FLCL is the undisputed original goat

FLCL Progressive is an alternative in progress

FLCL Alternative is definitely a distinct alternative

Progressive and Alternative having the same director gave me a lot of expectations that I would be given more or less the same experience of a somewhat entertaining knock off of the original. That was the experience that I got from progressive initially; I did felt at some times I was getting a generic copy of the same formula of the original when I was watching Progressive but the overall direction changed, probably due to Progressive’s director’s (Katsuyuki Motohiro) inability to imitate Kazuya Tsurumaki’s chaotic yet nuance approach to emotional story telling. Motohiro decided to take Alternative towards a more ‘traditional’ plot structure. This is even more evident in Alternative as there is a more heavy focus on character story telling focusing on Kana (the main character) and three of her friends.

There is definitely a better emphasis on character writing rather than using them as narrative and thematic tools like the previous ones (especially the original). Kana and her group of friends were more fleshed out and gets more center stage in the structure of the series. Our favorite pink haired alien makes a return again styling a fresh new hairstyle but this time she is not the one taking the spotlight in the series, she plays more of a supporting character. Her motivations this time seems to be unclear until the end and this time seems more helpful and caring towards the teenagers despite still using them to achieve her goal.

Alternative was a huge departure from the chaotic surrealism of the original and I felt Motohiro really got more confident in his style and took the direction into his own way. In Alternative we are given more a more character and plot driven narrative that actually works towards an explosive finale that encompasses all the build up in the first 5 episodes. The original and Progressive does the same to a certain extent where they build up several nuances of narratives and character moments towards a climatic crescendo. For the first two there are several side plots that vaguely serves that purpose in exploring the themes that is relevant for the climax and the overall narrative. However Alternative was never indirect and vague about its story telling, every event that involves Kana directly builds up towards the finale. The subject of coming of age is definitely in the DNA of the FLCL franchise and Progressive gave a less nuanced approach compared to the original, and Alternative certainly have no nuances about its approach. Kana literally screams out her regrets and emotions standing on a car, there is zero nuance, its cheesy, but its just a visceral cry of emotion that breaks any resistance of critical thinking, everything she spoke cuts me somewhere as I remember exactly how I felt when I was a confused young adult struggling with those immature feelings. From all of the FLCL series so far, Alternative is the best; its explosive, its visceral, its direct, and it builds up directly from the first five episodes.

The FLCL franchise in essence is a coming of age genre and for the most part the narratives and themes explored about the confusing feelings of adolescence was nuanced and vague. I definitely sensed and felt those emotions and they do spoke to me on a subconscious level. But Alternative stops beating around the bush, the subtleties are thrown out the window and these emotions spoke to me directly. Sometimes the best approach is the direct approach. And that is why I love Alternative.