This show gave me so much during the formative years of my life. Watching videos like this, hearing The Pillows in the background, it makes me so happy to know that nobody can take those feelings of nostalgia from me. In 50 years, those songs will still be exactly how I remember them. Crazy what 6 episodes can do to you.
I know exactly how you feel. FLCL premiered at just the right point in my life to hit me deeply and has stuck with me ever since. They created something really timeless not only because the message is timeless, but because the series itself seems like a work of joy. Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed it. Hope to see you around!
@@NerdTalkDan I was 14 and my brother was 12 we still shared a room at the time and we were both obsessed with adult swim at the time, PERFECT AGE to first watch this show. The guys at Williams street knew exactly what they were doing by bringing it to us at that time lol. They don’t call it the golden age of anime for nothing ;)
@@mookiestewart3776 For sure! It was a comforting show during a very awkward time in a lot of people’s lives. Knowing that what we feel isn’t unique is comforting because, if other people can overcome their insecurities, maybe we can too. It’s such a great message while also making us smile. Honestly it’s a shame the show has fallen into obscurity.
Watch this show at various stages of your life. Watch how you perceive it differently. From coming of age, To a show of different toxicities that come with people. I love this show so so much.
You nailed. I was there day one when FLCL debuted in the U.S on Adult Swim, I was about the same age as Naota when it premiered here, and it will always be a big part of me, and you analyzed and dissected it in a heartfelt way without taking away it's magic. Subscribed the second it ended. Good job, and thank you...from someone who grew up with the Pillows as the background music of their life.
No worries buddy! It’s always hard making something like this because you run a fine line of giving a thorough understanding and argument, and trying not to spoil too much. To ruin whatever makes a work special. So I’m glad I was able to ride that line for you. Hope to see you around the channel again soon Little Buster!
The art, the animation, the music, the story, the vibe... there is no way to improve upon this. I have lived an entire life of loving anime, but nothing has ever come close to FLCL.
I think it’ll be remembered as a spectacular piece of work. It benefitted from being only 6 eps since it forced them to go hard and fast which made it all the more memorable!
Thanks for stopping by and commenting Jack! I’m so glad you enjoyed this video as I’m really proud of it lol. If you know any anime fans or just kids of the 90s and early 2000s, you know where to send’em!
wat a goated video. simultaneously entirely comprehensive and with incredible detail about this shows history. never heard of it but i gotta give it a shotty now, gamer
Thank you so much for your kind words Erik! It was a video made from a fan for fans, and if it helped you recapture for a moment those feelings from years ago, that’s a mission accomplished for me!
Wow, a really great video! I can’t believe this only has 1.2k views at the moment… the editing, the research, the content, this should really be one of the first FLCL analysis videos that comes up when you search for them… Well, here’s to hoping more comments and likes will get it out to more people!
Hey Sam! Thanks so much for stopping by and the kind words. I love this video, too. I think the audio imbalances might throw people off.. I might release a remastered version and see how it goes! I appreciate all your help to get this video going! It means a lot. See you later little buster!
Haha, nah it’s just my interpretations of things. To be fair, I actually was going to make a follow up video which deep dove into the symbolism of the show but…just making this one tuckered me out. Anyway I hope it inspires you to give the show another watch with some new food for thought!
Great video, You did a great job Nerd Talk of conveying your thoughts within the video. You make quite entertaining video to watch. I noticed the editing had that whimsical "magic" to it. I like that like of attention to detail. keep up ur amazing work nerd talk
I watched this Video It was so professional and the visuals combined with the flawless choice of words and fluid structure made me think that I am watching some big RU-vid chanel. And then I saw the subs. My guy you will be huge and wish you the best for the future
Hey Bonexbrain LoL! Thank you so much for the kind words of support. This video was something that was made by a fan for fans and I can’t tell you how much it means that you enjoyed it. All YTers grow at their own pace and I’m just trying to enjoy the ride lol. But if you know anyone who would like the kind of content I make, send them my way. It helps the channel when members of the community like you spread the word! Have a great day and I hope to hear from you again!
Hey Little Busters! Did you know one of the hidden messages of FLCL is that if you want to become a mature adult, you have to check out my latest video covering Gundam Wing? It's true! It's right there in the show! Gundam Wing: War and Sacrifice: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-d2BkBfFAE1M.html
by using a soundtrack that undertones the conflict, the show makes us feel like the conflict itself is the payoff. And it is perfect with the feeling that the show tries to convey. When we are maturing, conflict, more often than not, is, itself, a kind of payoff to the turmoil that goes within us. It is not the sollution to conflict, but the rupture that makes us grow
Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting, Omar. It’s amazing how this small series affected so many people by just releasing at that right time in our lives. I remember staying up to watch the newest episode every weekend. I have some more stuff coming which might inspire more nostalgia, so I hope you’ll subscribe and visit again!
wow the entire time I was thinking I’m watching a view with millions of views from someone with hundreds of thousands of subs. You are punching waay above your weight with this great content man, it’s only a matter of time before you blow up ^^
Thank you so much for such kind words INFINITF2! You made my morning. This video was a work of love from a fan for fans. Everyone grows on YT at their own pace, but I need the help of people like you who enjoyed my vids. If you know anyone who would be interested in the stuff I’m making, I hope you’ll recommend my videos and send them my way!
Yeah it’s crazy how popular it is in the west but not as much here in Japan. You can spread the word of FLCL though. Recommend it, and of course my video, to all the people!
It’s a great watch and only 6 episodes (for season 1 which is self contained). I can’t recommend it enough. Hopefully this video gives you the final push!
@@tonymartinez5567 I’ll have to rewatch the episode. But off the top of my head it’s good to keep in mind the kind of person Haruko is. I haven’t watched the later seasons so idk if some character development happens, but she was always self serving. She might feel affection towards Naota, but she didn’t feel about him the way he ended up feeling about her…or at least to the same degree. So it’s not below her to either mess around with Naota’s dad to either make him jealous and prompt another MM robot to come out, or just because she wanted to. She’s chaos.
I've always found it interesting how a lot of Gainax works after Eva are in some ways answers to the question Eva presents. Almost every time, they are more positive, more upbeat answers than the ones Eva itself finds. Even if FLCL isn't supposed to be a direct answer like Gurren is, it's still running through parallels of what it means to be a person. And in FLCL case, the answer comes out to be "Who knows? Just reach for it." To some degree. Idk. It just feels good.
Crazy cause we've both thought in the same wavelength about FLCL, almost everything mentioned and said I unpacked and said myself when writing about it. Insanly good quality video, I'm very surprised you dont have more subs and views your content is great!
Hey @williamaliprantis944 Thanks for stopping by and commenting! FLCL is really something special. You’ve written about the show? If you have a link to your FLCL work I’d love to check it out!
Right after watching FLCL, I immediately watched this video and wow, for a video with over 4,000 views, this was very good both editing and analysis wise, especially with whenever the hell Adult Swim used to air this at like 1 in the morning on Saturdays. Good job, can’t wait to see what’s next.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting Ethan. How was your first watch of FLCL? I hope it was just as special for you as it was time. I have something good coming up so I hope you’ll consider subscribing and stopping by again soon!
I’ve always had such a deep connection to the FLCL series, and only recently did I realize that I was born in the same date that The Pillows band was founded, which makes me think this show came to me not by chance, but in purpose
I'm starting to understand how Chainsaw Man was inspired by FLCL. Both seem purely wild on the service. I've heard people say Chainsaw Man's story is nothing special & FLCL makes no sense, but the super juicy part of the writing lies with the characters & their relationships. Both have kickass action, cool concepts, & hilarious scenes, but none of that's the main point. It's all about people, their emotions, & their interactions. Both are deceivingly detailed (& have powerful pink-haired manipulators). Some say Space Dandy is the spiritual successor to FLCL, but what about Mr Chainsaw Head?!
Nice analysis, and you didn't get anything wrong... but you missed a few things (which is understandable, since there are at least 3 distinct layers of story here); the one that everyone misses is related to the Bullseye in the Hand... Hiroshima has a famous bridge across a couple of the 5 converging rivers in the city. From above some say they look like fingers. That bridge was used as an aiming point on August 6, 1945. The bombardier in the Enola Gay said he put Little Boy in "the palm of the hand". The point is Nauta is conflicted between traditional Japan and the West, where his older brother went, and the inescapable guilt that comes with being attracted to the culture that obliterated that town with an Atomic Bomb. And Haruko, who apparently isn't bothered by it.
Media definitely shapes the way we see the world and influences our life in so many ways. I’m lucky I got to see this show when I did, but I bet it hits different when you’re an adult lol. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Have a happy new year!
My introduction to the series started when I found the second volume of the flcl two part manga on my dads bookshelf, I wanted to read it so bad but my dad told I had to wait till I was 13. I listened to him and waited and I thank him for that because it hit me at the exact right time when I opened the book and read it, after that I’ve just gotten more immersed in the manga and show and it’s been amazing
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your story. FLCL at just the right moment in your life is mind blowing. It may be insane visually and plot wise, but at its core those burgeoning emotions that Naota feels are so relatable.
6:50 That picture made me resent Mabase. Living in the barren countryside of America, I've grown extremely tired of this "simple quiet life." I despise it.
I guess I was lucky in that even the rural area where I lived is still not too far from Tokyo. So going into the city was quite easy. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. It really is a beautifully crazy show. If you enjoyed this video, I hope you’ll check out my other anime essays and consider subscribing!
I think it’s a fair argument. Eva having several endings which makes it even easier since we get to pick and choose a bit. But I gotta admit my favorite is the ending to the original series which was simply Shinji coming to terms with himself. Everyone congratulating him was heartwarming. Thanks so much for commenting! Have a great new year!
20:58- 21:45 Huh... I think a tad more from Fooly Cooly than I thought. Back in 2006 while was in high school, I set out to write a comic-book series that was meant to be a self-parody of a three book novel series I was writing at the time. I used Fooly Cooly as inspirational foundation for this story and in reading the script all these years later is when I felt the aforementioned borrowing from Fooly Cooly. This monologue you gave about Haruko and what she represents proved that. Because in this story of mine a teenage female dhampir who's the lead of an indie rock band helps the main character accept his feelings for a girl he's been friends with for three years while forging him into a capable demon hunter. And I mean Haruko was the direct inspiration for this dhampir. From her appearance to her weapon of choice, and possibly her energetic behavior. But to subconsciously take what Haruko represents and reinterpret into a narrative similar to the three book novel series I was writing is something I had no idea I did until watching this video.
FLCL is like a brain worm that is just waiting to randomly influence you in some way. The original plan was to do a follow up video which specifically focuses on the symbolism and possible interpretations, but writing this one video took it out of me. Hopefully one day I’ll get the stamina to fulfill that little goal. You’re a comic writer?! That’s awesome! If you have any work you’d like to share, tag me over at Twitter! I’d love to see how it was inspired by FLCL! As one creator to another, keep in going buddy!
"What does Haruko want from Naota?" "She wants to use his giant N.O. portal." "Why does he have a giant portal?" "Some people just got big portals man."
Zoomer discovers actual artistic anime ….. lol just kidding brutha , glad you loved the show it’s amazing! Imagine watching it back when it first aired in America in 2003 as a young teen though. Adult swim gave us Cowboy Bebop Trigun Yu yu hakushow Flcl Animatrix Wolfs rain Witch hunter robin Full metal alchemist (2003) Ghost in the shell stand alone complex (seasons 1&2) Samurai champloo Etc etc all back to back to back in the span of 5 years. It was the golden age of anime for a reason fam . They exposed MILLIONS of people to what anime was actually capable of and you wouldn’t have anime as it is now without them.
I can assure you I’m not a Zoomer and my back pain can attest to that lol. I was there for the first airing and it was just as amazing back then. If only we could recapture the magic! Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
Just recently watched the show thanks to Kill Bill: The Rapper, he makes good music definitely listen to his stuff,and I was not expecting it to be anything like what it was. That first episode was crazy and I had no idea what was going on. Definitely cried a bunch when I finished it. I tried to watch the other seasons but I couldn't bring myself to. It just didn't click like the first season.
I started FLCL Progressive and had to stop. Im going to give it another shot one day, but it’s definitely a different beast. But the original is really something special. Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting! I hope to hear from ya again! Have a great day
Bruh your kenshin vid, your bebop vid , and now I find this?? You’re going places!! I’m a big fan of bonsai pop and sub to his patreon I’ll link your stuff on his discord (if he’s cool with it) to try and get you some new viewers , this shit is awsome man! Can you do a trigun vid?
Mookie! Thank you so much for your kind words across the day. They’ve honestly been keeping me going through a rough work day. I’ll be replying on each of them. As for Trigun, that was on the itinerary for sure (it’s just about finding that spark of inspiration). I’m going to be working my way through the toonami and adult swim big hits! So stay tuned!
@@NerdTalkDan sounds awesome man!! Thank you for the reply!! Btw did I hear you say you lived in a rural Japanese town growing up during this vid??!! I’m trying to go teach English over there next year and I’m really hoping I get a rural town because I hear it’s the best way to actually experience Japanese culture!
Oh and also it seems like we’re around the same age since it looks like we were both toonami and adult swim guys back in the day lol I love the early 2000’s era of anime!
@@mookiestewart3776 Hey Mookie! I didn’t grow up in Japan, but I’ve lived here for a long time. And for a short while I lived in a countryside “city”. It was a wonderful experience and a chance to become a closer part of the community as opposed to more metropolitan areas like Tokyo. I loved it and sometimes get really nostalgic for the simpler life of that time. You’re trying to get an education job here? That’s wonderful! If you have any general questions about it or life in Japan, feel free to DM me on Twitter. Hopefully I’ll be able to point you to some useful resources or guides.
The fact that show was only 6episodes says something. You can really get a message out if you really want to. This whole 100000 episode anime shit isnt the wave.
“Brevity is the soul of wit”. FLCL is short and sweet. That said, it can be comforting to have a long running series you can watch regularly. It depends on what the creators are going for.
In a generalized colloquial sense, yes. In a more nuanced take, mech as a genre is more secondary to the main genre such as drama, romance, or comedy. And then if you want to get really picky, no, because they’re technically more giant cyborgs than an actual robot. But that facade was part of how NERV and SEELE sold the idea of Evas. If people knew the Evas were clone angels, I’d imagine there would’ve been more pushback from the general population.
IT wasn't just stranger dubbing that almost ruined anime for the west, but also the fact that people associated majority of it to porn. Man, those days were so long ago.....
Thanks! It was a joy to make and I’m glad you enjoyed it. If you are an anime fan, I have a few other anime videos you may be interested in. Thanks for stopping by!
