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View Poll Results: Gurren-Lagann Total Series Rating
Perfect 10 307 57.28%
9 out of 10 : Excellent 139 25.93%
8 out of 10 : Very Good 48 8.96%
7 out of 10 : Good 17 3.17%
6 out of 10 : Average 10 1.87%
5 out of 10 : Below Average 6 1.12%
4 out of 10 : Poor 0 0%
3 out of 10 : Bad 1 0.19%
2 out of 10 : Very Bad 0 0%
1 out of 10 : Painful 8 1.49%
Voters: 536. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 2007-10-07, 16:13   Link #1
Skyfall
Lost in my dreams...
 
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Age: 37
Gurren-Lagann - Overall Series Impressions & Total Series Rating

This thread is to be used for discussing the entire 27 episodes of Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann ... your thoughts about the show, overall impressions, speculation on the possible DVD only bonus episodes, etc., etc…

A few subjects you might want to ramble on about:
  • General impression of the series.
  • Opinions on the overall story, writing & plot devices.
  • Thoughts about the animation quality.
  • Will there be additional DVD only episodes and what will they contain.

  • Characters/Character Design
  • What the show meant to you.
  • What could the creators/animators/writers could have done better.
And so on.

The poll represents your total series rating. In other words, how you would rate all the episodes combined (1-10)? If you'd rather rate the whole series by technical/artistic merits, you can do so. An example:

Animation Quality: 1-10
Voice Actors: 1-10
Script: 1-10
Editing: 1-10

Average = Total Series Rating

Or a combination of the two. Or your general gut feeling.
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Old 2007-10-07, 16:17   Link #2
Terrestrial Dream
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Join Date: Dec 2006
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I love this show, one of the best anime I ever watched. To me this was on par with Gaogaigar Final (which is my favorite anime). I love all Great Gurren Brigade's character, I love Gurren Lagann's design, and episode 8 and 11 had one of the best moment in history of anime for me. The ending was bit disappointing but it was still good. I would say that after the defeating Lord Genome it got little real, but after it got crazy again which is what I liked about this show. I giving 10 out of 10, I would even say that this was the best anime of 2007.
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Old 2007-10-07, 16:23   Link #3
Midonin
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Join Date: Jun 2007
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I was waiting for this, and I believe I'm ready.

Gurren-Lagann, like almost every other anime I've discovered, was first found out through TV Tropes. I saw the first five episodes, and, while the characters were being introduced, I wasn't quite feeling it yet. Cue episode 6. The Gurren-Dan acting as a unit, battles on a grand scale...I was hooked. Note that all this came in the form of a marathon that lasted up to Episode 15.

I will admit the show had a few slower moments, such as episodes 9-10, and 17-20, but I believe that if an episode's there, it's there for a reason. They did help to set things up, and I appreciate them for doing so. I was satisfied with the finale, even if it did spring a bit of controversy.

The characters were great. I was a Kamina fan from the beginning ("Go beyond the impossible and kick reason to the curb!"), and for his and Simon's final battle, I was cheering. Standing up in my seat and cheering. Something very few anime have made me do. Gurren-Lagann's action never fails to disappoint, and I don't think I'll see mecha this impressive again. Or this large.

The music was very nice ("happily ever after" and "Ro! Ro! Fight the Powa!" are the best, of course), and the story carried through. There were moments where I cried, moments where I smiled, moments where I cheered and moments where I laughed. An emotional rollercoaster that just gets to you.

So, overall, my gut says to give it a 10. The formation of CGGL, Simon's reunion and subsequent gathering of his nakama, and the TTGL group sound off sealed the deal. Now, I can't wait for the DVDs to get here.

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Old 2007-10-07, 16:33   Link #4
jaziek
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Join Date: May 2007
Best anime i have ever seen. period.
The only anime that i have cried or screamed YEAAAAH!! or both while watching in virtually every episode. It took GAR to a whole new level, and for me, redefined awesomeness.
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Old 2007-10-07, 16:41   Link #5
Malintex_Terek
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Lightbulb Eh, this is longer than I thought. Oh well. ;D

Sort of out of character for me, but as a protest to the aburdly long posts in the Clannad discussions I'll keep this short and sweet.

Gurren-Lagann is the best super robot show since Y2K, I'd say the best since GaoGaiGar. Truely "the" defining super robot show of the decade, much like GGG, Gunbuster and Mazinger were in previous decades.

The animation, while in "new style" for mech productions, was absurdly well done and very action-packed. Typical for super robot shows, the story had just enough depth to keep people from passing it off as being mindless, but was shallow enough for people to just turn off their brains and enjoy.

GL is perhaps one of the most "imaginative" stories of recent years, it gives the impression of a super-long manga getting compressed into a rather short anime. Everything from the Ganmen designs to the character looks, philosophy and whatnot look like they took years to plan, yet they were presented flawlessly on the first act without moments for the "author" to pause and think about the direction desired for the characters.

However, I cannot give GL full marks - some characters were under-developed, namely, the Gurren Gang front soldiers who perished in twenty four, only to get "glorious deaths" not reflecting their status in the show. They were cool but...we didn't need that wasted time. Additionally, Ark Gurren-Lagann and Chou Ginga Gurren-Lagann, while with sufficient introduction time, did not get enough fight time - their designs were rather put to waste. Oh, Yoko's costume was horrible, too. I liked her Arc III clothes a lot better.

Finally, we get to the matter of the epilogue/prologue, the latter of which was out of character for the story. GL was an "epic", it rapidly increases in scope and importance each episode, but the epilogue was a reversal of that. Additionally, the prologue, which baited most people into watching the series, was never elaborated on nor animated again - arguably, the prologue's scenario, whatever it was, is far more interesting than the GL story we got to see.

I for one was long waiting for "boy scout" Simon to evolve into the legendary, confident and cocky space pirate god-like captain we saw in the opening, as well as Boota's rise to being a sub-commander. That, if it had been the epilogue, would have been a suitable ending to an "epic" series. But what we got...the protagonist living in humble obscurity, doing good deeds and spreading his wordly wisdom, was not acceptable as a conclusion. Heck, having Starlock walk into the sunrise would have been better than the epilogue alone. Also, needs less man-jaws.

Overall, 9/10. Easily best series of the year, spot-on acting, visuals, music, sound effects, imagination, heart. Just a pity Gainax's offending influence had to manipulate that ending.

Last edited by Malintex_Terek; 2007-10-07 at 21:27.
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Old 2007-10-07, 19:33   Link #6
ChainLegacy
廉頗
 
 
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I can't emphasize enough how awesome this show is to me. I've seen many anime in my day (almost 150 to this date), but nothing has had this kind of impact on me. It's such an exciting and inspiring show, with awesome characters and a cool plot to boot (which was, in hindsight, thought out very well - who would've thought there was so much more to Genome back in episode 11-14?). It's very much deserving of a perfect 10; the series isn't flawless, but, as a viewer, it was a perfect experience. My favorite series ever (well, with some competition from Maison Ikkoku... completely different type of enjoyment =P)!

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Last edited by ChainLegacy; 2007-10-21 at 21:56.
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Old 2007-10-07, 19:58   Link #7
Kirarakim
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Well I voted perfect 10 but that is probably a little over zealous. Let's just say the show gets a perfect 10 for my own enjoyment. It would not get a perfect 10 for quality (more like an 8 or 9).

I know a lot of people will disagree with me but I actually think the episodes before 8 were a little weak (except ep 3 I love that one). They were fun but they lacked substance. Episode 8 was what got me into the show. I love shows that start out one way and develop into something else. Not that Gurren Lagann was ever the most deep show but it was still a lot deeper than I initially expected and I loved that.

A lot of Gurren Lagann fans were mecha fans to begin with. I am not. Sometimes I might enjoy a mecha show but I hardly ever enjoy the mecha aspect. In Gurren Lagann I loved both the mecha aspect and the story aspect. I now want to own a Gurren Lagann and a King Kittan so the show probably deserves a 10 just for making me want to collect mecha models.

Although it was definitely the characters that made me really love Gurren Lagann. I loved them all from hero to villain. I loved that the villains were a lot more grey then black. And I loved that even the heroes weren't perfect. It's true some of the minor characters could have used better development but I was extremely happy with the development for Simon, Viral, Nia, Yoko, Rossiu, and Kittan. I also loved seeing Simon grow up throughout the series (I am sucker for those type of stories). And although Kamina didn't have the best development he had to be one of the most memorable and inspirational characters ever.

Bottom line, the series just had a whole lot of heart in it. At times it could be corny, but it was the inspiring type of corniness. It was cliche but it had an over-the- topness that made it not seem cliche at all.

I wouldn't say Gurren Lagann is the best show of 2007 (major competition from Denno Coil and Terra e). However, I think I can say it was the most enjoyable show of the year (with a lackluster fall season I don't expect any show to take its place).

Last edited by Kirarakim; 2007-10-07 at 21:36.
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Old 2007-10-07, 22:02   Link #8
Darklord_bg
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Best show of the season, hands down!

It has made such a huge impression on me that it will join the ranks of titans like Gundam SEED and Code GEASS as my Top 3 mecha anime, and will definitely find a place in my Top 10 anime overall. I am pretty sure I will be re-watching my favorite episodes and scenes from the show again and again in the years to come. Whenever I feel depressed, whenever I am bored, or just whenever I feel like a need a strong injection of adrenaline, I can always count on this show to pick me up and make my heart pound with excitement.

It's hard to find the words to express my feelings about this show, since I do not think any words can do it justice, but still, I'll give it a try.

Animation - 9/10 The animation was simply breathtaking! So many bright colors, so many explosions, so many beautiful landscape scenes. The character designs were really cool and colorful. Kamina's design is the best - the cape, the sword, the sunglasses - all very stylish. I loved how the characters changed after the time skip to make them look more grown-up and mature. Simon, Rossiu and Darry were the ones in which those changes were the most noticeable. The only qualm I had about the animation was episode 4 and I'm glad the producers chose not to pursue this weird style anymore.

Sound - 10/10 Iwasaki Taku was my favorite anime composer even before TTGL (I know him from Kenshin OVA, Getbackers, Black Cat and Kekkaishi) and he did not disappoint me. The soundtrack was amazing through and through. It accompanied the feelings of the characters really well. Sometimes the music made a really great scene even more memorable. The best example of that for me was Kittan's death scene with "Libera Me" from Hell playing in the background - it made Kittan's epic exit even more epic. Another example again with the same song was the dream sequence in episode 26 - it made it even more emotional, and of course there is Kamina's death sequence which I must have watched 20 times(no exaggeration). I've been listening to the OST all the time ever since it came out a week ago(heck I'm listening to it right now). That's how amazing it was.

Script - 10/10 When the show first came out, I thought it was going to be just another shounen/action show with comedy elements. The first few episodes were full of action and funny moments and over-the-top fight scenes, so they were entertaining to watch, but yet - nothing new. Nevertheless, there were certain moments - like the prologue or the time when Kamina first entered a Ganmen and stared for a long time at that skull, while sweating - that made me think this show might be a little bit different. When episode 8 came I knew I was right - the guy who was the heart of the show so far was killed in one unforgettable epic moment. From that time on, I couldn't wait for the next episode to come out every week.

The first post time-skip arc (mainly episodes 17-21) that many people seem to criticize for being not in tone with the rest of the show, actually gave the much needed depth to the show that seemed to be lacking up to episode 15. For the first time we got to see some more complicated character interactions, some political intrigue and some storytelling. Heck, this arc answered many of the questions that we had been asking ourselves for a while about the show: What is spiral power? What are the Ganmen and the beastmen? How did the human population get to be inprisoned underground? This story arc also gave character development to some side characters, who were mere sidekicks before - mainly Rossiu and Kittan, the latter of which became one of my favorite characters. Thus, even though this arc was not as action-packed as the rest of the show, it added depth to it and made it even better.

The final arc (Eps 23-27) was the creme of the creme, the top of the iceberg. It presented us with action, drama and intensity on a level never before seen in the show before. It had been a long time, since someone important died, and that made the many deaths in this arc even more shocking and emotional. This arc also featured the best music and animation of the entire show. The ending was great - from the intensive fight scene, to the bittersweet finale.

Characters - 10/10 I felt like I needed to make a separate category, since the characters are all so awesome. There was not a single character that I hated. Even Rossiu, who had become really annoying after the time-skip had a very nice closure to his story.

Kamina is the guy who really carried the show in the first 8 episodes and pretty much got me hooked to it. His constant optimism, coupled with his "never give up" attitude was what really made me like him. He also came up with many memorable quotes! Indeed, as Simon said: "On that day, we lost someone irreplaceable!".

Simon was also pretty amazing in his own right. He really came a long way from the insecure, yet brave and daring little boy to the confident and charismatic mature leader. His relationship with the two most important people for him - Kamina and Nia took up a great deal of the show.

Viral was this enigmatic badass bad guy in the beginning of the show. At first he seemed like a generic antagonist, but yet something about the fact that he always managed to stay alive while his superiors were killed made me think he really might turn out to be an important character. It turned out right. This is my favorite type of character - a villain with a sense of honor, who eventually joins the good guys.

Kittan started out as a generic comic relief side character, but he had an amazing character development after the time skip. His character really shined only in two episodes - 20 and 25, but he gave such an impressive performance in them, that he solidified his place as one of the most memorable characters in the show. He managed to differentiate himself from Kamina and become cool in his own right and he had probably the most impressive and emotional death sequence in the show.

I liked pretty much all the other characters as well, but for me those 4 that I mentioned stand above everyone else.

Overall Impressions: TTGL is like a shounen show on steroids. Everything that makes a shounen show great - the action, the inspirational speeches, the cool characters, the upbeat music, the intense fight scenes - is magnified tenfold in GL. The underlying theme for the whole show was, to quote Kamina, "Go beyond the impossible and kick reason to the curb!". This theme was further reinforced by one of the main music themes: "Do the impossible, see the invisible! Raw, raw, fight the power! Touch the untouchable, break the unbreakable! Raw, raw, fight the power!". I don't remember the last time I've given so many episodes of a show a perfect 10 - 8, 15, 22, 25, 26, 27 - that's almost a quarter of the show.

In conclusion, it has been a long time since a show has made me feel this way as TTGL did. There probably will be a long time before another show replaces it in my heart. Nevertheless, I will keep watching other mecha shows and probably subconsciously compare them to GL, since it has set the bar really high. I can't wait until the DVD's come out in the US.

Overall Score: 10/10
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Old 2007-10-07, 22:19   Link #9
Ninjacat
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I wish I was as good a critic as you guys, I merely can give it a 9 and say that it's definitely in my top 3.

The pacing was crisp, the story has strong themes, the characters are wonderfully loveable and it has closure. It's hard to love something like Gundam afterwards...

I would have loved to see Garlock though, so no perfect 10 from me
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Old 2007-10-08, 01:43   Link #10
thundrakkon
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Join Date: Apr 2006
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Although this series has been entertaining and enjoyable, I don't believe, imo, that it is on the top of any my lists. In essence, this series felt like (now I usually don't like comparing it to this series, but Gurren-Lagann just screams it) Dragon Ball Z meets Neon Genesis Evangelion, except there was more drama to it.

The over the top "power-ups" screams SS1, SS2, etc. because it is just needed since the enemy is more powerful. There were minimal developments on increased power other than just because he wanted it. I admit that some of the fight scenes were exciting, but a lot of it left me exhausted to the point of falling asleep due to the mindlessness. Also, Kamina felt similar to Goku and Simon felt like Gohan. It's a like a story of, "what if Goku was killed and Gohan had to save the world himself?" OK, enough with the DBZ references. I usually dislike that reference, but this series, to me, just screams it.

The story line and drama were great, and it kept me entertained. The animation quality was quite unique and good as well. Overall, an 8 at most. An enjoyable series, but not one I would feel the urge and go buy its DVD. It's also not one that I would feel the need to watch again, since I've already seen all the action and it won't make the same impact the second time around. A good series, but there are many better ones out there.
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Old 2007-10-08, 08:58   Link #11
Dave1988
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Perfect 10.

I'll say this: I was born merely to watch Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann.(I'm repeating myself here )

I love everything about it: the characters, the mechs, the explosions, THE music etc.

This is my # 1 anime.
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Old 2007-10-08, 12:33   Link #12
RyougaElliot
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^What he said.

This show is like crack. I can't even begin to remember the last show that made me feel that way.

10/10.
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Old 2007-10-08, 12:53   Link #13
Bunnyslayer
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Gave it a 10. Definatly one of my favorite animes of all time. In my top 3 at spot 2 or 3 for sure. Great EVERYTHING. Even though alot of people say that it was episode 8 and onward that they really got into it I was deeply into it since episode 1 and the series really delivered for me.
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Old 2007-10-08, 14:48   Link #14
Jechtsphere
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave1988 View Post
Perfect 10.

I'll say this: I was born merely to watch Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann.(I'm repeating myself here )

I love everything about it: the characters, the mechs, the explosions, THE music etc.

This is my # 1 anime.
Same for me, it's my number 1 anime of all time bar none!

I loved everything about and everything they do is done on a large scale which makes it even better!
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Old 2007-10-08, 15:47   Link #15
Meatrose
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Join Date: Mar 2007
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Like a spiral it ascends, higher and higher, combining simple humor with epic fights and a masculinity that makes no excuses. It doesn't manage to break through the barrier that separates the amazing shows from the masterpieces, but it's definitely there, probing it... with a giant drill.

I never use numbers to grade the shows I watch, but let me tell you this; I've seen a lot over the years, and Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann is definitely in my top 10. It's probably even top 5. I fell in love with the show after watching the first episode, and those feelings only grew stronger. The show started at 100% and accelerated all the way past the finish-line. Sporting the best ending of 2007, it was impossible not to love it. Extremely well done Gainax!
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Old 2007-10-09, 07:33   Link #16
Subarunyon
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Others have said a big chunk of what I want to say (mainly the good parts) so I'll keep it brief while making it clear why the two last arcs aren't as satisfying to me =x

First / Second arc = 10/10 (I'll give it more if I can)
Third / Fourth arc = 7.5/10

The big letdown in third / fourth arc for me is the lack of consistency / creativity. What's missing from 3rd 4th that was in the first two arcs?:
Amazingly fun eyecatches - Arguably 3rd still has alot of good ones, but after the rossiu suicide eps it just went downhill. It's like they suddenly said: "Lets put the eps' main character's face on close up and put someone on the side!" riiiight.... From what I'm reading in the forums it seems to be fine for most of you, but I think this is just lazy.
Laughs - 3rd and 4th just isnt funny... I don't find the jokes all that entertaining anymore, and the dialogues seem to play less and less weight storywise =/ I dunno with you guys but I find Lord Genome / Leeron technobabbles very boring.
Pacing - I personally think slowing down after the GARfest that was 15 pretty annoying. When it does pick up steam again, the flame just isnt that bright anymore. Maybe the mistake is 3rd arc after all? I think if they skip right to 4th I wouldn't have any problem with this. Or say, maybe give a one season break before 3rd arc.
Meaningful deaths - The only good one in 3/4 was Lord Genome imo.... Kittan lacks development, and the rest of the DGD felt meaningless. Nia felt like an LOL GAINAX more than anything.

Bottomline: Third/Fourth all in all just isnt Gurren Lagann enough for me, not including the two Ark-GL eps and the two final eps.

Characters:
Simon - never liked him much... I find him a bit too... generic? It's not that he lacks development or anything, he's just not so interesting / intriguing to me since I felt like I've seen him in some other anime before alot of times =x I think the way he was handled was really good tho
Kamina - Definitely my fav char in the series, I don't think I need to say much. He's a breath of fresh air in a world where most of the main characters are wimps that thinks way too much.
Lord Genome - My #1 fave in terms of development. The way he returned from death was surprising to me (one of the few original things in arc 3/4) and the way his story comes full circle in the final eps was the best in the series imo. I think his story has the best closure in all the animes I've watched. He failed as the defender of his tribe and have to become the opressor, then he was given a second chance until finally he regains full body and even used his asskicking mecha again... but the best is saved for the final episode; now THAT's GAR. I think his final interactions with Nia was really good too. I actually find him not saying anything to Simon about Nia really interesting; him sacrificing himself to become Simon's Drill really felt like acknowledging Simon as his worthy son-in-law without actually saying it. I wonder why no one talked about him at all in the final episode thread, I guess we're all too busy crying over Nia =(
Rossiu - For all the rants I said earlier on 3rd and 4th arc, Rossiu is strangely the character that I can identify with the most. I'll say it now: I actually really like the 3rd arc, just not as Gurren Lagann. If it'd stood alone as an ova / a separate anime, I would probably give arc 3 a 9/10, but not when it's in GL.
Gurren-Lagann - The way the mechas were introduced (First gattai) and the techniques that it uses was just so fresh that I just kept coming back for more. Too bad the freshness only lasts up to 15, (+ vs moon parts) after that I felt like I've seen everything =/ Chouginga and Tengen Toppa just doesnt do it for me. It guess have to do with the pacing too.... Nevertheless, Gurren-Lagann will stay as my top 5 fave mecha of all time.
Yoko - Don't really like her other than in the Yomako sensei ep. I was surprised that so many ppl actually don't like that eps. I found her a lot more interesting and much less cookie cutter there =x
Nia - Nia is my fave char after Kamina. I guess this is another reason I dont really like rd / 4th, Nia feels really underdeveloped there when her journey has just started. and heck, WHY do they have to kill her? The only valid reason I've heard so far is that if Simon chose to revive her, that would be like letting spiral energy going out of control and destroy the universe, but they didnt even get that across very well. Even then, I think there should be better ways to say that without actually killing her

Well, all in all, I give the series a 9. It's not perfect, but definitely one of my top 10, and one of the few animes that made me want to get the DVD =)

Last edited by Subarunyon; 2007-10-09 at 08:12.
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Old 2007-10-09, 09:00   Link #17
kenjiharima
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gave it a 9 for an excellent and entertaining series, because of the few ripp offs of the characters and mecha i deducted 1 point. :P Gurren Laggan the largest SR in the universe. LOL

But something reminds me of the FINAL BATTLE against that anti spiral. Remember the Walt Disney cartoons DARK WING DUCK? As I recall it, Darkwing duck was on another planet that used some kind of enlarging ray and he and his alien enemy got zap they got SOOOOOO big that I remember the quote he said "THIS PLANET IS NOT BIG FOR THE BOTH OF US." as they Darkwing Duck was tossing stars and Rings and the alien is tossing him other heavenly planetary bodies in space. Funny how nostalgic I got when seeing the last episode with subs. Truly Walt Disney still is the inspiration of all cartoons and anime alike.

Re-watch that episode I tell you it WILL remind you of the final battle of Gurren Lagann.
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Old 2007-10-09, 10:08   Link #18
7Th
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I'll try to keep this into the grounds of a review as if I don't force myself to be brief this will probably extend beyond the realms of the qualitative purpose this thread was created for towards essay-like babbling on meta-fictive criticism, tracendentalist existencialism, the intrinsic fatalistic qualities of the storytelling in the show or perhaps even long winded, heavily subjective character interpretation.

Still, even now that I've set myself for disgrace after such a pretentiously retarded introduction I can't go on ahead with a thoroughly coherent text without clarifying two fairly important aspects of my persona readers should take into account before proceeding further into this composition: I'm somewhat of a wannabe film snob and such skepticism translates into animation as you may see in the favorite listing included in my profile, nevertheless; I've also been a gigantic Gainax fanboy since FLCL. Here's hoping this comparatively contrary expectations will balance themselves this time around. Let's get going now.

For my complete lack of imagination I'll take the generic "proclamation on themes" route for my opening line and give very little freedom to my nonexistent creativity: Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann is, at least in the domains of my very own not really important opinion, a loving brilliant multifaceted take on the concept we know as "hero". This a fairly open idea considering since the presentation of a word such as "multifaceted" I was creating a fall-back point were my words become discredited at some point in this manuscript yet the way such a phrase is still truthfully illustrates my feelings of the series as a whole.

Beneath the direct and straightforward storyline lies an honest symbolic pseudo-essay that covers the current Gainax ideals on the world, humanity and the genre of mecha itself. Perhaps it is here where the ardent heart within the production lays, the authenticity of such a declaration, a cherish song from the staff dedicated to those giant robots of scientific mythology, titans of steel that legends sing are the protectors of our dreams.

The eccentric individuals whose adventures are chronicled by the show are despite their childish out-look delightfully quirky and really captivating. Their little singularities are flowering with a fascinating sense of youthfulness and honor, and you can't help but to fall admiration for the motivations of what I dare to say is pretty much the whole cast. Similarly, whatever be the initial impression you get the dialogs and character interaction manage work an exuberant chemistry that explodes into a sea of limitless charisma. The emphatic power of their personalization is passionate and thoroughly effective, with an intrinsic degree of complexity below their simplistic plot-progressing purpose or comedic implications.

Little dialogs or graphical depictions that come across as minimal become a resource that brings depth to a personality. Be it Kittan's brief moment of insecurity at the thought of becoming an uncle and it's later subversion when finally encountering face to face with the little Anne, Simon's quasi-suicidal demeanor the moment he believes the love of his life is gone forever or even his ultimate realization of Nia's dying wish. Subtle developments that fulfill a cycle and whenever they come across as either sorrowful or satisfying the point remains that calling them an accomplished example of anthropological portrayal is nothing but a reality.

Remarkable is the writing for the constant speeches used to set-up the mood before a confrontation. Literary constructions that provoke and drown the spectator in carefully planned rushes of melodramatic adrenaline while keeping themselves relevant to a determined theme. The parlance among the troupe is also unsurprisingly competent, but this was already blatantly alluded to in a paragraph above.

Notwithstanding, in this area are where most of my disappointment lies immediately upon considering Gainax had a few potentially powerful concepts in their hands yet they ultimately failed to take full emotional profit in quite a few of them. In my very particular mindset, I would've loved to see more of Nia's inner conflict with being the Anti-Spiral's doll or some expositional extension of Viral's true motivations. Such dilemmas are there for sure even beyond derivative implications, but they're at times so understated you cannot help but believe they could've done a finer work with their representation. In reality, I believe a simple universe extension in Image Dramas or short OVAs could complete erase my complaints so this probably was more of just me asking the studio to fund some kind of omnibus release on these engaging guys.

The animation was mostly really above average, it's a shame a few downsides were to present themselves through the airing but they were amazingly competent despite the usually so-feared outsourcing and the testament remains: when Imaishi got ambiguous, the results were simply breathtaking. The final climatic confrontation will probably exist as an indisputable top mark for the super-robot genre for quite a long time.

Visually wonderful, we find a caliber of graphical communication that goes beyond the simplistic use of dialog that Japanese animation had decayed to for the task of conveying of emotions. Images are part of the storytelling by themselves rather than just an addendum to expand what is being showcased. The intensely signifying scene composition coupled with the secure expressive illustration style that moves inside the realm of the cartoony from exaggeration to subtle nods of understanding are much more than mere representations of the events, they're actually events with no external help.

The key point of my love for Gurren-Lagann, is probably how mindless in seemed yet how little mindless it was when you dare to give some thought to what you’re watching on the screen. The core idea of belief becomes a hymn of both promise and despair, a beautiful theme that gives birth to a future of light yet sheds an ominous shadow that keeps lurking as consequence of freedom. Always a two faced victory is what comes across, never happiness is a result. Certainly, despite the inspiring theme of belief lies a fairly depressing and subversive analysis on life but such is only so for the purpose of glorying the idea of hope, the very core of the human being. Sacrifice, nothing comes as granted, joy as nothing more but an ethereal temporal feeling... as light-hearted as the composition is, therein lies a very powerful bleak undertone. The epic exponential progress of the story crowned by an emotionally overwhelming conclusion that baths in a cosmos of nothingness. It is just haunting and deeply intriguing.

All considered a very fulfilling production. Certainly not perfect but for sure amazing in how it got someone as cold as me so emotionally involved in its resolution. With honesty I declare I hadn’t been this interested in the destiny of fictive persons for quite a long time. Lower top ten material for me.
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Old 2007-10-09, 14:50   Link #19
meep
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
My full review got deleted while I was trying to submit it, so I will just break it down to bullet points, and type it down later.

Pros: Great Animation, Writing, Character Design, and Music.

Cons: 4th arc not long enough to give the ideas in it enough justice, a ending that seems to go against the ideas, and theme of the series, not enough character development for certain characters, the prologue while awesome had not point, and the show kept me from studying.

All in all a great series. I have always thought of GL as the origin story of a tragic hero, with giant robots thrown in. Granted I did receive a different tragic hero than the one I was expecting, but a tragic hero none the less. When people ask me to define super robot shows, I have no problem listing GL along side of such gems as Getter Robo, GaoGaiGar, and Gunbuster. I look forward to buying the DVD's and hope the title is successful for ADV.

9/10
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Old 2007-10-09, 18:50   Link #20
musashiken
ニア ☆ 命
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Well, I'm gonna give a short review.

Plot and Theme - Fast paced Robot story, kickass main character.
Verdict: Excellent.

Characters - One word. Nia. To me, the other characters are just necessary for the plot. I've never been smitten by a female anime character since...... Milfeulle Sakuraba of Galaxy Angel. Hmm, seems like I got a thing for pinkish themed happy-go-lucky females.
Verdict: Nia = Perfect, Others = Ok.

Animation Quality - Best TV animation in a long while that's not OVA or Movie related.
Verdict: Very Excellent.

Merchandise - The Japanese are probably the best in product packaging in the whole wide world. The Gurren Lagann DVDs are very nice and shiny. Dvd cases are made of crystal clear and hard plastic, cover booklets printed with high quality ink and on high quality hard paper. Omake items are usually well done. No matter what, R1 dvds will never achieve the same packaging quality as the R2 ones. (Same reason that American made Optimus Primes can never beat the Japanese made ones in terms of manufacturing quality...even though everything is made in China now...)
Verdict: Excellent but that's standard Japanese quality.

Overall - I give it an 8. For 26.5 episodes, it was awesome. But I minus 1 for Nia's death and another 1 because I was never a Robot show fan. Give me something like Jungle Guu or Cromartie High School or Otaku oriented gag shows like Seto/Hayate. I'm being unbiased of course, my subjective verdict would have been 0 because of Nia's death.
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