Did Anyone Actually Like FLCL?

[drinian]

I found FLCL to be excellent.

On the first viewing, it was the sheer joy of the music and pyrotechnics; a reminder of why animation is unique.

On the second viewing, I started reading the cultural notes booklets that came with my DVDs, and learned a lot more about anime (which was relatively new to me at the time).

On the third viewing, all the little allusions and insinuations came together, and I understood the surface story.

By the fourth viewing, I began to see what Gainax was really trying to express.

Also, the English dub is fantastic. It's the sort of plot and dialogue where English, honestly, works better than Japanese.

[Heromaster111]

ITT: People who just don't get FLCL.

Also, possibly one of the greatest OVAs in collective history of animu, hands down.

That's pretty much it.

[Merridian]

I liked FLCL’s form, but my reaction to its story was mixed. Great OVA though—6 episodes more packed with narrative and development than most series is a damn good accomplishment. Not to mention all dat eye candy animation.

I think what hindered my appreciation of its narrative was my utter distaste for the protagonist. Goddamn. Could the kid whine possibly any more? Shinji is one thing, but this guy didn’t even have the things that made Shinji’s whining tolerable. He struck me as a fairly stereotypical angst-ridden adolescent kid—and I’ve seen enough of that IRL that I don’t need as the focal point of my entertainment as well.

Fortunately his patheticness wasn’t so emphasized as to get in the way of my enjoying the rest of the show, since FLCL offered a lot more than just one dumb kid.

[backseatjesus]

He struck me as a fairly stereotypical angst-ridden adolescent kid—and I’ve seen enough of that IRL that I don’t need as the focal point of my entertainment as well.

He was and he relates to most teens like myself. I'm probably very similar to him, except he seemed to have more true friends than I've ever had. This series somewhat helped me grow up, especially thanks to me realizing how much I was like Naota.

[LeoXiao]

I saw the first two eps and couldn't see anything in it. It might be good, but I certainly wouldn't put it on the top ten list (didnt it get 1st?) based n what I've seen.

[Mr. Tines]

I saw the first two eps and couldn't see anything in it.

Exactly -- certainly not enough that I felt investing the time and/or money to see the rest just in order to see what other people are raving about. In all the years since NGE, TTGL is the only GAINAX series that I've felt worth giving the time of day for.
---

ITT: People who just don't get FLCL.

He was and he relates to most teens like myself.

Perhaps its just that I'm too old and cynical to do that sort of thing any more. Or maybe just that I'm sufficiently atypical that it doesn't have any references to my own experience (see also my latching on to Asuka when she got into a state I could identify with, which doesn't seem to be what triggers other people to favour her).

[Xard]

FLCL is masterpiece.

I think what hindered my appreciation of its narrative was my utter distaste for the protagonist. Goddamn. Could the kid whine possibly any more? Shinji is one thing, but this guy didn’t even have the things that made Shinji’s whining tolerable. He struck me as a fairly stereotypical angst-ridden adolescent kid—and I’ve seen enough of that IRL that I don’t need as the focal point of my entertainment as well.

Fortunately his patheticness wasn’t so emphasized as to get in the way of my enjoying the rest of the show, since FLCL offered a lot more than just one dumb kid.

lolwut.

Naota ain't that bad. He is grumpy and alienated but I'd never call him whiny.

(see also my latching on to Asuka when she got into a state I could identify with, which doesn't seem to be what triggers other people to favour her).

hmm? When I hear "Asuka" and "state" together I tend to think of coma but somehow I doubt that's what you ment.

[Allemann]

I loathe FLCL from the depths of my soul, but the action scenes were magnificent, kinetic, and highly charged.

[Mr. Tines]

hmm? When I hear "Asuka" and "state" together I tend to think of coma but somehow I doubt that's what you meant.

Episode 16, the locker room scene.

[BrikHaus]

FLCL is the one show I hated more than Clannad. I don't know what you guys see in it. I know you guys are used to seeing depth where there really isn't any, but saying FLCL is a deep show is like saying brik likes the moe moe stuff.

1. Nothing is worse than Clannad with two exceptions.
2. Kanon is worse than Clannad, and only one thing is worse than that.
3. Lucky Star is the only thing worse than Clannad and Kanon.
4. You say FLCL isn't deep and you hated it, and I say Trollers gonna troll.

[Rodeo]

There's more to FLCL than just random randomness, they didn't just barf at a sheet of paper and call it a script, this show has heart and soul. And that's what separates it from trash like Excel Saga.

FLCL is masterpiece.

Fact

[CazMu]

Im not trying to offend anyone here. It was just something about that I just didn't like and I dont know why. I mean Haruko was epic, the music was awesome but I guess the story just didn't appeal to me. I just wanted to know if anyone did like it or had the same opinion as me. Bur dayum something about Haruko was just epic the rest to was kinda...meh.

[Sachi]

Im not trying to offend anyone here. It was just something about that I just didn't like and I dont know why. I mean Haruko was epic, the music was awesome but I guess the story just didn't appeal to me. I just wanted to know if anyone did like it or had the same opinion as me. Bur dayum something about Haruko was just epic the rest to was kinda...meh.

It's alright if you didn't like it. Any media, masterpiece or not, is going to have those that love it, and those that don't. As made clear by this thread, the viewers have been split both ways between those who think FLCL is magnificent, and those who think it's magna-shit. The same trend can be seen with almost anything: NGE, TTGL, etc, even with movies and music.

[ran1]

Im not trying to offend anyone here. It was just something about that I just didn't like and I dont know why. I mean Haruko was epic, the music was awesome but I guess the story just didn't appeal to me. I just wanted to know if anyone did like it or had the same opinion as me. Bur dayum something about Haruko was just epic the rest to was kinda...meh.

See this:

As for the story's point, it makes a whole lot more sense when you interpret Haruko abstractly as Naota's sexual awareness.

Naota is a 12 year old boy coming into a postmodern world of sexual inneundo and the act itself. Though portrayed in a fantastic sense, FLCL is actually an interesting piece on the development of sexual knowledge of pubesecent males.

With OP being 16 and female, its okay that you really don't get it. Excuse my pretentiousness.

[CazMu]

^^^^^^^


OMG YOU SEXIST PIG!! :O
JUST KIDDING XD

Yeah I dont know how to put what you said in a little grey quote box thingy...yeah im new lol[/code]

[BrikHaus]

The same trend can be seen with almost anything: NGE, TTGL, etc, even with movies and music.

Maybe so, but for the people who didn't like TTGL, their opinion doesn't count.

[J_Faulkner]

I found FLCL to be boring juvenile trash. All the tawdry hippy-like sequences in the world can't cover up a cartoon that harks back to juvenile thoughts essentially useless in the adult world.

Though portrayed in a fantastic sense, FLCL is actually an interesting piece on the development of sexual knowledge of pubesecent males.

What's so interesting about the thoughts of horny juvenile boys?

[ran1]

Yeah I dont know how to put what you said in a little grey quote box thingy...yeah im new lol

Easiest method is to use the quote function in the top of the person's post.
But you can also highlight/copy/paste/highlight/press quote function just under the subject box.

What's so interesting about the thoughts of horny juvenile boys?

I thought it was a nice little exposition in pretten/early adolescent psychology. But its true merits are in its animation and character development in a constrained time span. The interesting plot is really just icing on the cake.

[J_Faulkner]

I thought it was a nice little exposition in pretten/early adolescent psychology. But its true merits are in its animation and character development in a constrained time span. The interesting plot is really just icing on the cake.

Adolescent psychology may be interesting in a textbook, but as entertainment? I don't see why an adult would be interested in this type of stuff as entertainment; I think it's something one grows out of once the juvenile period has ended. Granted, the animation's not bad, but I've never liked a cartoon simply for its animation. An animation with no substance is something I'd call tawdry.

[CazMu]

Easiest method is to use the quote function in the top of the person's post.
But you can also highlight/copy/paste/highlight/press quote function just under the subject box.

Thanks dude, I've trying to find out how to to do it for a while :)