FLCL: How Gainax Created The First Anime For The 21st Century

“In the first half of the 20th Century, a movement arose to overthrow what had up to that time been standard techniques of classical music, to wit, melody, rhythm, and tune, because they were in the way of creating anything new. So what about the field of graphics? What about Japanese animation? Will FLCL become an anime for the 21st Century, one freed from the various conventions of anime?”(Gainax.co.jp 1)

Hiramatsu Tadashi
FLCL Animation Director

“So what about the millennium? I’m not really sure, but writers keep asking about it. Like is there a meaning to releasing this title in 2000? When we were making this, it ended up being made in 2000? No. No, no, no. There must be a wish for everyone to be asking the same thing. Everyone is hoping that this is a Millennium Anime limited to 2000. Wishes and hopes are actually demands. I see. If we say that we weren’t thinking about the millennium, no one would be happy. So it’s been decided. That FLCL would be created as an anime for the year 2000. Does it matter if it’s true or not? FLCL is a Millennium Anime.”(Synch-point 10)

Enokido Yoji
FLCL Script Writer

FLCL: How Gainax Created The First Anime For The 21st Century

How do you create a truly original anime for the 21st Century? Gainax believes they have done it by forming an avant garde, postmodern production held together with a classic storyline revolving around well defined characters and created utilizing cutting edge computer generated animation. What do you call an anime this revolutionary? Giving it only one name would not do it justice. It could be FLCL as it is technically referred to throughout Gainax, Furi Kuri for those who prefer the onomatopoeia of Japanese speech, or Fooly Coolly(sic) as it is known in America and as seen in several examples throughout the series.

The rest of this fascinating article can be seen here

My personal comment is, this anime did break many grounds for GAINAX and burned into public conciousness for its wacky storytelling and feel. This article more and less explained the reasons behind its totally out of whack story and concepts. Fascinating read indeed.