What makes Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann a true gem is how it manages to combine years of mecha history, surprisingly good story telling, and pure awesomeness. And somehow, against all possibilities yield an epic masterpiece.
All of the charactera are developed and memorable even at their silliest moments. Initially they come off as typical stock archetypes with Simon the crybaby, Kamina the hyperactive big brother, and Rossiu the emo cynic. However, as the series progresses, each character reveal additional hidden traits and experience character arcs. The seemingly fearless Kamina secretly feels seems moments of terror yet still persists because of Simon. Simon initially was presented as a crybaby and coward who would snap at every setback. However, with enough encouragement from Kamina and Nia, he was able to believe in the ideal version of himself and become a truly confident hero. Even Rossiu, the doubting strawman who seems out of place, is shown as a fully developed figure instead of a nagging caricature. In fact, everyone values Rossiu as a human being and helps him. For all their over the top quirks, the characters still feel relatable and dynamic.
In relationship to other mecha series, Gurren Lagann serves as both an homage and a spiritual antithesis to Evangelion and Gundam. Specifically, Lagann counters the elements of despair in Evangelion and death in Gundam. Like Evangelion, the heroes fall into moments of suicidal despair. However, unlike Evangelion, these characters were able to bind together and help each other overcome their problems, thus allowing them to deal with further hardships. Like Gundam, many beloved characters are killed off in unexpected moments. However, even when facing their inevitable deaths, each character go out in a blaze of glory. Gurren Lagann addresses these issues such that the characters could work around them in an uplifting manner.
Yet ultimately, Gurren Lagann has some very meaningful messages. Simon was able to become a badass with loving support and his own identity. He tries to follow in Kamina's place only to fail tragically. However, he learns that he is not Kamina and with help from Nia manages to recover from his emotional hardships. Thus the message: you cannot make someone overcome hardships by force, greatness can only be achieved when one finds their own identity and has loving support.
A riveting tribute to mecha history
What makes Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann a true gem is how it manages to combine years of mecha history, surprisingly good story telling, and pure awesomeness. And somehow, against all possibilities yield an epic masterpiece.
All of the charactera are developed and memorable even at their silliest moments. Initially they come off as typical stock archetypes with Simon the crybaby, Kamina the hyperactive big brother, and Rossiu the emo cynic. However, as the series progresses, each character reveal additional hidden traits and experience character arcs. The seemingly fearless Kamina secretly feels seems moments of terror yet still persists because of Simon. Simon initially was presented as a crybaby and coward who would snap at every setback. However, with enough encouragement from Kamina and Nia, he was able to believe in the ideal version of himself and become a truly confident hero. Even Rossiu, the doubting strawman who seems out of place, is shown as a fully developed figure instead of a nagging caricature. In fact, everyone values Rossiu as a human being and helps him. For all their over the top quirks, the characters still feel relatable and dynamic.
In relationship to other mecha series, Gurren Lagann serves as both an homage and a spiritual antithesis to Evangelion and Gundam. Specifically, Lagann counters the elements of despair in Evangelion and death in Gundam. Like Evangelion, the heroes fall into moments of suicidal despair. However, unlike Evangelion, these characters were able to bind together and help each other overcome their problems, thus allowing them to deal with further hardships. Like Gundam, many beloved characters are killed off in unexpected moments. However, even when facing their inevitable deaths, each character go out in a blaze of glory. Gurren Lagann addresses these issues such that the characters could work around them in an uplifting manner.
Yet ultimately, Gurren Lagann has some very meaningful messages. Simon was able to become a badass with loving support and his own identity. He tries to follow in Kamina's place only to fail tragically. However, he learns that he is not Kamina and with help from Nia manages to recover from his emotional hardships. Thus the message: you cannot make someone overcome hardships by force, greatness can only be achieved when one finds their own identity and has loving support.