Real men can handle anything. Real men don’t look for the path, they make it themselves. Real men don’t prove to anyone that they are real. This is already obvious. Real men…exist only in fairy tales. Because only in a fairy tale can we see a pure, unadulterated concentrate of absolute coolness. The line between madness and normality is very difficult to define in life, but is clearly visible in a fairy tale. Anything can be a fairy tale. At least a porn film, if it’s made correctly. But much more often we find such examples in animation. One of the representatives of Japanese animation will be discussed in this topic. His name is Gurren Lagann.
The famous futuristic Camino glasses
Let’s go in order. Do you like fairy tales?? We must love, because it is with fairy tales that, as a rule, our acquaintance with literature begins. With their help, we all once learned to empathize with the characters, understand their feelings, guess the motives of their actions. Without familiarity with them, it is very difficult to perceive more adult genres of literature and art in general, the basic concepts of which are laid down in fairy tales. Gurren Lagann – it’s a fairy tale. Like many other anime, however. But the fairy tale is not entirely for children. Made in the form of an ordinary shounen, but, nevertheless, raising much more important questions than most of its analogues.
There is absolute madness going on on the screen, a riot of colors is evident
A very interesting moment – the maturation of the main characters. Moreover, not only daily development, strengthening of character, and self-improvement, but total maturation. In fact, the series can be divided into two parts – before and after one very important event, which I do not intend to mention. Part two shows us all the same characters, but in a different status. With other problems, concerns, matters. With a changed appearance. But all this does not matter – after all, we recognize the heroes unmistakably. Because they have matured… how can I say this?? Correct, competent, logical. Moving in a direction that you yourself can predict if you watched the series carefully. You can even rely on your own story of growing up, if you yourself have at least crossed the school line. And draw conclusions. I don’t know how appropriate this comparison is, but I would like to draw parallels with the cult anime Makoto Shinkai "5 Centimeters Per Second". It’s hard to explain why. Gurren Lagann quite open and truthful, he is not afraid to talk about things that are difficult for fragile minds. If you have watched the spine-tingling ending of the series, from which you feel an unpleasant ache in your chest, and suddenly surging thoughts cause trembling and goosebumps, then you will understand what I mean. However, it’s a little early for me to talk about the ending, let’s rewind a little.
Kamina: Listen, Simon! Do you see the drill?? This is not an elder’s drill, this is your drill and only yours. And with this very drill you, Simon, will pierce the heavens!
Simon: Why??
Kamina: Stupid question! Because!
Late evening. You sit alone in front of the screen and turn on the recently acquired "anime". Friends advise, they say, it’s a cool thing. Well, ok, you think and press play. Everything that happens next no longer lends itself to logical description. Some incredible chaos clouds the monitor, and you can only watch it all, with your mouth open in surprise. Gurren Lagann instantly grabs you by the gills and showers you with a powerful stream of pathos, recklessness and some incredible swiftness. He doesn’t let you lazily roll into watching, for fuck’s sake! Who do you take him for?? Mind blowing, instant intrigue, a narrative that immediately twists into a furious adrenaline ball, pathos, pathos and more pathos! Its quantity is simply off the charts.
And now you don’t seem to understand a damn thing about yourself, but your hand is already reaching for the remote control, as soon as possible the second episode! It’s unclear what’s what, but I definitely like this nonsense. You can use an unobtrusive comparison with LSD, but, thank God, I didn’t try it, and I don’t need accusations of promoting drugs. The epic nature of what is happening on the screen jumps over all conceivable and inconceivable levels, and the most interesting thing is that there is no stupid mochilov in the spirit of Hollywood blockbusters. On the contrary, very soon you begin to understand the characters, learn details about this world and its inhabitants. You are clearly, sometimes even too much, shown the leitmotif of the story. That is, ordinary, I would even say banal and hackneyed truths. Friendship, love, mutual assistance and blah blah blah. No philosophical reasoning or meaning hidden from prying eyes, everything is extremely clear and precise. The authors carefully laid out all the ideas on the surface, carefully surrounding them with a low but bright fence – you can’t pass by, and at the same time nothing is hidden, everything is in plain sight.
The drill blade is very close to our hero, but he doesn’t seem to care at all.
Is that really possible?? Shouldn’t we https://expekt-casino.co.uk do the opposite and let people figure out the hidden meaning themselves, because many people do the same?? The creators answer such questions with a phrase that is iconic among fans of the series: “Who do you take us for?”?». And they’re absolutely right. Can! Even necessary! Because it’s extremely formulaic Gurren Lagann, built on the same principle as most colleagues in the genre, manages to be incredibly original in terms of approach to the implementation of ideas. Gainax does everything simply and quickly – the heroes do not doubt their decisions for a minute, they have no time to stand and think. You won’t see the typical anime “inflated” plot or artificial increase in screen time. No, our heroes are not characterized by slowness – just forward!
Kamina: Kick common sense. This is the life of the members of Gurren-dan!
The series itself also gives a kick to common sense, which, like its main character, sometimes behaves very unceremoniously. You’ll see what I mean once you’ve watched at least half the season. A break in the pattern, absolutely unusual things for such works, will happen a little less often than shitload once! Once again to the question of originality, which cannot be, according to some individuals. After all, all the ideas of the genre have been realized a long time ago, there are immortal classics that you can almost pray to, you won’t be able to come up with your own interesting story, unlike others, so what the hell! Or it doesn’t matter anyway? Your doubts will disappear only after watching. Even if you don’t like the series, it will definitely leave its mark.
Kamina: I’m just kidding you, you fucking gunman! WHO DO YOU TAKE ME FOR??!
Let’s talk about small things. The first and one of the most important details of the work, which actually has nothing to do with the authors, is the Russian voice acting. Indescribably beautiful Russian voice acting! Divine, amazing, awesome. What I created Reanimedia, simply defies any logical description. This is already beyond the bounds. It’s not a shame to erect a monument to our guys for something like this, because their dubbing reminded me of Disney cartoons from the nineties. Yes, yes, the same ones that Russian actors managed to voice even better than they did in the original. Gurren Lagann I wouldn’t have been lost in those days, the work turned out to be so soulful Reanimedia. In Russian voice acting, Kamino is inimitable and cool to such an extent that I personally consider watching this anime with subtitles a crime against common sense! A week of new aliens to the guilty!
However, the Japanese also did their best, creating a simply phenomenal musical accompaniment. In the blog about Haruhi Suzumiya, I admired the magnificent soundtrack for quite a long time, but if it was magnificent… then there is no definition for the music of Gurren Lagann at all. What’s striking is not even the way it was chosen, but the fact that all the music from the series feels great in isolation from the work, without losing any of its epicness. I highly recommend checking out this miracle. In my opinion, one of the best anime skeletons in general, if not the best.
The characters in Gurren Lagann are also admirable. Although at first glance they are all quite typical and one-sided. Kamino is a walking testosterone with intergalactically cool glasses, a naked torso and an invariable katana in his hand. Yoko is a stunning beauty, sporting very extravagant clothes… Clothes? More like "Undress". At the same time, she is the best in her field, but how could it be otherwise?! Simon – silent, focused, unsure of himself, but clearly chosen. I swear, in the first three seconds I realized that Simon was a kind of Neo who would turn back the history of this world, and then give her a juicy kick for a snack. However, this is not my fault. Niya – concentrated cuteness and kawaiiness. It is simply impossible to look at this miracle without feeling moved. And it’s like that with everyone.
Simon: This is their life, their laws. They don’t do this because they want to.
Kamina: Fuck they do what they don’t want to do?! Who do you take me for??! I’d rather die than do something I don’t want to do!
However, the constant development of the characters, the decisions they make, the events that influence their lives – all this gives us the opportunity to draw previously invisible character traits ourselves, and form the most complete impression of them. And you know – it works. The characters are really well developed, although everyone basically acts a little too… Kaminowski or what?? No, it’s not that they repeat his actions, they have their own vision of the world, but without their leader they would not have moved forward at all. And gradually the heroes begin to imitate him, and simply believe in this crazy dude, following him ahead. In fact, it is the Camino that is the engine of this story, from the beginning to the very end, even despite… (who knows, will understand what I mean). Inspired by his father, who just got to the surface without doing anything interesting, our hero rushes up to the sky. And manages to become the one who turns this small world upside down.
“A small digression: writing an opinion about Gurren Lagann was incredibly difficult because of one very important spoiler. At one time he just blew my mind and turned the roof 180 degrees. I urge everyone familiar with the series not to open it.".
The rest are just following the Camino, essentially using its methods. You already guessed who I mentioned in the preface? A true ideal, whose phrases can be torn into quotes without a twinge of conscience. The hero – as he is, without impurities and fiction. Yes, no fiction. Without fiction. No, they don’t exist in reality. What? Contradiction? Who do you take me for?? A true hero must have contradictions. Otherwise, it will simply be difficult to believe in him.
Even if Gurren Lagann did not make it to the major leagues, but remained in the second, or even third rank of their peers, Camino would still have gone down in history. Well, this is the ideal male character who didn’t need much screen time to prove it to the whole world.
Simon: Bro, it wouldn’t stop us from leaving… For now… After all, he’s incredibly healthy!
Kamina: For this alone he needs to be killed!
Plot. The trick of the plot is in its development. Incredibly fast storytelling, rich in events, growing exponentially. At the same time, while watching, the viewer is constantly involved in something. The plot keeps you in suspense, and at the same time never ceases to amaze. At first it’s just a fight with a huge robot that surprises and makes you empathize with the heroes. But a little later it turns out that there are dozens of these robots (gunmen), and the fight is being waged on a different level. A little later, our heroes themselves begin to capture gunmen, and subsequently supergunmen, and so on in a spiral higher and higher… The degree of epicness is constantly growing, the scale of what is happening is striking more and more, in parallel with this we are shown elements of comedy, drama and even tragedy. Which, however, does not distract from the main action at all.
Typical pose for Yoko. Simon will soon get used to it.
All sorts of little things add something different but wonderful. Remember the cute pet Simon. Mole Pig – the name itself makes you smile. And the moment when the brave animal tore off its own tail to feed the heroes makes you laugh and admire at the same time. And the gunmen? Those same robots around which everything revolves. And I’m not talking about the manner of managing them, or the merging effect. Just look at the appearance. Huge talking faces, endowed with emotions and specific features. Waving arms and legs, communicating with the viewer. Parodically funny, and at the same time real.
You can really feel the soul in this man! She literally crawls off the screen and makes you believe in yourself!
At least that’s what I want to believe. Believing that a person with great fortitude can control this thing better than others. Isn’t this what we all dream about?? Doesn’t every person consider himself special, I motivate this not by his talents, but by the notorious inner world, from which, however, it is neither hot nor cold. And in Gurren Laganne inner strength means so much more. Sincere feelings, such as friendship, lead to a merger and multiple enhancement of the robot’s capabilities. And high morale helps to win victories one after another, allowing you to get out of seemingly hopeless situations.
And in general, fortitude in this world is a key element, the main resource of humanity, its path to perfection and victory. A very interesting move with the transformation of such a vague concept as internal force into spiral energy, which is the basis of all things and the cause of contradictions among warring parties in the universe Gurren Laganna.
Kamina: Maybe this is absurd. Maybe funny. But that’s how men fight!
Simon: We will tear down any wall that gets in our way! If there is no way, we will make one.
Kamina and Simon: Magma flows in our veins, burning our hearts! Limitless Fusion, Gurren Lagann!
Simon: Because I..
Kamina: After all, we..
Kamina and Simon: Who do you take us for??!
And finally! Perhaps the main element of the narrative, a detail without which the anime would not have achieved such success, the most obvious and main feature is unique pathos! Pathos, which is off scale. Pathos, which is served in some unimaginable quantities. Pathos, which in itself is a force that fights against enemies. It was Kamina’s pathetic phrases that helped Simon drill tirelessly, not paying attention to those who tiredly threw away the drill and hung their heads without much hope of success. The series is not just imbued with pathos, it rests on it. It’s not even superglue, it’s not a foundation. Take away the pathos and you get.. but it won’t work out! It’s impossible to even imagine, you can’t remove the earth’s solid surface from the planet, you can’t pull out a skeleton from a person, just as you can’t tear out pathos from Gurren Laganna. Amazing base, and a great hit in the top ten. Perhaps nowhere else has pathos looked so organic, and would not have moved the story forward the way it does in the studio’s work Gainax. Do you know something about pathos?? Look Gurren Lagann and your ideas will crumble into dust.
