Gurren Lagann: This Over-The-Top Mecha Anime Is Smarter Than You Think

gamerant.com:

This article contains heavy spoilers for Gurren Lagann.The 2007 mecha anime Gurren Lagann, directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi and written by Kazuki Nakashima, has become a modern classic within the anime fandom. The show’s high-octane robot action, over-the-top tone, and colorful cast of characters have captured the hearts and minds of countless viewers over the past 15 years.

But while it may seem on the surface like Gurren Lagann is all flash and no substance, that isn’t the case at all. It certainly isn’t the most complex or subtle narrative, but there’s a good reason that this story has resonated with so many people around the world. In fact, one might say that despite its larger-than-life facade, Gurren Lagann has a deceptive amount of depth.

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Gurren Lagann follows a pair of surrogate brothers, Kamina and Simon the Digger — nicknamed as such for his skill with a drill — who live in an underground village on a post-apocalyptic Earth. The hot-headed and rebellious Kamina dreams of leaving his boring, cramped hometown and escaping to the mythical surface world, but timid young Simon lacks the confidence to follow him. However, everything changes when Simon unearths a tiny drill-wielding robot, which Kamina dubs Lagann. Though Simon is scared to pilot Lagann, Kamina encourages him to “believe in the me who believes in you,” giving him the courage to try. And as it turns out, Lagann is quite literally fueled by willpower, allowing Simon and Kamina to “pierce the heavens” and drill up to the surface.

However, things are far from perfect on the surface world. Earth has been conquered by the tyrannical Spiral King and his army of genetically engineered Beastmen, who keep