Reviews

Gurren Lagann is a mecha show by (the revered) GAINAX. By now, you've either stopped reading my review in disgust or you've stopped reading my review because you know already that you'll like the show and my review will do you no good at all. However, I shall press on for those that remain. To any extent, the show is a much greater endevor - and a largely successful one at that - than simply calling it "GAINAX's new mecha show" would suggest. First, and perhaps most importantly, the story is different and diverting. What begins, in many ways, as an ordinary mecha show quickly takes various surprising and unforseen turns that serve to keep you into the show and interested wholly. The largest strength of the show is, indeed, in the writing. The show turns what could be an average mecha show by all accounts and morphs the plot, takes it in directions that you didn't expect. Its full of surprises, to put it in short. The action is swift, frentic, and fun - like a manic homage to the era of mecha shows gone by - and yet, the show doesn't disolve into pure homage at any given point either. Nor does it rely entirely on its action sequences, for that matter. The characters are the real stars here, as they interact with each other in various human and emotionally powerful ways. Fair warning, there is a good deal of angst in this - angst that feels both appropriate and ripped off from an older and possibly better Gundam series. That being said, it doesn't detract from the show besides. The art serves this purpose well. Granted, the beautiful and the cheap do mingle pretty freely here - in true GAINAX fashion - but the scenes of stock footage (its a combining mecha show, folks) or otherwise cheapies do not detract from the show enough that you'll probably notice or care. This is especially the case when the money saved on some scenes seems to be put to use creating other very beautiful ones. It all balances out somewhere, I imagine. And the art is indeed stellar. Its shiney and crisp, when appropriate, but it is also deep and professional when necessary. The show is able to carry the aforementioned pathos very well in this way. There is a good bit of fanservice - mostly at the less than serious moments so its not too galling. And uhm...well, the art is really good and the fanservice looks really nice so I can't fault it too much. In comparison to other GAINAX shows, this is also not as fanservice-heavy besides. Again, the story and its characters take center stage here. The music deserves a small nod as well. Seemingly taking a cue from American movies, the mecha fights are lined with rock music. It actually works rather well, and I can safely applaud the series for it. Another success feather in its cap. It certainly isn't the deepest show to come around the block, but it is certainly one of the best put together as it marries all the important elements an action mecha show could have and creates something shiney and wonderful, even unique, with it. The pieces of this quilt may appear ordinary but they're actually made from quality material and its all stitched together so well you'll be on the edge of your seat begging for more the entire time. Almost good enough to forgive GAINAX for their past misteps.