Story: 33/37
The story of Gurren Lagann is great. It's possibly (with the exception of one or two moments) one of the most predictable stories out there, but it's amazing. The show is very much a pump-up show for most of it, although there are several incredibly sad and tense scenes, but generally the main characters just kick so much ass that nothing else matters. Honestly, as much as I liked about the series, there isn't a whole lot to say about the story, other than the fact that it was just really well done, or other generic things telling you that it's good... well except for one thing. There is a point in the middle of the series (you could call it it the start of the second season even), where things just... don't fit in the theme of the show. Gurren Lagann is all about manly men kicking manly ass. But there are a few episodes that just break that theme and try to get emotional for the wrong reasons. Luckily, they rectify this and go right on back to beating the baddies soon enough, but it's enough to seriously disrupt the flow of the story.
Characters: 28/37
This was an incredibly tough score to figure out. On one hand, 99% of the characters, both good and bad, are just incredibly well done. Kamina, Simone who turns into Kamina, and even their nemeses Viral and Lord Genome are amazing. Kamina is the biggest badass in anime, and Simone is right up there at number 2. Even the female lead, Yoko, who looks like she'll just be fan-service central is a great character. So, why does this only get a 30/37? Two reason, one of which is way more important than the other. While this show gets you pumped up with Kamina, Gurren Lagann then introduces one of the worst characters out there: Rossiu. This guy is just a total downer. He never thinks they can succeed (RAGE NOTE: even though the THEME of the entire series is that effort = success. In fact, the driving force for the mechs in the show is fighting spirit), and is just a big whiner. To make matters worse, he becomes one of the most important characters for a while. And then, instead of delivering sweet justice to this cry-baby, they just try to make you feel bad for him. Nope, not gonna happen.
Rant over, the other bad character is the final antagonist in the series. He just isn't that good. It's not enough to matter in the grand scheme of things since the good guys probably just needed more ass to kick, but he's just kind of plain and boring. Oh well, at least Kamina brings the score from Rossiu (1/37), to awesome (28/37). But seriously, watch this just so you can feel like a loser compared to Kamina and Simore, but still become a vicarious badass.
Art/Sound: 22/25
The art in the series is interesting. The style is almost cartoony, and for a show which puts all of its emphasis on combat, they take an almost comic-book like approach to some of their scenes. Okay, that's an exaggeration, but they really don't try to make it look crisp or realistic at all. But at the same time, this style works because the show is just SO ridiculous, and it needs some black line shading under each upper-cut to the enemy face.
The sound is great overall, but not particularly amazing. There are a few things that decide sound for me: the opening/ending (more emphasis on the OP), series soundtracks, and voices/sound effects.
The OP is absolutely fantastic (even if the second OP is literally just the same thing but with a different visual background), and the ED is nothing special. However, the soundtracks throughout the show are just plain incredible. I still listen to some of them, and they are some of the best out there. If you can honestly listen to and say you don't like Libera me From Hell, then you are sub human. Sound Effects are well done, and do make a difference, and the Voice Actors are all good, with nothing particularly notable.
Romance: 0/1
This section is basically whether or not there was a romance that I enjoyed. Sorry if this is a spoiler, but I particularly enjoy watching a romance develop, and I wished that other reviews would tell me if I was going to get to see one.
Overall: 83/100
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is pure testosterone. It does almost everything it sets out to do perfectly, from its intense dramatic moments, to its awesome, badass combat. It's definitely a show for all audiences, unless you're especially pretentious and think that all anime should make sense, and this is too over-the-top. There are a few flaws that deduct points from it, some more glaring than others, and those will be mentioned here:
-Rossiu is one of the worst characters out there.
-The first couple episodes and the middle couple episodes (mainly the middle ones) aren't up to par.
If you have any questions about my review (or want to talk about anything at all, really), feel free to email me at: nickwillis64@gmail.com
