History ShoutOut / TengenToppaGurrenLagann

* The moon having a creepy face that falls onto the earth in a number of certain days in the second arc is a reference to ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask''.

*** Another Anime/GaoGaiGar ShoutOut: During the scene where Simon and Nia are getting married, Gimmy is seen with one of the keys to the[[DropTheHammer Goldion Crusher]] around his neck.

* Speaking of VideoGame/SuperRobotWars shoutouts, a large part of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOBG3CCew7Q Parallel Works 8]] (which isn't really "parallel" at all and serves as Lordgenome's StartOfDarkness) seems to shout out to the concept of SRW, as a lot of the Spiral Army mechs look like GL-ized versions of various famous mecha - a ''Anime/MazingerZ'', several Franchise/{{Gundam}}s, a Anime/{{Gaiking}}, an [[LightNovel/FullMetalPanic Arbalest]] and many others are clearly visible in the big "pan-back" around 1:00 and you can spot other shoutouts when Genome [[TragicMistake slaughters his teammates]]. The "aliens attack, various robots team up to fight invaders" plot is even boilerplate SRW. So the implication is that Lordgenome lead a Super Robot War and then became ''the villain'' of such... ''[[TheBadGuyWins and then won]]''. HilariousInHindsight when ''[[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsZ Super Robot Wars Z2 Saisei-hen]]'' came out - in that game's backstory, Lordgenome was part of a group that apparently included some form of ''Anime/{{Mazinger Z}}'', ''Manga/GetterRobo'', ''{{Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross}}'', and OriginalGeneration characters.

** The design of the Grapearl looks like a mix between the [[LightNovel/FullMetalPanic Arbalest]], the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam GM]] and the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED Strike Dagger]]. Then again, it isn't surprising that it's similar in design to several Mass-Produced Real Robots, considering its own status in the series.

** Anime/{{Gunbuster}}'s shortlived comic sequel, ''[=NeXT=] GENERATION'', was full of epic concepts even for Gainax. Among them were [[spoiler:the heroes traveling to a space between dimensions to battle [[GodIsEvil God]] using a [[HumongousMecha giant robot]] of [[UpToEleven infinite power]]]]. It looks like Gainax waited til it was financially stable and the [[SuperRobot trends]] regained freshness to bring back those ideas. They finally got to animate some of them for Anime/DieBuster and Gurren Lagann.

* Right after Gurren and Lagann manage to combine for the first time, the Gurren Lagann and Viral's Gunmen [[http://www.awesome-engine.com/graphics/crosscounter2.jpg punch each other simultaneously, resulting in a cross-counter]]. Compare the image in the link with the image in the CrossCounter trope page. The anime and manga series it comes from, ''Manga/TomorrowsJoe'', is not only the TropeMaker, but it's also one of the most iconic and influential series in Japan for the Shonen Genre, being also the [[TropeCodifier Codifier]] for the use of "ore" pronouns by Shonen protagonists [[note]][[InvokedTrope "C-C-CROSS COUNTER!!"]][[/note]]. And in a [[TearJerker/TengenToppaGurrenLagann more somber note]]: believe it or not, [[spoiler: ''Kamina's death itself'']] is a ShoutOut to a [[SignatureScene famous]] [[ItWasHisSled (yet massively spoilerific)]] scene from the same series.

** Nia ending up naked in the finale is a stark equivalent of Rei's lengthy state of undress throughout the ''[[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion End Of Evangelion]]''--even down to the [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair hair color]].

** Similarily to Arc GL above, Great Galaxy/Chouginga Gurren Lagann's visual design is based off [[strike:Mazinger]] Anime/{{Mazinkaiser}} mixed with Anime/{{Diebuster}}. It does the Anime/{{Gunbuster}}/[[FanNickname Gainax pose]] upon emerging on the screen.

* Right after Gurren and Lagann manage to combine for the first time, the Gurren Lagann and Viral's Gunmen [[http://www.awesome-engine.com/graphics/crosscounter2.jpg punch each other simultaneously, resulting in a cross-counter]]. Compare the image in the link with the image in the CrossCounter trope page. The anime and manga series it comes from, ''Manga/AshitaNoJoe'', is not only the TropeMaker, but it's also one of the most iconic and influential series in Japan for the Shonen Genre, being also the [[TropeCodifier Codifier]] for the use of "ore" pronouns by Shonen protagonists [[note]][[InvokedTrope "C-C-CROSS COUNTER!!"]][[/note]]. And in a [[TearJerker/TengenToppaGurrenLagann more somber note]]: believe it or not, [[spoiler: ''Kamina's death itself'']] is a ShoutOut to a [[SignatureScene famous]] [[ItWasHisSled (yet massively spoilerific)]] scene from the same series.

** Compiled with GettingCrapPastTheRadar, episode seven has a brief shot of nude Simon having his [[Anime/DeadLeaves crotch covered by a huge drill.]]

* Likely unintentional, but during an early battle, Kamina lets out [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure an impressive string of muda]] in little under a second.

** Space King Kittan's destruction looks very, VERY similar to the destruction of Bommer's Dark Dive Bomber in Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's episode 21.

** Aberrant Anti-Spiral units are called [[VideoGame/MegaManX irregulars]].
** Giga Drill Break's has tons of shout outs to Anime/GreatMazinger's [[ShockAndAwe Thunder Break]]. Both are FinishingMove(in the latter's case, most of the time making it the first proper Finisher in Super Robot shows), and a kind of signature move of a big brother figure{invented by Kamina, and Tetsuya is Koji's adpotive older brother) have practically same line and simmilar name(compare : Hissatsu ! Giga Drill Break for Giga Drill Break and Hissatsu Power ! Thunder Break for Thunder Break) and same pose(raise hand/point to the sky, and direct it to the target).

* Space Pirate Captain Harlock
** In the first arc, Kamina's father is modelled on Leiji Matsumoto's designs for his [i]Space Pirate Captain Harlock[/i] characters.