There are several, if not many anime from the 2000s era that have already cemented themselves as more modern classics in the anime department. Of course, there are anime a whole decade or two before that that have firmly established themselves as anime classics. Anime like Dragon Ball, Cowboy Bebop, and more come to mind.
However, the particular anime that comes to mind, in this case, came out in April of 2007 and ran through late September of that year and that is Gurren Lagann. The flashy, action-packed series proved to be an instant hit in the community, and here are 10 reasons why that is.
10 The Art Style And Animation
This specific aspect of the anime series is particularly impressive since this is an anime back from April of 2007; almost 13 years ago. It truly is a testament to how skillful studio Gainax was, and currently is, in crafting a masterful, sleek and smooth-looking art and animation style.
The art style is incredibly appealing to the eye, and the actual animation and movement of everything that is on the screen transitions in a smooth, clean manner. This is vastly important for an anime like Gurren Lagann that relies heavily on exciting and very fast-paced action sequences.
9 The Action
As previously touched upon in the last entry, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is primarily a fast-paced science fiction action anime series. Therefore, how well the action plays out is a big part of the appeal of the anime series itself. All of the action throughout the series is exhilarating and an absolute joy to watch.
One can't help but smile whenever there is any fight of any scale going on on-screen. That is also the beauty of the action in the series—which will be further explored down this list—that is the action starts small and by the end goes on galactic proportions.
8 Mechs And Mech Designs
While on the topic of the series overall being an action one and how the action itself is so fun to watch, the natural next step would be to talk about the literal machinations that drive forward the action in the anime. That would naturally be the mechs throughout the series Gurren Lagann.
While there is a little bit of action in the series without the use of the actual mechs, they are primarily the main source of the action. After all, while Gurren Lagann is an action anime, it also fits in under the mech sub-genre of anime. The actual designs of the mechs are also fun to look at as they are all unique and inventive by nature.
7 Personalities Of The Cast Of Characters
The action and the mechs of Gurren Lagann are all crucial, of course, but any piece of fiction is nothing without a well-rounded cast of characters whether they be just a main cast or including side characters. Thankfully, all of the characters of the anime are endearing and fun to get invested in.
While some more casual viewers might think that, on a surface level, at least, that because the series is one about a bunch of giant robot mechs punching and shooting each other that the characters are merely bystanders. Thankfully, that isn't the case as the majority of the cast, at least the main cast, each all have their drives, emotions, and personalities.
6 While Mechs Drive The Action, Characters Drive The Plot
For sure, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is first and foremost an action anime with ambitious and plucky young characters piloting mechs to fight the villains, but it is essentially a mech anime on the surface level only. The characters of the anime are the main driving force behind the plot of the series.
This list will go further in detail about the characters as it goes, but know that there are many forces combined if you include all the characters on the main protagonist's side on top of Simon, Kamina, and Yoko themselves as the overall main protagonists who push the plot forward on their sheer ambition and more.
5 The Build-Up In World Building
Another great aspect of the hit anime series is the way and rate at which the world of Gurren Lagann overall builds its world. Things start out pretty small scale. Simon and Kamina are just two simple daydreamers living humdrum, even poor, lives in an underground village under the guise that the world cannot possibly be any bigger than that.
However, thanks to Kamina's massive ambitions that lie far beyond their current tiny world, their world explodes in size and from there, Gurren Lagann's world-building goes on a galactic scale.
4 Emotional Character Relationships
As the characters of the series Gurren Lagann ultimately drive the plot and the overall narrative, those characters also happen to have some strong emotional relationships with each other. This is important due to the fact that a lot of characters in any piece of media on whatever platform have relationships of some kind with each other, and it makes the characters feel more real and relatable.
In the end, having the characters have some sort of relationship with each other lets the audience become more invested in the characters and care about them and subsequently their respective plot points. A great and arguably the most impactful relationship between characters in the anime is the one between Simon and Kamina.
3 The Over-The-Top And Light-Hearted Tone
This is definitely one of the major appeals of the series. When someone looks to get into an anime based in action and featuring epic battle between giant mechs, part of what someone would be looking for in that particular series is to see some over-the-top tones and action.
Without a doubt, this series has that in spades. As one of its defining traits is the fact that it has plenty of moments and scenes that hold a light-hearted, positive, driven tone that inspires. The series never takes itself too seriously and it does that in a way that complements itself.
2 It Deals With Real Issues
Now, just because the series doesn't take itself too seriously and keeps a consistently light-hearted tone doesn't mean that the characters within the world and overall story don't have to deal with real problems. No matter how over the top and crazy the events are throughout your piece of fiction, whether it is an anime series or any other form of media, one thing that certainly helps make things feel more real and the characters more relatable is when you add at least a version of real-world every-day problems in the narrative for the characters to deal with.
Without delving deep into spoiler territory, the characters frequently have to deal with loss, depression, setbacks, and, ultimately, how to stay to determined in the face of trials and tribulations.
1 The Gradually Rising Stakes
This aspect of the series ties into how similarly the writing and direction of Gurren Lagann goes about building its massive world. Take, for instance, how the world-building in the series starts at such a small scale within the underground village of Simon and Kamina, and so do the stakes.
At the start of the series, the main protagonists we are presented with at the time don't have much of anything to lose. But, as their world soon explodes in size and scope, so do the risks. By the latter stages of the anime, the stakes are literally at galactic levels and make for an even more exciting watch.