FLCL Alternative Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

FLCL Alternative Blu-ray Movie Review

An entertaining follow-up to FLCL: Progressive

The third season of FLCL, FLCL: Alternative approaches the series from a different direction and once again reboots the premise (in the same style of FLCL: Progressive). The story tells its tale from a new perspective (with more female characters). The female-driven sequel focuses on a group of young teenage girls: Kana and her best friends Hijiri, Mossan, and Pets.

Everything in the girls' hometown seems boring and quaint until the rambunctious alien Haruko arrives at the scene (alongside a giant Mecha robot). Haruko is on a mission to save earth from the diabolical Medical Mechanica. Can Haruko save the day? Does Kana have special N.O. powers (just like Naota did in the original FLCL) and if so can these abilities be awakened and harnessed? Action, kick-ass music, and fun energy awaits.

The production style is similar to the aesthetic of the FLCL: Progressive series and utilizes some (if not all) of the same crew behind-the-scenes. The score by R.O.N. (Kuroko's Basketball, Psychic Detective Yakumo) is hip and exciting while the music songs by The Pillows are the real star of the music show with great rock tunes for audiences to bob their heads to. The music comprises the heart and soul of FLCL and Alternative keeps the rhythm going.

"Have you heard the new song by The Pillows?!"

One of the most beautiful aspects of the production is the animation. The animators crafted a season with excellent aesthetics and character designs. The art direction by Ayaka Fujii (Sarazanmai, The Dragon Dentist) simultaneously brings a sense of nostalgia for the original anime (with scenes animated in a similar style that fits the world of FLCL) while crafting a new tune as well. The landscapes are fluid and have invigorating detail in the line art.

Directed by Katsuyuki Motohiro (Satorare), Kiyotaka Suzuki (Tiger & Bunny), Yutaka Uemura (Saga of Tanya the Evil), FLCL: Alternative isn't quite as impressive as FLCL: Progressive (pun intended?), however, the series is still a entertaining dive into science-fiction and slice-of-life drama that offers viewers another excursion into the strange fantasy world this anime brings. The screenplay by Hideto Iwai (FLCL: Progressive) is a bit inconsistent and the later episodes of the season are more compelling than the first few (as the season gets off to a bit of a slow start). Yet once the show kicks in to high-gear for its bold conclusion, fans will be thrilled to be able to revisit FLCL once more. An imperfect but entertaining sequel.

FLCL Alternative Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from WB, FLCL: Alternative is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The quality of the animation is superb with a native high definition presentation that presents the modern art work with lush colors throughout the entire six episode run. The original series was animated in the early 2000's and is only available in an upscaled form on Blu-ray and its fascinating to see the FLCL saga transition to a native high-definition presentation. Colorful, robust, and engaging throughout, FLCL: Alternative is visually stunning. The line art is highly detailed and the fast-paced action scenes have a fluidity to them that is notable. The encode is commendable and presents the anime series with a pristine level of clarity that is not dampened by distracting banding and the like.

FLCL Alternative Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release of FLCL: Alternative has received two lossless audio options: Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 and English Dolby TrueHD 2.0. Either audio option will provide viewers with a dynamic sounding, high resolution sound mix. The audio is clear and crisp. Dialogue is easy to understand. The music sounds outstanding and the songs by The Pillows help to give the soundstage an added degree of energy and presence. Fans will be pleased with the superb audio fidelity.

FLCL Alternative Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Production: Behind the Scenes (HD, 5:40) showcases footage from the behind the scenes creation of the FLCL sequel series. The extra includes conversations with directors (Yutaka Uemura and Kazuto Arai), character designer Chikashi Kubota , and others involved in the production discussing the creation of the new season. In between animation checker Reiko Sakai discusses her part in the production and how she prefers animation on paper to digital means (even though she feels digital provides an easier method of drawing). There are some interesting glimpses into the development of the project and the interviews with Yutaka Uemura, Kazuto Arai, and Chikashi Kubota are worth watching.

English Voice-Actors: Behind the Scenes (HD, 5:29) features an extended interview with Kari Wahlgren (Haruko) as she discusses how emotional it was for her to return to the part (as voicing Haruko was her first voice-acting gig in her career as a voice-actor). Ray Chase (Kanda) also gives an interview about his involvement and he discusses how FLCL was one of the first anime series that he ever saw and why he thinks the message of the anime was important (about growing up).

Allegra Clark (Jinyu) discusses how she grew up watching Toonami and her love of FLCL. Marianne Miller (Mosan) talks about what it was like to be brought into the third season of the series and what she likes about her character. Steve Blum (Yoga) discusses his own involvement. The beloved anime voice-actor (voice of Spike on Cowboy Bebop) discusses how he hasn't been able to dub anime series since production moved primarily to Texas from California. Because the FLCL dub was produced in Burbank, California Blum was able to be involved. English ADR director Michael Sinterniklaas and VA Robbie Daymond (Ide) also discuss working on the new season and what the dub process is like with FLCL.

FLCL Alternative Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Though not as entertaining as FLCL: Progressive, FLCL: Alternative is nonetheless an enjoyable sequel to the original cult favorite. The anime has beautiful animation, kick-ass music by The Pillows, and enough creativity to make the sequel worthwhile. Fans should keep expectations in check as it can't come close to the original. Even so, I hope fans remember to have a good time. There is enough energy at play here to make it worth checking out the sequel.

Though not as entertaining as FLCL: Progressive, FLCL: Alternative is nonetheless an enjoyable sequel to the original cult favorite. The anime has beautiful animation, kick-ass music by The Pillows, and enough creativity to make the sequel worthwhile. Fans should keep expectations in check as it can't come close to the original. Even so, I hope fans remember to have a good time. There is enough energy at play here to make it worth checking out the sequel.