Tuesday, December 05, 2000

Gurren Lagann review

Gurren Lagann is what happens when you ask Studio Gainax, of Evangelion and FLCL fame, to make a saturday morning cartoon. It is a mecha anime made in the spirit of legendary shows like Getter Robo and Mazinger Z. The plot starts off with blood brothers Kamina and Simon fed up with life in their underground village, when suddenly a giant mecha known as a "gunmen" crashes through the roof, followed by a buxom babe by the name of Yoko fighting it with an oversized sniper rifle. And over the course of 27 episodes it spirals out of control and turns into the most over-the-top crazy awesome show in existence. To put it bluntly, in the Gurren Lagann universe, sheer force of will is enough to break the laws of physics. That is not an exaggeration, that is canon.

Most of the talk of this show refer to it's sheer badassery and fanservice, so some poor individual with no knowledge of the show might think it's nothing more than a Michael Bay movie put in animated form. That is utter bull, for Gurren Lagann has some of the most memorable characters I've seen in an anime, as well as a rather interesting plot, two things lacking in most Bay films. Characters like Yoko, who you would think would be nothing more than eye candy, are given some very good character development. You become so attached to these people that when some of them are killed, you feel it. It honestly made me cry. And if it can make my cry, I consider it art. Gurren Lagann is something everybody, not just anime fans, need to see.

4/5

No comments :