Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

Alternate Titles: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Gurren Lagann, TTGL

Original Japanese Release Date: 2007

Episode Length/Run-time: 27 Episodes

Summary:

The world is oppressed by monsters ruled over by the Spiral King, Lordgenome.  Humans are forced to live underground and any found disobeying will be killed.  One day the meek Simon the digger comes across a drill key and a Gunman mecha while expanding his home city further below.  With this and the gun-ho bravery of his friend and older brother figure Kamina they venture to the surface to defeat the spiral king.  But they soon learn there’s more to the Spiral power that both the king and Simon harness and how it plays into the fate of humanity.

Review:

This anime is a fan favorite by a huge portion of the anime community.  It’s hard to argue against the fact that it has become a near instant classic simply for the fandom which it has earned.

Gurren Lagann is a rare breed.  The anime is the original source of the story.  All light novels, mangas, games, and movies came after.  A good way to describe the series is mecha for the masses.  While it is a mech series with REALLY over the top robots (we’re talking movers of worlds here) it’s not so steeped in sci-fi that the average viewer can’t relate to it.

The series is divided into three main arcs.  The first arc, where most of the main cast is introduced focuses on defeating the Spiral King.  You meet the busty Yoko, the fabulous Leon, and the vicious enemy yet friend Viral.  This arc focuses more on evolving the characters and having the viewer fall in love with them over progressing the main plot.

The second arc is where the real story begins to fall into play.  (This is spoiler free, so I won’t tell you what happens to the Spiral King, you’ll just have to watch for yourself).  You begin to learn there are more forces at work than previously suspected and the final piece of the main cast joins the crew, Nia, daughter of the Spiral King.

Then, IT happens.  I won’t ruin what IT is, those of you who have watched the series already know.  But it is one of the most heart-breaking tear-jerking moments in anime.  Congrats though, you’re only about halfway done.

The final arc has a time-skip into the future.  The characters are older and they face an evolved threat.

This anime is great at that 14 episode halfway point (with the whole IT) thing.  The only criticism of the second half/final arc is that it gets a little too over the top.  One thing keeps outdoing the next until you literally have mechs the size of planets.  It’s not an awful setup, and there are much worse over the top anime out there.  But for a serious viewer it can detract just slightly.  The positive side is that its, for the most part, right at the end.  So you’re likely so engrossed that you can forgive this aspect.

This anime is a fantastic watch for just about any anime fan because it tickles the palette in all the right places.  Full of action, sexy men and women, relationships, fighting, sci-fi, a touch of fantasy, great characters and more there’s little wonder of why it’s so well loved.  Form a critical standpoint it does stray a bit, knocking it down from a five, but that hardly ruins the experience for the average viewer.

[starrater]