I went into the show with lower expectations than I normally would, but about the time in the first episode when one of the two main characters, Kamina, was introduced (AKA, about five minutes into the episode after Simon finished his monologue) I was hooked.
MyAnimeList has very nicely laid out each of the categories that a review should cover at the top of the screen for me, so we'll start there.
In terms of the story, I found the anime to be extremely fast-paced and it always kept the viewer guessing. A few twists down the road ranged from gut-wrenching moments of disbelief, and tearful moments of happiness and triumph.
However, it wasn't perfect. A few episodes into the second cour, if I'm using that term correctly, the story seems to focus more on a power struggle between a few of the main characters. Without spoiling anything, the events that transpire just felt very alien to the series, and it almost seemed as if the series had gotten a new writer who had felt that the series was too light and happy, and wanted to add some angst or something. I dunno. For those of you who have seen the dub of Code Geass, though, these few episodes should provide some inside humor as well. I'll speak more to the dub later.
Overall, the story was an enjoyable, fast-paced, and over the top tale with a few twists to keep the audience guessing, but was bogged down for a couple episodes as the series tried to get back to its roots after the first climax. I give it a 9/10
As for the art, the show was animated with a style that I don't see too often. It wasn't particularly realistic, with some proportions and character designs that were obviously there for eye candy (Hello, Yoko), others that looked just comical, and others that just looked strange altogether.
As for comparisons to other anime to get you an idea of what I'm talking to, the animation of Kill la Kill, and the movie Redline come to mind. The action scenes were colorful and vibrant, and the gunmen are very well detailed as well. The only blemish on this otherwise beautiful show is the fourth episode of the series. Apparently, a guest animator and director named Osamu Kobayashi, directed the episode and used a different style of animation. Since the release, the animation of said episode has been almost universally panned by critics across the globe. This includes myself. The animation just seemed off and very strange altogether, and this was especially disappointing, due to the events in the episode.
Overall, the animation was really a treat for the eyes. All the action was fluid and the characters, although goofy at times, fit the overall tone of the anime. What I mean by this specifically, is that if you were to take the character designs of TTGL and put them into a show such as Attack on Titan, it wouldn't work at all. But, due to the absurd nature of the show, absurd character designs fit right in. Overall, due to a blemish in episode four, but the rest of the series being very well animated, I give a 9/10.
For sound, I'll be speaking both about the soundtrack and the dub. Although fitting for the anime, was somewhat disappointing to me in that aside from two tracks, I'm yet to find any piece of music in the anime that I can listen to on its own. And with a large soundtrack like TTGL's, this is somewhat disappointing. However, this does not impact my enjoyment of the music in the show, and thus cannot detract from my overall opinion thereof. As I said earlier, the soundtrack works very well within the show with the very upbeat and sometimes strange tracks fitting in nicely with the over-the-top and bizarre happenings of the characters. But where the soundtrack truly shines is in the scenes in which the anime takes a slightly darker tone, specifically in the battle scenes. Of all these tracks, Libera Me From Hell is a personal favorite, as it conveys a very uplifting message in a very strange way, which is indicative of the nature of the show. I mean, opera over rap? What?
The dub is great. There are very few shows that I'll watch through a second time, merely to hear some of my favorite voice actors. Simon is done my Yuri Lowenthal. His voice, although fitting, couldn't stop me from bursting into laughter almost every time he got serious, due to his uncanny resemblance to Suzaku Kururugi, the main "antagonist" of Code Geass. This is due, of course, to the two characters sharing one voice actor. Michelle Ruff does a very good job conveying both the carefree, jolly side of Yoko, and the sometimes Tsundere-like angry side of her simultaneously, and the other characters are also done well by their respective actors. Overall, a great soundtrack and a fantastic dub, 10/10, already did watch again.
And then there's the all-important enjoyment factor. This anime was downright hilarious and action-packed at the same time. Each character had their own distinct voice and message to show the audience, and the intertwining of those voices and storylines was done very well and made for an extremely enjoyable experience. The overall message of the show impacted me as well. The whole "You can accomplish anything" slogan that we hear so frequently today is told in a light that not only presents another seemingly impossible task each time the previous one is completed, but does it in a way that is not too cliche to not work, yet just cliche enough to be easily understood as a basic value of the show. Because of all these things, this show was an extremely enjoyable and emotional experience. 10/10
Overall, the show is amazing. Stellar animation with colorful characters, each with their own personality, combined with a fitting soundtrack makes for a great overall experience. I give this anime a full recommendation to anyone who's looking for something fun and fast-paced to get them through some boredom. If you liked Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, check out Kill La Kill, which boasts a very similar animation style, sountrack, and over-the-top nature. Oh, and it shares higher-ups with TTGL, so that may have influenced it. Just a bit.
Happy watching,
-Xenon
