Obsession: FLCL

FLCL is one of the craziest anime that I've ever seen, and that's saying a lot.  There are tons of absolutely off-the-wall anime out there, and I'd like to think that I've taken in quite a few.  There was a period there where I wasn't sure the crazy anime I was watching made any sense.  I had to learn some cultural references for things to come together.  Just when I thought I knew what these crazy anime features were doing, FLCL had to come along and blow my mind open.

Here's the thing about FLCL that makes it stand out most other crazy anime.  The whole time I was watching FLCL, I knew that it was trying to tell a very sophisticated yet simple story.  You could see all the crazy visuals and gags and take them at face value, but there was just something about the presentation that made me realize that there was a lot more going on here.  That's how I know that FLCL is very, very smartly created.  It's two different shows for two different levels of viewers.

You can watch the show and just eat up all its craziness, and never take a second look at what's actually going on.  That's all well and good.  If you want to do that with your anime viewing, that's fine by me.  For those that are looking for a little bit more, FLCL can be one of the deepest, most heartfelt and interesting anime that you've ever seen.  It just depends on how much you're willing to analyze everything that the show throws at you.  Not a thing is waste, and every element of the show plays into the bigger picture.

Plenty of people over-analyze all sorts of anime, and they end up seeing things that the creators never intended.  I can promise you that that's not the case with FLCL.  This is a show that's meant to tell you a story and have you look at life from a new perspective.  It's a tale of love, of sadness, of hope and destiny.  All those ideas are tucked away within a very crazy wrapping, and it's up to you to peel the layers back and see what the show is really trying to say.

It's such a smart way to develop an anime.  Put all these deep ideas and meanings at the core of a show, and then pile on the craziness.  There will be plenty of people that take the show at face value, and never think about it again.  It's the smart viewers, the introspective viewers, the people like you and me that will really get what's going on.  It's a show that can be a simple visual feast with tons of wackiness, or one of the most engaging shows you've ever come across.  The choice is completely yours, and that's why I respect FLCL so much.

FLCL was the series that got me truly addicted to the entire world of anime.  This was the show that pushed me into searching out what other great anime content was out there.  Without FLCL, I probably would have never looked at anime again, outside the odd film viewing or show on Adult Swim.  I have to thank FLCL for being the show that changed me, and really pushed me down a path that I never thought I would take.  I'm better for it, and now I've met all you guys because of it.