Review: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (TV)

Running time: 25 minutes
Number of episodes: 27
Vintage: 2007-04-01 to 2007-09-30
Age rating: ???
Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Mecha, Science Fiction, Slice of Life
Animation Production: GAINAX
Production: Aniplex, GAINAX, Konami
Director: Hiroyuki Imaishi (God)
Planning: Hiroyuki Yamaga

Source: Anime News Network

The burning passion — Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. I really did not expect to be able to enjoy another mecha show on this level so soon. GAINAX knows their stuff, but Eureka SeveN proved that there’s other studios that can do mecha right. However, this one’s special guys — the kind of anime that transcends past all expectations and stays on your favorites list forever. Gurren Lagann is currently the epitome of epic mecha giant robot action shows. Not a single part of me doubts what I’ve just said. It’s the burning passion of hot-blooded action, it’s Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann!!

The show starts off introducing you to Simon and Kamina, two really distinct guys that live in an underground village. They’re not real siblings, but they’re close enough to refer to each other as siblings anyway. Kamina is the older tough-guy and loud-mouth that always gets off on excitement and adventure. Simon, on the other hand, is a very timid child typical of GAINAX anime. You could say he’s a dirty Shinji, if you will, for those of you that have watched Neon Genesis Evangelion, since he likes to dig the ground and find stuff.

Kamina and Simon’s village is forced to stay underground because of some strange fear for what’s on the surface of the Earth. Kamina, being the way he is, makes it clear that he will pierce the enclosure of the ground above and live to see the surface. His father supposedly once left to the surface and Kamina feels it’s his calling to do the same. Simon kind of just tags along, even though he doesn’t quite have the drive to make it to the top — yet.

If you’re still reading you might want to know why the hell am I calling this the epitome of mecha anime, when I haven’t even mentioned them yet. Well, I’m getting there, and much like the show, it won’t kick off for bit. One day as life remains the same underground, a giant mecha, called ‘Ganmen’ falls from above, just like that. Soon after a very foxy girl, who seems to be have been fighting the Ganmen that just came crashing down, falls into the underground village too. Kamina doesn’t let up and immediately lets his fiery personality take over and he begins to interfere acting as if he’s actually helping. Kamina even declares his participation as part of the “Gurren Brigade,” which at the time is composed of just him and Simon. A lot of comical moments ensue, and it leads the pretty girl, Kamina, and Simon to a spot where Simon had been digging earlier and found something strange. To everyone’s surprise it seems Simon found a small mecha buried in the ground and Kamina puts Simon in the spotlight when he tells him to pilot it since -he- found it. Kamina, being the smack talker he is promptly and aptly gives the little Ganmen they found a name — Lagann. You’ll have to find out about the ‘Gurren’ part on your own.

The fight that follows is sensational and at times downright silly. However, pay attention to Kamina’s words because he hints at what the show is going to be about. With shouts of only needing your spirit and guts to succeed in ass kicking, you know something just has to happen for this to make sense. Kamina and his essence, character, and personality is the backbone of the show; the very mold of the Gurren Lagann experience and the ultimate reward for sticking with the show.

Right then and there, the legend is born and the gang in Gurren Lagann begin their incredible adventure towards the top. When I say the top, I mean it, because the sense of scale in Gurren Lagann is ridiculous. I would love to come up with a better way to describe the way the show will rock your world, but it’s better experienced. Also, understanding the pacing in Gurren Lagann is crucial to enjoying the show. The slow start is just the calm before the storm begins. Keep going, because by the end of the third episode you will know that the show is special and if you stick with it you’ll be rewarded with many, many, many great moments of WOW.

It’s about time GAINAX made a full length mecha anime series of this type that isn’t Neon Genesis Evangelion. Top wo Nerae! Gunbuster, Top wo Nerae 2! Diebuster, and FLCL are all classics and each one added to the genre and GAINAX’s stronghold in mecha anime. However, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann mixes a little bit from every great GAINAX mecha and with a solid focus it is able to – literally, as the name implies – break-through the seemingly perfect mold the studio founded in its long history of anime production in the mecha genre.

The show is easily described as the burning passion, a man’s fiery spirit that burns with every waking moment of his step. With the brothers and the brigade of ass kicking, Gurren Lagann, has no equal. A drill in an abstract sense is the fitting image of this sensation. The upwards spiral towards the concentrated single point. All the energy, all the thoughts, power, emotion, and feelings are all in that single point. Put aside logic, put aside reason, this is manly instincts infused with 100% determination and 0% chance of failure. Probabilities of success? MEANINGLESS. They CONTROL probability. They win. That’s it. It’s always do or die. If they miss, they shoot in every direction, then they can’t miss. Never falter, not even an inch. This is Gurren Lagann. Determination by proxy. Believe in me who believes in you. True determination. Not you believing in me, not me believing in you, but you believing in yourself. This show will say to you, who THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM?!?

This is man versus beast! Or is it beast versus man? Or is it man-beast versus man! Or worse, BEAST VS BEAST!! The beast within the man, that is. Join the brigade where true men’s spirits live. Be a part of history. Watch this anime. Introductions. It’s all about your introduction. Hot-blooded speeches. Defeat your enemy before you lift a single finger by the power of your words. Enchant your populace, envigor your peers. You have the power to destroy -yet- also to create. Create hope in the hearts of men. Change despair into strength. Strength into spirit. Spirit into victory. Victory into ultimate victory. There is no limit for those with the spiral, the drill, the point of concentrated force that tears through the very fabric of time and space and bores through any and all obstacles. It’s within each and every one of us. It’s in our DNA. We are all potential energy waiting to be moved by the heart and soul of manly speeches. ROW ROW, FIGHT THE POWER!!

This is the burning passion in you, in me, in all of us. You’ll want your kids to see this. It’s that good.

Review: Eureka SeveN (TV)

Running time: 25 minutes
Number of episodes: 50
Vintage: 2005-04-17 to 2006-04-02
Age rating: Teenagers (May contain bloody violence, bad language, nudity)
Genres: Adventure, Drama, Mecha, Romance, Science Fiction, Shounen
Animation Production: BONES
Production: Bandai Entertainment, MBS, Project Eureka

Source: Anime News Network

“Don’t ask for it; go win it on your own. Do that and you’ll succeed.” Truer words were never spoken by characters in this anime that reflect the real reception that Eureka SeveN has garnered. As many of you know, Neon Genesis Evangelion has become a staple in mecha anime and is largely acclaimed for its influence and success in the anime industry. Eureka SeveN, on the other hand, may be one the more recent mecha anime to cultivate and evolve beyond the Evangelion formula allowing it to present us a very special blend of mecha storytelling.

The story begins when the main character, Renton Thurston, a 14 year old kid, is stuck in a fairly boring and crappy town. His father was a hero that conducted advanced scientific research but he died in a strange event that changed the world. Consequently, his sister went on a journey because of what happened to their father and Renton hasn’t seen her since. Thus, for a very long time Renton has been stuck in Bellforest with his grandfather, Axel Thurston, who’s a top notch mechanic. Renton spends his time trying to learn to ride trapar waves with his ref board, a sport that became popular due to the changes the world endured after what Renton’s father helped create. He also idolizes Holland, a so-called genius at ref boarding who’s also in charge of ‘Gekko State,’ a rebel group that is against the military. Renton and the rest of fans get their information by reading, Ray=Out, a magazine that anonymously publishes the things that Holland and his ‘Gekko State’ accomplish.

Soon enough circumstances will take Renton out of Bellforest and onto a journey that will not only change his life but the rest of the world too. One day he meets a very special girl named Eureka who’s a member of Gekko State. As the story unfolds Eureka and Renton will grow and become entangled in a series of events that lead to the very end where their choices are what will make or break the very existence of humanity. Eureka and Renton eventually develop a mutual need for each other and that goes beyond any responsibility to the rest of the world. They bond on many levels emotionally and try their hardest to close the gap that keeps them apart in an effort to fulfill not only their desires, but the desires of the entire planet.

The comparison to Evangelion isn’t necessarily a comparison on a structural level of its narrative, but rather the breath and scope of the storytelling. Eureka SeveN actually leaves behind the mecha to a secondary position and focuses more on the characters in a way that’s easy to understand. The mecha are only a means to an end, but the people are the reason behind that end. There’s plenty of abstract scenes with confusing interpretations, but unlike Evangelion you can understand what’s going on without getting a headache. At its core it’s still about kids finding their way into the cockpit of a giant mecha, but the way the rest is told and constructed is refreshingly different and simpler in comparison to Evangelion.

Eureka SeveN is riddled with all kinds of inspiration from sea life and part of that makes the show special. Rather than mush together a bunch of similes, the inspiration goes a step further and integrates into the overall presentation and story. Trapar waves, ref boarding, sky fish, and more. These things may be foreign to you, but once you watch the show and understand their meaning you’ll soon understand that Eureka SeveN mimics a vast ocean in the air and goes even further in the second half of the story.

The length of an anime can really hurt it if there is not a balance between the episodes and the amount of plot. Thankfully, Eureka SeveN is not too long and not too short either. The first season takes a plot device and expands it until an end is reached, or rather, a change that begins the next season which expands even further and develops a new angle from which to view and understand Eureka SeveN. This means the characters will change and grow on the show revealing more about themselves and tearing apart the veil of mystery in the beginning all the way until the loose but effective end.

The end of Eureka SeveN is subtle but complete in its own way. Hopefully there’s something in the works to flesh out the ending, but what was used is effective. In contrast to Evangelion, the end will not make your head hurt since it’s a little more explicit about what is going on and how the characters feel. However, there’s no denying that for those of us that enjoyed Eureka SeveN until the end it would of been nice to have the show leave a bigger footprint in history rather than take it a little safe. Whether there’s an OAV, a movie, or even a sequel planned to expand the story, a fairly complete narrative was paved on a path towards a pleasant conclusion.

If there is an anime that can be compared on equal footing to Evangelion this is it. It’s longer and may drag on a few times, but in the end it can stand almost as empowering and compelling as Evangelion.

Review: Top wo Nerae 2! Diebuster (OAV)

Running time: 27 minutes
Number of episodes: 6
Vintage: 2004-10-03 (Episode 1 AT-X broadcast)
Age rating: Teenagers (May contain bloody violence, bad language, nudity)
Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Mecha, Military, Science Fiction, Shounen
Production: GAINAX, Bandai Visual, Victor Entertainment
Director: Kazuya Tsurumaki
Storyboard: Hideaki Anno (Ep. 4), Kunihiko Ikuhara (Ep. 2), Masayuki (Ep. 5), Matsugu Higuchi (Ep. 1), Tadashi Hiramatsu (Ep. 3)

Source: Anime News Network

Diebuster, also called Gunbuster 2, is the sequel to Gunbuster, an awesome mecha series of serious ass kicking fun. It also goes by the longer name Top wo Nerae 2! Diebuster (Aim for the Top 2! Diebuster), but I’ll stick with Diebuster. In the beginning of the show I couldn’t see any relationship to the original Gunbuster in any form. What did jump out at me was the art style, which felt very similar to the art in FLCL and Neon Genesis Evangelion. This comes as no surprise after further investigation since Diebuster’s character design was also done by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto who worked on the aforementioned projects. The beautiful art style is accompanied by quality animation that I feel would make even the pickiest otaku smile with approval.

Diebuster stars Nono, a girl who runs away from home with a dream to become a space pilot much like main character in Gunbuster. Things don’t go exactly like she planned and she ends up in a dump working as a waitress. For some reason though, no matter how bad things appear, she remains optimistic that she will reach her goal. One day a mysterious girl walks into the shop where Nono works and stops some perverted guys from going too far with her on her shift. The girl who helps Nono ends up to be Lark Melk Marre, none other than a Topless — a real space pilot. Nono runs after the girl in order to say thanks and ask for help on how to become a space pilot. Lark immediately refuses and tells Nono she doesn’t have a chance. Despite this, Nono remains optimistic and energetic about meeting Lark and goes as far as label her as “onee-sama.” In Nono’s mind Lark is high upon a pedestal and she looks at her as the epitome of justice and righteousness.

Shortly after these events all hell breaks loose when the characters come face to face with a space monster, the same fearsome enemies that the characters in the first Gunbuster fought. You will immediately appreciate the much more modern animation, and all of the over-the-top action that seamlessly blends together. It’s a lot more frantic than the original Gunbuster, and if you’ve seen FLCL before you will appreciate the similarity in art and presentation. Lark shows off what she’s got and commands her Buster Machine, Dix Neuf, into battle to save the day. Nono surprisingly gets involved with the battle and she slowly eases her way into the world of space pilots.

The Topless end up becoming a big part of the world of Diebuster. The Buster Machines in Diebuster are quite different from the ones in Gunbuster. This time Buster Machine pilots require a special latent power that is only found in young people. This power allows them to sync with their Buster Machine and fight the space monster menace. When these “Topless” are found they are allowed into the “Fraternity” where all of the Topless combat space monsters to defend humanity.

The musical score in Diebuster is a great mix of modern ambient music, but taking the spotlight is the same classic drums and horns that has become iconic of Gunbuster. It’s used in the same fashion as it was used in Gunbuster and introduces the next big scene where the ultimate ass kicking is sure to occur. I had my hopes up for a little more music diversity like what was done with FLCL and The Pillows, but my bias aside it stays true to the spirit of the Gunbuster.

Diebuster is no where near as technical as Gunbuster, and thus eliminates all of the jargon for more free-form surprises. The Buster Machines are different this time and in some ways resemble EVA’s (from Neon Genesis Evangelion) because they’re sentient and need to be “awakened” before they can function. They can move on their own, but they sync with the Topless in order to bring forth their full potential.

Simply put, Diebuster is the ultimate treat for Gunbuster fans. Each episode is somewhat self-contained, so you’ll reach some sort of conclusion at the end of each one until the finale. To be honest, if you watch Diebuster without watching Gunbuster you’ll miss out on a lot of the experience. Although in the beginning it doesn’t seem like Diebuster has anything to do with Gunbuster, later on you learn key story details that blend the two together. You will only come to appreciate them if you get into Diebuster with knowledge of some of Gunbuster’s details. Basically, Diebuster pounds you non-stop with action plus sprinkles some Gunbuster story for the fans. This all leads to a great ending that can only be fully understood by those who’ve seen Gunbuster.

It’s difficult to explain why you need to watch Gunbuster without spoiling the end, but if you are a fan of Gunbuster it’s a requirement that you watch Diebuster to get the full experience. It’s one of those special moments that remind you how expressive anime can be.

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Review: Top wo Nerae! Gunbuster (OAV)

Running time: 30 minutes
Number of episodes: 6
Vintage: 1988
Age rating: Teenagers (May contain bloody violence, bad language, nudity)
Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Mecha, Military, Science Fiction, Shounen
Production: GAINAX, Bandai Visual, Victor Entertainment
Director: Hideaki Anno
Storyboard: Hideaki Anno, Shinji Higuchi

Source: Anime News Network

This anime goes by many names such as Top wo Nerae! (Aim for the Top!), Top wo Nerae! Gunbuster (Aim for the Top! Gunbuster), or just Gunbuster. I’ll stick with Gunbuster.

Gunbuster is Hideaki Anno’s first work as a director, and for that reason alone it deserves a special spot in anime history. Anno is best known around the world for directing Neon Genesis Evangelion, but his work in Gunbuster is at least equally as transcending. In many ways I’m willing to argue that Gunbuster is even more compelling than Neon Genesis Evangelion. Something interesting to note is t hat Gunbuster was the first anime to feature animated bouncing breasts, so you can thank Anno for that!

A good way to describe Gunbuster is to just say it’s about the largest mecha in anime history and their pilots beating the crap out of huge space monsters that want to destroy the human race. The space monsters attack in impressive numbers so humanity has to literally destroy them by the billions at a time. This, albeit an accurate description, isn’t quite enough to fully convey what you will get out of watching Gunbuster. It is truly an escapade into a time where we have to decide how we’re going to save ourselves from the greatest threat ever imagined.

The anime stars Takaya Noriko, a young girl studying at a Space Pilot High School for girls in Okinawa, Japan. She enrolled in that particular school with the goal to become a space pilot. Her father, Takaya Yuzo, was an admiral commanding the Luxion, a ship that was destroyed early on in the war against space monsters. A few crew members survived the attack but unfortunately Noriko’s father went down with the ship. Noriko had dreamed to become a space pilot long before this incident, and when she heard of her father’s death it was hard for her. She was only 10 at the time when she got the news, but now she’s 17 and once again is determined to become a space pilot.

While training she finds out she has a lot of problems piloting the RX-7 Machine Weapon, which is the standard mass-produced mecha used to fight the alien drones. Many of her schoolmates tease her for her lack of skill and exceedingly joke that if she is ever promoted to a pilot it’s due to her late father’s position. All of these events eventually trigger her encounter with Amano Kazumi, the top student at the school and the most likely candidate to become a space pilot. Kazumi gives Noriko a few words of encouragement which help Noriko boost her spirit and advance towards her goal. This scenario introduces the much bigger drama of the story following alongside Noriko and Kazumi as they strive with personal matters and the responsibility of protecting humanity.

Although Gunbuster is quite old, it has aged almost too well and rivals many of the anime I’ve seen come out in recent years. The first episode is merely an introduction to a much larger and engrossing plot, so don’t let it become a barrier when approaching the show. Once you get passed the school setting you will see how much deeper the story becomes.

The characters are all convey feelings deep inner thoughts in a very convincing way, and if you’ve seen Neon Genesis Evangelion you will start to see similarities between the characters of both series. Gunbuster is a tad realistic and contains a lot of space-age jargon that won’t quite make sense to you unless you’ve been exposed to sci-fi stories with complicated physics and the like. The characters in the anime will experience time dilation, which means time slows down for those who travel at sub-light speed. This becomes a core element in the drama and it’s presented in such a very realistic and gritty fashion that I was amazed. It really makes you doubt that Gunbuster was made in 1988.

The technology in the show is incredible, especially when you consider the small scope of its proposed time-frame. In Gunbuster, the Luxion is one of the earliest ships known to be capable of warp-speed space travel, and its intended purpose was to explore the outer reaches of the Milky Way. According to the anime, the construction of the Luxion begins in 2006 and is completed by 2013. This entails that the jump in technology from 1988 to 2006 is huge and far different from reality. Anno did not have the luxury of knowing exactly when such a leap in technology would make sense way back in 1988. Even today we’re far away from most sci-fi dreams and we can’t warp across the galaxy. He did, however, have the luxury of dealing with a fiction story and having little repercussions whether or not he was even close to being accurate. It’s been at least 18 years since the first release of Gunbuster, so many of the people (including myself) who watch Gunbuster today will consider it more of an alternate reality than a far look into the future. This means we lose the veil of mystery that makes us ponder off into a far future if we consider the hard facts the anime is based on. We are now living in part of the time-frame of the story, so it can feel a little distracting. However, everything else about the show far surpasses this small setback. It hardly takes you completely out of the experience, but there’s no denying Gunbuster should have been much more effective back in 1988.

The enemies in Gunbuster are called space monsters and without giving too much away they are giant insect-like beings that roam the universe killing all life. They search and destroy any sentient beings they find. They are also referred to as the “anti-bodies” of the galaxy. All things considered, they truly are humanity’s greatest threat and aiding them is their tendency to attack in giant swarms that number in the billions of units. This creates situations where animated mecha combat can really shine since there’s explosions and dodging maneuvers non-stop, units calling out for support, and the inevitable loss of human lives. All of this creates a lot of tension in the fighting, but the powerful mecha drive a sense of excitement since you’ll always want to know what’s going to happen next.

The musical score is quite dated, so it probably won’t be as effective as it would of been in the 80’s. It consists mostly of horns and drums of differing pace depending on the situation and they’re used quite often to introduce the next big thing to appear on the screen. It’s literally how you know something is going to die. While this quickly becomes a predictable pattern, it’s still quite effective. When you hear drums you’ll get excited and not necessarily prone to be disappointed as it is always something amazing that happens. Gunbuster is all about kicking alien ass and the classic music works in driving anticipation of the action.

The end of the anime is spectacular to say the least. If you decide to stick with the show long enough to see it, trust me, you will enjoy it. It’s truly a touching moment and for anyone who enjoyed it back in the 80’s I’m willing to agree it’s a timeless moment and a definite classic in anime. For those worried, it’s completely different from Anno’s more famous attempt at ending a story with Neon Genesis Evangelion. Contrary to Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gunbuster ends well — you will be satisfied.

I’d like to thank The Gunbuster Index for providing a huge amount of information that helped me write this review.

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Review: Otaku no Video (OAV)

Running time: 50 minutes
Number of episodes: 2
Vintage: 1991
Age rating: Teenagers (May contain bloody violence, bad language, nudity)
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Historical, Magical girl, Mecha, Science Fiction, Shounen
Production: GAINAX

Source: Anime News Network

Although this isn’t quite relevant to this review, I feel its necessary to mention that I don’t consider myself a true otaku. In a less than humble expression I feel that I lack the strong qualities of devotion and dedication a true otaku possesses and therefore I deem it necessary to not label myself as a true member of the exclusive social group. I don’t alienate myself from true otaku because I fear the label or the implications associated with it, in fact I look up to the most hardcore, but I genuinely don’t have the inner drive that it takes to follow through with core aspects of the lifestyle. I’m pretty apathetic towards most popular “moe” elements such as magical girls, loli, and the like. I’m not even into cosplay in general, although I’ve seen a few in pictures that have impressed me. This puts me at a disadvantage to position myself as an authority on any given subject where a true otaku would show true dominance, making my judgment seem obtuse by comparison. As such, I write this particular review with the careful observation that I am sailing into unknown waters so I’ll try my best to be less partial and biased.

Otaku no video is most likely a well-known OAV and I wouldn’t doubt many people consider it an essential introduction to anime in general. Putting aside my ignorance of the significance of this particular OAV, I ventured on and watched this show and I can honestly say it’s worth watching if you want insight into the world of a true otaku. The OAV is quite old but still encompasses many of the cultural aspects of being an otaku that still exist today. It’s by no means an accurate depiction of the social activities of otaku since it really does feel scripted and sensational, but its totally worth your time if you’re into the subculture of anime.

The show itself starts off with a regular guy named Kubo who’s a freshman in college and enjoying life with his girlfriend who’s been with him since high school. His life is very social and active, so you could say he’s a very good example of a “normal” guy. By chance he finds himself meeting his old high school friend, Tanaka, who’s the leader of an otaku club. They end up spending lots of time together and little by little Kubo’s life drifts away from a regular guy social guy to that of a real gritty and dirty otaku. This begins the roller coaster ride where you will learn of the hopes and dreams of a bunch of otaku. You will find stereotypes for every kind of otaku, including science fiction, military, and other specializations, plus the legendary female otaku that looks good in cosplay. Along with this, the show has a habit of breaking the core animation’s story with live-action scripted scenes where random Japanese men are interviewed and they explain how they grew up as hardcore otaku. The second episode of the OAV continues the tale but in a much more fantastical way and finally concludes the main story of the anime.

The story of the anime isn’t breathtaking in any way and I certainly wouldn’t consider it brilliant in any particular aspect, but it’s still educational and entertaining. The way the lifestyle of otaku is explored is timeless in itself since it freezes in time the way otaku lived in the 80’s and 90’s. Today’s otaku hasn’t changed much, but thanks to the internet many more people are being influenced in massive quantities. The anime industry is much more mainstream and there’s a plentiful amount of mature content (not necessarily adult content) that has made the notion of otaku as a whole less demeaning.

If you’re obsessed about anime you owe it to yourself to check it out, and even if you don’t really care about the subculture you should still check it out if you can. It’s a good experience to have under your belt that will provide a vast amount of historical value of the Japanese otaku culture that is now less “Japanese,” and more global than ever.

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