Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann (General Discussion thread)

[Shinndou]

Spoiler for episode 4 and other stuff:

Just watched episode four. The animation style was indeed different, and some parts felt a bit too "sloppy", but the battle (and the gattai sequence) were really well done, I have to say it. Kamina's stubborness and fixation with the utsukushii way to combine was hilarious. "COME ON, SIMON!"

In any case, it looks like the animation style will be back to normal in the next episode. Also, it looks like in episode five we'll meet one more key character (the small boy who appears in the preview with Leeron and the village chief), and eventually the plot might finally start moving a bit.

Oh and regarding that kid who should appear in episode five (whose name is Rossiu, according to the official website), I think it's safe to say that our old theory on episode one prologue is true. Why? Well, let's have a look at the kid's face:



And now the face of the man who talks with the "Captain Harlock-like" dude, in the prologue:



Same haircut, isn't it? This should confirm that Rossiu is the guy wearing those glasses, while the Captain Harlock guy is most likely Simon. Considering that they're both kids of about the same age, it's quite safe to assume that prologue shows what they'll probably become when they'll grow up.

[Shiroth]

Originally Posted by Shinndou

Spoiler for episode 4 and other stuff:

Oh and regarding that kid who should appear in episode five (whose name is Rossiu, according to the official website), I think it's safe to say that our old theory on episode one prologue is true. Why? Well, let's have a look at the kid's face:



And now the face of the man who talks with the "Captain Harlock-like" dude, in the prologue:



Same haircut, isn't it? This should confirm that Rossiu is the guy wearing those glasses, while the Captain Harlock guy is most likely Simon. Considering that they're both kids of about the same age, it's quite safe to assume that prologue shows what they'll probably become when they'll grow up.

Spoiler for Thought:

Yeah, i thought that was him from the first episode scene --- thanks for placing the two together. :3

Now we know that Simon shall progress as a character the good old Gainax way, we can see that from the fourth episode. The question is.. will we get a Kamina death sometime down the line? I think so --- don't even wanna start imagining how it'll happen, but it shall.

[Ashlotte]

Well after ripping through the first 3 episodes I gotta say its been a pretty crazy and enjoyable ride so far. Not much of a plot so far but the characters are pretty fun and the fact that I think yoko has one helluva nice character design does not bias my opinion of the show in anyway, shape, or form....

[te2rx]

Sorry but I'm just not feeling this new episode (4). Once again I fail to understand Kobayashi's appeal. I hated his 4C shorts, I couldn't get further than an episode into Beck and Paradise Kiss, and his episode of Kemonozume was easily the worst, far worse than the DR-Movie eps. And this Gurren-Lagann episode is hideous -- those closeups make me want to die. I don't mind when things are off model, but his redesigns are completely disconnected from the action and voice acting. The action and flow is disjointed and mistimed... it looks like sh-t, it moves like sh-t, and I'd wager the individual cuts that look the best has little to do with him as an AD. Kobayashi is the poor man's Yuasa. Yes, I said it. He sucks. Kudos to Imaishi/Gainax for allowing an individualistic animator to strut his stuff, but still.

[Maids! Maids! Maids!]

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Maids! Maids! Maids!;916209[U

][/U] ]

That one just kind of nails "free spirit" Yoko to a "T" ... probably in her culture its the throat that must be concealed (too sexy). What a character....

[Windragon]

About episode four, I hate it.
Animation sucks and also I found kinda stupid this episode.
Eps 1-3 are wonderful, but this one....
Shit :/
Is the same animator on episode 5?
We should kill him....

[Kaioshin Sama]

From what I can tell its been a different animation director every episode. Osamu Kobayashi doesn't seem to be returning in episodes 5 or 6. I haven't seen 4 yet, but having seen Super Bestial Machine God Dancougar (the 80's one not the new one, good mecha show, but frequently racked with the most inconsistent and lazy animation I have ever seen in mylife. The Dancougar literally looks completely different in every single shot and a lot of the time they don't even bother to add detail to the unit, so it just kind of looks like die-cast metal without any painting.) so I don't think any degree of poor animation will ever phase me again.

[7Th]

The animation directior is different but all episodes but this one, which has a completely different style to enhance the particular mood, had in-house Gainax ADs. If you didn't liked it... don't worry, everything until at least 13 won't be by Kobayashi again. Just watch the preview for 5th, the character models looks really FLCLish... more so than what the series has been so far.

And te2rx, I wouldn’t really compare Kobayashi to Yuasa as both are extremely different in style, thematic and execution. While both share an inherent honesty in their styles the ultimate feeling of unorthodoxy both connote are completely different. Animation-wise it’s really impossible to find real similarities between the rough, sketch-like and mostly rock-culture inspired movement of Kobayashi and the much more dreamlike, nuanced and psychedelic depictions of Yuasa. I can’t even find any relationship between the anti-climatic juvenile feelings behind the first’s directorial attempts and Yuasa’s more mature management of drama and humanity.

[te2rx]

I agree the connection is weak at best. I was only reaching for another personality who has done wildly off-model stuff, and that Hakkenden episode with Yuasa & Ohira came to mind, and also his 4C shorts to Yuasa's weirder moments. But beyond the superficial, there's really no one to liken him to.

[Kaoru Chujo]

I'm way behind the rest of you, but I just thought I'd drop in to say I finally watched episode one, after thinking I wouldn't bother (not my thing)...and I get it. Really well done. I see why the number of threads on 2channel is zooming up so quickly. And I think Konishi Katsuyuki is terrific here.

[Deathkillz]

ahh yea i was put off at first by the animation at first but after seeing yoko pop up everything changed for the better just hope they keep it up :3

and great pics there maids to fuel my fanboy ego ^_^

[7Th]

Summary from episode 5 added to the official Gainax Web-Page:

Spoiler for Episode 5 Synopsis:

After their encounter with Kitan and his party the Gurren-Dan continues their journey towards the Human Eradication Army headquarters. After a sudden encounter with an enemy Ganmen the land below them starts crumbling and they fall to the underground, where they find themselves in a strange village which religion reveres as faces of God old structures which Leeron probably recognizes as ancient Ganmen. The usual church dictatorship ensures for the town and Kamina tries to bring sense into the inhabitants. As the conflict arises a new enemy falls from the sky and Gurren-Lagann gets ready confront him when mysterious events involving the holy ruins began to unfold...

The staff is like I had said Hiroaki Tomita as director and story-boarder, Shoji Saeki as script writer and Kikuko Sadagata and Satoru something as animation directors.

Source: http://translate.google.com/translat...language_tools

[Shinndou]

Originally Posted by 7Th

The staff is like I had said Hiroaki Tomita as director and story-boarder, Shoji Saeki as script writer and Kikuko Sadagata and Satoru something as animation directors.

Source: http://translate.google.com/translat...language_tools

Which means that the animation should be back to normal. Good to hear that. As much as I find experimental animation interesting, I prefer seeing consistency in animation once a certain style has been set in stone after a couple of episodes.

[7Th]

Originally Posted by Shinndou

Which means that the animation should be back to normal. Good to hear that. As much as I find experimental animation interesting, I prefer seeing consistency in animation once a certain style has been set in stone after a couple of episodes.

It should be back to relative normality as even the first episodes had different, yet interesting, approaches at motion. I still can't read the Hisashi (Something) or the Satoru (Something). Can anyone help me here?

http://www.gainax.co.jp/anime/gurren-lagann/story.html

[Guardian Enzo]

Well, I'm quite anxious to see 4 now, given the controversy. I liked 3 a real lot - not quite as manic, but the plot was more coherent and the characters moved along quite a bit. I loved Kamina's "that part of you will end up saving me" line towards the end...

[outlaw97]

Originally Posted by Maids! Maids! Maids!

Any chance we can get the website for the above artist?


Man, so many fantastic fanarts coming out, makes me wonder how much fanart will be at Summer Comiket!

[SilentGhost]

Havent seen ep. four yet myself either, sadly I have limits... I've gotten to like watching anime in japanese w/subs, but I still refuse to watch something where i have nearly zero idea of whats being said, my brain complains too much.

I'm glad to hear that 4's style wont cont. since it seems to bite so bad. I never minded that single episode of FLCL where various directors had a go at it, but shifting out of the established entirely is bunk. Gurren-Lagann works, so dont fix it :P

Thinking on the style seen in 1~3 though I remembered a PS2 game that had a similar feel to it. "Samurai Legend Musashi", the OP to it had a much more edgy/comic book look to it but the high speed action was there as well. If only Musashi hadnt had such a horrid voice actor and had his old hair he might have passed off more like Kamina lol.

I am curious though; In the OP when everyone is walking along in Gurren & Lagann, the Gurren has a big thing attached to its back with a little flag. Is this just a storage container or does it serve some larger purpose?

[7Th]

Originally Posted by SilentGhost

Havent seen ep. four yet myself either, sadly I have limits... I've gotten to like watching anime in japanese w/subs, but I still refuse to watch something where i have nearly zero idea of whats being said, my brain complains too much.

I'm glad to hear that 4's style wont cont. since it seems to bite so bad. I never minded that single episode of FLCL where various directors had a go at it, but shifting out of the established entirely is bunk. Gurren-Lagann works, so dont fix it :P

Thinking on the style seen in 1~3 though I remembered a PS2 game that had a similar feel to it. "Samurai Legend Musashi", the OP to it had a much more edgy/comic book look to it but the high speed action was there as well. If only Musashi hadnt had such a horrid voice actor and had his old hair he might have passed off more like Kamina lol.

I am curious though; In the OP when everyone is walking along in Gurren & Lagann, the Gurren has a big thing attached to its back with a little flag. Is this just a storage container or does it serve some larger purpose?

It's the helmet, I believe.

[outlaw97]

Apparently episode 4's "art style" is causing more of a ruckus than imagined - taken from the Canned Dogs site:

Gainax has been gathering quite a bit of online controversy over the past days. It first started when it attracted almost 900 comments on its official blog over ep 4 of Gurren Lagann when fans did not receive director Osamu Kobayashi’s style very well.

Then fans soon found comments made earlier in the month by one of the Gainax staff on mixi that she does not want to deal with disgusting otaku viewers anymore and wishes them dead. The Gurren Lagann producer then replies to the same post and agrees and says that 2ch is like an anus. This of course angered many of the fans and the comments on the official blog only become uglier. However this is only the start, and considering 2ch’s long history of controversies, I am only hoping Gainax comes out unscathed…

Links to relevant posts and such at http://zepy.momotato.com/