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In a world of negativity, solitude, and despair, what can one hope to do? Some might opt to resign to their miserable fates and accept the world around them, but this is not the case with Gurren Lagann. The world of Gurren Lagann fixates on dedication and a focus on never giving up regardless of the dangers that lie in the near (or even far) future. The spectrum of themes that appear throughout the story make Gurren Lagann a much deeper experience than one might initially perceive. Even if one should, as the resident members of Team Dai-Gurren would say, kick ... logic and reason to the curb regarding the anime, the story offers a hot-blooded, high spirited tale that shows the high point of human potential and generates a very inspirational atmosphere throughout.

Gurren Lagann revolves around a young boy named Simon. Shy, cowardly, and weak, he is anything but the type of protagonist you would expect after reading the previous description of the series. This personality style is contrasted heavily by his older brother figure, Kamina. Kamina is straightforward, outspoken, and charismatic, serving as the inspirational figure for Simon throughout the series. The two live in the underground Giha Village and wish to break out to the surface. This comes unexpectedly with the descent of a giant mecha, known as Gunmen, as well as Yoko Littner, a beautiful woman with a rifle. Simon finds a small mecha, which Kamina quickly names Lagann, and the hectic clash for survival on the surface begins. From this point on, the story progresses into one of those “fight for humanity” type of plots with a generally optimistic atmosphere. As cliché as that sounds, Gurren Lagann has a way of appealing to the emotions and manages to make an old idea feel like an incredibly new experience overall.

Gurren Lagann appears to be a simple super robot action anime, complete with the outrageous intensity and the dramatic mecha transformation scenes. Even its overall plot seems pretty straightforward and, according to some, perhaps even unoriginal. On first glance, it is easy to assume that it is limited to the Shounen mecha range, but this could not be further from the truth. While the premise is nothing new, Gurren Lagann manages to turn a somewhat typical tale into a masterpiece. Once the plot begins to set in motion, the anime begins to focus on a variety of deeper themes, such as tragedy, despair, and betrayal. While action and hot-blooded spirit are typically the most important focuses of the anime, it definitely leaves room for drama amongst the cast and even a decent amount of comedy, especially in the first part of the series. A decent portion of this comedy even contains some parody in regard to super robot mecha series (I'm looking at you episode 3...). Gurren Lagann fits in a number of elements that manage to blend surprisingly well together.

Even with this in mind, the plot as a whole remains pretty simple and it is easy to question how such a story could possibly be so captivating. This can be attributed to the lovable and very popular cast. Simon, while starting off as a wimpy character, is a fantastic protagonist that deals with a great deal of hardship throughout the story and develops significantly. Simon is my personal favorite of the cast if only because he struggles so much and manages to overcome everything, somehow becoming a symbol of what believing in oneself can do and just how far spirit and tenacity can take a person. The hot-blooded and fan-favorite Kamina is also incredibly important to the story. Kamina's spirit is the catalyst of all of the intense adventures that the heroes of Gurren Lagann experience and he serves as a figure of inspiration not only to the cast of Gurren Lagann, but also to those of the audience who look up to him. Kamina's words serve to motivate Team Dai-Gurren throughout the entire story and many of Gurren Lagann's memorable quotes originated from the man himself. Yoko, while an obvious source of fanservice for the viewers, plays the role of the badass female with a gun and is connected to a good number of the romantic developments of the story. Nia, the polite and optimistic love interest of Simon, is one of the deepest characters Gurren Lagann has to offer. Nia appears to just be a well-mannered princess of sorts, but her existence generates a number of twists throughout the story and add to the many underlying themes of Gurren Lagann as a whole. The side cast, while not nearly as developed as the major characters, also have many lovable characteristics and provide their own contributions to the story. While many of the villains are one-dimensional and ultimately serve as stepping stones to highlight the awesomeness of the heroes, the major antagonists prove to be much deeper than they initially appear and add to the thought-provoking ideas beneath the surface of the story.

In terms of visuals, Gurren Lagann does a great job for the most part. The cartoony art definitely fits the Gainax style and it certainly makes some nods to previous Gainax works. The style works well with the goofy and over-the-top nature of the story, but it doesn't lose its effect when the going gets serious. In particular, the action scenes are typically very well done and this is most noticeable in the last few episodes, as the final battle truly boosts the scale of the fighting and adds to the intensity. However, many fans remember the unusual Gurren Lagann Episode 4. Episode 4, put into the hands of a guest director, had a drastic change in visuals, which many fans (including me) did not respond to very well. The art felt like a massive downgrade and the characters looked completely unfitting, especially when compared to the previous episode. Luckily, this is only the case with said episode and Gurren Lagann's visuals as a whole are as good as they need to be.

And of course we can't forget about the sound department. Gurren Lagann's OP song, Sorairo Days, is used for the entirety of the anime and fits perfectly with the tone of the series, indicating the inspiration that the characters (especially Simon) were filled with and their constant pursuit of a better future. The two ED songs did not strike me as much, but were still catchy tracks. Gurren Lagann also has a fantastic soundtrack with a number of notable songs, which fit perfectly for action scenes, dramatic moments, and relaxed times. Many of the most memorable songs, as one would expect, lie in the action category. However, my personal favorite track would easily be “Libera me” from Hell, which plays a few times during the second half of Gurren Lagann and, in some spectacular manner, manages to fit opera, rap, and orchestra together while making it sound amazing and perfectly fitting for the Gurren Lagann atmosphere. Some have interpreted the two contrasting vocal styles of the song to represent the contrast between the Spirals and the Anti-Spirals, which certainly adds to the meaning of the lyrics.

Having watched the series in both Japanese and English, I can confidently say that watching either version is fine. Overall the Japanese voices capture the hot-blooded essence of the story more, but the English actors still do a fantastic job and any dub fans will no doubt have a great time watching Gurren Lagann in English. For the most part, the main cast is treated well in both versions. Simon and Yoko both have very fitting roles in English and Japanese. Kamina's seiyuu, Katsuyuki Konishi, does a fantastic job of expressing the badass, high intensity nature of his character and makes his role all the more memorable. Kyle Hebert, while giving a different sound to Kamina's character, still manages to express Kamina well and, while not quite as energetic as Konishi, is still easy to get used to after some time. Yukari Fukui does an excellent job of capturing Nia's character, and Hynden Walch does the same with Part 1 Nia. In part 2, Nia's English voice actress switches to Bridget Hoffman, which is initially a major change that appears unnecessary but quickly proves to fit with the changes that Nia goes through during the post-time skip story.

Gurren Lagann is not perfect, and truth be told, no such story exists. However, Gurren Lagann is a fantastic example of how a simple tale can provide so many meaningful messages. Gurren Lagann is an inspiring story that details how a weak, dependent boy overcomes trials and even faces despair on multiple occasions to become a hero that can protect those whom he cares about. When you're feeling down and in the worst place you can possibly be, the only possible option left is to drill to the heavens and believe in the you that believes in yourself. It's interesting that a story with such simplicity can still provide not only huge enjoyment, but even a hope for the future. At its core, Gurren Lagann is a story about a boy who must face the forces of the world, and eventually even the universe, for the sake of mankind. It might sound generic, but perhaps it is for this very reason that Gurren Lagann can be appreciated for what it is.

Note: This is my very first review on this site so I do hope that I have done a good job. Reviews do take time and effort to craft so I hope that the work I put into this was ultimately worth your time.