FLCL [anime]
It’s the first review of Mongoose and Snake 2.0, focusing on Gainax’s FLCL. As it is the first review, it is of epic length. Future reviews will be shorter and more focused, but this is a first try.
FLCL is many things–a bizarre comedy, a music video masquerading as a television series, a science-fiction thriller and/or irredeemable madness, depending on who you ask. It is in some ways an incredibly deep story with multiple layers of meaning, and in others an exercise in animation for the sake of animation. Gainax apparently developed this shortly after they finished End of Evangelion, a project that supposedly depressed the team so much they needed some way to blow some steam off. It shows in the final product, but that’s not a bad thing, as we shall see.
Basically, FLCL takes all the joys and fears and angst and horror of emerging adolescence and turns it into a six-episode-long television show. Like all emerging adolescents, it is in pursuit of awesomeness. An example: one of the main chararacters fights with an electric guitar that shoots lasers and missiles and revs up like a chainsaw. Awesome. Another example: the main character is able to control a giant robot by being eaten by it, and is then able to transform into a large cannon that shoots energy balls that act like boomerangs. Awesome. There are also awesome robots that come out of people’s heads, several awesome battle scenes, and an awesome Vespa. So much awesome can get on people’s nerves, but since FLCL is only six episodes long, chances are by the time it’s finished your brain will probably be JUST on the verge of going into absolute sensory overload.
FLCL also has a persistent habit of switching between styles for no apparent reason at all. Conversations at the dinner table morph into manga panels that speed by at a madcap pace. The characters inexplicably morph into the characters from South Park, and back again. The fourth wall is frequently broken. Characters can and will super-deform at the drop of a hat. The show does not explain any of these visual touches; the characters do not cry “I’m flat, dammit!” when they morph into manga panels.
When looking at the madness of FLCL, a good comparison to keep in mind is Excel Saga, precisely because Excel Saga is exactly what FLCL is not. Excel Saga (if you haven’t seen it, you should) is governed only by the unspoken rules that at least one character must die every episode, the fourth wall is made to be smashed with a hammer and that it’s okay if a character dies because the Will of the Macrocosm can always start the story again, anyway. FLCL, on the other hand, has a purpose behind the giant robots and explosions and electric guitars. Upon watching the show again, one comes to realize that unlike Excel Saga, the world of FLCL is governed by a very stable set of rules. But whatever these rules are, they are obviously from another universe.
If you pay attention, FLCL does make a vestige of sense. It is about Naota, a twelve-year-old. Naota lives in a town where nothing much happens, where his brother has left to America to play baseball and his brother’s girlfriend is now apparently targeting him. One day, a girl on a Vespa runs him over, kisses him and then hits him with an electric guitar. This raises an enormous bump on Naota’s head, which eventually transforms into two giant robots which start fighting each other. One robot defeats the other, but then the girl on the Vespa hits it with her guitar and apparently renders the robot harmless. The girl, whose name is Haruko, becomes the housekeeper of Naota’s family, along with the robot, which apparently has a television for a head. It also flies.
There’s a lot more to it, but saying anything more would spoil the rest of the show. Just taking the previous paragraph, FLCL is barely understandable, but once the final episode rolls around everything is so incredibly strange that it’s really much more relaxing to sit back and enjoy the final guitar battle without worrying about the fate of the universe or where the robots came from. In the end, it’s really Naota’s story, and it’s ultimately him that keeps viewers grounded inside the madness. We don’t care so much that the world may be about to be destroyed, but we do care about him, and it’s really uplifting when he finally comes into his own and starts kicking nearly as much arse as Haruko. Though the ending is characteristically strange, the semi-resolution of Naota’s situation lends it surprising emotional weight. It’s almost enough to make you forget that FLCL was created as a chance for Gainax to get their stress out, really.
Definitely worth mention is the soundtrack, which syncs really well with the events on screen and
makes certain moments way more powerful than they would have been otherwise–just what good soundtracks are supposed to do, really. Unlike other anime, which often use songs composed specifically for the show, FLCL actually draws on the works of a rock band called the Pillows, and actually choreograph most of the animation around the songs rather than the other way around. It is, as some have said, a kicking soundtrack. The English dub is also pretty decent. Kids sound like inconvenienced adults, adults sound like inconvenienced kids, Haruko sounds like Haruko and everything is well and good, so that’s enough about that.
FLCL is not for everyone. People new to anime might want to shy away, as the show is full of references to Japanese culture ranging from the comprehensible (Neon Genesis Evangelion references) to the absurd (i.e. sour drinks). Others used to more conventional plots might balk at FLCL’s insanity, although those who enjoy action scenes will find a lot to like here. Some may find the characters annoying, and they’re probably right; thankfully, they are endearingly annoying. Naota, besides being our anchor, complains that nothing happens in his town even as giant robots explode all around him. His brother’s girlfriend turns out to be a psychological mess, if her actions towards Naota didn’t clue you in. Haruko appears to be insane, but it’s difficult to take issue with somebody who fights giant robots with an electric guitar. That’s so insane it’s, you know, awesome.
Still, if you remain undaunted and want to see the madness for yourself, by all means go ahead. There isn’t much else like it.
The Verdict:
It’s an apocalyptic post-modern coming of age story set in contemporary Japan with aliens and robots. If that interests you, watch it at least once. If you think otherwise, you ought to watch it at least once anyway, especially if you’re an anime fan. Non-otaku might want to start with something less intimidating, especially if you’ve never seen Neon Genesis Evangelion or if you’ve never eaten curry.
Interesting Stuff:
http://oaf.anre.org/about.php–check it out for an Overanalysis of FLCL. Quite useful for almost understanding everything.
http://www.animeanonymous.com/flcl.shtml–a negative review of FLCL. The person who wrote this also made Kinetic Cipher. You get bonus points if you know what Kinetic Cipher is.
Welcome to Mongoose and Snake!
This is the second itineration of Mongoose and Snake, previously seen on blogger.com. Stuff gets reviewed here. Most of it tends to be good, as I am kind of picky about what I read and watch.
This is another attempt to get myself to write more. If there is anybody reading this (which I doubt, because the internet is enormous) then there is no real reason for you to hang around. Feel free to check back, though. You might find something interesting, which might help you along to find something else interesting, which could potentially lead you into a sea of interesting stuff. Or you could read War and Peace instead.
