I have been putting it off on purpose.
I started Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann about half way through the season, and I finished Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann when the last episode aired. I loved it. I know, 'why did he give this a low score if he loved it?'
People deciding whether they will watch something or not skip all the tens, and look at all the low scores. In the case of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann I've selected a 5, because it is the new benchmark by which I judge any anime with an outlandish story of grandeur.
Story: 10/10. Too many of these reviews incorrectly cite it is a story about beating the next strongest bad guy to become the strongest out there, or a simple 'coming of age' story. I will not deny its base structure is a coming of age tale. If it was just that however, no one would care.
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is a story about progress. Not just for you yourself, not one person for other people, but progress in every sense. It's critical theme is striving forward as much as you can so everyone after you can strive forward as well. It is a story designed to really let you grasp that your successes are built on the progress of those around you and before you, and you are there to make progress for those coming after you.
To break down story arcs, I must stress, watch through episode 9. My shoujo loving girlfriend trudged through this anime until episode 9. Then she finished it in two nights while having to deal with her full time job in the interim. Episodes 1-9 are so-so, even painful. But, they set the tone. Episodes 10-15 are one fluid, fast paced sequence of events. Episode 16 is a recap episode. After the fast pacing of what happens from episodes 1-15, I don't blame them.
Episodes 17-27 could be another show entirely. I have never seen anything so wonderful as this arc of episodes. It is where this show gets most of my love, and it is where you understand why the characters in the first 15 episodes don't get fleshed out as much as you might like to see them fleshed out. You see it come to fruition here. Warriors live the warrior life, friendships are proven again and again and again, and for these respected characters who came from nothing to a place where they have to carry everything for everyone, there is nothing but an understanding that people make way for more people, in an ever striving effort to move forward.
Art: 7/10. Weakest part of the show, almost made me want to turn it off during episode 1. Made it through that and watched the whole series the first time in one run. As it goes along though, it steadily improves, and by the end you understand the art stylization suits it rather well. It is not beautiful, but Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is not beautiful. It's truthful.
Sound: 9/10. Other than a few odd music selections from my perspective, the audio is critically amazing at supporting the action or the moment through and through.
Character: 9/10. Almost all of the characters show multidimensional behavior that fleshes out as the story progresses. If I ask someone cosplaying one of these characters to act like the character for an hour straight, they would have a difficult time expressing all sides to a character. They are not easy to understand when you break down what they do and why they do it, but within the confines of the script, it is easy to see how they make the decisions they make.
As to the complexity of the characters, no, there is not going to be some emo goth socially repressed bipolar homicidal bunny lover, but honestly, that is really not a good character. Good characters are ones that you identify with people that you know in person, yet stand out apart from anyone you've ever met. This means they've sold you on being human and real, yet being amazing and story worthy. The reason why we follow a character is they are unlike any we've seen before.
Enjoyment: 10/10. I don't know why this is really a grading criteria. This is what you decide after you've watched something, and is totally personal. For me, this tale of a man's destiny was utterly enjoyable.
In conclusion, I may cite 5 here, but for me inside this is a perfect 10. When you cross combine these elements, you create a perfect blend of balance and correctness that allows you to laugh, love, and cry. I've seen plenty of anime, and my 5's on my anime list are probably your 7's. This is a 10 on that list.
