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Gurren Lagann isn't really doing it for me

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Giolon

Giolon

Member
I'm five episodes in, and it's really clear why I originally stopped watching it. It seems like the world's worst generic, albeit jokey, mecha show.

I came back around to this after giving after one episode the first time due to the combination of how much I loved Kill La Kill and Gurren Lagann's reputation.

Simon is the world most whiniest worthless kid this side of Shinji and Anakin Skywalker. Kamina's endless bravado is par for the course. Yoko's almost a non-personality tits-and-ass show. The animation quality is so-so (I expected a lot better after all the complaints in the KLK thread about how Gurren Lagann had such a better animation budget! It doesn't seem like it...) There's just nothing here that I haven't seen before, and there's no compelling reason to keep coming back to it.

How far do I have to keep going in order for this show to blow my mind like it was supposed to?

Edit: Updated impressions this way. (Ep 8)

Edit: Later Impressions (Ep 15-20)

Edit: Final impressions
 
S

Salsa

Member
I get embarrased by the fan service. Same reason im not watching kill la kill

im probably missing out on good aspects of those shows but I cringe every time it goes all BOOBIES AND ASSES
 
AZ Greg

AZ Greg

Member
First handful of episodes didn't do it for me either. But like the above poster said, give it to episode 8.
 
Giolon

Giolon

Member
Guess Who said:
Make it at least to the end of episode 8.
Click to expand...

Alright, I can give it at least 3 more episodes.

But don't you think an 8 episode investment is kind of high for a show that's only 26? episodes long?

I mean, KLK had me hooked from the first moment Gamagoori showed up on the screen.

SalsaShark said:
I get embarrased by the fan service. Same reason im not watching kill la kill

im probably missing out on good aspects of those shows but I cringe every time it goes all BOOBIES AND ASSES
Click to expand...

I'd have to say for the most part Gurren Lagann's fanservice is more embarrassing so far - mainly b/c it's so much out of place. At least KLK more or less made their show about fanservice. Hell,
everybody's naked by the end of it, male and female characters alike.
 
V

victreeb3l

Member
Gurren Lagaan gets pretty good halfway in but its not for everyone. People will either absolutely love it or detest it.
 
D

Dahbomb

Member
Gurren Lagann keeps getting better and better. 1st few episodes end up being nothing like the later episodes.

You should stick with it. IMO it's vastly superior to KLK.
 
A

Aaron-Lagann

Banned
Five episodes is really not enough to see. As much as I hate to say it, you kind of have to finish it. My first time through I was enjoying it, but I didn't really think all that much of it, but now that I've watched it all multiple times it's my favorite anime of all time.

Also, aside from the first episode, the first seven episodes or so are really slow and not a lot of exciting stuff happens.
 
T

t26

Member
It is only going to take around an hour to watch 3 more episodes? It is not much of an investment?
 
T

Thatonemoor

Member
SalsaShark said:
I get embarrased by the fan service. Same reason im not watching kill la kill

im probably missing out on good aspects of those shows but I cringe every time it goes all BOOBIES AND ASSES
Click to expand...

Not really much to miss out on with Kill la Kill it's plot is twice as dumb as Gurren Lagann's and isn't as awesome to make you ignore the silly plot.
 
A

akaoni

Banned
Up to episode 8. I've only watched the series once but I don't fancy the early episodes much myself, and it kind of falls apart in the middle of the series again. It's the last few episodes of the series that people remember as the actual theme of the show takes hold.
 
U

UnluckyKate

Member
Giolon said:
Alright, I can give it at least 3 more episodes.

But don't you think an 8 episode investment is kind of high for a show that's only 26? episodes long?
Click to expand...

It's not about investment, it's about your reaction after ep 8. You'll know if you want to go deeper or not. Then there is another milestone ep later but it's thing I won't even get close because spoilers
 
K

kirblar

Member
I bailed at the same point- just wasn't for me. Also could not get into Kill la Kill.

Or for that matter, Breaking Bad
 
C

ckohler

Member
I love this show so much. Great animation, fun characters, fast paced, tongue-in-cheek, great style, awesome music. Maybe it isn't for you, op. There are scenes later in thee series that are really heartfelt and moving but if you can't invest in the characters, you'll probably never feel it (or are jaded?). I dunno.
 
G

Guess Who

Banned
Re: animation budget

Being only five episodes in means 20% of your experience with the show is episode 4, which is completely unrepresentative of the animation quality of the rest of the show.
 
N

Ninjimbo

Member
Giolon said:
Alright, I can give it at least 3 more episodes.

But don't you think an 8 episode investment is kind of high for a show that's only 26? episodes long?

I mean, KLK had me hooked from the first moment Gamagoori showed up on the screen.

]
Click to expand...
If that's the attitude you're going to take into the show, then you shouldn't even bother watching the rest. It won't do anything for you.
 
A

Aaron-Lagann

Banned
Ninjimbo said:
If that's the attitude you're going to take into the show, then you shouldn't even bother watching the rest. It won't do anything for you.
Click to expand...

I agree. Gurren Lagann is dumb as shit and it makes no attempt to become less dumb, in fact it puts every ounce of effort is has to become the dumbest thing it possibly can. If you're not into things being dumb, then you probably won't like it no matter what it does.
 
Giolon

Giolon

Member
Aaron-Lagann said:
I agree. Gurren Lagann is dumb as shit and it makes no attempt to become less dumb, in fact it puts every ounce of effort is has to become the dumbest thing it possibly can. If you're not into things being dumb, then you probably won't like it no matter what it does.
Click to expand...

I felt like KLK is pretty much as dumb as you can get, and I can really get behind that kind of stupidity. I'm not seeing anything of the particular sort in Gurren Lagann so far, but since people are saying episode 8, I'll give it at least the 3 more to get to that point. It's just utterly generic so far.
 
N

Necromanti

Member
SalsaShark said:
I get embarrased by the fan service. Same reason im not watching kill la kill

im probably missing out on good aspects of those shows but I cringe every time it goes all BOOBIES AND ASSES
Click to expand...
I did not know that Gurren Lagann had notable fanservice. Disappointing.

There goes my interest in watching it any time soon.
 
A

Aaron-Lagann

Banned
Giolon said:
I felt like KLK is pretty much as dumb as you can get, and I can really get behind that kind of stupidity. I'm not seeing anything of the particular sort in Gurren Lagann so far, but since people are saying episode 8, I'll give it at least the 3 more to get to that point.
Click to expand...

Like I said, even the first 8 episodes aren't that dumb. KLK knew what it was going to be because of what GL did, GL is a slow descent into insanity which quickly ramps up in later episodes as where KLK was going for that from the get go.

Necromanti said:
I did not know that Gurren Lagann had notable fanservice. Disappointing.

There goes my interest in watching it any time soon.
Click to expand...

It's really not that bad, it's in your face for the first episode then is largely gone for most of the series, it sort of comes back in the last few episodes, but nothing as overt as the first episode. It's certainly no ecchi anime.
 
B

Branduil

Member
I don't really know what to say if you can't tell the difference in animation between Gurren Lagann and Kill la Kill.
 
T

TheOGB

Banned
Giolon said:
Alright, I can give it at least 3 more episodes.

But don't you think an 8 episode investment is kind of high for a show that's only 26? episodes long?

I mean, KLK had me hooked from the first moment Gamagoori showed up on the screen.
Click to expand...
I was in the same place, but for me it started getting good at 7 onwards, and just like KLK the second half got even better.


Kill la Kill's episode 4 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Gurren Lagann's episode 4 though, holy shit
Hell, KLK's first 7 episodes curbstomp the shit out of GL's first 7 IMO
 
Giolon

Giolon

Member
Branduil said:
I don't really know what to say if you can't tell the difference in animation between Gurren Lagann and Kill la Kill.
Click to expand...

I can't argue that KLK wasn't full of shortcuts and cheap animation, but Gurren Lagann episodes 3-5 aren't looking any better...the number of scenes that are just a close-up of Yoko's boobs with tiny people in the background talking is laughable, and so many scenes have been about 3-4 frames of animation per second. Maybe the 2nd half gets a larger budget like episode 1 and 2 had, but it's not anywhere near evenly high throughout the series.
 
L

LeleSocho

Banned
While i understand that you witnessed ep 4 you can't base the animation with only five episodes. Fanservice is totally in the norm and it's never in the way when stuff happens.
Again like the animations you literally saw nothing of this anime... 5 episodes in you are still in the prelude of the things.


P.S.
TTGL is so superior to KLK that i sincerely laugh when people compare the two.
 
A

Aaron-Lagann

Banned
Giolon said:
I can't argue that KLK wasn't full of shortcuts and cheap animation, but Gurren Lagann episodes 3-5 aren't looking any better...the number of scenes that are just a close-up of Yoko's boobs with tiny people in the background talking is laughable, and so many scenes have been about 3-4 frames of animation per second. Maybe the 2nd half gets a larger budget like episode 1 and 2 had, but it's not anywhere near evenly high throughout the series.
Click to expand...

#1 rule of Gurren Lagann: The 4th episode doesn't count.

GL actually has some of the best animation I've ever seen, it just takes a little while.
 
F

Feep

Banned
To your credit, Episode 5 is my most hated episode of the show by a large margin.

That said you are still a broken person.
 
A

Aaron-Lagann

Banned
If you really don't want to watch the series, then you could just watch the two movies. I don't reccommend it, but if you really don't want to watch all of the series then that'll get you the crazier stuff with some fantastic animation.
 
M

Mr-Joker

Banned
Giolon said:
Simon is the world most whiniest worthless kid this side of Shinji and Anakin Skywalker. Kamina's endless bravado is par for the course. Yoko's almost a non-personality tits-and-ass show.
Click to expand...

Keep watching it up to episode 8 and if you still feel the same then fair enough at least you gave it a chance.

SalsaShark said:
I get embarrased by the fan service. Same reason im not watching kill la kill

im probably missing out on good aspects of those shows but I cringe every time it goes all BOOBIES AND ASSES
Click to expand...

I don't know I felt that Kill La Kill was equal when it came to fan service as both male and female get naked.

Plus Mako was freaking awesome.
 
P

Prophet Steve

Member
TheOGB said:
I was in the same place, but for me it started getting good at 7 onwards, and just like KLK the second half got even better.


Kill la Kill's episode 4 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Gurren Lagann's episode 4 though, holy shit
Hell, KLK's first 7 episodes curbstomp the shit out of GL's first 7 IMO
Click to expand...

Well, Kill la Kill's episode 4 is great, and that of GL is not.

Many mentions here saying you should keep watching through episode 8. You could try, but I kind of doubt it would change your mind so much. I absolutely adore the show and was hooked from the start.

Don't see how you can't see that the animation is much better than KLK though. Seeing as how the fights in KLK basically had no animation at all.

EDIT: As for things you haven't seen yet, definitely the second half. The show has a lot of fun with its tropes though.
 
A

Aaron-Lagann

Banned
Giolon said:
Simon is the world most whiniest worthless kid this side of Shinji and Anakin Skywalker. Kamina's endless bravado is par for the course.
Click to expand...

This...It's so...
GIF-Light-Yagami-s-Evil-Laugh-Death-Note-anime-35890756-320-180.gif


Just watch the series.
 
M

MartyStu

Member
It is okay mang. I did not like GL at all either.

Plenty of good anime out there without you having to riffle through the gutter.
 
L

LeleSocho

Banned
Necromanti said:
I did not know that Gurren Lagann had notable fanservice. Disappointing.

There goes my interest in watching it any time soon.
Click to expand...

It really isn't notable.
And this is coming from a guy that hates fanservice, started Kill la Kill willing to suffer the fanservice only because of the heritage of TTGL but dropped it just before the endgame because tits and asses were omnipresent and the show was nowhere near as good.
 
N

Ninjimbo

Member
Aaron-Lagann said:
#1 rule of Gurren Lagann: The 4th episode doesn't count.
Click to expand...
This should be written into some form of anime legislation. I would almost say to skip the episode were it not for the fact that the episode introduces a few crucial characters. That episode is so fucking bad it actually cost somebody their job.
 
B

Bebpo

Banned
You have to be hot blooded, then GL will rile up your spirits and get you invested to pierce the heavens.

If you're just watching it objectively, you should at least be able to appreciate the satire of the history of super robot animation. This requires you to be familiar the history of Japan's super robot animation genre.


If you don't fall into either of those two categories, it might not be for you.
 
R

riskybusinesstomcruise

Member
A lot of the appeal of Gurren Lagaan is how pokes fun at everything IMO. Usually fan-service stuff keeps my away but Gurren Lagaan does it in a really silly way (Yoko's chest taking up a large portion of the frame where important things are forced into a tiny part of the screen) which makes it a lot more bearable.

The same could be said for a lot of elements of the show. Typically Im not a fan of shonen anime or manga but I found myself coming back to Gurren Lagaan.

Oh and the animation really picks up as things get more ridiculous!

Stick with it OP!
 
F

faridmon

Member
Yeah, never really gotten into it. I have even finished it, and the twist wasn't really that shocking. Maybe, the high velocity of the show is not my type of thing really.

Kill La Kill though? I fucking hate it. Its so dumb, but in a bad way!
 
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