FLCL Progressive +
Alternative
"Medical Mechanica plans to capture that monster using this mochi, but I don't think it's possible. And the flower pot is missing."
—
FLCL Progressive, episode 6
The worrying thing is that that piece of dialogue actually makes sense in context!
These two follow-ups to the original
FLCL from 19 years ago are
very different from each other, and it feels like it stems from their writing methodologies.
Progressive feels like something written by a focus group as they brainstormed the minutiae of the
FLCL "formula" and wrote a story according to that template.
Alternative, by contrast, comes off as the brainchild of an ordinary fan of the original who's turning their hand to writing something
inspired by the
FLCL universe. It could almost have begun life as a
doujinshi.
I like
both series, but, on first watch of each, I liked
Alternative that little bit more, even though it didn't "do" as much story-wise. Perhaps on repeat viewings, though, the more ambitious
Progressive might overtake its sibling. I'd love to find out one way or the other, and, to that end, a nice UK Blu-ray release would be just the ticket.
EDIT: And yet I now see that both were in fact written by the same person, Hideto Iwai.
That's diversity in writing ability on show there.