Anyone who has grown up in the last decade and spent some time watching anime on Cartoon Network/Toonami/Adult Swim knows the name FLCL. It's one of the GAINAX greats right up there with Neon Genesis Evangelion and Gurren Lagann and you'd be hard pressed to find someone who hasn't seen it. About a month ago Adult Swim announced a tour by The Pillows in support of the new season of FLCL (FLCL Progressive) and this tour will include a special appearance at San Diego Comic-Con.
The new season of FLCL, called FLCL Progressive, began airing in early June and just aired its sixth episode. A third season, FLCL Alternative, is set to air later this Fall. First announced in 2015 and paired with veteran studio Production IG (who worked on Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - another hit that aired on Adult Swim) it has finally reached the airwaves after three long years much to the excitement of fans. Upon hearing of the tour I was immediately hyped; it's a once in a lifetime chance (something I've been saying about various things this year actually) to see this band which has cemented itself in a lot of people's minds as one of the most memorable parts of FLCL. The Pillows' music was featured throughout FLCL and that trend continues in FLCL Progressive.
I had just one problem: the San Francisco show is on Wednesday, July 18 which happens to be San Diego Comic Con's preview night. I'd be 500 miles away and in no position to see it. My second chance, Los Angeles, faced a similar problem: it's on Thursday, July 19. I'd be a lot closer than 500 miles but anyone who has ever traveled between LA and San Diego can tell you that that's a daunting proposition to go from one to the other in a timely manner not to mention make it back for the following morning's full day of Comic-Con
Lo and behold I got a third shot: Adult Swim announced a slew of events and features for SDCC. They've had a space behind the San Diego Convention Center for many years now with lots of games and other fun things for people to occupy their time at Comic-Con. This year the theme is a state park and everyone who visits will become campers. Attendees can participate in a number of activities including canoe racing, archery, earning merit badges, and more. Celebrities will also appear throughout the convention. At night programming includes a variety of screenings, streaming shows, and more. No camping trip is complete without some gooey snacks so a S'mores Station will be on hand.
You might think we're going off on a tangent but I assure you we're not: one of the nighttime activities is a The Pillows concert. The concert will start at 8:15 PM on Saturday and is billed for at least an hour. With any luck, it'll run for 90 minutes right up to the point of the next event which is the Rick and Morty Fan Event at 10 PM. Also important is a Friday morning FLCL panel at the Indigo Ballroom at 11:30 AM in the Hilton Bayfront hotel.
For fans of other Adult Swim properties you'll also be happy to hear of panels from Dream Corp LLC which will premiere later this fall, a Venture Brothers panel, and Robot Chicken. Signing sessions for Venture Brothers, Dream Corp LLC, and Robot Chicken will also occur on Saturday.
Please visit http://www.adultswim.com/presents/sdcc-18/ for more information.
The full schedule for Adult Swim is as follows:
THURSDAY, JULY 19
8:00 p.m. - “Things You’ve Never Seen” Screening
10:00 p.m. - Last Stream on the Left Live!
11:00 p.m. - Let’s Play Pool Panic Live!
FRIDAY, JULY 20
8:00 p.m. - AS Cosplay Competition Hosted by Henry Zebrowski
8:30 p.m. - The Venture Bros. Fan Event
10:00 p.m. - Let’s Play Pool Panic Live!
PANEL BLOCK- Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront
FLCL 11:30am – 12:15pm
Dream Corp LLC 12:30pm – 1:15pm
The Venture Bros. 1:30pm - 2:15pm
Robot Chicken 2:30pm – 3:15pm
SATURDAY, JULY 22
7:15 p.m. - Toonami Pre-Flight to with TOM and SARA
8:15 p.m. - The Pillows Live In Concert
10:00 p.m. - Rick and Morty Fan Event