erin23 - 2013-09-06 16:33:33

Robotos y tetas = winrar

elena26 - 2013-08-20 22:31:30

I actually avoided this anime for as long as I could; because I though it was childish and had to many over-used jokes in it. One day I decided to watch and I was completely right. But, I still ended up liking it and never being able to drop it. The consistent flow of story that covers a lot but doesn't skip over important parts. The characters are all cliché but still manage to be bad ass. This show is so immature and probably top level cliché, trust me, you'll love

leland34 - 2013-08-18 23:45:44

(Here is the Gurren Lagann opening song for your listening pleasure).

Gurren Lagann isn't meant for everyone to watch. You have to be strong spirited. You have to be able to smile like an idiot at characters who want to achieve the impossible. You have to love heroic screaming, adventure, overblown action…. and most importantly, you have to be able to enjoy yourself once in a while.

If you’re still reading this, then we may continue to move on. Gurren Lagann is a 2007 adventure mecha production by Gainax, the company that brought FLCL and many more titles. The plot features the dynamic duo of Simon and Kamina, who both live in an underground town that live in fear of earthquakes, and their quest to the stars. Literally. The story is divided into two arcs, where the first arc spans for 17 episodes. This arc features Simon as a child and their journey, while the second arc focuses on the future after Simon has grown up.

Gurren Lagann as a whole is a straight forward plot; it's simple yet executed beautifully. It doesn’t attempt to give us psychological twists that we’ve seen from other mecha titles such as Neon Genesis Evagenlion, nor does it give us any brain candy to chew on. Hell, Gurren Lagann doesn't even take itself seriously. It simply does what it offers, and nothing more.

Yet what Gurren Lagann offers is done extremely well.

This is one of the few titles that I can recommend to a bunch of different viewers. If you’re a new fan who wants to get into anime, a casual watcher, or a person who questions the mecha genre, Gurren Lagann is fun to watch regardless. Also, we’re dealing with Gainax here (majority of the current Gainax staff formed Trigger, the creators of Inferno Cop), so experienced watchers can be prepared to see the clever parodies Gurren Lagann provides. I wouldn’t pride or associate myself anywhere close to a mecha fan (I don’t think I had seen a mecha series before TTGL), but watching Gurren Lagann is on an entirely different level for me. The series has by far the most overblown and the most exaggerated fight scenes that you can’t help but grin when you watch them. The fights always feel refreshing and silly with bright colors and flashy animation.

The characters continue to bring life to the action. The most quoted man of the show, Kamina, lays it down simply.

“Who the hell do you think I am?”

Kamina sets the pace for the crew of Gurren Lagann. He’s reckless and an idiot, but he represents what a lot of us want to be. Someone who laughs at obstacles and continues to move forward. On the opposite spectrum is our other lead Simon, one of the better child leads I’ve seen. Simon is the reluctant side, who thinks more with his head but fears danger and boldness. The duo balance each other throughout Simon’s coming of manhood, at which that point Simon continues in his brother Kamina’s path and ideals. The rest of the crew is mostly meant for comedic reasons, but in no way does that make them forgettable. Yoko with her sniper rifle and barely dressed chest, the wannabe- Kamina Kittan, the sexually provocative bisexual mechanic Ron, and many more create a fun and silly cast that intertwine well with the duo.

On the technical side, Gurren Lagann shines just as well. The colorful visuals and mecha designs felt alive to me, and the animation for the fight scenes felt smooth and enticing. The character designs also received a lot of attention, and not just a bunch of buff shounen guys with different color hair. The OST is actually one of the few OSTs I still listen to it, and by all means not some random background tunes. When you hear the vocals start up for “Libera Me from Hell”, you can expect some epic fights to kick in. Other tracks are more varied and the opening provides the same intensity that the series brings.

Gurren Lagann doesn’t take itself seriously. It’s a title that’s so silly and overblown that it sticks in your memory. Hell, several years ago I watched part of the Gurren Lagann movie as a kid at my friend’s house. I didn’t have a particular interest in anime back then, I didn’t even remember the name of the anime. But the guy screaming like an idiot “Believe in me who believes in you” with the blue hair never left me. When my friend brought up the title a year back, I looked it up and saw the same blue haired guy smirking at me. When a series is able to remain memorable due to its originality, it’s safe to say you have a winner.

Thanks for reading my review, and if you have any comments, please post on my wall so I can improve my future reviews. Thanks!

monte.brekke - 2013-08-12 15:04:41

This is an Anime Review of.... Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

-Mostly Mecha (since it has robots :P)

-Some Romance (oh lala~)

-Adventure/Action

-Sci-Fi (Laser beams!!)

Tengen Toppa is one of the best MECHA Anime there is, since everything goes well in the story, the sound is good (songs, sound effects, everything!), good graphics (nice animation), awesome characters too! I love this anime since it has all my requirements; Comedy, Romance and especially Mecha!

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann has 2 season-like series. Which was released starting from April 1 2007 until September 30 2007. Not only does this anime has a Japanese Audio, it was dubbed too! For those who likes to watch anime in English, go ahead!

In the season 1 like series (1-16) the story of Gurren Lagann is clear, the characters purpose and why are they doing that. In the next season like series (17-27) the story has leaped into AWESOME and it gets clearer and has INSANE scenes which are still AWESOME and must watch!

+Awesome Parts:

1. Good Story ☆☆☆

2. Has a reason for climax and has another reason for solution! ☆☆☆☆☆

3. Good Ending ☆☆☆☆

4. Robots Robots and more ROBOTS!!!!!! ☆☆☆☆☆

5. Lovely Characters ☆☆☆☆☆

-Bad/UnAwesome Parts:

1. Weird climax sometimes (unreasonable)

2. Sometimes can go over (become little bit harem)

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann was released by Gainax, the most famous mecha animation studios I know in Japan and one of the best too!.

Gainax studios has animated many mecha animes such as:

Gunbuster, The wings of Honneamise, Neon Genesis Evangelion and many other mecha anime!

+Awesome Parts:

1. Good Character Animation (smooth movement and effects)

2. Superb effects (laser beams, explosions, BOOM)

-Bad/UnAwesome Parts:

1. Weird Eye designs

2. Somewhat old fashioned animation

3. Real Harem Sometimes!!!!! (Lol)

I love their voice acting! Especially the main character (Young Boy).

His voice really follows the rhythm of the situation. Especially in a courageous situation, his voice rises with an exploding AWESOME.

+Awesome Parts:

1. Voice Acting

2. OP and END Theme songs

3. Very good BGM songs (Background Music)

-Bad/UnAwesome Parts:

1. Some voice acting just plain and boring

2. Some voices too over.

The most Awesome thing about Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann are the characters feelings, emotions and spirit. They really show what their true feelings are and reach their goal in the most exciting and awesome way!

+ Awesome Parts:

1. Unique Design

2. Awesome styles

-Bad/UnAwesome Parts:

1. Some characters are just plain normal.

AWESOME, PURE AWESOME.

Makes me wanna go in their world and party!!!!!

The most pure awesome moments in the world of Gurren Lagann shows that Gurren Lagann is really awesome!

and Experience the Full AWESOME

What do YOU wanna do now?

Open up your PC AND WATCH GURREN LAGANN GUYS!!!!!

smayer - 2013-07-08 00:30:06

Story: 9/10. Simply Outstanding story! I enjoyed it from start to end. It digs deep (no pun intended) into the emotions and practically rips them out. And I admit that despite a somewhat simplistic plot. You can easily get drawn in it. My only complaint is the final battle in the last episode, and the epilogue with Simon.Art: 7/10. The artwork is pretty good. Since Im more used to work from visual novels the score is lower here. The art possessed several qualities from the last series I watched from Gainax, FLCL, with some enhanced modifications. The artwork definitely captures the heart of the story and the show. While there were some scene that were breath-taking, There were a few areas where the art dropped a bit. But the technique seems up-to-date in almost all aspects.Sound: 10/10. What I consider a great strength in the show the music was fairly captivating. It seemed to put you in the right mood while watching. It takes the scene and enhances the emotions to leave a more lasting impression for the viewers.Character: 9/10: Another great strength of the series. I am a sucker when it comes to characters with idealistic dreams and goals. But, the characters also seem to reflect other questions and morals that dig deep into your emotions and has you consider them.Enjoyment: 10/10. I simply loved this show from start to finish. I have marked it as my favorite mecha anime of all time. I have recommended it to almost all the watchers I know. And I still enjoy rewatching my favorite episodes from time to time, and enjoyed as much as when I first downloaded it.Overall: 9/10~10/10. One of my favorites from Gainax. What I see as a truely a masterpiece of the decade, and probably one of my top choices of Anime of 2007. I will always be a GAR head and a great fan of the series.

zieme.breanna - 2013-07-07 06:16:46

Spoiler-Free

This is probably my all-time favorite 'turn off your brain and enjoy the ride' anime. You won't find any deep introspective on the meaning of life or any close to it here. What you'll find is one of the most over-the-top (even for this genre) giant robot anime anime ever. Galaxy throwing, mechs inside mechs inside mechs, and GIGA-DRILLS it's an anime whose every problem is solved by being more manly.

This anime was brought to us by a lot of the people who did the FLCL anime, and it really shows. From the animation to the humor... if you enjoyed Fooly Cooly, you'll have fun with this series.

We follow Simon the digger and his crew, after a giant robot suit called an Gunman crashes thru the ceiling of their underground home, as they fight to take back the surface from the beastmen. The characters all have their own very distinct personalities, and I grew to love them all. Over this 27 episode series, you get to see everyone grow so much. Everyone acts very predictably, but it's comforting as it gives you that feeling of really know the characters and their personality.

Some people might think it gets kinda tiring that 'fighting spirit' is the solution to every bad situation, but I loved it here. Things not looking to great...? Everyone getting their ass kicked...? TIME TO MAN THE FUCK UP AND PUNCH DUDES WITH A GIANT DRILL! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK WE ARE?! A bit deus-ex-machina~ but it just worked. I don't know if it was the characters or just that it was lost in the ridiculousness of the series in-general. Every time Simon, Kamina, or any one else gets that look in their eye, you know shits about to get real.

My all time favorite moment was Kamina's first Giga-Drill-Breaker. Things had been a little crazy and fun up to that point, but after that there was no going back. For me, it set in stone that this anime was going all-out and didn't give a single fack about my logic.

I saw the series in Japanese with English subs, but I've heard some good things about the dub. All the main cast a very well acted and bring a lot of sheer emotion to their characters. I love the old school deal of calling out the name of your badass attack before performing it, and these actors go all-out in making these sound harcore. Great performances all around. Although, Nia might be a wee-bit too cutesy and odd for some

Not sure why, but I've never been super into the giant robot genre. I watched Mobile Suit Gundam Wing when I was little, but that was about it. This anime has changed that and I'm just starting on a few series that I've been missing.

It's not a very long series and is very well worth the time if you haven't seen it already. Every episode gets more ridiculous than the last, the fights are epic, the characters are lovable, and they even manage to throw in a few feels here and there. This show gets an A+ on entertainment value alone.

ahmad.waelchi - 2013-06-26 00:04:04

This show is epic. It is a combination of an epic story that goes from something very small to something HUGE by the end, occasional cool stylistic art, the manliest most epic character ever born, and to top things off: Mechs. Mechs powered literally by fighting spirit. The show is extremely rewatchable, and is very fun. It has cool music in the background, including a very popular song from it that you may think of as ROW ROW, FIGHT THE POWAH!. The music ranges from orchestral music to rap to metal. It's absolutely amazing. Just remember: When you watch this show, throw logic out the window and do the impossible!

tschneider - 2013-06-19 23:23:05

I'm not going to pretend I'm an anime veteran. I'm really an anime newbie, having only a handful of series in my list. Sure I watched Miyazaki movies when I was a kid, but that's a big difference than committing to a 27 episode series. But know this: I am not new to art and criticism of it, and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is most definitely art in every sense of the word.I'm not going to say I'm a mecha fan either, I've never been really that interested in Evangelion or Gundam. One of my friends recommended TTGL to me, and so I just decided to jump right in, having just finished Shinsekai Yori and looking for something lighter.And damn, talk about pure enjoyment. From the get go, the audience falls in love with the main character Simon and that love fails to fail over the course of the show. We get to watch this unexpected badass to grow up and become the greatest mothafuckin' robot ass kickin' hero since Kamina. Hell, 3 of the most badass heroes are introduced in the first episode making one of the most memorable introductions for a TV series (all-inclusive) I've seen.So obviously, character's are the driving point of this show. The audience connects so easily to each and every person of the Gurren Brigade that the narrative just weaves into their minds without even realizing it.The narrative at a glance seems pretty shallow. People living underground fight to live on a surface with HUGE ROBOTS. But don't fall into this trap, the story takes a very deep dive into insightfulness, with universally connectable motif's being recycled throughout all while connecting to the eventual message that I won't spoil here. The story is actually genius, with the action being the device to convey an actually intelligent message.WHO CARES WHAT HAPPENS RIGHT!? I'M HERE TO WATCH SICK MECHA FIGHTS AND YOKO'S BOOBS!And you know what? That's fine! I don't care if you give a shit about the story, I don't even think the creators of the show cared. Let's get this clear:Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is about personal, self-indulgent enjoyment.If you don't want to analyze the nuances of the unsuspectingly deep story, your enjoyment as a whole will not be decreased. Everyone will enjoy TTGL differently, and that is the REAL genius of it.TTGL is not about robots or heroes, it's about you.

cartwright.amelia - 2013-05-29 14:22:04

To say "simply the best" would do Gurren-Lagann a disservice. It's so much better than that. This is an anime that had myself by the face for several months. The storywriting is great. There are a few holes in it, and it does fall into a few cliched tropes, but it pulls them off awesomely. The story's not particularly original, but it's done in such a way that it works so well.The art is simply astounding. From the excellent character designs to the unique and crisp mech designs, there's no real flaw in G-L's art of note.The sound is well done, as well. From the very fitting, dramatically done and professional voices, to the impactful sound effects to the amazing music (such as Shoko Nakagwa's opening theme, Sorairo Days), there's no way you won't like the music in this show.The characters are great, but you can see the effect of the whole mecha genre in it. You have the unconfidant kid, the powerful "older brother" character, the sexy girl, the moe girl, the cute pet, the political mind, and the rest of the army. However, the characters are all very fleshed out and work well. They're very 3 dimensional and don't fall into the same flat patheticness.The anime really shines in its enjoyability, however. The fights are well choreographed, the jokes are well timed, and the speeches are always full of hot-blood and awesome.If you're a mecha fan, you'd do yourself a great disservice by skipping this anime.

oreilly - 2013-05-18 10:39:35

"Reject common sense to make the impossible possible!"That's a quote from an iconic character called Kamina in the opening episode of "Gurren Lagann" (or "Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann" to give it its full, grand title) that sums the series up pretty well. It's a philosophy that's not only followed religiously by the characters in "Gurren Lagann", but by the anime itself, because "Gurren Lagann" is an anime that truly rejects common sense. The series has Gainax's fingerprints all over it - it's loud, rife with phallic symbols, and completely bonkers in a way that's reminiscent of other Gainax productions such as "FLCL". And I'll be honest here: I'm NOT a fan of Gainax to say the least, and this offering from them appeared to represent not only everything I dislike about the studio, but just about everything I dislike about anime in general. I didn't like its over the top, nonsensical style; I didn't like its shameless fanservice; and I didn't like its very random, slapstick humour to name just a few things. I can usually tell from the first couple of episodes whether I'm going to like an anime or not, and though there've been a handful of anime along the way that have pleasantly surprised me, my first impressions are very rarely proved wrong. And from the opening episode, I was convinced that "Gurren Lagann" is gonna turn out to be another piece of overrated crap that I'll absolutely loathe.I'll admit I was wrong.It took until episode 8 for things to click. Before episode 8, "Gurren Lagann" had the odd moment of genius (the first time the mechas combined in the anime is outrageously funny), but it never really captured my interest. Episode 8 made me sit up and pay attention though, as some very interesting and unexpected developments in the story unfolded. I suddenly became intrigued as to which direction the anime is headed in, and from then on it seemed like "Gurren Lagann" had suddenly become good, though I suspect it's more of a case of me being able to see it in a different light. In my eyes, all the craziness had suddenly become brilliant, self-parodying improvisations, and beneath the craziness, meaningful themes and great character developments began to materialise. It may give the impression of being very superficial most of the time, but there is far more to "Gurren Lagann" than what first meets the eye. Though most of the cast are pretty one dimensional (but it gets away with this by giving the appearance of not attempting to go for any kind of depth), there are some fantastic characters in there who are not only interesting, but are also extremely well fleshed out and developed. In fact I would go as far as saying that one of the characters Simon undergoes some of the finest character development I've ever come across. Then we have the underlying themes, the most central one of which is about showing defiance in the face of oppressive power, about shaping your own destiny, and walking the path you choose for yourself and not letting anyone get in your way. Sure it ain't exactly original. Similar themes have been done in many other anime before, but you'll rarely find one that does it as boldly and with as much panache... or one that playfully beats this message into your head as hard as "Gurren Lagann" does, to the extent that even a viewer as oblivious as myself is able to get it.What makes "Gurren Lagann" such a fascinating anime is its contradictory nature - the fact that it's simultaneously cliched AND original. It's easy to see that's it belongs in the hot blooded shounen mecha genre, with its constant, over the top power ups and "fighting spirit wins all" philosophy. But at the same time, it transcends the genre not by doing something completely different, but by taking the cliches to a whole new level, all the while being delightfully self aware. It parodies AND glorifies the elements of its native genre all at once. The combining mecha aspect gets applied randomly and irrationally; the increasingly overpowered super-weapons you see in other shows also exist, but in an even more exaggerated form, with tongue-in-cheek names along the lines of "Mega Ultra Earth Shattering Giga Drill Break"; the mecha battles that likes to casually throw out crazy shit like a parody of "Spiderman"; and even the endless posturing, whilst being cheesey in the extreme, is done so well that it's also undeniably cool in the extreme. The show is full of spontaneous, joyous improvisations, as though the makers were just making stuff up as they went along, and threw in whatever crazy ideas that popped into their heads, making almost no effort to filter them through common sense first. The result is, of course, a mess... but it's a very brilliant mess.The freshness of the concepts of "Gurren Lagann" doesn't just apply to its flashy exterior, it applies to its content and storyline as well. It's difficult to go into detail about what exactly makes "Gurren Lagann" different and daring without revealing the numerous massive twists that goes on in the story, but it's safe to talk about some aspects of it at least, one of which is its interesting take on the whole hotblooded hero theme. While the heroes of "Gurren Lagann" do a lot of endless power ups like in other shounens, it's different because the show contains this "spiral power" concept that allows them to turn the silly abstract concept of powering up into something tangible and work it into the actual story. Here, in the crazy world of "Gurren Lagann", there is a proper reason why upping up your fighting spirit will get you results. Not only that, it also provides a contrast in Rossieu who, unlike the rest of the cast, appear to be living in a reality not too distant from our own. He makes rational decisions in "Gurren Lagann", the kind of difficult decisions that reminds me of those from the remade "Battlestar Galactica" TV series. In almost any other show, these would be tough decisions very well made, but "Gurren Lagann" pointedly makes it clear that they are the wrong decisions within its surreal universe - it's basically issuing a forceful statement justifying it's brawn over brain storyline by saying "look - the rational approach just doesn't work here!" It's this kind of self awareness and cheeky way of justifying the usual cliches that distinguishes it from your run of the mill shounen.It's obvious that "Gurren Lagann" is an extremely audacious project, and it's easy for these kind of projects to become a victim of its own vast ambitions, because it takes something damn special to pull off this kind of stunt. Although "Gurren Lagann" undeniably manage to achieve its ambitious goals, it does not emerge unscathed from its struggles to get there.For example, it sets a lofty standard for itself with its craziness and its epicness, but once it had caught my attention with that, it needed to keep doing crazy/clever/funny things to keep me interested (how ironic, given that initially I detested the series for these same qualities), and it's something that's hard to sustain through the length of the whole series. Inevitably, during the episodes where it fails to meet it's own standards for craziness etc, "Gurren Lagann" can feel a little flat. I feel that, while watching some of the episodes mid series, my interest in the show was still being fueled by that sublime arc that started around episode 8 rather than interest generated by the new episodes. These episodes, in along with those that feel like they're just about keeping it together simply by piling on more twists, just don't feel solid enough. Also, while the fanservice of "Gurren Lagann" often comes off as parodying (especially in the hilarious episode 5), it does sometimes also feel gratuitous and excessive.Complacency is a not a word that exists in this anime's dictionary - it's a show that rarely stays still. It's constantly skipping from location to location, timeline to timeline, and even universe to universe. However, I sometimes had trouble getting to grips with the events that were happening because the show moved *too* quickly in places. Perhaps trying so hard to keep the viewer on their toes as much as possible resulted in "Gurren Lagann" relying too much on unexpected twists and not enough on solid execution - sometimes it feels like the twists just didn't have a good enough foundation to work from. One example of this is Rossieu's character "change" after one of the time skips. It's a change that I initially found to be less than convincing. A few episodes later though, and it all started to make sense, and thinking back on it, I concluded that it probably seemed a little jarring at first because Rossieu is a character that barely featured before that time skip - it's not that he undergoes some sudden, unrealistic change in personality, it's just that we didn't get much of a chance to understand his character before the time skip.But ultimately, "Gurren Lagann" hits the mark much more than it misses it, and it's freshness and adventurous approach does more than enough to allow it to stand out from the crowd. While I'm not about go crazy and declare it as the greatest anime ever, it surprised me not only because it made me tear up my initial assessment of it, but also in the WAY it managed to do this. Other anime that won me over after a bad initial impressions did so by tranforming itself completely (for example "Kimi ga Nozomu Eien") or by gradually building up momentum and increasing in quality (for example "Beck"), but "Gurren Lagann" doesn't do this - it's pretty consistent in what it's trying to do all the way through. Instead, it made me eat my words by changing ME. And from my personal point of view, managing to somehow convince a non-believer like myself to buy into its crazy philosophies is arguably "Gurren Lagann"'s greatest achievement. To do THAT takes something special, and "Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann" is special.