The first question people ask me is: "What is FLCL?"

The answer is always the same: "I'm not really sure, but I know I like it!"

It's true, it's very hard to describe FLCL but I think a single equation will sum it up: Cocaine + Animaton = FLCL. Now I'm not implying that FLCL is the product of external substances, rather I would have to say FLCL IS an external substance all on its own. Watching the the first two episodes which composed the first DVD left me in a state of absolute confusion, not so much as to what FLCL was about, but why on Earth someone had created it. The series is pure lunacy, featuring everything from a girl who wields a gas-powered guitar to giant robots sprouting from the main character's head! But let's start from the beginning, shall we?

Introduction:

Naota lives in an ordinary city, where ordinary things happen. Nothing strange or exciting goes on and nothing ever will. Or so Naota believes! Of course, life isn't completely normal, at least not from an observer's point of view. Naota's father and grandfather are completely inappropriate at all times of the day, his older brother ran off to the U.S.A. to play baseball, and his brother's old girlfriend keeps hitting on him! Well, that's become ordinary life to Naota.

One day however, as Mamimi (his brother's old girlfriend) is up to her old tricks trying to tempt young Naota, a girl riding a moped and wielding a gas-powered guitar comes out of nowhere, almost kills him with said guitar, and then proceeds to hold a mock funeral for him! Meanwhile Mamimi is taking snapshots of the semi-concious Naota who presently comes to and demands to know why the crazy woman hit him! Not like he gets an answer as she takes off after yammering on about this and that.

Haruko, possibly the craziest character in the history of anime.	Haruko, possibly the craziest character in the history of anime.

What he does know is that there's now a giant bump in the shape of a bent brick growing from where the woman hit him, and although he can push it back into his head, he can't keep it in without popping a large bandage over it. Oh well, not like it's a big deal, right? Wrong. The next day at school, Naota's friends are all abuzz with the rumour that a woman riding a moped has been coming around smacking those with perverted minds over the head! As if things couldn't get worse! When Naota comes home however, he discoveres his father has hired the crazy woman, whose name turns out to be Haruko, as a housekeeper!

The lunacy escalates from there.

FLCL versus Evangelion:

Don't even go here. If you're expecting something like EVA just because GAINAX is the company behind FLCL, you're going to be severely disappointed. Yes, there are robots in FLCL. Yes, they fight. Yes, there's enough metaphysical nonsense to make your head explode. But's not Evangelion, nor does it try to be. I'm not an EVA fan in the first place but I absolutely adore FLCL. It's surrealistic like nothing else out there and yet manages to make sense, although I'm never quite sure why. It's like a Salvador Dali painting set in motion and one has to be fairly liberal with one's thoughts if they're going to make heads or tails of it.

The Specs:

The animation in FLCL shifts back and forth between the regular style and the offbeat segments, ranging from what looks to mock modern north american cartoons like "Kids from Room 204" to a semi-animated comic book design. It's not truly jarring and only serves to add flavour to the series, but it is, without a doubt, truly strange. Otherwise the regular animation is extremely enjoyable. It's somewhat akin to the styles used in "Excel Saga" and "Now and Then,Here and There", but different enough to stand on its own. Lots of exaggerated expressions and angles with sudden jumps between realism and cartoonism, and so forth.

I decided to watch both the subtitled version and the English dub to draw a comparison and I have to say I'm pleased in either case. The English dub's Haruko could be a bit less high pitched but at least it fits the character. The dialogue, for the most part, is spoken extremely well and you can view the outtakes in the Extras section of the DVD. If more series to follow have this sort of dubbing, I just might give my weary eyes a rest from reading and stop concerning myelf about subtitles so often. Yeah, yeah, I know it sounds like heresy and blasphemy, but listen for yourself.

The music is also quite good, although the introductory notes of the ending song annoy me to no end. It has these 'white noise' segments where there's no music inbetween a few notes which jar the listener and slightly ruin the song. Otherwise, the soundtrack seems to be worth buying and I'd reccomend it to anyone who likes J-Rock. In fact, this sort of J-Rock is quite close to modern Western alternative, although not quite as depressive or heavy as some bands.

That about wraps it up doesn't it? Oh wait, we still have the...

Epilogue:

The first two episodes of FLCL are pure, lunatic enjoyment, although not everyone will be able to enjoy the series. It's quite chaotic and erratic and following what's going on requires actively paying attention. The casual viewer can become easily lost and the details do matter, although it never gets anywhere near the level of confusion that say "Akira" does. I have to say I'm already anticipating the next DVD and this is a definite buy for anyone who likes a bit of surrealism in their life. Otherwise I'd reccomend renting it to see if you're into this kind of humour.

Distributor: Synch Point
Creator: Production I.G. / Gainax
Released: 2000

Plot: B+
Character Design: A+
Animation Quality: A
Music: A-
Overall: A