FooFighters
Superstar
A fukkin 10
I've seen Fooly Cooly at least four times and I'm still not entirely sure what the fukk was going on. What do fake bushy eyebrows have to do with anything, how can a guitar summon objects out of a forehead, why is there a giant fist clutching an iron in the middle of a japanese town are some of the many questions that seem to have no real answers, only vague interpretations.
but the one thing I always got from the very first watch is Naota's struggles as a pubescent boy who is 1) desperate to appear mature, rush towards adulthood and 2) searching for acceptance through the romantic influences in his life. He is too young to have any sense of self worth whatsoever, so he allows himself to be manipulated by both Mamimi and Haruko in hopes of becoming someone worth their attention. They pull him in exact opposite directions to the benefit of their own motives - Mamimi towards childhood (she is stuck in a rut, doesn't want to mature and face adult responsibility), Haruko towards adulthood (She seeks power, willing to use whoever to capture Atomisk). Neither suits him, and in the end he winds up exactly where he belongs in the middle of adolescence. It is telling that in the moment that he absorbs atomsk and becomes all powerful that he gives it all up just to tell Haroko he loves her while blushing like a doofus. Not a hero, not mature, just a kid who has to go through the motions like everyone else his age.
I think FLCL is so popular in spite of 99% of viewers including myself having little to no clue what the story means because Naota so well represents universal concerns of puberty, whether directly or through abstract symbolism like the growing horns that Naota is initially insecure about. Also the music of the Seatbelts captures the brainless frenzy of adolescence, iconic OST that holds up well today.
My laptop wallpaper has been this for years
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Last time I rewatched FLCL I walked away thinking she was the best developed character. Used to think she was only an autistic pyromaniac with an addiction to cigarettes and didn't notice her dependency issues borne from a life of poverty, parental neglect, school bullying and being abandoned by literally everyone she grew close to. She's not weird for the sake of being weird, her self destructive behavior is explained subtly throughout the show. She clings to people that are vulnerable and easy to manipulate and grows disinterested in them when they mature, because she herself fears maturity. One of the themes of FLCL is that everyone has their insecurities but what matters is honesty and striving to overcome those problems, and Mamimi is really the only such character who's wallowing her self pity while dragging everyone around her down too.
I took the writing inscribed on her cigarette "never knows best" as meaning it's easier for us to say we'll never do this or never amount to that, while you really never know what can happen unless you try. Just feeling sorry for yourself as she does will leave you constantly wondering the what ifs of your life, never changing, never solving anything. That the message is on a drug that contributes to stunting growth has to to be intentional. This can also extend to Naota who for the longest time was afraid to take action and be bold until he swung that bat with the help of Haruko to save the city from being destroyed. Didn't know he could do it until he tried. Similarly Mamimi reaches a point where she takes inspiration from Naota's growth and finds work for herself as a photographer, moves away from the town. She grows for the better too.
If I watched FLCL again only focusing on Haruko I think there's just as much depth to her character. But as of now she's just a complete mystery. I know Naota's friends, especially that girl, have more to them that relates to themes to the show that could get in another rewatch. Feel like I need to watch it at least three more times, crazy how much there is to unpack in only a six episode OVA.
I'm giving it a 10, seen it more times than any other anime and I still feel the need to watch it again and again to understand the symbolism and characterization that is shown more so than explicitly told to the viewer. Yeah its confusing and weird and a lot of shyt seems to be there just for the sake of being there but at the core is a message that a lot of people react strongly to and understand and that's all you really need to become attached to a show.
I wish I could analyze things like you just did.
Honestly, I can only watch things for the entertainment value. My mind blocks out any criticism until someone puts it into my head.
Also, it's kinda funny how Naota's ideal match wound up being the girl in his circle.