Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann (Maiking Break-Through Gurren-Lagann)
Broadcast: April 2007 on TV-Tokyo
Episodes: 26
Site(s):
Official,
Gainax,
Konami,
TV Tokyo
Trailer:
trailer (3.5mb)
Cast:
Katsuyuki Konishi as Kamina
Marina Inoue as Yoko
Tetsuya Kakihara as Shimon
Gurren-Lagann is Gainax's
highly anticipated new mecha franchise, helmed by
Hiroyuki Imaishi (animation director of FLCL), script and storyboard by
Shouji Saeki (one of the directors of FLCL).
Mecha designs by
Yoh Yoshinari (Dead Leaves, Melody of Oblivion).
Character designs by relative unknown
Atsushi Nishigori. In short the cream of current Gainax talent.
Story:
Spoiler for Story:
In the future, people are digging holes in the ground. They build houses and have domestic animals there. They have been living secretly fearing occasional earthquakes and roof-falls for hundreds years. Jeeha is one of such villages. One day, a boy, Shimon, is digging holes to expand their village. He happens to find a small shining drill. On the other hand, Kamina is a guy who believes there is the ground over the village, and he made a gangster to break the ceiling to get out from the hole.
In those days, the ceiling falls down due to an earthquake, and a big robot falls.
Kamina becomes sure that there is a world over them. Then, to be reckless, he begins to fight against the robot. At the moment, someone also comes from the above. It is a girl Yoko with a rifle in her hand. She is following the robot. However, only she can do is to keep the robot from going. Then, Shimon shows what he found in the ground to Kamina and Yoko. It is a mysteries robot whose body is only a face.
Mecha wise, the
Lagann of the title is a face section of the main
Gurren-Lagann unit piloted by Shimon. The design is rather old school, but
Enki's design is oddness. The character designs are funky and colourful,
Shimon, is the Renton-esque hero,
Kamina is the rockstar cum passionate leader and saucy looking
Yoko contributes the
Bounce. Also there's a odd little mascot, a mole called
Boota.
What to expect?
Eye-candy. Insanely well animated eye-candy, packed with tons of nods and homages to other Gainax animes and others beside. This is Gainax's next big anime, their first original idea since FLCL (I think?), and there's a lot riding on it for the studio. I have a huge amount of confidence that Hiroyuki Imaishi (and Gainax as a whole) will deliver. I love Gainax's work like Diebuster, FLCL and Nadia, so I'm looking forward to an epic, fun and unforgettable ride.
