Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

Simon and Kamina were born and raised in a deep, underground village, hidden from the fabled surface. Kamina is a free-spirited loose cannon bent on making a name for himself, while Simon is a timid young boy with no real aspirations. One day while excavating the earth, Simon stumbles upon a mysterious object that turns out to be the ignition key to an ancient artifact of war, which the duo dubs Lagann. Using their new weapon, Simon and Kamina fend off a surprise attack from the surface with the help of Yoko Littner, a hot-blooded redhead wielding a massive gun who wanders the world above.

In the aftermath of the battle, the sky is now in plain view, prompting Simon and Kamina to set off on a journey alongside Yoko to explore the wastelands of the surface. Soon, they join the fight against the "Beastmen," humanoid creatures that terrorize the remnants of humanity in powerful robots called "Gunmen." Although they face some challenges and setbacks, the trio bravely fights these new enemies alongside other survivors to reclaim the surface, while slowly unraveling a galaxy-sized mystery.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Kamina Main

Konishi, Katsuyuki Japanese

Simon Main

Kakihara, Tetsuya Japanese

Littner, Yoko Main

Inoue, Marina Japanese

Teppelin, Nia Main

Fukui, Yukari Japanese

Viral Supporting

Hiyama, Nobuyuki Japanese

Bachika, Kittan Supporting

Taniyama, Kishou Japanese

Boota Supporting

Itou, Shizuka Japanese

Lordgenome Supporting

Ikeda, Narushi Japanese

Littner, Leeron Supporting

Onosaka, Masaya Japanese

Adai, Rossiu Supporting

Nakata, Jouji Japanese

Kamagata, Eiichi Producer

Takeda, Yasuhiro Producer

Akai, Takami Producer

Yamakawa, Norio Producer

Reviews

Apr 22, 2025

prakhargr8

Recommended

Gurren Lagann is not just an anime, it’s a defiant roar of passion, ambition, and the unrelenting human spirit that dares viewers to believe in the impossible.

The series presents a visually eccentric yet thematically energetic narrative, anchored by high-octane action and a soundtrack that seamlessly complements its relentless momentum. Its world-building is pronounced, providing just enough foundation to support the increasingly ambitious and audacious set pieces. While its art style may come off as unpolished and quirky, it maintains a coherent and unique charm that perfectly matches the anime’s larger-than-life tone.

Character development isn't its strongest suit, but that very flaw becomes part of the show's ... endearing identity. Even in the face of major narrative climaxes, the protagonists remain largely unchanged, undaunted and persistent in their ideals of hope, courage, and unyielding optimism. This unwavering idealism, though occasionally lacking in introspection, remains thematically consistent but most importantly emotionally resonant.

The series leans into impulsive bravery, often sidestepping the full weight of consequences leaving the Kamina arc but it doesn't fail to string together the end with an even heightened purpose. Despite its hyperbolic execution, the storytelling amplifies the stakes with an intensity that borders on the poetic. Escalating battles, increasing responsibilities, and a relentless forward momentum are presented with such visual grandeur and emotional conviction that it's impossible to turn an eye away.

Gurren Lagann is a blazing anthem of raw emotion and unfiltered heroism, maybe messy but none the less absolutely unforgettable

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Feb 22, 2025

ibernard

Mixed Feelings

I'd recommend this to more hardcore anime fans, but not to newbies or casual fans. It's not bad but not great. The beginning is more wishy washy. It's quirky and fun, but also takes some time to get to anything really memorable or interesting. Once it does it picks up quite a bit, but this is like halfway through the series. Even then, the action makes no sense. It's literally, we believe in ourselves so, our powers work better. Very immature, but still done in a way that's quite likable I will add. It has some mature themes mixed in with it and reminds me ... of some of the American stuff you see that is also immature but mixed with mature themes that are really aimed more at adults. I'd say this does better than all of those though. It's a fun ride, but not something I'd really rave about either.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Nov 16, 2024

clarkr

Not Recommended

Funny

If you consider yourself an anime fan, you'll probably like this. But if you're like me and think that 90% of anime produced is unwatchable garbage, this will probably bore you out of your mind—at least the first half will. The second half is a bit more engaging, but as a whole, this show is just a bunch of uninspired tropes. Not a single character is unique or interesting; they're all the most basic anime stereotypes imaginable. The plot is kinda interesting? But the show spends way too much time introducing me to characters I don't care about, which drags on the story to the ... point that I'm uninterested in what is happening, especially in the first half.

This is a Mecha show, so I assume that the appeal for most people watching this is the Mecha fights, but I found them unbelievably boring to watch. The choreography is practically nonexistent, and the end result of every battle is predictable after episode one. The animation is technically impressive, but the choreography isn't appealing or interesting to look at, and none of the characters are compelling enough for me to have any emotional stake in the outcome of any battle. Also, the fights just don't seem real. It doesn't feel like a giant robot is punching and shooting lasers; it instead feels like I'm watching someone play with action figures. There's no gravity or power behind anything happening. The only fight where this was done well (and the only fight in the show that I actually liked) was in episode 3, and it wasn’t even a Mecha fight.

At the end of the day, this is one of the most boring and generic anime I've ever seen. How far Gainax has fallen. You'll like this if you watch shows like "Reincarnated in another world with my girlfriend but I'm level 100000 and she's my pet" or some shit. Though I can't recommend it because of the gross fan service. Leave it to Japan to degrade and objectify women.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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