Thursday, April 28, 2011

FLCL (aka Fooly Cooly, aka Furi Kuri)

SYNOPSIS
      Naota is a young, jaded, and bored individual. He constantly gripes about his hometown and its stale condition saying "nothing ever happens here". His home life is odd to say the least with a lecherous ex-journalist father, a baseball coaching and bakery running grandfather, an american baseball star older brother, and a chain smoking "girlfriend" whos his brother ex-girlfriend. His reptative life looks as if it will never end, until he is mowed down by a guiter wielding, vespa riding, alien bomb shell named Haruko Haruhara.

STORY
       In its 6 episodes FLCL only shows anything close to a story in the last 2 episodes. And even then the story is simple and ridiculous, in short aliens want to make us stupid and Haruko is in search of a super being.
Most of the twists and turns in this wild OVA are so out of no where its as if they were pulling all of the plot points out of thin air. Character development is also on the weak side except for one character, our hero Naota. Through out all 6 episodes imagery is used (comedic or strange) as a metaphor for the changes in a teens life. This imagery starts from  almost the beginning with Haruko smashing her guitar into Naota's skull living a curious bump on his head, this symbolizes the sudden arrival of the pubescent years on a young man and even the blemishes one receives in such years, the pyscial changes one endures. This symbolizim even dwells into emotional changes, and the fight to become a man when all you reallly wnat is to stay a child. In the end it all comes down to that, will Naota choose this responsobillity as a grown man or will he want to hang on to his innocence for the last fleeting years of simply being a kid.

PRODUCTION
     Gainax and Production I.G, bring FLCL to life. Animating it full of vibrant colors and quick paced motion. It also tends to change style each episode paying homage to diffrent animator and art forms. The music is killer, being composed and preformed by The Pilllows. The Music alone whould make this a serise worth    watching as it probably is the most rocking anime soundtrack out there with awsome tracks like "Ride On Shooting Star" "Last Dinosuar" "I Think I Can" and "Blue Drive Monster" to name a few.

DUB
    Now if this were anyother serise I probably would not give high marks for this goofy and cartoonish dub, But this is FLCL. Kari Wahlgren shines as Haruko, giving her a wierd and wacky personalty but still can be serious when the script calls for it. Dave Mallow is terrific as the serious but stupid Amarao really playing it cool until somthing odd happens. Two other great player were the always terrific Melissa Fahn (Ninamori) and vetran voice actress Barbara Goodson (Naota) who both put humor and a hint of sadness in there character that gave this serise a human feel.

CONTENT
   there is language, violence, and some slight nudity but the real issue parents will find with this serise is the over the top sexual humor. Through out the show there is non-stop jokes involving all sorts of lued material that is not for any young ears. There is also a scene of highly sexual activity, there is no nudity but it is very VERY suggestive (my friends and I call it the electric message scene).

EXTRAS
This is surprising for a Bandai/Fuimation dvd to come with so much extra goodies! Multiple audio Commentaries, english outtakes, Music videos and other treats buy the pillows, and of course opening/ending textless and trailers.

OVERALL
4 out of 5

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