FLCL (Japanese: フリクリ, Hepburn: Furi Kuri, pronounced in English as Fooly Cooly) is an original video animation (OVA) anime series created and directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki, written by Yōji Enokido, and produced by the FLCL Production Committee, which consisted of Gainax, Production I.G, and King Records. FLCL is a story following Naota Nandaba, a twelve-year-old boy whose suburban life is disturbed by the arrival of the mysterious Haruko Haruhara.[4] The six-episode series was released in Japan from April 2000 to March 2001 alongside a manga and novel. It originally debuted in the United States on Adult Swim in August 2003, where it managed to gain a significant cult following[5][6] and was widely acclaimed, despite its short length.[7][8] The series would continue to air on the network in the following years, including reruns on the network's Toonami programming block from October 2013 to January 2014,[9] and in April 2018.[10] The series is also available via iTunes, adultswim.com and Funimation's website. In 2016, two new seasons totaling 12 episodes were announced as a co-production between Production I.G, Toho, and Adult Swim.[11][12] The second season, FLCL Progressive, premiered on June 3, 2018 on Adult Swim's Toonami programming block, while the third and final season, FLCL Alternative, premiered on September 8, 2018. In Japan, Alternative and Progressive had theatrical screenings with Alternative opening on September 7, 2018 and Progressive opening on September 28, 2018.[13] The first episode of FLCL Alternative unexpectedly premiered on April Fools' Day 2018 at 12 a.m. ET on Toonami in Japanese with English subtitles as part of Adult Swim's annual stunt.
In the hyper-policed, sterile metropolis of Vector City, a totalitarian regime known as the Vector United Authority (VUA) rules with an iron fist. Led by the charismatic but corrupt Director Gordon Vane, the "rotten adults" of the city are systematically siphoning the city's underground Ley Line energy, draining the vibrant culture, memories, and very souls out of historic neighborhoods and transforming them into lifeless, grey corporate blocks. Zack Ridge, a normal 16-year-old high school kid just trying to survive his classes and get home to his loving parents. Zack's life is completely shattered when Director Vane personally frames him for a brutal assault he didn't commit, using the VUA's absolute media gaslighting networks to broadcast his face citywide as a dangerous delinquent. On the run from the hyper-aggressive Paranormal Police and automated H.O.U.N.D. Drones, Zack is rescued by Professor Sprocket Locke, an old-school, eccentric mechanic who runs a neighborhood parcel shop called Sprocket Express as a secret front for an underground rebellion. Recognizing the fire and defiance in the kia, Sprocket clamps a blocky, industrial prototype onto Zack's arm: The Spectral Gauntlet. Powered by Zack's internal fury, the gauntlet taps into the city's supernatural currents, supercharging his Vector-Drive Inline Skates with physics-defying speed and kinetic energy. Joined by his fast-talking, comic-relief best friend Felix "Flea" Greene and a cool, mysterious Japanese transfer student named Haruka "Haru" Sakamori, they officially form The Ground-Line Riot. Operating right under the noses of the corrupt adults, the crew takes on high-stakes, high-velocity delivery runs for Sprocket Express to smuggle vital data and rebel tech. By mastering supersonic rail-grinds, wall-rides off skyscrapers, and momentum-fueled kinetic strikes, these rebellious kids are determined to shatter the VUA's monochrome illusions, restore the vibrant color to their streets, and put an end to Director Vane's oppressive machine once and for all!
