presence is made so we realize that the 3 characters are waking up to their true nature. She is the universe, meaning, if you are everything, you are nothing and therefore perfectly at peace with all realities and timelines. This is why Haruko is always at bliss. This is shown when she does as she thinks, as she has no brain. She is the universe expressing herself, there is no free will, it all just occurs. She helps Naota by festering jealousy within him, which is an incredibly strong emotion. She represents humanity's conciousness. EXCELLENT CHARACTER!

Mamimi

She waits for Naota's brother to come back to her. To get close to his brother, she gets close to Naota because she thinks this will keep her connected to her boyfriend in some way. Mamimi has a fear of action. She doesn't do, she just hopes and wishes. This is shown by her constantly praying and smoking. She would rather concede to a nihilistic lifestyle than take control of her reality. This is paralleled by the TV. TV's have no concious will, something has to turn them on. Which perfectly mirrors Mamimi's character. She won't act on her own, she needs something to tell/make her.

Ninamori

Like Mamimi, Naota is projecting his trauma onto her. This causes her to face what she has repressed as well. She believes that she must live up to her parents status, which explains why she cheated to get the lead in the play. Ninamori's fear is one of rejection. She can't express her feelings to Naota. She has to tread lightly so as to not reveal her true thoughts and feelings to others. When she faced her trauma, she pokes through her glasses. This is supposed to mean that she destroyed what had once blocked her vision. She took her power back and chose to perform in the play on her own accord.

Enjoyment: 10/10

Not only is this beautifully written, but incredibly enjoyable too. The show is relatively funny and holds an incredibly deeper meaning.

_Contains spoilers for "FLCL"_
____
#__The FLCL Flavor__
On the surface FLCL seems like it’s about a lot of things: fighting mechas, evil organizations, aliens and space pirates – but it’s never really about any of those. Despite introducing a lot of concepts and elements that might make it seem like it could be just another action mecha anime in these 6 episodes, this gets quickly thrown out the window while watching as it very rarely  if ever expands on them, like Medical Mechanica, Atomsk, the space police or many more, because that’s not what the story is trying to portray to the viewers. FLCL at its core is a tale about a young boy that’s become confused in the path of puberty as he learns about maturity and the responsibilities that come with it. Directed and created by Hideaki Anno’s protégé, Kazuya Tsurumaki. 
~~~img800(https://asianwiki.com/images/d/d3/Kazuya_Tsurumaki.jpg)~~~

He followed in his senior’s footsteps as he planned FLCL to break the mold of contemporary television series and be a stylistic experiment that challenged the norms in just 6 episodes that are akin to music videos coupled with the amazing soundtrack brought by the Pillows, which I’ll get deeper into later. Despite its immense absurdity – packed dense with character, variedly stylized, fast-paced and chaotic, it never feels like that’s the only thing that it’s trying to achieve, as it’s all brought together by a narrative that explores the confused mind of a young teen going through puberty and emerging sexual desires and frustrations. It doesn’t just contain sex, violence and absurdity – it uses it as a means to enhance the themes of the show and shape it. And we’re viewing it all through the perspective of Naota on his journey to adulthood, each character he interacts with and episode representing the problems he has to come to terms with to mature. He’s a kid that despite not understanding maturity, he tries to fake it with his own vision of it – uncaring and cool, something a lot of us thought “being grown-up” meant as kids and teens. His hesitation to express himself, deal with his problems and change is what’s holding him back and this is represented by the flavors he’s not fond of, which throughout the duration of the series get painted in an “adult” light. Naota’d much rather stick with the familiarity of childhood – sweetness, than move on to sour or spicy. 
~~~img800(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b2/c9/80/b2c9806c67d2d07c070f9fd2d4119e27.jpg)~~~

All of this constructs the chaotic and sweet taste of FLCL to the viewers that manages to remind us of both our childhoods and our inevitable growth out of it.
____
#__The Characters__
Mamimi Samejima – Every character in FLCL is deeply flawed and troubled, but none quite like Mamimi is. Her pitiable and flawed character is what makes her so relatable to so many and a fan favorite character. Everyone has their own baggage and problems to carry, but it’s more about how you deal with those, in which case Mamimi chooses not to. She spends the entire duration of the anime up until the very end drowning in self-pity and obsessions, accentuated by the iconic ‘never knows best’ cigarettes she always smokes. Mamimi has clear dependency and abandonment issues, because of the fact that she feels left behind and betrayed by Naota’s older brother, who gets painted in a light of greatness. She met Tasuku when he supposedly saved her from the fire that she started to burn down her old school, so when a broken young girl that appears to be poor, bullied, homeless and with an unstable family life gets saved by an almost mythical brother, she becomes emotionally dependant on him and then have this attachment be taken away without her say doesn’t do well for her emotional and mental health. Throughout the anime it’s not even clear whether they really even had any kind of relationship or if it’s just Mamimi’s delusions and fantasies. This obsession with Tasuku, or Takkun as Samejima nicknames him, then causes her to latch on to anything she can get a grasp on and try to have a control over them. She gives the nickname ‘Takkun’ to Naota, alongside others, to try and keep the memory alive as well as to take out her abandonment frustrations and control those that she considers smaller than her. This need for control derives from her feeling a lack of authority with Tasuku, who left her behind as he went to America. Her clinginess to Naota’s brother and anything that could possibly replace him shows her psychological and emotional trauma that her character is based on. Despite being such a deeply troubled character, on the surface very childish and in general a really fucked up person she holds a lot of relatability to many viewers, as mentioned at the start, because of the fact that she is so vulnerable, dependant and prone to making mistakes much like many of us when we were at our lowest. Mamimi’s arc is that of a broken teenager lost in her own head, that after continuously failing to capture the same attachment realizes that there is a big world beyond the mist of the ordinary town Mabase, which makes her decide to pursue photography, and much like Tasuku, she moves out of town.
~~~img800(https://media3.giphy.com/media/KK7jeTlxFPx3G/giphy.gif)~~~

Haruhara Haruko – The infamous Vespa riding, chaotic-neutral main face of FLCL, Haruhara Haruko, is the physical manifestation of Naota’s confusion and sexual frustrations. Haruko comes barging in on the kid’s daily, ordinary life in Mabase and adds craziness to it, forcing Naota to face the changes both in himself and in the world around him. Haruko manages to give Naota the surface level of his needs, such as adventures in which he can feel like a hero and live up to his idolized brother, or feed Naota’s growing need for physical affection as he transitions into adulthood. He sees Haruko as a chance to prove himself that he’s mature and dependable. Haruhara is in many cases the antithesis to Mamimi, whereas one tries to comfort herself with just a replacement, the other one appears to need Naota for who he really is and appreciate him for that, but in the end it’s revealed that Haruko only ever needed Atomsk and she just saw the potential in Naota to be the key to get to him, because as she said so herself “ you're still a kid, Ta-kun.” In fact I’d argue that the Vespa riding woman never even really loved Atomsk in the traditional sense, only lusting after his great power which she wanted to consume. She only ever superficially fueled the boy’s needs and ego, pulling him in by adding color to the gray life that he was so tired of, while actually only acting out of self-interest and using him as a tool to get to the person she really “loves,” after which Naota realizes that he truly is just a child and has a long way yet to mature in this vast world that expands beyond the fog before him as Haruko leaves him behind and continues her adventures throughout the universe. Much like puberty, Haruko comes in uninvited, makes life crazier and then leaves just like it came, but by the end of it we’ve learnt through the mistakes and broadened our views.
~~~img800(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/37/6c/e7/376ce7997a21dad1315b7f89a3e604fe.gif)~~~

Eri Ninamori – Whilst Mamimi and Haruko act as antitheses to one another and in relation to our protagonist a lot of the time, Ninamori acts as a direct counterpart to Naota himself – similar in many cases, but with slight differences that change everything. Much like Naota she hates admitting her own immaturity and has a skewed view on what being mature really is, and mistakes it for stoicism and apparent invulnerability, for which she gets praised for by others as mature, only proving her right. She hides her true emotions behind a mask of coolness, and in her own words, until the lies become the truth. “You’re Puss in Boots, the one who tricks the prince. He hides who he really is and pretends to be someone else forever. So in time he becomes that person, so his lie becomes the truth, see? He transcends the mask. Don’t you get it? That’s how he finds happiness. That’s pretty good, right?” But despite both her and Naota having a similar view on what being adult really is, they don’t share the same sentiment here, as he doesn’t agree with Ninamori rigging the votes or her entire philosophy in general. Eri wants to get close to others without leaving her true self vulnerable, this in turn making it very hard for her to form real connections to people, as most others only see her for the fake chill façade she puts on  and keeping everything locked inside her. The only times we see her actually open up and act more childlike is when she’s with Naota, probably because she sees part of herself in him and feels like this might be her chance to actually form true bonds with somebody. But even then, she was met with confusion and disagreement from Naota, once again proving that people aren’t as understanding or thoughtful as we all want them to be. This need to put a mask on and act like she doesn’t need anybody else other than herself is a result of the pressure put on her by being the class president, the daughter of the mayor that’s having an affair and the perfect image she created in other people’s heads of herself – it all feels like everyone’s eyes are on you and you might crack at any moment.  Ninamori’s arc is realizing that by putting on a fake act and hoping it’ll become true won’t make you happy, and, like Naota, accepting her own immaturity. This is shown at the end of episode 3 when she wears fake glasses, not the real ones she wore and showed to Naota in his room. This gesture indicates that she’s now willing to open up and show her secrets to others like she did to Naota, but isn’t obligated to – showcasing her new maturity and control over her emotions.
~~~img800(https://giffiles.alphacoders.com/200/200912.gif)~~~
____
#__Furi Kuri Style__
It wouldn’t be a review or analysis of FLCL to me without mentioning at length just how heavily stylized this show is and its absolutely astounding music score. First, I’d like to mention Kazuya Tsurumaki’s creative process with which he made FLCL. He said it was a passion project, one that he wanted to resemble a commercial – short and densely packed, which really shines through and adds this fast-paced and crazy nature to it. But most of all you can really grasp Tsurumaki’s passion for the anime and breath of inspiration and experimentation, made apparent not just by the amazing sakuga that’s omnipresent in the OVA, but also the impressive varied art styles and animation techniques used. Kazuya mentioned just how hard it was to do the short 3D animated scenes after Naota gets hit by Haruko’s Vespa, and especially how tedious the manga chapter scenes were to animate and process back in the year 2000, after which doing it once Kazuya swore he wouldn’t do again but still did in the final episode.
~~~img800(https://64.media.tumblr.com/b318bbd61d793f0097d0100eead9d641/tumblr_psa2f7hYsn1slmfozo1_500.gif)~~~

This truly shows just how much of a breakthrough FLCL was in anime at the time, never afraid to push the boundaries of art, animation and even story telling. But all of this is neatly packaged with my favorite part about the show – the soundtrack. The Pillows manage to really bring out the “music video” or “commercial” feel of the show that Tsurumaki was aiming for perfectly with heavy, hard-hitting tracks like ‘Advice’ for the action packed scenes that manage to feel just as crazy as the fights themselves; melancholic and highly atmospheric songs like ‘Bran-New Lovesong’ that match the nostalgic, summer-like feel of Mabase and just straight-up banger themes like the ending theme song ‘Ride On Shooting Star’ and ‘Little Busters’. 
~~~img(https://miro.medium.com/max/4000/1*A_8HR6hpU0mCgq7P2F1iKw.png)~~~

All of these aspects come together to create the chaotic and absurd, yet still tightly knit narrative unique experience that is FLCL.
____
#__What is FLCL?__
After everything that’s been said – the analyses, the style, the music – what does it all come to? Yes, FLCL is a story about a young boy going through puberty and coming to terms with his innate immaturity whilst also learning what true maturity means, but is it anything more than that? Now I'm going to tell you to throw everything you just read out the window – it doesn't fucking matter. I can sit here and analyze the characters and the show’s themes all I want, but in the end FLCL is what you make it out to be. At the end of the day we don’t know what exactly went through the creators’ heads when they made this OVA, but even more important than what they put into the show is what you got out of it, which is what makes it so special. FLCL came out at the start of a new decade and the new century – almost as if to signify the end of an era, one that birthed experimental and obscure shows like Neon Genesis Evangelion, The Ghost in the Shell, Serial Experiments Lain, Perfect Blue and many more that challenged the norms of the anime industry, animation and story-telling as a whole at the time and revolutionized it during a time of great depression known as "The Lost Decade" of the 1990's in Japan. FLCL is the last of that era. But it isn’t bound to only being “experimental and deep.” It is a show that went above and beyond in all aspects, whether it be music, art, animation or writing and can be interpreted as deep as you want it to be or as nonsensically fun as you like without taking away from it – a passion project fully possessed by the eye of the beholder. And this is what I wanted to come to, not just the brilliant writing or astonishing eye candy, but also just how truly free and artistic it is. As such, above everything else, FLCL is a love letter to art.
~~~img800(http://pm1.narvii.com/6619/a3d58c2348150af8ecce61562d4777ea5be5c014_00.jpg)~~~

~~~ 

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After a certain someone pressured me into watching FLCL for weeks, I finally watched it and I kinda just felt like writing a review about it because it really surprised me. This review wont be too long, because neither is the anime, but here I go.

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In the first 3 minutes of the first episode it became clear to me already that this wouldn't be like any other show. You pretty much get thrown right into the action without knowing what's going on at all. And at first that kind of bothered me because I wanted to know more about the characters and the story but when I was finished all of it just kinda made sense. There's this weird alien girl that bashes the MC's head in with a guitar, a highschool girl that apparently has a crush on the 12 year old MC, which later turns out not to be the case and robots coming out of the MC's head for some reason. All of that might make some people reconsider what exactly they're watching but I loved it, even though I was also pretty confused at first. It's pretty much a story about growing up, or so I've heard, but I can definitely see why many people feel that way. I guess most of it is up for interpretation but I really don't mind that, because it ended up not feeling unnecessarily deep or pretentious. It's just the right amount of story and mindless fun. Because I don't want to spoil the already pretty short story though, I'll move on to other reasons as to why I love this anime so much.

img420(https://c.tenor.com/QhLppu27sGMAAAAC/fooly-cooly.gif)

One of the things I liked the most was the music. It's so good. The OST "Brand New Lovesong" made me pick up my guitar again and play it myself, it's great. Unfortunately there is no opening but the ending song is also a banger. All of them feel so nostalgic even though I've just heard them for the first time. And I think that's something FLCL does great: Making you feel nostalgic about things that never even happened. It might just be the early 2000's anime vibe but nevertheless, I love it. The characters are surprisingly developed considering the anime is only 6 episodes long and none of them are boring. Every single one of them has their own, very unique personality, even the side characters, which I thought made the anime even better. Now, the animation might not immediately stand out but if you pay attention to it you'll notice that there are almost no still images. Everything constantly moves which only adds to the hectic and over-the-top atmosphere the show is going for. The art, while not amazing has this early 2000's anime vibe to it that I mentioned, which I really liked and it can be pretty cartoony at times.

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In conclusion, if you're interested in watching something new and refreshing that doesn't take up much of your time, this is it. I can definitely see myself coming back to this in a year or two and re-watching it.~~~

FLCL is probably one of the weirdest, yet most enjoyable anime I've ever seen

~~~I'm sitting at my desk eating some microwaved spaghetti topped with tons of parmesan cheese and the flavor of juicy meat sauce and the soft and slippery noodles whilst watching FLCL

I have tomato sauce on my white shirt and I don't care 

this is the ultimate show on enjoying things cause you enjoy them and trying to delve further does lead to an interesting analysis of shows whether it comes to characters, cinematography, and general storytelling but there's always a bedrock to every analysis that doesn't impede further introspection but rather it's a casual reminder to just enjoy these things without the pressure 

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I love my introspective sci-fi shows but I also like seeing a kid get slammed into with a Vespa or seeing a robot jam his way out of his brain, swallow him up, and then proceed to crap him out all the while going for groceries

obviously, the show's massive chaos of adolescence cesspool themes of growing up and interpersonal relationships with a healthy amount of sexual symbolism and falik imagery BUT you don't really need to introspect on that to understand that FLCL is just a really cool show paired to the most insane rock track by the Pillows most of the lyrics which are just gobbled together phrases which sound awesome.

---
youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9COHyaFMU8)

_Orange slide, the sky that it reflects
Sponge's pride, being dangled_

_Spider
The apprehension that was caught alive
It's okay even if I don't hide it
I want to have colored dreams_

_Ride on shooting star
With the voice of my heart, like a shotgun
I kept on singing_

_Grunge hamster, be grown up
Lobster of revenge, bring it along_

_Sniper
I'll say, "What can you see
In that fringed world?"
I want to touch it before I aim for it_

_Ride on shooting star
Searching for you, and in withdrawal syndrome
I told a lie_

_Ride on shooting star
With the voice of my heart, like a shotgun
I kept on singing_

---

utterly ridiculous but ultimately rewarding and enjoyable despite the confusing as fuck plotlines that have you questioning whether the creators should be locked into a mental hospital 

but at the same time, the animation in FOoly COoly is not just technically impressive but creatively amazing to watch as if the entire ova is just a sandbox of ideas the creators could just pull out of their head seriously for every second of any other show you might watch FLCL manages a rate of wildly prolific inventive spectacles of sheer stupid coolness

and just how FLCL manages to be so poignantly awesome within a short five-episode OVA series which perfectly nails it home I also think this review should be similar to that effect.


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~~~

FLCL the perfect encapsulation of being an introspective show without shoving it into your face like a *falik object*

~~~img600(https://wallpaperaccess.com/full/201620.jpg)~~~

Where do I start with Fooly Cooly? It was an anime that I decided to watch due to its length and was left in utter awe by this creative bundle of episodes. This coming-of-age has a certain feel like no other! FLCL embodies the superb creativity and the amount of love and passion that was put into this thrilling ride. And yes! I do think this is a masterpiece of an anime regardless of its flaws which to me, aren’t present in the show.

For starters, one thing I love about the story is that it doesn’t follow a fixed narrative. Each episode is its own story - almost as if an anthology of stories. Naota, the main character, a puberty-afflicted lad that resides in a boring town, living a boring life. He hangs out with brother’s ex-girlfriend, Mamimi. But one day, encounters an extraterrestrial being called Haruhara with a BANG! (literally). From there on, his life takes a wacky turn (for good) with each episode adding to the narrative, adding to the emotions and adding to the experience.

The characters all add to the fun. We've got Naota who tries to keep up with the bizarre adventures in each episode, Haruhara who is the driving force for most of the episodes, Mamimi who is trying to find her own enjoyment in life and Canti - everyone's favourite, stylish-looking human robot. And then there's the rest of the side characters. Naota is the character I'd like to mainly focus on. He is a 12 year old boy going through puberty, trying to find some enjoyment in his mundane lifestyle. To pass time, he spends his time with Mamimi by the river. When Haruhara comes into his life, everything changes. Each episode sees him develop new emotions and understandings about different things. He starts to develop feelings for Haruhara and reveals them to her in the finale. Mamimi is also an interesting character as many people frequently ship her with Naota when she just spends time with him as a friend to get away from things. She saw him as a really close friend, however this gave Naota the wrong impression of her loving him. Mamimi is the last character I wanna discuss. She is a crazy character with a bipolar-like personality. She switches from a care-free and playful nature to an ambitious and threatening person during the finale. I feel like that without her antics going on in each episode and directing the narrative for most of the episodes, FLCL may not have been the same. 

The animation is very fluid and outright chaotic and I savor every moment of it! From the slow motion of Naota crashing into Haruhara’s moped to Naoto playing cops and robbers with Canti. These moments don’t even feel like they have outdated animation, so to speak, it can go head to head with the animation of other anime. 

img500(https://thumbs.gfycat.com/BrilliantReadyHyracotherium-size_restricted.gif)

The soundtrack to me is one of the biggest highlights of the show. It perfectly encapsulates the late 90s/early 00s era. FLCL is the reason why I love rock even more! The Pillows are a great band which deserve all the attention they get. For me these are my favourites from them:

youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4_Qzx-E2LQ)
youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ashe_4phX_Y)
youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYzQ5QqVD-M)

Furthermore, Fooly Cooly left me with a few messages. To start, the show taught me that even mundane days can offer some enjoyment and joy out of it no matter how big or small. It's okay to feel bored because somehow, there will be something to enlighten in your day. This is the same thing with the ending of FLCL; Mamimi leaves the town for her passion in photography, Haruhara leaves the planet to continue her search for Atomsk and Naota starts middle school. It's a pretty clean ending showing that everyone has moved with their lives. After all his spontaneous adventures, it seems that Naota has reverted back to his boring life. However, that's not true. Even after all the good times over, you still have those memories of what you shared with your friends. Sure, it may feel different as if everyone moved on (which people have). But they will never forget those precious times they experienced. And that's a fact.

All in all, FLCL dominated with its unique unconventional and fast narrative which boasted one of the greatest anime soundtracks which I still listen to every now and then. The mixture of the characters added made it a memorable epic which has been able to stay imprinted into our minds. Alas, from what I’ve heard we never got a proper sequel with people having mixed feelings about Alternative and Progressive. But hey! We still got the original and many other hidden gems like FLCL such as Sonny Boy which I’m really looking forward to. 
Thanks Fooly Cooly!

KEEP CALM AND LISTEN TO THE PILLOWS!

~~~img700(https://images2.alphacoders.com/120/thumb-1920-120460.jpg)~~~

An outlandish gem that perfectly embodies passion, creativity and pure chaos!

#####This review is spoiler free.

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**_FLCL_ is fucking bizarre.** An anarchical and relentless acid trip of euphoria. There’s no breathing room. There’s no pause from dramatic effect. No slow introduction, explanation or relief. 

**_FLCL_ does not take time to set the table.** There is no cutlery, tablecloth or napkins. It pushes a bowl of curry into your hands and throws the spoon at you as it walks away. It doesn't need to tell you who these people are, because you’ll figure it the fuck out. My favourite kind of storytelling. Waste no time, assume the best of the viewer. Make them pay attention. 

**_FLCL_ is a rollercoaster in the dark.** You are flung around each bend and through each dip with no clue where the carriage will take you next. This is not unpredictable, this is unknowable. Forced to the edge of the seat in excitement, “what will happen next?” becomes an impossible question to answer. 

**_FLCL_ is a testament to the power of animation.** The insanity works precisely because it is hand drawn. You can’t pull a robot out of kid’s head anywhere else. The fluidity brought about by animating these drawings breathes the full fury of life into the story. 

**_FLCL_ pushes its medium to the edge.** Reality bends to the whim of the animators. They understand the great strength of animation: the ability to control every frame. By taking aggressive control of time the show keeps your eyeballs locked to the screen. Only animation can give you whiplash. 

**_FLCL_ is rock and roll.** Not just in sound but in style. The electric, rhythmic energy of rock music has been injected into every orifice. Each episode feels like a full-pelt head banger of a song: opening riff, chorus, bridge and all. And scored by the incredible music of the Pillows, it does not just feel this way, it sounds it too. 

**_FLCL_ is the inner dirtbag child in us all.** It plays in the mud and shoots birds with a slingshot. It oozes the style and feeling of the late 90s and early 2000s. It reeks of the iconic cartoons of the period, but leaves them in the fucking dust. A kid got to do whatever the fuck he wanted, and that meant robots, guitars and baseball. 

**_FLCL_ refines a feeling of unrefined and unrestrained artistry.** The perfected imperfect. It’s raw, but so fine tuned. A mess, but one deliberately and perfectly constructed to be so. Anyone can yell inane meaningless bullshit, but taking that madness and making it into art is hard. The show’s name is gibberish. Absurdity is its lifeblood. 

**_FLCL_ means a lot.** A kid in a back end town. The only person who pays him any attention is the girl his brother used to screw. The only person he gives a shit about is the alien who wants to whack him over the head with her bass guitar. 

**_FLCL_ does not mean anything.** You’ve missed the point trying to read into it. It’s a joy ride. You are in the passenger seat and the driver is a maniac. FLCL doesn’t even mean anything. Experimental? Nah. That implies it’s trying to figure something out. FLCL just is. And what is it is fun. Animation is FLCL’s playground. So fucking play.

~~~The first time I watched Fooly Cooly i wasnt a fan. I couldn’t understand why people rated it so high, it made no sense and as much as i tried to pick it apart in search of a pattern, a deeper metaphorical meaning or the underlying message, it still didn’t. Produced by Gainax, the studio best known for producing Neon Genesis Evangelion, I went into Fooly Cooly with high hopes of picking apart the deeper meanings in order to grasp the true message behind it. 
It wasn't until I came across the words of the director, Kazuyu Tsurimaki, that my mind was changed. Tsurimaki, when asked to define the show in one sentence, said “with Evangelion there was this feeling that you had better be smart to understand it or even just to work on it. With Fooly Cooly, i wanted to say that its okay to feel stupid”. In actuality, Fooly Cooly is genius. I even felt somewhat called out.
Despite being structured in a similar multi-layered way, Fooly Cooly is the antithesis of brainy, dense shows that demand analyses like Evangelion. The show itself pokes fun at Naota’s dad, who tries to analyse the deeper meaning of a robot living in his house even though it's just a crazy, random thing that is happening that couldn’t have any deeper metaphorical meaning behind it. In this respect, I was much like Naota’s dad (I am aware of this parallel between me and Naota’s dad, and the irony of me still writing an analysis on why Fooly Cooly shouldn’t be analysed). 
On first viewing, Fooly Cooly is crazy, confusing, contradictory, and kind of stupid, but it’s meant to be experienced that way. It is meant to leave you scratching your head as jokes, strange moments, over the top action scenes, references, stylistic shifts, and fourth wall breaks fly past on screen every second, still be a thoroughly enjoyable ride even if you don't fully grasp even a single thing happening.This definitely a good thing to keep in mind when living your life, and is something the show tries to impress upon us. Naota has no idea what he’s doing but neither do any of the other adults or kids around him. They’re all fumbling through life, but things work out mostly for the best in the end anyway, which I also think it can be more important to keep in mind when watching any kind of media.
Tsurumaki describes the logic of Fooly Cooly as imagination being made physical and tangible. Ideas and everything that we decide to create has some meaning inherently packed into it, sometimes the meaning is some deep commentary on what it means to mature as a human being, and sometimes it's just a dick joke. 
Fooly Cooly exists to say that it's okay to just not think about things and enjoy the ride in life, and that is as valuable a message to construe as any deeper meaning about the human cognition or collective societal condition that you might get from an obscure complex media.
The ambiguity was intentional, it exudes the idea that you shouldn't be so serious, its okay to feel stupid. as haruko said, "it takes an idiot to do cool things, and thats why its cool"
~~~~~~~~~

"it takes an idiot to do cool things, and thats why its cool"

In just six episodes FLCL managed to entice me. Warning, there will be spoilers in this review!

FLCL storms straight ahead and doesn't slow down for a single second. The pace of this show was unbelievable, yet it worked to its benefit. Not giving you enough time to think just makes this show so much more fun. They throw random shit at you like breaking the 4th wall, then immediately go back to doing the wack shenanigans they were in the middle of. This show breathes fun. The animation style, the voice acting, the character dialogue, all of it just sucks you into its grasp and refuses to let you leave until you get to the last second of the last episode. 

I loved every moment Haruko had on screen. Haruko's character has a charm that sucks you in. From the moment she entered the story it was fun, and thankfully she joined the series extremely early.
Haruko slamming her bike into Naoto as an entrance into the series had me bursting into laughter. The dialogue following was some of the funniest I've ever seen, and the wacky animation helped solidify it as one of all time favorite character entrances. It also led to one of the greatest memes ever. 
img220(https://64.media.tumblr.com/b318bbd61d793f0097d0100eead9d641/tumblr_psa2f7hYsn1slmfozo1_540.gif)

FLCL relies on its craziness to make you love it. There are tons of examples to give. Just a few include the absolutely bonkers manga panel scenes, the bumbly and vibrant fight scenes, and the insane concept that machines and instruments come out of Naoto's head. 
img220(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d0/ac/7c/d0ac7c679b9d120912881e89791bc2ef.gif)
img220(https://64.media.tumblr.com/44ff3fa60c96e714d544807e2bc232e8/tumblr_noa7w04dJh1tyak95o3_540.gif)
img220(https://gifimage.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/flcl-gif-14.gif)

I don't think you can classify FLCL as a fighting anime, but the fights in it might be my favorite party about it. The fights were so hectic, whether they were over a serious issue such as preventing Haruko from destroying the planet, or if the characters were just having fun like when they were using fake guns in the field. 
img220(https://gifimage.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/flcl-gif-18.gif)
FLCL is a series you shouldn't think too much about while watching. The story at the end of the day doesn't make much sense. All we really get is that Haruko is an alien looking to revive Atomsk and Naoto is the key to doing that. Naoto loves Haruko and at the end decides to revive Atomsk but send him flying into space so Haruko can't fulfill her wish. Haruko leaves and we never see her again. There are plot holes but FLCL isn't a story reliant anime, its a character driven one. 

All of the FLCL characters are loveable. They are all hilarious and enjoyable in their own ways. There wasn't a single character I thought of as annoying in the short six episode watch. 
img220(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/44/46/73/444673e6fb3359913681ac7dc029b02d.gif)
At the end of the day FLCL shouldn't be looked into too deeply. Yes there are themes you can explore under the superficial appearance of the show. A few examples being Mamimi using Naoto as a substitute for his older brother, Naoto's desire to become more mature, and Ninamori's struggle dealing with her parent's strife. However, I think looking into these topics too much ruins the absolute blast you can have watching the show. FLCL doesn't dive into these character's struggles for a reason. Its focus is on having fun rather than focusing on societal or personal issues. 
img220(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2e/6d/13/2e6d13eb2c0132d344a2884df53fcb2f.gif)
I put off watching this show for a very long time. I always thought that it was a thought provoking anime and I couldn't muster the energy to deal with that. However, after reading a review about a week ago about how you shouldn't think too much while watching FLCL I decided to give it a try. Thank you to whoever wrote that review, I cannot express my gratitude enough for introducing me to this masterpiece.

Despite being 22 years old, FLCL is a must watch for its enjoyability. 

_This review might contain spoilers. You may proceed if you can handle the truth..._

By episode two, the viewer should notice at the latest that the original video animation FLCL, pronounced fooly cooly, endeavours to defy the conventions of the medium. Although it is not studio Gainax's first time, their first ambitious project Royal Space Force rejected the standards by including political issues, philosophical dilemmas and an almost adult cast. Since the marketing strategy targeted the wrong audience, children instead of young adults, the film performed poorly on its release. Their second more financial successful effort to push the boundaries of anime was the television series Neon Genesis Evangelion. In contrast to other Mecha animes during the time, the show focuses on the fragile psyches, fierce negative emotions and intricate relationships of the characters.

The other infamous studio behind FLCL is Production I.G. Under Oshii's directorial visions in the 1990s, they released two political, philosophical and mature movies: his second fan-dividing sequel Patlabor 2 and the infamous, influential Ghost in the Shell. Both studios would join forces on the complementary end of NGE, The End of Evangelion, for the first time and create one of the most impressive, beautiful and experimental moments in anime in the second half. The director of FLCL, Kazuya Tsurumaki, who collected directorial experience in the NGE series and film, could not choose two better studios to bring his artistic concepts to life.

After the combined efforts of multiple animation directors to appeal to an older audience in the last century, Tsurumaki did not follow the impulses and made a U-turn. Instead of focusing on a more mature and realistic approach like his contemporaries, he created a cartoonish and implausible anime. By taking advantage of the freedom that animation offers him and his creativity, every episode is full of ridiculous, exaggerated or bizarre qualities. For instance, the scenes drawn in manga panels are the most remarkable, chaotic and fierce moments in the show. Consequently, there is rarely a dull moment and often something exciting to absorb. Additionally, the OVA includes a lot of impressive-looking but meaningless symbolism and has a few pop culture references.

Tsurumaki's absurd, disordered and preposterous style in FLCL separates it from previous animes. Albeit not everybody enjoys this technique, the nonsensical chaos in the plot captures the character's fluctuating emotional state excellently. Both pre-teen characters, Naota and Eri, struggle to express their feelings towards other people and to understand their own emotions. One of the young adults, Mamimi, mourns a failed relationship, and she has a hard time finding her place in this world. The other, Haruko, chases an unrequited love, and she has trouble treating other people well. Although the majority of the cast can overcome their problems and grow as a person, their character development often happens scattered, spontaneous and unfathomable. Despite that flaw, almost all characters are well-defined, inspiring and engaging.

Besides FLCL's focus on unhealthy and one-sided relationships, it also questions the earnest image of adults with its childish grown-ups. However, none of the episodes discusses this topic in depth. Since most of the show's perspective is from a young male protagonist in puberty, many scenes have sexual tensions, which might alienate some viewers. The autonomous, humanoid robots and their fights take up a relevant portion of the screen time without benefiting the story. Together with other excessive action scenes, they create the impression of only stretching the runtime. Without a doubt, they might be impressive the first and second time but lose their appeal quickly. Another unnecessary plot element is the Interstellar Immigration Bureau, whose officers and efforts have no significant impact on the ending or characters.

The brilliant score of the alternative rock band The Pillows almost compensates for the mediocre story. Fitting to Tsurumaki's ambitions to jettison anime norms, catchy rock songs are an excellent choice over drained pop songs. A song with more intense instruments would have been better during the battle scenes. The animation quality follows the high standards of the score. The CGI and the hand-drawn components are well-integrated and do not feel out of place.

To sum up, FLCL combines creative ideas, humorous jokes and the creator's desire to defy contemporary anime norms. Under his experimentation, the structure of the plot suffered the most. If you prefer intense action scenes, decent visuals or absurd jokes over a well-structured storyline and character development, you should watch the show soon. Because FLCL captures the zeitgeist of the 1990s well, it might be worth checking out for the nostalgia if you grew up in this decade. Otherwise, it is still worth trying for its legacy on the medium.

A chaotic but influential collection of creative concepts, ridiculous moments and impressive visuals.

Fooly Cooly (FLCL) certainly seems like a pretentious piece of work. An astute viewer will certainly claim to know what messages the series is trying to convey via its surreal unorthodox direction. Maybe FLCL is trying to convey the confusing emotions of adolescence in the process of coming of age, maybe it is trying to convey the frustrations of a boy trying to cope with his boredom living in a quiet town. Whatever FLCL is trying to tell us it through its surreal story telling and absurdist humor ultimately depends on the individual viewer. Yea, this is one of those shows where it is really up for interpretation and that is why I immediately recognize its pretentious aspect that may put many people of. 

With that said I don't even think FLCL is trying to be pretentious at all. More than anything I believe the direction of FLCL is to have fun. I can really tell that the writers and animators really does not care about making a cohesive plot but rather focus on conveying on screen whatever they think will seem impressive visually, emotionally and comically. I really find it hard to place this series in a specific genre because I really do not know what characteristics it fits; Is it a comedy? not really, there are maybe a few Tom and Jerry-esqe slap stick that certainly made me laugh. Is it romance? MAYBE...? ? ? The main male lead Naota in some ways explores his feelings for the main female lead Haruko. The reason why I am trying to fit this in a genre is because I want to understand why FLCL is so entertaining for me to the point most of the time watching this series I find myself smiling like an idiot. But ultimately the reason is just so simple. Watching FLCL is _FUN_. I can definitely see a coming of age drama direction throughout the series and honestly I do not really care much for any character in the series. In the end of the day watching these characters react bombastically and nonchalantly towards the comically surreal events that take place via technically impressive sakuga animation accompanied with a banger of a soundtrack is all I care about. The characters looked like they are having fun, I believe the creators certainly had fun making FLCL, and I also had fun watching FLCL. 

What is actually is Fooly Cooly? there are certainly some reference in the show that indicates that it is something sexual but ultimately nothing concrete. Naota makes a meta-response towards it in the finale disregarding its meaning and adamantly states that it does not matter. There is a certain indirect animosity towards the casual viewer that will definitely criticize FLCL and related series that have a more abstract and unorthodox approach to story telling that is certainly prevalent throughout the show. Often there will be absurd and surreal moments where characters will just brush off as slightly weird occurrences but ultimately ignore them. There definitely seems to be an attitude of mockery towards a viewer that have a really closed minded approach to media where they heavily emphasize on the writing and plot via subtle to outright obvious fourth wall breaks. Which I find really amusing if that is truly intentional by the creators as I can imagine some triggered haters catching on to them just like how triggered Rick and Morty haters got when they believe they are being compared to Hitler in that Hitler Morty episode. 

In conclusion, is Fooly Cooly it deep? Maybe. Is there a profound message underneath? Maybe. Are the characters well-developed? Kinda. Does the story make sense? NO. Is the plot interesting? What plot? At the end of the day I do not care about all those. FLCL ultimately is FUN.

I don't know where the lies and and the truth begins. But I am having fun and it's all that matters

(*note: this review might include minor spoilers, but will not ruin any of the actual plot. the show is less than three hours anyways, just go watch it!*)

#~~~___PREFACE___~~~

Growing up.
Everyone grows up.
At some point in their lives, everyone will go through the inevitable transition from childhood into adolescence, from adolescence from adulthood.
Okay, there are some cases in which people don’t live long enough to actually grow up- but generally speaking, the average person will live long enough to mature and change.
It’s a staple of being human.
Everyone does it. Everyone’s doing it.

What does this have to do with FLCL?
FLCL is a 2000 Original Video Animation produced by Studio Gainax and yadda yadda yadda… this stuff doesn’t really matter.
FLCL is just a three-hour long commercial for life. At its center there is one simple but powerful message: _life is all about what you make it, so make it what you want._

***
As I was saying earlier, everyone grows up. This is a fact of life, but what makes this otherwise mundane truth so beautiful is the fact that no one grows up the same way.
There will always be parallels and such between different stories, yes- but there are never two situations that are exactly the same. You and I are so different, yet so similar, yet objectively as far apart from “the same” as possible.
Which leads me to the following assertion: since you grow up in your own way, make it be in a way you like. Grow up at the right pace, and enjoy it, you only live once.
In my opinion, FLCL is all about this philosophy- you’re always just a kid, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

#~~~[I Think I Can.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsRdwvAtqfY&list=PL5PW5TdgaMATZV3Z3_zhsj3V-Mu6e3owr&index=4)~~~

So what exactly is FLCL about?
FLCL. Fooly Cooly. Furi Kuri, Furi Kura.
It doesn’t really mean anything on its own.
It means everything to some people, it means entirely different things to different people.

It’s not necessarily meant to be understood.
Just like growing up.

FLCL is the story of 12-year old Naota Nandaba, a kid who wants to be grown up. Instead of taking his time on his ride, he wants to grow up.
Like many others before him. You might find him relatable.
~~~img500(https://i.gifer.com/origin/1c/1c35318752a182769a5c8f8aaa3f457a.gif)~~~

His older brother, Tasuku (never actually seen in the show) left to America to play professional baseball. To Naota, Tasuku represents the epitome of being an adult- he wants to be like Tasuku.
When Tasuku left for America, he dumped his girlfriend, Mamimi Samejima. Mamimi lives in denial and uses Naota as a replacement boyfriend.
~~~img500(https://c.tenor.com/kNHKLgXBPhYAAAAd/flcl-mamimi.gif)~~~

One day (as in, literally the first five minutes), some crazy pink-haired alien bitch (allegedly) named Haruko Haruhara shows up out of nowhere and… uh…

~~~img500(https://c.tenor.com/Op3LFBbzYDEAAAAC/flcl-fooly-cooly.gif)~~~
She runs him over with her 1965 Vespa Super Sport 180. A super-cool vehicle that I want for reasons totally unrelated to this show… oh, and then she hits him again with a bass guitar. Your typical anime shenanigans.

At the center of this show, these three characters are symbolic of Naota’s growing up- representative of his situation. He has a crush on Mamimi, representing his desire to grow up, and a crush on Haruko, representing his childlike nature.
Wanting to grow up is childlike.

Anyways, here’s the kicker for FLCL:

#<a>~~~YOU DON’T HAVE TO GET IT! YOU DON’T HAVE TO LIKE IT!</a>~~~

FLCL is just a way of saying “growing up means different things,” and by extension you’ll feel differently about it.
This show gets up in your face by throwing whatever it wants to you and letting you pick up the pieces.

This is by far FLCL’s greatest selling point, in my opinion, and why I like it so much.
When I first watched it, I hated this show. I didn’t understand anything. It didn’t make sense.
Which kinda reflects my own personal opinions on growing up…I don’t really get it sometimes either.
If you want to understand what the hell’s going on, I’d suggest watching the show, then reading the light novel, then watching the show again. I’ll review the LN another time, but it basically breaks down every scene and gives it to you logically so that you can process the themes on your own, which is why when you rewatch FLCL after reading it you’ll be able to actually just appreciate the ride (if you didn’t the first time).

So what I’m getting at, is that you ***don’t have to like FLCL.*** And that’s okay. 
FLCL fans can be a little… pretentious about this show… and for good reason, I’ll admit, but the glory of it all is that it means something unique to everyone.

#~~~[Come Down.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US4CBj91xXg&list=PL5PW5TdgaMATZV3Z3_zhsj3V-Mu6e3owr&index=7)~~~

So a little about what actually happens.
Haruko is on a quest to get something she wants… the power of the legendary Pirate King Atomsk. Her “bass guitar” is actually a space-time interference weapon which, upon contact with a person’s head, will open up their ability to use N.O. Channels (what this stands for is never explained). N.O. Channels can summon items from across the universe- in Naota’s case, he summons Canti, among other beings.
~~~img500(https://c.tenor.com/gGEsCpHWHOcAAAAC/canti-flcl.gif)~~~

There’s also an evil megacorporation called Medical Mechanica which the adults love for convenience yet they have an ulterior goal… it’s a long story, and one that gets explained a little more in-depth in the light novel.
~~~img500(https://leftofwreckage.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/medical-mechanica.png?w=1086)~~~

FLCL isn’t really a show where things get explained. It’s about the ride and how you feel about it.

#~~~[SAD SAD KIDDIE.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAE8c7NcO7Q&list=PL5PW5TdgaMATZV3Z3_zhsj3V-Mu6e3owr&index=1)~~~

So if not the plot, the experience. FLCL is about the experience. Something I didn’t realize at first.

FLCL’s animation is insane- everything is always moving, and there’s never a dull moment. If you have a short attention span, you’ll likely find yourself glued to the screen because there’s always something to look at. There are also many little easter eggs and references and such- there are a few South Park and Gundam references, notably.

The music on the other hand, though… the music is probably the second-best selling point of this series. The sub-section spacers I’ve added each have a link to a different song, go ahead and give them a listen.
FLCL’s music is done by the modern rock band [The Pillows.](https://anilist.co/staff/100327/the-pillows ) They’re really damn good.
Imagine if an anime had its entire soundtrack made by your favorite band- it’s like this. The Pillows aren’t my favorite band, but their type of music is *exactly* my jam. Great background music in general, and overall just fit the vibe. Even if rock music isn’t really your thing, the fast-paced gritty sludge of the guitar just *really* makes this show feel nostalgic and like a good memory.

#~~~[RIDE ON, SHOOTING STAR](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjJILOP6VF4&list=PL5PW5TdgaMATZV3Z3_zhsj3V-Mu6e3owr&index=17)~~~

So for my closing notes, I’m going to get a little personal.
As I mentioned before, I originally hated this show. It flew over my head- although it’s meant to. That sort of thing just doesn't please everyone.

It’s okay if FLCL doesn’t make sense. Growing up doesn’t make sense.
But if you look into it… you kinda begin having fun. Hey, this is crazy. I can jam with something to get my mind off things.
I hate not knowing. I hate not being the smartest person in the room. But coming to terms with that is maturing, and you could say this show makes you accept that.
Once I realized that there was a deeper layer to it, I fell in love- but, of course, it’s okay if you don’t see that deeper layer.

As I mentioned, I hated this show at first. But after tons of research and reading the light novel, I began to appreciate it. You don’t have to think too much- you just have to think at all. Unless you don’t want to, which is completely valid!

This show, to me, is a bit of a comfort show. I hate the rough edges, but it’s relatable, it’s fun, and it’s something to do when I can’t handle other things. It’s like a parody of the real world, in a way. Naota always talks about how boring and inane his city is when there’s a multiversal conflict going on around him, literally stemming from his forehead. The nonchalant nature of his insight is funny to read through.

***

So.
Is FLCL perfect?
No. 
It’s hard to understand.
It does whatever the hell it wants.
It might actually have a thing or two say about real life.
You might love what it tells you.
You might hate every second of it.
That’s what makes it so good.

It’s not necessarily an objectively good show- it’s about what it means to you personally! I think it’s amazing because it’s so open to interpretation. Maybe it’s secretly a sequel to Dragon Ball, who knows! It’s all about what you want it to be!

So if it means something different to everyone- why not define what that is on your own?
img1700(https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/56e2408a-e5e1-4b47-916a-c20bba680265/dbfv31a-7b50c653-64e5-483b-b57e-93c4d6e40b44.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzU2ZTI0MDhhLWU1ZTEtNGI0Ny05MTZhLWMyMGJiYTY4MDI2NVwvZGJmdjMxYS03YjUwYzY1My02NGU1LTQ4M2ItYjU3ZS05M2M0ZDZlNDBiNDQuanBnIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.qSFLNU3Q55kCdSTSnos1-GSYKzDvvjIbZOgHGAGT-F8)
~~~*it takes an idiot to do cool things.
that’s why it’s cool.*~~~

(TL;DR: it’s good if you want it to be, that’s why I think it’s good.)

How a FLCL hater became a FLCL lover. Why this show can be good.

Why didn't I give this another shot sooner? 

I absolutely love FLCL. I didn't feel this way on my first watch at all -- I initially thought it was just mindless insanity in the same vein as most of Trigger's stuff. I sat through all six episodes half-asleep, just wanting it to be over.

However, in retrospect, I don't know what the hell I was thinking. FLCL is an incredible narrative and one of the best stories about self-perception, identity, and maturity out there. I think that regardless of your age, you can get something out of Naota's experience.

The entire anime is laced in tons of metaphor -- people smarter than me have picked apart every second of intelligent visuals or dialogue, but I think a lot of its more obvious symbolism is easy to pick up on with the right mindset. It's important to understand the "limits" of FLCL's world: this is the idealized, heavily metaphorical world of a 12 year old just now entering into puberty. The Medical Mechanica building shaped just like a clothing iron, symbolizing a rigid, wrinkled out adult life. Naota's struggle to swing the bat towards the end of the show showing how a big part of maturity is taking risks. Haruko being a metaphor for adolesence and chasing after adulthood in her own way. I could go on, but it's clear that the story is packed with this stuff.

On my first watch, I didn't really get Mamimi as a character at all, but I feel like I have a much better grasp on her now. Her dependency issues are everything but outright spelled out to the audience, she's constantly searching for the void left by Tasuku leaving to the US for baseball. It doesn't really matter whether they were genuinely seeing each other or not -- the fact of the matter is that Mamimi has begun to chase after an idealized version of this guy, who clearly doesn't share the same level of passion for her. Tasuku is her savior who saved her from the old school she herself lit on fire. It's heavily implied that she's bullied frequently, and likely continues to start fires just hoping for another savior to come in and help her. She's trapped in an unhealthy feedback loop, but like Naota, she's able to move on at the end of the day and live happily as a new person.

FLCL is often branded as a "coming of age" story. While I think that is a totally valid interpretation, I think it's, on some level, a clever subversion of this idea. FLCL has many different symbols of maturity, whether it's Canti being an idealized version of Naota's brother, or the kid just insisting upon taking Mamimi to a date just because that's what grown-ups do. The show consistently points out how our conceptions of "maturity" can fall flat, and that it's okay to not have everything figured out and be a kid. Growing up means facing new challenges head-on, not constructing masks and false ideas of the kind of person an adult SHOULD be. There's no point where you shift to "mature", it's an ongoing process that only continues when you're genuinely willing to improve. You need to be able to look at the ball head-on and swing the bat.

I can't state enough how SMART I think this anime is. It's absolutely manic, but within that insanity, there is a ton of genuine substance. I could touch on every cast member and how they all reinforce the story's themes, and it's absolutely incredible that FLCL manages to do this well in only six episodes.

FLCL Series Watch Order

FLCL

FLCL Progressive

FLCLC Alternative Episodes