Review : FLCL.

Imagine if you suddenly grew a horn on your forehead. But it's not really a horn, it's the portal to the belly of a robot cat. Doesn't make a lot of sense to you? Well that's what FLCL is all about, making barely any sense, in the coolest way possible.

Naota is a young boy living in a small town, who spends his days hanging around with his older brothers clingy ex-girlfriend. That is until some crazy girl riding a scooter appears and smacks him in the forehead with a guitar.

When Naoto regains consciousness he returns home to find the crazy scooter girl and some weird robot with a tv for a head working as maids in his house. Naoto has barely anytime to take this all in before a giant robot hand emerges from the guitar wound on his forehead. Before any more of the hand makes it through the TV headed robot shows up, tears it off at the root and then systematically beats it into a pulp. As the story progresses more of the robot makes it through. Naoto and crew are forced to deal with them, albeit, not in the usual battle-manga type way.

Obviously a strange story needs a strange art style and Hajime Ueda offers just that. Unlike any other manga, the art is very rough, but in a stylish way. Featuring heavy sketching, odd angles and demented characters. Even if the story doesn't particularly speak to you, it's worth a read just for a look at the unique and amazing art. There's some violence and sexual themes, but it's kept to a minimum and would be enjoyable for the usual 13+ manga audience.

FLCL has a crazy story, crazy characters, crazy art, generally a crazy manga. You'll either love it or hate it, but if you hate it, one day a crazy girl on a scooter may come and smack you in the forehead with a guitar. You've been forewarned.