|
|
A year or so ago MVM admitted that they'd had the chance to
license this series and turned it down. However, it seems that the
response from fans has made them think again, and now the excellent FLCL hits
our shores for the first time. |
Well, if there was ever one series that was hard to categorise, this is it. It starts off like a strange teen drama, and then within a few minutes it turns into a comedy. It then has action, twisted romance, sci-fi and fantasy elements and even a dash of horror. After just two episodes you'll feel like your brain's been turned to cheese, it's fast paced and surreal as hell, changing animation style frequently - at one point it even becomes a comic strip. The characters are all a bit...strange, whether the creepy and insecure Mamimi, the otherworldly and over-the-top Haruka or the sullen Naota. The series has robots, a Vespa, a woman who |
|
|
uses a Rickenbacker bass guitar as a weapon, strange horns, and a giant factory that looks like an iron. And as for the story, errr... well, it's different that's for sure.
The episodes at the moment are near enough standalone, there's not really an
overarching story apart from the fact that Haruka seems to be searching for
someone or something. The first episode deals with Haruka's arrival and
the effect it has on Naota, which cumulates with robots coming out of his head
and having a fight. The second episode deals more with Mamimi and her
obsession with a firestarting game and Naota's new robot manservant who she
believes is the game's lead character Cantide. Is she linked to the arson
attacks occurring throughout the town? And what will Naota do when another
robot appears? The first episode effectively introduces you to the
characters and sets the scene, but the second episode delves more in Mamimi's
character and into the past. It's interesting that both episodes manage to
get across a lot of detail about the characters without actually telling you
much, it hints at things and leaves you fill in the gaps, and this works
surprisingly well. |
|
|
Whatever the creators were on when they came up with this series probably isn't available on prescription. However, whilst the ideas, story and structure of the series may be bonkers, the execution most certainly isn't. The animation, art and sheer imagination is sublime, although the series is a bit older than most recent UK anime releases it is also one of the best looking. Designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto's style shines through on every character and the sheer inventiveness of some of the animation, particularly when it flips into CGI, is breathtaking. Some of the imagery, such as Mamimi looking over a railing smoking |
|
her 'Never Knows Best' cigarettes or the robot standoff on top of the bridge in the first episode, stick in the mind like glue. It's amazingly cool, and the brilliant indie rock soundtrack from Japanese band The Pillows is the perfect accompaniment to the visuals. The English voice acting is also remarkably good, with many characters (for once) sounding quite similar to the Japanese counterparts. But whilst it's an amazing demonstration of visual flair, surrealism and sheer coolness, there is still the drawback that there are only two episodes on this disc. Both episodes are brilliant, and at least it's not as bad as the Japanese release (1 episode per disc!), but nowadays people expect more value for money. MVM try to make up the balance by adding a shedload of extras, and this coupled with the sheer quality of the anime on show is the only reason it's getting five stars and not four. The thing is that despite having only two 25 minute episodes on it, FLCL vol 1 packs in enough to fill two hours, both episodes on offer are excellent and there's a huge amount of re-watch value too. Uniqueness is a rare commodity nowadays and FLCL has it in droves. In my opinion this is an absolutely essential purchase. Extras Plenty of stuff on offer here, as well as the usual clean ending sequences and trailers there's a Japanese music video for the Pillows song Ride on a Shooting Star, character profiles, a gallery, a Japanese promo video advertising the DVD and the Japanese version of the end sequence. Which is the same as the usual end sequence, just with Japanese text. Pointless! However, the best thing on offer is a full commentary for both episodes by director Kazuya Tsurumaki, which offers an intriguing insight into the series. Great stuff. Ratings Feature:
|
