How have we not done this already? Maybe we’ve just been avoiding obvious choices. And make no mistake, the FLCL ending song is one of the most obvious possible choices for a feature like this.

‘Ride On Shooting Star’ by The Pillows is inarguably one of the most famous anime songs ever, and is as intimately linked with FLCL as any song can be with any show. And that’s probably because it’s so beautifully emblematic of what made FLCL so special. It’s a little punk, a little rock, a little alternative, but stylish as hell and just too damn cool. From that opening riff to the thrashing drop into the chorus to the infamously nonsensical lyrics, it’s a blast of catchy musical weirdness that chimes so perfectly with Gainax’s offbeat coming of age drama.

The credits sequence meanwhile is arguably just as famous as the song, meshing the show’s scratchy animation with an inspired bit of stop-motion photography, and forever associating Gainax with yellow Vespas. It’s a characteristically clever visual flourish to end each episode on, a statement of style and experimentation perfectly fitting the show’s boldness and willingness to experiment. FLCL and this song – in everybody’s hearts, one doesn’t exist without the other.