At first sight, one could easily pigeonhole Tenga Toppa Gurren Lagann as yet another addition to the tediously expansive field of mecha anime, a genre riddled with countless anime generic in nature and repetitive to the core. Time and time again is told the tale of the hapless protagonist who unwittingly has the fate of humanity thrust upon his shoulders. True, Gurren Lagann is indeed guilty of using the same old-school tricks – fortunately, it stands out above the rest for the bold, likeable characters, fast-paced story-telling and inspiring message, despite the somewhat predictable plot.

(more…)