Fully Cooly

Written by Martin on April 9, 2008

Long story short, this 6 episode anime series blew my mind. People new to anime may find FLCL overwhelming but it is nevertheless one to put at the top of your list. I often scan sites such as AnimeNewsNetwork for high rated series but FLCL somehow always slipped through.

FLCL—also known as ‘Fooly Cooly’ or ‘Furi Kuri’—is a story about adulthood, however not at all told using conventional concepts. The story starts off with a strange encounter between the somewhat cynical 6th grade boy “Naota” and “Haruko”, a strange girl swinging a Rickenbacker guitar and riding a Vespa. What follows it downright weird, but almost solely experienced as such by you, the viewer.

The series is short, fast paced, and often immerses you in completely bizarre scenes. Rather than being negative aspects, these actually contribute to the whole and build on a strong foundation of a beautiful animation style and an uplifting soundtrack.

FLCL is, regardless of its appearance, definitely a sophisticated series and should appeal to anyone who is looking for unconventional storytelling. Check out the trailer, but don’t cast it aside until you’ve seen at least the first two episodes.