I don't think there's anything that divides the anime community more than fanservice. On the one hand it's often intrusive and detracts from the literary quality of the work when used improperly, but on the other, weebs are fucking horny, dammit. Egad, what a dilemma! This idiotic trope forms the backbone of one of the most creative anime under the sun. I'm talking, of course, about this one!
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___Kill la Kill_ slaps the anime medium across the face, then passionately makes out with it; demonstrating everything the medium can do, while calling out everything that it does do instead.__
> To hell with your opinion.
Without giving too much away, Kill la Kill is a parody to end all parodies; a deconstruction of just about every anime trope in the books. As such, the themes go hand in hand with just about everything else, which makes it difficult to talk about without spoiling it. In vague terms, this is a story about being free of the mental shackles society places on us, as it expects us to conform to its whims. A story about allowing one's self to shine through even amidst a world that tells you not to. More than that, however, is the obvious calling out of the anime medium and it's predictable, repetitive, and downright ridiculous tendencies. The characters are in high school, because of course they are. The women (and in this case, men too) are barely clothed, because of course they are. The main character wins every fight with a nonsensical deus-ex-machina, because of course they do. Except, in Kill la Kill, every single one of these things is part of the self-aware joke. This makes it difficult to criticize; because it's pretty easy to write off pretty much any perceived flaw as... a part of the satire.
> Nonsensical is kind of our thing.
It's a good thing, then, that of all studios, TRIGGER was the one to tackle the idea. These people already proved with Gurren Lagann that they can make you cry over downright ridiculous things, 6 years before this anime aired. This anime has a wonderful ability to give the most asinine things meaning; I'd even say that it does a better job at this than Gurren Lagann did. The emotional core may not be quite as strong but the thematic purpose is infinitely more daunting and ambitious- and it delivers on this front spectacularly, with some of the most clever metaphorical storytelling I have ever seen. The plot itself isn't half bad either, featuring some excellent twists and turns that keep things fresh. The animation budget is obviously nowhere near as bombastic as it was 6 years ago, but TRIGGER's DNA still bleeds through the seams and delivers the goods in terms of personality. Where the animation itself lacks a bit, the direction and cinematography more than picks up the slack. And of course, the iconic soundtrack goes a long way towards making this show memorable. Where Gurren Lagann embraced the corniness, Kill la Kill's soundtrack treats the show's absurd subject matter with an uncharacteristic grandeur that makes it extremely easy to be sucked into the story's pace, despite the absurdity of it all. The more you watch, the more you understand. And the more you understand, the less absurd it all is. By the halfway point, you won't care that everyone is half naked anymore.
> It is not money that rules men. It is fear.
Of course, this is still an action show. The action itself is pretty typical action anime fare, both for better and for worse. Talking is a free action, you know! Just as with everything else in this show though, I find myself more engaged by the thematic purpose behind it than the content itself. If you were to look at a fight from this anime in a vacuum, you'd have no idea what makes it good- because the choreography includes just about every dumb "anime" thing in the books. From deus-ex-machinas to flow interrupting dialogue to flashy finishing moves with more style than practical application. This is where the quality of Kill la Kill may be lost on those who simply want a flashy show to turn their brain off to. It's not perfect, either. The antagonist is a caricature, which, again, could in and of itself be a part of the satire, but who's to say. I felt that there was also a bit of missed potential in Ryuuko's character, seeing as there are multiple attempts to give her some depth later in the series, but they are too subtle to really tie her character into the themes of the show all too much. But again, part of the satire; she do be a shonen protagonist alright. See what I mean?
> Everyone on the planet knows that if you win at friendship, you win at life!
Conclusion
While I love a lot of aspects of Kill la Kill, the sheer fun factor and thematic depth completely steal the show. This show is both a diss track to the entire medium of anime and something that only works as an anime. Something with an immense amount of moving parts detached from the gears in the author's head to thoroughly explore a concept by means of storytelling that somehow manages to also be a fast paced, entertaining, and emotional work of fiction that constantly one-ups itself. It's such a raw expression of creativity that I cannot help but adore it. There will never be another anime like this one. 
