| | Alternate title : Furi Kuri
Studio : GAINAX Co., Ltd.
Also involved: Production I.G.
Licenced by : Geneon Entertainment (USA)
Also involved : Synch-Point
Length : 6 OAV
Year : 2000
Genre : Comedy - Drama - Science-Fiction
Synopsis :
Known as the anime of many names, (FLCL, Furi Kuri or Fooly Cooly) Furi Kuri is the story of a boy who gets sideswiped by a strange (to say the least) girl on a Vespa, wielding a modified left-handed Rickenbacker 4003 bass guitar. Yes, that is right, a guitar. Soon after his encounter, Naota begins to notice strange protrusions from his head, which begin to sprout robots. With his older brother's girlfriend following him around, and all this strangeness happening, what's a kid to do? Especially when the psycho guitar-swinging girl ends up working for his father?
Added : 2005-10-30
Synopsis by : Specky
Last update : 2008-09-19
Last update details : Modify info
Score : 8.91 Ranked #39 by users
Number of reviews : 90
Song(s) :
Opening #1 : The Pillows - One Life
Opening #2 : The Pillows - Instant Music
Opening #3 : The Pillows - Happy Bivouac
Opening #4 : The Pillows - Runner's High
Opening #5 : The Pillow's - Carnival
Ending #1 : The Pillows - Ride On Shooting Star
Release(s) :
There are no release available for this anime.
Hits : 61764
[ Go Back to Main Page - Go Back - Post review ]
| |
Spot a mistake ? Want to send fresh information ?
[ Message an admin ]
Got a synopsis?
[ Send a synopsis ]
Found the latest episode?
[ Submit a new release ]
|
Posted by : Killswitch
Posted on : 2009-12-06  
FLCL – Fooly Cooly
Storyline
Naota’s a 12 year old boy who lives with his father and grandfather in the sleepy town of Mabase. The only place of interest in this sleepy town is the Medical Meccanica building. Naota’s life is a relatively simple one. He goes to school during the day and hangs out with Mamimi Samejima after school. Little did he know that his peaceful days would soon come to an end.
Enter Haruko Haruhara, and what an entrance she makes as Naota is instantly run over by her Vespa. Believing that Naota is dead, Haruko then performs CPR on Naota, only to hit him on the head shortly after with her vintage Rickenbacker 4001 bass guitar. Later, when Naota is at his house, he disturbed to find a strange bump on his head that won’t go away. This is the least of his worries as he finds out that Haruko will be staying with his family, as the live-in maid.
Visual
Although the animation isn’t the best looking, it fits in well with the fast paced action and crazy antics of the characters. What I really enjoyed is that the animation type would change from time to time. This includes bullet time sequences, black and white, stills, and even two sequences drawn as semi-animated manga. There are also a pair of shots that are mosaic, and recreate the look of South Park.
Audio
The audio fits perfectly with the hyperactive pace of this series. Both the opening and closing theme songs have a rock feel to them, as well as the background music in most of the action and fight scenes. The voice acting cast is awesome.
Personally
I really enjoyed this series. While FLCL requires you to do some thinking, there were plenty of comic and action-packed moments. I also loved the originality of the series. However, I believe it would be much better if there were a few more episodes that could go into the backgrounds of the main characters. Overall, FLCL was extremely enjoyable and is a great series to watch, especially with friends.
Posted by : DarkResin
Posted on : 2009-10-10 
I have to say, FLCL is my favorite anime of all time. It may not be as long as some want it to be, and it might be somewhat confusing at first glance, but it really is a gem.
First of all, the Characters:
For this I give a 10/10. Never have any characters been so likable to me. In my opinion it is Haruko Haruhara that brings it all together. Her persona, coupled with the amazing ability of the seiyuu Mayumi Shintani, makes her an extremely interesting character. There have been critics about how her voice is annoying or unlikeable, but to be honest, do we really need another high-pitched kawaii-speak character that sounds exactly like all of the other female characters in the anime?
Next is the music: 10/10
It really blew me away. No sooner did I finish watching the anime than I went and bought every CD of theirs I could find, and am now waiting anxiously for their new CD to become available. The Pillows are an amazing band, an alternative rock band that keeps to the ideals of alternative rock, but also brings in new and interesting elements that spice up the listening experience.
Animation: 9/10
Hmm, minus 1 point? Well that's because, though I really love the animation (its a lot better than some of the more recent stuff IMHO), there are times when its a bit too liquidated and quick, like the manga thing in the first episode.
Storyline: 10/10
Robots coming from the head? Guitar machine gun? Characters that somehow develop in 6 episodes? It was really enjoyable, I found - the story line that is. Its been critisized for being too short "coulda been done in 13 episodes", but I disagree. Don't get me wrong, more FLCL is a good thing, not a bad thing, but it would only have drawn out the story and lessened its impact.
WATCH IT! Is all I can say, preferably in Japanese. To be honest - English anime sucks, bad. The voices aren't as good, there are parts missing thanks to the helpful American Association For Safe Television, or whatever the organization is called that cuts out the blood and swearing from animes
Posted by : Veld 
Posted on : 2009-04-17
A decent, extremely random, and nonsensical anime that somehow ends up making sense in the end. A bit short.
The Good:
I was absolutely amazed that this whole thing ended up making sense. It started out like 'What the ***?' And ended up explaining a bit so that there was actually a reason of some sort behind the whole insanity.
I loved the concepts of the humor in this anime. They were hilarious ideas, but I would have to say they could have been presented a lot better.
I loved the guitar battles. I mean, a psychotic alien woman swinging a bass guitar around with a pull start motor in it. It may be weird, but I found it hilarious. The whole series just makes me want to take a guitar and fight someone with it.
The Bad:
I did not like the voices for either the English or Japanese dub. They both sounded about the same. They were very boring and not very believable, and did not really add to the fact that it was a comedy. If you are going to tell a joke in a droning voice, it's just not funny, it's just stupid. The voices really took away from the presentation of the humor.
The timing of the humor was not very good. It generally took me a couple of pauses and rewinds to even catch what happened in a scene. The jokes and punch lined especially went way too fast, or took way too long.
It was a bit short. I think it could have easily taken a full 13 episodes instead of 6.
--------------------------------------
Overall it was decent. I would recommend it, but there is a lot of hype behind this anime. The jokes were funny but weren't really presented in a way that you could really get them unless you think at like 800 miles an hour. I would say that FLCL was mostly hype. It was alright and I enjoyed watching it, but it really didn't deliver what all the hype said it would. 7/10.
Posted by : miestersean
Posted on : 2008-11-11
FLCL is characterized best by the sheer randomness that it interrupts itself with frequently, but this is also its biggest weakness. Once the creators accelerate the show into senselessly fast sequences of God-knows-what and rapid-fire dialogue, the show loses direction and meaning. In fact, the scenes with emotionally vulnerable interactions between characters, though less flashy, are the most enjoyable. Though the show would be incomplete with just these scenes, it would be better off.
The music of the show is unique, entirely made up of J-rock compositions played by one band. However, it's not consistent and turns out mediocre, though the ending track is addictive and makes the closing sequence the highlight of the series.
The plot, in a word, is sloppy. There is no plot advancement half of the series, the viewer is clueless about what the story actually is until the last half of the last episode, and the character development is inconclusive. The creators try to redeem the show with self-deprecating, self-referencing jokes that break the fourth wall, but these are tacky and just make things worse.
The art is a mixed bag. The action scenes are decently drawn but too spastic to comprehend and in the end not much more than frames flashing by. The landscape art and character design, though, is polished and makes one wish they could have taken the show in a different, more sane direction.
FLCL is a flawed and only passably enjoyable show that doesn't live up to its hype. Not recommended.
Score: 6/10
Posted by : arsetothem
Posted on : 2008-07-19
FLCL (Fooly Cooly) is one weird yet dynamic anime, not very known to common people, but it does deserve this current ranking or higher...
Graphics: One of the best. They're pretty unique and have a movie-like quality, especially in battle scenes, where dirt, smoke, blasts, and sparks fly all over the place, just like in an RPG game during special move cinematics. In short, it's like fireworks -- bright, colorful, and awesome!
Story: One word -- unique! You wouldn't imagine a guitar / bass guitar-wielding vesper-riding chick searching a galactic pirate thingy in the head (more of a bump) of a kid. FLCL's got romance, action, some sexy things, and intriguing mystery. One crazy story, this is!
Music: No problem with that since they play J-rock music in the background. As for the sounds in general, the anime's all covered. An anime this good deserves good sounds.
Overall: A great anime worth watching, and the only bad thing is... it's short. "I WANT MORE FLCL." A sequel could be good (a series or movie would do).
Posted by : Terentius
Posted on : 2008-06-29
Time and time again, FLCL crops up as one of those truly bizarre works of art that has to be seen by any self-regarding anime fan. There is a good reason why! Review based on Geneon DVD release.
Animation
Quirky, bizarre, weird, unique, and eccentric. Those were the words I used to describe what I had seen in FLCL. That’s not to say it was of a poor quality, far from it. It took some getting used to and for fans who are used to more conventional forms of anime, this was a complete surprise. It took great courage from the animators to produce something like this, and, to their immense credit, they succeeded. The unusual character designs were from the legendary Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, the man responsible for some of my all-time favourite works such as "EVA" and "The Wings of Honneamise". As expected from a man who was one of the founding fathers of GAINAX, he delivered the goods on show. It isn’t to everyone’s tastes, but for me, I thoroughly enjoyed something visually ‘different’.
Story
Now this is the one area of the series that polarized me. On the one hand, it was incredibly original and entertaining. On the other, it was perhaps too weird for its own good, with confusing plots and twists. This is one of the very few shows where I needed multiple viewings to understand the vague complexities of the story. Overall, though, I find FLCL’s story to be an extremely intelligent and witty show that would appeal to the inner stand-up comedian in us all.
Characters
FLCL’s eclectic mix of characters was what really brought the show to life. Their bizarre idiosyncrasies, tidbits of humor, and all-around wackiness were what brought the show to life. The one (minor) problem I had was the apparent lack of development. You see them as these funny and strange characters, but aside from that, the show doesn’t really take them onto the next level except for the odd scene or conversation where we see sporadic glimpses into their persona. It is like seeing a trailer for the summer’s biggest blockbuster, but not the main feature. I suppose if the show was perhaps an expanded 12-13 episodes instead of its 6, then this exposition would have happened. Unfortunately this wasn’t the case. Aside from this little nitpick, they were fantastic.
Music/Sound
Again, the score was eclectic and varied. I enjoyed all the songs used by The Pillows and they most certainly complemented the overall uniqueness of FLCL. The Japanese and English dubs were both good overall and I had the habit of switching regularly between the two.
Summary
This took a while for me to fully appreciate it. I was not impressed in the slightest after the first episode. After enduring to the very end, I felt compelled to watch it again. I would strongly recommend multiple viewings of FLCL for this very reason. The complex humour and intricate plots all require a second or even third glance.
Overall, I would have awarded a perfect score. The reason it lost out were the faults outlined above. Aside from that, this is indeed a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED show that everyone should watch once (preferably twice!).
Posted by : mstice
Posted on : 2008-02-29
FLCL is one of weirdest anime of all time. I also think it’s one of the best. It’s almost a relief that it’s so short, because you need to watch at least three times to really catch most of what’s going on. I can’t say exactly how many times I watched it before I stopped seeing and realizing new things, but it would have to be at least six or seven, maybe more. Anyway, here’s my review.
Music 10/10- This is the only anime whose OST I actually listen to. I’ll admit I’m an indie kid, but even as indie goes The Pillows are good. And the songs are used perfectly. Only with Cowboy Bebop has the music ever sucked me into the scene so much. Usually I just expect a soundtrack to complement the action and provide a good filler when needed. This show actually has you nodding your head to the music.
Animation 10/10- Incredible scenery, well drawn characters, and explosive action. Absolutely spectacular animation that, like all aspects of the show, never takes itself too seriously. They also spoof the animation of other popular shows, the most easily recognizable being the scene drawn in South Park style. I also love the amount of tiny, random, fun details thrown into the show throughout, which is part of makes you want to watch the show again and again until you find them all.
Characters 10/10- Each character is complex, interesting, original and instantly likable. The degree to which they managed real character development and evolution in such a short time frame is nothing short of remarkable. In six episodes you feel like you know the characters as much as at the end of any full length series. What’s more is that you also know that you don’t know everything yet and that each person could surprise you at any time. Outstanding stuff.
Plot 10/10- Here’s the thing: I like weird. I realize that some people don’t, but the complexity and originality is still something undeniably great. Like any good anime that involves reality or worlds outside of our own, the more we learned the more we discovered that there was more to learn, and that the alternate world/reality is every bit as tremendous and complex as our own. Once again, like with character development, this is all managed in six shows, which speaks volumes of the talent of those involved in FLCL’s creation.
This is very probably my favorite anime of all time. It’s a 10/10. Not a 9.5/10, not a 9.9/10, a perfect 10.
Posted by : jajajajaja07
Posted on : 2008-01-24
For a very short series they did a very great job; wish that it were a little longer though (the length of the series has nothing to do with the score i gave it btw).
The plot was Very creative; A young boy named Naota, who usually lives a peaceful life gets mixed up in with an extraterrestrial named Haruhara Haruko, who runs Naota over with her Vespa scooter and hits him on the head with a Rickenbacker bass guitar. The impact on his head leaves more than a bump, to say the least.
Also, it is later revealed that due to meeting and becoming associated with Haruko, he gets mixed up in a power struggle between Haruko, Amarao (Commander of a human military) and Medical Mechanica (an extraterrestrial Terrorist Organization).
There is more to the plot of FLCL, and it amazing how they fit it all in 6 episodes. What's even more amazing is that it didn't feel rushed to me; The pacing of the story was fairly quick, and remained constant. Never a dull moment.
I do think that this series has potential to have more episodes, definitely. The plot just seems unfinished (I really want to know how Haruko's search goes, or what happens to that Naota after), but nevertheless, the plot is great as it is.
The characters are incredibly developed, considering that this series is so short. Some of the characters are all over the top, but they don't feel out of place in their over the top story. There are so many fascinating characters, it's hard not to grow attached to them and to empathize with their different situations.
The animation is Way above standard; every scene has high-quality animation (except the scenes where they use those manga pages of course). In addition, the designs for the many characters, scenes, buildings, etc are very creative.
So overall, a very enjoyable series; incredibly creative, though short. I was thinking of giving this a 9, but now that I've finished typing this review, and I'm able to read my thoughts on this screen, this series really deserves a 10.
Posted by : bugmenot02
Posted on : 2007-10-13
One of the greatest animes ever and of the strangest. If you pay attention the last episode might actually let you understand what has been going on all this time but only for some. Full of symbolism(some of it extremely complex), much of it sexual. Full of catchy songs by The Pillows. The basic plot:robots come out of a guys head, growing up metaphors, a love triangle between a twelve year old boy, a possible 19 year old alien and the boy's brother's 17 year old ex-girlfriend who is slightly crazy and has lots of problems. Breaks the 4th wall many times. Just ridiculously weird and cool.
Posted by : Objectivist
Posted on : 2007-08-04
An excellent anime. And just as titles like Neon Genesis Evangelion and Ghost in the Shell, was targeted at intellectual audiences. When this series dropped in America on Adult Swim I was instantly taken in with the fresh animation it provided compared to other TV series that were on at the time. It provided a nice mix of bright and colorful tones at times, and dark deep tones at others. I also enjoyed how the entire series was synchronized with the music from the pillows.
After watching the series in Japanese (subbed) I began to notice the complexity of the series. I loved how vague and elusive the series was in conveying the plot of the series too, and therein lies my true love for this series: the fact that its designed to make the viewer work to fully enjoy it.
I deducted half a star because I didn't care too much for the sequences in which the animation changed to crap (intentionally)
Posted by : SuperSteveSlider
Posted on : 2007-07-24
This had to be the most confusing anime I have ever seen. I mean this story switched between giant robot fights and nazi battle scenes. The only continuing point of the story was that no one seemed to know what Fooly Cooly meant. But nevertheless the story was hilarious with just the right amount of random sexual tension and outright hilarious moments.
Even thought this is a great anime and the most hilarious show I have ever seen, the reason it missed a perfect 10 was that the story never seemed to make sense. Maybe this was on purpose or maybe I just dont get these things but that is the only flaw that I can see with the story. So overall this is a great anime and if you enjoy nazi jokes and fights with guitars then I would say to watch this show right away.
Posted by : KUAnime08
Posted on : 2007-07-18
I think what needs to be understood about FLCL is that the most enjoyable part of the anime is simply that it is amazingly random. There are alot of things that happen throughout the anime that you just go WHY IN THE HECK?! But after getting over the shock of Naota getting slammed in the head with a guitar by Haruko, you just have to laugh at the craziness of the program.
There is a storyline underlying it.......I think. I think I will have to watch it a few more times before I get any inkling of what that might be. Who needs a real complex story to laugh?
The characters do get developed to some extent. Mamimi is especially interesting. There isn't that much though seeing as this series is only six episodes.
One recommendation though if you want to watch it and you don't speak Japanese.....watch it in English. It is impossible to follow the subtitles fast enough and all the action going on on the screen to make any sense out of quite a few of the scenes. I originally watched it in Japanese and have just rewatched in English and it is way better the second go around.
The animation quality is not that great, but it is good enough. I love slick animation, but it really isn't necessary for enjoyment.
Posted by : shinigami83
Posted on : 2007-07-10
I watched this anime because many people have given it high score, but after watching it, I don't understand why so many people are fascinated by it. I decided to see all 6 episodes, but in the end I was very disappointed!!!
I didn't understand the story and absolutely didn't like the music and anime form. The characters were underdeveloped.
Posted by : redcap
Posted on : 2007-06-12
FLCL is a comedy, romance, adventure, and sci-fiction. The story plot is very confusing at first. A woman named Haruko claims that she's an alien and comes to this small town where Naota, the main character, lives. The way the author drew these characters are to emphasize the craziness and show funny lifestyles these people have. But the author also awes people by showing dramatic scenes such as Naota on the hill at the end with a guitar. Just like typical animes, Naota is trying to decide among three girls. One of them is Haruko, the other is Mamami who used to be Naota's brother's girlfriend, and Eri who is Naota's classmate. The craziness happens when the robot maid and Naota fuse and fight the monsters. Haruko is one crazy girl that makes everything funny. She is outgoing, cool, wild and sexy in a way? Naota is a normal kid who likes baseball. There's nothing special about him because he's short and has no life. My favorite song is Funny Bunny. It gets you pumped up and makes you feel you can do anything. Although the story plot was confusing and interesting at the same time, it would've been better if there were more episodes to allow people to comprehend better. It's one of those stories that makes you think. Perfect anime to watch when you are bored to death.
Posted by : du5k
Posted on : 2007-04-21
FLCL is a pretty unique show. It focuses more on the rather unique style it brought out than on the story. Although I’m the kind who focuses on the plot more, it wasn’t really bad as the style is pretty good too. Some anime does have styles like this, but FLCL has really brought the randomness of the style to the extreme.
Plot-wise
Sadly, to me, the story wasn’t good enough. Although it might allow a lot of development for the style of FLCL, I can’t like the story much. The main character’s feelings didn’t really get though to me, and it didn’t amount to anything for the other casts too, despite the many thing they have went through together. So in the end, it just turns out to be some experience/memory for the protagonist.
Story style
Like I’ve said, the main attraction for FLCL is the style. Full of randomness and humor, it (might) keep you laughing all the time (It didn’t for me though). Well, it might make you overlook the storyline, which might probably be good, because if you based the whole series on its style, it would be one of the best out there. It’s just that this style isn’t enough for me to overlook the plot which I don’t really like.
Animation
Considering it came out in 2000, it can be said to be a pretty old show already. But the animation can be said to be pretty good. Some "3d" animation, slow camera movement, etc. Some rather unique scenes (like using manga) are used with the randomness.
Music and sounds
Rather nice BGM and ED. The VAs are really good, especially that of the female casts.
Overall
It’s a popular choice for people because it’s full of wackiness and stuff like that, but if you’re like me who take storyline very seriously, you might not appreciate it like others do. It might still be a pretty nice watch though.
|
|
|
|
|
There are currently, 234 guest(s) and 11 member(s) that are online.
You are Anonymous user. You can register for free by clicking here
|
|
|
|
|
