FLCL Progressive Episode 6: A Review

In a way, the finale of FLCL Progressive kind of sums up FLCL as a whole. The emotional and thematic arc of the story comes to its logical conclusion, while the actual events of the plot are oblique and confusing. Which is just a fancy way of saying I had no idea what was actually happening and why it mattered. But this is FLCL, so the plot doesn't matter. The characters reaching emotional maturity is, and that's what happens here. I'm getting ahead of myself though.

FLCL Progressive Episode 5: A Review

Episode 5 of Progressive kind of has the same problem something like Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince did. It's the last chapter before the finale so the major conflict of the climax has already been established and it's too late to bring in anything new. So if you don't spend the chapter as basically just a lengthened first act for the finale, you're mostly just jogging in place. Episode 5 feels like that as the major progression in the story is more emotional than plot-centric. That's not a bad thing for something like FLCL which is more about themes than actual narrative and that emotional progression is important, but in this case it does still have that sense of jogging in place.

FLCL Progressive Episode 4: A Review

I might have lost the thread here folks. For the most part, Episode 4 of Progressive continued on much how the first three episodes did. Some series-appropriate wackiness, some vague exposition on the bullshit in the story's background that doesn't really matter, some of Jinyu and Haruko at each others throats. But after one curveball of a callback, the episode's main conflict resolved and I became totally lost on what happened next or what any of it meant. But then again, this is FLCL so more's the fool on me for trying to make sense of the nonsensical in the first place. Still, the story did get deeper into its main character and there may be some hints that the background matters more than I gave it credit for.

FLCL Progressive Episode 3: A Review

It's a Beach Episode! Hooray!

Of course this is still FLCL, and when you've only got six episodes to work with even the beach episode isn't going to be just filler fluff. In fact, I like that the production crew basically subvert the typical anime beach episode from square one. These are usually an excuse to show off the female characters in skimpy swimsuits, light fanservice, so what does Progressive do? It has Hidomi wear an oversized shirt over her cute swimsuit for all the fun beach antics. Not only is that a funny subversion, it's also totally in character.

FLCL Progressive Episode 2: A Review

My main criticism of FLCL Progressive's first episode was that it lacked the energy and wackiness of its predecessor. The second episode tackled this issue basically right out of the gate, presenting something very much in the spirit of FLCL while still being its own thing. Haruko seems to be the missing factor in regards to that lacking energy as she moved if not into the spotlight than at least out of the wings this episode.

FLCL Progressive Episode 1: A Review

I doubt that I was the only person shocked and bewildered when [adult swim] announced that they were making not one, but two sequel series to the legendary (and legendarily weird) anime FLCL. Both a distillation and rebuke to its infamous predecessor Neon Genesis Evangelion, FLCL has become a classic in its own right, thanks in part to being regularly reshown on [adult swim]. But FLCL was so much its own thing and of its time, and the nature of its story so self-contained, that it was very much a question of how you would even begin making one sequel, let alone two.

The answer so far seems to be by not trying to make a sequel. FLCL Progressive, the first of the two sequel series, premiered its first episode on [adult swim]'s Toonami block last night, and it's taking an unexpected but not unwelcome approach to the challenge. In a way, Progressive almost seems like its doing to its predecessor what the original FLCL did to Evangelion.

[REDACTED] is Alive? Explaining Solo: A Star Wars Story's surprise cameo

SPOILERS FOR SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY, STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS, AND STAR WARS: REBELS 

While the release of any new Star Wars movie is sure to be chockfull of shout-outs, easter eggs, and call-backs to other stories from the franchise, the recent Solo: A Star Wars Story caught every fan worth their salt off guard with a surprise cameo from a character we never expected to see onscreen again. Though I'm not the first person, Star Wars fan or not, to rush to the Internet to explain how this character can make this appearance, most of them are missing out on the full story. Because while this character doesn't show up until the end of Solo, it's really the middle of their own story.

Last chance to avoid spoilers,