“MY DRILL IS THE DRILL… THAT CREATES THE HEAVENS!”

contains spoilers, I tried to mark them all but read with care if you haven't watched

Gurren Lagann is a series I’ve long been enticed by and planned to watch one day, so I was quite pleased when I was contracted to watch it this season. I love stories that build around the core tenet of the indomitable human spirit, so I was easily enticed by the synopsis. Gurren Lagann, at its heart, is a story about humanity transcending beyond our limits to achieve our limitless potential. The story didn’t quite take the paths I expected, but even when I thought “I probably won’t enjoy where it goes after this,” I was consistently disproven each time. The first big instance of this was

Spoiler, click to view

Kamina’s death. He felt like such a cornerstone of the story that I didn’t see how the story could match his energy in the future, giving Simon some huge shoes to fill. It shocked me that they chose so early in the story to do it, but it made a lot more sense after seeing how it affected Simon. Kamina’s death gave a launchpad for Simon’s personal growth, leading to him being a much better main character than I ever expected.

I once again was concerned about the future of the story when the timeskip happened. I felt like it was setting up a sort of separation from the characters, and I was concerned that it would lead to me being less attached to the story. However, I was also quickly disproven on this, with the emotions of Simon and the rest of humanity being displayed quite well during the early stages of the anti-spiral attacks. After that point, I was much more confident in the creators and just rode the wave, enjoying the wild ride that is the last third or so of the anime. The final fight was especially awesome, with Simon’s speech being so influential to me that it landed its place at the top of this review. I felt the ending was a bit bittersweet.

Spoiler, click to view

I feel that Simon deserved better than losing Nia and becoming a bit of a Nomad; however, it does fit his character to an extent, so I can see how it ended up this way.

I am also quite curious about the other spiral species and the interactions teased at the end. I don’t know if it’s covered in the movies or other content at all, but I might look into it when I get the chance.

“Don't believe in yourself! Believe in me! Believe in the Kamina who believes in you!”

Spoiler, click to view

As I mentioned before, Kamina is a character who was a huge cornerstone for the early parts of the story, to such an extent that I worried about the future of the story when he died. It’s not often that I feel that way about a character, but Kamina had such a loud personality and a type of charisma that made him hard to dislike in any way. His way of holding up the whole early story wasn’t just external to the plot, either. You could tell that the characters around him also had that much more willpower to go forward, far more than they might’ve had if they never met him. I definitely will be looking into getting a pair of his glasses because the amount they added to his aura was incredible.

Another part of Gurren Lagann that I quite enjoyed was the music. The main battle music that started up at the most hype moments in the anime was awesome, and fairly unique from what I’m used to in many anime. The music as a whole was quite enjoyable. There wasn’t a single scene where I thought the music was mid or out of place.

Overall, Gurren Lagann was an incredible piece of media. It had its ups and downs in the story for me, but overall, it leveled out to a supremely enjoyable story. The animation was nostalgic and enjoyable, and the music also had a unique vibe that I found enjoyable. My only regret is not watching this anime at a younger, more formative age. The effect that Gurren Lagann would’ve had on the psyche of a younger me would be monumental. But, as a whole, I’ll give it just short of a 10.

“If this is how it must be, protect the universe...at all costs.”