Ranked #19

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann Movie: Lagann-hen

If you're being shaken by the physics in this anime and feel the need to argue with them, you're missing the point. The second recap movie that introduces loads of new mechs to the Gurren Lagann multiverse is just as stunning as the original series was. Be warned as this review contains spoilers to the original Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann and the first movie. *The reason I purposely left out individual scores is because I can safely say that I was biased during watching this film, and I will thus be biased towards writing this review. Note: I am pro-Gurren Lagann and all for manly screaming, yelling, pointing, crying, dying, fighting, punching, kicking, galaxy smashing, and most importantly - heaven piercing.

The movie resumes from the point where the Spiral King has been defeated and Kamina City is being built. The spirals of Earth have lived peacefully for seven years and, surprise, the cast has aged and matured along with the planet. All is well - Yoko is a school teacher somewhere far-off, Viral the immortal Beastman has been imprisoned, Rossiu is a powerful leader in the new worlds government, and Simon is regarded as the hero of all humans in defeating the Spiral King. Peace is boring, and just as requested an enormous battle begins - no less, right as Simon proposes to Nia. The first hour of the movie is dedicated to story taking place on Earth. Albeit a little choppy, it doesn't lose it's impact. The second hour of the film is the battle for the universe against the Anti-Spirals in space, with an entire newly animated ending full of explosions, outrageous over-the-top screaming, fighting for justice and all that good stuff. If you loved the original series, you won't be disappointed.

The animation and art are as beautiful as ever. The colors are vivid and thrilling, bringing the experience of using a galaxy as a weapon right to your home computer. Not much to be said as a lot of the animation is reused, but the new scenes are just as good, if not better, than the originals. The amount of art put into faces and mechs (and mech faces) still amazes me to this day.

Do the impossible. See the invisible. Row. Row. Fight the powah. I hope that sums up the musical score. Just kidding! The music renews a fair amount if tracks including the aforementioned, but what's really nice how it's applied. When Sorario Days (the original OP) started playing, I think the back part of my brain stopped working and I submitted to the screen and the anime took over. In summary, the soundtrack enhances the quality to an extent where it can obliterate your senses.

Same characters, but this movie focuses in on Nia in its new scenes. No complaints. Some characters that did or did not survive the first series encounter different fates too, so watch out for those. Some also get new mechas, which might I add, are awesome. And of course, the effect of Kamina's manly spirit still resonates as strong in this movie as it did before, even though he plays a minor role in the story.

How much did I like this movie? I screamed at my screen for the last 15 minutes of the movie and was carried by the presentation throughout. A truly spectacular movie. There were moments of sadness, moments of joy, moments where it was hard to even blink.

I hope this quick review is enough to wet your pallet for another exciting adventure with all your friends from the Dai-Gurren Brigade. This is a good movie to just flop down on the couch with, regardless of age or gender. Taste is a different matter. If you were not a fan of the original anime, this apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, and therefore you most likely won't enjoy this movie as much as I. I gave this anime a 10 because I felt it achieved all things I wanted from it - now you, the reader, have to decide on your own whether it was a 10 or not. read more

Lagann-hen is the sequel to the first Gurren Lagann movie. Unlike the first film though, a huge majority of it is redone from the original TV series, making a superior finale. Note that this review is only non-spoiler for those who have watched the original 27 episodes first. If you have not, it is highly recommended to do that before watching this movie for impact purposes.

Story:
The main story is same as the original work. Additional changes have been added though, including changes in the survivals of certain characters, new mecha's, and additional points to Nia. There are some pacing problems during the transitioning to the plot due to having to cram a entire story arc into film format. However, the alterations to the battles make the movie truly something amazing.

Art:
The newly added cuts live up to the original's, and there are far more than the first movie. Animation is as great as ever, and the CG sequences fitted with the 2D animation just fine. The designs for the new mecha's were very well done, fitting with each character. Sci-fi concepts are wonderfully imagined, and new sequences are wonderful. Like the rest of the TTGL anime projects, it was outstanding.

Sound:
Voice acting was not a problem. Some of the BGM tracks from the original series were remixed for the film, working very well. Memorable songs like "Libera me from Hell" are included, giving just as much impact as the original scenes from the TV series. The inclusion of SoraIro Days was mixed with the animation brilliantly, giving the ending a really nice touch.

Character:
The majority of the characters from the original TV series was included, though that may be a problem for those who haven't seen it. A lot of the side characters that were given screen time were not given much introduction earlier, which may result in getting viewers a bit lost at who they are. That same problem also harms Kinon's relationship with Rossiu. No personalities are altered though, and the GAR impact they give is as great as always. As mentioned before, survivals are changed, which gives a bigger impact to the ending. This also adds happiness to people that support Kamina x Kittan.

Enjoyment:
Epic. It's like watching the ending all over again, except better. The second TTGL movie takes some of my favorite battles from all anime, and improves them with new additions.

Overall:
Pacing may be a bit poor at times, and characters lack proper introduction. Additional elements added onto it make the arc even more engaging than the original version was though. The movie lives up to what the franchise is known for.

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