Rating: 
Summary: A series for the open-minded, apparently.
Review: I'll dispense with the plot summaries and just say that this is a coming-of-age type story with several twists that make it amusing. It's not for everybody, but it is on par with Bebop and Evangelion for me in terms of intricate plot and superior animation. It's for fun, not for serious purposes. I mean, c'mon, when was the last time a plot involved a kid getting whacked on the head with a guitar held by a Vespa-driving alien? That alone should make it amusing. My advice is to watch it several times, because i taped it from Adult Swim before buying the DVDs because I couldn't understand it the first run through. The characters are very unique for me, particularly Samajimi Mamimi (sp?), who is the most intriguing of the series, and who I remember the best of all. It addresses a lot of things about small town life that ring true with me ("every day spent living here is like a lifetime of dying slowly", or something like that), and so I am appreciative of efforts to make things like this in new formats. Plus the animation references, from Looney Tunes to Lupin the 3rd to South Park, were brilliant. That's about it. See if you can find it for rent if you're not sure on yet. If you look for the connections between the episodes you'll see it's not as incoherent as some of the more impatient reviewers may have indicated.
Rating:
Summary: GAINAX Masterpiece
Review: Simply the most amazing piece of artwork ever developed. From the stylized use of digitized manga to the amazing group of animators that worked on the projects. Tsurumaki's vision and depth is amazing (especially since he is right handed). Oh, and don't forget the amazing fight scenes with some of the most fantastic robots you can imagine. Watch as Naota finds his way from elementary school to adulthood with the help of Haruko and fights his way through his own feelings to discover that he should just be himself. On the path he has to fight his way through a myriad of amazing Medical Mechanicca robots. Even though each disk is only 2 episodes, there is also an hour of commentary from Tsurumaki (director) that is nearly as riveting as the show itself. Also, a LOT of the nuances in the show are directed at Japanese culture and the anime biz. Even if you don't understand it all until afterwards, it is still an amazing show. Buy all 3 of them right now, because you will be begging for more the moment it ends.
Rating:
Summary: Extremely well done, technically superior DVDs.
Review: My standard rule applies. I am not reviewing this title on it's artistic merits. I happen to love this strange, strange six part series. But that doesn't necessarily mean you will. I'll confine my comments to the technical merits of this DVD release. I was, in a word, amazed. The video quality is among the best I have ever seen on an anime DVD. There are absolutely no visible decompression artifacts or video aliasing. After the complete hack job ADV did on the Evangelion DVDs, this is a very, very welcome change. The extras are lean. But I don't care. The video quality is so very good I can forgive the lack of copious extras. I give the technical prowess with which these DVDs were made 5 out of 5 stars. Finally a Gainax production gets the respect it deserves. If only Broccoli International could get the US rights to Evangelion.
Rating:
Summary: A Must See Anime
Review: I absolutely love this series. FLCL combines great Japanese rock, a unique story, and experimental animation to create an anime experience unlike anything I've ever seen. The story is really hard to summarize here because it is so unusual. Naota is a twelve year old boy who's life is depressingly ordinary. Until he has a close encounter with a mysterious woman riding a yellow Vespa SS 180 and weilding an Azureglo Rickenbacker 4001 bass guitar. It isn't long until strange robotic monstrosities are shooting out of his head. Like I said, the story is unusual. And unless you buy the other two DVDs, you will be left scratching your head, but if you do decide to purchase the whopping six-episode series(which unfortunetly will set you back about 90 bucks), you will be extremely glad you did. Most if not all of the music is from a japanese band called The Pillows. The music is amazing, and is really the glue that holds the whole thing together. It wouldn't be half as good without the soundtrack it has. The animation is superb, and involves quite a lot of cinematography with usually one "bullet-time" 3D scene per episode. As I said, this is experimental. So experimental that it switches from anime to manga(comic) form for about 5 minutes in the first episode, which I love, but other people hate. In a related note, the case for the anime is great. It includes a booklet that not only explains all of the anime inside jokes, and japanese pop culture references(which FLCL is full of), but provides insight into the making of the anime, and also includes a printed version of the previously mentioned manga that the show turns into for a period of time. There is also a full commentary with the director if your into that. It's in Japanese of course with subtitles. This anime is not for everyone. For example, if you did not like Evangelion because it was too crazy, this probably isn't for you. Oh yeah, this anime is CRAZY. It moves very fast and you won't be able to understand anything unless you see all six episodes. But I highly recommend this Anime for anyone with an open mind who can appreciate trying new things.
Rating:
Summary: One of the finest anime's I've ever seen.
Review: The first time I saw this on Cartoon Network, I thought 'Man, this is so dumb. What the HECK is happening? What a load of nonsense.' Then, I saw another episode. After it, I said, out-loud to myself, 'Well, that ain't so bad. Kinda fun to watch. Watched again, and I applauded the show's greatness. My oppinion of the show went up from there. What is it? It's a comedy, an action show, a romance, an anime with one of the greatest soundtracks I'VE ever heard. After seeing every episode, I'll still buy the DVDs, because each new viewing give you more insight into the subtley and power of this anime. Yeah, it's pretty short. But it packs more greatness into six episodes than most animes pack into TWENTY-six. And no, I still don't fully understand it. But I think, that is one of the greatest things about it. It lets you understand it however you want. I bet that different people see the show differently, love it for different reasons, and all see it through their own eyes and mind.
Rating:
Summary: Stop Bickering! It's good no matter what language you speak.
Review: Furi Kuri? FLCL? Fooly Cooly? Please. There's no "L" in the Japanese language, so "FoolyCooly" and "FuriKuri" are basically the same thing. Don't like "Foooooly Coooooly"? Then pronounce it like a Japanese person, don't lengthen the vowels, and put equal stress on all the syllables. EASY AS THAT! Oh, by the way... This seriously kicks butt. The first time you see it... Don't try and make sense of it, just watch it. You'll hurt yourself trying to cram it all into your head the first time. After two times through the series, it starts to make sense in a very non-sensical way. This's been dubbed (VERY well, I might add) by the folks at AdultSwim on Cartoon Network, with only ONE edit. They broadcast it twice, for about three weeks. If you missed it, then, well, look hard enough, you might be able to find it in English. Try KaZaa or some such thing. Maybe someday it'll end up on DVD, too.
Rating:
Summary: FLCL - Foo Li Coo Li?
Review: Really, there are two ways to look at FLCL... You can look at it as the rollercoaster satire of animes, something that goes from making fun of Lupin III to having their way with John Woo. It's Woo-tastic! You can look at it as one of the hardest storylines to follow I have yet to encounter. Otakus of the world unite! We'll figure it out someday! Once again, it's fun to watch as the characters even make fun of their own anime. Subtle isn't a word you would expect to hear about an anime like this one, but the movements from hilarity to serious storytelling are definately cast in slow shades of gray. Foolly Coolly (or FuriKuri or my favorite, Foo Li Coo Li)? You never REALLY find out what it means, it's a state of mind.
Rating:
Summary: If Insanity and Excellence can work together...
Review: FLCL is IT! Never have I seen such an insane scenes, themes, and story line. The best part is that even if you don't get it, you can still LYAO at their great sense of humor. Furthermore, the music by Pillow is nothing short of excellence, adding even more greatness to this series. I think everyone agrees on one down side; only six episodes. Fear not. There's enough story line to fill an entire season (26 episodes). It's just so fast faced to catch it all in one breath. U just gotta watch it over and over again. Trust me. You wouldn't mind doing that.
Rating: 
Summary: STINKER ALERT!
Review: ...BR>The story is, well, there really is no coherent story. Trying to believe there is only impaired what little amusement there was to be found. It was about fifteen seconds of watching the little black cat jump around along the shore of a canal during some pointless dialogue. The rest is best described as an ecclectic collection of "Through the Looking Glass" style Freudian psycho-sexual imagery that might amuse people who still smoke pot in their parent's basement.
Despite the chaotic nature of the series, I found it to be tedious and curiously repetitive after only a few episodes. While being weirded out can be fun, Furi Kuri manages the incredible feat of making it dull.
In my opinion, this is a steaming pile to be avoided at all costs, but if you liked "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", you just might disagree.
Rating:
Summary: skip ahead a generation...
Review: Having the itch to draw from the age of about 5 or 6, I was always searching for good stories in comix and artists that presented me with something real. Ralph Bakshi ripped off some really good work with "Wizards" which was a play on Japanimation (as it was then known...) and Vaughn Bode's characters 'Cheech Wizard' and 'Cobalt-60'. Bode along with Russ Manning who drew 'Magnus Robot Fighter', was my cartooning hero. And was one of the most prolific cartoonists of the hip generation. Bakshi's work is like a wet dream compared to the work of the folks at Gainax... I got into anime really strong a few years back with Tenchi Muyo. It hooked me. And then there was 'Ghost in the Shell' and 'Akira' and of course 'Cowboy Bebop' and its art and music nailed me down. And Devil Hunter Yokho, and Record of Lodoss War and Outlaw Star and NeoRanga... and and...
But then I finally got to view "Furi Kuri", (which most folks call 'Fooly Cooly', just need to buy the 4 CD set of 'Teach yourself Japanese') and I fell in love with animation and character creation all over again! It was like 1971 and the hip commune of the 'Finial House' where we did art and zines,.. the rips on all the different cartoon and anime series (like South Park, and Lupin the 3rd ...they also take on Bode see if you can find it!)... the basic story of a young boy coming of age, the 'romantic' thread is really well done (Alas, Haruka-san!.. I knew her well!) And the Sci-Fi... hey what can I say, if they had an award for best supporting actress in an anime role there is one character it would have to go to,..quoth she, "Those eyebrows!". Furi Kuri is an avant garde classic in my judgement.
Furi Kuri is a work of Art all around!
What Yoko Kanno did for Cowboy Bebop with jazz, the Pillows do for Furi Kuri with rock!
As was stated by another reviewer: It isn't generally speaking, for those that have no anime background... however that isn't true in all respects! If you want something that will make you think, that will make you remember, that will make you wonder that will make you laugh 'til you wet or that can just blow your socks off with REALLY DYNAMITE ANIME, FLCL is your anime! Even if it is your first... but be forewarned, it will spoil you rotten! DO IT! Swing the bat! BUY IT. You won't be sorry.
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