FLCL Progressive

planetJane

Even now, the very idea of following up *FLCL* seems pretty surreal. This is a show that meant a lot to a lot of people, and any sequel, spinoff, or extension has the unenviable task of both living up to the expectations of those who watched the original, and also updating its sensibilities for a world that has drastically changed in the decade plus since it aired. Yet, despite the waves of anxiety the very announcement generated, it’s irresponsible to not give *Progressive* the praise it deserves. Prog’s protagonist is, smartly, a new face for the franchise. Hidomi is similar to original FLCL protagonist Naota in one very important way, which is that she is a teenager struggling with what is undeniably for many people the most difficult phase of their lives. To be fair, that applies to a *lot* of anime protagonists, what makes Hidomi interesting is her sheer stoicism. Putting on an apathetic air is something that will be familiar to a lot of teenagers (and ex-teenagers), Hidomi works on the same basic principles here that similar characters do elsewhere in the medium--when she actually does show emotion, it means a lot more--but above and beyond that, we learn bit by bit that this girl is *weird*. It’s made pretty explicit by halfway through the series that Hidomi is actually aroused by violence and more than once, in the horrifically surreal dream sequences that open each of the first three episodes and later while being forcibly transformed into a genki girl (it’s complicated), she seems to express a desire for the world to end. In other words, as far as depressed millennial and Gen Z teens go, she’s fairly typical, in what I must imagine is a deliberate decision. img880(https://i.imgur.com/7HzL7OI.png) ~~~_Hidomi's demeanor is a far cry from Haruko's, but as a depiction of a depressed teen she's spot on. She's also at times dryly funny, such as here, death-glaring a crab._~~~ ------ There are of course other characters, but the big one is returning antagonist Haruko, who sets up shop as Hidomi’s homeroom teacher and the second episode casts her as a sort of evil youth camp preacher, it’s really pretty spooky to see her “class” under her spell, reminiscing over things that didn’t happen while looking at a yearbook full of crude crayon drawings, and I suspect that more than one old fan of the franchise will find themselves, perhaps just slightly, eerily reflected in that classroom. It’s probably no surprise that *Progressive* is not overly keen on tipping its hand--this is *FLCL* after all--but what *is* surprising is where the series eventually goes. It’s not *quite* an attack on the original, and it’s not disrespectful enough to be called a skewering, but Prog definitely views its predecessor with a suspicious, cocked eye. Haruko is never portrayed even *remotely* sympathetically here until the very end of the series, and her characterization here peels back the eccentric mannerisms that endeared her to so many, revealing them as (alternately) the manipulative or defensive mechanisms of an ultimately pretty insecure person who uses a quirky shell to get what she wants or deflect criticism respectively. That is a *harsh* take on a very beloved character, so it’s probably not a surprise that for the reason of Haruko’s character arc alone, Prog is not going to sit well with everyone, but it’s important to note that this kind of pick-apart isn’t doable without having a fair amount of love for the source material in the first place. You can’t criticize a character like Haruko without understanding her, and Prog understands her very well. Part of that understanding comes in the form of Jinyu. Jinyu is an interesting character, who we learn, about halfway through the series, is in fact a sort of split-off being formed from Haruko’s personality. She’s stonefacedly stoical, well meaning and occasionally actually wise, and she drives a 50s-style car instead of a Vespa scooter. She also has Kamina-style geometric shades, in what I must imagine is some kind of visual gag about her character. She is in many senses Haruko’s opposite and provides an interesting foil to Haruko up until the latter *eats* her, reuniting the two halves. ~~~img880(https://i.imgur.com/7P0MdXz.png)~~~ _This is the first and last time Jinyu looks anywhere near this cool._ ----- Somewhat less surely placed in the story is Ko Iide, Hidomi’s classmate and main love interest. He’s certainly a *likeable* character, at least if you have a soft spot for idiots (and I very much do), and Haruko’s attempts to manipulate him into being the next Naota are interesting, but on his own he almost rather seems (especially in the second half of the show), like a damsel in distress. Which is a *strange* complaint to make about a male character, but it’s the truth. So where does all this go? Well, a strange, surreal romp that lives up to the original as best it can. To be sure, it is not as out-there animation-wise and not as well-directed, but to be even surer, rather few things are, and it’s hard to complain when there are so many gorgeous individual moments. The last two episodes especially look fantastic, with 5 being drawn in a different art style completely (and looking lovely for it) and 6 just being a treat. ~~~img880(https://i.imgur.com/nsTYn4Y.png) ~~~_The 5th episode is drawn entirely in art styles that aren't the norm for the series, and is probably the visual height of the show._ ----- Other than said romp, and the metatextual angle about its relationship to the original (which some will love, others will loathe, and I suspect many will just not care about), it doesn’t do a ton else, which is maybe the show’s only major fault. It also kind of makes *Progressive*--even moreso than usual for this sort of thing--a game of expectations. If you were hoping for something to surpass its predecessor, a la *Diebuster*, you were probably disappointed. But as someone who went in not really knowing what to expect at all, I found its rough relationship with the audience refreshing, the extra tidbits of worldbuilding intriguing, and its main protagonist incredibly relatable and in a weird way, fun. Prog is not the original *FLCL*, it won’t enter your life like Haruko did to Naota and fuck it up and then leave you wondering what happened. Prog is more like an old friend who’s changed a lot since you last saw them, but they’re still the same person underneath. For that reason, any fan of the original owes it to themselves to at least give the thing a shot, even if you *don’t* like it, it’s hard to argue that it doesn’t inspire strong feelings, which to me, is what *FLCL* is all about.

Grassman

FLCL Progressive follows our main character, Hidomi Hibajiri, a teenager with identity and family issues. Much like the original, her encounter with Haruko Haruhara (and her alter ego Jinyu) begins the events of the series. She discovers a hidden power inside of her, one sought by Haruko to retrieve Atomsk, but also one feared by Medical Mechanica. Throughout the series Hidomi's creates new relationships with her classmates, Ide, Haruko (and Jinyu), and rebuilds her relationship with her mother. Its these newly founded human connections that support Hidomi into becoming her true self by the end of episode 6. Alongside our main protagonists there are plenty of interesting, although short, side plots. The story of Aiko and Bureau of Interstellar Immigration being my favorite. img(http://www.joblo.com/newsimages1/flcl2018fb.jpg) # Story and Characters The plot of Progressive follows a similar structure to that of the original. Medical Mechanica, the Bureau of Interstellar Immigration, and the appearance of Haruko are all similar to FLCL. However, Progressive doesn't bind itself to the original and tries to be best it can, without relying on nostalgia. Progressive tries to build upon on the world set by the original and present its characters from a different perspective. Our main protagonist, Hidomi, differs from Naota. Even though they are both growing teenagers with issues, whereas Naota felt overshadowed by his brother and had an inferiority complex because of it, Hidomi has different problems. The departure of a family member (her father) had a different effect on her compared to that of Naota. She became depressed and kinda messed up, as visualized in her twisted nightmares. It is hinted at that she feels pleasure from violence. At the start of the series Hidomi is very stoic, she doesn't care much about anything, and constantly blocks herself from others. The headphones symbolizing the rift she has created between the world and herself. In the same way her mother decided to stay in the cafe, her life has become stagnant. However, by the end she is a new person, she "swings the bat". One willing to fight Haruko to save Ide because he is important to her. She finds a new purpose in living in the cafe with her mother as well, she will do it for herself and not because of her father. Haruko receives the most development out of everyone and is an interesting change from the original. We get a deeper understanding into the psyche of her being. Jinyu being the "adult" side of her, a more reasonable one. Haruko without Jinyu acts selfishly (even more than before) and is more of an antagonistic force than the Haruko we knew from FLCL. She is obsessed with chasing Atomsk, speaking of which, we finally know more of. He appears to have some kind of feelings for Haruko, but prefers to not be caged. This duality in character presents interesting themes about the meaning of being an adult. It would seem that Jinyu and Haruko are opponents, but are actually complementary to each other. It is okay to act childish and be weird, but we should accept the bittersweet reality that is growing up. The supporting cast for Progressive was rather lackluster and underdeveloped. Ide's school friends are generic and not important at all to the overall plot. Aiko and her father, Masurao, had an interesting arc but was undermined by the lack of development. With Aiko being a weapon that was meant to be used by the Bureau of Interstellar Immigration (which her father is secretly part of) she had been trying to gather money to run away from her father. However, unbeknownst to Aiko, her father did not want to do it and ultimately refused; because even if they had a distant relationship she is her daughter. Aiko forgives her father and decides to activate the flowerpot (the weapon) consequently saving the city. In true FLCL spirit, the bizarre act of destroying a giant iron taught Aiko to love her father again. This coupled with the plan of weaponizing an amusement park by Masurao, Eye Patch and Tonkichi, makes a very creative and interesting story. The symbolism of an amusement park (representative of fun), powered by teenagers troubled by puberty, fighting off the symbol of monotony and the adult world, Medical Mechanica, is very unique. However, both of these lack build up. These two appear right at the end of the series and feels rushed. Progressive has a much slower pace than the original, not that this is a problem, but it became one when it restrained itself by making the series six episodes long. Maybe if the creators removed some of the filler in the first three episodes it could have been more rewarding. I should warn you that the first three episodes of the series feel slow for a FLCL series, but the second half is fascinating. img(https://i.gyazo.com/164d5a29c4bb0139e729732824095051.png) >"We've got to do it, no matter what. We will show them, even if our wrinkles get flattened, we will fight to the very end" (The wrinkles in our brain are a Japanese symbol of wisdom) # Animation and Sound Animation and sound are very important to FLCL, it is what it means to be FLCL, its unrivaled experimental style. The series utilizes songs from the original FLCL, which could be seen as fan service, but I think its necessary to pay homage to the original when creating a sequel with high expectations. In addition, there are a few new songs by The Pillows added to the OST. My favorite ones being [The Third Eye](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtGDWAJShXc) and [Thank You, My Twilight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVRmzWnekdw). The soundtrack, as expected, was excellent. However, it was not utilized at its full potential. It felt kinda average, and not as bombastic as in FLCL. I would have liked better sound editing. Visually speaking, FLCL Progressive is experimental and stylish. With episode 5 being the best out of all since its animated in various styles usually not seen in anime. It is mesmerizing what they did with it. Throughout the whole series, no matter how crazy it gets, the animation is beautiful and fluid (and sometimes abstract). However all of this was expected and it would have been an insult to the original if it didn't. What disappointed me was that it felt simple compared to the original. I am not undermining the work the animators did, but it should have tried to be even more crazy. img(https://i1.wp.com/www.surrealresolution.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Fool-On-The-Planet-Review-Thumbnail.png?resize=752%2C440&ssl=1) # Conclusion The series has many problems. Including uninteresting or undeveloped side characters, slow pacing, misuse of an excellent soundtrack, and a more passive animation style than the original. Compared to the original, Progressive is a more superficial take on the franchise that prioritizes developing a nonsensical world (that really shouldn't be getting this complicated), instead of focusing on the deeper themes, and the characters and their development. It is impossible to not compare Progressive to the original, but it should be praised for its merits. Even if the series isn't as impressive as the original (which to be honest is very hard to equalize) it is still an interesting take on the series. I suggest you to watch this, even if you have not watched the original (which you should watch too), because it is still a fantastic series.

CodeBlazeFate

Ah, the tragedy as old as time. A popular piece of media comes out and proves to be a hit, both critically, and financially. Some odd years later, a sequel is made that exists solely because the first one was popular, rather than because there was something to add. It gets panned, financial success or no. FLCL Progressive is yet another example of this tale. It’s what would happen if they tried to make FLCL in the current day -as of writing, of course- without any of the charm or passion that went into the original. Love it or hate it, FLCL is a distinct piece of work, one filled with little references and neat, temporary art-style shake-ups to add flavor to an already eccentric and visually stunning take on the coming of age story. Progressive is milquetoast at the best of times and downright broken at the worst of times. There’s no flavor outside of moments that already take cues from its predecessor, and perhaps a few bits in the latter half. It doesn’t have anything worth covering, let alone worth bringing to the table. It would be one thing if, in spite of this, this sequel worked as a functioning tale with the audiovisual mastery that exemplifies the best of the current age. It would simply be an unnecessary addition, but a harmless one at best. However, we instead get a mess that decides to pander. Think about it. Why else does the main character wear headphones that have cat ears? Why else do we have a loli and a beach episode? Why else do they just randomly include smartphones without having anything be done with them? Why else does this show’s equivalent to Haruko wear a sexy maid outfit? Simply because it’s hip with the current otaku crowd. The real origins of Haruko and her Progressive counterpart, Jinyu, are not only stupid, but also somewhat contradictory to FLCL 1 and raise some questions the original was never equipped to answer. The things they try to add about the universe of the franchise are absurd and even inconsistent, even by the conventions of the franchise as well. It’s already aggravating that it’s all in service to a show that has nothing new or interesting to comment on in any meaningful way, and that the finale is this dumb mess that abruptly wraps itself up. The characters make it even worse. Hidomi is a nothing character. There is nothing consistent to her other than having a secret want to reset the world for particularly incongruous and asinine reasons. The show even claims she is going for a tsundere angle, as god awful as that observation is, and it’s as inaccurate as a blind man shooting in the dark. Even Haruko largely just an adult brat rather than the quirky, ambitious, and amoral vixen from the original. Her counterpart, Jinyu, is bland like Hidomi, but at least she is the least obnoxious character of the entire cast. The male students in the show are also nothing characters with no chemistry, even though the main guy of that trio, Lide, acts infinitely more like an active protagonist than Hidomi ever does. The loli character also isn’t any better; she’s as unremarkable and annoying as the rest. No one has any chemistry to speak of, adding insult to injury. Outside of the ending credits and the 5th episode, the show’s visuals are rather dull and even a tad unappealing to look at. Production I.G honestly did a poor job outside of the hit and miss new character designs, as the animation was incredibly stilted and choppy --even in the more kinetic action scenes-- and the color pallet was not to my taste at all Some scenes look downright terrible, even if that's counterbalanced by a few scenes looking pretty evocative. Even in the art style shift in the 5th episode that actually made Haruko look more similar to how she was in FLCL than in the episodes preceding it, it’s arguable if the more purposely rough visuals worked. The music is as much to my uninterest as ever, with several songs by The Pillows, both new and old, and largely forgettable background music outside of that, which is barely any more memorable than the original. The only song of any note here is "Thank You, my Twilight", which is one of my favorites in the franchise, believe it or not. That's not enough to save anything though. At least the dub was nice given the awful material, I suppose. In essence, FLCL 2 is your typical underwhelming sequel. I’ve seen worse in this regard, even in terms of sequels to Gainax shows, but damning with faint praise doesn’t excuse how pointless, shallow, and lifeless this installment really is. Sadly, its existence also slightly nullifies some of the uniqueness of the original, so doing nothing substantial to help make up for that is arguably one of the biggest crimes this sequel could have committed under these circumstances. At least it doesn’t use that show as a crutch, but again, it does that anime and several of its fans no favors, either. FLCL 3, please be a proper alternative to this mess?

Pockeyramune919

[ img20(https://bestanimations.com/Signs&Shapes/Arrows/Left/left-arrow-15.gif) ](https://anilist.co/review/3970)

[ img20(https://bestanimations.com/Signs&Shapes/Arrows/Right/right-arrow-29.gif) ](https://anilist.co/review/4178)

~~~*Part ⅖ of the FLCL Review Series*~~~ ~~~img520(https://i.imgur.com/E7HnMOo.png)~~~ Ah, FLCL Progressive. FLCL was once one of the many works people just had to accept would be a one-off. Well, there was a novel and manga adaptation, but my point is that there wouldn’t be any sequels...until 2016 where it was announced that not one, but *two* sequel seasons of FLCL were going to be produced. I’m sure many were like me: filled with excitement; thinking of the endless possibilities. We wanted the where and when. Some wanted the why. No matter the answers, we were all stoked because after over a decade, more FLCL was within our grasp. Flash forward to 2018. We had names and dates. FLCL Progressive and Alternative (both named after rock genres, thus retroactively creating FLCL Classic). The former would air in the summer, the latter the fall. Progressive had insane expectations to fulfill. It would have to surpass, or at least be on par with the 2003 classic. It would have to be zany, gut-busting, confusing, and beautiful. It would have to quench all the theories that everyone thought up. It would have to resolve questions about Naota. ~~~img520(https://i.imgur.com/AR1dh1t.jpg)~~~ With this in mind, was good? ...yeah, I’d say so. Granted, I don’t think it’s quite as good as the original, but in some aspects, it excels. Even if it’s no FLCL, it’s quite obvious that it’s an FLCL *show,* and it most certainly scratched the FLCL itch that I didn’t know I had. But to the fandom at large? That’s a different story entirely. I’ve heard people call the show an “abomination” and “soulless.” I’ve even seen someone say it “singlehandedly destroyed the franchise.” To say fan reception of Progressive was poor is an understatement. I don’t think a lot of these criticisms are fair. Most egregious is anituber Digibro’s review and I admit that part of my drive to create this review series was to organize my own conflicting view of Progressive. People are quick to hate a sequel just because it’s not the exact same as the original, which makes sense. And yes, I will acknowledge in this review that FLCL has legitimate problems, but like the original, I’d be remiss to write off the show just because of its flaws. I’d just be slightly *less* remiss to do so. For consistency’s sake, I’ll tackle the aspects of the show in the same order of last time. ~~~img520(https://i.imgur.com/EqOWhLP.png)~~~ The madness of FLCL returns with Hidomi Hibajiri, a fourteen-year-old junior high student who is extremely reserved. Hidomi’s the type of girl that prefers allowing her headphones to shield herself from the world. For her perfect world, this one must be destroyed, but until then, “nothing matters” and “everything is ordinary.” Conversely, among Hidomi’s classmates is the extroverted, friendly, and rambunctious Iide. These two conflicting personalities will become tied with one another as their lives are turned upside down. One day, Hidomi is ran over by a mysterious, woman in shades driving a (well, the car drives *itself*) blue vintage car. Later, Iide and Hidomi discover their teacher is a pink-haired woman that audiences will no doubt be familiar with. On paper, FLCL Progressive is great. The premise alone sounds like it’s par for the course for FLCL, if not even crazier than before. Fundamentally, the story seems like it could work pretty darn well. But the story is only part of what made FLCL Classic what it is. How does the art compare? ~~~img520(https://i.imgur.com/CQubMXa.png)~~~ FLCL’s art is great in some instances, but simply decent most of the times. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but bear in mind that FLCL Classic had absolutely phenomenal art direction and animation. While Progressive’s art is never bad, the standard art unfortunately doesn’t have the amount “pizazz” as the original. I feel silly talking about it, because I can’t concretely explain it, but the difference *is* there. The backgrounds are more defined, the colors are brighter, the faces aren’t as detailed. Bear in mind that the art still isn’t *bad.* I like it well enough, but while FLCL Classic’s art was unique, I feel Progressive doesn’t do enough to stand apart from its contemporaries. Though, of course, the standard art isn’t the only thing that makes FLCL what it is. What about the art shifts? Well, they’re beautiful and imaginative, once again. While I criticized the standard art, the first thing we see is a beautiful, yet harrowing landscape: Hidomi’s body is decaying, her white skin is glowing, and “Thank You My Twilight” plays as she narrates and walks through a debilitated city. It’s absolutely breathtaking (and horrifying) and sets up Hidomi’s outlook well (she is alone and the world is decaying). As far as first impressions go, I’d say that Progressive trounces Classic. The dream sequences make up most of the signature scene of Progressive; they’re a good way to utilize different styles. Episode 5 is notable for having art that looks as if it was made with chalk or a colored pencil. Even in episode 5 itself there are art shifts: a scene that looks like a traditional Japanese painting and a manga scene, harkening back to the original series, but changing it so it fits Hidomi more. It’s slower. ~~~img520(https://i.imgur.com/fB5FdPQ.png)~~~ And that’s really important to note: the manga scene, something that was extremely loud and fast-paced in FLCL Classic, is slow and somber in FLCL Progressive. That’s how I’d describe the art shifts in general compared to the original: slow. They’re much less abundant and frequent. The shifts don’t serve to keep the energy high. Progressive was comedic at times, though not as much as the original and not due to the art shifts. The high-octane energy I spoke of before is gone. Then there’s the music. The Pillows are back, so the music is still good. There are two new songs of theirs that I really love: *Spiky Seeds* and *Thank You My Twilight*. I hate to admit it, but I didn’t remember a lot of the new songs. Not helping matters is that some old songs are used, so the new songs can’t get to shine as much as they would otherwise. At first I thought there were less songs in Progressive, but it turns out that there is the same amount of music as Classic, someone just *really* botched the sound mixing. The music is really quiet compared to voices and dialogue. It’s a bit better with fighting scenes, but generally, the music is drowned out by the other sounds, and it really sucks because music is such a big part of FLCL. ~~~img520(https://i.imgur.com/7efvM7g.png)~~~ So, with the art shifts not as prominent and with the music (even if accidentally) quieter, two aspects of FLCL are diminished. With this, FLCL Progressive isn’t as much as an experience; it’s just a show (albeit a bizarre and at times beautiful one). And with that, I must judge it as so. That means that more so than Classic, the story will make or break Progressive. Let’s get the elephant out of the room: the characters. Haruko returns and is great as ever. It’s interesting that we get to see a much more menacing, yet simultaneously vulnerable Haruko this time around. Jinyu, the mysterious woman who opposes Haruko is cool as a cucumber and a welcome edition in my book. Then there’s Hidomi, who’s...fine. Her schtick of being withdrawn makes for an interesting concept, but poor in execution since it’s hard to get a read on her. Not to mention, she just comes off as boring half of the time. Iide is the deuteragonist of Progressive (if not officially, then effectively) and is much more animated than Hidomi, but due to most of the focus being on her, we don’t get as much of Iide as I’d want. So we run into the problem of not enough Hidomi due to the nature of the character, yet not enough Iide due to Hidomi being the main character. The other new characters don’t offer much, unfortunately. ~~~img520(https://i.imgur.com/cbiONps.png)~~~ Giving credit where credit’s due, the space opera plot is *much* better this time. It’s still not perfect, but it was given more focus and treated more seriously, which I appreciated. This made episodes feel like they were connected and made for a more cohesive story in terms of Medical Mechanica. Things still got avant-garde, and I appreciated these moments more because I actually was able to “ground” myself with plotpoints that I could (somewhat) understand. Some things slightly retcon the original story (such as “overflow,” a term that Mamimi exclusively used becoming a common saying for opening N.O. channels), though I didn’t find that these were glaring enough to detract from my enjoyment. ~~~img520(https://i.imgur.com/thHvzdS.png)~~~ The “coming of age” plot, as a whole, took a turn for the worse, however. I appreciate the contrast in the ways Naota and Hidomi handle abandonment, with the latter trying to stay a child because she’s afraid of change, while the former tries to put on the airs of being older to make up for his brother being gone. However, more than ever, the coming of age plot is what the viewer makes of it. This is mostly due to Hidomi’s silent nature. It doesn’t seem like Iide was meant to be focused on. There are many things I’d want elaborated on to further my understanding of the plot and characters, but of course this is FLCL; we won’t get it. Overall, I felt the coming of age plot was weaker and harder to relate to. To even get a sense of what I should have taken from the plot, I’d need to sit down and do some heavy analysis. Unlike FLCL Classic, Progressive doesn’t have other aspects to make me find this venture that worthwhile. It doesn't help that there aren’t many people to bounce ideas off of. Still, at least the ending of Progressive is conclusive and quite nice. (I have a status post about my take on the Fireworks analogy and how it compares to Classic’s “swinging the bat” if anyone wants to read that) ~~~img520(https://i.imgur.com/9LcbpwE.png)~~~ In short, for better or for worse, despite what some may say, FLCL Progressive is a successor to the original series. Unfortunately, it takes too little of what worked and kept too much of what didn’t. I still enjoyed the rewatch, but it’s safe to say it doesn’t hold up to the original. Progressive has too many subtle ties to the original to watch on its own. It’s a pretty decent show, but without as much zaniness as the original, the clumsy plot is made all the more apparent. I’d say FLCL Progressive is good for those who loved the original, but are open to seeing a show that’s not *quite* as good as Classic. It may sound silly to watch something that’s inferior, but I do wholeheartedly believe that Progressive, even if it’ll never become a classic, is still a swell show. ~~~img200(https://i.imgur.com/8OqBRTD.png)~~~ youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ49p9WMOvY) ~~~img520(https://i.imgur.com/4Tznduz.png)~~~

deli000

_FLCL Progressive_ proves that sequels aren’t necessary. One of _Progressive's_ biggest problems is its lack of nuance. _FLCL_ is known for being a majestic definer of youth and adolescence and the idea of growing up. It interweaves a crazy plot with themes of adolescence which makes for an equally stunning and eloquent look into youth. While _Progressive_ continues with these same themes, it doesn't do a good job at fleshing them out despite its attempts at projecting it over and over again to the viewer. It feels rather artificial and shallow because of how much it clocks you over the head with them, serving as the complete opposite of the implicit nature of the original, preferring style over substance. The repetition wouldn't have necessarily been for naught if the show actually went for a newer and refreshing route, but it doesn't, as it chooses to mostly stay on the same path as the original. It ends up being a major weakness of the show as it damages a large portion of its thematic weight and value. It’s nice to see Haruko back, but there’s something missing. She is still pretty fun to watch, though there isn’t any semblance of her that quite matches her character in the original. The impeccable voice acting and her own quirky habits are lovely to see and hear again, but her usual rambunctious and driven persona is toned down in order to highlight a different side to her. That side is fascinating, especially with the introduction of Jinyu, but the show does a poor job of realizing her inner conflicts. The drama here feels shallow and surface-level, not allowing for any sort of complexity to built be built off of. With that in mind, I still love Haruko and she carries the show by a ton. Hidomi shares a decent amount of the same characteristics as Mamimi; the lack of ambition, direction, and passion. However, her development as a character is erratic and inconsistent, and it doesn’t leave much of a lasting impression. It’s hard not to compare the characters in _Progressive_ to the characters in the original because of how much _Progressive_ tries to follow in the same path. This coupled with the lack of proper characterization makes it very hard for us to sympathize and invest in Hidomi and her journey. The same issues apply to Ide, his character feeling underutilized throughout the show’s course because any semblance of growth is degraded down into something that is superficial and generic. He doesn’t feel fully fleshed out, and his character in itself is dry and boring which unfortunately matches the rest of the cast. Ide and Hidomi are examples of what could have been, their characters largely feeling strangely underutilized for a show about youth and adolescence. There is some form of development, but they, along with the rest of the cast, don't leave much of a lasting impression and don't accomplish anything that the original already managed to wonderfully encapsulate. I still have to give praise to the music, though, which is still delightful and fun to listen to. The fight sequences are not as crazy but still manage to be adequate enough, and the music does a good job of elevating these fights into something much more. The constant whack-a-mole with guitars is animated beautifully and wildly, serving as a perfect backseat into entertainment, and the ethereal music contributes a whole lot into that. _FLCL Progressive_ doesn’t feel like _FLCL_ despite how much it tries to imitate the brand. It lacks its own identity, and it’s because of this lack of personality that makes it lose itself in the end. The themes originally conveyed in the original take a backseat while _Progressive_ chooses to put those themes of youth into the forefront which doesn’t work in its benefit. In the end, _FLCL Progressive_ aims too high but accomplishes too little. With that being said, I won't stop anyone from checking this show out and there are still parts to get out of it.

Szugata

~~~This is my first review.~~~ ~~~img220(https://i.imgur.com/eY5C2D4.gif)~~~ Everything that was great about the original FLCL is here, but in a highly watered up version, to the point that it is more of a pointless drag, than something of substance. The original captured the late 90's, early 2000's zeitgeist. Purogure had the late 2010s and early 2020's to capture, but it failed miserably. Alternative rock is now underground (in the west), guitar music though making a resurgence through emo rap (in the west), is still far from the fame that it had 15 years ago (in the west). Naota's generation, the Millenials have grown up, and it's Gen Z's time to shine. The problem is that Progressive tries to force those small generational nuances onto a different one. The messages in the original are timeless. When is it okay to let go of the inner child and grow up - and what to keep, sexuality, and familiar relations. But this still fricks it up somehow. What progressive does is take the elements done so right in the original and contort it to the degree that it becomes style over substance. Music played a huge role in the original series. What FLCL 2 could have done, was use pop music, Drake and BTS songs rather than The Pillows'. Instead of guitars, use modified 808s as bats. Perhaps I am looking at the series with too western-centric eyes, since Rock or guitar driven music is still popular in Japan, as it was back in 2018. The animation was average, except for a few shining moments. The color palette they worked with just isn't for my taste, everything looks shallow much like how Progressive felt. The animation reflects the soul of the series. The humour is okay, there are funny parts. For example, Ko Ide slaving away at his part-time job. The characters have basic MBTI personalities (though what to expect from 6 episodes), Hibajiri's evolution of character is inconsistent. She jumps around from being a Doomer pseudo-gamer, to a bubbly, borderline manic pixie girl, and then going back again to where she started. But teenagers, like me are similar. Jumping around from one thing to the next, trying on different acts & personalities, challenging the world or hiding from it. Is this inconsistency supposed to reflect that? I don't know. ~~~img420(https://i.imgur.com/e6mbVic.jpg)~~~ There really isn't anything to be said about the main cast either. They are boring, all of them. To be truthful, the anime is only 6 episodes, not much would be otherwise possible. The original however managed to do so much with it, that it did not need any more episodes. It had the perfect episode count. FLCL 2 however has too much. The crazy boxer hobo is okay, it depends on the person really, if he/she enjoys it. What's interesting is that the original still resonates with today's youth and probably will for a long time, if not forever. Progressive doesn't even resonate with it's own generation. There was potential, but they've ruined it. ~!Like Isayama the last arc of Attack on Titan !~ Progressive should have had the guts to not follow in FLCL's footsteps. Instead, it should have been original, careless and doing whatever it wanted. Like teenagers. Would moody 808 hi-hats and Jimin's voice be weird for Fooly Cooly? Yeah. Would it be FLCL? Yes. ~~~img420(https://i.imgur.com/12iX1Lh.jpg)~~~

C00kieMaster

I am rather surprised how much shit progressive got from fans and especially fans of the original. 2000 FLCL seems to gathered a cult following throughout the years and seem to hold the original on a legendary untouchable pedestal. The animosity towards this sequel from fans of the original reminds me of old school Kobe Lakers fans refusing to accept Lebron James as the new king when he first joined. For me Progressive is spinoff and has very little to do with the original and for that reason it is unfair to judge Progressive for not being the original. From the first episode rightfully named _Re: Start_. _FLCL Progressive_ has no interest in being FLCL, _FLCL Progressive_ wants to be _FLCL progressive_. This fact is more obvious if you know that the original is directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki the same director that created Evangelion and lets face it there is NO WAY anybody can do what Kazuya does, he is just one of those one of a kind auteurs. Progressive on the other hand is directed by Katsuyuki Motohiro which is a relatively new and unknown player in the industry. Unlike the surreal chaos that is the original, Progressive has a less nuance approach when depicting adolescences coming of age and there is a more character focused approach for its plot. We are introduced to Hidomi which just like Naota in the original feels suffocated in her environment and have no prospects for the future. She somewhat befriends 3 equally clueless boys and together they explore the confusing journey of being stuck between a kid and an adult. The 3 boys are definitely just supporting characters as Hidomi was given the most attention towards her development and characterization. The Pink haired chaos alien Haruko we all know and love is still wrecking havoc in this town manipulating kids in order to get what she wants. But this time we are introduced to an old acquaintance of her that is closely related to her which may or may not hinder her goals. Progressive is a step down in the chaotic fun that is well loved in the original. There is less surreal cartoon comedy and more regular normal comedy. And this is one of the reason why the animation _seems worse_ because there is less Haruko turning into a snake and sexually a young boy and more regular kids doing stupid normal things. When the animations wants and needs to be good it definitely is. Despite really differentiating the original and this sequel I love both of them for almost the same reasons. Thinking back the original is really nonsensically funny and despite being such a chaotic experience there is real heart and set up in the first 5 episodes that really gear up towards the last episode. The love confession in the original is hands down one of the most satisfying confession scenes I have seen, there is a similar satisfaction that really made me happy towards the end of Progressive. Of course excellent music is in the DNA of the FLCL franchise and although the original have a more synergistic and satisfying approach when using the amazing songs by The Pillows, I prefer most of the music introduced in Progressive on their own more. _Thank you, my twilight_ by The Pillows is probably my favorite song by them so far ~~~ youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEVTw66txkE)~~~ Although I must admit the original is the superior version due to its seamless progression of animation and music I also really love Progressive. This sequel did not gave me the same things that I got from the original and I think that is fine. Despite I came into the sequel expecting the same magic that I experience in the original, I was introduced to a different kind of experience. And that is fine, it was an unexpected pleasant surprise. _FLCL progressive_ did not capture the magic of FLCL the original, it captures the magic of _FLCL progressive_. _FLCL progressive_ is not FLCL, _FLCL progressive_ is _FLCL progressive_.

MegaTheRealOne

(Originally reviewed on Serializd) It may not have been something I fully understood, but I can't deny that the original FLCL installment was, without a doubt, one of the most wild and creative things I have ever seen. It managed to tell what on the surface could be a simple story, but managed to do so by completely throwing the rules of basic storytelling out the window, and just having an absolute blast along the way, which is something I can both fully respect and enjoy. And hey, clearly many other people felt the same way, given how highly regarded the series is to this day. But, as we all know, that wouldn't be the last we would see of this whacked out universe. After a mere 17 YEARS since the original OVA aired, Adult Swim would bring it back for not just one, but TWO full new seasons that would continue the craziness that the original had to offer.... or at least, that's what people initially thought. Instead, we would end up getting a slightly different package, with the first part of this being with FLCL: Progressive. Back when I originally watched this season of the show, I had thought it was just another season going into it. I had no clue about the reputation that the original set of episodes had, nor what these new seasons had going into it, so you could imagine my surprise when I found out that people fucking HATED these two new seasons. I had seen numerous thumbnails and titles of numerous videos online, claiming that these two new seasons were hot GARBAGE compared to the original one, and that they should've never existed in the first place. I didn't wanna watch any of these videos, because I wanted to form my own opinion on these seasons, and since it has been a while since I initially watched it, I figured I may as well go ahead and see what all the fuss is about. So, after fully rewatching Progressive, all I can say is............ really? This is what you all are getting so mad about? I mean, to be fair, I can definitely agree that the season is nowhere near as good as the original, but on its own, it isn't bad. I'd say it is a good season, one filled with likeable enough characters and some pretty great moments and action scenes, but of course, it does pale in comparison with its original incarnation. The story is, once again, simple on the surface, but a lot of things happen throughout that don't really make a lot of sense and is never explained, but this time it seems a lot more toned down then before, the characters are all alright, with them not leaving too much of an impact, but for the time they were there, they were likable and enjoyable enough, even if Haruko herself is pretty toned down, which does kinda suck, the voice acting is pretty good, with each performer giving off a decent performance, and there is plenty of that anime cheese to be found with some of these lines, the action scenes are fun enough, not being too mind blowing or original, but they can be fun when they happen and don't feel like a complete waste, and speaking of anime cheese, the humor is filled with a lot of what you can expect from this genre, but I will admit, there were one or two jokes that did get me to laugh. From the way I see it, there are two different ways that you can view this season: as its own original story, and as a continuation to FLCL. As its own story, again, it is completely fine. It does keep you engaged and wondering what is gonna happen next, what a lot of things mean, as well as what these characters are thinking at the moment, and while not many of the characters are really developed too much to where I would say I fell in love with them, you do like seeing them all get to where they are at the end of the season. Not to mention, all the weird shit in between does keep you entertained along the way, and there are enough returning characters and callbacks to the original series to where fans of the original won't be too bored of the new cast that we have here. As a continuation to FLCL though, that's where it starts to fall flat. When compared to the original season of the show, there are two things that this series is completely lacking: originality and chaos. When you take a look at this show, what does it look like to you? Every typical anime ever, right? Well, you would be correct, because that is exactly what this show is. It is extremely typical for the genre, and while I myself don't watch too much anime, I feel like I have seen this style from so many other shows that I have seen pictures and clips of, to where it really just blends in with everything else, not just in terms of the animation, but in terms of the jokes, character personalities, and the arcs some of them go through. And in terms of the chaos, there is a severe lack of it to be found here. The original FLCL season felt like a ticking time bomb of insanity. You never knew what was going to happen, what the characters were gonna do, say, or even if the art style would completely change for the sake of it. It made the experience feel a lot more original and a lot more exciting to sit through. As for Progressive though, yeah, there are plenty of moments where the art style can take a different direction, but those moments are few and far between, leaving us with, again, a generic anime that has been done many different times before. Overall though, despite a lack of originality and losing the chaotic energy that made the original season, I would still say that I enjoyed my time with FLCL: Progressive, and I thought that it was a good season as a whole. It is definitely not something that is gonna please the most die-hard fan of FLCL, but if you take it for what it is and don't focus too much on what came before, you could end up finding yourself having a good time. I would recommend it for fans of the original season to watch at least once, as well as for any typical anime fan, because it is short enough to where you can watch it, be entertained, and move on with your life like nothing ever happened. Because again, nothing amazing ever happens in this show. It is just completely ordinary........................ how many times am I allowed to use that line before it gets stale?