Girls Can Pilot Giant Robots Too You Know

My sister is home for the holidays so I forced her to watch a few episodes of Gurren Lagann with me. I think she sort of enjoyed it although her first impressions were pretty funny, like calling Kamina an idiot and his dad an ass for abandoning him at an early age.

Then she turned to me and said, “so the robots are powered by testosterone… can girls pilot them too?” 

“Of course they can! It’s not testosterone, it’s fighting spirit” I said, desperate to keep her from forming a bad opinion of her first mecha show. But let’s be honest here, in Gurren Lagann piloting giant robots is a man’s job. Sure, Yoko and Kittan’s sisters pilot a couple of times but it still comes down to the girls providing backup for the guys. This is an important job – just look at how Nia was the catalyst for everything that happened after episode 8 – but it’s just not as cool as ripping a giant pair of sunglasses off your robot and cutting down the opponent with them.

Mind you, this doesn’t bother me. I love Gurren Lagann and frankly my tastes are so “manly” that I’m told people think I’m a guy (that’s probably what you get for thinking that the chauvinism in Golgo 13 is funny). Even so, there’s times when I really do wish there were more anime with girls in the cockpit. In fact I can only think of two with female pilots as main characters: Gunbuster and Gunbuster 2. I do love both of these but there’s only so many times I can re-watch them before hungering for more.

What I really want is a full length TV show revolving around a female mecha pilot, and she can’t just be a moeblob or fanservice character. Unless she’s cute and has a badass-goggle-wearing-planet-sized version like Nono. Have you seen through to what this post really is yet? Yes, it’s a shameless request for recommendations. So if you know, please tell me. Are there any anime that fit the bill?

Oh and I am somewhat optimistic about the upcoming Ride Back which has a girl riding a motorcycle mecha… or is it a mecha motorcycle?

Point your finger and shout, a Gurren Lagann movie clip

Are you ready to be blown out of your chair by RE-ANIMATED HOT BLOODED SPEECHES AND DRILLS THAT PIERCE THE HEAVEN? Okay good, watch this:

[Credit goes to Manganimation.net who links to a higher quality version.]

In case you’ve forgotten, here’s how it went down in episode 11:

Gurren Lagann School Version – moe… the burning kind?

What do you get when you combine a man’s burning passion with girls in sailor uniforms? No, it’s not whatever sick thought you just had. It’s the first chapter of Gurren Lagann Gakuen Hen, the Gurren Lagann spin-off manga which drops the characters in an alternate high school setting.

It starts off as a normal school day for Simon, or at least as normal as things can get around a guy like Kamina who is still intent on breaking through anything standing in his way…

Gurren Lagann Parallel Works 8 – Genome is Boss

Yoh Yoshinari’s contribution to the Gurren Lagann parallel works is not as good as I thought it’d be. It is far, far better. If you haven’t already done so, watch it here.
  

Although it was pretty much explained during the show how Genome became humanity’s oppressor, seeing it actually happen was awesome. The animation is fantastic and Gurren Lagann’s sketchy style has never looked better. I love the way they used a limited color palette but with contrasting colors and shadows that make it feel, pardon the pun, quite dark. I originally thought they should’ve used “Libera Me” (it’s used in the movie and with narration too) but the paranoid, ominous sound of “All You Bastards Get Fired Up!” actually works perfectly. 

Just thought I’d post a few things I noticed/thoughts I had while watching it:

Gurren Lagann Movie Out

The first Gurren Lagann movie opened yesterday, Saturday the 6th in Japan, and I was not there. I was not there standing in line, I was not there getting the movie pamphlet, I was not there when the lights finally dimmed and I was definitely not there for the next two hours until the credits rolled. Not that I’m bitter or anything.

Fortunately fans have already supplied us with some information in English to wet the appetite. The most detailed info I could find is from csakuras who translated some of the relevant 2ch posts. A big thanks to her for that.

Warning: The following post contains SPOILERS. 

Gurren Lagann Figure, Stop Me Before It’s Too Late

I’ve never understood why people buy figures. Why spend a lot of money on something you can’t read, watch, or otherwise use in any way? I guess it’s like buying a piece of art except collecting half-naked anime girls is infinitely more embarrassing than hanging a painting in your house. Seriously, what do people do when they have someone over? I’m ashamed enough as is by my manga, DVD and poster collection.

Nevertheless, I have been swayed to the dark side and am now consumed by an all powerful and irrational urge to throw my money away over a chunk of plastic.

Gurren Lagann High School Manga – Oh, Gainax

For those of us wondering when Gainax was going to get serious about milking Gurren Lagann for all it’s worth, never fear! They’re already on the ball. 

Gurren Gakuen-Hen (Gurren School Edition) will begin serializing In the next issue of Monthly Comp Ace. The mangaka is Kabao Kikkawa and it’s based on a story by A-ji Zaitsu. Kikkawa mainly does hentai and ecchi so I guess that means lots of Yoko and Nia panty shots. 

I want to say that this news infuriates me and makes me want to send Anno – I mean, Gainax – death threats but that would be an enormous lie. If this is half as funny as the Otoko Ippiki Drama CD, which was also a Gurren Lagann high school alternate universe, I’m all in. 

It makes me wonder, though. Gainax co-founder Hiroyuki Yamaga has already said that he wants to work on Gurren Lagann for the next ten years. But if they’re already getting Campus Lagann out of the way, what’s next? Gurren Lagann Wild Wild West? Gurren Lagann: A Victorian Romance? Under the Sea Gender-swappin’ Lagann?

The sad thing is, no matter what they churn out it’s too late for me. I’m a sucker who will kick reason to the curb and buy anything as long as it has Gurren Lagann on it. Because that’s what being a fan with a blazing heart and unyielding bad judgement is all about!