Gurren Lagann, known as Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann in Japan is an original anime spanning 27 episodes. This is an over the top mecha anime and it knows it. It has so much fun throwing out random stuff each episode that you can't help but smile and be pleasantly surprised. The story takes place on Earth in the future where humanity has been forced into the undergrounds. As the protagonists, Simon and Kamina, discovers, this is because Beastmen who pilots gigantic mecha known as Gunmen, come at sunrise to attack any humans on the surface before retreating at night. This immediately creates an intriguing plot thread as the protagonists sets out on a journey to discover the secrets of this mystery.
In order to be able to stand up to these Gunmen (who will turn up no matter what, at the worst possible time), Simon and Kamina has access to their own Gunmen, which are able to combine to form the titular Gurren Lagann. What seems like stock footage is shown when those two combine and while it is fairly cool for the first few times, it feels overused thereafter even though there are some differences each time it is used.
During their journey, they meet other characters and their group grows bigger, including the fan service girl, Yoko. Gurren Lagann is unique in that it is extremely lively and feels like the classic anime from the 1990s, filled with refreshing ideas and lack of strictness that allows it to break free to try new things. Eventually, the band of characters known as Team Gurren, become a formidable force marching towards the city of the Beastmen.
The anime packs a big surprise one-third of the way through. Up until that point, it had a more depressing tone as the characters find out how oppressed humanity truly was. With each human village being isolated from the rest, and the never ending onslaught of the Gunmen, it is thanks to Kamina's brashness and his attitude of constantly moving forward that gives the series its atmosphere. The tonal shift then happens and shying away from aimlessly wandering around Earth, they have a destination in mind and an objective.
The surprise event also forces Simon to undergo heavy character development, finally propelling him above Kamina as the true protagonist of the series. Then as kind of expected since the characters were getting very close to their goal by that time, they reach their destination by midway through the series. The resulting battle between the Beastman and humans were action packed and really brings out the emotions that comes from having your teammates back you up. The designs of the mechas are different than you would expect. Some have odd proportions (with a tendency for short stubby mechas) but most of them for whatever reason has a gigantic face as the torso. Even the titular mecha, Gurren Lagann, isn't exempt from this.
While Yoko is the main source of fan service, there are a lot of scenes involving a few other characters. Fan service isn't too extremely in most cases in the anime so it doesn't detract too much from what's happening in the plot. Most of the times, it is just strategic camera angles and beach scenes. You can't help but get excited whenever a fight scene is coming up since it usually comes with some interesting over-the-top action sequences. The rapid camera shifts and quick movements is a joy to watch. Gurren Lagann's multiple and adaptable weaponry is just icing on the cake.
Midway through the series, another significant event happens and this time it is a lot more drastic. The show then wastes an episode providing a clip show before it takes on a completely different tone and direction. It gives insight to what happened in the first half of the series. The only real negative is that various characters undergo character developments... into unlikable characters. It feels like people eventually do not appreciate what Simon and Kamina had done, which is frustrating and feels like a significant betrayal. However, this is the point where the story actually starts proper.
There are a few emotional scenes where it can be somewhat painful. The characters that you have gotten to know, suddenly either change or leave, and it feels like a big shame. The ultimate objective for the characters is finally revealed and while it is on a huge scale, at the same time, it doesn't feel like it deserved all that suspense and build up. The final seven or so episodes are the best among the series. At this point, it culminates into an amazing finale as the characters band together, showcase their teamwork and get even more over the top in order to defeat the enemy. While a few characters go astray, you can see the core theme of the anime shining through, being that if you have the spirit, you can achieve anything. This works really well especially with the amount of emotion in the voice acting.
As everything becomes bigger and better, you start to wonder when it will start to hit the cap. It never does, all the way until the ending, it keeps breaking your expectations. From the sacrifices that each character makes, to the truly spectacular final battle between two massive mechas, no matter what you thought of Gurren Lagann before, the last episode will make you glad you watched it. Overall, Gurren Lagann is an excellent action packed anime. The first half can feel predictable and nothing overly special. However, the second half rapidly increases the stakes and the driving force behind the characters, leading to an amazing ending.
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