[Categories: Anime Reviews]
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann 10: Temporary hiatus
Yep, this was as far as I got before the show got licenced. I particularly enjoyed the character interactions between Simon, Nia and Yoko in this episode - it highlighted the issue of how Simon has to step out of his brother’s shadow and become not a carbon copy of Kamina, but a ‘badass dude’ in his own way. It makes sense as to why Nia ended up where she did, but there’s no indication of why she was disowned by her father…her pacifist attitude is my best guess (the Spiral King doesn’t like to be questioned, it would appear).
Thoughts on the series so far
Beyond that and another cool combat scene, there’s not a great deal I can say about this episode in particular that hasn’t been covered by everyone else. As a whole, the first ten episodes have teetered on disaster on occasion with some disappointing filler segments; generally though it’s an outstanding series that I’ll definitely be picking up on DVD and continue blogging it when that time comes.
The thing I found disappointing with this show at first is that Gainax seemed to have made a definitive departure from the deep and meaningful stuff, but in all honesty they’ve always delivered genuine emotion and feeling in a saccharine and cartoony package so this isn’t really all that different from any of their older works such as Gunbuster. As with Gurren Lagann, there were some serious messages and themes in that series but these were carried along by cheeky fan service and over-the-top mecha action; looking back at the bigger Gainax picture (i.e. seeing past NGE), I can honestly say that Gurren Lagann is arguably their best work since FLCL in terms of entertainment value and, if it continues to impress as much as it has done so far, I can see it being another fan fave that we’re still talking about years later.
The bravado and mecha side of things give it a decidedly male-audience friendly vibe which, along with the manic pace, pushes it into a bit of a niche so for every viewer who agrees enthusiastically with my positive feelings on the show, there will be an equal number who hate it just as vehemently - it’s fair to say this is a ‘love it or hate it’ experience. There’s no pretence of being ‘deep and meaningful’ here; for sure, the character drama is very real and moving but at the same time it seems to resign to the fact that it is, and always will be, shallow entertainment. The reason why Gurren Lagann rocks so hard is because it achieves this modest goal so damned well! Basically, as much as it goes against my policy of trying to see anime as artistic and sophisticated, I can’t help but admit I’m all out of excuses. It’s just no-holds-barred, fun TV…pure and simple.
Posted on July 24th, 2007 @ 11:39 pm
Weirdly enough for a “love it or hate it” experience the show is doing fairly well in Japan and for some weird reason the number of female fanatics is pretty much on par with the number of male fanatics. Nevertheless, if you’re looking for a bigger depth in the storyline you should really keep going after the DVDs are out since episode 17 proves to be quite the surprise of what thus far seemed to be almost Gunbuster 3.
Posted on July 25th, 2007 @ 8:06 pm
@Random Guy: Most interesting! It’s surprising that what I thought was the ultimate in macho shounen stuff could have a strong female following too. Rest assured, I’ll definitely be picking up the DVDs too - not just because I’m a Gainax nut but because it’s really, really, fun to watch!
Point taken on the Gunbuster theme as well - I’ve been thinking of the series as a ‘Top o Nirae with added testosterone’ for a while now, which I mean in a good way. Here’s hoping ADV crack on with the DVD release, eh?
Posted on July 29th, 2007 @ 7:31 pm
Ah great, I have stopped watching the fansubs at episode 10 too.
As a female who likes the series, I have to admit that I felt slightly offended by Kamina’s testosterone-loaded “Stand behind me and watch my back, woman”-talk and I wished Yoko would show a little bit more an emancipated side instead of saying “Oh, he can’t be stopped” all the time. On the other hand, I think Gurren Lagann is plain funny. It does not take itself and the mecha genre seriously, it’s full of creative little jokes and creatures and behind the whole exaggerated humour, there are tidbits of depth (I felt that especially in episode 5, in Roshiu’s village).
In sum, the testosterone of Gurren Lagann is not the same testosterone of a Moonlight Mile, for example: Gurren Lagann’s macho stupidity (”Believe in me who believes in you!”) is funny and that’s probably why women would like it too.
Posted on July 29th, 2007 @ 9:33 pm
@Sasa: I think there’s too much macho-ness in mecha shows in general (which is possibly what Gainax were making fun of?), and often wondered whether female viewers feel put off or offended by such things. I feel a bit of an editorial coming on there actually…it’s an interesting thought. But yeah, it’s downright hilarious in Gurren Lagann - Kamina was such an impulsive oaf but you help but admire his fearlessness. I guess there’s a fine line between bravery and stupidity!
I never got into Moonlight Mile (I was drawn in by the Pillows’ song at the end) - I think it’s because it took itself too seriously.
Posted on July 31st, 2007 @ 8:04 pm
Oh, I didn’t even know that it was a Pillows song. In the end, I didn’t even make it to the second episode and I hope I haven’t missed out anything by not watching it. Then again, I have not heard of anybody who liked the anime.
I’m very interested in the editorial, it’s definitely a subject that has not been covered yet and I’m sure you will make something interesting of it.
Posted on November 21st, 2007 @ 10:27 pm
I think parody is exactly what’s going on with the “macho” stuff in Gurren Langann. They’re definitely not taking a straightforward approach towards much of anything in this series. Seems to be lots of interesting subtleties and plays on old anime stereotypes in a non-stereotypical way.
Also, it’s curious to hear slow moments of this anime refered to as “filler”. Sure there was the flashback parts in the bathhouse episode, but that was more to get new viewers up to speed… I would imagine. All the slow moments, I don’t see anything “filler” about them. It’s called pacing… you can’t just cram a story full of dramatic and action moments without giving some relaxed sections of the story. So far nothing has really felt like filler to me, in this show (save for the flashbacks, let’s just hope they replace those in the DVD versions)!
Posted on December 16th, 2007 @ 11:03 pm
Well, being a girl I was quite doubtful when my boyfriend gave me the DVD and asked me to watch it. Mostly because I’m certainly not a mecha fan. I remember watching Mazinger and Macross as a child and NGE when I was a teenager, but apart from that the mecha style bored me to hell.
He didn’t even tell me it was from GAINAX and I didn’t even think of asking more.
But I guess that was the best thing that could ever happen. Because as I had no preliminary prejudices of the show (apart from the well-shaped Yoko on the DVD’s cover) I watched the first EP and said to myself “WTFH!? O_o”
The rest is history, I daresay. Now I’m a total fan of the show. And I think that Eugene is right about the fillers. The only episode I indeed though of a filler was the 4th episode with the brother and sisters combo. My main thought was “Ah well, it was too good to be true…” However I continued watching and also believe the story reached a main turning point from episode 8.
Now that I have ended watching the series I can tell that so much GARiness sometimes became so unbearably fun I just had to get a laugh out of it.
I also LOVE Simon’s developement throughout the whole series, and Rosshiu becoming such an interesting character (though it was predictable this behavior would appear). TTGL also has this part of seriousness that is needed to maintain the audience mixed with the fine dash of fanservice for both boys and girls.
In the end, as GAINAX themselves said, this series were planned as a total homage to the mecha style. Thus the reason of so many comparations with other series. However, and thankfully, TTGL has a spirit of it’s own and THAT is something worth looking up to.
Posted on May 17th, 2009 @ 3:07 am
I only have one thing to say. I was gonna give it a 10 of 10. But when Tia died that possibility died. She has got to be the cutest character in the world. And to see simon not crying for her made me more mad. I would kill myself if I lost the girl i loved. Total failure ending. other than that the opening was kickass