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.
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Date: 2009-06-19 10:47 am (UTC)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.