Chinese animation studio Flint Sugar is set to release its upcoming donghua, False Memory, on YouTube next month. The series, directed by Shuyu Li and Wenyu Liu, promises an introspective coming-of-age narrative within a surreal science fiction setting. However, the project also draws striking parallels to a seminal work from over two decades ago: Gainax's six-episode OVA, FLCL.
FLCL, which stands for Furikuri, originally aired in 2000 and was directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki, with Yōji Enokido as writer. The story follows Naota Nandaba, a 12-year-old boy whose mundane existence is disrupted by Haruko Haruhara, an eccentric woman who claims to be a space pirate. The series is characterized by its absurdity, featuring robots emerging from Naota's forehead, guitars transforming into weapons, and a giant factory looming over the town, all set against a backdrop where adults exhibit childlike emotional immaturity while children navigate complex feelings.
The series masterfully builds a world governed by impossible rules that are accepted without question, allowing it to focus on adolescent themes: the awkwardness of growing up, the feeling of being trapped, and the desire for maturity before true self-discovery. Like Neon Genesis Evangelion, FLCL centers on a protagonist who harbors resentment towards his environment and himself. However, while Evangelion delves into self-loathing and existential doubt, FLCL offers a more optimistic outlook, encouraging the embrace of change rather than fear of it.
The narrative structure of FLCL allows for a rewatch experience that continually reveals new emotional depth. Characters once perceived as irritating can become sympathetic, and seemingly random conversations gain significance, demonstrating the series' capacity to evoke enduring emotional resonance.
Integral to FLCL's impact is its soundtrack, featuring music by the Japanese alternative rock band The Pillows. Director Tsurumaki handpicked tracks that infuse the series with an energetic, punk, and garage-rock sensibility, effectively becoming the show's sonic heartbeat and amplifying both quiet moments and explosive action sequences.
FLCL's arrival at the turn of the century coincided with a period of expansion for the anime medium, blending experimental animation, alternative music, and personal narratives. Its influence persists today, evident in projects like False Memory, which appears to share FLCL's exploration of adolescence, surreal imagery, and emotional chaos.
False Memory's upcoming premiere, shortly before the 23rd anniversary of FLCL's US release, highlights the continued inspiration drawn from that era of anime. Whether False Memory can capture FLCL's unique energy or merely echo its themes remains to be seen, but its existence is a testament to FLCL's legacy in proving that anime can be strange, intimate, experimental, and profoundly human simultaneously.
FLCL is currently available to stream on HBO Max and Crunchyroll.