FLCL: Grunge Sets Release Date With First Trailer

FLCL is coming back with a new anime very soon, and FLCL: Grunge has set a release date for its big premiere with its very first trailer! Following the success of FLCL follow up series FLCL Progressive and FLCL Alternative, it was announced by Adult Swim and Toonami that two more sequels for the franchise are now in the works. These projects are being tackled by two different teams and take on the Fooly Cooly franchise in a whole new kind of way, and the first of these big sequels is coming our way this Fall with a CGI take on it all. 

FLCL: Grunge will be directed by Hitoshi Takekiyo for MontBlanc Pictures and Production I.G., and feature new music from The Pillows. It will be a CGI animated production where three teenagers are just starting to emerge into adulthood. As part of the slate of announcements during Adult Swim Festival On the Green over the course of the San Diego Comic-Con 2023 weekend, Adult Swim and Toonami announced that FLCL: Grunge will be kicking off its run with the Toonami programming block on September 9th. You can check out the first trailer for FLCL: Grunge below: 

Why FLCL: Grunge is CGI

FLCL: Grunge director Hitoshi Takekiyo previously explained why the team pursued a CGI animated direction for the new series, “We were originally asked if we could work on a FLCL sequel…[O]ur main tool is CGI. We weren’t even certain we could make FLCL in CGI that would be acceptable for everyone. Therefore, we couldn’t respond right away. We asked if we could present a test animation first. I made a CGI animation of Haruko myself and felt more confident that it could potentially work! That’s when we decided to take on the offer.”

“We are currently still working on the show in CGI, trying new techniques and all, but we feel very strong about the overall story. We think you’ll enjoy it as much as we do,” Takekiyo continued. “We are making sure to pay the highest respect to the original creator [Kazuya] Tsurumaki. We are trying our best in procuring the elements that the original FLCL valued most while respecting the original style as much as possible. We are also taking on the new challenges that the current 21st century technology offers. We hope that you will get to enjoy the best of both worlds when you watch the show.”

What do you think of this first look at FLCL: Grunge? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!