NEEDLESS to say....
While Needless bears many similarities to a previous anime, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, I feel that these comparisons are unfair and often lead to many people rating this series down. Comparing one's work of art with the Mona Lisa is an unfair one, after all.
Needless begins off on a very good note, full of high-octane energy and very manly characters. While it is admittedly similar to Gurren Lagann, it really stands in a class of its own. The story... what story? Fans of this series aren't really interested in the story, or at least in my point of view. Its a generic setting with generic characters. A badass hero, a moe heroine, a kid, an old guy. The characters don't exactly set themselves apart either, with very unoriginal backgrounds.
Now that the bad parts are out of the way, let's talk about the good. Where do I start? Needless is full of incredibly good stuff, with fantastic art (although there are some dips in quality here and there, but little enough to ignore). The music, is brilliant. While pretty much unnoticible in most parts of the show, it is when the action kicks off that the music really gets going. Heavy metal riffs with fast beats really serve to get your heart racing during the epic battle scenes. The visuals are good, with a suitable style for a show of its type. They really don't spare on the blood either, which is a good thing (for most people, I trust).
Ultimately, NEEDLESS is a series that really focuses on what its good at, and cuts away pretty much else. And what its good at, is providing ENJOYMENT. Yes, the slapstick humour, funny (though not very interesting) characters, the epic battle scenes and heavy metal guitar all combine together to provide an extremely enjoyable series. If you want to have a good time, and aren't really interested in heavy plots, emotional baggage, and complex character development, then NEEDLESS is for you!