::07:21:08::

::: Tengen Toppa Guren Lagann :::

By ~ Apollo

Some series just come outta nowhere and hit you in the face. This series gave me a B-slap. These days there are a lot of animes that are pretty good, but fail to be original. This series is action packed, beautifully illustrated, and very original. Tenga Toppa Guren Lagann is one of my favorites of all time. It doesn't have and insanely complex plot or anything like that, it’s just a hell of a lot of fun.

Our story revolves around a ten year old named Simon. Simon lives in an underground village where he just continually digs every day for a living. The village is like a hive. Everyone has a certain function or duty and they do it. One day however, Simon's world is totally rocked and change forever. He is introduced to a guy named Kamina. Kamina is freakin' hilarious and is one of my favorite characters from any city. Kamina is a huge dreamer and he tells Simon "One day your drill will pierce through the heavens." The only thing is, they have yet to pierce through to the surface. Simon is drafted into Kamina's "Gurren Brigade" and they conspire to break through to the surface. Their first attempt is humorously cut short when they are stopped by the village elder. Fortunately for Simon and Kamina, this show is about destiny and opportunity came knocking shortly after. While digging, Simon finds a robot head and drill called a Spiral. This spiral acts as a key to the robot. Simon runs up to Kamina to show him what he found. Kamina tells him to keep it. As fate would have it, their village comes under attack from a huge robot from the surface. Simon and Kamina go to battle with their little robot they found, and from then on we get the adventure of a lifetime.

What is sooo cool about this anime is that it makes a logical progression in character and story development. They start with one robot and then get two and so on. Our group of heroes is gradually added to and before we know it we have about 20 different characters that we are keeping up with. The scale of the events that are happening keeps increasing as well. We go from Simon and Kamina in Battle, to a small group, to a brigade, to a full force of humans, to an entire world united for the cause of survival. The show does such a great job of bringing you along slowly but surely. I really can't think of any dull moments.

The visuals are awesome. The robot battles get freaking extreme. This is especially true in the later parts of the series. It is a visual treat. The battles are so engrossing and exciting that you will keep coming back for more. Not much more to say about it than that.

The show is entertaining and also inspiring. The way the development of the characters and the passage of time is handled very impressive. Watch the show. It's a real good time that no anime fan can afford to miss.

Grade: A-