On reflection, FLCL still rules (part #1)
Another post inspired by a group viewing of an entire series, but this time prompted by a challenge to write about the one show I never actually thought I’d ever be able to write about. The series’ very nature had me lost for words for years: how the hell can I possibly put my thoughts on FLCL into one article? I can get around part of the challenge by leaving the character study segments for a second half, but even so…
My thoughts exactly
The problem with FLCL is that it’s heavily reliant on the reaction of the viewer for its impact: when I try to rationalise the events and themes I worry that the essence of what it’s trying to say will be lost. My love for it can perhaps be explained by the fact that I marathoned all six episodes every time because quite honestly I don’t think you can appreciate it any other way: instead of getting bogged down in the details you have to throw yourself into the thick of it with a very, very open mind to appreciate its twisted genius. Even better still, take some friends and a few cold ‘uns for the ride.
I’d like to point out that just because something is loud, colourful and absurd that doesn’t necessarily make it merely a comedy. The majority of the humour I see in this series is of the subtle irony variety; I don’t believe the frenetic action and apparently random events that make it look like dumb slapstick at first glance are intended to be the only source of laughs. There’s a strong feeling of nostalgia and insecurity bubbling away underneath the hyperactive coating however, which tempers the lulz very well indeed.
I did start to notice the odd Anno-ism creep in every now and then
If I had to sum up FLCL in one sentence I’d say it’s this: the spirit of adolescence crystallised into six episodes of living, breathing, colour. It was one of the first anime series I ever watched so was introduced to me without any preconceptions, which may have skewed my opinion. Maybe. It also means I’ve placed everything I’ve seen since alongside it and asked myself “Why can’t all anime be this good?” After watching much of Gainax’s output both before and since in the intervening years I still see this as their high-water mark in many key areas.
It says a lot really when an anime show that’s getting on for a decade old still looks as fresh as a daisy. I often wonder how this could possibly happen when CG usually ages badly and pop culture references have their own best-before date too (how many Japanese viewers would’ve noticed the South Park parody anyway?). It makes me wonder if this was so ahead of its time that it can still hold its own against new offerings or whether the answer is a bit more complex; the manga adaptation inherits the sketchiness and mayhem but there’s something about the pictures and sound in motion that makes the OAV work so well.
I Lost My Music…then found it again
It’s this constant sense of motion and uncompromising like-it-or-leave-it attitude to the storytelling that endeared the show to me. It risks dividing the audience by daring you to keep up with the rapidfire dialogue, puns and jargon, some of which is nonsensical: the biggest gag of all for me is that the meaning of ‘FLCL’ is never properly explained. In that sense the show is a challenging experience in that half the fun is a sort-of runner’s high from keeping up with it all.
I could go on for ages about how the craziness of the show is a thrill in itself but those moments actually serve to cast the instrospection and serious messages in a starker light. The viewer’s sense of not knowing what the hell is going on reflects Naota’s isolation; he thinks that looking upon everything with jaded disdain is a sign of maturity. We all try to act grown up as kids but only grasp part of what it means to be an adult: there’s more to being a real man than slapping on a pair of fake eyebrows (Amarao and his Epic Eyebrows do remind me of Alistair Darling though. Just saying) and not laughing. Considering how LOL this show is, when do you actually see Naota so much as crack a smile?
Manly eyebrows are manly
I appreciate this series by letting the details soak in on their own accord rather than try to consciously make sense of them. After a rewatch or two a lot of things do actually make a lot of sense: FLCL works on its own logic so within this whacked-out universe it is trying to say something meaningful…a lot in fact. Maybe the only thing I’d ever say against the show – which never stopped me giving it a perfect 10 score – is the fact that the superficial zaniness and innovative animation divert attention from the myriad of issues it addresses and lead some to dismiss it because they don’t notice that there’s anything more, or they simply don’t feel they ‘get’ it.
It’s not necessarily a series everyone will enjoy but the originality is something I wish more people would try, whether their eventual reaction is positive or not. If nothing else though, the sight of robots growing out of someone’s head or alien girls on Vespas stops the angst taking centre stage…or Naota’s deadpan delivery coming across as emo whining. Maybe this is Gainax’s attempt at succeeding in the areas where Evangelion failed…
I often wonder if I’m supposed to delve deeper into the story than the references and superficial delights but this combo is enough for it to maintain classic status among many viewers: I’ve yet to see a series marry animation with the soundtrack as well as FLCL does with the music of the Pillows. When the action slows to catch its breath though there are moments of picturesque beauty and tender introspection: not only are Sadamoto’s character designs memorable, but the backgrounds and cinematography are stunning too.
I respect it for pushing the envelope in the artwork and the soundtrack but in the midst of the madness I still felt the pain of the characters – perhaps because this feeling of loneliness, uncertainty and not wanting to let the good times go is so well hidden, I want to treasure it all the more. That for me is why FLCL rules; scream and shout all you like about how it’s random and crazy but the warmth and profound-ness hits me every time. Like a Rickenbacker to the face.
I rewatched FLCL a few months ago, and discovered to my delight that it was still as brilliant and bonkers as I remember it, if not more so. Then I spent the next day listening to The Pillows.
I think that if Gainax had not made FLCL first, then they never could have made Gurren Lagann.
Yes!
FLCL was my third or so anime, and I suffered too from the disappointment that there was little else that matched its quality (or did we just imprint on it like baby ducklings?) And yes, I feel that it IS Evangelion done right, with more imagination, less self-pity and a better setting.
The eyebrows – recently pointed out that they’re pieces of nori. Went right by me.
And more than just the soundtrack – the whole sound design, of buzzing lights, bridge traffic, the howl of the plant whistle – it’s made for the ears as much as the eyes.
hell yeah, FLCL was definitely one of the best anime of all time. i remember my friend was amarao for halloween by taping nori to his sunglasses and it was glorious.
FLCL remains the only anime that I enjoy both the original Japanese dub as much as the English dub.
I’ve often thought that FLCL has held up amazing well but maybe the better explanation is that it was just why ahead of it’s time
When friends (who are either casual anime viewers or relatively new to the fandom) ask me, “What makes Gainax so great?” I tell them to see three titles: Evangelion, Kare Kano, and FLCL. But now that nearly a decade has passed since the three were produced, their collective impacts have been absorbed, their individual elements analyzed, and inevitably some comparable works have been made.
Although I have yet to see it, RahXephon is, by most accounts, not only Eva inspired but the more consistent, thematically cohesive, and overall superior work. For Kare Kano, a frank and honest portrayal of adolescence and the changes that happen with growing up, Toradora! can be argued as a modern successor, narrower in scope but sharing many parallels in structure and dramatics, with the addition of resolution.
However, what makes FLCL so great is that nothing I have ever seen or heard about approaches a reproduction. It collects so many stylized elements together, the zany animation, unforgettable characters, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants direction, overwhelming original j-rock tunes, and powerfully resonant themes, and capably integrates them into one master work. It is so singularly unique that not only does it defy imitation, it is actually accurately defined as inimitable. FLCL is one for the ages.
Maybe it’s a reflection of how I encountered anime, but I can’t quite imagine watching FLCL in company. I mean, I can see how it’d work, but somehow I’m too caught up in all those times I’ve watched it solo in the last year or so. Looking forward to part 2.
@ Kadian: I’d argue that RahXephon is more consistent, thematically cohesive, and overall a tad less special. And I really need to get round to Kare Kano someday.
@ coburn: Eh, I’m just repeating what I’ve heard people say about RahXephon. It’s on my “To See” list.
Kare Kano is my personal favorite of the three, though I’m assuredly outnumbered by Eva and FLCL fans. If you do ever see it, you have to know going in, it’s not going to end well. Gainax ran out of budget and they were counting on a continuation season that never came. I choose to overlook this, but I know it sours the experience for most people. Still, for ~18 episodes, Kare Kano is something special.
Hats off to you for trying to make sense of FLCL: I recently introduced a friend to it – midway through viewing an episode he asks me, completely lost, “What the hell is going on?” and I really couldn’t give a straight forward answer.
I love it a great deal despite my initial uncertainty and confusion (a common reaction to the series I believe), but I can’t pretend to understand it all. Still, under the level of superficial visual enjoyment, I think it will always be sympathy for characters like Naota which pushes it from entertaining diversion to a genuine favourite.
It interests me that you recommend marathoning it all in one go, as it’s something I’ve never quite done and have been meaning to for sometime. Perhaps it may change my understanding and enjoyment of the series?
Anyhow, roll on part 2.
My friends have long ago learned to ignore my anime rants, but I still want to give a set of FLCL to someone as part of an “intro to anime” list. The other shows on the list would be different depending on what I thought the person would like, but I’d always include FLCL.
Two ways to introduce it:
I hand them the disks. “This is a story about a boy coming to terms with adolescence.” Then I walk away chuckling.
Or “First thing, a bored kid is being hit on by his older brother’s girlfriend, and then another girl comes out of nowhere and runs him over with her scooter. Then she whacks him with her bass guitar. Then two robots pop out of his head and start to fight …”
Between one or the other, you’ll have a brand new anime fan! I hope, since I’ve never actually tried it. Stupid friends who ignore my wisdom …
@Dop: yeah, I would never have got into the pillows had it not been for this show. Excellent driving music…or if you just need cheering up! Gainax’s recent work owes a lot to FLCL – not just GL but Gunbuster 2 owes A LOT to it. It’s been often imitated, but never bettered.
@ojisan: there was a guy cosplaying as Amarao complete with eyebrows at Ayacon in ‘05. He ended up making more pairs of them and selling them to people!
@clazy: yes. And your friend is a genius!
@steelbound: the dub’s impressive, both in terms of acting and getting the gags across the culture gap. It’s inevitable that some stuff is lost in translation, but the results with this one are better than most.
@kadian1364: you seem to share my admiration for the cream of the Gainax crop but I think FLCL is the most consistent and inventive. That said, Kare Kano was stunning apart from the ending…Toradora! did follow the same template, albeit on a smaller scale. RahXephon is a title I strongly recommend, but its reputation as an Evangelion clone is only partly true. It deserves more credit than that. FLCL on the other hand has inspired a lot but nothing has been able to touch it.
@coburn: watch Kare Kano. Really. Then be prepared to read the manga to see what happens after the abrupt ending! As kadian says, it’s pretty special up to that point. Like Toradora, but with the Anno touch.
@Wildcard: rewatching it works wonders. Honestly. I honestly believe the answers are very much there, but it takes a bit of head-scratching to get there.
@Peter S: I couldn’t agree more. The symbolism and so forth is a big part of it, although the references may go over some people’s heads if they haven’t seen the other anime shows in question. But then, the sheer energy and imagery is a shining example of what the animated medium is capable of.
Second half coming up…
Late to the party, here, but I feel like FLCL will always be high on my list of favorites so I love your post.
One of my favorite things about FLCL is that it works on probably 3 levels at least:
- its innovative and wacky style
- its knowing winks, references, and symbols
- its painful story of puberty and adolescence, which is sometimes more implied than actually told.
Intellectually, the whole tri-level thing keeps me coming back, but when I watch it the appeal is more visceral.
Any one of those is valid, so I don’t think you need to have such an apologetic tone in the last part of your post. You “get” it, you love it, so… love it! I know I do. The beauty of Fooly Cooly is that you can take all the time you want to delve deeper because there’s so much to see.
When I think of FLCL, I always think of episode three (I think 3 — it’s the Ninamori episode) and how it nailed all three. The meaning of “getting hit by Haruka’s bike” that horrified Naota’s dad, the fake glasses, the heartbreaking fight in school with the cat ears, the old-school cartoon chase music, and the moment that he’s swallowed by Canti and “Little Busters” starts right on cue. That shit is gold! It makes me want to go watch it right now.
Intriguing post. I always find it interesting that people describe FLCL as “random”, when all of it (to me) felt perfectly natural after the tone was made explicitly clear from the first episode. Most art (and FLCL can certainly fall into that category) defines itself within a realm of its own creation, its own atmosphere–it can then be judged on the plane of that setting; and, taking it further, one may then contemplate how it relates to our own world, albeit this in itself is subject to the taint of perception.
FLCL is Gainax’s ensemble piece, following the genius of EVA and Kare Kano. It is radically different from those works. To say “Maybe this is Gainax’s attempt at succeeding in the areas where Evangelion failed…” seems to demean its accomplishment, because this is new territory (and also, End of Eva won me over, eradicating the flaws of the TV series and more than clearly summing up the series’ intent in an artful and explosive presentation; few works [maybe The Sky Crawlers] aspire to the level of that film and succeed, but EoE nails the visual embodiment [and the human struggle with] what Keat’s described as “the perpetual virginity of the human soul”).
(So aside from that tangent) I can agree on some level, however: Eva sprawled itself out (unnecessarily?) over 26 episodes and (now) multiple films… FLCL condensed itself (with utter conviction) into 6 episodes: If it is a distillation of Gainax’s skill, perhaps it is also a refinement. Gurren Lagann might be able to match the series’ in a comparison of pure style, but they are fundamentally different in the depths they explore: Gurren Lagann is more an ode to the human spirit, an exuberant portrayal of the human drive to (instinctually?) evolve, adapt–aim for the top (and in its own setting, we realize within the first arc that piercing the heavens is always within the story’s grasp). But FLCL? It’s dark, man. But hell, darkness is fun.
On a technical scale, FLCL is marvelous, too. The melding of music and animation puts many shows to shame, as a lot of comments have pointed out. And the pacing is brilliant: Even for its fierce momentum, nothing in FLCL feels forced. All chaos is (most convincingly) manipulated to the utmost effect ; all messiness is presented with uncompromising exactitude.
Calling it “random” misses the point; to those who say its tone fluctuates unjustifiably, I say look to “The Departed”, and tell me if you still think drama, severity, and violence can’t be ever light, ever comical, yet wholly engrossing. “Random” does not even bother to describe the paradox; it also fails to appreciate it.
So yeah: most of the humor here takes place on that level of irony. FLCL throws out the rules; Gainax has given us something that for its precise mastery is very much akin to live-action classics. I hope that even people baffled by its frenetic pace can see the reasoned beliefs tying it together (David Lynch, anyone?), and understand that ever-steady hands are guiding us through the sea of human madness.