Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann

Drills. If there was ever a show about drills, this is definitely it. This is one of the more whacky series, by any standards, because it turns every so-called cliche into something ridiculous – and I say ridiculous because you’re not the only one facepalming when you watch this. The characters in the show are too.

I’m not going to talk about story much, because if you’re a fan of this kind of anime, you most likely watched it by now, and if you’re not, well, i’m pretty sure it’s not going to change your mind. Avoiding spoilers, I can say that the story is divided into 3 arcs. In the first arc, the characters are introduced in a jaw-dropping fashion, with plenty of over-the-top action scenes to keep you wanting more. In the second arc, things get serious, but also more zany, as the attack moves and such get even more flashy and thus impossible to comprehend. The third arc slows down for a bit, but the fights are more of the same – they just keep surprising you and fuliflling your expectations, building up to the series’ finale, which is, by far. epic. And i believe “epic” is an understatement. By the end of the series, all the whackiness will have been explained by the background upon which the story is based.

The story deserves more space in this blog though, so i’m gonna tell you this. It has some great existential motifs and underlying meaning, which does not impose – if you don’t care about it, it’s like it was never there. It’s fast-paced. Aside from the 3rd arc, in which the combat slows down for a while, there’s always something happening — never a dull moment.

Which brings me to combat. That’s the main thing in a mecha anime, right ? Well then, let me tell you that TTGL does everything you’ve ever seen in others, and better. By brushing aside the cliche factor, it manages to be fresh, and thus enjoyable. To achieve this level of awesomeness, the show’s art style is different, with a contrast between thick lines and contourless shapes, and the animation is fluid enough to allow your eyes to keep track of what happens on-screen at any given time. The soundtrack is awesome, and is a great fit for any situation. The same can be said about the voice acting, which properly does its job by bringing the characters to life. Everything blends, and it does so with a bang.

It has style, it has substance, it has a great story, great combat and no filler episodes – go get it.

Fetch.