Writer & Editor for MipMap & AnimeTrivia.app
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All Comments (4) Comments
23 years, 5 seasons, and a lot of misses later, FLCL is over. Bittersweet moment for sure, I don't think any other series has captured the uncertainty and melancholy that comes with growing up so perfectly. Many rightfully hold the original series as the best, but often discount the other four seasons for not being as well composed as the original. I can see where they're coming from, but I feel like a lot of the hate is misunderstood, given that the original FLCL wad broadcasted back in 2000. The people who made the original grew up in the Asian Financial crisis of the early 90's, a dark and cynical time in Japan, while those who made the newer seasons likely never felt what life was like in Japan's golden years. My point being that the difference in perspectives is quite glaring when you compare the two halves of FLCL. While the series is about childhood and the universal experiences everyone experiences in their youth, I can't help but feel that if the newer FLCLs were released without the expectation to live up to the original they'd be decent averagely received shows.
For what it's worth, Shoegaze does begin to recapture some of the magic that the original imparted, although I can agree that it does fall short of how wildly consistent the original was. The characters were great, albeit more time with them definitely would have helped. Not bringing Haruko into this one probably helped it set itself apart, which is what the first two sequels couldn't figure out.