Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

Also Known As: Heaven Shattering Gurren Lagann, TTGL, Gurren Lagann

Genre: Action

Format: 27 Episodes

Allegiance: Gainax

Director: Imaishi Hiroyuki

Vintage: 2007

Intelligence Agency Report by: Niner

Simon is a simple driller, mining away underground, content with living his life like the rest of humanity, hiding from the oppressive Beastmen that rule the surface world. Kamina is a passionate young man who yearns for something more, and who knows that he is destined for greatness. Both of their lives are turned upside down when Simon discovers a small drill in the ground, a drill that will lead them towards an adventure full of action, suspense and ultimately, their destiny.

Field Agent Report by: Niner

Plot
Characters
Impact
Visual
Audio

9.00
9.50
10.00
9.75
9.75

Overall

10.00

(not an average)

GAINAX has often disappointed me in the past. Whether it be the final two episodes of Evangelion or the wholly disappointing He Is My Master, suffice it to say that I didn’t really have a very high opinion of the studio going into Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. However, all that doubt and skepticism was promptly booted out the window by the first few episodes – as the series grabbed hold of me and took me through an amazing, awe-inspiring ride that stretched quite literally to the ends of the universe – single-handedly restoring my faith in GAINAX.

One of the major motifs of Gurren Lagann is the drill, and the series is very much like one, in that it starts out small and innocuous, but from that inauspicious start, spirals out into something bigger, something grander and something more powerful. Simon’s development as a protagonist typifies this, as he starts out a timid youngster wholly unsure of himself and his abilities, but through adversity and seemingly insurmountable odds, learns to kick reason to the curb and evolve into a legend who can do anything he sets his heart on. But it isn’t just Simon who overcomes everything stacked against him; almost every character in this series learns that they too can pierce the heavens if they give it their all. This isn’t a new concept in anime, but Gurren Lagann executes it with such style and panache that it feels truly unique. The Gurren Brigade’s bravado is so unwavering that they often ask of their enemies, “who the hell do you think we are?!” demonstrating a supreme confidence in each other that is matched only by their will to survive.

The music and visuals are two big reasons for the exceptional feel of this series. Composed by the venerable Iwasaki Taku, the soundtrack provides an exciting and engaging accompaniment to the slick animation. The mecha are stylish and pay homage to many of the great robot shows of the past and even manage to surpass them in both looks and sheer scale. During the climactic final battle, it is impossible not to be drawn into the vivid and stylized action along with the resounding chant of “roh, roh, fight the power” as Simon and company duke it out with their enemy on an immense, galactic scale and take their destinies into their own hands.

As with most super robot shows, the plot is easy enough to decipher as Simon and Kamina take on enemies of increasing size, learning and adapting as they go along. It’s a tried and true formula that has been seen many a time before, but GAINAX realized this and instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, focused on doing it so well that this series sets a new standard for its genre. Each fight is epic in scale, yet the one after it always seems to be able to find that extra gear and ramp up the ante exponentially. Reason is truly thrown out the window as the conflict stretches from the first skirmish on the desert sands to the ultimate battle at edge of the known universe. Towards the end of the series, each episode managed to trump its predecessor in terms of sheer tremendousness and magnitude that I was often left in complete and utter awe. I cannot remember any other anime that has elicited such a powerful response from not only myself, but seemingly thousands of other fans as well, many of whom shared my often incoherent reactions.

Despite its ever-increasing scale, Gurren Lagann never strays from its core message; that of overcoming the odds with sheer will and belief. Indeed, Kamina’s axiom of “believe in me, who believes in you” is consistently repeated throughout the series and provides all the motivation needed for the characters to reach for and take hold of their destinies. It’s a basic theme to be sure, but who said anime needed to be complex to be great? Sometimes the best approach is the simplest one, and Gurren Lagann is one of the finest realizations of that concept.

Field Agent Report by: Drake

Plot
Characters
Impact
Visual
Audio

9.25
9.50
10.00
9.75
9.75

Overall

9.75

(not an average)

When I first heard about Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagaan, I was told this was the anime to end all anime. No other anime would ever topple this one in sheer brilliance and awesomeness. However, despite the number of positive and over the top reviews I was given by numerous sources, I just could not see how this anime could really be that phenomenal, given past experiences with other anime that would supposedly take the number one slot in my anime top ten list. *cough*Grave of the Fireflies*cough* Boy was I wrong...

One of the things that instantly struck me about Gurren Lagaan was its characters, and just how far they were taken, from a typical cookie cutter set into real breathing character with actual dimensions. Take for example, Kamina, who, in my honest opinion, was the most glorious and magnificent character I have seen in an anime in a very long time. With his optimism and self confidence he was able to motivate everyone, even the viewer in terms of keeping them watching, with phrases like 'Who do you think I am?!'. To draw together everyone, both in the anime and beyond the screen like this is an amazing feat. Then there is timid little Simon, who, from being aan nobody insignificant digger in an underground village, pushed through to become a legendary warrior of mankind. Trust me, the evolution from a quiet and shy little boy into the leader of the resistance fighters against the beastmen was not a simple task. Simon truly, emotionally, grew in front of the viewer, from a boy into a man.

As far as the plot goes, this anime is pretty straightforward – save mankind by defeating enemies in mech suits by piloting other mech suits. Sounds like your run-of-the-mill story, right? Nope. Try again. The plot, while straightforward, forces the viewer to suspend rational belief, and just accept everything for what it is. (Especially during the finale fight in episode twenty-seven; dear god, was that an insane fight of even crazier proportions.) But due to the way the series flows, even the craziest of moments will seem acceptable to a viewer as the adrenaline continues to pump.

So you must be wondering, how was this all possible, making such an amazing series? Well, besides the epic scale of the battles, amazing characters, and unbelievable plot, the two biggest key elements are the soundtrack and animation. The animation was slick, gorgeous, and full of beautifully colored and detailed scenes. The soundtrack, I can't find appropriate words to describe. Even after finishing the anime, I still get chills hearing Iwasaki Taku's "Libera me" from Hell. Any composer able to mix opera and rap (the latter of which I've despised all my life) and end up with something this beautiful has my deepest respects. While that was the prime song of the entire series for me, every other song in the OST was equally phenomenal and fit incredibly well into the series.

Needless to say, I must impress upon everyone who comes across this review, if Agent Niner's review above wasn't enough to convince you to see this anime, then I will once again stress that this is one anime for the books. I've never been so moved by an anime to the point of tears of both sadness and happiness, and I can barely remember the last time anything pumped me as much as Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagaan, anime or otherwise to the point of actually needing to scream out 'Roh Roh Fight the Power!'. So again, do yourself a favor and heed my words, and if you don't, well simply, 'believe in the me that believes in you' to make the right choice.