Why You Should: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

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Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is a masterclass in emotional and impactful story-telling that isn't afraid to hurt it's audience. This anime not only subverts your expectations but completely crushes them all while guaranteeing that the audience experiences excitement, suspense, and some pretty decent anime zaddies. Gurren Lagann is one of the few successful anime to not have an originating manga and even though that meant that the creators had no structured story to work from, the anime is beautiful and rich because of how unencumbered it is. You can tell in the way it's written that the writers were excited to be able to work in this medium with free reign, free of any backlash of manga purists or even slight comparisons to a manga. This enthusiasm and excitement comes out mostly in the dialogue between characters, which feels very fresh and real. For example, there's a big romantic scene about a third of the way through the anime that feels less like a typical shonen protagonist professing his love for his waifu, and more like those two people from school that you want to see get together, finally get together and the moment is really sweet, you guys. The art style is also incredibly dynamic and fluid and it allows for a very wide range of emotions to be communicated effectively. You feel every emotion the characters feel, whether it's macho manly "Who the hell do you think I am?" manliness or overwhelming, heart-breaking grief and let's be honest, for a show that didn't have an anime to go off of to begin with, that's very impressive. Most scripted shows today can't do that if we're being honest.

You guys know, I'm a sucker for original, borderline zany stories and Gurren Lagann does NOT disappoint in the least. Without giving too much away, I can guarantee that you have never heard of a concept as unique as Gurren Lagann's. This anime manages to borrow bits and pieces from other genres like mecha and post-apocalyptic desert romp, and combine them is a way that's really inspired and honestly not too hard to follow given how convoluted it can be at times. Not to mention, the scope of the battles and the stakes are continuously being upped and honestly it's what we deserve. The opening for Gurren Lagann is also the LITERAL national anthem like, Sorairo Day's impact is so massive and tbh Shoko Nakagawa will forever be that girl. I'm being so serious... if you do not know of her impact on anime music please check her out and educate yourself, thanks. Listen, experiencing Gurren Lagann is a must for anyone who claims to love good content and if you haven't already please check it out or AT THE VERY LEAST add Sorairo Days to your playlists.

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