At the risk of sounding like an ace-and-switch, FLCLthe story of is doing important, but for very different reasons than people often discuss when the show comes. It’s not a show that’s always easy to follow, leading some people to label it as something that has some merit but is completely nonsensical without much point.
Kazuya Tsurumakis FLCLor fooly cooly, is about a young boy named Naota who lives in a town where “nothing amazing happens.” That is, until a woman on a Vespa hits him in the head with a bass guitar, uproots his everyday life and makes robots spawn from his forehead, making his already confusing adolescence all the more complicated. Even the above paragraph is only a fraction of the experience of six short but fun episodes, stripped down to avoid unnecessary assumptions or undue burden on details. By the end of FLCLa lot has happened and a lot of viewers will miss things the first time, and this can lead to all kinds of assumptions.
Theory: it’s all nonsense
Broad responses to FLCL fall into two categories: those who consider it an incredibly deep and rich narrative experience and those who consider it just a ride. Few who have probably seen it will not greet it with some praise, namely in regards to The Pillows’ music, as anyone would. Still, consider the school of thought that FLCL has no real story. What could that support?
Maybe it’s how many questions the viewers have on the first viewing and maybe even at the end. Things like “what is Atomisk?”, “What is Medical Mechanics?”, or “What exactly is Haruko’s purpose?” And many of these questions have answers, but not all of them are clear or without some room for interpretation.
suspicion: the STORYLINE Does not matter
Stories – especially in visual media – can be divided into different types of texts that are present everywhere at the same time. There is – of course – text and subtext. “Text” refers to what is clearly conveyed to the public. “Subtext” refers to hidden or implied information in the text, inferred by patterns therein. Context comes through subtext and themes are associated with the story as a whole.
The text itself can also be divided among themselves, and within that are the lore, plot and mechanics of the series, as well as the character stories that tend to dominate more of the screen time. Under the plot of the series there are elements such as the following:
- medical technician
- The “NO” portals in the minds of Naota and other characters
- Atomisk
- The Office of Interstellar Immigration
These are the things most people are likely to have questions about. They’ll wonder what Medical Mechanics actually do, what Atomisk does, and why the man with the big eyebrows and his people are so interested. And these elements, in the grand scheme of the story, don’t matter.
Subtext and meaning of FLCL
FLCLThe most common interpretation is that it is a show about puberty and growing up, appropriately indicated by its fast pace and melodramatic glow that reflects what adolescence feels like. This is further expressed by Naota’s childish infatuation with Haruko and his lack of solid adult role models.
In Episode 2, Naota talks about learning the truth about things, meaning a major struggle of his adolescence is about dissecting truth and lies between adults, whom he considers immature. Naota wants to grow up so badly that he eventually misses the child. And this crazy adventure he is having is as if the universe is teaching them to live a little and enjoy the lies of being young.
Those plot points that “don’t matter” still have a purpose, but only in the capacity of what they represent, not with regard to the characters. It doesn’t matter what Medical Mechanics actually does, just that it’s a vague antagonistic threat symbolizing power, much like Atomisk, the omnipotent power that Haruko hunts.
Each of the six episodes, regardless of how the plot progresses, is primarily about the characters. The first episode explains nothing, but builds to a climax where Mamimi has a panic attack after learning that Naota’s brother has a girlfriend in America. The second episode is about Mamimi’s past, the third about Ninomori, and so on.
Story vs Storytelling
There’s the old saying that it’s not so much about the story as it is about how you tell it and that couldn’t be more true with FLCL. It is a story that works on emotion in many ways and evokes as many reactions as possible, through music and images. These things have been praised up and down for years, but just because something looks good does it make a good story?
It depends on whether and how one separates the story from how it is delivered. Perhaps the story should be judged by its written form as a screenplay? But that changes the medium with which it is presented, and different media must be judged based on different metrics. Since it’s technically an adaptation of a manga, you could compare the two, but that doesn’t seem relevant. FLCL is an anime and in every way it is exceptionally well made.
Through voice acting, music, sound effects, animation, directing and screenwriting, the story comes to life. If a story manages to grab the viewer’s attention and make them invest in the emotions of a scene, it succeeds as a story. But FLCL was never important just because it had a meaningful story. It is also one of the most impressive anime ever made.
What it’s like to be foolishly cool
Kazuya Tsurumaki and the Gainax animators have really outdone themselves in these six episodes. Almost any creative decision, upon investigation, can be revealed as a personal anecdote about the creative team or something done to make the coolest thing possible. Every design, every weird visual joke was conceived because someone on the staff, usually Tsurumaki, ‘liked it’.
There are also animation moments in FLCL that are so unique, vibrant and beautiful, that almost nothing else has come close to replicating it. There are these 360-degree rotating cuts made in a mix of 3D and 2D that look better than most 3D anime from Japan over the next two decades. The list of eccentricities goes on and on, but the simple fact is that: FLCL just beats differently.
In Episode 1, during the famous manga series, there is a quick, stupid conversation between Naota, his father and grandfather, and Haruko, where the term “Fooly Cooly” was coined. It’s completely nonsensical and the characters can’t seem to agree on what it means.
That conversation best summarizes what I’m trying to summarize FLCL is like. It’s so many things, both simple and complicated, for so many people. For those who haven’t seen it yet, it’s best to remember that it’s a show that needs to be rewatched to fully absorb it. Whether it takes months or years to appreciate, everyone eventually finds their own meaning in the term ‘Fooly Cooly’.
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