FLCLick Noise - Introduction & Character Sheets
[Kazuya Tsurumaki & Yoshiyuki Sadamoto rewatching FLCL, presumably to write this book]
The book launches with a large amount of art, but besides this photo it is all art that was previously available, and doesn’t add to the translation (you can see it in the scan of course). As such I will be begin with the book’s introductory essay.
[Table of Contents available here]
What is FLCL About?
By Shoutaro Miya1
First of all, let's start with the basics. "FLCL" is an original video animation (OVA) produced by Gainax and Production I.G between 2000 and 2001. The director was Kazuya Tsurumaki, who previously worked as an assistant director on "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and with FLCL made his debut as a full-fledged director. The character design was done by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, who is known for his proven ability to balance anime-like aesthetics and realism in works such as "Evangelion" and "Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water".
Furthermore, many of the artists who worked on this production later became key staff members at Gainax. This includes Hiroyuki Imaishi, who would later become the director of "Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann," and Tadashi Hiramatsu, who brought his talent with a wide range of animation styles to the show, from emotional scenes to intricate action sequences. The animation directing and storyboarding also included notable staff members Sushio, Yo Yoshinari, and Yusuke Yoshigaki, among others. With such a talented team, "FLCL" can be considered a bridge between the pre-"Evangelion" era and the post-"Evangelion" era of anime.
At the same time, "FLCL" was also created during a transitional period in the Japanese animation industry when digital technology was just starting to be introduced. While there are some scenes that use CG (for example, the scene parodying "The Matrix"2) in the show, the overall color scheme, which features a pale yellow sky, evokes a nostalgic feeling reminiscent of 80s anime. In a way, "FLCL" was born from experimentation in the midst of the storm of new digital technologies.
***
Until now, "FLCL" has often been seen as a so-called "subcultural anime". This is due to various elements such as the heroine Haruko's Vespa, the casting of stage actors for the voices, the soundtrack by The Pillows, and free-wheeling references ranging from "South Park" to handheld games. Certainly, "FLCL" appears to deviate greatly from the traditional framework of so-called "commercial animation".
...But is that really the case?
That was precisely the theme of this five-hour discussion between director Kazuya Tsurumaki and character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, two of the core members of the “FLCL” team, as they reviewed all six episodes; what were they thinking and what did they want to accomplish with this show? At the time of the transition from the 20th to the 21st century, when "moe," "sekai-kei3," and the era of the 2000’s were not yet clearly visible, what were they trying to attempt?
In a way, "FLCL" is the "center of possibility" for that time. It is the future of “anime in the 21st century” that turned out to never be; and a source of "anime in the 21st century" that has become real.
We hope that you will find this "possibility" with your own eyes; and that this book will guide you in that discovery.
***
[STAFF]
Planning and Original Story: GAINAX / Original Story and Director: Kazuya Tsurumaki
Screenplay: Yoji Enokido
Character Design and Visual Concept: Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
Animation Director: Tadashii Hiramatsu, Hiroyuki Imaishi, Nobutoshi Ogura
Art Director: Hiromasa Ogura
Color Design: Harumi Takahoshi
Editing: Makiko Asano
Music: Nobuyoshi Mitsumune aka the pillows
Theme Song: the pillows - "Ride on shooting star”
Producer: Masanobu Sato, Masatomo Nishizawa, Hiroki Sato
Production Studios: Production I.G, GAINAX
Production: FLCL Production Committee
Released and Distributed by: King Records
[CAST]
Nandaba Naota: Jun Mizuki
Haruko Haruhara: Mayumi Shintani
Mamimi Samejima: Izumi Kasagi
Nandaba Kamon: Matsuo Suzuki
Nandaba Shigekuni: Hiroshi Ito
Ninamori Eri: Mika Itoo
Manabe Gaku: Sho Miyajima
Masamune Masashi:
Kazuhito Suzuki
Miyu Miyu: ?4
Amarao: Kouji Ohkura
Kitsurbami: Chiemi Chiba
Miyaji Junko: Yukari Fukui
Characters
Nandaba Naota
A sixth-grade elementary school student who lives in the small city of Mabase. He is a young boy who sees himself as an adult, and looks down on the adults around him, but he begins to change gradually through his encounter with Haruko, who has forced her way into his home as a housekeeper.
Haruhara Haruko
An eccentric "Vespa girl" who appears before Naota. She is an uninhibited and outrageous person, and it's often hard to tell what she's thinking. But what is her true identity?
Samejima Mamimi
A high school girl who was dating Naota's older brother, Tasuku. However, after Tasuku went to study abroad, Mamimi's relationship with Naota evolved into something dubious. She can often be found smoking cigarettes by the river.
Nandaba Kamon
Naota's father. He is a failed editor and currently self-publishes a magazine criticizing the mayor.
Canti
A robot that appeared from Naota's head. He lives alongside Haruko in the Nandaba household.
Amarao
A director at a special Immigration Bureau. He apparently has a complicated relationship with Haruko? His eyebrows are a distinctive feature.
Ninamori Eri
A genius classmate of Naota’s, who serves as the class representative. Her father is the mayor of Mabase.
Nandaba Shigekuni
Naota's grandfather. He is also the manager of a local baseball team.
Junko Miyaji
The homeroom teacher at Naota's elementary school.
Kitsurubami
A member of the special Immigration Bureau and a subordinate of Amarao.
Atomsk
A mysterious entity, the possession of whom Medical Mechanica and Haruko are engaged in a fierce battle over.
TN: Shoutaro Miya is a longtime anime culture writer for magazines in the industry, who occasionally worked on game or show scripts. They have additional writings on FLCL for those who are interested.
TN: I believe this refers to the ‘camera spin’ scenes in episode 1 and 3 where the camera rotates around Mamimi and Naota/Ninamori, respectively.
TN: Sekai-kei is a term referring to Evangelion-style plots where apocalyptic stakes are placed on the resolution of the inner or interpersonal drama of the protagonist(s). It became very popular after Evangelion, and the 1995-2005 era is sometimes described as having a Sekai-kei boom.
TN: Its Hideaki Anno, he voiced the cat, we KNOW he did, but its ten years later and they still won’t say it. They are committed to the bit at least...