FLCL (2000) (V)

User Rating:

8.8/10   

Director:

Kazuya Tsurumaki

Writer:

Yoji Enokido (writer)

Genre:

Animation | Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Plot:

A 12-year old boy named Naota one day meets a strange woman, riding a Vespa and wielding a big guitar. As soon as she appears, mysterious things start happening.

Plot Keywords:

Vespa | Guitar | Curry | Bass | Baseball

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Jun Mizuki	...	Naota Nandaba, Takkun the Cat (voice)
Mayumi Shintani	...	Haruko Haruhara (voice)
Izumi Kasagi	...	Mamimi Samejima (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Steve Blum	...	Miyu Miyu, Masashi (voice: English version) (as David Lucas)
Chiemi Chiba	...	Kitsurubami
Melissa Fahn	...	Eri Ninamori (voice: English version) (as Heather Lee Joelson)
Yukari Fukui	...	Junko "Miya-Jun" Miyaji (voice)
Barbara Goodson	...	Naota Nandaba (voice: English version)
Hiroshi Ito	...	Shigekuni Nandaba (voice)
Mika Itô	...	Eri Ninamori (voice)
R. Martin Klein	...	Saku, Additional Voices (voice: English version) (as Bob Marx)
Steve Kramer	...	Shigekuni Nandaba, Train Announcer, Martians Baseball Player, Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Dave Mallow	...	Amarao (voice: English version)
Joe Martin	...	Kamon Nandaba (voice: English version)
Suzuki Matsuo	...	Kamon Nandaba (voice)
Chris McDougall	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Akira Miyashima	...	Gaku (voice)
Tara Murphy	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Kôichi Ôkura	...	Amarao (voice)
Ryan Ragland	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Luis Reyes	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Stephanie Sheh	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Jessica Straus	...	Junko Miyaji (voice: English version) (as Jessica Stenuis)
Kazuhito Suzuki	...	Masashi (voice)
Mark Takeuchi	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Rick Tetzlaff	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
L. Villa	...	Kitsurubami (voice: English version)
Kari Wahlgren	...	Haruko Haruhara (voice: English version)
Maggie Weidner	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Yuriko Yamaguchi	...	Ninamori's Secretary (voice: English version)
Shizuki Yamashita	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Agnes Yoshida	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)

Also Known As:

Fooly Cooly (USA)
FuriKuri (Japan) (alternative title)

Runtime:

30 min (6 episodes)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Spain:15 | Canada:18A | Australia:M | USA:TV-14 (cut version) | USA:TV-MA | UK:12

Company:

Gainax

Trivia:

Amarao's eyebrows are actually sheets of "nori", dried seaweed that is used in sushi. The nori was digitally scanned into a computer.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the sequence within the beauty salon, Haruko uses a knife to stop the bullets that the agents are shooting to her. But when the bullets falls to the floor sliced in half, the bullets are still in their shells.

Quotes:

[Amarao and Kitsurubami are examining a hand-shaped structure on a bank of televisions]
Kitsurubami: It's... a hand, isn't it?
Amarao: It's a hand.

Movie Connections:

References "Initial D: Second Stage" (1999)

robots, rock and roll, and the essence of growing up

this is what dreams are made of.

FLCL is a 6-episode japanese anime production that impresses and entertains beyond explanation. those who find their way through it's layering of bizarre beauty will realize what it truly is: the greatest thing ever.

FLCL, also known as Fooly Cooly or Furi-Kuri in Japan, centers around Naota, a Japanese kid whose beloved older brother has recently moved to America to play baseball. As if that wasn't hard enough for him, he now finds his brother's shattered (and much older) girlfriend Mamimi latching onto him for support. In the midst of it all, Naota (or as Mamimi calls him, ta-kun) finds his already troubled life turned on its side as a strange girl named Haruko rides into town on a Vespa scooter and smacks him on the head with her trusty, electric-blue, motorized Rickenbacker bass guitar. From here, things spiral into a wonderful insanity.

If the plot seems odd so far, you will probably find yourself in a few seizures by the end. In the first episode, a TV-headed robot sprouts out of an anxiety-fueled horn that grown on Naota's head. After an amazing battle, this robot comes to live with Naota and does his laundry. Things like this happen every day in the world of FLCL.

Unfortunately, this may be a bit too much for some. But those who enjoy it will be thoroughly rewarded by the cleverly weird plot advancements and hilarious visual gags. And if you sift through it all, you'll find something even more amazing: a wonderful story of growing up that, despite it's giant robots, is moving and easy to relate to. Kids who want to be adults, adults who can't grow up. These heavy topics line this gorgeous show and add a stirring quality to it.

Besides the content of the show itself, the production of FLCL is absolutely mindblowing. Sickly slick animation coupled with an amazing musical backdrop provided by Japanese punk-rockers The Pillows proves to be a winning combination. The English dub is very impressive as well, especially for Haruko.

It is unfortunate that FLCL's 6 episodes are spread out onto three expensive DVDs, because it limits people's access to it. Thank god for Cartoon Network, which periodically plays FLCL on it's adult swim block. And while i'm not exactly advocating piracy, i would suggest going to whatever lengths you need to see FLCL.

FLCL has affected me more than any other movie or show i've ever seen, animated or otherwise. Those who lack the open mind to filter through the madness will find the show to be quirky if nothing else. But on every level, FLCL is a truly mind-blowing achievement.

Oh, and you may be wondering about the title. Fooly-Cooly? Yeah. No one else knows either.

FLCL

10/10