Another thing worth noting: for the dub of FLCL, the American actors recited their lines with the exact same rhythm and cadence as the original Japanese dialogue. This was also Kari Wahlgren's first major role.
The only problem with FLCL is that people don't get it. And there isn't even that much to get. People tend to just see the flashy chaos and think it's nonsense, but just barely beneath that veneer is a very realistic story about being a kid on the cusp of puberty. Boy meets girl, boy's head becomes total chaos, boy literally fights the manifestation of his own immaturity. You don't have to look too deep to see the metaphors here.
I don't know what kinda puberty you had, but I didn't find anything about the inane nonsense of FLCL to be "realistic". I didn't find there was anything to "get": the story was retarded, the characters were all unlikable twats, and at no point was i ever given a reason to give a shit about either.
According to MAL and /a/, FLCL is one of the greatest abstract art Bildungsroman in modern art. According to the Cinema Snob, it is the equivalent of dropping acid and staring into a strobe light for 4 hours. This series is the definition of "your mileage may vary".
Additionally, Giancarlo Volpe, one of five co-directors for Avatar: The Last Airbender, said in an interview that co-creator Michael Dante DiMartino made every major staff member watch FLCL before production. This was meant to served as a visual template when designing characters.
+mrguy22494 ...they're different shows entirely. Why would it need to draw from the original. I don't hear you complaining about how all the characters are completely different from anything related to the comic.
Richard Bean Because Teen Titans Go is a spin off of the original? I wasn't really introduced to these characters from their original source material. So I don't really feel as strongly as some people out there who want the 2003 show to be more like the comics.
Oh yes, I too remember the dark days when anime used to cost $27 for a dvd (or a VHS tape!) with a 2-4 episodes on it, IF you could even find a store that sold them. I'm so glad it has become much more accessible today.
Beautiful episode, like you and many others, I too saw this originally as a kid and would constantly go back to it as I got older. It's just one of my top 5 anime of my lifetime.
Wow bennett, this ep was really good man. I liked the ocean & bucket symbology. And yeah FLCL is weird to watch once you're older, it always gives me a weird sense of nostalgia tinted with a bit of sadness. I know its spastic and is talking about and showing things it hasnt the depth to cover. However, it'll always be one my first animes, and piece of media in general, that had me think more about its messages connections to my own life, than to either its characters or story. Anyway, i just wanted to say again, good job Sage
"An anime that you once loved you now look back and enjoy it even more." I feel the same way about Gainax anime, especially a certain mecha show quite a few are sick of hearing. They just...it feels so...good watching them. With so many shows being pumped for a quick buck and trying to pander to as many people as possible, It's heartwarming to see a group of people making anime for the sole purpose of spreading the same joy that they felt. It really reasonates in me, makes me feel so warm and content. There's a reason why Trigger is joked as being the "Savivor of Anime" because, in a way, they are. They care the spirit of true artists, creating out of passion and necessity. And I'm proud to be a fan of them.
This has one of your greatest anime reviews by far Sage...Bravo. FLCL was an anime that I really enjoyed from my years as a pre-teen. Now, as an adult, I'm able to notice a lot of these things from it. Topics that I would've never been to realize before due to my immaturities. That ,in itself, made me cherish the experience a whole lot more. I really hope its sequel will live up to those expectations.
FLCL was Probably the 2nd or 3rd anime i ever watched thanks to a friend back in the day. Easily became my favorite anime for a long time. The whole anime is like one giant mish-mash clump of randomness, over the topness, themes, comedy etc. It has this strange enigma around it for me. I have the manga volumes as well and the weird part is the manga is completely different from the anime. Im curious to see how they'll handle the new seasons coming next year; the anime left me wanting more and i was surprised to hear its getting a sequel. The Pillows music is great BTW.
It's about puberty and dealing with maturity. The animation shifts to reflect general character flaws South Park is a show about kids cursing and making immature jokes= The chief is a child doing "adult" things to appear more mature. The robot amongst the black crows? Come on man he's a prop for the brothers girlfriend to have a god complex about. He could have just a light shining on him, but u instead they stick to the theme of fire and the video games she plays fire god. Seeing him like that gives her a catalyst to burn down more shit from her past which she runs from (using said game) It's a deeper commentary on bad memories, faith, video games. This show succeeds where Evangelion fails because we don't have Sexual assault Shinji and his harem.
You're not alone in the feeling of liking it more now than you did as a kid, Bennett. I saw it when it aired, and similarly, the music and absurdity pulled me in and kept me there. As a point of discussion though: I always interpreted Naota's arc to one of puberty, for sure, but that Haruko represented his childhood and Amarao representing his adulthood. Haruko is so enticing to him because of her wacky childish antics, but Amarao wants him to grow up and turn away from Haruko. In the end, he finds a balance between the two, realizing that it's ok to hold on to your childhood as you become an adult. Also: neat fact about Imaishi directing Episode 5 of FLCL. That was always one of my favorites, from the frantic action to the really chill driving-the-truck-by-the-water scene with Hybrid Rainbow in the background. Gaawwddd that soundtrack kicks ass.
It's amazing how the characters r so well developed, the series has only six eps. FLCL is still one of my favourite anime from the past and age has only made it better. Thanks for reviewing this show Bennet.
Production I.G apparently own the rights to FLCL, and they are making season 2 without Gainax. As for P&S, the talent behind that went and founded Studio Trigger.
How do you get a second season out of FLCL? The bad guys were stopped, our hero and his would-be love interests had their story-- except for maybe following Haruko's pursuit of Animus or something there's nothing there.
"In the new season of FLCL, many years have passed since Naota and Haruhara Haruko shared their adventure together. Meanwhile, the war between the two entities known as Medical Mechanica and Fraternity rages across the galaxy. Enter Hidomi, a young teenaged girl who believes there is nothing amazing to expect from her average life, until one day when a new teacher named Haruko arrives at her school. Soon enough, Medical Mechanica is attacking her town and Hidomi discovers a secret within her that could save everyone, a secret that only Haruko can unlock."
I have been following you for a long time, since you reviewed video games mostly (more than 3 years I believe) and I always love your anime abandon show. I always waited for your FLCL review and I love it! It gave me the feels! Now I make reviews, inspired by you and many more people (since thatguywiththeglasses). Thanks a lot for everything! I also did a video for FLCL, still my favorite review of my channel, but it's in spanish hehehe. Thanks men.
this was a great episode. wow, i had this feeling you were going to tear it apart or be highly critical, but this is very heartwarming. Gabe walking out of the bucket into the ocean, wow SYMBOLISM. is that an example of GIANAX syndrome? :D FLCL came out at the right time. Anime was popular in the states sure, but FLCL stood out so much from what was on tv at the time-- the art styles and music really drew people in. Not to mention it was six episode and a casual fan could actually finish the series. If you weren't an otaku, you probably didn't know who GAINAX was, so the issues weren't as apparent.... FLCL aired before NGE, didn't it?
...You were about Naota's age when this came out in 2003. That was 13 years ago. I'm gonna be 25 in a couple weeks, which means in 2003 I was about 12 years old (which is about Naota's age)... Congratulations, you made me feel old even though I'm the only person among my friends young enough to have intentionally and actively enjoyed either the Pokemon games or the Pokemon anime.
***** Back then? It was. Hell, I've seen worse dubs and worse subs since then, things with worse animation or worse stories...so really it's not that hard to say even today that "it's not that bad".
***** I mean, so have I, but it's so repetitive. At least the worse anime I've seen were more creatively and entertainingly bad. Eh, whatever. At least it's harmless.
Sage, I think this is it, this might just be my favorite episode that you have ever done. And it's not just because it's FLCL, hell I think even if you hated it I'd be a bit lax seeing as how I think people's opinion are their own and I'll stick my own, but what I love about this review above all your others isn't the well done comedy or the "deep" introspection of the OVA as a whole. No what I think really endears me to this review is the fact that it's everything I liked about you, the OVA, and even (somehow) my own thoughts and feelings along with the view that not all those things are entirely perfect. Honestly Sage I'm kinda on the brink of sounding mushy, and even tearing up a bit, but I 'm really thankful for this man I didn't think I'd like this review as much as I do, and well like you said that also sums up my feelings about FLCL as well thinking something is good/great but finding it it's actually a lot more then you once thought. So thank you Sage, thanks a lot man
It's absolutely true that FLCL only gets better with time; the creativity and insanity and character depth becomes more apparent. Maybe now I can reflect on my adolescence from a safe distance, and that makes the show even more relatable than before.
I freaking loved this show. The music, the visuals, the art style. It still stands as one o f my favorite animes of all time! Thanks so much for doing a review on this.
Well done with the comparison of Pete and Pete. Loved that show growing up. Watched it again about 2 years ago and it holds a completely different meaning for me as an adult. Its great how we can find new things to love about shows...... rather great shows we watched as children.
I feel as tastes change over time and so what is considered entertaining, this will be the last episode of Anime Abandon that I watch. Thank you Sage for introducing me to so many wonderful, bizarre or... "other" kinds of anime. I remember back when you did those Top 10 lists what seems like so long ago and re-introduced me to ELO, when Berserk was first brought to my attention and I watched Cowboy Bebop for the first time. I'll remember your shows for the seemingly truly heartfelt nature and personal approach. Though I may not have ever been a "true fan", having never been a supporter on Patreon or such and never being massive on satirical reviewer sketches, I do still want to say thanks for all the good times - and I hope Anime Abandon, Sage vs. and Taggin' In keep going strong. Keep true to yourself bro and stay awesome. -Random Guy on the Internet
XylophoneHippi Just because my personal preferences are changing and I want to stop watching Sage before I start disliking his shows. I don't want to stop watching him on a sour note so I'm stopping here whilst I still like him - there's no deeper meaning to it than that. :)
DrunkenTigerrr Recently I've just been losing interest in satirical reviewers such as Sage. As for what my tastes have changed to, I don't know yet. I'll be looking around for something to replace the time I spend watching these - maybe I'll play video games more often or such. :)
Props to you for keeping your responses mature. I've seen FAR too many people complain in the comment sections about different reviewers and how sick of them they are (such as the Nostalgia Critic and a few others I watch). At least you're not trying to start a war. XD
To this day, FLCL stands as my favorite anime of all time. Like Bennett mentioned, I caught it's premiere back in the day on [adult swim]. Though back then I was in like, 4th grade and there's no way my parents at the time would have let me watch something like this, but one night before I was supposed to go to bed I caught the ad for it and was so fascinated I snuck into the TV room upstairs, (my parents slept downstairs, I had the upstairs to myself), to watch it. As expected it effected me, it's what got me into anime, while it wasn't my first, it's was what made me notice it. Watching it again today, (I actually bought the Funimation Blu-Ray when Bennett announced this episode), I agree with a lot of what Bennett says in the review, it's definitely aged in an interesting way compared to other shows of the time.
Wow, another really deep episode; I still remember watching FLCL back when it was first on Adult Swim as well and I was probably about 8 or 9 and I had no idea what to make of the show except "Holy crap!! This is insane!" But now, I really appreciate it even more :)
That made me smile. I've started watching Teen Nick late at night and rewatching shows and toons that haven't been on 20 years. Last night, it was the first 5 episodes of "Are You Afraid of the Dark". I had a grin all the way through because I could still respect it.
17:51 Welp, now I feel old, because I turned 19 in 2003 when FLCL hit adult swim. But I'm rewatching the series on adult swim's Toonami, and it still holds up. Thanks for diving deeper into what it means, Sage. I think now I can explain the show better to people I want to introduce it to.
Fooly Cooly is my most favorite anime of all time. Everything about it is made with love and passion and its story is something that really gets to you on repeat viewings. I love everything from its cinematography to its dialogue and framing. That opening scene with Naota and Mamimi under the bridge is one of my favorite scenes from a piece of media I've ever seen for its combination of action, dialogue and the music that helps emotionally drives the scene home. This show is the closest I think anime has ever gotten to being absolutely perfect.
I would hold that one aspect of the Ginax syndrome does tie in to Naota's story. Medical Mechanica. Specifically the giant iron. A third presence in Naota's life is Medical Mechanica. Constantly looming over every shot is the factory. It's stated that a lot of the town has jobs there. The goal of the corporation, as stated, is to "iron out the wrinkles on the brain." Erase how we think to make us slaves. This could be seen as a metaphor for getting a steady job tht pays well, but sucks ot your soul in the process. Becoming a part of the "Machine." Maybe I'm talking out of my ass, but that's what it felt like to me.
You're not alone in that. When I "joined the workforce" I could almost feel the life being sucked out of me, and that there was no escape. Thankfully, I still have my friends and my hobbies to make life worth living. It doesn't all have to be mind numbing drudgery when I can escape for a few hours in a fantasy world of my own creation by firing up the computer and shooting off a chapter or two in a story. I still haven't found that magical utopia of "Choose a job you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life", but this will tide me over for now.
Interesting fact, FLCL was the first anime I ever watched as a child and recognized as an entirely different art form than my regular cartoon catalogue, and thus my introduction to the medium. It was the third episode with the school play, and after I saw it, I searched desperately for the series, staying up late every Saturday night in hopes of catching a glimpse of it once more. It wasn't until middle school that I even learned the name of the series. Thanks for talking about it, Sage. Feels like one of the building blocks that shaped me into who I am today got a whole lot more awesome and meaningful.
I am so glad you brought up the parallels to Pete & Pete, I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed it. And hats off for that visual homage. Well done.
This anime wasn't about plot or character development, it was just about being fun and funny! If you want a similar style anime with an actual plot? Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi is your goto.
Wholehearted agree with your assessment..I first watched FLCL in my teenage years as well and after re-watching as an adult I found myself with the exact same surprise of just how much it resonated with me back then. It was like visiting an old friend. This is the best FLCL review I've seen. Thanks for this one, Sage.
Thanks so much for all your reviews, Sage. You're always fun and insightful and I love your knowledge of company and anime backstory alike. This particular review meant a lot to me... FLCL is one of those animes you just never forget, and it will always hold a crazy special spot in my heart. I loved hearing your take on it, I was really looking forward to it and you certainly didn't disappoint. I'm looking forward to whatever you've got in store for us in the future.
I wish you had talked more about the music (or perhaps got Todd in the Shadows to do a cameo for it), but this was a good review. FLCL is definitely one of those anime that you look back on years later and realize that there was indeed more to it than you initially thought.
Stupendous episode, guys. I've been waiting a long time in hopes that you guys would tackle FLCL and I definitely wan't let down. FLCL was special to me while growing up, and it still continues to be as special now that I'm an adult. It was oddly gratifying to watch this review and have my feelings and emotions from my younger days justified. Keep up the great work.
Some critics add humor to their reviews, others provoke by waxing intellectual. But in all my years of reading, watching, and even writing reviews myself, I don't think I've ever seen a review that invoked introspection and catharsis in a way that mimics the art it's critiquing as much as this episode has here, especially with it's ending. Well done. This is easily one of the most stirring review projects I've ever experienced. Keep up the good work, and may you always be as passionate for your creative endeavors as Gainax is with theirs.
Awww you took Gabe to the beach! Also, I showed this anime to a bunch of teenagers last year at a convention...none of them knew what it was, and none of them knew how to take it. Great stuff.
Man you nailed it when you said FLCL is seemingly more deep than it really is. I watched it countless times as a teen trying to figure out exactly what it all meant, eventually coming to the same conclusion: sex and puberty.
FLCL is one of those show's I find myself coming back to and rewatching about once a year.... and I find (or refind) something somthing special and unexpected each time.
I watched flcl when it was first airing on adult swim; however, I was much younger when I saw it. I was propobly 6 or 7 and it was my first anime ever. I have had FLCL almost my entire life and at each life stage I have gone back and re watched the show. Now at the age of 20 I enjoy the show more than ever and I'm glad it was my first anime.
Man, this review hit me right in the feels, what with FLCL being one of my fondest youth animes, my rewatch filled with nostalgia and newfound admiration and the Pillows soundtrack entering my usual roster for that nostalgia spice as I find my old bootleg cds at a random box....
hey sage I don't know if you read the comments but I also watched flcl when I was around 12 my 18 know and did rewatch the show way before I saw the reveiw, and I have to say you hit the nail on the head, every word you said captured how I felt at the time, thank you
Yeah Sage you pretty summed up my feeling on the matter at the end. When I was 13 and watched it for the first time I was amazed at how "cool" it was and looked but as an adult I see so much more meaning in the subtle character interactions and overall arc.
Great episode. Way to connect Adventures of Pete and Pete with FLCL. I too re-watched both recently, as an adult of 30. I love both of these pieces of media and used to watch Pete and Pete all the time when I was a youngster. Ah, they are both such wonderful pieces of art which focus on the difficulties of growing up. Wonderful episode on FLCL Sage, keep up the great work.
This is all about maturity and a guy who animates a great anime with many, many inside jokes also this has a meaning that a lot of people can interpret
My mind has been wracked trying to remember this show about two red-headed brothers and now I have the name, The Adventures of Pete and Pete, thanks Bennett! :D Great review, it captures my feelings about this show as an adult. I loved it as a kid too, but for different reasons.
You could also say that the different animation styles & pop coulture references that come of as a confusing mess. In the anime are a reflection on how we feel at that age. We see it we process it but we don't understand them. it's funny when ever I refer to anime or animation as a particular art form this is the one.
When I was watching it early on I thought It might be representative of how we choose to have different personalities- nouta changes his demeanor about himself every episode- even though he was still sorta cynical underneath it all, he was always trying a new way to hide it.
sheamcc2 well now that Im older and know how it came into existence I know it wasnt for that reason it was literally just an anime to throw different and interesting techniques at. a collaborative artjam of sorts. and I love it as is, I dont care if its not deep, or super meaningful- it has a simple theme and juxtaposes it with heavy handed symbolism, kinda like a kid- trying to take the world uber seriously despite his insane reality. it plays wonderfully to comedy.
Ok wow... I had people tell me this was practically the adventure time of anime; insanity with 'subtle' but importane messages, I'm kinda seeing it now.
I've watched this series three or four times over, and still had no idea what it was really about. For me, it was just an amazingly beautiful music video for The Pillows. In fact, I'm gonna try to watch the series without any vocals, just the music.
I love the use of Gabe and the water-depth symbolism. I know you usually use Gabe for comedy, but I think I prefer when his part is used to clarify things or present ideas. Maybe you have done so in the past more subtly and I am just thick but it felt great here. I find that I am not so observant to symbolism in media and I am always surprised when you parse things out that I completely missed. Which I notice is always the case when you discuss works I've seen; even recently. It's why your mention of Wolf's Rain in the previous episode really intrigues me and I'm heavily looking forward to it. Thanks Sage, looking forward to your next Anime Abandon.
I think your a little too harsh on the animation swapping, as I feel they worked it into the story and emotions of Naota Nandaba, as his time of drastic change and confusion, puberty.
Just like you Sage, I caught this on Adult swim and was blown away by the spectacle that was it's visuals. I only got to watch the first episode cause it was when I was at my Grandma's house, who didn't have a curfew for me like my parents did, and it is what got me into this whole "anime" thing. The show stuck in my mind until I came across it when I was in Fry's electronics in March and immediately picked up the last copy they had along with Beyond the Boundary which my Ex-Girlfriend subsequently stole before I got to watch it ($50 down the drain). I ended up getting to watch the show that I had only experienced one episode of when I was like 8 or something when I watched it, I don't even remember it that well, and I picked up on it's messages of puberty so fast and really started to see what Gainax wanted us to see in it's story telling for an incredibly fast paced, seizure inducing show and it got me. It really was profound the way that it explained growing up in a way that my friends that I was watching it with didn't get, but I understood all of it's stupid, Gainax symbolism and story telling. It ended up being my favorite Anime when I was finished, and it still is.
I came to FLCL pretty late in my teens. Like 18 or 19, and I was a senior in high school or early in my college career. Not because I came to the game late, but because that's... simply how old I was at the time it broke onto the scene (though, my intro was a fansub, not the dub). Still, I think that was a good age to start appreciating the show for those deeper elements. I'm not saying that I got it right off the bat, but when I first watched it, the show stuck with me. It lodged itself in my brain, and I watched it... more times than I can remember (not that that takes much with me). The more I watched it, the more that the deeper elements sank in for me, and I really started to appreciate it more fully. And, hey, before the whole lockdown really kicked in, I managed to get the full FLCL collection from the Funko flagship store XD I was just disappointed that their Canti was only in blue, and they didn't have the red Canti!
It's easy to draw parallels between FLCL and KLLaKLL (seewhatIdidthere), and not just from episode 5 (directed by Imaishi). The wackiness and superficiality tend to hide deeper themes, like sex, adulthood, sex, relations... and, I dunno, sex? Anime doesn't need salvation, for our saviours are already amongst us.
You've given a lot of speeches in your time, but that speech... that was the best. Especially with Gabe in the bucket. Felt like Sageverse Gabe had really found a moment of spiritual clarity.
lol @ wonky bonkers and pink jacket Lupan XD You're always a joy to watch. For some reason watching you talk about FLCL reminds me of a certain semi-obscure flash animation... >.>
That was a touching episode. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us on such a fantastic show! My one hope is that Gainax (or rather, at this point, Trigger - seeing as most of the old guard from Gainax went over there) eventually go back to reexamine the idea of doing an anime of a manga with a lot of similar themes and even a lot of the same musical references that Fooley Cooley had - Hoshi no Samidare. From the themes of growing up and understanding what "adulthood" is, to the weird, kinda punk rock-ish vibes of the series, to the CONSTANT nods to The Pillows, I think that Hoshi no Samidare is probably the closest we would have gotten to a spiritual successor to FLCL (imo, it's even better, because it also uses the vehicle of its themes to examine and deconstruct the shonen fighting genre as a whole). ...Unfortunately, when Gainax was looking into making an anime of it previously, they weren't able to get the rights to The Pillows music they wanted to use, and dropped it in favor of Panty & Stocking. Hopefully, the FLCL sequel does well enough to encourage another look into doing another indie punk mid 2000s anime. Fingers crossed!
Even, like Ben, when I first watched Fooly Cooly around 13-14, I realized the themes of adulthood, puberty, and coming of age, but this review pointing out the theme of emotional honesty makes the show even better for me. I should definitely rewatch it some time soon.
Absolutely beautiful! Adult Swim reran FLCL once right before my 18th b-day, and again during the most emotionally important time of my life. Each time the series meant something completely different to me. Your Pete and Pete analogy hit it home, and I am not gonna lie I chocked up cause of the flood of emotion when Gabe walked into the ocean while indie rock played.
I have got to say that this review struck so damn many chords with me. I've wanted to get my hands on this anime for quite some time, now, and now, I just want it more!
FLCL always really resounded with me. I was in my early 20's when I first saw it, but could never put my finger on what I liked so much about it. I guess this review hits pretty close, even though I didn't have the experience of watching it as a teenager the first time since I'm probably about 6 years older than Bennett.
In the DVD blue ray that interviewed the director about why he put a bunch of weird stuff in it his answer was basicaly "I like it". While I think its fair to level the criticism of a lack of cohesion at the story that was kinda also the point.
Like an beautiful acid trip, shared by everyone constantly, or a reoccurring dream, warm, and familiar, regular reminders that sometimes the only thing that's wrong with the universe is that you don't have a fresh baked cookie in your hand.
Prologue/Twilight by Electric Light Orchestra. That song is amazing, and the album it comes from, Time, is just incredible. Listen to it all the way through, you won't regret it.
This is one of my personal favorite animes. It's right up there with Serial Experiment Lain, Madoka Magica, and ouran high school host club. Thanks for reviewing it Bennett.
