a5c7b9f00b In a bleak future where humanity is oppressed by an army of mutants and forced to live underground, a young orphan unearths a powerful robot. Together with a boisterous man named Kamina, a beautiful sharpshooter named Yoko and many other friends, they use the robots power to fight against their oppressors and take back the surface. Two friends, Simon and Kamina, become the symbols of rebellion against the powerful Spiral King, who forced mankind into subterranean villages. It's not very often that a television series finishes over a decade ago and I actually feel the need to review it. Gurren Lagann seemed like a series that would entertain me enough to pass some time, but upon reflection, it's a show that provides a little more than just that. I could get hate for this statement, but this show reminded me of my childhood memories of watching the show Beyblade, not what that show has become today, but the original trilogy of seasons. Action-based Anime can feel a little drawn out and while I can't say this show doesn't feel a little drawn out at times, it's definitely worth your time as an Anime fan. If you enjoy good Anime and haven't had the chance to check this one out, here's why it warrants a recommendation from me.<br/><br/>The core plot is quite simple. In a future where Earth is run by a Spiral King known as Lordgenome, this story follows Simon and his group of misfits and outcasts who wish to travel to the surface. They have been surviving as diggers in an underground village and wish to see what the rest of the world has to offer. Once reaching the surface, they soon learn that they must combine their robotic suits and armours to form something great enough to take down the overlords of Earth. That premise alone is what hooked me into wanting to get through the series, but the underlying emotional core that this series possesses is what truly made it a much more impactful experience.<br/><br/>Yes, you receive the obvious nods at female objectification when it comes to displaying how certain women look, which is present in nearly every popular Anime, but the fact that those comedic aspects are almost used in a way to serve the male characters and add layers to characters that you thought were a little under-written, was a very pleasant surprise. This particular aspect of the show may be viewed differently by others, but the look and specific shots towards the character of Yoko had me either laughing or downright saddened. Although she may not be the best character in the show, she has quite a few moments to shine and upon looking back, I remember quite a few sequences involving her character.<br/><br/>Simon is the central character here and without ruining the progression of the show for those who have yet to witness it, Gurren Lagann does a fantastic job at jumping through time and exploring most of this character's life. Every character has progression in some shape or form, but Simon's character started off quite annoying to me throughout the first few episodes of the show, but by the conclusion of the series, his character had evolved into someone I genuinely shared about and the final few episodes of this show gave me goosebumps.<br/><br/>That being said, Gurren Lagann isn't without its prolonged conclusion and needless action. I love exciting aspects of any television series or movie, whether it's in live-action, American Animation or Anime, action always impresses me when it has a great story to back it up. Gurren Lagann definitely demonstrates that from start to finish, but the show almost evolves into an over-the-top robot boxing match in space by the end of the series and while it was entertaining to watch, I found myself wishing for a little more of a grounded conclusion (no pun intended) when looking back to where the show first began.<br/><br/>Gurren Lagann seems to have been a pretty popular show when it first aired, so I'm not sure that too many hardcore Anime fans haven't had the chance to see it yet, but take this from someone who has become a casual fan of the medium when I say this is well worth a watch. Some of the action is dragged out a little too long in my opinion, and there are certain characters that leave the show a little too early (even though there is a solid payoff), and aside from the final few of episodes, I feel as though the true heart of backstory was slightly lost. I absolutely loved the first half of this show and I was very entertained by the latter half, enough to say that this show borders on being great as a whole. Gurren Lagann is well worth your time. Positives: a neat and interesting concept about breaking free from Plato's cave and entering the surface world, wanting to conquer the entire realm until even the heaven's are reached (illustrated in the first episode of the show! Great bones! Negatives: Poor handling of an interesting concept, making it flat and boring for everyone who's paying attention. <br/><br/>I am not a big anime fan, I've seen enough to count on both hands, but I am a TV/movie fan. I've seen great shows done on Anime, such as Attack on Titan, One Punch Man, and Death Note. I understand the love behind those shows, for their rich character development and philosophy. But Guran Lagann lacks those qualities, despite being aimed at a mature audience (14+). <br/><br/>The elements: power fantasy, plain mech-fighting, a lack of stakes, and a lack of characterization. Power fantasy is a cheap trick in capturing an audience; it's done by most modern superhero movies and power rangers by a dozen-fold. For a show to stand out, it needs to offer more in its narrative, but instead of that GL relies on fights that have no weight to them, as the mechas are very fast despite all their weight, they're very easy to fix despite their complex alien structure, and they're very undefined in how one controls it. It seems the person who's most patient and angrily concentrating is the one able to win, not the smartest or strongest person. There really isn't much to even needing to control a mecha and to unlock its secret superweapons underneath. There is a lack of stakes because literally, until the episode I stopped watching, THE PROTAGONISTS WIN AT THE END OF EVERY SINGLE EPISODE, and barely learn anything! Not only is that boring but it's wrong, because that makes the supposedly intelligent alien super villains look weak and stupid against a race that just picked up their tech a month after they've been using it for years! What is there to root for? The show basically spoils any tension you have for them winning!<br/><br/>Also, characters (minor spoilers): All pretty weak. Simon is the main one, and he's basically just a digger boy who we have to feel sorry for just because he's an orphan and a loner, nothing else. Then there's his older brother-figure, Kamina, who I'm surprised didn't get killed fast enough for all the stupid decisions he makes. "Running is for cowards!" Is his catchphrase. He says it every time he's almost stomped by a giant robot. He had good ambition, but he was very impulsive, which wasn't addressed well enough, and at the end of an episode they cheaply kill someone he loves just to force us to root for him too (and it's never ever brought up again). I'm so surprised too he was the first human ever to think to control a mecha by forcing another guy out of one, to which I replied, "really? No one else thought about jumping into one? You guys weren't scared to do it, you just didn't think of it?" The final cheap trick character is the sex object known as Yoko. She wears skimpy, revealing clothing, and early in the show its used as a cheap trick to make dumb jokes and keep young boys' eyes on the screen. It's really dumb and, again, really cheap. There are other girls in the series just like that too. I only liked one character on the show: Rossiu, because he actually struggled with deep philosophical questions dealing with idol symbolism and whether or not the masses should be lied to and controlled in order for the group to be saved. The rest of the characters are forgettable. <br/><br/>The fights were …meh. You can barely tell what's going on. And again, there's always a way the good guys won in the end. The dated animation is forgivable, as long as they could've out effort into constructing weighty fight scenes, which they didn't. <br/><br/>The comedy's not very good, and I know that's actually subjective, but there's just not a lot the show can go on. Sorry. <br/><br/>CONCLUSION: this show had a lot of potential, like bringing up questions of what is truth in a world based on lies, or how to truly peel away the surface. People talk about how this show deals with maturity or oppression, but it's really, really basic in how it shows that stuff. In fact, I'd wager it doesn't show how a real resistance movement plays out since an actual character doesn't die until eight episodes in. And they win every episode. It's more power rangers than it is Attack On Titan, which isn't bad but why not rate it for younger kids then? And again, the villains are weak; they're not memorable at all. If you want a good robot-fighting show…Power Rangers would be better. Want a good anime? AoT, OPM, Death Note, Sword Art Online Abridged, Baccano, etc etc. I don't usually write a review unless I feel the need to let people know how good or bad something is understated. Or overstated. <br/><br/>But hey, you might still enjoy it, so at least this show isn't the worst thing in the world.
Tacsoamisgui Admin replied
354 weeks ago