Not far enough!
Just when you think the scale of battles has reached its absolute peak, another door opens into a realm not previously contemplated, creating new layers of suspense and intrigue into what’s coming next. Gurren Lagann is the perfect dose of machismo-ladened entertainment for any person ready to face the challenges of life and kick some rear-end. Clearly demonstrating that not all anime require a Machiavellian premise to be regarded as a classic. The story follows a conventional premise typically seen in the majority Shounen anime (i.e. a large oppressive force that must be overcome through constant battles of ever stronger adversaries). The differentiation comes in the form of pacing. Serving as a predecessor to One Punch Man, Gurren Lagan skips the fluff and drills straight to the point — action! Leading the charge, of course, is our copilot Kamina, a man who neglects standard procedure and charges forward without a second’s thought. A perfect symbol for the outward appearance of what the show represents: strong, confident, and above all, awesome! For some, this is sufficient to provide a pleasurable viewing experience, but for others, additional elements are required to yield something truly spectacular. Luckily for us, Gurren Lagann does just that.
Surprising to numerous viewers, myself included, the characters in Gurren Lagann possess considerable depth for an action based anime. Sure, the dynamic battle scenes provide ocular pleasure that serves as the focal point of much enjoyment. But the development of Simon — particularly after episode eight — gives the viewer a human perspective of our main protagonist. Being the antithesis of his big bro, Simon struggles to assert himself as a clear and respectable leader among his compatriots. Battling depressive episodes and moments of lashing out against teammates cast doubts among his friends on his aptitude to manage the elevated levels of stress that come with war.
Despite Simon’s deficiencies, he soon learns that strength exists in several forms, and only through catharsis can he illuminate his tenacity to conquer any challenge. This new found confidence serves him well for a period of time, until political tensions come to the forefront, presenting new obstacles that cannot be remedied through might alone.
Simon’s character goes through a metamorphosis of sorts, as he transitions from adolescence to manhood, growing emotionally by learning from his experiences to become the best version of himself that he can possibly be. The process is not without its fair share of difficulties, but the eventual payoff is worth the transient struggle. A marvelous coming of age story if there ever was one.
Speaking of transitioning from childhood to adulthood, Rossiu (a grounded, rational character among a sea of gladiators) provides insight into someone that lacks talent for the sword, and instead resides himself to the pen. I speak, of course, about his ability to handle political situations with nuance and pragmatism, rather than hot-blooded emotion. Several of his decisions may seem questionable at first glance, but examined from the view of an impartial observer, he did what he considered was the greatest good for the greatest amount of people: a utilitarian approach.
Despite the outcome of said decisions, one must respect his fidelity to protect the citizenry from — what appeared to be — impending doom. While not popular among the anime community, he had the best of intentions for his people (and yes, I am well aware of the popular proverb: The road to hell is paved with good intentions). That being said, determining the correct course of action in a world that is neither black nor white, but countless shades of gray, is beyond complicated, especially with the dire consequences presented to our heroes. Placing blame on a character that did not seek to enrich himself by means of corruption, nor satisfy his ego through self-aggrandizing behavior affirms that he was only slightly misguided with his decision making ability, yet far from reproach.
The remaining cast of characters can be summed up in one word: cliched. Granted, a twenty-seven episode anime that generates a name for itself by concocting inconceivable battle scenes has limited time to expand upon each character to their fullest extent; however, episode twenty-one, in particular, seemed superfluous to the overall story, missing an opportunity to build upon Yoko’s character, rather than tacking on an unproductive side anecdote. That being taken into consideration, one cannot be too harsh on the simplistic approach of several characters within the show. After all, we are dealing with Mecha’s that can merge at the drop of a hat, produce substantially larger drills out of thin air, and can exceed all limitations through sheer force of will. If we can suspend disbelief for all of these other phenomena, perhaps overlooking some underdeveloped characters is possible as well.
If the various side characters are nothing more than one-dimensional character tropes (which seems to be the case), it is bearable due to the intermittent moments of comedic relief that they provide to offset the non-stop action.
The art/animation is sensational throughout the series. While the battle scenes maintain a fast clip, everything feels smooth and well defined. Complex movements are integrated seamlessly as they never interrupt the natural flow of the fight. The amazingly bold color palette creates a vibrant atmosphere, especially the use of red and blue as symbols of strength and heaven (piercing the heavens). Overall, it is a beautiful piece of art that may feel a bit over the top, but considering the circumstances, fits splendidly within the context of the anime.
The soundtrack is an instant classic that belongs in everyone’s personal collection. One cannot help but feel invigorated by listening to this exhilarating score of vivacious music.
In addition, the actors/actresses deserve high praise for their respective performances. They all seemed to understand the overall tone the writers were going for and executed their vision with superb precision. Both the dub and sub are equally respectable, in this regard, and there should be no reason to not enjoy both of them equally.
Gurren Lagann is a constant reminder that personal enjoyment should not be sacrificed in the quest for cognitive refinement. Indulging in “comfort anime” allows you to drift into the temporary feeling of being a care-free child again, forgetting about the importance of substantive story lines, and focusing solely on being entertained. There are plenty of intellectually stimulating anime that hit all the criteria for eruditely inclined individuals, but few action anime as well done as Gurren Lagann that allow you to recline your chair, grab your popcorn, and have a damn good time.
9/10 — Top notch action anime
