Line #82 Fridge/TengenToppaGurrenLagann


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11	!As a Fridge page, all spoilers are unmarked. You have been warned.
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14	* The part of the ending where Simon gave up the Gurren Lagann and became a wanderer is even more fitting after watching it again and noticing a specific line: "I'm just Simon the Digger. I shouldn't be the one to traverse those tunnels that I make". It's pretty much telling us that his role was to ''lead'' the way to a new life of freedom to all races, but leading the people ''after'' freeing them isn't something he's suited for or would even enjoy. Additionally, by this point he was creating so much spiral power that he would have a hard time using only a comparatively little, and since the only threat that would require so much Spiral Power was gone him remaining a pilot would be more of a liability than an asset. ''That's'' why he gave the Core Drill and Gurren Lagann to Gimmy. Thus he can instead live a humble life with his closest friend (Boota), which is pretty much all he ever really wanted. This also brings new meaning to Simon's adjustment of the ArcWords in the finale that "My drill is the drill that '''creates''' the heavens!"-- He didn't say anything about ''commanding'' them, now did he?
15	* Beastmen operating Gunmen without Spiral Power: the majority of them were ''solar powered'', thus explaining why Beastmen only attacked during the day unless they had other power sources like the one from the HotSpringsEpisode (geothermal) and coming out of Teppelin (Lordgenome's Spiral Power).
16	* Since Simon's main weapon is a drill, he can really only move forwards, and head-on. Other species must have been foolish in the past, creating such distracting things as strategies, never really understanding the nature of Spiral Energy. But Simon's drill is ''one large spiral'', and is an allegory for his soul, as Kamina stated in the first episode. And that led to an increased understanding of Spiral Energy, far beyond that of a normal person. Upon understanding the true nature of the power he was using, on a complex level we outside of that universe would never understand, he could charge forward, little by little, whittling away at the BigBad, and he won. [[ArcWords Because his is a drill that pierced through the heavens!]] And in contrast, Lordgenome's drills are narrow and flexible. He tried to destroy the Anti-Spiral with strategic, decisive attacks rather than whittle away at it slowly, and was defeated for it.
17	* What made the heroes unique, compared to every other team of Spiral Warriors? Something that showed up in the infinite labyrinth: Kamina. All the other groups had their own Simon as seen by all the Laganns, they probably had their own Kittan and Yoko and everyone else, but they didn't have someone to properly inspire them. Just consider Parallel Works 8 and Lordgenome's attempt at defeating the Anti-Spirals. It's rather telling that Lordgenome's is able to so easily slaughter the rest of humanity once he betrays them. It seemed as if everything rested on Lordgenome as their leader--whereas in Team Dai-Gurren, everyone was inspired by Kamina. When Lordgenome betrayed humanity, everything went to hell, because they didn't know what to do without their leader. But Team Dai-Gurren was able to move past Kamina's death and fight and stand on their own two feet because of his memory.
18	* :If Simon had resurrected Nia, then it would have opened up a whole can of worms as people would have demanded the use of Spiral Power to resurrect ''their'' loved ones too. Such a world, where no-one would ever die and leave the world to the next generation, is exactly ''against'' the ideals of "moving forward" and "evolution" that the series portrays.
19	** Not to mention that violating the law of conservation of energy constantly is what would lead to the Spiral Nemesis in the first place. It is vitally important for the safety of the universe that the dead be allowed to remain dead.
20	* Something rather touching that comes after Kittan dies: The star-shaped sunglasses Simon has seem like just a random bit of coolness they stuck on. Then it hit me: approximately what shape was the King Kittan? A star. It's not just ''there'', it's a ''tribute'' to another fallen hero. At the end of the final battle, when delivering the final blow, the star-shaped shades break. This symbolizes him fulfilling his promises to Kamina and Kittan and carrying on their fight, to make their deaths worthwhile. The shades are like that to remind him of the people who gave everything to get him that far, and when they shatter, it means he's won. But also consider, what were the shades originally? That's right, his digging goggles. So, also taking into account his statement that somebody else is meant to go down the tunnels he dug, the phrase "my drill is the drill that creates the heavens," and the fact that the Anti-Spiral gets a big ol' drill through him, it basically means that Simon has dug his last hole. Not only do the shades break because he's justified his friends' deaths, but it's also his goggles breaking because he has fulfilled his destiny and ''doesn't need them anymore.'' Pretty deep for something that took less than a second of screentime...
21	* Kamina would have had IMPOSSIBLY large shoes to fill in the later parts of the series if he had survived. It could be said, by dying, he was more instrumental by being a memory of greatness, rather than ever having disappointed the people. His spiral power actually seemed to be pretty minimal, especially when he tried to steal the Gurren, until his death. He basically needed to set an example for everyone of how to do the job he couldn't do himself, especially Simon, with his massive potential.
22	* "Don't believe in yourself; believe in me who believes in you":
23	** On its face, it sounds like, "Don't worry, kid, when your confidence is shot, I'll keep cheering you on", and it's easy enough to just take it as such... but pare down that sentence and you get "Believe in me." Simon was looked down on and/or ignored in his village, and no one "believed in" him aside from Kamina... but consider that Kamina was in much the same kind of position, being called "the liar's son", having his gang composed of insincere hangers-on who betrayed him at the first opportunity, and being subjected to constant beatings, jailings and general attempts to shut him up. The only person who truly stood by him was Simon. Additionally, [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments we see in]] [[TearJerker Episode 11]] that Kamina was afraid and panicking when the tunnel collapsed, and Simon's quiet determination was directly responsible for Kamina's refusal to give up. In short, when the phrase is examined closely, Kamina was actually asking Simon, the person he admired more than anyone else, to have faith in ''him'' -- "Please have faith in me, because you're the person I respect and trust the most, and I act confident and self-assured because I know you're watching me". Furthermore, when Kamina was dying, he told Simon, "Don't believe in me, who believes in you... don't believe in you, who believes in me... believe in you, who believes in yourself" because he finally recognized that that was what he should have been telling Simon all along.
24	** Made more apparent in the next few episodes, before he died, Kamina knew that if he died while Simon only believed in Kamina, whose going to believe in Simon if he's gone? He knew history (their time back in their underground village) could repeat itself with the new team Dai-Gurren and Simon would be alone again like back in their village without Kamina to snap him out of his funk, cause chances are there might not be a lot of people who have the same confidence, patience and belief in Simon he does, even Yoko may not be all that patient with Simon like Kamina is. He came back to life one more time so that Simon would hear what he needed to heard to be sure that Simon would not be alone again, even if he's gone. It could be summed up as: "Look Simon, this is it for me, but it isn't for you. Sorry, I was wrong to tell you that you should only believe in me, I only said that cause I wanted you to know that your not alone, you got me, cause your all I've got too. I believe in you, cause if I don't who will? Having you helps me keep going cause I know your going to be much stronger than I ever could be, but your needed faith from someone who cares, like I do. But now, I am about to die, and once I'm dead and gone, I won't be able to do that for you anymore and if that happens what's going to happen to you and our new team? There may not be another who believes in you like I do, but that okay too. Because Simon, there is someone who I should have told you to believe whose more important than me, and......it's you, buddy. No matter what happens, always believe in yourself, cause even if no one else will believe in you, hell not even Yoko maybe, your own faith will take you anywhere and maybe it will be something that will turn this whole world around. Never forget, just believe in yourself, always."
25	* There is a Japanese saying that goes something along the lines of "The nail that stands out gets pounded down." It practically defines their culture. Keep that saying in mind, and re-watch the scene of Simon getting beaten by Lordgenome.
26	* Rossiu's viewpoints in the third arc reflect the views of his village in the fifth episode.
27	* Given his insistence that he wouldn't die on the surface like his father did, one might only attribute the fact that Kamina didn't struggle or get angry when faced with death, and in fact died smiling to his genuine (and well-placed, of course, as it turns out) faith in Simon's strength. But that isn't all -- Kamina's acceptance of death ''also'' points to the series's eventual message that death ''needs'' to be accepted and the past placed in the past in order for life to continue forward, and that peaceful smile ''also'' a tribute to the ability to let go and move on that he knew Simon had. Notice a line earlier on: Kamina's father says to him "Come to the surface and join me when you're ready." Later on, when Kamina dies, this acts as him joining his father, who had also died.
28	* The earlier scene where we find out Simon's actions during the cave-in originally seem like just a touching moment about two friends, but in truth, they point to this important fact about his personality: When faced with a seemingly impossible task, he presses straight forward, always taking what seems like the hardest route, but making it work through pure determination. Consider, for instance, the scene where Gimmy and Darry are attempting to find some way to defeat the Anti-Spiral without its pieces destroying the city: another show might try to lure the enemy outside the city or enclose it (think Anime/GaoGaiGar), but Simon just takes the direct approach by grabbing a gun and shooting every piece before it hits ground. Watch the series again with this in mind: you'll notice that every time someone seems to try and come up with some roundabout strategem or some complex plan (for example: captured by the Beastmen), Simon solves it using the direct approach that no one considered because it was (thought to be) impossible.
29	* The LotusEaterMachine sequence:
30	** Pay close attention to Yoko's fantasy scene. Yoko turns off the screen showing her AU future at the exact moment before she kisses Kittan. When it is revealed that Kamina's spirit is the one holding the screen, it becomes clear that she chose that particular moment in order to show both herself and Kamina that he was still the man she really loved, even though she cared for Kittan.
31	** Viral's scene. He has a wife and a child. Which, okay, in his heart he might want a family. But this isn't just "what he would like." Unlike Yoko and Simon, though, it's not because what they desire is gone. As much as anyone else's dream, it's impossible, since as a Beastman he can't have children. He will never be able to have a child like a spiral race creature could.
32	* Through implication, during the last arc, the members of Team Dai-Gurren basically state themselves that, by the last episode, they have surpassed the Gods to fight the universe and WIN. They don't call Simon a {{determinator}} for nothing!
33	* Consider the difference between a RealRobot show and a SuperRobot show, not only in terms of the nature of the robots but of the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism. In ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', an EVA unit is a SuperRobot show in a RealRobot universe, and the Ganmen in ''Gurren Lagann'' are the other way around. Think about it: Spiral Energy is essentially the [[MinovskyPhysics Minovsky Particle]] of the TTGL universe, and the creators of the Gunmen have essentially exploited this principle in their design and execution; furthermore, ''anyone'' who fits the right requirements can pilot any of them. The fact that the nature of said Spiral Energy is a combination of RuleOfCool and SerialEscalation, and said requirements consist of "[[HotBlooded FIGHTING SPIRIT!]]" instead of training and certification, and the tone is as Idealistic as all hell, doesn't change this. Compare to ''Evangelion'': the EVA units are [[EmpathicWeapon empathic weapons]] bonded to their specific pilots, they're essentially one-of-a-kind in the battle against the Angels ... and the tone is extremely Cynical, it has a [[DownerEnding Downer En]] -- um, a GainaxEnding, and eventually, they have ''mass-produced EVA units!''
34	* In Lagann-hen, many of the audience wondered why the Cathedral Lazengann moved so slowly as it was trying to crush Arc-Gurren Lagann in its hand, then to punch out the Earth when it moved so much more quickly later as the Super Galaxy Gurren Lagann. But the Cathedral Lazengann was not running off of Spiral Power (the fighting spirit) that would have allowed it to have moved as quickly as the Super Galaxy Gurren Lagann would later in the very same movie. It also explains why the moon moved so slowly aside from the psychological factor. The Anti Spirals were simply using their reality warping powers to basically brute force the Cathedral Terra into moving. And that the Anti spirals are weaker outside their own universe.
35	* When I heard the Anti Spiral say that they were using Spiral Power to satisfy their own desires and growing drunk on it, I at first thought it was just a stupid HannibalLecture, but then, I realized this, it wasn't just a lecture, he was ''calling them out on unnecessary upgrades'' that usually just made the mechs and themselves look cooler, such as the Garrific glasses that Simon had, and other things, the flight was necessary, but it didn't excuse the other unneccasary upgrades, he wasn't just giving them a lecture about overusing Spiral Power, he was calling them out on the upgrades that weren't even needed!
36	* The Anti-Spiral had a humanoid body, when that's something only Spiral races have. Then it turned out that :it was made of the collected minds of a Spiral race.
37	* The four Beastmen generals are introduced one or two at a time; not all at once, with Adiane only ever referring to Thymilph and Guame only ever interacting with Cytomander. They were named after the four nitrogenous bases in the DNA molecule: adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine. And in the DNA molecule, adenine always bonds with thymine and guanine always bonds with cytosine.
38	* Boota wasn't just giving Simon and Kamina his tail to eat for nourishment, he was giving back some of the spiral energy that he had absorbed from them like he does in the final battle. Simon is the method to Kamina's madness, but Boota is Simon's backup.
39	* Rossiu's decision to arrest and execute Simon in order to save his face post-timeskip seems like an immensely [[GenreBlindness Genre Blind]] move (and it is)- but in fact it's a good illustration of how their society has changed since before the timeskip. In the beginning of the series, Simon, Rossiu, and all their friends live in a more or less tribal society, like some of the first cultures that ever existed, where it's necessary to fight enemies all day to survive (and thus, all the fixings for HumongousMecha battles are in place). After the timeskip, though, there's a more modern civilization established, and it's not necessary to fight for your life anymore- so the mecha becomes more like a wartime tool not to be used around civilians; and furthermore, Rossiu knows that the new government (like modern governments) must stay in the people's favor. It's like the evolution of government in general over the centuries and another approach to the show's general evolution motif.
40	* Minor one, probably, but the wimpy Kamina in the penultimate episode was exactly like Kamina's "friends" from the very first episode, selling out their pride to avoid getting in trouble, and using Simon for their own gain. And in the first episode, Kamina is absolutely disgusted with them, just as he later says there can only be one real Kamina. Then when the village chief lets Simon go because he was a digger, Kamina told him to go ahead, but Simon stood by Kamina even when an earthquake was going on and it would be smarter to hide. Later in the last episode, the real Kamina tells Simon to choose whichever Kamina he wants - either the one alive he could always be with, or the dead one he could see again. Both choices have Simon have facing an emotional crisis and risk his life for his bro, the manly leader of Team Gurren, by his own choice.
41	* Lordgenome's daughters:
42	** If you think about Lordgenome's [[ParentalAbandonment abandonment]] of Nia and his previous daughters from the protagonists' points of view, you would only think of Guame's explanation that he [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness got bored of them]] once they began thinking intelligently (Nia was abandoned after asking about the reason she was born). It would seem as one huge crossing of the MoralEventHorizon by the BigBad; also it would looks OutOfCharacter when seeing Lordgenome [[HeelFaceTurn with the good guys]] and actually apologizing to Nia before his HeroicSacrifice. But if you remember that Lordgenome was actually a WellIntentionedExtremist who felt like he needed to hinder spiral power to prevent TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, then [[ItMakesSenseInContext it would actually make sense why he dumped all his daughters like trash]]: Nia and her sisters thinking intelligently is the first sign of the growth of spiral power.
43	** The creating and discarding daughters might have just been to keep himself in Despair, so he didn't build up too much Spiral Power and draw undo attention from the Anti-spirals.
44	** Lordgenome knew that his massive badassery would be passed on to his daughters. If they grew up too much, they would call him out on his tyranny and overthrow him. He couldn't trust his daughter with being queen of the world; she would probably inadvertently have the population reach one million and doom the world to a ColonyDrop. Oh, and since the Anti-Spiral genetic code was inscribed in his daughters, humanity would lose their queen at ''the worst possible moment''.
45	* The purpose of the pocket dimension (not including tactical effectiveness) the Anti-Spirals used was to exert their spiral power without risking the accidental destruction of the universe they were trying to save.
46	* The Anti-Spirals used a slightly different/altered form of spiral energy to fight Simon. Spiral Energy comes from the will to move forward, or will power in general. The Anti-Spiral comments on how much resolve, will, and fortitude it took to halt their own evolution. While Spiral power comes from the will to move forward, Anti-Spiral power might come from the will to stop moving. 2 sides of the same coin, like the Force.
47	** Which means, while Spiral Energy represents a Drill, Anti Spiral Energy is a ''Screw'' which uses it's spiral shape to hold in and refuse to move.
48	* Anti-Spiral Tactics:
49	** Something that Lordgenome said concerning the Anti-Spiral. He said that it always sought to fight Spiral warriors on a level field, so as to cause despair, but that might not be the only reason. The Anti-Spiral itself said that its race had stopped its evolution...in other words, they couldn't grow. It mimicked humanoid bodies, copied moves and designs, and even copied the Giga Drill Breaker in Lagann-Hen. No wonder it was always mimicking its opponents' designs and tactics. ''It couldn't think of new ideas on its own.''
50	** And that's how Simon kept winning in every encounter. His speech about the drill symbolism ('with every revolution we move forward a little... we're stronger now than we were a minute ago') means that the uncreative and unchanging anti-spirals will always be a step behind: unlike all the spirals that came before, Team Dai-Gurren evolved faster than the anti-spirals could keep up.
51	** Why did the Anti-spirals get so HotBlooded despite seemingly being unemotional beings? There are 3 reasons: First, because having been a spiral race themselves, they knew they would need that power to fight the spirals. The fight is won by the one who wants it more. Second, adding on to the first point, just because you suppress your emotions doesn't mean it's gone. It's like riding a bike; you never really forget how. And finally,Their method is to fight their enemies equally. Which means being equally Hotblooded as well!
52	* Remember how in Simon's epic speech to the Anti-Spiral, he mentions how the hopes of those who have fallen and the dreams of those who will follow "wind together in a double helix." Ultimately, the path the heroes take at the end is a combination of two entirely opposing viewpoints- Kamina's "kick reason to the curb and make the impossible possible" and the Anti-Spiral philosophy of "Spiral Power dooms the universe." As explained above, the Anti-Spirals completely lost the concepts of evolution and creativity, becoming completely stagnant and ultimately genocidal. Had Team Dai-Gurren kept pushing their power forward and forward, it would have spiraled (excuse the pun) out of control and end with the Spiral Nemesis. So these two different ideals are combined, so that Earth can cooperate with all the other Spiral races to find a way to keep evolving but also avoid becoming drunk on their Spiral Power and ending the universe. That's the only way to keep heading for tomorrow- we saw what happened with the Anti-Spirals (complete suppression of any advancement), and the opening of Episode 1 is the exact opposite: the team going out of control and eventually causing Spiral Nemesis by making "every light in the sky" their enemies. This is what Simon realizes, and why he tells the Anti-Spirals that they can both win the battle ''and'' protect the universe, because he now understands this drill/DNA concept, and that the only way to save the universe is to pull the natural opposites of Kamina's and the Anti-Spiral's philosophies into a single structure, that double helix that drills a path toward tomorrow, whereas alone neither of those concepts would be able to pierce the metaphorical heavens. That's why Simon's drill ''creates'' the heavens in the end, because he can break the "endless cycle of violence" repeatedly referred to in the narration- the until-then conflict between the pro-Spiral and, well, anti-Spiral philosophies. ''THAT'' is Tengen Toppa, and ''THAT'' is Gurren Lagann.
53	* What did Team Dai-Gurren do right before Simon said his "double helix" speech? They absorbed the Anti-Spiral's massive attack and used its energy to launch a counterattack. In other words, they combined Spiral and Anti-Spiral power, as they realize that the two philosophies can be combined, with each one preventing the other from going out of control. How did they were able to do that? Thanks to the other guy who changed his philosophies regarding Spiral Power during the series: Lordgenome.
54	* As awesome as the final battle in ''Lagann-hen'' was, Simon's fistfight against the Anti-Spiral was a bit confusing, due to the fact that the latter was bleeding just as much as the former. Why would the collective HiveMind of an entire alien race would be able to shed blood? The Anti-Spiral was still trying to fight Simon on even ground as part of his DespairGambit. In other words, he just tried to give himself the same limitations as his opponent.
55	* The shield that Gurren Lagann used to defend Arc-Gurren was almost exactly the same as the one Viral used to block Littner village's missiles... which essentially means Viral was protecting humans with a technique he'd learned during his time as a villain, indicating his journey to the path of light was complete. That wasn't the only time, he also was using the shield to protect a human settlement that didn't want to leave the underground, another possible indication to his path to the light.
56	* You know that attack the Anti-Spirals use in the final battle? The one where it turns into a spear-like form and crashes Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann through several galaxies? That attack mirrors the one that killed Kamina.
57	* What would happen in our universe if the law of conservation of energy was broken in real life? The mass of the universe would keep increasing, and the described Spiral Nemesis would actually happen.
58	* The spacetime portal to Earth during the fight against the Anti-Spiral seemed at first to be just a way to increase tension/raise the stakes, and so the main cast would fight harder. But the people watching from Earth had Spiral Power too. They're seeing the heroes of humanity fighting for the very sake of the planet. They're channeling their Spiral Power into Team Gurren.
59	* The symbolism of the final charge. Starting out large at the base, extending and shrinking until the end while still keeping the same shape. Yes, going from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann to Simon while charging forward, the final attack took the shape of a drill.
60	** Exactly. Each version of the mecha gets a turn to fight, from the largest (TTGL) to the smallest (GL), until finally reaching the "tip" itself (Lagann). And little by little, they get just a little closer, they advance a bit further, with each mecha's turn to face the Anti-Spiral. While the largest isn't able to pierce through, the tip is sharp enough, and concentrates everything in a small enough point, that it ''is''. And '''''that''''' is how a drill works.
61	* If you stop and think about the purpose of the Core Drill, you will notice that it is meant to enhance Simon's ability to use his [[AppliedPhlebontium Spiral Power]]. Simon seems to have far more latent spiral power than anyone else in the series, but he has trouble tapping into it earlier in the series, without getting a pep talk from Kamina. The more spiral energy he is using when he turns the Core Drill, the more power he is able to obtain. If you think about it, the Core Drill doesn't create more spiral energy. It just focuses and condenses it into a single point, just like a drill does with kinetic energy, focusing it and making it more useful.
62	* In Lagann-hen we see Nia with a drill staff. Look at what Simon is walking with at the epilogue.
63	* Viral's name sounds a lot like "Virility". This is an extremely manly show, but guess what? Viral is not a man and also, he cannot achieve the goal he truly wants: to have a family of his own. His name in and of itself lets you know what his true nature is.
64	* During the FinalBattle of [[TheMovie Lagann-hen]], when Simon makes a drill and goes in for the finishing stroke, the Anti-Spiral charged at him as well, with a grin on his face. The Anti-Spiral, having seen enough of Simon's determination, decided to entrust the future to him, and was basically saying, "Strike me down and show me you are ready to protect the universe in a better way than I did!"
65	* ''[[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic Libera Me From Hell]]'' is used twice, in specific circumstances: when the team is trapped in a hell-like place (the Death Spiral Field and the Dimensional Labyrinth) and needs to escape. That's what the song is really about, and why the two different melodies are juxtaposed- there is the woman lamenting their entrapped state, and the rap lyrics exclaiming the will to break out. Notice which melody overtakes the other at the end. The song plays in the prologue to ''Gurren-hen'', which is essentially a remixed Parallel Works 8 with sound effects. It lacks the rap portion of the song. [[TheBadGuyWins Guess why.]]
66	* Spiral power is literally dividing by zero. It actually solves the mathematical problem with division by zero - it can divide something into zero parts by violating the law of conservation of mass. If 1/0=X, then X*0=1; X is "a number which when multiplied by zero is greater than zero", which could mean a number that becomes greater than itself in the process of it existing. I'm no mathematician, but I think numbers don't usually ''have'' processes - they are themselves, as static facts, even imaginary and irregular numbers and what have you. 1/0 is a number that ''grows''; it's an abstract equation without physical substance that results in gaining mass; it's something from nothing. It's a mathematical expression of the concept of forward motion implicit in itself. Division by zero ''is'' impossible - we can't do it. So of course it's how Team Gurren rolls, taking mathematics beyond mathematics.
67	* Why does Viral call the humans "naked apes"? Because there are ape beastmen.
68	* Notice that when Kamina takes off his TriangleShades, he doesn't look as awesome as he does with them on. Later, we find out that his sheer awesomeness and Badassitude was all a mask; he was every bit as scared as everyone else. He puts on his Badass Facade (Note to self: make that a trope) to encourage everybody to not give up hope. So when he puts on his shades, he is literally and figuratively putting on a mask of awesomeness to inspire everybody into giving their all. This is two fold: Kamina was never meant to be the greatest hero in the series but the inspiration to forge the Team Gurren and Simon. If Simon is the digger who would pierce the heaven, Kamina ''is the drill'' which would pierce it and to show how humanity ''should'' be: Broken, imperfect and sometimes stupid, but always striving to be better and never giving up, no matter what.
69	* In episode 12, Nia reveals herself to be [[CuteBruiser quite a bit stronger than she looks]] when she smacks a volleyball with a-lot of power. Nothing but a joke moment right? Wrong! Remember who her dad is? This is was a subtle bit of foreshadowing that [[LamarckWasRight the apple did not fall very far from the tree]]. And suddenly, Lordgenome [[NoHoldsBarredBeatDown beating the flying fuck out of Simon]] while the latter was in [[MiniMecha Lagann]] is even more awesome, because they were showing us it would happen. Makes you wonder what Nia would have been capable of if she could fight, or fought more often beyond the finale and the second movie.
70	* Lagann's drill is different from all the other drills in the series. Instead of having grooves, it has a raised spiral similar to a screw. It's to make it where it can hold onto things since its main power is Gundamjacking.
71	* The final battle in Lagann-hen. Watch it carefully. FIRST Tengen Toppa goes mano-a-mano with the Anti-Spiral. The two pound on each other chipping away at each other. Then ASK drops his WhamLine and HannibalLecture. [[{{Deconstruction}} The result being that he tears TTGL to shreds in a gory mess.]] There's much EvilGloating and further lecturing. Smacking around even the risen Tengen Toppa Gunmen. The Dai-Gurren Crew refuses to go down however, and Simon reiterates their BadassCreed. Shortly thereafter, the ASK preps his ultimate attack. In the process of which, LordGenome steps out, but instead of blocking or nullyfying the attack. [[{{Reconstruction}} He absorbs it. Dissovels and BECOMES it, and then transforms into a massive drill. Which He commands Simon to imbibe. He does. and instead of mere TTGL the Dai-Gurren Crew becomes SUPER TTGL.]] What Follows is a series of KirkSummation[s] and ShutUpKirk[s]. Capped off by an extremely short PatrickStewartSpeech. In short. What has just transpired is not merely an Epic Cosmic Level awesome battle between Super Robot and Big Bad. What has transpired was the figurative AND literal Deconstruction and subsequent Reconstruction of the very SOUL of SuperRobotGenre!
72	* The Lazengann Overload ability may seem like a convenient AssPull... until you realize that it's just Lordgenome's version of the Gurren Lagann's energy-absorption ability. The Infinity Big Bang Storm was just too strong for Lordgenome to shoot it back without any harm being done to him.
73	* Jorgun has red sunglasses. Balinbow has blue sunglasses. '''Twin-Bokun is purple'''.
74	* Kamina's motivation during the rebellion was to "allow kids to look up in the sky without a care in the world." So what did Yoko do after the war ended? Become a teacher and make sure that happened!
75	* Any Kittan fan who watched Lagann-hen may be disappointed by how the changes from the original series have ''apparently'' affected his significance. Instead of being the last casualty in the Gunmen-riding gang and being the only one among said casualties who have experienced the Spiral Energy, in this version he's the ''only'' casualty in that group, and as a consequence is the only one who does not get the chance to have his own Tengen Toppa Gunman. However, the movie has made some additional LampshadeHanging on his role as the one who pushes them all forward while Simon is the one who pulls them. And with this, one can see an added significance in his sacrifice in the movie version. His summoning the Giga-drill on his own is his one last and greatest push to the group; he has shown them that they can bring out their own Spiral Energy, thus making them able to bring out their own Tengen Toppa Gunmen. Whichever version is better, of course, is up to the viewer.
76	* So, Kamina gets to put in one last appearance and shake everybody out of their trans-dimensional funk. Awesome enough on its own, but he also DID finally pay Yoko back for that kiss.
77	* A lot of Guame's action and words take on a different light when you realize that in Parallel Works 8 it is implied strongly, if not outright confirmed, Guame is Lord Genome's Boota. He either was modified by Lord Genome into a more humanoid body or self-evolved like Boota did. He comments on the humans not knowing their true enemy not because of his loyalty to Lord Genome, but because he was there in the last round of fights against the Anti-Spirals. His "I go back with Lord Genome a long time" is downplaying having spent a thousand years plus with the man. His perviness and his role as providing Lord Genome with women to have his children are probably rooted in the fact that even if Guame lost the ability to reproduce in his humanoid form, he was originally a normal spiral being/animal unlike his compatriots. Unlike Lord Genome, who has been having sex with human females Guame has been providing for the last thousand years, Guame has spent a thousand years without being able to do the same despite having the same original urges. He can influence Lord Genome because he's likely Lord Genome's only, as well as oldest, friend.
78	* A bit of a meta example, but during climactic scenes the main characters (most noticeably Simon), [[ArtShift look a little different.]] Why is this? ''Because they are channeling so much Spiral Energy.'' Lordgenome is constantly in that [[ArtShift Art Shifted]] state and looks like that all the time because he is constantly channeling incredible amounts of Spiral Power (what he's using it for isn't explained, but before his [[DisneyDeath "death"]] its implied he was powering all the Beastmen's Gunmen personally, and once he's just a head he's being pumped full of it just to be animate at all). Kittan gets it too right before his death along with the Spiral Eyes that people who abuse Spiral Power seem to get(Lordgenome for example).
79	* Another somewhat meta one: why is it Thymilph's Dai-Gunzan specifically that team Dai-Gurren steals? Because Thymilph is the General of Fire. Since HotBlooded, burning passion is a major theme of the show, the fact that they take the Fire General's fortress is symbolic.
80	* You know how after escaping from the multi-dimensional labyrinth, Gurren Lagann launches Spiral Energy-powered drills containing all of the main team, including Viral? If you think about it, Viral shouldn't have one of those, since he can't generate Spiral Energy by himself. ...And then, when you think about it again, you realise that him having one anyways, despite not being able to generate Spiral Energy, makes perfect sense in a series where doing the impossible is one of the central themes.
81	* In Lagann-hen's final battle, see Viral's mecha. Its name is Enkidulga, which sounds like a lot like Enkidu. Enkidu is mentioned in the Epic of Gilgamesh as being the close friend of the hero Gilgamesh. However Enkidu has been created by the gods from mud, and once Gilgamesh slayed the Bull of Heaven alongside his friend, the gods decided to kill Enkidu by revenge in order to hurt Gilgamesh. There is a lot of common points between Enkidu, Viral and Nia.
82	* There is a saying about depression: "If the black dog comes on you, dig a hole. If it stays with you, fill it and dig another". How does Simon the Digger finally manage to bust out of his episodes-long HeroicBSOD?
83	* Many TTGL fans have denigrated Simon as a wimp, especially pre-Timeskip Simon, and criticized him for his episodes in a fugue state like it was a character flaw, but for fans who've experienced depression and anxiety, Simon is an amazing illustration of how mood disorders can screw up your life (notice the downward SPIRAL when he loses Kamina, his biggest supporter and fan, of Simon is depressed==>Simon loses spiral power and can't pilot Lagann anymore==>Team Dai-Gurren criticizes him==>Simon's self-hatred and isolation grows?), and an inspiration to keep fighting no matter how bad the odds look (and when you're in a depressed funk, the odds always look ''very'' bad). So Simon is a hero in more ways than one; he's had to fight monsters both inside and out, and he's won.
84	* Since Simon happens to be omnipotent, even if he doesn't use his power to bring back those he lost, his power suggest that he could also see them again in other ways, plus there's a saying "Death is only the beginning" meaning that Nia and the others may be alive in others ways and eventually Simon will see them all again.
85	* Spiral Energy is almost identical to Creator/{{Henri Bergson}}'s ''élan vital''.
86	* As stated on the [[TenegnToopaGurrenLagann/ShoutOut Shout-Out]] page, each form of Gurren Lagann is related to a previous mecha show:
87	** Lagann itself is very much like Canti from ''Anime/FLCL'' being a red mech with a weird face that draws it's power fro it's pilot, a young boy.
88	** Gurren Lagann can be considered the incarnation of the lighter aspects of Eva Unit 01 from... ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' with it being piloted by a young boy inside it's head, being mentally connected with the pilot and being a common connection with a person from their respective pilot's past that heavily influence them. Likewise, Lordgenome's mech Lazgennan Another Lagann type mech represents it's darker aspects and being very similar to the weapon that the heroes use.
89	** Arc Gurren Lagann shares more than a passing resemblance to the ''Anime/GaoGaiGar'' mech.
90	** Super Galaxy Gurren Lagann looks very much like ''Anime/GunBuster'', was introduced after the death of someone close to the main character and even is introduced in the [[BadassArmfold Gainax Pose.]]
91	** As stated on the SHout-out page, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is a friendlier version of the Getter Emperor being a nigh-unstoppable force of awesome that can be downright terrifying.
92	*** While this could just be Gainax being Gainax, this could also be done for an artistic purpose: Each form is the show itself daring to match the sheer scale of it's predecessors, culmanting in the show's unique transformation, the Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, im which it hjas become it''s own entity.
93	* Look at the shape of the Anti-Spiral's drills and Team Dai-Gurren's: One is conical in shape and the other is spiraled. Why? Because the Anti=Spiral is incapable of evoloving or changing, thus kit stays at the same size, wheres Team Dai-Gurren is capable of evolving and growing stronger, thus they spiral out.
94	* A bit of Fridge SugarWiki/{{Funny\|Moments}}. Both Kamina and Simon are considered two of the manliest men in mecha anime, if not all of fiction. This is hilarious to anyone who has seen ''Anime/GunBuster'' because they know that these two testosterone-filled men of manly spirit...are based off of girls. [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer No jokes.]]
95	* Viral's name relating to viruses is another point to his desire to have children despite its impossibility. Viruses technically aren't living things, and more than anything else, they cannot reproduce in the way living organisms can.
96	* The Spiral Nemesis isn't just a plot device; it's a meta-commentary on the RuleOfCool. Just as constant abuse of Spiral Energy will eventually lead to the break-down of the universe, a series that constantly abuses the RuleOfCool will eventually destroy all dramatic tension within the series. Why bother getting invested in any conflict when the heroes can just AssPull a solution whenever they want with the justification that it'd look cool?
97	* In ''Lagann-hen'', after the Anti-Spiral tears TTGL apart, Viral joins the fray with a Tengen Toppa mecha of his own, Enkidulga. But where did he get it? He's a beastman, so it's impossible for him to use Spiral Energy; it must've been Boota powering it, right? Or at least, that's what we're lead to believe... but it might not be the case. Y'see, the Dai-Gurren Brigade has a certain ''[[BeyondTheImpossible opinion]]'' about what this whole "impossible" thing means, and it's very clear that Viral is a member of the brigade by now. There's a very good chance that he was generating Spiral Energy himself ''despite'' it being impossible.
98
99	[[AC:FridgeHorror]]
100	* Those buildings that Teppelin drops? How much do you want to bet ''everyone'' was out for the day? Even so, would ''you'' want to come home, only to find that all your Earthly possessions were now smashed to bits, courtesy of your living god?
101	* Consider Parallel Works #8, which explains how Lordgenome lose the war against the Anti-Spirals. The civilization on Earth reached an advanced tech level which could support billions. When it was imposed that Earth couldn't have more than one million humans, Lordgenome probably executed a genocide to keep their numbers in check.
102	* There are super-massive black holes in the centre of the galaxy. The Anti-Spirals feared that abuse of Spiral Power would create colossal black holes destroying the universe. How many of those super-massive black holes are the result of a minor version of the Spiral Nemesis?
103	* Kamina has a pretty BadassCape. I mean come on, it's red and even has orange flames dyed on to it. Except it doesn't. The previous owner of said cape was Kamina's father. When we last see his father, the cape was ''completely orange''. Then, his father is killed. That's right, Kamina's cape has flames created by '''THE ABSENCE OF HIS FATHER'S BLOODSTAINS.'''
104	* More Fridge Sadness, but despite how awesome Lordgenome's skills were, when you think about it, his war with the Anti-Spirals was not particularly successful. He mentions how they couldn't find the Anti-Spirals' homeworld in his time. Given the massive Spiral graveyard they encounter in the homeworld's space, that would imply that lots of Spiral warriors managed to invade, albeit unsuccessfully.
105	* All of the Laganns in the Spiral Graveyard weren't from Lordgenome's rebellion, but from countless other Spiral races who successfully overthrew their own Spiral Kings, stopped their moons from falling, and even discovered the Anti-Spirals' dimension (which Lordgenome failed at) -- [[AllForNothing only to die at either the Death Spiral Machine or the multidimensional labyrinth]].
106	* Rossiu's actions after the TimeSkip are pretty jarring considering who he hangs out with, until you realize that he's WrongGenreSavvy; He's the only cynic in a team of optimistic heroes, believing that heinous actions are necessary to protect as many people as possible. Also keep in mind that both main villains of the series are ''also'' cynics who share this exact mindset.

Context Fridge / TengenToppaGurrenLagann