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FLCL: Alternative/Progressive Anime's Japanese Video Reveals Cast, September Debut

The official Japanese website for the FLCL Progressive and FLCL Alternative anime began streaming a Japanese promotional video for the anime on Wednesday. The video features different footage from the recent English trailer reveals the anime's theatrical opening dates in Japan, with FLCL Alternative opening on September 7, and FLCL Progressive opening on September 28.

The site also revealed both anime's Japanese cast. The cast for FLCL Progressive includes: (Note: Name romanizations are not official.)

• Megumi Hayashibara as Haruha Raharu
• Miyuki Sawashiro as Jinyu
• Inori Minase as Hidomi
• Jun Fukuyama as Yoshimi Iide
• Tomo Muranaka as Gorō Mori
• Masatomo Nakazawa as Nogata Maruko
• Tomoyo Kurosawa as Aiko
• Kikuko Inoue as Hinae
• Kouji Ohkura as Masurao
• Takayuki Sugo as Eyepatch
• Jin Urayama as Tonkichi
• Reiko Suzuki as Tami Hanae

The Pillows will perform the song "spiky seeds" for FLCL Progressive.

The cast for FLCL Alternative includes: (Note: Name romanizations are not official.)

• Mayumi Shintani as Haruhara Haruko
• Karen Miyama as Kana Kawamoto
• Yuri Yoshida as Tomomi Heta (Pets)
• Riho Iida as Hijiri Yashima (Hijiri)
• Mutsumi Tamura as Mitsuru Motoyama (Mossan)
• Katsuyuki Konishi as Kan Sudō
• Takuma Nagatsuka as Kado Sasaki
• Ryota Suzuki as Ben Sōta
• Miki Itou as Shizuka Kawamoto
• Maho Masaka as Bunta Kawamoto
• Katsuji Mori as Yōga Dennis
• Kaya Matsutani as Maki Kitaki
• Yutaka Aoyama as Tabata Kanda

The Pillows will perform the song "Star overhead" for FLCL Alternative.

The sequels will air in the United States as two six-episode seasons. Adult Swim's English trailer for the anime revealed that FLCL Progressive will premiere on June 2 at 11:30 p.m. EDT and PDT on its Toonami block, while FLCL Alternative is slated for September. Kari Wahlgren returns to voice Haruko in the English dub.

The staff will differ slightly for each sequel.

FLCL Progressive (FLCL 2) Staff:

• Chief Director: Katsuyuki Motohiro
• Supervisor: Kazuya Tsurumaki
• Directors: Kazuto Arai, Toshihisa Kaiya, Yuki Ogawa, Yoshihide Ibata, Kei Suezawa, Hiroshi Ikehata
• Script: Hideto Iwai
• Original Character Design: Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
• Character Design: Chikashi Kubota
• Mechanical Design: Kiyotaka Oshiyama
• Theme Song: the pillows
• Animation Production: Production I.G

FLCL Alternative (FLCL 3) Staff:

• Chief Director: Katsuyuki Motohiro
• Supervisor: Kazuya Tsurumaki
• Directors: Yutaka Uemura, Kiyotaka Suzuki
• Script: Hideto Iwai
• Original Character Design: Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
• Character Design: Yūichi Takahashi
• Mechanical Design: Kiyotaka Oshiyama
• Theme Song: the pillows
• Animation Production: Production I.G, NUT, REVOROOT

Adult Swim describes FLCL: Progressive in its latest press release as follows:

FLCL: Progressive tells the story of 14-year-old Hidomi, her classmate Ide, and two otherworldly beings, "Jinyu" and "Haruha Raharu," who are determined to unlock their hidden potential. Mixed up in this is an all-powerful force known as "ATOMSK," a gorgeous vintage car… and a certain Vespa Scooter.

An earlier plot description was as follows:

In the new season of FLCL, many years have passed since Naota and Haruhara Haruko shared their adventure together. Meanwhile, the war between the two entities known as Medical Mechanica and Fraternity rages across the galaxy. Enter Hidomi, a young teenaged girl who believes there is nothing amazing to expect from her average life, until one day when a new teacher named Haruko arrives at her school. Soon enough, Medical Mechanica is attacking her town and Hidomi discovers a secret within her that could save everyone, a secret that only Haruko can unlock.

But why did Haruko return to Earth? What happened to her Rickenbacker 4001 she left with Naota? And where did the human-type robot 'Canti' go?

Adult Swim describes FLCL: Alternative as a a series by "young creators who will redefine the meaning of "sequel."

The series centers on the misadventures of 17-year-old Kana, a high school junior who spends her days hanging out with her besties, Mossan, Hijiri, and Pets. They live unremarkable lives, until the day a Mecha falls out of the sky, along with a strange woman named “Haruko.” Her plans for Kana and her friends involve the force known as “ATOMSK.” Kana will have to risk everything to decide whether or not to help… like she really has a choice!

Japanese rock band The Pillows will be returning to work on the sequel series.