There is something in Gurren Lagann that I find to be deeply repugnant and offensive. Gurren Lagann is just depressing. I might just be too neurotic for this shit.
You see, I completely disagree with Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann's entire ethos and execution; you could even say that it is my antithesis; it is a total contrast to my general thoughts. Hope, comradery and the human spirit are three common themes in fiction, as they directly relate to our day-to-day basis, nature, and overarching history. If you asked me, I personally can't ignore the all-powerful nature of entropy and the overarching cruelty of the universe I believe hope is supplied best when injected in a small dosage against sorrow, as an excess can promptly become intoxicating and ruin a story by using platitudes of asinine hopefulness. If you're going to make a case of hope, make it human and plausible—TTGL fails at doing this. To represent the natural fight against misery and oppression as a constant human victory and a constant mutual effort is to be quixotic and utterly ridiculous. Gurren Lagann has zero potency on its message. I do think these themes are important to address, but Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann makes a very clumsy attempt at doing so and, in turn, becomes one of the preachiest and most ridiculous shows I've ever seen. It's a painfully written work that only seems to be able to deliver half-assed absurdist commentary about our nature and corny self-improvement phrases you'd find through a simple Google search. I'm not particularly against optimism, as I've enjoyed "optimistic" media like Persona 3 or Evangelion, but TTGL is just... repulsive.
TTGL aims high (as the heavens) but falls (to hell) in the middle of this voyage, laying half-dead in a pit of clichés and toxic optimism. Certain art pieces function as beacons of hope because all of them deliver "hope" in the right way and in a proper dose. They also demand personal development and work coming from oneself, not being obligated by someone else's ego and reckless optimism; many of them also work as excellent tales of caution. In order for all of them to change, the characters have to consider their motifs, their life situations, and much more. Many times, it is a very difficult, personal, and painful work of introspection, but it's amazing to see them evolve over time. As far as I know Kamina teaches Simon to be a suicidal idiot with no knowledge of tactics or any care or tact at all whatsoever; not genuine willpower, aptitude to change, discipline or fortitude, which would have been good values, obviously, but rather pure hopium, narcissism, kamikaze strategies, meatheadness, machismo and ideals that are impossible, except in a narrative that caters to everything Kamina and Simon need to achieve a message with no human worth. because who in da fuck believes in "muh indomitable human spirit and mootooal cooperation wholesome reddit award!" in big year of Da lord 2025 with 3492814512 dead children every day
If Gurren Lagann was good, Simon and Kamina would've died in Episode 1 or 2 with Kamina being absolutely obliterated. There is absolutely no use or value in Kamina's teachings and his lessons are misguided and ignorant at minimum, downright murderous and careless at worst. The best (and only good) thing related to Kamina was his own death, as this rendered him unable of spitting any more drivel and hammering a point to the viewer that is completely toxic and dumb. Gurren Lagann has no worth, it is completely inhuman and robotic. Pure motivationslop. I believe the absurd and incomprehensible works in a similar way; it has to be delivered cleverly; it's not really clever or interesting when characters are basically juggling planets and making a dick-measuring competition on who has the biggest mech or the most powerful transformation. If there's something that's similar between schlock like Dragon Ball Super and TTGL, it's definitely that they quickly become extremely asinine and a ridiculous dick-measuring contest. When all of this is done wrongly, what was once impressive rapidly turns mundane, boring, and completely asinine; basically, this anime. By the end, I was driven into pure apathy because of the utter idiocy that was going on. As a whole, this show crumbles like a wrongly-assembled Jenga tower and turns into a disaster because of these issues that I have:
1st issue: Kamina. Just Kamina.
Ohhh brotherrr, this guy STINKS!!!
Kamina is not a role model, a badass, or a pleasant person by any means; he's a self-important, suicidal, preachy, macho bastard who puts others in danger for the sake of his own planet-sized ego, messiah complex, and overtly toxic mindset who, for some reason, the anime insists on portraying as a paragon, a messianic figure, AND Yoko's (forced) love interest. As soon as Bimbo Redhead appears in the first episode, he slobbers all over her like an absolute buffoon, nearly getting himself and others killed. He's awfully idealistic, filled with toxic optimism, and actively puts others in incredibly awkward situations, such as Simon, who clearly deserves better than this. Kamina is a misguided meathead with a saviour complex who is favoured by everything that surrounds him.
He actively ruins plans or clear advantages they (the character cast) have over enemies because of his own colossal ego and foolishness. In episode two, Kamina puts others and himself in danger by standing in front of a giant mech with only a katana. Luckily, they are saved by a convenient firesquad just being there because... idk, and Simon being Superman and somehow snapping out of his anxiety attack again in an instant, but the fact that this time it conveniently ended well doesn't mean I have to disregard all of the garbage that I just had to digest!! Like Kamina being a fucking idiot or the plot pulling an instant mood change to save Kamina's ass, this is the character that we are to like or have as someone with a valious message btw. Kaminas own ego is so astronomically big that he purposefully avoids any and every discussion about his meaninglessness and mortality using vain statements and narcissism, instead astrally projecting his delusion and himself into being more than he really is, truly showcasing his idiotic grandeur.
He's also a fucking hypocrite, telling Simon to not "heat up" when he sees the mech who caused earthquakes in the village and to maintain a cold head; the AUDACITY of this asshole, weren't YOU the one screaming like a rabid dog to a fucking mech, ruining Yoko's line of sight and standing face to face with a gigantic mech? Or just generally being an obnoxious motherfucker in the least appropriate situations? Who are YOU of all people to say this??? Of course this mindless dork just charges in without any care for their lives, no care for strategy, no care for tactics; just going in without anything in mind but "fighting spirit" and "being a man"... okay, such asinine concepts. Kamina is a headless chicken, which defies its innate duty as a role model. He's idolized for falling into the hands of the enemy out of his own volition. Kamina has to hatch implausible, logic-defying strategies to defeat the enemy in the middle of a battle, putting others and himself at risk, and this is the precedent he wants to set for Simon? He's essentially teaching a persuadable, shy young boy to be a suicidal, pretentious fuck with no care for his or others' wellbeing or any strategy whatsoever, plastering his bad traits all over Simon. Gurren Lagann, for some reason, insists in making the most insufferable and worst character ever and glazing him at every possible occasion.
This whole situation ends with the most cliché ending imaginable. "Father, you died in a place like this?" Of course, you idiot, I assume the experiences you've gone through in the latest hours haven't yet clicked in your brain. THERES MURDEROUS MECHS EVERYWHERE IN THE SURFACE, AND YOUR DAD DIDN'T HAVE ADEQUATE TECHNOLOGY TO DEAL WITH THEM, YET HE STILL WANDERED OUT THERE. He was as delusional as you were; the apple doesn't fall far from the tree; I can even say that "he drilled a bit too close to the sun." Kamina DOES NOT realize that his dad was erroneous and deranged or changed after the idealized persona of his father was broken in pieces; also, I guess he knows how to drive that gunman out of fighting spirit and manliness too. Knowing your own weaknesses is important, but Kamina seems to ignore his own human mortality, hubris which is actively celebrated in this show.
In episode three, which starts with essentially the intent of a glorified date between Yoko and Kamina, we get to see how she gets flustered because Kamina agreed to go hunting with her; this is basically her version of a date, as she's a no-substance, no-thoughts bimbo meathead. After a certain encounter where the Gurren and Lagann pilots are crushed by an enemy, both Kamina and Simon are sitting in some type of canyon vale on a rock. After Simon tells him some valid complaints and concerns, this absolute moron replies with his classic stock-phrase Oblivion NPC dialogue, "Simon! Our drill will pierce the heavens! It isn't for running away." WHAT. You are now talking because Simon decided to escape. He's also a terrible counselor; he isn't addressing Simon's feelings or problems in any way whatsoever by spitting nothing-burger dialogue like this, but he's also clearly encouraging Simon to follow the same path as him, which, by the things I've mentioned before, is heinous.
Kamina gets beaten again because he's so incompetent that he can't formulate the right plan, this edgy guy for some reason doesn't kill him—despite working for the SURFACE HUMAN ANNIHILATION SQUAD and deeming humans as an inferior species who do not deserve his attention—and of course, remember: His vapid character does not only inspire Simon but also Yoko, who in turn has to inspire Simon up; and, as he has done before in his completely schizophrenic character, goes through a 180º spin, and he momentarily turns off his anxiety mode because the plot demands so. That's how anxiety totally works, bro, trust me! You just spit useless dumbass goofy motivationslop shit, and they'll get up again! Good job, Yoko; you just vapidly spoke the anxiety out of him, just like "Cool Boy" Kamina does.
And of course, Kamina gets a love interest in Waifu (Yoko) in three episodes. I'll talk more about this later, since this section is exclusively related to Kamina and his antics. His annoying shenanigans and terrible character continue throughout the series. This narcissist also complains about food that is being given to him out of generosity (they have ruined the house of these people, btw, opening up the surface and essentially condemning them; and even with all of this, they are still accommodating the main characters) in episode five, and he interrupts this kid, who was talking about important stuff regarding the orphan children in his village, by asking obvious questions. Seriously, it's like they want me to hate this guy and his fucking guts. And, lastly, in episode 8, even before finally kicking his last breath, he delivers his classic technique: THE TALK NO JUTSU! Freeing Simon from the panic attack of perceiving someone on the verge of death. Kamina might thankfully be dead, rotting away in some pit just like his dad, but the effect he leaves on this show is no less than completely repulsive, like a trail of putrid vomit. The plot loves him so much that it can't leave Kamina's message behind—which brought him his own demise—even after his death.
To sum it all up, Kamina is actually so idiotic that he infects others with his own stupidity. The show really doesn't know what to do with him. Kamina strives and wants to dance above the absurd (or rather above the heavens), but he really can't do that and appreciate the passion of living if he's rotting away in some pit after like eight episodes! He's so fucking suicidal and delusional that he turns into a schizophrenic concoction. Ravelling in the absurd doesn't mean being a freak who can't recognize the shit situations he gets himself and others into out of his own volition, which are oftentimes life-threatening; the absurd doesn't dictate death, but Kamina's own impossibly colossal foolishness and vapidity do.
He's a pretentious idiot who spits dumb glossolalia about absurdity even in situations where they do not belong; he's a horrible counselor who only inspires Simon because the plot loves him; and due to the fact that Simon is also a terrible, bland character, I'll talk about him later. Kamina also has the plot by his side, even after his death, to grandify him and make a masturbatory hagiology of his thought process, actions, and complete vapidity that would never work and which would be disagreed with if he wasn't this anime's pampered golden child. His message is fundamentally contradicted by everything he does and says. The show attempts to make him likable and a "big bro" character, but he ends up being one of the most insufferable motherfuckers I've ever seen in an anime; indirectly or directly, he causes pain to others due to his own negligence. Like, WHAT DO YOU MEAN "GRIT THOSE TEETH" MAN??? YOU CUCKED THIS GUY!!!!
His beliefs are never disagreed upon in a valuable way by other characters, and he isn't as challenged as he should be. He's a stubborn idiot who can't change the thoughts and values he has learned from his father. Even after seeing his skull, it didn't even make him question his values; instead, it made him even more of a moron. Yet Yoko instantly falls in love with this absolute tool in just three episodes, and she kisses him in episode 8. Mind you, Simon and Kamina's relationship is at a point where they call each other "brothers," so Kamina DEFINITELY had to know that Simon had an interest in Yoko from their experiences and time traveling together, yet he still decided to kiss her. What an absolute fucking idiot! I'll also go into this on my part where I talk about Simon. Not even after his death am I free from his vomitive post-mortem presence; since, after that, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann essentially becomes Kamina and Simon's shitty parable. The "development" given in episode 11 only further amplifies my complaints about him and his messiah-esque, guide character. Fuck Kamina. Thats all. The only good thing about Kamina was his death.
2nd issue: The Character Cast
There isn't a single good character in TTGL. Gurren Lagann also has to have the worst female cast I've ever seen in an anime.
Yoko:
What is Yoko supposed to be? Tell me: What is she, as a character, supposed to be? Nothing, really, I guess the girl with which Kamina cucks Simon? Anime (especially battle shounen) as a whole is often infamous for including some of the most bland and vapid female characters in existence; clear examples are everywhere: from Mikasa, Annie, and Sasha in Attack on Titan to Jujutsu Kaisen's Nobara and Maki, CC, Shirley, Nina from Code Geass, and many more. Yoko for sure enters the absolutely list of purposeless, idiotic female characters; she doesn't get any development whatsoever; Yoko is shoehorned into being a love interest for this show's messiah buffoon, because why not right? There's no reason to adore this unlikable court jester yet she takes an unnatural liking to him in a short period of time; just more pandering towards the author's clearly favorite character.
When she barely knows Kamina and his stupidly suicidal personality, she abandons her people and convictions to go with his newly acquired husbando to some death place, and she's constantly used for shameless fan service bait. In the second part, she just... leaves, I guess? Not having received any fruitful development over the first or second half except for waifu pandering and fanservice, you could think of Nia as Yoko's replacement as seasonal waifu, and I'd buy it; then, she returns with the skimpiest and sluttiest piece of bikini you'll ever see in your life. She's essentially a pair of walking giant bazongers, boobily boobing her way into boobing her boobs; expect her breasts in a skimpy piece of clothing to be jiggled around your screen constantly. I'm not complaining, honestly, but that's an issue when it's the only defining trait of your character.
Nia:
Kamina died? Fret not, for Nia is here! She is practically Kamina throughout the second half; however, to TTGL's favor, she is certainly less obnoxious since she doesn't indulge in annoying machoisms or constant platitudes; however, her excessive naivete and purity get old pretty fast. At first, Nia is contrary to Depresso Simon and a foil to Kamina; however, she soon turns into just another character who consistently spins around Simon and Kamina without any thought; she blindly trusts the protagonist, and her existential thoughts never get fully exploited into fruition. Nia is a blank slate; that's the purpose of her character; yet she only seems to copy thoughts pertinent to Simon or Kamina's mindsets; she gets nothing else beyond this; her personality remains the exact same through the first and second parts, except for when she's the anti-spiral proxy, and even this is aided by Second Part Simon's glossolalia.
Her introduction into the show is at minimum forced, at worst laughable; she's found through raw lack by Simon in a fight that had nothing to do with her, and she joins the Gurren Lagann squad after changing Depresso Simon's mood within a second; thus, we know her purpose from the very first second she enters the scene! The interesting dynamic between her and the squad is soon completely annihilated by this show's antics and contrivances, which have already been showcased ad nauseam in the first half. Everyone being overtly inept, everyone trusting someone they barely know (granted, Nia risked her life vs. shark woman, but couldn't it be a ploy from the Spiral King or something akin to that? He's a pretty enigmatic figure at that point) or everyone just changing their entire character to fit what the plot wants; her trust in Simon and the squad feels cobbled out of absolutely nowhere. If I had a nickel for every terrible, soft female character who got black and red clothing after a bad change in characterization, I would get two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. Nia is just a boring damsel-in-distress archetype with no substance.
Leeroy Littner:
A flamboyant guy whose entire personality is the gay archetype and comedy flavor. In the single episode where he's presented, at least 90% of his spotlight is entirely based on a single comedy gag of him being very extravagant and being a complete gay perv; that's about it for his character. Ron also abandons his people and gets his bag to travel with both Kamina and Simon (two guys he barely knows) to potentially life-threatening territory because they "need a good mechanic." What an absolute goofer!! What about, you know, your own home? The circumstances leading him to leave are so absolutely asinine that I can't even bother. Same thing with Yoko because, of course, you know, she has to be with her FUCKING BLAND LOVE INTEREST THAT SHE KNEW FOR THREE EPISODES everywhere he goes, even if it means abandoning her own people that she has known for years. It's quite funny how both of them have extravagant designs, and then you have the OBVIOUS NPCs who clearly aren't doing shit. I guess character vapidity comes with being from the Littner village. There is nothing. There is nothing more to say, his purpose later on is to do exposition.
Rossiu:
If Kamina is the dumbest character in this show, second-part Rossiu is probably up there with him too. If Kamina is stupid irrationality, Rossiu is idiotic rationality. We are a mixture of both irrational and logical impulses, both equally driven by impulse and reason, yet Rossiu cannot seem to comprehend this, even after having seen his fair share of Kaminaisms and contrivances in this bullshit verse. "Point A to Point Z" also plagues Rossiu's character, who makes a sudden spin in characterization from being an amused kid with his fair share of impulse and logic to a 100% (stupid) logic, no non-sense type of person, which honestly contrasts with his previous experiences and invalidates his whole arc in the first part. Like, how does he turn into this type of person even after everything he's been through? It doesn't make much sense honestly, and his upbringings from the village weren't taking much of a toll on him on the first part; usually we are most influential in childhood; we repeat things and opinions we hear from adults, yet Rossiu honestly didn't have any of this when he was much younger. He is clearly crammed into this archetype to fit in as a forced foil to Simon and, again, prove an impossible message. Rossiu is also a complete goofball, by the way.
If we view it from a logical, utilitarian standpoint, jailing Simon is a terrible fucking idea considering hes the only one capable of actually fighting the anti-spirals; you're essentially incarcerating the Batman to your Arkham—the Simon to your Kamina City; yet Mr. Fucktard Rossiu and his lapdog are against Simon being free. I also find it incredibly idiotic how this anime just manifests hordes of angry people and riots out of nowhere to force this dumb clash of ideals. In the second half, I just wanted to crush the craneum of this insufferable douchebag. Who even thinks that incarcerating your best soldier and strategist is a good idea? Why did his government decide to scrap the Ganmen when these mechs were clearly created to fight off the Anti-Spirals in Lordgenome's era? What is he going to do with his spaceship after escaping the Earth anyway? Also, it's just an overall terrible idea because you're essentially entering the Anti-Spirals' territory. I was indifferent to Rossiu at first, but I fucking hated him post-time skip. Episode 23, which is based around him, is a fucking train wreck.
The Gurren Lagann Squadron and other characters:
The more I see of the Gurren Lagann Squadron and their living conditions, the more it makes me question the fact that, despite their situation, they live too well. I mean, they have a clinic, plenty of food for everyone, potable water (or else they would have died of dehydration); they are all in good physical condition and have endless tools and materials; it really contrasts a lot with the situation they live in; it doesn't seem realistic to me; I haven't seen a single moment of them fetching food, or finding abandoned parts to use, or tools for the clinic, or food, them providing manpower, using their time; nothing, there is nothing; how and where do they get so much stuff from? Let alone keeping the Ganmen functional, that must cost not only a lot of manpower and time but also resources and tools, but well, it seems they simply have the amount of resources the plot determines necessary. This lack of consideration into the living conditions of the Gurren Lagann squad undermines this show's feeble core message of human endurance.
The plans that the squadron comes up with are woven out of thin air, and often one can't help but wonder... What do they do before combat? Why do clear strategies not enter into consideration when engaging in combat against the Spiral King's commanders? The enemies are utterly inept, and it is unbelievable how they fail in every situation. All fights are very predictable when this consideration is taken into account.
The others don't even have enough of a reason to care about Kamina's death yet they just... do, like alright; he spat some bullshit and went full self-immolation mode for your own sake, but you all don't know him; like cool "he sacrificed himself for our own sake, nice" that should be the response; yet they all weep, cry, piss, and shit for this man who they've known for a maximum of a week; and of course everyone loves him. Female characters in Gurren Lagann are completely stupid and barebones, even by Shounen standards; mostly defined by their love for another character or a single quirk, Yoko has huge boobs and likes Kamina, Kinon is a hard worker girl and likes Rossiu, Nia is a shy girl and likes Simon, etcetera. None of them are explored in an interesting fashion, I just despise all of this shoehorned romance. The same could be said for the bland secondary characters, who are completely flanderized into oblivion: Kittan, the twin motherfuckers, and the big lips comedy relief idiot are some of the worst and most obnoxious. I completely understand Rossiu's complaints towards them, they are absolute morons and its practically a miracle that Kamina City survived as long as it did. Every character is also unfathomably strong mentally, and they never have any doubts, even when clashing against the overarching forces of the universe.
3rd issue: Simon. Just Simon.
Another long rant is incoming. Simon is terrible, so the whole show just falls.
SIMON!! LETS DROOL UNTO DA HEAVUNS!!!
Simon is an utterly schizophrenic, unrealistic and unrelatable character who serves as the direct addressee for the infamous Talk no Jutsu and (post-Kamina death) as Kamina's avatar. He's a plain and bland representation of anxiety and grief that constantly does complete spins in personality and ideals when the plot (also known as Kamina's lapdog) demands as such, only to prove messages that, in any capacity and situation, would be wrong; however, they are presented as valid in forced and asinine ways. He is often included in some of the most astoundingly obnoxious and eye-rolling scenes this anime has to offer, paying no attention to actual development and instead going from point A to point Z without any nuance. Simon is virtually a substanceless heap of barebones emotionality and feelings that constantly alternate, in incomprehensible ways, to prove otherwise unrealistic points or messages however the plot (or Kamina) demands; he goes from having a panic attack, then becomes confident out of a sudden, back again to timidity, now he's aggressive, back to panic attack, then he's jealous...
Which is absolutely fucking stupid, by the way. Simon has known him for a lot of time already; they call each other "brothers," yet all of this goes into the dump as soon as Simon watches Kamina kissing a substanceless girl they've known for, like, less than a month? The relationship between Budget Shinji and Goofy Messiah might be cobbled out of nowhere if it means that it can break that easily; moreover, I'm not even taking into consideration Kamina and Yoko's idiocy and their lack of emotional or situational awareness (it is VERY clear when someones infatuated) or the fact that both romances (Yoko and Kamina, or Yoko and Simon) are horribly built, they (Simon and Yoko) have no valuable interactions whatsoever, yet Simon takes a liking to her so quickly it is completely unrealistic when he dumps his relationship with Kamina over such bland jealousy; episode 8 is a very contrived melodrama, ZERO communication between parties, absolute fucking idiots every single one of them.
He starts as your archetypical wimpy boy who has no future prospects; he's bullied by girls because he is a dirty, stinky guy, and all he does twenty-four hours of the clock every day is drill stuff. Of course, this sets up a clear situation where one, as the audience, is bound to sympathize with this guy. Underdog and coming-of-age stories are always attractive, and viewers are usually expecting to see this once ridiculized or self-deprecating individual raise beyond anything he's ever foreseen. This sounds great, right? We've seen many good coming-of-age stories that make us feel the character's growth. The main issue arises from the fact that EVERY change in Simon's whole persona and ethos resides in Kamina's influence, not any satisfactory or well-built change; it feels utterly false and artificial, as all of Kamina's platitudes and actions apparently emanate some type of supernatural energy that constantly changes the whole cast's characterization and personal dilemmas at his predisposition; soon-enough turning into less coming of age and more like some self-gratifying hagiology or coming-of-Kamina.
It's impressive to me how Yoko doesn't address her kiss with Kamina as soon as the battle is over, just to tell Simon that he shouldn't blame himself for anything; it was his fucking idiotic friend and herself who were devoid of any situational awareness. Simon does this sudden twist from "MY ANIKI KAMINA WE CAN'T DO THIS" to "urghhh... Kamina would easily do this if he were here... we need to do this like Kamina... executes self-immolation" putting both him and Rossiu in danger due to the awful fuck teachings from his deceased big brother and a grandious lack of communication; all of this is done in the cheesiest way possible. It could've been interesting to see a more realistic deconstruction of Kamina's ridiculous idealism and how it negatively affects Simon, leading to an eventual breakdown and change, but we get nothing of that—just one blink—and you'll miss the 360-degree change in Simon's personality from one episode to the next. Let me tell you, nobody does Talk No Jutsu like Dead Aniki did, that's the issue. Why isn't it their top priority to talk to Simon and address his feelings? He's the ace pilot of the squad; his Gurren Lagann is extremely powerful, and he's been one of the reasons they've progressed so much, yet nobody seems to really care about him. This only emphasizes Kamina's role as some kind of messiah or role model, which definitely doesn't work. But Simon has a deranged expression! It is so emotional!
Simon, who clearly disagrees with his aniki's douchebaggery, sets up clear walls and concerns; however, the anime quickly crushes any prospect of developing his own protagonist in a more elegant fashion or any chance of him contradicting Kamina in any valuable way whatsoever. I believe the authors didn't know what to do for Simon to be an engaging character; his struggles are completely milquetoast and explored in a vapid manner; his emotions and philosophy are incongruous and nonsensical; his thoughts are explored in an utterly superficial way; his growth is from point A to point Z and much more; he's more of a receiver than an actual character, I'd dare say. In my case, the least I want is some fucking idiot spitting stupid shit in my ears, but Simon is bland enough for that to work in contrived ways. He does another completely absurd spin in Episode 11 after a flashback regarding Kamina; because of course that happens, he goes in two microseconds from full depresso expresso "I want to kill myself" to "KAMINA! LAGANN! I'M NOT GONNA GIVE UP, COME FEMOOLE, I'LL SAVE YOU" or whatever corny bullshit; another blink and you'll miss it change, seeing a pattern? Is Gurren Lagann incapable of doing organic character development?
After Kamina's death, Simon essentially and forcefully becomes proto-Kamina, walking through an obscene path of replicating the exact same thoughts and personality, despite the plot gaslighting you to think otherwise. "Kamina is no longer here!" "I'm not Kamina!" he says, as he proceeds to do Kamina shit and say Kamina's one-liners, revere Kamina every single fucking second, and remember Kamina every single time. You're truly not helping your case, Simon. In the second half, Simon's schizophrenic character essentially dies, now becoming a one-trick pony of faux confidence built upon his deceased friend's legacy of anal discharge. Also, I assume that controlling logistics, paperwork, and assigning or managing governmental roles come within the Kamina Inspiration starter pack. It truly seems like the first part of Simon ceases to exist; anxiety and depression traits will always remain even after managing to work around these disorders, sometimes even resurfacing again, yet for our protagonist this phase apparently didn't exist, as the second part of Simon retains nothing of the original Simon.
Again, from point A to point Z, Simon just becomes this wall of confidence out of nowhere! Hell, he even gets his newly acquired waifu to marry him. Great job. Budget Shinji, you've done fantastically well! Mental illness has been officially defeated! If Yoko x Kamina is forced, I won't even talk about how stupid Nia x Simon is. In the second part, Simon gives me huge Kirito vibes, which is not a compliment, as you might assume. Second Part Simon is HORRIBLY bland and boring, his impossible mental fortitude being implausible and vapid, but I couldn't realistically expect anything from such a barebones cast and forced development—nothing but vapidness. From now on, just so you know, I'll sometimes refer to Second Part Simon as "Kirito" because: 1. that's really the quality of a character we have in our hands; and 2. because it's more concise than "Second Part Simon." Gurren Lagann and Simon's character fail when you consider how specific Simon's bildungsroman is and how dishonest the show is, he finds a random ass übergundam out of sheer luck, hes told that he has the potential to become an überchad badass through Spiral Energy, he gets schizophrenic character changes, insufferable dude dies, then bullshit happens and he's hitting gods a la Dragon Ball Super slop. Simon retires, humanity will fall into disarray if this guy retires and threat arises because no-one has the same power bank as Simon, throughout the series all of the power peaks are set by Simon. Gurren Lagann is weak because it is dishonest.
He is not only lucky, but also utterly blessed to already have an entire world and narrative crafted for his specific virtues and flaws—which were given to him by his similarly insufferable buddy-in-arms Kamina—to flourish and be venerated. Rather than his underdog story and trip to victory, Gurren Lagann is a show where Simon is coddled by the author and, in order, he carries everyone else; Simon triumphs because he has Kamina—a messianic douchebag—at his side and an entire world that caters to him. It is not said, but there are so many cherrypicked conditions for Simon to be a chosen one: his already existing Spiral Power, Kamina, finding THE übergundam out of coincidence, later on (when the show goes off the rails a la Darling in the Franxx) having a gang of idiotic buffoons who will follow all his orders and immolate themselves without doubt, the skill to Talk no Jutsu'd even a grown-up and sad Rossiu (in one of the most barebones showcases of "depression" that I've seen in media, which is healed by Simon doing his impression of Kamina and punching him a la macho man) and Talk no Jutsu many others, erratic character and emotion changes, villains dumbifying themselves for Simon to win, a power system SPECIFICALLY crafted to cater towards his upbringings and bring him to victory, the world and characters twisting themselves to cater towards Simon and Kamina, the specific moments in the show that arent explored more, characters being butchered, etc. Also the "hard work and pain pays off" platitude that is just false.The message is "plenty of people can change the world—but only if you are born with these specific conditions; otherwise, resort to the cuck chair in Kamina City and wait for Simon to do le epic drill attack". Because YOU are not Simon or his sect of blessed apprentices, so YOU must wait.
But all of these sacrifices would have purely been in vain (as they werent the chosen ones) were it not for the contrived scenario that this show manufactures and Simon ascending to überKamina 2.0 to avenge them—I'd dare say Kamina and Simon are the same later on. And god I despised when Kamina showed up in ghost form to talk about dumb shit, that was THE eyeroll moment for me. Kamina and Kirito's rhetoric radiates thru every crevice of the anime; everyone is directly affected by Chad Simon, who was elevated by his contrived circumstances; if it wasnt for the One in a Billion waking up, Yoko would most likely be dead, Lordgenome would still be sustaining his city ad infinitum, everyone else would've been consumed by the Anti Spiral, etc, all until a "Simon" is manufactured in the One in a billion circumstances. This is why its so disingenuous, Gurren Lagann to me feels like "be born with THESE contrived circumstances otherwise you have no chance and you must sit in the cuck throne and suffer against the system!" and thats why TTGL is so unsympathetic and dishonest to me. It is an ode to classism and callousness, to being born lucky and constantly coddled, to wait for someone to do stuff, to subdue yourself because you werent born "right".
To me, Simon felt as the avatar of Kamina, someone who reproduces his methodology and rhetoric constantly, which goes against the coming of age narrative that this show attempts. The anime also just tells me "grow up to exactly copy the person you idolized in your youth" and nothing more. You're right, I hate that moment, Simon sounds like a cult leader overdosed in hopium. His speech is anachronistic and flawed in how he doesnt recognize that his circumstances are extraordinary, just messianic, and not recognizing just how variable and fucked up humankind is, its in essence an ode to blind faith (luck, again) and absolute hopium. Simon only carves the path for human kind, yes, but to further progress would mean to have another chosen one—because the world of TTGL hasnt learned to work without Simon's vigiliance and absurd influence—otherwise the world will stagnate again or fall in shambles back to Lordgenomes era, because Every conflict needed Simon and Kamina to be resolved, every character needed Simon and Kamina to groom them, every villain needed Simon and Kamina to defeat them, etc.
4th issue: Second Part. Just the second part.
That was fucking horrendous. Luckily theres not much lef--- THIS IS JUST THE FIRST HALF
After a format of bland, predictable weekly BBEG and finally defeating the Spiral King, a time-skip happens, and they have created a whole ass city (which they baptized "Kamina City," and I want to kill myself) and populated the surface with thousands of humans. What? Yes, in the second part, the main cast manages the government of a country they founded upon the rest of the spiral capital. If, after reading this, dear reader, you're thinking, "It can't be this stupid" but it really is. I'm not even taking into account the INSANE amount of logistics, resources, planning, and role-assigning, time, manwork (for which the Gurren squad apparently has an infinite storage of) for everything in the republic, but also the fact that this country has been working for so much time under a government composed purely by inept buffoons. Granted, that also happens in real life, but you could replace TTGL's government with a LITERAL bunch of babbling donkeys and nothing would change. The entire Gurren squad is an obscene composition of drooling idiots, yet they are able to make and organize a citadel. I think something like the Meteor City from Hunter x Hunter is way more plausible, yet the Gurren Squad's city looks like something out of fucking Blade Runner. WHERE DO THEY GET ALL OF THIS TECHNOLOGY AND MATERIALS AND EVERYTHING (besides the Teppelin Capital's leftovers after the defeat of the Spiral King)? Did they just scavenge everything they could to recycle it? Did they somehow use the ruins and technology from the Teppelin Capital to make their own city? This seems impossible to manage in only seven years. An extremely dumb and non-sensical anime soon turns into a cheesy political drama; it is a spin that honestly dumbfounds me, and it does neither correctly. A flourishing metropolis just sounds absurd in TTGL's circumstances and zeitgeist, yet it happens because... why not? We need a way to propel the second half after all! The worldbuilding around how this city works is also extremely barebones; also, just to rub salt in the wound, there's a big Kamina statue, of course. You know how Code Geass was almost surprising in how dumb it is? Like, "it cannot possibly get any dumber," and yet it DOES get more idiotic? Gurren Lagann is exactly that, and oh, just bear with me, because it gets worse than the implausible nation they've cobbled out of nowhere.
The first anti-spiral invades the city, Nia goes into evil mode, and Simon destroys a whole bunch of the city—in complete justification, mind you, this technology was clearly extraterrestrial and there was no way they could analyze it on time; besides, they can easily rebuild the city, considering they did this entire citadel in only seven years; and what other option did they have? Just let the anti-spiral crab go rampant in the city and kill even more people? Yet Rossiu shits and pisses himself when Simon fights, when it's clear that the original Gurren Lagann is dimensions above the mass-produced copies, which would never even touch this creature; sending the mass-produced mechs to fight against the anti-spiral would have been completely in vain and a waste of resources. Although considering Rossiu asks beheaded Lord Genoma what the "system of human annihilation" is, yeah, I'd say Rossiu has a few loose screws, and he doesn't seem to comprehend the concept of war. The political intrigue is also pathetic, further amplified by the weak construction of Kamina City. Rossiu is completely delusional: "They cannot know about this." Bitch, they just saw a giant red and black crab shooting lasers, and the moon is NEXT to the Earth. Everyone has already noticed, and those who haven't will soon know. The absolute lack of any patriotism or cult following towards (what should be) one of the biggest revolutionary symbols in the city (the Gurren Lagann) is also preposterous; you'd believe a giant fucking mech would be pretty good patriot fodder.
This show also collects all of humanity, or a very large populace (in this case, an entire city), into a single monolithic group when the plot demands as such, which is completely implausible and denies any prospect of nuance. Even with this singular, ridiculous representation of humanity (where a goofy riot just materializes itself when a point needs to be preached), the roots for an interesting part are certainly here, although I personally think it's completely asinine that Rossiu decided to incarcerate Simon; this is like if Superman was taken to jail after fighting Doomsday because he destroyed too many properties and many civilians were killed. That's what fucking comes when you're going to war with a world-threatening enemy; you all are essentially erasing away your only chance of beating the enemy, you dumb fucks.
Simon goes to jail, and there he encounters Viral. Shit goes down in Kamina City, and they get inside a spaceship, which I'm not sure what that will achieve. Sure, you might not die from the moon crashing into the earth, but where are you going to go? Supplies will eventually run out and the earth will be inhabitable, and I don't think they have the technology to travel across the galaxy, plus they are going straight into the Anti-Spirals' territory. Edgy Nia talks to Viral and Simon about the Anti-Spiral's purpose and why Rossiu's spaceship idea is absolute garbage, and then BOOM, Yoko appears. For what purpose? Where, specifically, has she been? How did she know the place where he was incarcerated? Nobody missed her anyway; she's less than a character; her time away at the island as a teacher (which, ngl, is a weird occupation for someone like her) could've been a good time for good characterization and development, but it really goes nowhere, just like the Adai Village section. Also LOL at her making up a lame fake name despite... her full, long red-toned hair still being there... a hair color literally nobody else has—they apparently have super computers but not hair dye, or maybe she just didn't care. Although I still have to admit that this was a nice SOL break, something to appreciate after all the political slop.
I can't believe Viral is repeating Kamina's one-liners, it is so pathetic. I couldn't help but ROLL MY FUCKING EYES when Kirito Simon just talked about no Jutsu'd Nia out of the anti-spiral form. Guess what? Talking now modifies internal programming and technology! Or is that just another property of the gasp spiral power!!!? Seriously, such a bullshit power system, it feels so anticlimactic and dumb. Fuck the Anti-Spirals' empyrean technology! Kirito will get his female again! Truly learning from the best. THEY DESTROY THE MOON (which turned out to be Lordgenome's best technology), and IT TURNS INTO A FUCKING SPACESHIP! That's for sure convenient! I just want to delete myself from existence at this point. Kirito gets to uncorrupt his flustered female from the big bad anti-spirals, so all is good... He ends this up with a one-liner. He's learning. "And someone showed after six years of not showing herself... and she hasn't changed a bit." Even fucking Kittan knows that Yoko didn't get any development whatsoever. OH and Kirito punches the suicidal tendencies of a man with an extremely guilty consciousness (just like Kamina did, get it?) because of course he does; TTGL just invented a new form of therapy! Punch someone in the face! The violin soundtrack comes in, and Kirito soon Talks no Jutsus this suicidal person, who instantly changes his entire mind because he's been graced by the protagonist. This is CANCEROUS, thats the least I can say about this.
Mind you, they are traveling and teleporting through time and space now. The fact that the anti-spirals control the entire galaxy around them is astounding to me. Why can't they just summon a black hole or some shit where they are and spaghettizize all of the Gurren Lagann squad members? Or does the spiral energy also protect them against fucking black holes?? Soon enough, they start to fight against stone flying heads (which loosely resemble Pretty Squidward), and... yeah, do not ask me; this is the part of the show where everything goes into an absurd magnitude. Remember how I said that nobody from the Gurren Lagann squad died in the first part? Well, cut that, because TTGL goes fucking SHIBUYA INCIDENT mode and kills like a third of the squad in a single episode, most of whom undoubtedly and with an implausible mental fortitude sacrifice themselves for the cause. I am okay with character death; in fact, I like it, but holy shit, episode 24 feels like the authors just wanted to cut away the fat from the main squad. THIS SECONDARY CHARACTER? DEAD. THIS OTHER SECONDARY CHARACTER? He also dies! Everyone will just sacrifice themselves without any doubt or fear, and look, they are fighting for the fate of humanity. But even with this in mind, one is just bound to eventually mindbreak and let loose, yet none of this happens. And a freaking ocean in space—that's pretty cool. Can they please leave Kamina behind? We are on episode 25, and they keep mentioning him. I know they are inspired by him and shit, but it is so exhausting and preachy.
NAH, there's absolutely no way the fucking pigmole just recharges the Gurren Lagann with spiral energy. What the fuck is even happening?? Also, ULTRA BONER SUPER POWERFUL HOLY SHIT GALACTIC GURREN LAGANN is here. The Gurren Lagann is now capable of tanking entire planets, and brace yourself; it gets even worse. The anti-spirals are throwing missiles that alter the probability of hitting the enemy; why haven't they used that in the first place? Kirito now knows the fact that a large enough amount of spiral energy might destroy the fucking universe, but he has a female to save, so he gets on the grind again; also, nobody is seemingly worried about this information. Everyone is just like, "Yeah, sure, let's save the waifu" but anyways. Admittedly, I liked the surreal section of episode 26, and The Anti-Spiral has a nice design, his discussion with Lordgenome is cool; all of this is ruined by the fucking pigmole evolving into a furry. Yes, you've read this right; due to the potential of spiral energy, he turns into a furry. What a way to completely ruin immersion, and that is ignoring the fact that this irrelevant comedy gag turned out to be a Pokemon on steroids all along, evolving at the right moment thanks to this shitty power system. Pigmole Furry is truly one of the top 10 most powerful characters in anime, his only weakness is Yoko's enormous fatbags.
Fucking. Kamina. appears in everyone's flashbacks; they are liberated from the Anti-Spiral's grasp, and SUPER ULTRA OMEGA JUICER SIGMA MALE SKIBIDI TOILET HOLY FUCKING SHIT AMERICAN PSYCHO GIGACHAD MULTIVERSE GALACTIC GURREN LAGANN IS HERE, AND KIRITO IS MORE MOTIVATED THAN EVER. PREPARE YOURSELF, SKINNY FUCKER. That's basically the last fight in TTGL. How is this any different from slop like Dragon Ball Super or Fairy Tail? Seriously, they keep popping in with new transformations and friendship "evolution" power bullshit; the ending run of Gurren Lagann is absolutely abhorrent. One is bound to witness many of the most asinine sequences I've ever seen on a show, with flashbacks to accentuate and further preach messages that have been nailed into my brain a hundred times by now. I kept watching, as this was the final episode and I was going to be free. I just don't care anymore at this point; it's just a power-up galore and dick-measuring contest. Opening ensues, and shit happens.
5th issue: So absurd and massive, yet so mundane and small.
Now, I know nothing about astrophysics or anything of the sort, but the absolute magnitude of TTGL's end arc with spiral power, traveling through time and space at lightspeed, the anti-spiral big boss, and the STTGL still made me wince in cringe. I've heard of a review mentioning how their knowledge of astrophysics led them to "sit in a corner and cry." I truly can't imagine the trauma this person had to go through—some Dante's Divine Comedy type of shit. The Gurren Lagann combining itself with the Dai-Gurren was okay, but them juggling universes around and doing Dragon Ball Super shit was just asinine; hell, they start to break the space time as soon as the Tengen Toppa Dai-Gurren is a thing; that's when you know shits are going to go down—and not in a good way. At Galactic Gurren Lagann, shit's already dire; it quickly becomes a superhero slop with constant asinine transformations and bullshit spiral energy everywhere. OH, YOU THOUGHT WE WERE DEFEATED??? GURREN LAGANN EVOLVES AGAIN, like it is fucking Dragon Ball, yet it feels so small and just... boring. Keep throwing universes and playing with sticks, Gurren Lagann; maybe you'll manage to be amusing at some point, even though I consider it to be a sisyphean task in my case.
The lovecraftian and absurd, when done well, are impacting and unbelievable; often times one doesn't know where to start in analyzing them, but the STTGL and the Anti-Spiral are just asinine. Sincerely, they are doing this shit and ripping the space-time continuum like its nothing; at this point, it just feels like you're watching your two small cousins fight with sticks, and they are pulling off bigger hacks from under their sleeves. BOOM, I HAVE A BIGGER STICK! NO, BECAUSE, ACKSHUALLY, I HAVE ANTI-BIGGER STICK RESISTANCE! MY STICK IS NOW EXTRA BIG, AND IT COUNTERS YOUR ANTI BIG STICK RESISTANCE! That's how the ending of Gurren Lagann goes off, it feels like nothing. The Anti-Spiral throws a laser with an energy equivalent to that of the fucking big bang at them, and at this point, I'm just wondering how the Earth isn't being fucking annihilated and OBLITERATED just from the impact of their clash. THEY ARE BIGGER THAN ENTIRE UNIVERSES, for fuck's sake; it is just bland and boring, I don't care.
6th issue: Gurren Lagann and other ways in how it fails
Coming of age:
I think Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann completely fails in the way it depicts coming-of-age and its themes as a whole; I am meant to like Kamina and his boisterous ideologies or be happy for Simon's growth; I am meant to have fun as the anime gets insufferably goofy on the second half climax with the anti-spiral galactic STTGL stuff; I am meant to like the character cast, but... I just don't. Simon is never well-built enough for me to care in any fashion about his plastic faux "growth" or anything he has to offer, and Kamina is a terrible character and role model for everything I've mentioned before; if you fail to build the very first two characters who exemplify and showcase this show's message, you know that you're in big trouble. The super galactic, ultra absurd stuff also doesn't work because everything else fails; it doesn't feel as climactic as it wants to be. Simon becomes no one but a substanceless, chadified replica of someone who has already existed. TTGL completely fails as a coming-of-age history since there's no real growth to talk about either, just severe jumps in characterization fed by implausible situations; when he grows up, he doesn't become a better person or an individual with their own mindset and personality, Simon just becomes Kamina, and that's about it.
Evangelion triumphs because we can sympathize with Shinji, Asuka, Rei, and the rest of the cast's struggles, even the secondary characters; the Third Impact triumphs because it is a well-built climax which expands on character arcs and ends the characters' journey in a very satisfying manner; but that doesn't happen in TTGL's paper-thin fashion; whatever growth Simon goes through is forced by highly unlikable situations or quixotisms; whatever Kamina says and does is word of preach without any contradiction, essentially solidifying this anime's place in a single platitude of unadulterated cringe. It is completely out of touch with human mortality and meaninglessness, deifying mere humans who should only walk; the message of this show resides in dumbing down an existential issue bound to the human species. TTGL wants us to see the "human potential" to drill "beyond the heavens," but it is completely contrary to our natural place; it is really just a non-sensical landscape of one-liners and bad writing, which do nothing but augment my suspicions that this show isn't meant to be anything beyond what it seems, other than mere "LE WHOLESOME INDOMITABLE HUMAN SPIRIT" masturbation material, devoid of any points to make, and that gets me to my next point.
"If you believe in yourself and work together, you can achieve anything."
This is one of those classic phrases you'd see being reposted by a Facebook mom or being imprinted on some cheap merchandise. Do not think of the main character cast or secondary characters who are graced by Kamina's direct presence and by his sacrosanct words; think of the characters who don't receive a name, those who didn't stumble upon an ancient piece of technology out of pure coincidence, those who don't have the entire plot by his side, the other townfolk from the Adai Village—just anyone really. We are intrinsically tied to our circumstances and surroundings; to believe otherwise would be foolish. Our hard work will many times be wasted on absolutely nothing; we will be reprimanded despite giving our best efforts, and we will be unjustifiably fucked over. I wanted to go to college, study my dream career, and have a cool job I liked, but guess what? I was held back by financial and real-life issues, so I had to work in jobs I absolutely despised and have a life I didn't want, my dreams going down the drain. To say "lol, just believe in yourself and work hard" is truly having a highly dreamlike and quixotical worldview, especially considering the expensiveness and unaccessibility of everything. Life just sucks. Even if you have the talent or charisma or mere desire of doing something, classism and many issues WAY beyond your reach will violate anything you have, anything you want, anything you need, to say otherwise is to be foolish.
The mental fortitude of every character in Gurren Lagann is unreal. Shinji triumphs as a character because he's a teenager who has to fight a biblical battle beyond comprehension; he has to stop an earth-ending event and fight against the powers that be; and he goes into a complete fucking mental breakdown, understandably so, and that's why he's so relatable. But every Gurren Lagann character, kids and adults alike, just fucking fistfights lovecraftian enemies; they fight God; they destroy planets; they just travel into space; they sacrifice themselves for a single cause without a doubt, a single concern, or without any semblance of introspection or breakdown and they are filled with an unconvincing sense of comradery; it is so fucking terrible and unrealistic; I can't relate to any of these characters, who don't seldom pose a single drop of preoccupation or humanity.
"Indomitable Power of the Human Spirit"
No, the human spirit, as long as it has to pass through the painful process of living, will never be able to clash elbow-to-elbow against the overarching zeitgeist of the universe. We die pathetically in decay; we fight between ourselves and live no more than a spark of life itself; we exist in a nigh-lovecraftian order of heartlessness, a cold progression of time and space, and a neverending clash between a cruel order and disorder; the ever-passing nature of time and the universe crushes us. Hell, we barely put up a fight in opposition to the political and social circumstances that have surrounded us time and time again; our own laws fall flat, insanity coupled with agendas threatens our everyday lives, and we are often deprived of autonomy due to outside circumstances. How is it even thinkable that, even on a grand scale, we even stand a chance against the always-looming chaos and agony? This trope is an insurmountable cliché used on many tales, which often turns into a detriment; it is corny, ridiculous and narcissistic.
Of course, this shouldn't limit us, but to believe that humans are much more than a mere speck of dust or number in this infinite cycle of natural cruelty is, at minimum, foolish; we can express ourselves, but on a grander scale, we are nothing more than a plaything in the order of an impossible-to-understand order. Thinking we can even brawl against the crushing nature of entropy and chaos is preposterous. This show aims to clear or at least give clarity to these questions, but it does nothing to aid its case or reply to these questions in any way whatsoever, except if you consider awful, trite dialogue, vapid theming, horrible development, and a volatile characterization to be a correct response to such an existential issue. Honestly? Fuck the "indomitable human spirit" trope, quite possibly one of my most hated tropes out there, and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann embodies that but augmented a million times in the worst way possible, and I despise it. The human spirit is feeble and weak—if it even exists in the first place.
Spiral energy and why I hate it:
Spiral Power is a hack power system that unsatisfyingly explains everything and covers every technique of bad writing with asinine explanations and limits. It is also in place to justify haphazard, implausible plans and prove impossible messages right, I believe this is one of the reasons why I felt like everything in Gurren Lagann was so anticlimactic and predictable. Spiral Energy as a power system is mind-numbingly simple and seems to devolve into a single platitude, which makes it so unappealing. Everything is explained with "well, it's spiral energy, dummy," like, how did the humans reproduce so much during the time skip? "Spiral Energy!" How did they manage to forcefully prove certain messages right? "Spiral Energy!" and more, it also taints the execution of themes and messages this show tries to output since it relies so heavily on this vaguely assembled power system. When the main squad faces an obstacle, expect this power system to do the chores and raise their power beyond comprehension. The immature thoughts of reckless machoisms and bravado are impossible to digest, and representing brainrotting schemes as always working better than carefully planned strategies is astoundingly obnoxious. I couldn't help but roll my eyes constantly. There is no surprise EVER when the Gurren Lagann squad wins. There is NO tension or climax whatsoever. Each battle is just so incredibly lame and weightless.
Kamina Effect:
The Kamina effect, aptly named after a character in this work, is the product of a character whose influence borders on the supernatural and whose message borders on the absurdly impossible; however, the aftermath of this character, even after his death, makes the plot convoluted in ways one can't help but roll one's eyes or scratch one's head. Characters are changed from one moment to the next by Kamina; characters are completely influenced by Kamina; people who should give a damn about Kamina suddenly care a lot about Kamina; people with thoughts contrary to Kamina are changed; it's the Kamina effect; it's the outcome of a character who serves purely and solely to change the plot on a whim instead of letting the story change him or the plot develop naturally. Remember the element manipulators in Avatar? Kamina would be the only plot manipulator there. The message Kamina gives only works because of forced elements of the anime or sudden changes in characterization, which feel anticlimactic and contrived to say the least; the fact is that in a more natural work, Kamina would be taken as a court jester, and his messages would be quickly dismissed as an ode to optimistic suicide.
A one-sided clash of logic vs. absurdity:
The following individuals are always depicted as apathetic, power-hungry megalomaniacs: The leader of Simon's hometown is depicted as a tyrannical bastard, the Anti-Spirals are downright genocidal villains, and Rossiu's father is depicted as an oppressive leader who follows a faux rulebook—soon, inexplicably, his son growing to be like him; an absolute force of pure logic, becoming the antagonist of the second part. Every law-abiding, logical character is represented as a force of antagonism in this series' unrestrained appraisal of the irrational absurd, deliberately ignoring our own nature and how logic has served us time and time again. Be it for militaristic strategy, science (which is able to explain many phenomena with an absurdity akin to that of spiral energy), or many other things, of course, the same thing could also be said for irrationality. BOTH POLAR OPPOSITES ARE BAD, but Kamina is ridiculously considered as the overaching hero of this series; his suicidal tendencies and baffling character are deified in every second, for which I cannot help but be weirded out.
Granted, a lot of TTGL's verse is based on and powered by the absurd, but to take logic and paint it as the antagonistic force of this series is completely incomprehensible. How do they think buildings in Kamina City were done? Just slapping components together and hoping it works by "manly power" or some shit? Supercomputers were created by frigid math and science; mechs were created by robotics and technology; all of these are logical powers that cannot possibly work under the absurd since everything would just break. Yet all of this is ignored. Taking the absurd as the driving force behind everything and antagonizing rationality. Never strategizing, never explaining anything, just "DRILL DA HEAVENZ SIMON!!!1111" and "MANLY POWER BITCH I TRUST HIM LOL" stupidity. Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann constantly abides by the absurd, making it an utterly predictable, inhuman and dull show.
7th issue: Other aspects
Pacing is all over the place; you've got sudden beach sections, then a fucking sauna filler episode; then you've got whatever the fuck episodes four and six are; enemies come out of nowhere with no plausible anticipation or buildup; they fight, they go away, then suddenly a calm section, and that's about it. There isn't enough time or interactions to sympathize with and connect with the characters or to digest what just happened; they just spit whatever one-liners, fight, and do goofy shit. The events do not really feel "connected," if that makes sense; it is mostly just a sequence of anticlimactic sections lazily knit together.
8th issue: Conclusion
I deem Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann to be an utter failure, not only lacking in a good message but also in the frailty of every single component in this show: its barebones character cast, the disingenuine plot decisions and pacing, the non-existent development, the eye-rolling dialogue, the preachiness, contrivances, idiotic philosophy, forced and erratic characterization, and just everything, seriously. Of course, we can and should attempt and try to tap upon our potential, that isnt a bad thing—but TTGL is offensive.
I cannot help but give TTGL the minimum score possible. Congratulations to Gainax for getting both a 10 and a 1 from me.
Fuck this show and everything it stands for.
