Forum - View topicEP. REVIEW: FLCL Progressive
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penguintruth
 Posts: 8461 Location: Penguinopolis |
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I'm uncertain as to how to feel about this first episode. I think I liked it, but it also feels like an episode of a separate anime that just happens to have Haruko and references FLCL instead of being FLCL.
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 11354 |
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"That's right. The real one's finally appearing." Loved that line. Overall though, it didn't grab me, but I didn't hate it either. I like Jinyu a lot. Cool wheels.
Why? Puberty as a period of world-ending angst is a truth for at least some boys and girls of every generation. It doesn't stop being so just because the viewer has become an adult and knows better. If the story is about a kid, it's not ridiculous to make that angst a part of their story, regardless of when it was written or how old you are when seeing it. That the story is largely about that angst doesn't mean the story hasn't aged well. If you think so, it just means you're no longer interested in that story. |
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Top Gun
 Posts: 4575 |
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Yeah, I'm a bit confused as to where the reviewer was going with the claims of the original OVA "showing its age." I worked through the most recent weekly rerun, which had to be at least my two-dozenth time watching the series, and it still felt every bit as fresh and engaging as the first time I laid eyes on it. All of its ridiculous animation cuts and random insanity aside, FLCL's basic story of the confusion and angst that is puberty is every bit as relevant now as it was 15 years ago. I've thought many a time that it does more with its characters in 6 short episodes than most series manage in 26 or more. I'd especially disagree with modern "otaku-aimed anime" having something more profound to say about the teenage condition, considering just how many of them deal with a very artificial type of emotional constipation seemingly designed to placate their socially-stunted audiences. Confusing romantic attractions, sex, "overflowing," that strange tug-of-war between wanting to seem adult while simultaneously clinging onto childhood...that's being a teenager in a nutshell, and FLCL nails it to a tee.
As for this new offering, it's currently sitting unwatched on the DVR, but I'm at least cautiously optimistic about it. I don't expect it to capture lightning in the bottle as the original did, but I'm hoping it'll manage to be entertaining while delivering its own take on the theme. |
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FLCLGainax
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This episode felt like a Gainax show continued by another studio. While it lacks some of the experimental animation that made the original memorable, it stays faithful in terms of storytelling. I hope it gets better from here.
Last edited by FLCLGainax on Sun Jun 03, 2018 10:21 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Scalfin
Posts: 249 |
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This seems like a pretty gross misreading of the scene, as the first was pretty obviously being depicted as a fool who only thought he was fashion forward in much the same way that Ross Perot is said to be what stupid people think smart people sound like and the second was lacking in any sort of courage rather than over-emphasizing the pain someone might feel at being disagreed with. |
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DreamedLint
Posts: 42 |
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I hated this first episode. I was really unhappy they decided to tack an unnecessary sequel onto a fantastic self-contained series when they announced this way back. The biggest challenge facing this series was justifying its own existence and it fails miserably. It doesn't feel like an episode of FLCL. Sure it mimics plenty of iconic FLCL moments, (It's like poetry, so they rhyme) but the aesthetic isn't there, the writing definitely isn't there, and even The Pillows feel misused. It looks bland, pale, and washed out. The dialogue is bad. The conversation around the dude's skirt goes on way past the point it could have remotely been played out. Butch Haruko just explains why MC wears headphones when its pretty obvious. Hidomi's mom calls her a tsundere because we gotta get those anime memes in there. The character writing sucks too. Hidomi is entirely one-dimensional. Episodes of FLCL had these encapsulated themes, and episode 1 had Naota start by refusing to drink the allegorical sour drink and then ending with a bitter swallow. Sure, it's a small step but it's an example of his character demonstrably growing. I can't see how anyone felt we really needed more FLCL when it so great on its own, but now that we're saddled with 12 episodes of this junk I have to wonder if it was really worth it for those people.
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we love lain
Posts: 145 |
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What did you find so egregious about the writing? just some specifics. Completely disagree on your take on the use of pillows music and to an extent, the animation as well. |
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Joshua Zarate
Posts: 2061 |
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Disregarding the rather silly post before the one directly above mine, I came away with this premiere satisfied. It’s currently having a bit of a slow start and other than not having quite the same experimental animation of the original, the story and characters are so far fitting and engaging for the FLCL franchise while also not being just a rehash. It’s similar, but also different in more than one aspect such as the handling of its’ themes and being more straightforward compared to the original and that’s perfectly fine. The dub acting was solid, with it feeling good to hear Kari Wahlgren again, and The Pillows’ music was fun and used quite effectively throughout.
It’s currently just laying the groundwork for future episodes and I’ll be looking forward to seeing what comes next.
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DreamedLint
Posts: 42 |
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I'll elaborate on some examples of writing I didn't like. The conversation with the boys about the dude's skirt just went on too long and wasn't funny. It didn't give me the sense that these were believable yet odd characters, just quirky set decoration. Hidomi's mom says she's doing a tsundere act. This bothered me because its really unoriginal to just meme on anime tropes like that. Shows have been doing it forever, especially between in the last 18 years. Just a really lame dialogue line. Jinyuu (glasses lady with the car, right?) is kinda fulfilling an Amarao role, in the way she coldly belittles the MC and explains some of the goings on. However, she does so by just outright stating the obvious, like how the MC wears headphones to shut the world out. Dialogue in FLCL wasn't always subtle, but I liked how characters would use euphamisms and entendres, the lines stood out, they had poignancy, characterization. Not trying to gush, just specifically pointing out the qualities I find lacking in this episode's dialogue. Most dialogue just seems to exist for quick character establishment or plot progression. The majority of what was engaging about this episode had to do with developing the plot, but to me, FLCL succeeded in telling small stories with the characters and wasn't as focused on driving its main plot. It was ultimately a largely allegorical story. FLCL 2 feels more like a story about warring space factions than a character study, which doesn't suit FLCL. I mentioned how Hidomi isn't characterized well. She doesn't develop, she shows no signs of change from her introduction. Perhaps this wouldn't be such a problem if her character wasn't so one-note. She's quiet, extremely insular, and maybe has daddy issues? (Assuming the "him" her mom referred to was her dad.) Beyond that, she has nothing else going on. She doesn't grow and she isn't really interesting beyond her prophetic dreams, which only serves the plot, not her character. This ties into my complaints about the writing's focus on plot over character. Even Mamimi, who was admitably a somewhat one-track character, was explored thoroughly in the first episode of the original and her obsession with Naota's brother was shown through more than just explanatory dialogue. As for the music, the pillows tracks are all fine. I do need to correct myself in that the way the first track was used in her dream to meld into the diagetic sound of her alarm was really quite clever and I liked that. I just didn't notice them much after. They played for the school scene, but if they had instrumentals elsewhere I didn't notice them. The biggest issue was the obligatory Little Busters at the end, it just felt so unearned. My gripes with the use of music are small though.
Thanks for the shoutout lol. I tried to be thorough in my explanations and avoid hyperbole. I hope you weren't simply offended because I really didn't like the episode and you did. Otherwise, please tell me what I was ignorant of, I don't want to be making mistakes or misremembering things. |
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Chiyosuke
 Posts: 368 |
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I agree with hoping it gets better. I will say I'm pretty vexed that Gainax isn't credited as the the original creator at all. While they may have sold the (remaining) rights to Ishakawa/I.G, I feel they should still have been credited accordingly. |
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Joshua Zarate
Posts: 2061 |
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^Uh, if you looked back at what I typed, I didn’t say ignorant, but silly. I didn’t really feel like you avoided hyperbole and pretty much that was why I even made any remark about it. I would explain why I personally liked the episode the way I did, but the review mostly covers that. I’m just agreeing to disagreeing and I don’t see why you think I’m offended at others having a different opinion than mine. It’s currently early in this installment that is doing things differently that still works, but not everybody will enjoy though. While I understand some not being as grabbed by it than others, I feel like there’s still time for the series to go up from here. Different strokes for different folks, of course.
Last edited by Joshua Zarate on Mon Jun 04, 2018 1:48 am; edited 1 time in total |
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DreamedLint
Posts: 42 |
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My man. You just edited the post. I quoted you. I didn't change what you said, I just shortened it to the relevant portion. But silly, ignorant, whatever you want to call it is fine. I thought there was some actual discrepency with what I said, but if you're just agreeing to disagree then there's no argument to be had so it's cool. |
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Joshua Zarate
Posts: 2061 |
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^I have a bad habit of accidentally clicking submit rather than preview before I can finish properly typing out my thoughts, so sorry about that. It doesn’t happen all the time, but it still occurs on occasion. I hope you have a nice rest of your day.
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AnimeLordLuis
 Posts: 1626 Location: The Borderlands of Pandora |
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So far FLCL progressive feels more like a remake than a sequel and that is something that I did not want to happen because the original was just so spectacular that trying to re create it in any way is an insult. I mean there was just so much lost potential the original left them with a lot to work with but instead of a true sequel we got a carbon copy of the original.
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StarchildStorm
 Posts: 72 |
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I really dug it. Hidomi, Hinae, and Jinyu all immediately clicked for me as characters... although Hinae being heavily reminiscent of Ibuki from Danganronpa (what with having the same voice and being similarly perky) probably helped her earn some points.
Do think it starts out kind of slow and I can't claim to especially care about the stuff with Iide and his friends thus far, but on the whole I'm down for more. |
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