Customer Reviews

FLCL: Volume 1

5 star:		(158)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Some of the best work in a genre comes when it satirizes itself. Anime is noted for many things, dramatic (and over-dramatic) plots, silliness in the face of disaster, haphazard development, even an excess of pompousness, but very rarely is it self aware. For the most part anime is written for the fans of anime, not the fans of the fans of anime, e.g., the people who create it. FLCL is a celebration of the humorous aspects of anime - and a brilliant success.

FLCL, however, undertakes to be a well (and outrageously) written satire on the entire alien girl sub-genre as well as a perfect example of its type. These are the stories where an unsuspecting adolescent boy suddenly finds himself inextricable entwined with a beautiful alien (or robot) woman, who overturns his life, continually embarrasses him, and loves him without any regard to his obvious flaws. In a way she (in this case Haruko) is the perfect foil for the insecurities of a young man - forward where he is afraid, and forgiving wwhen he makes mistakes.

Poor Naota not only has his older brother's girlfriend (Mamimi) making overtures to him, but Haruka the space girl appears, runs him over with her Vespa, and then moves into his household as a maid. Surrounded by beautiful older women, it would be easy to envy Naoto if it weren't for the robots that start growing out of his head. And Haruka's habit of swatting him with a bass guitar. And Mamimi's fascination with fire.

No, it's not really supposed to make any sense. Instead, enjoy it for the ribald puns and dialog, the countless 'in-joke' references to Japanese popular culture, and its irreverent experimentation with its media. The collaboration team that created FLCL (or Fooly Cooly) is composed of Gainax's best artists and writers. The level of professionalism is what makes all the crazy parts fit together, leaving the viewer staring wide-eyed at the screen waiting for the next impossible setup,

While the first two episodes contain nothing so blatant as to be offensive, there is a high level of fan service that runs throughout the series. Gainax has chosen not to pursue a rating for FLCL. Most teenagers should be mature enough to handle the innuendo, though. And, honestly, I haven't seen a film that was this much pure fun in quite a while.

FLCL is simply the best anime ever. A 6 episode series, it's less than 3 hours long in total, shorter than many movies. I've read a review stating that watching FLCL is like falling in love for the first time again, and it's a great way to put it. In summary, FLCL is a story about a 11 (I believe, may be 10) year old boy named Naota and his brother's strange girlfried named Mamimi, and what happens when they meet a strange 20-year old woman named Haruhara Haruko who claims to be an alien.

The first 2 episodes will confuse you, but will leave you curious. Episode 3 is the weakest, and may draw some people away. Episodes 4-6 are simply incredible, as we find out just what's up with Haruko and why it matters. The climax in episode 6 is simply beautiful, stunning, moving.

As many people have said, FLCL is very confusing. The confusion is not an especially frustrating type, because we understand what happened, but not always why. But in the end, it's easy to see that it's more of a coming-of-age story than anything. Some have raved about the soundtrack, and it indeed is great, the best in anime. Most of the background music are rock songs by a band called The Pillows, and they are simply perfect for every scene they are in. Every episode but ep3 has at least 2 scenes when I was simply in awe of how well music could fit with the scene.

When I think of FLCL, I think of it more as a beautiful piece of art that used anime as its medium, not the other way around. FLCL doesn't really fit in any of the classic genres of anime, although the plot may. I encourage anyone and everyone to see it in its full.

Whew. Gainax really outdid themselves with FLCL. This is one of the most random and completely Dadaist things I've ever witnessed. Seriously. This makes other off-the-wall anime I've seen (Elf Princess Rane, Excel Saga) seem downright pedestrian by comparison. Okay, maybe not Excel Saga, since that's pretty insane in of itself, but FLCL is quite different from that, and still pretty "wha?" inducing.

Beyond that claim, pinning an accurate description to this anime is extremely difficult, but I'll give it my best shot anyway. Is FLCL a comedy? At its core, I think it is--there are a lot of humourous sight gags, one-liners, and a conucopia of inside jokes (many of which even I haven't deciphered yet) along with a lot of stuff that's just plain incomprehensible. But there's more to it than comedy. It's initiation story, drama, parody, and action all rolled into one package...and then promptly injected with some seriously psychotropic substances.

Just when you think it's going to start making sense, FLCL laughs in your face and throws enough bizarre dialogue and imagery at you to make your brain hurt for days. And yet, there IS a story, and some sense of logic...though an alien one. I've seen all six episodes three times (once with a serious caffiene bender), and I'm still trying make sense of it all.

Needless to say, the characters are a little more than slightly off the beaten path. The boy Naota is the most normal of the lot; he acts much like an average small-town prepubescent boy...until giant robots start sprouting out of his head for no apparent reason. Mamimi, girlfriend to Naota's older brother (who we never see in the series), is just your typical homeless chain-smoking teenage girl with a facination for fire. But the most inspired character is Haruko--a pink-haired alien woman with a penchant for whacking things with her bass guitar/chainsaw hybrid, generating mass carnage with her Vespa scooter, and alternating between cute and completely deranged in a split second. The two women act as a sort of foil to Naota, influencing his development and character (it relates to the initiation story aspect). Freud would have a field day with some of the psychological symbolism on display here.

If that wasn't enough to chew on, also add a giant factory that looks like a clothing iron; Naota's bizarre dad and hentai grandfather; giant monster battles; a school play; gobs of fan service and innuendo; a walking TV set; and enough pop culture references and in-jokes to make Quentin Tarantino green with envy.

The character designs and art are gorgeous, and the animation quality and production values are consistently high (not to mention as schizophrenic as the storyline). FLCL is one of the most beautiful anime I've seen in quite awhile; it compares favorably with other recent high-quality productions, and surpasses a good deal of them. And to top it all off, it's got great music courtesy of J-Rock band The Pillows, who are kind of like a Japanese version of The Pixies (I am searching for the soundtrack as of the typing of this review). Gainax put a ton of work into this and it shows. The dub acting is great, and I actually prefer it to the subtitles. The liner notes even elaborate on some of the more peculiarly Japanese in-jokes, which eases the "WTF?!?" factor slightly.

Too bad that the cost per DVD is somewhat exorbitant (25 bucks for two episodes--ouch), and the whole thing only lasts 3 hours, though I doubt you will find a more action-packed and thought-provoking 3 hours anywhere. All and all, any experienced anime viewer (if your only previous anime experience is Dragonball Z, you may not want to jump into this right away) needs to check out FLCL. It's one of the most original viewing experiences ever, and deserves my highest reccommendation.

Wow. I first watched all six episodes of FLCL fansubbed about a month ago and I am still in shock. Utterly amazing. Some of the funniest dialogue is crossed with dark, sometimes even disturbing imagery, with plenty of irony and even a little self-deprecating humour (poking fun at EVA - also by Gainax, Gundam, and other "robot animes). Many styles of storytelling are utilized, including "Manga-style", which you will have to see to believe. =) All of these elements combine with an excellent J-pop/rock soundtrack by Japanese band The Pillows to make an excellent anime which rivals (and eventually overcomes) such great works of animation as Akira, and Perfect Blue. The work quickly ping-pongs back and forth between The Wall and Ranma 1/2 in it's style, and it's simultaneously frenetic and Kafkaesque. Wonderful, I can't say anything bad about this series. Oh, and for those of you who continue to doubt that FLCL means "Fooly Cooly"; please stop making judgements without proof - it is based off of the English words Fooly and Cooly, although certainly the puns on "kuri kuri" (rub/stroke/squeeze) and "kura kura" (spin) are used often... Also, if you look really closely near the end of Episode 6 (the final episode) you can see a magazine featuring Mamimi's photo of Naota holding Haruko's/Rahal's bass, underneath which it says in English: "Fooly Cooly?". I believe the name, although remaining intentionally ambiguous and nonsensical throughout the anime, does make sense figuratively, as Naota becomes viewed as "cool" by his peers for controlling Canti and appearing to have two older girlfriends, and yet he is ultimately a fool, as he is taken advantage of (although certainly in the end, he overcomes his fears and feelings of inadequacy).

Anyway, that's about it; I'm rambling now, so I'll stop. Great series, I can't reccomend it enough!

- Aaron B. ...

FLCL, the latest anime series from GAINAX(the creators of Gunbuster and Evangelion), is a non-stop rock and roll rollercoaster ride for the human mind, connecting adolescence, aliens, alienation, boy-meets-girl stories, giant robots, growing up, sex, separation and that most elusive of all human desires: love. And that, of course, is just the tip of the iceburg. If you thought that there was nothing meaningful left in the world of japanese animation, then you must correct that error by watching this series. It changes EVERYTHING.

Oh, and as for the DVD of Volume One itself, it is excellently produced. Clear picture, great sound, nice extras(especially the director's commentary, which discusses aspects of FLCL's imagery), bi-lingual japanese and english vocal tracks(with a good english dub, even!), and liner notes in the booklet that discuss the more japanese in-jokes. If all anime DVDs were this smoothly done, the world would be a much better place. At least when it comes to cool japanimation, of course ;)

So in closing, this DVD is most DEFINATELY worth your time, as is the rest of the series. Run, don't walk, to get this as soon as you can. You won't regret it one bit.

Hope my review has been helpful to you :)

Being a high school teacher who sponsors the anime club at my school has introduced a wide range of anime, but nothing comes close to the insanity that is FLCL!!. We (the club) viewed an excellent quality fan-sub based on the fact the this anime is created by the same folks who brought us Evangelion so expectations were high. This anime does not disappoint. The plot runs around like the main character on her vespa, forcing you to pay attention, laugh, and not always get it but laugh anyway. I mean, any story that is partially based on a giant steam iron (sorry no spoilers) has got to rate high on the insanity factor. Another plus is the ... alternative rock soundtrack by a group known as the Pillows. Not being a fan of alt-rock , I was won over by the raging guitar work and the way the soundtrack is used almost non-stop through the video. If you are looking for a story that goes from point A to point B with normal plot development then don't look at FLCL. However, if you want a slam bang, "what the heck just happened" hard rocking joyride, then this anime is for you!!

The series is beautifully animated, funny, touching, Benny-Hill suggestive in spots, and *weird*. All works of fiction have some symbolism flying around, but it's usually something you've seen before, so you pick up on it. Apparantly the creator took all the established symbols, said "Feh!", and came up with his own toys. Cynicism is represented by thick fake eyebrows, a factory shaped like a steam iron threatens conformity, electric guitars are power objects, and every time someone gets ticked off a giant robot comes out of their head. God, the property damage.
The basic plotline is not very complicated--you take this repressed kid with a boring life, who can't see anything interesting in his existence, who does not in fact *want* anything interesting to happen because that would involve change, and suddenly you dump a ton of weird events on him. If it were a fantasy story it would start with an elven chick riding up on her elven steed, knighting Joe Protagonist with a magic sword and calling him to deeds of derring-do which he is not really up for. Instead, the writer decided to have an alien chick run him over with a Vespa and brain the kid with an electric guitar. Why? To open up the interdimensional gateway in his head. Oh yeah.

There's a recurring theme of kids acting like adults because they think it makes them look cool, and adults doing the reverse for the same reason; and the idea that to live life, you have to do the Le Mat jump; step off the edge, look stupid if you have to, make mistakes, stop trying to be in control of everything. Pretending that you're above it all is cheating.
My hair stands up when I watch the last episode. Who can deny the wondefulness of a battle fought with glowing electric guitars? "It's...it's...the 1961 Gibson EB-Zero!" AND he gets a Flying V in his other hand. Damn, I want to be a Pirate Lord.

Plus it has this South Park sequence which caused me to spit Diet Coke all over my lap.

Let me start off by saying that FLCL (pronounced "Furi-Kuri" or "Fooly Cooly") is not for everyone. Don't let this discourage you from buying this DVD. This first volume is anything but sensical and humorless. The first episode is a blazing barrage of off beat humor and crazy antics. FLCL is beatufully animated and the character designs are phoenominal. Through out the first half of the move I found myself confused, excited, and utterly enjoying myself while watching robots read 'hussler' magazine. In the opening sequence the camera pans out and a huge monolith in the shape or a cloths iron. It's this kind of whacked out animitation that makes FLCL wonderful. There are even giant mech robot fights that start when the main protagonist, Naota, has biomechanical robots spring from his forehead. While the first episode is a scream, the second dosen't foucus as much on the quirky humor than developing a plot (even if the plot maybe so out there it makes no sense when I try to think aobut it). And while it still maintains it's odd nature, i couldn't help but feel like the humor in the last 8 minutes or so felt forced. This isn't a bad thing though. The humor in the end didn't feel right because there was a heavily somber (but wierd as ever) mood and I couldn't help but care about the different characters in the situations. It's the mark of a good anime when you can't help but think about it for the next hour or so. When it ended i just kept wanting more, more, more FOOLY COOLY! So you're probably wondering as to why I gave FLCL five stars when the humor sometimes felt forced. Because that was just nit picking. This only stood out because the overall product was so good!! FLCL gets it's five stars for it's fun factor not for it's perfection. If you're even considering buying this anime, do it. You will not regret it, I promise.

FLCL, or FuriKuri (I don't like Fooly Cooly, just because it sounds rubbish :p) is an anime like you've never seen before. It's a series like you've never seen before. It's a film like you've never seen before. It's different, it's unique, it's incredible.

The animation is high-quality, self-referential, and a mix of many, many different styles. It's funny, it's profound, it's riveting. The story is in turns confusing, insane, and clear. The clues are there, they're hidden well, and you won't work out what's going on until you've seen it all. And you won't want to stop watching until you know what's going on. And once you know what's going on, you'll watch it again just to make sure.

Manga-style animation. Bullet-time. Construction paper. Eva, Gundam, computer game references. Religion, teen angst, family problems, friendship, manipulation, love.

Add in the best j-rock soundtrack ever, and you've got an explosive mix that'll keep you hovering about six inches above your seat, just from the light-headed feeling you get when you have a life-changing experience.

Studio Gainax has brought forth some of the best-known and best-loved anime ever made (Evangelion, Bubblegum Crisis, etc.). Their latest creation is no exception...only now, you can add 'weirdest' to the dossier.
"FLCL" (or "Furi Kuri", as its called in Japan) can best be described as...well, everything you could want in anime, I guess. It's got cute female characters, giant robots, wicked vehicles, sick slapstick humor, and lots of action and explosions, all backdropped by a killer rock soundtrack (by the Pillows). Sounds fun, right? Well, careful what you hear...
Sure, it's got all that going for it, but that's only the beginning! Let's see, one cute female's got a god fetish and is an alleged arsonist, and the other may or may not be an alien, drives a custom Vespa motorbike, and bashes said giant robots (and the preteen male lead) over the head with her Rickenbacker guitar. Speaking of the preteen male lead, guess where the giant robots come from--his MELON! That's right, literally straight out of the poor lad's head come these freakish battlebots for the sole purpose (at least for the moment) of beating the tar out of each other. The winner gets to live at the boy's house with the weird alien girl and his wacked-out manga writer dad and grandpa! And don't forget about the mysterious medical machine facility looming ominously on the edge of town (which is shaped like a giant clothes iron).
So what's FLCL about, really? The correct answer is, who cares?! Yeah, I'm sure there's a plot in there somewhere that will no doubt be developed as the series progresses, but for now, just sit back, take it all in, and prepare to hurt from laughing. I'm not really expecting this series to make any sense (although I have this eerie feeling that by the time it's over, it will), but in this one rare instance, I really don't mind.
Oh, yes, newcomers Synch-Point picked up a BEAUTY with FLCL. What'll Gainax think of next? Throw it in your cart! G'head, nobody's lookin'...