It has been a week now since I finished FLCL, and I thought I would write a short reflection on the series' (past) reception and how I struggled to connect with it.Most of the highest rated reviews for this series are from around 2005-2007, and I think at that time FLCL was refreshing for viewers. It combined vivid artistic expression that hinged upon bright colors and urban backdrops with an engaging soundtrack to produce an ambiguous narrative that challenged the mores of Japanese animation at the time. In short then, the series success relied, and still relies, largely upon its visual/audial components. However watching this series now, in 2018, FLCL doesn't manage to pack that unique punch it once did. Instead, it acts as little more than a foreshadowing of what was to come. To be brief but a bit more specific, FLCL does contain a message and has themes/motifs imbued within its characters, their environments, and even in its audio - but the issue is that none of the aforementioned are ever truly developed. The six-episode series is never able to achieve more than being an ephemeral burst of color and sound which careens into an abrupt end. Which, for me, is simply not enough. What makes a series successful and allows its viewership to revisit it again and again is its depth. To that end, I would recommend that those who appreciate Japanese animation and its rich visual tradition to watch this. However, I would do so with realistic expectations.

I like surreal experimental films and animes. I don't mind when it's bizzare or even incohrrent as long as it got a point. Now this anime is bizzare and it does got a point but it is also disgusting and gives so many wrong messages. This must be the kind of anime that makes many people hate anime, over sexualized girls all over being extremely teasing with nonsensical plot and visuals. The sad thing is the creativity behind this anime is huge with amazing animation and so many creative ways (even though silly) to showcase the symbolisms. The story is about the coming of age story of Naota and everything else is his sexual growth it's problems and the woman involved. Now the anime is already pretty nonsensical with the other story arc of the alien girl who uses this boy as portal to bring robots to use them against an alien corporation. But the problem is this non coherent anime got only one thing that makes sense to everyone, it's about how a 12 year old boy is manipulated and used by 3 girls among them 2 older girls and one of them adult, along with a horny father in the house it's always about sex. A sex comedy about a 12 year old boy is not ok. It's ok to show a 12 year olds sexuality and sexual awakening, it's even ok if it is sometimes comical but this show is just atrocious in that aspect. The boy is completely manipulated by girls. At the beginning he's manipulated by the 17 year old girl who was his brother's ex girlfriend and she uses him for her pleasures even if it's not so extreme. Then the alien girl comes and starts manipulating him and he totally falls for it, even at the ending when he could have been better off he's still not out of it. In the middle of the anime the whole sex and death thing with the father is too weird and even after that the boy falls for that girl. All these problems are secondary because it's almost impossible to figure out all this. The biggest problem is while figuring out what's happening one would assume to get something out of it but not something so disgusting, disturbing and appalling. The amount of phallic symbols used in this and the use of cultural references for sexual awakening would be enough to think they aren't symbols anymore. It's almost like pro pedophile.

To start my review off I will start by say I had no idea what this anime was until I recently found Season 2 (Progressive) and Season 3 (Alternative) were announced. So I thought if I want to watch those I need to watch season 1. This is a very good anime all thing considered. I can see how Teen Titans (Original) got its inspiration. At first though I found it weird that a robot was coming out of a noggin but later on I got used it.What I really find beautiful about this anime is the message behind it and the responsibilities of growing up. My only dislike of the story was the love relationship between Haruko and Naota because Haruto is like 21 and Noata is around 10-12, I know its an anime , but a love romantic relationship between a child and an adult absolutely sickness me. However, that was only drawback but they could have explained what exactly is Haruko and her origin. But Kari Wahlgren did a good job voicing her even though the actual character was annoying.Once when my watch list is free I can't wait to check out season 2. However I hope they bring back some characters from season.If you want an anime which is really mature and is robot associated I would recommend FLCL.

FLCL is a Japanese animated show that has no real plot to truly speak of. I mean there is of course a plot but that is no the real draw of FLCL, really that honor belongs to the animation and the characters of FLCL. The animation to this show is absurdly good. Like much better than an anime television show usually is. To put that more into context; anime is well known for using pretty much every trick in the book to use as little actual animation as possible to work on a bare bones budget and incredibly constrained time-hacks. FLCL does not do that. It is animated like a strange dream, fluid and beautiful in a way that just doesn't happen normally. Its a joy to watch. The characters are all interesting and act much differently than most other characters in traditional entertainment as they really don't seem to act on a certain drive to achieve some goal, instead they all just act upon feeling. Excitement, Loneliness, lust, anger, they just live how they feel and with animation backing them up their emotion can be sowed into their very reality with art style change or visual gags impossible to achieve in live-action. I would recommend this with a warning that since the show is about following emotion instead of logic I would like to acknowledge that this will turn a lot of people off the show, but I loved my time with it.