As you should know, there are two versions of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann available to the public; one TV series and a pair of compilation movies (Gurren-hen and Lagann-hen). Which version, you ask, is better?
For the movies, the scenes that are new or have been redrawn have much higher quality than the originals. When you compare Simon's "rebirth" in the series to the version from the movie (spoilers), the movie seems a lot more fluid. The voice acting was also redone, so they generally sound better (notice how Simon doesn't sound like he overdosed on Red Bull in the movie). However, the voice acting has a tendency to get too hammy in the movies sometimes (Your Mileage May Vary, so you may enjoy the extra ham). The abridging of the series helps Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann newbies get into the story more easily, so I sometimes like to call the movies "Gurren Lagann for Dummies".
However, the series has superior storytelling compared to the original. Several scenes which I felt were important were left out, and plot details were edited for streamlining's sake. One of the things I dislike about Gurren-hen is how the last three Beastman Generals got shoehorned into a single battle. The bulk of the character development of Yoko and Viral was also cut out, sadly.
The movies also have a lot more Fanservice than the originals - at one point, two females are shown topless in all their glory. You may or may not like it, so I'm just warning you ahead of time.
If you watch the movies first then the series, you will feel a bit let down by the action and fight scenes of the latter. I did that, so the series felt a bit underwhelming to me. The Final Battle of Lagann-hen beats the original by a Tengen Toppa Gunmen's length (which is a long distance). Don't believe me? Look it up (both the final battle and the Tengen Toppa Gunmen's length).
My verdict? If you prefer better storytelling and less corny voice acting, watch the TV series. If you are new to the Gurren Lagann franchise, you just care about Beyond The Impossible super robot action, or you just want to have fun, then the movies were made for you.
The Compilation Movies - worth it?
As you should know, there are two versions of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann available to the public; one TV series and a pair of compilation movies (Gurren-hen and Lagann-hen). Which version, you ask, is better?
For the movies, the scenes that are new or have been redrawn have much higher quality than the originals. When you compare Simon's "rebirth" in the series
to the version from the movie
(spoilers), the movie seems a lot more fluid. The voice acting was also redone, so they generally sound better (notice how Simon doesn't sound like he overdosed on Red Bull in the movie). However, the voice acting has a tendency to get too hammy in the movies sometimes (Your Mileage May Vary, so you may enjoy the extra ham). The abridging of the series helps Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann newbies get into the story more easily, so I sometimes like to call the movies "Gurren Lagann for Dummies".
However, the series has superior storytelling compared to the original. Several scenes which I felt were important were left out, and plot details were edited for streamlining's sake. One of the things I dislike about Gurren-hen is how the last three Beastman Generals got shoehorned into a single battle. The bulk of the character development of Yoko and Viral was also cut out, sadly.
The movies also have a lot more Fanservice than the originals - at one point, two females are shown topless in all their glory. You may or may not like it, so I'm just warning you ahead of time.
If you watch the movies first then the series, you will feel a bit let down by the action and fight scenes of the latter. I did that, so the series felt a bit underwhelming to me. The Final Battle of Lagann-hen beats the original by a Tengen Toppa Gunmen's length (which is a long distance). Don't believe me? Look it up (both the final battle and the Tengen Toppa Gunmen's length).
My verdict? If you prefer better storytelling and less corny voice acting, watch the TV series. If you are new to the Gurren Lagann franchise, you just care about Beyond The Impossible super robot action, or you just want to have fun, then the movies were made for you.