I was just mentioning to my friend earlier today about how I thought I needed to watch FLCL sometime, since we all know how much I love random. After reading this, I now know not to get my hopes up, if I even take the effort to watch it at all. I feel that your review was once again concise and to the point while being descriptive, though it seems like the music section could have recieved a little more attention, whether positive or negative. But overall, good review! :)
FLCL tv Review
Story & Characters
Seemingly random at first, the story is basically much too clouded by symbolism and sexual innuendo. A comely Vespa-riding, and chaos provoking, female alien named Haruko Haruhara comes to Earth, and meets a young teenage boy, Naota Nandaba, who's constantly interrupted by her as he's trying to make it through the trials of grade school. She finds that his head is uniquely capable of serving as a portal which, working much like the theoretical wormhole, allows her to pull thinks from the far reaches of space to the Earth. She first pulls a robot servant out of the top of his cranium. Gearing up for an eventual confrontation with an alien competitor of hers, she winds up staying in his home and sleeping on the bunk bed just above him. Although she certainly attracts quite a bit of attention form Naota's father, inciting the unfortunate boy's jealousy. Haruko continually interferes with the young boy's like and social interactions, making his life almost unbearable. In the end she elicits his unwilling help to stop a collision with the Earth and the small town that Naota calls home, by a huge object which was hurled by her alien opponent. The story finally ends with the boy, having a crush on Haruko, who has been flirting with him all along, only to have her reject taking him away with her, telling him that it's because he's too young.
I only give the story a six because it is extremely cluttered with distractions that make the story haphazard, fatiguing, and difficult to follow.
Rating:
Art
The art is very well done, the characters, the scenes, backgrounds, and the fluid movements of the visual effects. All of the characters have very distinct appearances and attributes. Clouds and other back ground objects move well and add a nice touch to the vistas and views of the town and the giant plant that looks like a giant clothes iron. Use of color is excellent and considerable time was spent, apparently, by the team of artists to make such a compelling visual impression. The artwork is that single element that serves as the strong point of this anime making it worth watching; that's why I allow it a solid nine on this aspect.
Rating:
Sound
The sound effects and the character voices are simply just above average, nothing truly spectacular and the music is only a trifle better than OK, and it doesn't really seem to match the online action but seems to add more to the story line run amok. The sound affects are correctly synchronized with the action so that helps me make a conclusion that on the rating of sound as a whole, it deserves a concrete six.
Rating:
Presentation
The presentation is once again, as the story line, just a bit too confusing as it jumps from one scene to another with little continuity and little to hold it all together in any recognizable semblance of a whole. I believe that the writers flubbed the opportunity to make an outstanding series. Regrettably, following the plot is a struggle, too say the very least and it is probably best for the new viewer of the series not to try and look for a plot but instead just let it deliver itself toward the end by surprise. There are some feeble attempts at humor, like the police detective, Kitsurubami, who is investigating Haruko. He has glued on rectangular black eyebrows that annoy and seem to confuse other characters, especially his female assistant. Each episode has many such failed pokes at provoking a laugh but they just never quite did it for me, however, others may disagree. I only give a four in the regard of presentation.
Rating:
Final Verdict
5.8333 (average)
Reviewed by Hooyaah, Jun 17, 2011
Comments
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SnickerdoodleNinja Retired Moderator Jun 17, 2011
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angelxxuan Banned Member Jun 17, 2011
well you got to remember this is one of those random upon random anime, there never was nothing more than a moment that wasn't random. I would have probably given it a higher rating but that's how reviews go. nice review, short, sweet and to the point.
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Kittypuncher Jun 18, 2011
This anime is one of the better ones out there. Sure it might be 6 episodes long, sure it might seem off putting, and sure it might not make sense the first time through. Most people would stop and think, "this anime kinda sucked. I didn't get it." I have watched this anime about 10 to 20 times from episode 1-6 and each time I learned something new about it, each time I would find out a little more back story on each character, and each time I would love this anime more and more. This anime will and forever be my favorite anime because they only needed 6 episodes to tell this in depth story that the simple anime watcher could never understand. I disagree with this "6" you gave the story and characters, I disagree with the "6" you gave the sounds of this anime, and the presentation (as I said before) wasn't for the simple anime watcher.
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evelluchia Jun 18, 2011
nice review it makes me want to watch this anime just to see what adventures lie ahead
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Hooyaah Jun 19, 2011
Perhaps I could have been a bit more generous with the points, however, I once had a professor tell me "although you are doing 'A' work I know that you can do better than 'A' work. That's why I am giving you a "B" this semester. I want to see your best efforts." It motivated me to blow his mind the next semester. I saw him near campus not long ago and he recognized me from afar and kindly acknowledged me as he was hurriedly heading somewhere. I could swear that I saw a knowing grin; he knew what he had done for my edification and respected me for having risen to his challenge.
I agree that when you watch the series over and over, one may indeed see more that had been overlooked and the fun of discovery may continue a while longer. Yet, that's not my point, as I stated before, I feel that an opportunity was lost to make this short series into something very exceptional. I wanted to see the best efforts of all involved in its creation. That's why I gave it a mere '6'.
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CyanideBlizzard Retired Moderator Jul 08, 2011
This review was like a breath of fresh air. Bluntly speaking, I have never heard someone criticize FLCL on these aspects to such a degree and for that I think it's wonderful. While I welcomed the chaos, the points you brought up were completely true of the series and, truthfully speaking, are a detraction of the overall quality of it. Personally, I thought the voice work was rather well done for it's time, but in regards for how strong the voice work is today I would certainly think that would be a very accurate score.
Very well written as well and you kept it a perfect length. I can only hope you will be able to write us more reviews, Hoo!
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Hooyaah Jul 10, 2011
^ Thanks CB, fireflywishes did mention that she'd like to read my perspective of Samurai Champloo.
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