A question for people who have watched Gurren Lagann and loved it.

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Apr 2016

46

_Reas said:
I just want to ask a simple question: What else, besides the hype, do you love about this show?

A little context:
I have been unconsciously avoiding it for years, and after recently listening to a Trash Taste episode where the boys ranked it higher than HxH, I gave it a go out of curiosity.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but I surely wouldn’t put it above the mentioned HxH. In my humble opinion, there are other shows that tackled the same (or similar) motives and ideas better plot-wise.
But I would be happy if someone could prove me wrong or show me another point of view.

I'd be interested to hear what you think it's about and what you think does it better.

Cause I basically think GL is "will to power" the anime. And from that lens, it does it better than literally everything else (at least from what I've seen).

In someways, I think shonen itself as a genre aspires to "will to power". Bc of that, I actually think it's my defacto piece of shonen media. Like don't forget, it's got crazy super robots and a metal soundtrack and a drill. You can tell the series was built on dreams.

But yeah, imo, it's arguably The shonen.

Aug 4, 2024 9:21 PM

#10

demonbasket

Offline

Jun 2024

3

It’s my favourite inspirational anime possibly ever. The battles are badass. The characters are all great. The character development is great. And the characters are all badass. Even though I rated it a 9/10 it’s still one of the best anime for its time (not THE best but one of)
Also the comedy is actually funny (if you have the right sense of humour) it’s so emotional and depressing. It put me in a state of depression for a week. But in a good way…

demonbasketAug 4, 2024 9:27 PM

Aug 4, 2024 9:37 PM

#11

Iruyas

Offline

Oct 2012

1

_Reas said:
I just want to ask a simple question: What else, besides the hype, do you love about this show?

A little context:
I have been unconsciously avoiding it for years, and after recently listening to a Trash Taste episode where the boys ranked it higher than HxH, I gave it a go out of curiosity.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but I surely wouldn’t put it above the mentioned HxH. In my humble opinion, there are other shows that tackled the same (or similar) motives and ideas better plot-wise.
But I would be happy if someone could prove me wrong or show me another point of view.

It's been over 10 years since I watched this show, but I remember it left a big impression on me. I liked this anime because of the feeling that not everything we want is what we need. The character development is splendid. Did you get any spoilers? When I watched it, I swore that Kamina was the protagonist, so when he died I was shocked hahaha the way death is treated not as the end, but as the beginning of everything is pretty interesting.

There's no focos on revenge, hatred or anything like that... it's an anime about people who were forced to live underground because they were afraid of what was above it. TTGL is an anime about people who were afraid of the light. Poetic and utopian, that's why the ending was that way and at no point did they show the characters' old faces, because dreams don't age.

Anyway, it doesn't make much sense to compare TTGL to HxH, because HxH's focus is more on adventure and TTGL's focus is more on character development... that's why a lot of people didn't like TTGL's ending, because it didn't 't have any glory. When you develop the characters more than the action plot, the characters gain autonomy over the plot. TTGL's ending was unrealistic and a bit selfish, because the protagonist managed to be a hero, but he didn't want to lead the world... and honestly, that's okay! In the past I thought he was an idiot, but over the years I've come to understand that there's nothing worse than living for others and forgetting to live for yourself. The people who are truly free in the world are those who are masters of their own time… and do whatever they want with it, even if it displeases the rest of the world. Anyway, I typed a lot, sorry for my bad English, this is the first time I've written a reply on MyAnimeList.

IruyasAug 4, 2024 9:41 PM

Aug 4, 2024 9:40 PM

#12

Eldencheese

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Mar 2023

514

The ost, the animation and the heart the show had in its bittersweet sad scenes like virals dream and the wedding

Aug 4, 2024 9:41 PM

#13

Eldencheese

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Mar 2023

514

(Accidentally submitted twice

Aug 4, 2024 9:51 PM

#14

Online

Jan 2009

102219

the motivational hype especially if you watch it the first time its all about the power of belief that other battle shonen takes hundreds of episodes to accomplish while gurren lagann did it in just 20+ episodes

"do the impossible see the invisible row row fight the power"

Aug 4, 2024 10:04 PM

#15

Realicle

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Aug 2023

84

What other anime is more inspirational?

Aug 4, 2024 11:18 PM

#16

TAPanos

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Oct 2023

19

Very inspiring show which, even though it’s not perfect plot wise, is a very effective and well-told story from beginning to end. Seeing Kamina’s journey starting from little underground drill boy to legend is really heart touching. I also just love the visuals and the emotional moments.

Comparing it to HxH in the first place is hard because I think they serve 2 completely different purposes as shows. HxH is a long running show with a bunch of different arcs whereas Gurren Lagaan is a self contained story with one arc.

TAPanosAug 5, 2024 12:41 PM

Aug 4, 2024 11:23 PM

#17

mr_simp2000

Offline

Jun 2022

227

one part I liked about this is: when in the middle of the show, they were having some political issues and they locked Simon which i absolutely didn't liked. But next episode they were like "you see how fucked up this political issues are? Fuck it. LETS FUCKING PUNCH THE MOON!!!!" And boom!!

mr_simp2000Aug 4, 2024 11:27 PM

Aug 4, 2024 11:35 PM

#18

ColdBlackTeaFan

Offline

Jan 2012

153

Over-the-top action done right. The characters just don't give a fuck about logic, in a good way. Very fitting with their motto of "Go beyond the impossible and kick reason to the curb".
Also, the absolute best final episode in anime history.

Aug 4, 2024 11:58 PM

#19

EtherLux

Offline

Jun 2017

138

The narrative and character development of the MC. The other aspects are lacking now. Yoko doesn't get a character arc which is sad. The worldbuilding is lacking as well. And Nia also feels just too empty as a character.

Aug 5, 2024 12:03 AM

#20

Theo1899

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Jun 2016

13427

I just liked it because of the cool explosions.

MEA·MENTVLA·INGENS·EST

Aug 5, 2024 3:22 AM

#21

Offline

Mar 2021

50

FiviG said:

_Reas said:
I just want to ask a simple question: What else, besides the hype, do you love about this show?

A little context:
I have been unconsciously avoiding it for years, and after recently listening to a Trash Taste episode where the boys ranked it higher than HxH, I gave it a go out of curiosity.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but I surely wouldn’t put it above the mentioned HxH. In my humble opinion, there are other shows that tackled the same (or similar) motives and ideas better plot-wise.
But I would be happy if someone could prove me wrong or show me another point of view.

I'd be interested to hear what you think it's about and what you think does it better.

Cause I basically think GL is "will to power" the anime. And from that lens, it does it better than literally everything else (at least from what I've seen).

In someways, I think shonen itself as a genre aspires to "will to power". Bc of that, I actually think it's my defacto piece of shonen media. Like don't forget, it's got crazy super robots and a metal soundtrack and a drill. You can tell the series was built on dreams.

But yeah, imo, it's arguably The shonen.

As you said, I think that you can hardly find a better show that does the 'Will to power' or will to live trope better as a package.
It's inspiriational too, but I think because it's 27 episodes, it doesn't have the time to dive deeper, and the parts of the message felt a little shallow or maybe underwhelming to me. But it's okay, with that pacing you cannot expect to have insane deep character development of every side character xd (I could see what author meant to say in between the lines)
Also I think I was not in that right mind-set while watching this to truly enjoy the hype or maybe I'm just oversaturated with shonen for years xd

_ReasAug 5, 2024 3:32 AM

Aug 5, 2024 4:16 AM

#22

Offline

Mar 2021

50

Iruyas said:

_Reas said:
I just want to ask a simple question: What else, besides the hype, do you love about this show?

A little context:
I have been unconsciously avoiding it for years, and after recently listening to a Trash Taste episode where the boys ranked it higher than HxH, I gave it a go out of curiosity.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but I surely wouldn’t put it above the mentioned HxH. In my humble opinion, there are other shows that tackled the same (or similar) motives and ideas better plot-wise.
But I would be happy if someone could prove me wrong or show me another point of view.

It's been over 10 years since I watched this show, but I remember it left a big impression on me. I liked this anime because of the feeling that not everything we want is what we need. The character development is splendid. Did you get any spoilers? When I watched it, I swore that Kamina was the protagonist, so when he died I was shocked hahaha the way death is treated not as the end, but as the beginning of everything is pretty interesting.

There's no focos on revenge, hatred or anything like that... it's an anime about people who were forced to live underground because they were afraid of what was above it. TTGL is an anime about people who were afraid of the light. Poetic and utopian, that's why the ending was that way and at no point did they show the characters' old faces, because dreams don't age.

Anyway, it doesn't make much sense to compare TTGL to HxH, because HxH's focus is more on adventure and TTGL's focus is more on character development... that's why a lot of people didn't like TTGL's ending, because it didn't 't have any glory. When you develop the characters more than the action plot, the characters gain autonomy over the plot. TTGL's ending was unrealistic and a bit selfish, because the protagonist managed to be a hero, but he didn't want to lead the world... and honestly, that's okay! In the past I thought he was an idiot, but over the years I've come to understand that there's nothing worse than living for others and forgetting to live for yourself. The people who are truly free in the world are those who are masters of their own time… and do whatever they want with it, even if it displeases the rest of the world. Anyway, I typed a lot, sorry for my bad English, this is the first time I've written a reply on MyAnimeList.

Don't worry about english my friend, yours is better than most of the native speakers xdd
I had been spoiled

so I wasn't surprised at all.

Also thinking about it now, I didn't form special bonds with any of the characters, so probably that made my experience less exciting. Not mentioning that some of them annoyed the hell out of me in the begginning, but it's understandable, cos they were mostly kids...

About the ending, I thought it nicely wrapped up the show, was pretty realistic

and brought out the personalities of the cast. Frankly, I was on verge of tears :)

At last, as a lot of people here said, you cannot compare it to HxH directly, nor did the boys on trash taste, but most of the time I personally value complexity (if it's made good) over simplicity, it makes me ponder and enjoy shows more. Besides, there aren't many anime which are better than HxH, that's why just putting it above it picked my interest.

_ReasAug 5, 2024 4:22 AM

Aug 5, 2024 4:31 AM

#23

itzswxzy

Offline

Dec 2022

307

It’s a very philosophical and thought provoking show that mascaraed itself behind the fun and hype show that it is. None of the characters were unlike able, the protagonist goes through a great development, Kamina is motivational and inspiring through quotes and action. The fight scenes are cool too.

Aug 5, 2024 4:36 AM

#24

Offline

Apr 2016

46

Reply to _Reas

FiviG said:

_Reas said:
I just want to ask a simple question: What else, besides the hype, do you love about this show?

A little context:
I have been unconsciously avoiding it for years, and after recently listening to a Trash Taste episode where the boys ranked it higher than HxH, I gave it a go out of curiosity.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but I surely wouldn’t put it above the mentioned HxH. In my humble opinion, there are other shows that tackled the same (or similar) motives and ideas better plot-wise.
But I would be happy if someone could prove me wrong or show me another point of view.

I'd be interested to hear what you think it's about and what you think does it better.

Cause I basically think GL is "will to power" the anime. And from that lens, it does it better than literally everything else (at least from what I've seen).

In someways, I think shonen itself as a genre aspires to "will to power". Bc of that, I actually think it's my defacto piece of shonen media. Like don't forget, it's got crazy super robots and a metal soundtrack and a drill. You can tell the series was built on dreams.

But yeah, imo, it's arguably The shonen.

As you said, I think that you can hardly find a better show that does the 'Will to power' or will to live trope better as a package.
It's inspiriational too, but I think because it's 27 episodes, it doesn't have the time to dive deeper, and the parts of the message felt a little shallow or maybe underwhelming to me. But it's okay, with that pacing you cannot expect to have insane deep character development of every side character xd (I could see what author meant to say in between the lines)
Also I think I was not in that right mind-set while watching this to truly enjoy the hype or maybe I'm just oversaturated with shonen for years xd

@_Reas, that's definitely fair; some of its supposed character depth, etc., unfortunately, took a hit in its breakneck pacing, so imo if you're not there for the hype, it's just not the right show. I mean i do like the final conflict being a matter of philosophy i.e. what's better the infinite or as close to infinite as you can get in terms of personal growth?

Also, i think the drill is actually the perfect physical metaphor for "will to power". And I think this scale of conflict, all the way to the horizon of what's known, so in other words, scale invariance, is a really cool demonstration of that Nietzschian drive beyond death. There are smaller things as well, for instance, the way genetics is understood in GL has a "will to power" flare to it, i.e. it's not just deterministic.

But yeah the primary reason: it's gas, and lowkey it's Nietzschian gas. Also if you watch the second recap movie, the budget goes bazooka.

This type of story, though, i wouldn't want this to go on much longer. You can only look at a fractal for so long without feeling a little dizzy. In comparison, something like One Piece, which i'd argue is actually more similar than you might think, i.e. scale invariance, world gov = antispiral, pirate freedom = spiral freedom, haki = drill power, etc, is toooooooooo damn long. GL at least feels like lightning in a bottle.

Back to the negatives tho, i have other issues with GL, like the smaller moments of female objectification and homophobia, but for some reason, when Imaishi does something, it just feels a little more innocuous than when others do it; idk why. Maybe i'm just biased. If you're curious, check out Dead Leaves if you want to do more science, it's Imaishi distilled to a point. That still doesn't rectify my issues though, just softens them.

And yeah, at this point, me too, i have to be very careful what i'm watching, and when. It's really easy for me not to be in the headspace for a particular anime; check it anyway, then question why i was annoyed by it lolol. The science isn't usually worth it imo.

Aug 5, 2024 4:41 AM

#25

allmight12806

Offline

Oct 2020

17

_Reas said:
I just want to ask a simple question: What else, besides the hype, do you love about this show?

A little context:
I have been unconsciously avoiding it for years, and after recently listening to a Trash Taste episode where the boys ranked it higher than HxH, I gave it a go out of curiosity.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but I surely wouldn’t put it above the mentioned HxH. In my humble opinion, there are other shows that tackled the same (or similar) motives and ideas better plot-wise.
But I would be happy if someone could prove me wrong or show me another point of view.

It took me a while to finally get into the show, it took me three tries, but something just clicked, and I ended up enjoying it, Just the characters and their journey is what I love about the story, especially the ending of the story

Aug 5, 2024 4:42 AM

#26

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Mar 2021

50

EtherLux said:
The narrative and character development of the MC. The other aspects are lacking now. Yoko doesn't get a character arc which is sad. The worldbuilding is lacking as well. And Nia also feels just too empty as a character.

Agreed. Altough I would put Simon's development on par with many other MCs, nothing that much different, at least for me (well, it's shonen :) ).

I think Yoko, as an OG, deserved more than that one episode showing her post time skip. I would love to see her growth as well. But 27 eps are not that much.

Nia was too pure and kind, she seemed to me as a bit shallow character. But as I said before, there were not nearly enough time in those episodes to develop every side character, that would take a toll on the flow of the main story.

Aug 5, 2024 4:59 AM

#27

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Mar 2021

50

itzswxzy said:
It’s a very philosophical and thought provoking show that mascaraed itself behind the fun and hype show that it is. None of the characters were unlike able, the protagonist goes through a great development, Kamina is motivational and inspiring through quotes and action. The fight scenes are cool too.

Most of the shonen anime are like that, that's why I still watch them, to dig deeper, under what it only seems to be - action and screaming xd
Still, the philosophy here in my opinion isn't as extensive, but it's totally fine. It's not meant to be next evangelion xd. But also there is at least something to think about, which is nice.

Aug 5, 2024 4:59 AM

#28

EtherLux

Offline

Jun 2017

138

_Reas said:

EtherLux said:
The narrative and character development of the MC. The other aspects are lacking now. Yoko doesn't get a character arc which is sad. The worldbuilding is lacking as well. And Nia also feels just too empty as a character.

Agreed. Altough I would put Simon's development on par with many other MCs, nothing that much different, at least for me (well, it's shonen :) ).

I think Yoko, as an OG, deserved more than that one episode showing her post time skip. I would love to see her growth as well. But 27 eps are not that much.

Nia was too pure and kind, she seemed to me as a bit shallow character. But as I said before, there were not nearly enough time in those episodes to develop every side character, that would take a toll on the flow of the main story.

Nah even 1,5h movies can have great character development (Innerspace etc.). Episode 4 and that bathhouse episode was pretty bad now in retrospect

Aug 5, 2024 5:02 AM

#29

Online

Jan 2009

102219

his problem is that its not hundreds of episodes to spotlight every character of a show like other battle shonen damn

Aug 5, 2024 5:21 AM

#30

Offline

Mar 2021

50

FiviG said:
@_Reas, that's definitely fair; some of its supposed character depth, etc., unfortunately, took a hit in its breakneck pacing, so imo if you're not there for the hype, it's just not the right show. I mean i do like the final conflict being a matter of philosophy i.e. what's better the infinite or as close to infinite as you can get in terms of personal growth?

Also, i think the drill is actually the perfect physical metaphor for "will to power". And I think this scale of conflict, all the way to the horizon of what's known, so in other words, scale invariance, is a really cool demonstration of that Nietzschian drive beyond death. There are smaller things as well, for instance, the way genetics is understood in GL has a "will to power" flare to it, i.e. it's not just deterministic.

But yeah the primary reason: it's gas, and lowkey it's Nietzschian gas. Also if you watch the second recap movie, the budget goes bazooka.

This type of story, though, i wouldn't want this to go on much longer. You can only look at a fractal for so long without feeling a little dizzy. In comparison, something like One Piece, which i'd argue is actually more similar than you might think, i.e. scale invariance, world gov = antispiral, pirate freedom = spiral freedom, haki = drill power, etc, is toooooooooo damn long. GL at least feels like lightning in a bottle.

Back to the negatives tho, i have other issues with GL, like the smaller moments of female objectification and homophobia, but for some reason, when Imaishi does something, it just feels a little more innocuous than when others do it; idk why. Maybe i'm just biased. If you're curious, check out Dead Leaves if you want to do more science, it's Imaishi distilled to a point. That still doesn't rectify my issues though, just softens them.

And yeah, at this point, me too, i have to be very careful what i'm watching, and when. It's really easy for me not to be in the headspace for a particular anime; check it anyway, then question why i was annoyed by it lolol. The science isn't usually worth it imo.

The pacing of the shows is very important and non-negligible. Gurren Lagann's pacing suits its narrative for sure and I like it.

The ancient issue of pacing of OP, as you said, is the biggest problem I have with it, that's why I don't hold it in that high regards as other people. You just cannot overlook it while watching. Also, it did expand the similar ideas way more, but it also has 1000+ episodes more, so it only make sense xd.

But back to the topic, I liked the the spiral life form theme, I always appreciate those being based on real science, as a to-be science-man myself xdd. Same with the space-time travel, 10th and 11th dimensions and other stuff. They really made it as "real" as it could be in the ridiculousness it became xdd
I found the philosophy of GL pretty straight forward (not trying to sound like I am the aristotle myself), I just wasn't so fascinated by it. Maybe I just don't know enough to appreciate it yet.

But that's why I made this thread, to let people help me to understand it better.

Aug 5, 2024 5:36 AM

#31

betaweeb

ranked 54 in FAL

Offline

Mar 2018

1508

It’s the most epic anime ever made, no offense brother, but if you’re starting to talk about other shows doing a similar plot better, you’re missing the point a bit.

We can talk about things like the presentation, overall production, direction, messaging and so on, but it doesn’t really need to provide more than the “hype” you’re referring to, just that element alone is enough to place gurren lagann as one of the greats by how incredible the execution of it was.

That said, I still wouldn’t say it’s better than hunter hunter lol. (Both are on my personal top 10)

Aug 5, 2024 5:37 AM

#32

Offline

Mar 2021

50

deg said:
his problem is that its not hundreds of episodes to spotlight every character of a show like other battle shonen damn

Not really. I'm just trying to let people tell me what they liked about it and maybe incoporate those things to my view, which can let me appreciate GL more. I like straightforward shows like Demon Slayer, tho it's not well thought masterpiece with insane foreahadowing or something, it's just not made to be that way. And I still enjoyed it plenty, but I wouldn't probably rated it 10/10 objectively, but subjectively it's nearly a 10 (just a nice ride with pretty animation).

Not trying to put GL on the same tier, just using an example to explain myself.

And I'm replying with the thoughts I have on the given opinions so we can discuss them, because I didn't notice everything in show for sure and I certainly have wrong takes on a lot of things (and Im dumb too xd).
I'm sure that there are more educated people here to correct me on the mentioned topics.

Aug 5, 2024 5:45 AM

#33

Online

Jan 2009

102219

@_Reas

if youre really serious i welcome you to watch this review https://youtu.be/VIiX4TL2_vg?si=86ouwP3OtmtkOMlr

Aug 5, 2024 5:47 AM

#34

Offline

Mar 2021

50

betaweeb said:
It’s the most epic anime ever made, no offense brother, but if you’re starting to talk about other shows doing a similar plot better, you’re missing the point a bit.

We can talk about things like the presentation, overall production, direction, messaging and so on, but it doesn’t really need to provide more than the “hype” you’re referring to, just that element alone is enough to place gurren lagann as one of the greats by how incredible the execution of it was.

That said, I still wouldn’t say it’s better than hunter hunter lol. (Both are on my personal top 10)

Oh, so basically you're saying that it's just an ultimate well rounded package with a great execution? I can agree on that. As I replied to someone, I think that execution was great, overall enjoyable anime. I'm just trying found out why it didn't hit the same spot for me.
Maybe I am not at the right spot and time in my life or something xd.
Or I'm forcing myself to find something wrong only because I can't understand, why I don't like it that much.
Or maybe I'm just me and I don't have to love every well recieved show.
But at least now I'm starting to understand why other people like it that much.

Thanks to all of you.

Aug 5, 2024 6:04 AM

#35

betaweeb

ranked 54 in FAL

Offline

Mar 2018

1508

_Reas said:

betaweeb said:
It’s the most epic anime ever made, no offense brother, but if you’re starting to talk about other shows doing a similar plot better, you’re missing the point a bit.

We can talk about things like the presentation, overall production, direction, messaging and so on, but it doesn’t really need to provide more than the “hype” you’re referring to, just that element alone is enough to place gurren lagann as one of the greats by how incredible the execution of it was.

That said, I still wouldn’t say it’s better than hunter hunter lol. (Both are on my personal top 10)

Oh, so basically you're saying that it's just an ultimate well rounded package with a great execution? I can agree on that. As I replied to someone, I think that execution was great, overall enjoyable anime. I'm just trying found out why it didn't hit the same spot for me.
Maybe I am not at the right spot and time in my life or something xd.
Or I'm forcing myself to find something wrong only because I can't understand, why I don't like it that much.
Or maybe I'm just me and I don't have to love every well recieved show.
But at least now I'm starting to understand why other people like it that much.

Thanks to all of you.

That’s perfectly legitimate, if a show needs to be more plot-centric or have a wider cast of more fleshed out characters for it to be a masterpiece for you, that’s completely fair.

But a lot of things can make a show special and even masterful to people that aren’t those elements and yeah, maybe with a different mindset or in another time you’d have liked it more.

Everybody has that one show people agree is the best that to them is just good, maybe ttgl is that one for you (mine is probably steins gate), or maybe a rewatch a few years from now would hit more for you, nothing wrong with these options.

Aug 5, 2024 6:30 AM

#36

Offline

Mar 2021

50

betaweeb said:

_Reas said:

Oh, so basically you're saying that it's just an ultimate well rounded package with a great execution? I can agree on that. As I replied to someone, I think that execution was great, overall enjoyable anime. I'm just trying found out why it didn't hit the same spot for me.
Maybe I am not at the right spot and time in my life or something xd.
Or I'm forcing myself to find something wrong only because I can't understand, why I don't like it that much.
Or maybe I'm just me and I don't have to love every well recieved show.
But at least now I'm starting to understand why other people like it that much.

Thanks to all of you.

That’s perfectly legitimate, if a show needs to be more plot-centric or have a wider cast of more fleshed out characters for it to be a masterpiece for you, that’s completely fair.

But a lot of things can make a show special and even masterful to people that aren’t those elements and yeah, maybe with a different mindset or in another time you’d have liked it more.

Everybody has that one show people agree is the best that to them is just good, maybe ttgl is that one for you (mine is probably steins gate), or maybe a rewatch a few years from now would hit more for you, nothing wrong with these options.

True. But I like to think that I can stand back and look at a show from an objective standpoint (which I know is a bold statement
).

For example, in case of FMAB, I can clearly tell that it's a very very well made show in all aspects and that it deserves the rating, but for me personally it didn't do as much emotionally as idk first time watching Naruto (tho Naruto it's a lot worse show overall).

So this was quite tricky for me, because I just couldn't see it as much in TTGL. But now i think I can and it's only because of all of you who commented (normal civilized discussion is kinda rare nowadays).

Aug 5, 2024 6:42 AM

#37

Jmob1

Offline

Mar 2023

48

the quotes and it's main message really. it's literally the human spirit personified for 27 episodes. other shows that you say tackle the same ideas are probably stuff like black clover but they're actually completely different. black clover is 170 episodes and not done. gurren lagaan does its shit and gets out in 27 episodes. its whole idea is humans are dumb but persevere and fight and it doesn't waste time on anything else

Aug 5, 2024 6:43 AM

#38

Online

Jan 2009

102219

Reply to Jmob1

the quotes and it's main message really. it's literally the human spirit personified for 27 episodes. other shows that you say tackle the same ideas are probably stuff like black clover but they're actually completely different. black clover is 170 episodes and not done. gurren lagaan does its shit and gets out in 27 episodes. its whole idea is humans are dumb but persevere and fight and it doesn't waste time on anything else

@Jmob1 exactly quality > quantity

also there is no originality anymore in any entertainment but just better execution if you want to find something original in gurren lagann

Aug 5, 2024 6:46 AM

#39

Jmob1

Offline

Mar 2023

48

deg said:
@Jmob1 exactly quality > quantity

also there is no originality anymore in any entertainment but just better execution if you want to find something original in gurren lagann

exactly. it's not like nothing else ever has the same theme as gurren lagaan. it's just nothing else does it like ttgl does

Aug 5, 2024 7:06 AM

#40

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Mar 2021

50

deg said:
@_Reas

if youre really serious i welcome you to watch this review https://youtu.be/VIiX4TL2_vg?si=86ouwP3OtmtkOMlr

Okay, I've watched it. I agree on most of what the guys said, if it's THE BEST ANIME EVER xdd I would leave that for everyone to reconsider themselves xdd (it was funny).

I don't think that I learned something new watching the video. Maybe the scene in the beginning, when Yoko looks puzzled, which means to represent us, idk I was confused the same way xd. Or I knew that Nia was support character to Simon, but I didn't link her directly to Kamina.
The video itself was good ofc, nice review and explanation. But realised, that my problem wasn't not understanding the premise (not to sound arrogant, but I study biology and have read few a philosophers), but pointless focus on things, that weren't that important. Maybe unconciously comparing it to AoT or something.

But after reading all of your comments and also watching this video I was able to avert my eyes and look at the strong points of Gurren Lagann.

Also, after the point in the end that he made in the video, when Simon and Rossiu decided to take together the middle path, balancing infinite possible evolution of spiral races (which leads to destruction) and controlled evolution (capped), doesn't make that much sense to me.
Because Rossiu understood, that they need each other and became the best possible commander or whatever, so they can maximize the freedom without threatening the universe, but if they are long gone, wouldn't the history repeat itself?
Do you think that they can somehow insure that they won't become another version of antispiral race, when humans and other spiral races start rebellions after they realize, they cannot evolve as much as they want?

I'm curious now :)

Aug 5, 2024 7:08 AM

#41

Online

Jan 2009

102219

Reply to _Reas

deg said:
@_Reas

if youre really serious i welcome you to watch this review https://youtu.be/VIiX4TL2_vg?si=86ouwP3OtmtkOMlr

Okay, I've watched it. I agree on most of what the guys said, if it's THE BEST ANIME EVER xdd I would leave that for everyone to reconsider themselves xdd (it was funny).

I don't think that I learned something new watching the video. Maybe the scene in the beginning, when Yoko looks puzzled, which means to represent us, idk I was confused the same way xd. Or I knew that Nia was support character to Simon, but I didn't link her directly to Kamina.
The video itself was good ofc, nice review and explanation. But realised, that my problem wasn't not understanding the premise (not to sound arrogant, but I study biology and have read few a philosophers), but pointless focus on things, that weren't that important. Maybe unconciously comparing it to AoT or something.

But after reading all of your comments and also watching this video I was able to avert my eyes and look at the strong points of Gurren Lagann.

Also, after the point in the end that he made in the video, when Simon and Rossiu decided to take together the middle path, balancing infinite possible evolution of spiral races (which leads to destruction) and controlled evolution (capped), doesn't make that much sense to me.
Because Rossiu understood, that they need each other and became the best possible commander or whatever, so they can maximize the freedom without threatening the universe, but if they are long gone, wouldn't the history repeat itself?
Do you think that they can somehow insure that they won't become another version of antispiral race, when humans and other spiral races start rebellions after they realize, they cannot evolve as much as they want?

I'm curious now :)

@_Reas i say like everything in life there are ups and downs and they are all temporary so there is no such thing as permanent peace anyway

and nice that you watch the 40 minute review the reviewer is very funny

Aug 5, 2024 7:10 AM

#42

Offline

Mar 2021

50

Jmob1 said:

deg said:
@Jmob1 exactly quality > quantity

also there is no originality anymore in any entertainment but just better execution if you want to find something original in gurren lagann

exactly. it's not like nothing else ever has the same theme as gurren lagaan. it's just nothing else does it like ttgl does

Yep, seems like that's the answer to "what's so good on TTGL" that everyone can agree on :)

Aug 5, 2024 7:14 AM

#43

Offline

Mar 2021

50

deg said:
@_Reas i say like everything in life there are ups and downs and they are all temporary so there is no such thing as permanent peace anyway

and nice that you watch the 40 minute review the reviewer is very funny

Although I basically said I "knew it all" xdd it surely wasn't waste of time. Every opinion, and mainly this kind of researched and based opinion, is important a matters to me. That guy is the best guy ever xd.

Aug 5, 2024 7:23 AM

#44

Armaldork

Offline

May 2024

12

Gurren Lagann is one of the only Anime I cam say genuinely motivated me when I watched it, Kamina and Simons inspirational words are permanently burnt into my brain and I think of them all the time. Other then that I think the progression of the story is ridiculous and exciting and seeing how the characters Like Simon, Rossiu and Veral grow is really rewarding.

I personally Love Gurren Lagann more then HxH but I still Think HxH is a better show. with More consistent animation, stronger Characters and better writing. I think the big thing is Gurren Lagann really leaves a big impact on people that watch it at the right time in their life, when they need that person in their ear motivating the to keep going.

Aug 5, 2024 7:27 AM

#45

TASM18

Offline

Dec 2021

209

the themes of maturity and growing up really stuck with me.

Aug 5, 2024 8:27 AM

#46

Offline

Apr 2016

46

Reply to _Reas

FiviG said:
@_Reas, that's definitely fair; some of its supposed character depth, etc., unfortunately, took a hit in its breakneck pacing, so imo if you're not there for the hype, it's just not the right show. I mean i do like the final conflict being a matter of philosophy i.e. what's better the infinite or as close to infinite as you can get in terms of personal growth?

Also, i think the drill is actually the perfect physical metaphor for "will to power". And I think this scale of conflict, all the way to the horizon of what's known, so in other words, scale invariance, is a really cool demonstration of that Nietzschian drive beyond death. There are smaller things as well, for instance, the way genetics is understood in GL has a "will to power" flare to it, i.e. it's not just deterministic.

But yeah the primary reason: it's gas, and lowkey it's Nietzschian gas. Also if you watch the second recap movie, the budget goes bazooka.

This type of story, though, i wouldn't want this to go on much longer. You can only look at a fractal for so long without feeling a little dizzy. In comparison, something like One Piece, which i'd argue is actually more similar than you might think, i.e. scale invariance, world gov = antispiral, pirate freedom = spiral freedom, haki = drill power, etc, is toooooooooo damn long. GL at least feels like lightning in a bottle.

Back to the negatives tho, i have other issues with GL, like the smaller moments of female objectification and homophobia, but for some reason, when Imaishi does something, it just feels a little more innocuous than when others do it; idk why. Maybe i'm just biased. If you're curious, check out Dead Leaves if you want to do more science, it's Imaishi distilled to a point. That still doesn't rectify my issues though, just softens them.

And yeah, at this point, me too, i have to be very careful what i'm watching, and when. It's really easy for me not to be in the headspace for a particular anime; check it anyway, then question why i was annoyed by it lolol. The science isn't usually worth it imo.

The pacing of the shows is very important and non-negligible. Gurren Lagann's pacing suits its narrative for sure and I like it.

The ancient issue of pacing of OP, as you said, is the biggest problem I have with it, that's why I don't hold it in that high regards as other people. You just cannot overlook it while watching. Also, it did expand the similar ideas way more, but it also has 1000+ episodes more, so it only make sense xd.

But back to the topic, I liked the the spiral life form theme, I always appreciate those being based on real science, as a to-be science-man myself xdd. Same with the space-time travel, 10th and 11th dimensions and other stuff. They really made it as "real" as it could be in the ridiculousness it became xdd
I found the philosophy of GL pretty straight forward (not trying to sound like I am the aristotle myself), I just wasn't so fascinated by it. Maybe I just don't know enough to appreciate it yet.

But that's why I made this thread, to let people help me to understand it better.

@_Reas Yeah, the pseudo-science was actually kinda cool; funnily enough, I don't think people ever highlight that.

To your point, i don't think the philosophy is necessarily that deep, just kinda cool that it can be strapped to a real philosopher. Also, at the end, i guess you could say it's hardly a philosophical dilemma since the show so ardently says to choose the infinite (at least when needed).

Another thing you might find interesting is looking at this show in terms of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. In some ways, i think it works; in some ways, i think it doesn't. Why does it work? Because it gets harder and harder to actualize the closer you reach the point of "transcendence". If you look at the obstacles Simone faces, you can see that. The stakes increase to the point that he actually gets locked in a different dimension (one where he is relatively safe; therefore, basic needs are met), and he has to transcend that reality by conceptualizing (therefore, actualizing) himself differently.

In some ways, this dimension test was actually the final test because if he can transcend existence, he can surely succeed over the existent (i.e., the antispiral, the beings defined by boundaries, in other words, "what is"). Therefore, by the final battle, you know success is already in the bag.

Why doesn't this reading work? Because as you travel up the hierarchy, things become less bodily existential (i.e. physical safety), whereas in GL, things become arguably more materially existential. Like not only are you in danger but now the world is, now galaxies are, etc.

Lastly, it's kinda cool that, geometrically speaking, the hierarchy of needs is a triangle. Why is it cool? because triangles can be thought of as the shadow of a 3d cone (or pyramid), and obviously, a 3d cone can be a drill. So, maybe in some ways, GL is self-actualize the series too lolol. But then again maybe not.

edit* lastly lastly, the spiral that's supposed to highlight genetics and evolution can be a 2d representation of cone from the bottom, therefore representing a drill. (in other words, circles with vanishing points imply cones.)
So from the side profile, we potentially have the hierarchy of needs; underneath and looking up, we potentially have the will to power. It's why the drill i think is the perfect physical embodiment of what the show wanted to get across, it's aesthetic and implementation are not just thematically cohesive, they might literally be superimposed.

FiviGAug 5, 2024 9:05 AM

Aug 5, 2024 8:51 AM

#47

Offline

Apr 2016

46

As an aside, i actually got the most emotional impact from Lord Genome. The (small) nuance added to his character was cool. Like initially, he thought what he was doing was the right thing, which it clearly wasn't, which he eventually realizes. But more so than that, I love how he found confidence in himself again after being devoid of it for so long.

That scene where he gears back up (I think it was related to them being in that dimensional state, doubling down on this idea of transcending existence) is probably the most diesel moment in the show for me because it highlights an important idea the creators wanted to make: it's never too late to imagine different, to have will, to actualize, to transcend, to be the person you want to be.

I think Genome is actually the character for the older viewers in the room; disillusioned by the harshness of life, we may realize we've become things we never would have wanted to be when we were younger, like a coward or worse a bad father. Sure, he's still a dirtbag, but by the end of the series i don't hate him which says something to the sympathy that can be generated once people take responsibility for their actions, once they choose differently. (It also helps he's got like the coolest mech in the series too lol). And lastly, also shows how infectious confidence is, which is why Simone is the MC.

FiviGAug 5, 2024 9:06 AM

Aug 5, 2024 9:29 AM

#48