FLCL

In just six episodes FLCL managed to entice me. Warning, there will be spoilers in this review!

FLCL storms straight ahead and doesn't slow down for a single second. The pace of this show was unbelievable, yet it worked to its benefit. Not giving you enough time to think just makes this show so much more fun. They throw random shit at you like breaking the 4th wall, then immediately go back to doing the wack shenanigans they were in the middle of. This show breathes fun. The animation style, the voice acting, the character dialogue, all of it just sucks you into its grasp and refuses to let you leave until you get to the last second of the last episode.

I loved every moment Haruko had on screen. Haruko's character has a charm that sucks you in. From the moment she entered the story it was fun, and thankfully she joined the series extremely early.
Haruko slamming her bike into Naoto as an entrance into the series had me bursting into laughter. The dialogue following was some of the funniest I've ever seen, and the wacky animation helped solidify it as one of all time favorite character entrances. It also led to one of the greatest memes ever.

FLCL relies on its craziness to make you love it. There are tons of examples to give. Just a few include the absolutely bonkers manga panel scenes, the bumbly and vibrant fight scenes, and the insane concept that machines and instruments come out of Naoto's head.

I don't think you can classify FLCL as a fighting anime, but the fights in it might be my favorite party about it. The fights were so hectic, whether they were over a serious issue such as preventing Haruko from destroying the planet, or if the characters were just having fun like when they were using fake guns in the field.

FLCL is a series you shouldn't think too much about while watching. The story at the end of the day doesn't make much sense. All we really get is that Haruko is an alien looking to revive Atomsk and Naoto is the key to doing that. Naoto loves Haruko and at the end decides to revive Atomsk but send him flying into space so Haruko can't fulfill her wish. Haruko leaves and we never see her again. There are plot holes but FLCL isn't a story reliant anime, its a character driven one.

All of the FLCL characters are loveable. They are all hilarious and enjoyable in their own ways. There wasn't a single character I thought of as annoying in the short six episode watch.

At the end of the day FLCL shouldn't be looked into too deeply. Yes there are themes you can explore under the superficial appearance of the show. A few examples being Mamimi using Naoto as a substitute for his older brother, Naoto's desire to become more mature, and Ninamori's struggle dealing with her parent's strife. However, I think looking into these topics too much ruins the absolute blast you can have watching the show. FLCL doesn't dive into these character's struggles for a reason. Its focus is on having fun rather than focusing on societal or personal issues. I put off watching this show for a very long time. I always thought that it was a thought provoking anime and I couldn't muster the energy to deal with that. However, after reading a review about a week ago about how you shouldn't think too much while watching FLCL I decided to give it a try. Thank you to whoever wrote that review, I cannot express my gratitude enough for introducing me to this masterpiece.