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As this is a review of the Japanese dub, I'll be using the respective Japanese character names. That being said, this is a goofy anime from the 60s, no matter what language you watch it in. People going in expecting: a coherent and satisfying plot, fleshed out characters, or even good animation, look elsewhere. People willing to put some "work" in to enjoy this series will find themselves in for an undeniable treat: every race is deadly, with Go's fellow racers dying in firey, explosive crashes; endless innovative problem solving, like when Go narrowly avoids being buried to death in a car avalanche by driving ... ON TOP of the avalanche instead! There's a lot to love, if you want to.

There is no overarching plot, although some continuity does develop. Stories are wrapped up in one or two episodes, without exception. The animation is bad, sometimes the camera is out of focus, or the shadow of a finger creeps into the corner of the shot. It was the 60s, I wouldn't call it a golden era for TV generally.

I highly recommend this for anyone that enjoys things "so bad it's good", and people that can get hype for random car explosions and gun shootouts. If that type of humor doesn't appeal to you, don't torture yourself, this show is objectively terrible.

Let me start off by saying that Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is a rather enjoyable anime. After watching it I did not feel as though my time had been wasted, or would have been better spent watching some other anime. However, there were a few things I took issue with that had me a bit disappointed after hearing the stellar reviews.

The characters themselves are all very charming. Kamina serves as a great motivator--not only for the other characters in the anime, but for the viewers as well. Simon's struggles with self-doubt early on are very believable, and has you rooting for him all the ... way. Much to the credit of the show, the characters and their personalities are not stagnant, and you see a lot of growth throughout. Simon fills into his role as pilot of Lagan rather nicely, as opposed to being cursed with self-doubt for its entirety. After all, who wants to see some punk who never has any confidence in himself, despite getting plenty of experience?

I will say, however, that it is rather frustrating the way everything always "works out." The cast constantly faces new, and more difficult struggles, but you can hardly appreciate it considering there is always some "ace-in-the-hole" they're sure to pull out along the way. At first it is rather exciting, but by the end of the anime it gets a bit frustrating, and you have to wonder if they'll ever reach the bottom of their hat tricks. I fully understand that the whole point of the anime is centered around evolution, but it's not much fun if the characters always have something new up their sleeves without even having to try.

Not to mention the mechas (or Ganmen) themselves are constantly conveniently upgraded. After being suppressed underground so long, how can they so easily integrate new technologies? It hit a bit of a sore spot with me, as it was just one more thing that came a little too easily in the show.

The artwork itself was refreshing. The Ganmen themselves were very unique, drawn not in the usual, run-of-the-mill way seen in so many other mecha anime. At first I wasn't sure how I felt about that, but in the end they won my heart over by taking a step away from the usual. Yoko is, of course, gorgeous to look at, but the viewer isn't hit with so much fanservice it's disgusting. Simon's design evolves along with his character--using a more childish design at first to emphasize his naivity and lack of confidence, but then giving him a much stronger look later on to better suit his leadership position.

Overall, I would say Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagan was an enjoyable watch. I probably won't be recommending it to any of my friends as a "must see," but I certainly wouldn't dissuade anyone from seeing it.