FLCL (2000) (V)

Director:

Kazuya Tsurumaki

Writer:

Yoji Enokido (writer)

Genre:

Animation | Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Plot:

A 12-year old boy named Naota one day meets a strange woman, riding a Vespa and wielding a big guitar. As soon as she appears, mysterious things start happening.

Plot Keywords:

Vespa | Guitar | Entire Title Is Capitalized Acronym | Sex | Father Son Relationship

Awards:

1 win

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Mar. 28	2:30 AM	TOON
Sun. Apr. 4	2:30 AM	TOON

Cast

Jun Mizuki	...	Naota Nandaba, Takkun the Cat (voice)
Mayumi Shintani	...	Haruko Haruhara (voice)
Izumi Kasagi	...	Mamimi Samejima (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Steve Blum	...	Miyu Miyu, Masashi (voice: English version) (as David Lucas)
Chiemi Chiba	...	Kitsurubami
Melissa Fahn	...	Eri Ninamori (voice: English version) (as Heather Lee Joelson)
Yukari Fukui	...	Junko "Miya-Jun" Miyaji (voice)
Barbara Goodson	...	Naota Nandaba (voice: English version)
Hiroshi Ito	...	Shigekuni Nandaba (voice)
Mika Itô	...	Eri Ninamori (voice)
R. Martin Klein	...	Saku, Additional Voices (voice: English version) (as Bob Marx)
Steve Kramer	...	Shigekuni Nandaba, Train Announcer, Martians Baseball Player, Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Dave Mallow	...	Amarao (voice: English version)
Joe Martin	...	Kamon Nandaba (voice: English version)
Suzuki Matsuo	...	Kamon Nandaba (voice)
Chris McDougall	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Akira Miyashima	...	Gaku (voice)
Tara Murphy	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Kôichi Ôkura	...	Amarao (voice)
Ryan Ragland	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Luis Reyes	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Stephanie Sheh	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Jessica Straus	...	Junko Miyaji (voice: English version) (as Jessica Stenuis)
Kazuhito Suzuki	...	Masashi (voice)
Mark Takeuchi	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Rick Tetzlaff	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
L. Villa	...	Kitsurubami (voice: English version)
Kari Wahlgren	...	Haruko Haruhara (voice: English version)
Maggie Weidner	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Yuriko Yamaguchi	...	Ninamori's Secretary (voice: English version)
Shizuki Yamashita	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Agnes Yoshida	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Hideaki Anno	...	Miyu Miyu (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Kazuya Tsurumaki

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Yoji Enokido		writer

Produced by
Sato Hiroki	....	producer: Gainax
Nishizawa Masatomo	....	producer: Production IG
Toshimichi Otsuki	....	executive producer
Stephanie Sheh	....	producer (English dub)
Maki Terashima-Furuta	....	executive producer (english version)
Hideki Uchino	....	executive producer (English dub)
Shizuki Yamashita	....	producer (English dub)

Original Music by
Shinkichi Mitsumune
The Pillows

Art Direction by
Hiromasa Ogura

Sound Department
Matarou Misawa	....	percussion recordist
Yasuharu Nakanishi	....	sound recordist: piano
Takuo Yamamoto	....	sound recordist: sax

Visual Effects by
Tsukasa Kakizakai	....	2D works
Yauhiro Kamikura	....	2D works
Kaoru Matsumoto	....	3D animator
Masanori Nakadai	....	2D works
Shôhei Sotoyama	....	2D works
Yoshimasa Yamazaki	....	3D animator

Animation Department
Toshio Ishizaki	....	animator (as Sushio)

Music Department
Tomohiko Aoki	....	musician: bass
Takashi Asahi	....	musician: flute
Hiroshi Imaizumi	....	musician: guitar
Maki Kamiya	....	song recordist
Tatsuya Kashima	....	music arranger
Yoshiaki Manabe	....	musician: guitar
Atsuo Ohkubo	....	musician: drums
Shinichiro Sato	....	musician: drums
Sawao Yamanaka	....	musician: guitar
Zin Yoshida	....	music arranger

Other crew
Marc Handler	....	adr director
Marc Handler	....	adr script
Masahiko Ôtsuka	....	technical director (episodes 1, 4 and 6)
Shôji Saeki	....	technical director (episodes 3 and 5)

Production Companies

• Gainax
• Production I.G.
• Synch-Point

Distributors

• Broccoli International USA Inc.
• FUNimation Entertainment (2010) (USA) (all media)
• Selecta Vision

Other Companies

• Anime Sound Production  sound effects
• Bee Train  in-between animation
• Gainax  in-between animation
• Gainax  planning
• Half H-P Studio  recording studio
• Half H-P Studio  sound post-production
• Production I.G.  in-between animation
• Production I.G.  planning
• Star Child Recording  soundtrack
• Studio Theta  in-between animation

Also Known As:

"Fooly Cooly" - USA

Runtime:

30 min (6 episodes)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Spain:15 | Canada:18A | Australia:M | USA:TV-14 (cut version) | USA:TV-MA | UK:12

Company:

Gainax

Trivia:

Director Kazuya Tsurumaki personally oversaw the English dub in America. He was very insistent that the voice actors/actresses from the English dub had the same "essence" as the Japanese actors/actresses. He said he was very pleased with the characters for the English dub, and was especially pleased with voice actress Kari Wahlgren's Haruko.

Goofs:

Continuity: The Haruko's bracelet, is attached to her left arm. But in the manga scene, it appears on her right hand.

Quotes:

Eri Ninamori: They're fake.

Movie Connections:

References "Oruchuban Ebichu" (1999)

Animation unlike any you have seen before

I don't give out high grades to just anything, and I've watched an enormous amount of animation, both US, European and Asian. That being said, FLCL is the most interesting, eye-catching and exciting animation I've ever seen.

It's always difficult to capture a masterpiece in words. Instead of even attempting this, I'll just say what's already been said: The anime is incredibly hard to follow - some would say that it's full of infinitely deep philosophical implications, others would say it's just nuts. I for one have watched it many, many times, and can safely say that it IS coherent... but also very complex. It's like a lighthearted David Lynch anime.

The animation in itself is stunningly beautiful, both the visual- and sound-side. The vast amount of locations, characters, difficult angles and huge total-shots is more awesome than many top-level animated movies. As for the soundtrack, there has been released almost two hours of fabulous, original music for this series, despite that it is only 6x25=150 minutes long! That almost makes it a 6-episode music video, and still they pull it off.

There aren't any cons to this anime. It may be a bit much for the uninitiated or casual watcher, but just watching it, without really following it is a magnificent journey in it self. The voice acting, the character design, the setting, everything just comes together to form an anime unlike any you have seen before.