Gurren Lagann

[regasssa]

OMFGYOUGUYS. If you haven't seen this series, or you've picked up the beginning of it and gone "Oh hell, this is totally not something I can get into" like I did (hahah, but I kept watching because I am bored stiff cool like that), then for heaven's sake go and watch it. And I mean stick out all of the tomfoolery at the beginning, because the set up is half of what makes the rest of the series so poignant and beautiful. Shit. I can't say more without spoilering, and if you have watched it, you'll understand all of my glee much better than I can ever explain it. God.

GO AND WATCH IT NOW DAMN IT. YOU WON'T REGRET IT. OKAY, SO YOU MIGHT FOR LIKE FOUR EPISODES, IF YOU DON'T ADAPT WELL TO WEIRD MINI-MECHA...BUT IF YOU DON'T STICK IT OUT, I WILL BE MISERABLE IN YOUR GENERAL DIRECTION.

Spoilers under the cut (for Bleach and for TTGL, and actually, for Weiss Kreuz: Gluhen too.)

So I should be asleep, but I just finished Tengen Topper Gurren Lagann and I have to say something to someone about it before I explode. And also OMG the anime made me cry and I haven't cried at anime...ah...since I watched the last episode of Weiss Kreuz: Gluhen. (I think, tbh, that I will cry during Ulquiorra's final scene. Because it looks like it's going to be one of those kind of things...) Oh but...shit. Wow.

Okay, so I can't really fluently explain what I adore about this series. I tried to tell my sister earlier, but she just kept taking the piss out of the fact that there was a mecha called Rasengan, and that they were called Rasenjin, and I just wanted to throw something at her by the end of the conversation, which is not a productive argument. It certainly doesn't help me win.

But...episode eight really set all of the rest of it up so absolutely beautifully, don't you think? Kamina and Simon and Viral... The end, even in as much as I didn't like Nia, and everyone joining together and Boota. I can't even begin to explain it, you know. Also, I swear there have never been so many main characters killed within so few minutes of each other. Real tears. It was heartfelt and lovely and the political vibes were there, and humanity's survivalism and OMGVIRALANDHISALTERNATEDIMENSIONFAMILY. Do I need to say more?

I need slashy fic of this now -- Y!Gallery did not have anywhere near as much Viral art as I needed, and he is gorgeous. The whole of the ending leaves plenty to be explored and gah -- can has Death Row Sex, please? PRETTY PLEASE?! And quite possibly some smut with Viral/Simon or Kamina/Simon and him wearing that fucking collar over the open shirt because jkfjdkjhfjkdjhfhjsgfl! Doesn't anyone love me enough to do that?!

I think I'm done now... Thoughts of slashiness have erased my tears. *smirk*

Comments

[misumisu84.livejournal.com]

I haven't watched this since soon after Kamina died, I really lost interest. So it's worth finishing?

[regasssa.livejournal.com]

I've read that a lot of people stopped watching after Kamina died, or that they've heard he's going to so they're not going to bother, and that really makes me sad because his character is so damned important to the rest of the series because of his death. It's the driving force behind the growth of the other characters -- and of course there's a timeskip at around episode 13, so you get to see how the characters grow up, and how that is still with them; how they've never forgotten, how Simon's relationship with him has helped him to become the person he is now, etc. And then finally it comes full circle, and the end is just so beautiful. I would encourage you to keep watching, because if anything the second half of the series sold me on it. I was so impressed by the whole thing.

[misumisu84.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the info. I guess for me, is that I loved his character so much that I was crushed, and it made it hard for me. Once I've caught up on a couple of series, I'll give it another go.

[regasssa.livejournal.com]

You're meant to love his character that much, heh - that's why he's written that way at the beginning of the series. You're supposed to be mourning him a little bit with them, too, and so when things are really getting tough you're going 'Come on Simon, get it together, or what the hell did he die for, anyway?!' and then when he does you're kind of proud of him. My favourite moment is still going to be when Viral finds out... *zips lips closed*

[misumisu84.livejournal.com]

... *curious now*

[salzraender.livejournal.com]

gurren lagann!! ♥

[regasssa.livejournal.com]

<3 In so many words, yes.

[hajhaj.livejournal.com]

Fuuuu Gurren Lagann <333

Kamina is my hero, oh so manry~

[regasssa.livejournal.com]

*throws sakura petals over you in sheer devotion and icon love*

Gah. I need icon space now. I need like...so much icon space. And some porn, please. *whimpers* I think I'm gonna suffer some kind of withdrawal, or something.

Kamina is awesome, isn't he? And the finale~

[ohthelulz.livejournal.com]

HOLY SHIT YOUR ICON

♥__________♥

[hajhaj.livejournal.com]

Fuck yea ;D

[otaku-revey.livejournal.com]

I still haven't finished it. T__T I'm at episode 8, and I've heard all the spoilers, so I know when each character dies, what happens, etc. but I still want to see it. just. haven't had the time/gotten the chance, lol.

and Kamina/Simon yes plz.

[regasssa.livejournal.com]

Make time. Oh god, make time please. After episode 8 is where things really start getting exciting.

Your icon makes me jealous! I need space! *cries* And now Aizen is giving me -that- look again...

[misumaru.livejournal.com]

I so need to watch this! XD And not just because of pretty Ggio's voice (heh, and Shuuhei's). My love of giant robots hitting things has recently been reawakened and I need to watch more!

I'm not looking forward to 8 though. I know what happens. ;_;

[regasssa.livejournal.com]

Watch it now (and not just because of Ggio and Shuuhei and Shinji), watch it because you love me watch it because you want to give yourself the gift of having watched something unbelievably awesome all the way through. Honestly...so fucking impressed.

Number 8 is a Key Moment, you know? It's gotta happen to make the rest of the series that much more awesome. My favourite moment in the whole series happens as a direct result of episode 8.

:D

[ohthelulz.livejournal.com]

♥______________________♥

YES I LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCHHHHH

Here have some Parallel Works you might like them with the possible exception of 5? Why Gimmy why.

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=5D860D8107AAB0A4&search_query=gurren+lagann+parallel+works

Re: :D

[regasssa.livejournal.com]

ISN'T IT OMG SO DAMN AWESOME?!

AND FJFKJDSKLJFDJOQPKLJLAKJ WHEN VIRAL FINDS OUT ABOUT WHO'S REALLY FLYING GURREN LAGANN...BEST MOMENT EVER OMG!

Gah.

I am never going to get over how awesome this is. I'm going to have to upgrade LJ to have more icon space for sure now.

[ldybastet.livejournal.com]

I think the only way I could watch this, what with far too many of the main characters dying all over the place, is by distancing myself to the point where I don't care about any of the characters. I think that would mean I wouldn't like it much, though.

Gundam 00 pulled the whole "let's kill the main characters off" on me without me knowing beforehand and the emotional punch from that was so bad that I haven't been able to even watch the last episode of the first season or go one beyond that. So... I'll say that I'm very, very grateful that you pointed out that Guren kills off the people the viewer likes/loves too. :D Now I know that I shouldn't watch it. I have fic to write so I can't deal with triggery stuff and depression right now.

I hope you find the slashy fic you need! :)

[regasssa.livejournal.com]

See, since you read the spoilers already, I'll not be gentle~

There's one main character that is really the drive behind the beginning of the series, and his death is one that I've noted lots of people use as a reason to stop watching 'Why should I watch it when he's dead?' as though the series has no worth at all otherwise, but the series uses it as a catalyst to make the other characters better -- to force them to go beyond their limits and become stronger. When the other characters are lost, it's right at the end, where they're fighting the final boss, as it were, for the freedom of the human race -- and it's more like...you feel that there is a reason for it. Right at the end it's their strength that helps the remaining characters to escape the place inside their minds where they've been trapped, and I found it awesome and inspiring rather than depressing -- when I cried, it was from a kind of bittersweet joy, rather than abject misery.

Most of the series is pretty sweet-natured, and Shinji's voice actor as Leeron makes me giggle right up to the end. So I really do recommend it if you feel like you have the peace of mind at any point. I'm genuinely happy that I did. Unlike Deathnote, which I think wore down until the end, and the finales really stung (as I always knew they were going to), this series just left me with a clinging happy feeling.

And of course there's the slashiness. I will have to hunt it out.

[ldybastet.livejournal.com]

Yay, spoilers! :) (I've learned to seek them out to not get nasty shocks.)

I can sort of understand both their reaction and the other viewpoint as well. It's so much like how things were handled in Gundam 00 too. I think this has to do with the difference between a plot-driven story and a character-driven. It sounds to me from what you've said that Gurren is plot-driven and the characters are there to act it out, and therefore, well, bad things like death will happen to them, because the plot is more important than they are, their acts are important to move the plot forward and to illustrate it, but the plot itself is a larger "character" in the story than they are. In a character-driven story, characters' lives are seldom sacrificed. (Kyou Kara Maou comes into my mind as an example of this.)

I have a tendency to get too attached to characters, so it's really hard for me to watch something where their lives are just there to drive plot forward and to be used as pawns. (Which is probably too harsh a word for it, but I hope you understand what I mean.)

Both types of stories are good, of course! :) But I think there's a group of people who'll prefer one over the other. I guess I'm in the group who sort of need a happy-ever-after-ending or an open-ended one were I can imagine the characters living on.

I have noticed though, that if I watch a series quickly, without having to wait a week between episodes, it's easier for me to deal with character death. Maybe because I haven't had tome to really start loving them. I'm too soft-hearted! *g*

Death Note was one that I watched over just a few days, and even though the huge character death hurt like hell, I could go on watching, but I have to admit that my silly little heart was in denial for a long time. And I cheered at the end when because I really wanted to see his arse nailed. Although, I was sad, because I still thought it was the wrong guy who defeated him. Ah well. No, I never liked Raito. :D

I'll try Gurren out when I think I can take it, though. Because it does sound good.

[suna-no-naoko.livejournal.com]

Fish has been nagging me to watch this for a while now... How many episodes is it?

[regasssa.livejournal.com]

27 in total, running time 23 minutes each, about.

OMGPLEASEWATCHIT

[suna-no-naoko.livejournal.com]

*adds it to Summer List*

[duowolf.livejournal.com]

Thankfully when I started watching Gurren Lagann I knew nothing about it and as such was able to watch it spolier free and it had so much more impct that way.

Also Viral is love. As a fan of the guy you should really watch the Viral special it is possably one of the funniest things I've ever seen. I couldn't stop laughing the whole time.Here's a link for the torrent:
http://www.mininova.org/get/2439824

[regasssa.livejournal.com]

I watched it spoiler free too! Gawr... Yeah. It was awesome like that. If I'd known what was coming it would have been different, I guess. But spoiler free I lived for every minute of it ^-^

That was hilarious! Gah -- how didn't I know that existed?!

*needs more of him now~*

[duowolf.livejournal.com]

I much prefer watching/reading things without spoilers it so much more fun when you don't know whats going to happen next.

[kura-ichy69.livejournal.com]

ha, ha, ha, i like the way you explained, its a very good anime series with epic-ness in it! there's a movie already out and i think its about the beginning of the whole series, i hope we can all see it soon