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FLCL: Alternative/Progressive Anime Reveals Additional Staff (Update)

The official Japanese website for the FLCL Progressive and FLCL Alternative anime revealed more staff members for both anime on Wednesday. The additional staff for FLCL Progressive includes:

• Sub-Character Design: Mai Yoneyama
• Prop Design: Akiko Murayama, Yōko Kubara
• Background Art Director: Kazuhiro Arai
• Color Design: Noriko Arisawa
• Director of Photography: Koji Tanaka
• CG Director: You Takayanagi
• Editor: Taeko Hamauzu
• Music Director/Composer: R.O.N
• Sound Director: Toru Nakano

The previously announced staff members for FLCL Progressive includes:

• 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 (Studio Durian)
• Theme Song: the pillows ("spiky seeds")
• Animation Production: Production I.G

The additional staff for FLCL Alternative include:

• Costume Design: Hiromi Taniguchi
• Prop Design: Yuji Hosogoe, Hiyori Denforword Akishino (Aki Production)
• Background Art Director: Ayaka Fujii
• Color Design: Chiho Nakamura
• Director of Photography: Shinji Tonsho
• CG Director: Tsukasa Saitō
• Music Director/Composer: R.O.N
• Sound Director: Toru Nakano
• Supervisor: Kazuya Tsurumaki

The previously announced staff members for FLCL Alternative include:

• 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 ("Star overhead")
• Animation Production: Production I.G, NUT, REVOROOT

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. In Japan, the anime will debut in theatrical screenings, with FLCL Alternative opening first on September 7, and FLCL Progressive opening on September 29.

The first video below previews the anime's English version (with Kari Wahlgren returning to voice Haruko in the English dub), while the second video previews the Japanese version.

The Japanese 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 Japanese 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

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!

Source: Comic Natalie

Update: Jason DeMarco, senior vice-president and creative director for Adult Swim, noted on Twitter on Wednesday that an English-subtitled simulcast of the Japanese version will stream on Adult Swim's website. Thanks, Graham Finch.