FLCL

(Mild SPOILER warning just in case =).

FLCL, more than ever on this rewatch, hit me as one of those "nostalgic for a time you never lived through" type of shows. I could already picture myself, if I was born 20 years earlier or something, sitting late at night, watching this on Toonami or on DVD, and having my mind knocked out of my skull with how energetic and even passionate this OVA is. It has that aura of going back to a "simpler time" when you didn't have any huge problems to complain about. At least, until the teen years start kicking in.

Amidst all the kookiness and unforgiving anime-ness, every episode has at least one solid scene of youngsters laying around, waxing poetic about their lives. Chief among them being Naota, an apathetic, chip-on-his-shoulder kid who on the surface, wishes to stay in his average, uneventful life, but can't help but give into the zaniness a little when the older, pink-haired Haruko waltzes into his life on a vespa. That scene of her crashing into him, followed by a beautiful camera spin around Mamimi as Haruko leans for the kiss will never not be satisfying to me. Throughout the OVA, it's clear he's annoyed at the craziness, but still resents the mundane. With his brother away and ex-girlfriend trying to fill her void, he wanders around, unsure of what to make of his more adult-oriented life, even though the Flclimax declares he still has to accept the fact he's a kid. Haruko likely represents the raunchy, the obscene, and the new that puberty offers, that as soon as he's whacked by her, unsubtle horny tech starts emerging from his head whenever his emotions run wild. The most effective/my favorite being the gun cocking when he starts getting cocky (pun not intended). While the story beats are scattershot, it gives you everything you need to know to piece together, through the jaded but still witty, brazen, dialogue. Not that it's without its scenes that clearly exist to give the audience some cheers (Haruko's Daicon bunny girl getup).

Even when it does get unapologetically full of itself in terms of story (regarding Atomsk, Medical Mechanica and whatnot), it never once takes away from that feeling of brashness that plays into Naota juggling between giving into the wackiness, or returning to the average. It's like FLCL openly questions its own non-logical aesthetic and actually has it play into the climax, the results being pretty bittersweet. Naota's final choice of moving on from Haruko-though not without giving her a quick kiss showing he'll never forget her-has him come full circle, as he accepts his remaining, unassuming but still worthwhile childhood, even as middle school comes around. At least he's still got his friends. And as Haruko rides off into space during the final credits, I couldn't help but feel a tad down that the fun had to end. You got to know these characters for only over 2 hours and you already have to move on from them. From experience, middle school is where the REAL shake-ups begin, so I could only look at Naota in his new uniform with a sense of "good luck out there kid." Or who knows, maybe he'll take it on like a champ. I mean, he did have literal robots bust through his head, so I guess you've seen everything at that point. While it may suck knowing you can never truly go back to being an innocent kid as you hit adulthood, I guess you should still feel blessed you at least had the chance to have some simple fun at ALL. There's some solace I find in that, even as you have to let things go. "You had a good run, now it's time to move on."

But then of course, there's FLCL's signature aesthetic. From the sweet rock 'n' roll, sugar-rush animation, to references and meta jokes being thrown left and right (showcasing Gainax's geek upbringing); it's all still as thrashy and imagination-inspiring as ever, that captures the energy that only youth can bring out. Every robot of the week gets axed in a grand, spectacular but still intimate (due to the characters) fashion, making you want to rewind the scenes to watch what little details you missed. Even down to art style changes that keep the show's young and wild energy alive. Episode 2 has some shots that reminded me of "Kid's Story" from the Animatrix of all things, Episode 1 and 6 had their famous manga panel scenes, and my favorite of course being episode 5's shoutout to Trey & Matt. The episodes play out almost like music videos, as you have these distinct characters engaging in their antics against each other, all at the same time. Making for frenzied but still smooth pacing. All while sick backbeat rock blares in the background. Even in the slower scenes, I feel the blaring music adds to the urgency of how these kids take in the world. Like when you lay on your bed alone at home, blast some Fig Dish through your earphones, and kill time. There's nothing necessarily world-threatening going on, but it's your way of lashing out inside.

On my first viewing back in March, I didn't quite connect with the FLCL's whole "coming of age" label I kept seeing plastered on it. Not that its themes of puberty, adult and childhood and such were lost on me, and I did appreciate how earnest it all was. It was just that I was too drawn into the style and flashiness to really look deeper into the characters and said themes, which was why I've had this rewatch on the to-do list the minute I first finished it. I'm glad it clicked a bit better, but I still wouldn't say all the themes are executed flawlessly, mostly as it does teeter on being pretentious at times (usually with Mamimi), but what helps is you can still tell the crew are self-aware enough to know these kids' angst is supposed to be jaded. It's a cluster of emotions brought to life by a team of animators who have a clear love for their interests, and aims at making the journey of adolescence YELL.

With a real "method to its madness," FLCL remains a seminal little OVA that succeeds in its flashy, passionate imagination, as well as its mature youth. And you can't really have one without the other. A must watch for anyone who wants a taste of anime. Best conditions to watch it in are towards nighttime while you chug on some Gatorade.

Owning a doubleneck SG bass+Flying V would be rad.

Songs of the day: "All Better Now" by Triple Fast Action, and "Central Standard Time" by AM Taxi (Chicago bands are goated).