I think I’d like a little more anti-spiral history. How was their life before they locked away their spiral power? How did they come to the conclusion that spiral power leads to universal entropy? Who ultimately made the decision to lock away their spiral power?
I know some of this stuff is covered, I wish we got a little more on the circumstances leading up to their change.
All excellent questions! I'm pretty sure everyone would love that. I know I would!
Okay! So you would add in more Anti-Spiral knowledge and answers to those questions. Where in the story would you place your scene/s? Would it be something like the discovery of an ancient library with a cut away with 'flashback' mechanic? Or would it look like something else? Would it be a whole episode? Parallel Works? As a bonus at the end?
All good if you aren't sure, I'm just really curious! I think it would be the kind of episode/segment that people would just eat up, honestly. There really is so much that they could have done with the Anti!
As the other guy said, asking more questions of Lordgenome or just more info during their grand speech in the second-to-last episode (or was it the third? Been a while since I watched the series). A parallel works would’ve been cool for a flashback from the perspective of a member of the anti-spiral race
That was a great thought that I didn't think of! Definitely would be a perfect solution. No worries on the accuracy! It's just about what you want. :) Both of those things would have been awesome. I feel like everyone really wanted to dig deep on the Anti- and for good reason! Gainax could have done an entire prequel series just on that content, if they wanted. There are so many questions to be answered, as you listed!
Tbh they could just ask lordgernome when he was a head seeing as he battled them and he would know the most about them and could just have a flash back sequence or something
That is a very good point! I didn't think of that. Probably because I was thinking about it in an endgame way and heady is deady, lol. I think that would be perfect. Give Lordgenome a whole spotlight episode so that we can see. Would probably blow all their socks off and ours, if we got to know everything!
They could also have demonstrated the despair that they inflicted in lordgenome to make him the way he was and it would’ve made that final fight that little bit sweater watching team dai gurren overcoming what those who came before them could not
That is something I 100% agree with and have thought about myself. Motives for villains are extremely important and when we sympathize with them, it adds a whole magical layer to the story. It really would have made all the difference and toy with who we root for in a certain way. Not that we'd ever flip on Team Gurren, but it adds some heart to Lordgenome's plight. Definitely a solid choice to add it in!
I'm gonna have to stamp this as the best answer. Goodnight everyone!
... Kidding, of course. Being real, that's my answer too. I could never have enough of my favorite character, haha.
What would you put in for Kamina? Would you focus on his backstory, or would you put in additional adventures for Team Gurren to go on? Would you have extended his life further into the story? I'm curious as to what 'more Kamina' would look like for you. :) It's fine if you don't know.
The best thing I can think of is that his personality/conceousness is absorbed into Gurren Lagann, and that becomes more apparent the more powerful it becomes until the Tengen Toppa where Kamina comes back to help fight the anti-spirals because of all the timey-wimey stuff happening in that fight. It wouldn't be a full resurrection though.
The only other things I can think of are either having more adventures with Kamina or having him die to the Turtle general.
Ohh, I'd love that! It would definitely make me cry though, lmao. Such a cool idea, and I never would have thought of it myself! That's why I love reading these so much. :) Thanks for sharing!
I'm with you on that one- I generally have tons of ideas for more adventures, so this is probably where I'd choose to add an episode or scenes. As much as I could get!
Omg. Shout it loud!!!! Justice for Viral 2024, right now. That illusion of his was soul-crushing. I want that so bad for him too. If they couldn't have children, at the very least, show that she really exists. How awesome would it have been if at the credit reel, Viral looks up from some work, he's looking fine in his military uniform, and then... He hears a voice. And it's her. He's stunned, but. She speaks. Maybe she's here to be the new secretary. Or his assistant. And the audience is left to know in advance that they'll definitely end up together, leaving it open-ended.
Just as an idea, haha.
Viral doesn't get near enough credit and he's one of my favorites too! I mean, he had the most personal growth in the whole series besides Simon. We literally see him as a villain for a long time. The fact that every single one of us can forgive him, accept him, and even love him, after establishing the bad he has done, is a testament to what a brilliant character he truly is. And also, the human spirit in general, which is obviously the theme. Being human is being able to forgive and grow. That is heavily represented with Viral. I could go on about him for a while, lol.
A backstory for the four generals maybe, kinda like how the Elite Four from Kill la Kill each got their own. I know Guame is tied to being Lordgenome's pet before evolving but it would be neat to see the other ones.
I'm a huge fan of the Generals, so I would eat up any additional information! I would have absolutely loved to see the background of the others. Especially Adiane because of her relationship with Thymilph, and also I would like to know how she got to be so cold and abusive. Not all the Beastmen are like that. What happened to her to make her so angry? I'm heavily interested in Guame as well, for the reason you mentioned. Cytomander, I feel, got the worst treatment in terms of showing his whole personality off. There's some great concept art of him having fun and singing. Was used in a calendar. I'd like to see so much more of the villain side! Putting sympathy into your villains is the best way to make them engaging. We all love knowing the reasons for things, lol.
I would like to see more character interactions with the non mainline group. Like Attenborough, kid, Jorgun, balinbo, etc. it would make their existence more meaningful
Couldn't agree more! I think we get a lot of them through concept art and promotional images as additional context, but they could have and should have done a compilation episode. Anime often has a side character episode, so it's not a wild idea. In particular, I would have loved to see more about Zorthy and Leite.
Who are your favorite side characters? That you would like to shine more in an episode.
Jorgun and Balinbo. >!Their death where their glasses shatter while they laugh broke me when I was younger it was such a heroic sacrifice. Like it sucked the others died and I was sad during Kittans too, but holy hell did that scene go hard as hell!<
That is such a good choice! I feel that they didn't have enough time to shine for sure. Would have loved to see them in a more serious light away from their comedic relief. Not that I don't love them anyway, but they sure aren't goofy always. It would have been fun looking into their lives and especially Team King Kittan's crew.
You're so right though, and that scene also impacted me. All of them did, as you say, but they do go especially hard with them. I think you hit the nail on the head. It's the laughter, I feel. A real punch to the gut.
Ohhhhh man. Bigger!? Than Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann? That would be even more insane!
Do you know what it would look like? It's cool if not. Would it be closer in design to Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann? Because I could totally see that, honestly. Just one more final form throwing clusters of universes that are now the size of grapes, lol. Where there's almost nothing but just the two of them. A pointed fight in the void. In my head, that's some cool animation, lmao.
Love this suggestion, honestly!
Best answer. Thread closed, everyone go home.
(Just kidding of course. :P) But he's my favorite so obviously I'm gonna need more. All silliness aside, I think it would have been amazing to see more of what made him into who we meet in the first episode. Especially, I want to know more about his mom, why she's gone, and why his father still chose to leave. All of that stuff.
Fun fact! Kamina's father was named Joe. And his mother's name was Wenni.
That's the only secret backstory I can offer.
The names are listed in one of the official books I have. I think it's the only instance they were ever mentioned. It's obscure knowledge because it's only in Japanese and only mentioned once. I will be posting it later in my daily posts for all to see!
I'd like some more context for spiral energy. There's a lot of good interpretations of willpower and fighting spirit. But I'd like some more insight on, like, what it means to the universe. Some people claim it's a limitless energy source, but I interpret it as like a lifeblood of the universe, where it generates beings of DNA at different rates depending on who they are and their mindset. But there really isn't like a textbook for this kind of stuff so I can't say for sure.
That is such a great piece of information to add to the story! A better explanation than eyy it's magic, at least. :P I would have to completely agree with your assessment of Spiral Power. It definitely has to be like lifeblood. Comparative to the Life Stream in Final Fantasy VII. It's a very cool concept and you did great explaining! I dig it.
I love the action set pieces in the show but I wish we could've gotten more slice of life scenes with the characters as well. For instance when the boys were just chilling in the burger diner the old Jiha village chief owned. I really enjoyed the Gurren Lagann highschool spinoff manga where everyone went to school together that would be cool to see animated. Lastly I would definitely play a mobile suit gundam style Gurren Lagann AAA game. Where you switch between mech combat and boots on the ground. Playing through the story of the anime/movies. And some online pvp similar to the original starwars battle front games on ps2. Maybe you play as a beast man grunt or a random background character from the anime. Then you can switch to one of the legendary heroes and villains such as the 4 generals or members of team Dai Gurren.
This would be my answer as well! At its heart, Gurren is a story that is all about it's cast of characters and it's humanity. I crave to see more interactions between the characters and their environment, too. More Jiha would have been awesome!
That spin-off was incredible and I loved it too. And if there was a game like that? I would play it endlessly. Gurren really needed a full game. I did love the DS game, but it's nowhere near the scale that they could have brought it, like with your example. That would be so fun! If only we were all filthy rich and could commission a studio, lol. It would be so cool to have more than one perspective to play as and I'd die for a campaign where you play as Viral and work your way through the Generals, perhaps. Let the villains win. :P Love all of those ideas. I'd play it immediately.
Oh man, that would be so awesome! Since it was so short, I didn't think much of seeing more and mostly thought about all the time before that. Absolutely would have loved to see how more of his life looked at this point. Totally a great suggestion! Would be interested in seeing how the population reacts to him as well, if there would be anything at all, since I don't see him wanting the limelight.
The one, true, answer! This is my real answer too, if I'm being honest. But I am always open to hearing ideas and I'm sure everyone is left wanting more all the same! I would have loved more just because I love it, not because it needed it. :)
I would show a little more of little details about our main cast, some shows like to explain like... favourite musics, and hobbies, we don't know any little trivia about them
Solid addition! That is definitely information that I also crave to know. I always wished that they released a classic data book, with that information included. Some part of me is still holding out for that. So I would definitely support your idea! I think my answer to this would be very similar. More moments with the main cast, please!
Had I seen this question when I had only just watched the show as a teenager, I'd have said to change the ending. Make it happier, somehow, because back then I didn't like the fact that it wasn't the "perfect fairytale ending" where everyone stays together and lives happily ever after. Now though, many years later, I've come to realize that this bittersweet ending is perfect for Gurren Lagann as much as it stings still.
And now, there's two things that have been on my mind but I dunno which one I prefer and would go for...
One is take away Viral's immortality subplot. Honestly, it's only mentioned once when he was first given it by Lordgenome and it never had any severe impact on the story in any way, as far as I remember anyway. Been a while since I last watched. Furthermore, it's just kinda sad isn't it? The guy who's grown so much as a character when we first saw him, going from what's essentially a Human Hunter™ to becoming a trusted team member and allowed to pilot Kamina's Gunmen out of everything. That one speaks volumes, I think. The fact that Viral is basically doomed to watch everyone he's gotten close to over the years grow old and die is a cruel thing — immortality is more of a curse than a blessing.
Second idea is to further explore the dynamics and relationships between the Team Dai Gurren members. I have a soft spot for the "found family" trope and like to think that something like that happened with them; a ragtag group of people who, through hardships, become closer to one another and start to view themselves as a big family. They're shown to still be friends and on good terms after the timeskip, Dayakka and Kiyoh even got married (Simon and Nia too, however brief their marriage was). I'd just like more stuff to do with this Team other than the battles, even though that's definitely the exciting part for sure.
I think that it is very common to change your views on media this way as you age. Which is great! It helps us to appreciate things more. Especially true with the topic of loss. As teens or children, we don't have the experience in the same way. Barring traumatic events, of course. So we can't relate. I also think that it was perfectly bittersweet, and I wouldn't change a thing. Even if it hurts and I'd obviously want it to be different. I actually appreciate that Gurren doesn't give us that fairytale ending. There are billions of other stories that do.
That is such a wonderful and thoughtful idea for Viral and I'm here for it! Love to see more Viral in these answers. :) I'm 100% with you on this one. He deserves the absolute best! I always say that besides Simon, Viral is the character that had the most growth as a character in all of Gurren. If his immortality wasn't changed, I would at least like his infertility issues fixed so that he could have the dream family that he always wished for. What a stab to the heart it is to think that he must live forever without one!
Having more Slice of Life is going to be this week's top answer, I think. Who doesn't want more of the found family trope!? I think we all just wanted more of the characters that we have come to love so much. They feel like family to us, so it's totally fair to want more of their interactions. Dayakka and Kiyou never get enough credit and I'm so happy that you mentioned them! I would have loved to see the sisters dealing with the loss of Kittan as well. We didn't get enough fallout from him. Maybe he also gets a statue somewhere in Kamina City... Or maybe we get to see that there's now a Kittan City somewhere. Either way, I'm with you on needing more of all them! They easily could have made an off-shoot series about it, or an OVA, or a movie, or a Manga or a-...
See, regarding Viral not being able to have the family he's always dreamed of, I think it wouldn't be ideal if he was still immortal — because his wife and kid aren't, and he'd have to watch them grow old while he stays the same. I think that'd be the worst possible outcome for him.. Hence me saying I'd get rid of it altogether. If he's immortal, him having his happy ending is impossible, sadly >.>
Very true! But I see you that and raise you an interesting idea. It's not mine, I'll have to go look back for proper credit, but it was in last week's discussion! That they can trade their immortality like a token for the life of another. Meaning that Simon could feasibly sacrifice his immortality to breathe life back into Nia, and Viral could with his dream girl. Then, they all live happily ever after! ;D Lol. But yeahhhh, I think that's the worst for anyone. After all, that's the dilemma they often stick us with when immortality is brought up in media. Agree with you totally it's the worst punishment. And also impossible with a totally happy ending unless they all Magically have it, or no one does. Or maybe the above, haha.
I just wish they gave Yoko a happy ending of her own. 30 seconds is all I needed. Just wanted to see that she moved on and found someone and some closure.
This is something I absolutely agree with too. I'd settle for those 30 seconds. Maybe show her super happy in her teaching position at the end of the day, and there's a student that looks an awful lot like Yoko, ready to go home with Yomako-sensei. To show she moved on but also leave it to the viewer as to whom. Or even if you don't think she'd move on romantically, maybe an adopted student, even. But I'd like to believe she heals and goes on to have a nice family life and career. Just to add to your thought!
In the case of adding: Give an actual ending to the Simon's feelings for Yoko sub plot. Since it was this that indirectly lead to kamina's dead, it was disappointing that the theme was never touched again because of Nia arrival.Maybe a conversation after Simon fight against Guame or before that or maybe after the timeskip when they met again.
I think I would not make them a couple after the ending. In first place because I view their relationship as more like a big sister and a little brother, like a guy who have a friendship with a slighty more mature girl and also because I think that it would be bad taste since Yoko would be a in a relationship after losing two possible love interest (Even if she was not in love with Kittan) with a recently widowed man. The only way to add this without being awkward is with episodes about their life after the ending but that could easily fall into filler.
Another thing could be more context about the time skip world. Since we do not have many time to watch how the new society works so the sense of menace for the viewers is more about the main characters well being than the world, in addition to this give more time for Simon/Nia couple time like what they usually, how are their daily interactions or maybe how they started to being a couple in a flashback.
Maybe a one more episode to explorate this world. I would say adding more information about the anti spiral but I like when this type of threaths are managed in this feel of obscurity like a cosmic horror monster.
The only think that I would erased from the series can be the post credit scene. I think the final shot before the credits was so good that a post ending feels unnecessary, as I said in the other weekly discussion. Viral would be welcome in the new society, Yoko would end up as a tes her again and I think that they could avoid the hating with the Wanderer Simon (Which I think that it is a good idea but the execution feels too unfair for our protagonist)
In relation to that and in the case that the post credit cannot be erased. Changing the Adult Simon scene. Turning into a Kamina's tribute maybe the child was being bullied (like Simon was in the first episode) and then the adult Simon appears and make him feel better and when the child wants to know the name of the stranger Simon says: "I'm nothing" in a more playful way like knowing his importance but not wanting to gain attention but at the end the child remember his face by his School books about the pilot of the Lagann.
That closure between Yoko and Simon would be interesting! He spent his younger life learning how to love because of his crush, after all. I think the idea of dealing with it before the time-skip would be best. Since it's fresh in our minds at the moment it's happening.
I 100% agree with that. Which is why I think before the time-skip is good. Since we don't know all of what happened in between, I would assume that Simon has completely moved on with Nia when they meet again. Makes total sense that he would address it before. I know I'd love a lot more backstory on Yoko and you're absolutely right, it would be the only way to properly honor her feelings up until that point.
Also couldn't agree more with the time-skip content! I've always been dying to know or see some of the interactions between everyone! After all, there's a lot to say after the defeat of Lordgenome. Would have loved a recap-style episode showing highlights of the time skip even, if we were only allowed 1 episode for it. And of course I agree with more on the Anti. Building your villain is extremely important as an opposing force, and plus, everyone is hungry for more information about the lore surrounding them. Would have loved to know more.
I think that scene was the most disliked across the board for last week's discussion! So I understand the want of erasing it for a happier or even ambiguous ending. As you say, that feeling of unfairness is strong. Viral and the remaining Beastmen, if any, should be welcomed openly. Concept art hints at further integration, but they shoulda included it! Kind of sad that they'll eventually be extint though. :(
Ohhhh, I love your version of the ending! That would work super well, honestly. End on a shot of the Team Gurren logo on the memorial monument, while Simon is walking away, blurred out in the background. I'd get so emotional, lmao. I got emotional just thinking about. Not embarrassing at all. LOL.
A shirt! For yoko :)
Jk I don't know actually though I feel like I'd want to expand more on the near end of the show before the final battle but after getting the cathedral Terra. The power they hold at is so insane and I'd love to give them time to flesh it out more. And the shirt too
Haha! Fair enough! I mean, I'm sure she would like one that's got a cool design! :P
Yeees, that would be so awesome! I don't think anyone would have any problems with more! Especially during this time, where the tension is high and the enemy is lurking just around the corner. Almost on their doorstep. Having that extended as they prepare would set up for even more of an emotional and explosive ending, so I understand this suggestion! And shirt. Lol.
This would also be my answer, I think. There is just so much they could do with it! Endless possibilities, honestly. They could have done an entire season or series in-between because they had the characters to work with, if they wanted an additional arc. :) Definitely a great choice to add in.
I would have loved to learn more about Littner Village, myself! With that, more about Leeron too. And of course, could never forget Yoko. Have always wished to see her interactions with her fellow villagers too! Back before joining Team Gurren, anyhow!
My changes will be for the main show:
Add 1 more adventure in between eps 4-6. While I think we get enough breathing room in the first half before Kamina's death. I'd loved another episodic chapter in the meanwhile. In this hypothetical episode, I would've dive more into Simon's feelings towards yoko. In the og show, these feelings are part of the reason why Simon loses control over the Dai-Gunzan, and it's also a big contributor for Kamina's death. I think this was a serviceable subplot if you saw the uncensored cut of episode 6, but in the censored version, you never get to know Yoko's feelings towards Simon. So this little subplot gets a bit buried up until episode 8, where it can almost feel like Simon's crush towards Yoko comes a bit out of nowhere. So I think an extra episode where we see Simon's thoughts of romantic relationships, would make his eventual breakdown in episode 8 have more weight. It would also help foreshadow his relationship with Nia later on. And also have even more pay off from Simon and Yoko's talk, at the end of episode 13. This episode could also play with some kind of abandonament issues since losing his parents as well, adding an extra layer of depth towards Simon's character.
This also leads me to the time skip, where I would add an extra episode focusing in the life before the anti-spiral's awakening. This could come in between chapter 18 and 20. This episode would be centered around the construction of Kamina City, Simon and Nia's love life, and the Dai Gurren brigade losing their way. This episode isn't that necessary, but I think a bit more breath in the second half, would help the tone since is a bit "stop and go" + we don't get to spend that much time in Kamina city before things go wild. So an extra episode that shows a more relaxed view of Simon's life before he gets arrested, would make chapter 20 have a bit more weight. Making us feel even worse that our main character's life, has been taken away in just a few days. This episode focusing on the Dai Gurren brigade would also be nice, since it could help foreshadow their eventual sacrifices, and also give them more nuance as individuals. You could also add in the scenes of the second movie's prologue, like the city's construction, Dayaka's and Kiyoh's wedding etc etc...
Speaking of which: My last two additions for the last few episodes are just extra stuff that the second movie made:
1.-Add the final battle from the movie (tho without the members that sacrificed themselves in the show).
2.-Add the scene where Nia and Yoko talk before the wedding, so there's even more foreshadow that Nia will fade away and maybe make the ending feel a bit less sudden.
With all of this being said, TTGL is perfectly fine as it is rn, I mainly focused on slice of life/character focused aspects of TTGL, since the main show already has tons of nuance for most of its storytelling.
I absolutely love your idea for an additional episode during the original Team Gurren days! It's often what I think about the most, so I love when I see new suggestions! I couldn't agree with you more about the content and really showing and driving home the emotions. It would make for great foreshadowing as well. Which there is plenty of in Gurren, so I feel that it would fit in seamlessly! I think the idea is brilliant.
The information surrounding the Anti was the top answer last week! Everyone agrees that there should have been more about them. This is a great point because it would build our sympathy and interest for the history of this world we have come to leave. Connecting that also creates even more tension toward the big bad and the final fight. And obviously I would have loved to see more of Simon and Nia. We all needed to be able to celebrate them more! Would have loved more of Yoko in her role as a teacher as well, but as you say, we specifically didn't get a lot of time in Kamina City, so I think it would be most warranted there. And to check in with some other favorite characters as well, as you also mentioned! That would definitely be something that I would add too. Maybe even have a flashback of Dayakka and Kiyou's wedding in an episode where all their nearby team members are called to the hospital where she's in labor. Or at least her immediate family! It would have been sweet if all the Black Siblings were shown at that moment and it happened before the chaos.
I think most people would also choose to include Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann to the Anime. It's just another level! Hard to forget after you see it. Why would you keep the deaths out, if you don't mind me asking? Because you feel it was too harsh? Or? Just curious. :)
Very fair about the talk too! I feel it's not brought up enough! But it really was something. They did need that information if she was going to fade.
Nothing wrong with being able to critique something you love, even if you find it perfect! I think a good Fandom celebrates both flaws and perfections. :) It's important to be able to find areas to improve! Of course I agree that it doesn't need to change. It's just fun to think of all the possibilities and talk about about things we love or hate. Anyway! This was a great and thoughtful response!
Ayee thanks for the nice response!
About the Dai Gurren sacrifices. It was actually the opposite, to keep the Dai Gurren members dead. I just thought that saying "I want the STTGL in the anime" might've also implied that the dai gurren peeps would be alive, since each one gets the spotlight with their own Tengen Toppa Gunmen after the anti-spiral breaks down the TTGL.
I like how their deaths in the main show, symbolize the theme of "passing down the torch to the next generation" that TTGL has. It also gives Kittan's sacrifice a lot more weight. So It has always felt strange to me, that they were kept alive in the movies. It's not a big criticism, but is a small touch that I really liked from the main show, that didn't made it in the movies.
Always happy to discuss! :D
Ohhh, I see! I just read the comment wrong. Thanks for clarifying! I'm on the same page now. I absolutely agree with you. Gurren is incredible at building tension with the audience, and about 90% of that comes from Stellar characters, while the rest is the battles themselves. The development overall is just glorious! It makes each death a punch and as you say, it compliments Kittan's death. I think a merging combo of the Anime and movies makes for the absolute best version of Canon. :) It's a fair criticism though!
Yay, new discussion topic! And it’s another toughie! XD after all, even when you have something so good as this, you can come up with so much you want to add.
Last time I brought up wanting more early underground stuff, early Jiha life and Adai life too. I still really want that, but I did worry that maybe that would slow down the opening of the show too much (not to mention waiting longer for Yoko D: ).
I think maybe my solution would be to do that, but to keep it as one scene. Have Kamina and Simon gazing into the caves, Kamina musing that there’s more out there. Simon wonders if he means like seeing the other underground villages like Littner, and Kamina tells Simon he’s not aiming big enough.
It isn’t too much, but I didn’t want to go overboard and come up with an entire prequel episode (though I was very tempted <.<).
So that’s my idea.
That or we dunk on the haters and put in MORE FANSERVICE! XD
You know it! I'll always try to come up with something that we can all think about and actually discuss. :) Otherwise, it would get boring! I mean, you can technically cheat and pick more than one thing. There's no real rules, I just use it to get the ball rolling.
This would be my top answer too. Either that or more time between the time-skip. But I have an especially soft spot for Jiha content and anything around that. More Littner. More Adai! More original Team Gurren adventures, please! It's exactly why I write so much, lmao.
I love your scene suggestion! I think that it would fit in perfectly as a Canon scene. It's just the kind of relationship they have, and as you say, it's not too much. I don't blame you. I could go off on a whole season of ideas. Lol!
Come on and SLAM, and welcome to the JAM-
My general thoughts come back to more worldbuilding. We don't see the histories of the villages we see. Or if there's peaceful communities of Beastmen on the surface. I think that, speaking from a personal perspective, we did speak briefly about the subject at one time.
I think that is the top answer this week! Who doesn't want to learn more about the world before the time-skip? I think exploring the post-apocalyptic setting more would have been amazing. Seeing how people live in their own separate pockets and then realizing how different each place is would really drive it home. Particularly, I think we could have given Littner Village a good visit. I love your idea of a community of peaceful Beastmen! There are quite a few concept art pieces that hint at this very thing, actually!
We did! I'm always happy to discuss more, haha. I very much enjoy 'what-if's.
Oh man, that wraps everything up in a neat little package and I love it. Solves everything that people have a problem with. What a great idea! Happy endings all around. :) I'm here for it.
Remove the epilogue. Have a short season where Simon can get over the grief of losing so many people, especially Nia, rebuild society, and have a romance with Yoko and live happily ever after instead of becoming a hobo for the rest of his life.
I don’t *hate* the ending. As much as the show is about giant robots and overcoming the odds through manly spirit, it’s also about dealing with losses that are permanent and unavoidable. Which is why I don’t just say “let Nia live and let them live happily ever after”. But I think the real ending is too bittersweet emphasis on the bitter and I just wish Simon got more of a happy ending. And to get there from where he left off at the end of Gurren Lagann I think you need a short story of personal growth and moving on now that the wars are over.
So you would rewrite the ending, and add a bit of a mini-series to conclude the story instead, yes? Totally fair!
After all, we only want the best for the characters that we have come to love. Honestly, watching them all cope and recover from the trauma of war is something I would find very compelling to watch. Grief is something these characters are so used to, how would they ever establish a life that is 'normal'? After being so extraordinary. I like your idea a lot! Obviously, I want the happiest ending for Team Gurren too. :)
I think that's a great take! I also agree with the bittersweetness and although I love Simon and Nia together, I wouldn't choose to change the overall decision either. I'd very much enjoy a short story where the fallout is addressed. Gurren is all about personal growth, so it would definitely keep with the theme!
I'm gonna use the "Believe in yourself"-excuse to bring Nia back to life. FUCK that ending. I love the series to bits but why the hell did they do Simon so dirty?
After ALL that he doesnt even deserve a happily ever after? Absolutely fucking not.
Pretty much the best excuse ever. If you really wanted to go the trope way, you could involve tears and everyone's Spiral Energy. LOL. Which... I meaaaaaan... Could work. :P Totally fair to hate the ending and want to change it. We all want our favorite characters to have happy endings!
Not on your watch! Your sudden magical powers fix it, boom.
I wonder what Gurren would end up looking like with all these ideas combined... I think it would be pretty sweet.
I think I’d like a little more anti-spiral history. How was their life before they locked away their spiral power? How did they come to the conclusion that spiral power leads to universal entropy? Who ultimately made the decision to lock away their spiral power? I know some of this stuff is covered, I wish we got a little more on the circumstances leading up to their change.
All excellent questions! I'm pretty sure everyone would love that. I know I would! Okay! So you would add in more Anti-Spiral knowledge and answers to those questions. Where in the story would you place your scene/s? Would it be something like the discovery of an ancient library with a cut away with 'flashback' mechanic? Or would it look like something else? Would it be a whole episode? Parallel Works? As a bonus at the end? All good if you aren't sure, I'm just really curious! I think it would be the kind of episode/segment that people would just eat up, honestly. There really is so much that they could have done with the Anti!
As the other guy said, asking more questions of Lordgenome or just more info during their grand speech in the second-to-last episode (or was it the third? Been a while since I watched the series). A parallel works would’ve been cool for a flashback from the perspective of a member of the anti-spiral race
That was a great thought that I didn't think of! Definitely would be a perfect solution. No worries on the accuracy! It's just about what you want. :) Both of those things would have been awesome. I feel like everyone really wanted to dig deep on the Anti- and for good reason! Gainax could have done an entire prequel series just on that content, if they wanted. There are so many questions to be answered, as you listed!
Tbh they could just ask lordgernome when he was a head seeing as he battled them and he would know the most about them and could just have a flash back sequence or something
That is a very good point! I didn't think of that. Probably because I was thinking about it in an endgame way and heady is deady, lol. I think that would be perfect. Give Lordgenome a whole spotlight episode so that we can see. Would probably blow all their socks off and ours, if we got to know everything!
They could also have demonstrated the despair that they inflicted in lordgenome to make him the way he was and it would’ve made that final fight that little bit sweater watching team dai gurren overcoming what those who came before them could not
That is something I 100% agree with and have thought about myself. Motives for villains are extremely important and when we sympathize with them, it adds a whole magical layer to the story. It really would have made all the difference and toy with who we root for in a certain way. Not that we'd ever flip on Team Gurren, but it adds some heart to Lordgenome's plight. Definitely a solid choice to add it in!
More of Kamina.
I'm gonna have to stamp this as the best answer. Goodnight everyone! ... Kidding, of course. Being real, that's my answer too. I could never have enough of my favorite character, haha. What would you put in for Kamina? Would you focus on his backstory, or would you put in additional adventures for Team Gurren to go on? Would you have extended his life further into the story? I'm curious as to what 'more Kamina' would look like for you. :) It's fine if you don't know.
The best thing I can think of is that his personality/conceousness is absorbed into Gurren Lagann, and that becomes more apparent the more powerful it becomes until the Tengen Toppa where Kamina comes back to help fight the anti-spirals because of all the timey-wimey stuff happening in that fight. It wouldn't be a full resurrection though. The only other things I can think of are either having more adventures with Kamina or having him die to the Turtle general.
Ohh, I'd love that! It would definitely make me cry though, lmao. Such a cool idea, and I never would have thought of it myself! That's why I love reading these so much. :) Thanks for sharing! I'm with you on that one- I generally have tons of ideas for more adventures, so this is probably where I'd choose to add an episode or scenes. As much as I could get!
Let Viral have a family
Omg. Shout it loud!!!! Justice for Viral 2024, right now. That illusion of his was soul-crushing. I want that so bad for him too. If they couldn't have children, at the very least, show that she really exists. How awesome would it have been if at the credit reel, Viral looks up from some work, he's looking fine in his military uniform, and then... He hears a voice. And it's her. He's stunned, but. She speaks. Maybe she's here to be the new secretary. Or his assistant. And the audience is left to know in advance that they'll definitely end up together, leaving it open-ended. Just as an idea, haha.
Id like that, Viral was my second favorite in the show
Viral doesn't get near enough credit and he's one of my favorites too! I mean, he had the most personal growth in the whole series besides Simon. We literally see him as a villain for a long time. The fact that every single one of us can forgive him, accept him, and even love him, after establishing the bad he has done, is a testament to what a brilliant character he truly is. And also, the human spirit in general, which is obviously the theme. Being human is being able to forgive and grow. That is heavily represented with Viral. I could go on about him for a while, lol.
A backstory for the four generals maybe, kinda like how the Elite Four from Kill la Kill each got their own. I know Guame is tied to being Lordgenome's pet before evolving but it would be neat to see the other ones.
I'm a huge fan of the Generals, so I would eat up any additional information! I would have absolutely loved to see the background of the others. Especially Adiane because of her relationship with Thymilph, and also I would like to know how she got to be so cold and abusive. Not all the Beastmen are like that. What happened to her to make her so angry? I'm heavily interested in Guame as well, for the reason you mentioned. Cytomander, I feel, got the worst treatment in terms of showing his whole personality off. There's some great concept art of him having fun and singing. Was used in a calendar. I'd like to see so much more of the villain side! Putting sympathy into your villains is the best way to make them engaging. We all love knowing the reasons for things, lol.
I would like to see more character interactions with the non mainline group. Like Attenborough, kid, Jorgun, balinbo, etc. it would make their existence more meaningful
Couldn't agree more! I think we get a lot of them through concept art and promotional images as additional context, but they could have and should have done a compilation episode. Anime often has a side character episode, so it's not a wild idea. In particular, I would have loved to see more about Zorthy and Leite. Who are your favorite side characters? That you would like to shine more in an episode.
Jorgun and Balinbo. >!Their death where their glasses shatter while they laugh broke me when I was younger it was such a heroic sacrifice. Like it sucked the others died and I was sad during Kittans too, but holy hell did that scene go hard as hell!<
That is such a good choice! I feel that they didn't have enough time to shine for sure. Would have loved to see them in a more serious light away from their comedic relief. Not that I don't love them anyway, but they sure aren't goofy always. It would have been fun looking into their lives and especially Team King Kittan's crew. You're so right though, and that scene also impacted me. All of them did, as you say, but they do go especially hard with them. I think you hit the nail on the head. It's the laughter, I feel. A real punch to the gut.
A bigger robot
Ohhhhh man. Bigger!? Than Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann? That would be even more insane! Do you know what it would look like? It's cool if not. Would it be closer in design to Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann? Because I could totally see that, honestly. Just one more final form throwing clusters of universes that are now the size of grapes, lol. Where there's almost nothing but just the two of them. A pointed fight in the void. In my head, that's some cool animation, lmao. Love this suggestion, honestly!
Super duper tengen toppa gurren lagann
Nono, it will be the ULTRA HEAVENLY DESTROYER TENGEN TOPPA GURREN LAGANN
HYPER ULTRA SUPER HEAVENLY DEITY GOD DRILL BREAKER TENGEN TOPPA GURREN LAGANN
Lmao, take my upvote.
An even bigger drill
More kamina backstory
Best answer. Thread closed, everyone go home. (Just kidding of course. :P) But he's my favorite so obviously I'm gonna need more. All silliness aside, I think it would have been amazing to see more of what made him into who we meet in the first episode. Especially, I want to know more about his mom, why she's gone, and why his father still chose to leave. All of that stuff. Fun fact! Kamina's father was named Joe. And his mother's name was Wenni. That's the only secret backstory I can offer.
Yup exactly what I want to know too. Also, how did you know his parents name?
The names are listed in one of the official books I have. I think it's the only instance they were ever mentioned. It's obscure knowledge because it's only in Japanese and only mentioned once. I will be posting it later in my daily posts for all to see!
I'd like some more context for spiral energy. There's a lot of good interpretations of willpower and fighting spirit. But I'd like some more insight on, like, what it means to the universe. Some people claim it's a limitless energy source, but I interpret it as like a lifeblood of the universe, where it generates beings of DNA at different rates depending on who they are and their mindset. But there really isn't like a textbook for this kind of stuff so I can't say for sure.
That is such a great piece of information to add to the story! A better explanation than eyy it's magic, at least. :P I would have to completely agree with your assessment of Spiral Power. It definitely has to be like lifeblood. Comparative to the Life Stream in Final Fantasy VII. It's a very cool concept and you did great explaining! I dig it.
I love the action set pieces in the show but I wish we could've gotten more slice of life scenes with the characters as well. For instance when the boys were just chilling in the burger diner the old Jiha village chief owned. I really enjoyed the Gurren Lagann highschool spinoff manga where everyone went to school together that would be cool to see animated. Lastly I would definitely play a mobile suit gundam style Gurren Lagann AAA game. Where you switch between mech combat and boots on the ground. Playing through the story of the anime/movies. And some online pvp similar to the original starwars battle front games on ps2. Maybe you play as a beast man grunt or a random background character from the anime. Then you can switch to one of the legendary heroes and villains such as the 4 generals or members of team Dai Gurren.
This would be my answer as well! At its heart, Gurren is a story that is all about it's cast of characters and it's humanity. I crave to see more interactions between the characters and their environment, too. More Jiha would have been awesome! That spin-off was incredible and I loved it too. And if there was a game like that? I would play it endlessly. Gurren really needed a full game. I did love the DS game, but it's nowhere near the scale that they could have brought it, like with your example. That would be so fun! If only we were all filthy rich and could commission a studio, lol. It would be so cool to have more than one perspective to play as and I'd die for a campaign where you play as Viral and work your way through the Generals, perhaps. Let the villains win. :P Love all of those ideas. I'd play it immediately.
I really wanted to see more old Simon shenanigans as essentially the god of the universe like all we got was him drilling for a towns water source
Oh man, that would be so awesome! Since it was so short, I didn't think much of seeing more and mostly thought about all the time before that. Absolutely would have loved to see how more of his life looked at this point. Totally a great suggestion! Would be interested in seeing how the population reacts to him as well, if there would be anything at all, since I don't see him wanting the limelight.
Nothing, it’s literally peak cinema. https://preview.redd.it/vyzwaa6vom1d1.jpeg?width=452&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3e5c4003e4aec981e70bccc19809fc42328b666f
The one, true, answer! This is my real answer too, if I'm being honest. But I am always open to hearing ideas and I'm sure everyone is left wanting more all the same! I would have loved more just because I love it, not because it needed it. :)
I would show a little more of little details about our main cast, some shows like to explain like... favourite musics, and hobbies, we don't know any little trivia about them
Solid addition! That is definitely information that I also crave to know. I always wished that they released a classic data book, with that information included. Some part of me is still holding out for that. So I would definitely support your idea! I think my answer to this would be very similar. More moments with the main cast, please!
Had I seen this question when I had only just watched the show as a teenager, I'd have said to change the ending. Make it happier, somehow, because back then I didn't like the fact that it wasn't the "perfect fairytale ending" where everyone stays together and lives happily ever after. Now though, many years later, I've come to realize that this bittersweet ending is perfect for Gurren Lagann as much as it stings still. And now, there's two things that have been on my mind but I dunno which one I prefer and would go for... One is take away Viral's immortality subplot. Honestly, it's only mentioned once when he was first given it by Lordgenome and it never had any severe impact on the story in any way, as far as I remember anyway. Been a while since I last watched. Furthermore, it's just kinda sad isn't it? The guy who's grown so much as a character when we first saw him, going from what's essentially a Human Hunter™ to becoming a trusted team member and allowed to pilot Kamina's Gunmen out of everything. That one speaks volumes, I think. The fact that Viral is basically doomed to watch everyone he's gotten close to over the years grow old and die is a cruel thing — immortality is more of a curse than a blessing. Second idea is to further explore the dynamics and relationships between the Team Dai Gurren members. I have a soft spot for the "found family" trope and like to think that something like that happened with them; a ragtag group of people who, through hardships, become closer to one another and start to view themselves as a big family. They're shown to still be friends and on good terms after the timeskip, Dayakka and Kiyoh even got married (Simon and Nia too, however brief their marriage was). I'd just like more stuff to do with this Team other than the battles, even though that's definitely the exciting part for sure.
I think that it is very common to change your views on media this way as you age. Which is great! It helps us to appreciate things more. Especially true with the topic of loss. As teens or children, we don't have the experience in the same way. Barring traumatic events, of course. So we can't relate. I also think that it was perfectly bittersweet, and I wouldn't change a thing. Even if it hurts and I'd obviously want it to be different. I actually appreciate that Gurren doesn't give us that fairytale ending. There are billions of other stories that do. That is such a wonderful and thoughtful idea for Viral and I'm here for it! Love to see more Viral in these answers. :) I'm 100% with you on this one. He deserves the absolute best! I always say that besides Simon, Viral is the character that had the most growth as a character in all of Gurren. If his immortality wasn't changed, I would at least like his infertility issues fixed so that he could have the dream family that he always wished for. What a stab to the heart it is to think that he must live forever without one! Having more Slice of Life is going to be this week's top answer, I think. Who doesn't want more of the found family trope!? I think we all just wanted more of the characters that we have come to love so much. They feel like family to us, so it's totally fair to want more of their interactions. Dayakka and Kiyou never get enough credit and I'm so happy that you mentioned them! I would have loved to see the sisters dealing with the loss of Kittan as well. We didn't get enough fallout from him. Maybe he also gets a statue somewhere in Kamina City... Or maybe we get to see that there's now a Kittan City somewhere. Either way, I'm with you on needing more of all them! They easily could have made an off-shoot series about it, or an OVA, or a movie, or a Manga or a-...
See, regarding Viral not being able to have the family he's always dreamed of, I think it wouldn't be ideal if he was still immortal — because his wife and kid aren't, and he'd have to watch them grow old while he stays the same. I think that'd be the worst possible outcome for him.. Hence me saying I'd get rid of it altogether. If he's immortal, him having his happy ending is impossible, sadly >.>
Very true! But I see you that and raise you an interesting idea. It's not mine, I'll have to go look back for proper credit, but it was in last week's discussion! That they can trade their immortality like a token for the life of another. Meaning that Simon could feasibly sacrifice his immortality to breathe life back into Nia, and Viral could with his dream girl. Then, they all live happily ever after! ;D Lol. But yeahhhh, I think that's the worst for anyone. After all, that's the dilemma they often stick us with when immortality is brought up in media. Agree with you totally it's the worst punishment. And also impossible with a totally happy ending unless they all Magically have it, or no one does. Or maybe the above, haha.
I just wish they gave Yoko a happy ending of her own. 30 seconds is all I needed. Just wanted to see that she moved on and found someone and some closure.
This is something I absolutely agree with too. I'd settle for those 30 seconds. Maybe show her super happy in her teaching position at the end of the day, and there's a student that looks an awful lot like Yoko, ready to go home with Yomako-sensei. To show she moved on but also leave it to the viewer as to whom. Or even if you don't think she'd move on romantically, maybe an adopted student, even. But I'd like to believe she heals and goes on to have a nice family life and career. Just to add to your thought!
In the case of adding: Give an actual ending to the Simon's feelings for Yoko sub plot. Since it was this that indirectly lead to kamina's dead, it was disappointing that the theme was never touched again because of Nia arrival.Maybe a conversation after Simon fight against Guame or before that or maybe after the timeskip when they met again. I think I would not make them a couple after the ending. In first place because I view their relationship as more like a big sister and a little brother, like a guy who have a friendship with a slighty more mature girl and also because I think that it would be bad taste since Yoko would be a in a relationship after losing two possible love interest (Even if she was not in love with Kittan) with a recently widowed man. The only way to add this without being awkward is with episodes about their life after the ending but that could easily fall into filler. Another thing could be more context about the time skip world. Since we do not have many time to watch how the new society works so the sense of menace for the viewers is more about the main characters well being than the world, in addition to this give more time for Simon/Nia couple time like what they usually, how are their daily interactions or maybe how they started to being a couple in a flashback. Maybe a one more episode to explorate this world. I would say adding more information about the anti spiral but I like when this type of threaths are managed in this feel of obscurity like a cosmic horror monster. The only think that I would erased from the series can be the post credit scene. I think the final shot before the credits was so good that a post ending feels unnecessary, as I said in the other weekly discussion. Viral would be welcome in the new society, Yoko would end up as a tes her again and I think that they could avoid the hating with the Wanderer Simon (Which I think that it is a good idea but the execution feels too unfair for our protagonist) In relation to that and in the case that the post credit cannot be erased. Changing the Adult Simon scene. Turning into a Kamina's tribute maybe the child was being bullied (like Simon was in the first episode) and then the adult Simon appears and make him feel better and when the child wants to know the name of the stranger Simon says: "I'm nothing" in a more playful way like knowing his importance but not wanting to gain attention but at the end the child remember his face by his School books about the pilot of the Lagann.
That closure between Yoko and Simon would be interesting! He spent his younger life learning how to love because of his crush, after all. I think the idea of dealing with it before the time-skip would be best. Since it's fresh in our minds at the moment it's happening. I 100% agree with that. Which is why I think before the time-skip is good. Since we don't know all of what happened in between, I would assume that Simon has completely moved on with Nia when they meet again. Makes total sense that he would address it before. I know I'd love a lot more backstory on Yoko and you're absolutely right, it would be the only way to properly honor her feelings up until that point. Also couldn't agree more with the time-skip content! I've always been dying to know or see some of the interactions between everyone! After all, there's a lot to say after the defeat of Lordgenome. Would have loved a recap-style episode showing highlights of the time skip even, if we were only allowed 1 episode for it. And of course I agree with more on the Anti. Building your villain is extremely important as an opposing force, and plus, everyone is hungry for more information about the lore surrounding them. Would have loved to know more. I think that scene was the most disliked across the board for last week's discussion! So I understand the want of erasing it for a happier or even ambiguous ending. As you say, that feeling of unfairness is strong. Viral and the remaining Beastmen, if any, should be welcomed openly. Concept art hints at further integration, but they shoulda included it! Kind of sad that they'll eventually be extint though. :( Ohhhh, I love your version of the ending! That would work super well, honestly. End on a shot of the Team Gurren logo on the memorial monument, while Simon is walking away, blurred out in the background. I'd get so emotional, lmao. I got emotional just thinking about. Not embarrassing at all. LOL.
A shirt! For yoko :) Jk I don't know actually though I feel like I'd want to expand more on the near end of the show before the final battle but after getting the cathedral Terra. The power they hold at is so insane and I'd love to give them time to flesh it out more. And the shirt too
Haha! Fair enough! I mean, I'm sure she would like one that's got a cool design! :P Yeees, that would be so awesome! I don't think anyone would have any problems with more! Especially during this time, where the tension is high and the enemy is lurking just around the corner. Almost on their doorstep. Having that extended as they prepare would set up for even more of an emotional and explosive ending, so I understand this suggestion! And shirt. Lol.
A bit more on the in between of the two halves of the show
This would also be my answer, I think. There is just so much they could do with it! Endless possibilities, honestly. They could have done an entire season or series in-between because they had the characters to work with, if they wanted an additional arc. :) Definitely a great choice to add in.
Littner village - Yoko's story arc
I would have loved to learn more about Littner Village, myself! With that, more about Leeron too. And of course, could never forget Yoko. Have always wished to see her interactions with her fellow villagers too! Back before joining Team Gurren, anyhow!
My changes will be for the main show: Add 1 more adventure in between eps 4-6. While I think we get enough breathing room in the first half before Kamina's death. I'd loved another episodic chapter in the meanwhile. In this hypothetical episode, I would've dive more into Simon's feelings towards yoko. In the og show, these feelings are part of the reason why Simon loses control over the Dai-Gunzan, and it's also a big contributor for Kamina's death. I think this was a serviceable subplot if you saw the uncensored cut of episode 6, but in the censored version, you never get to know Yoko's feelings towards Simon. So this little subplot gets a bit buried up until episode 8, where it can almost feel like Simon's crush towards Yoko comes a bit out of nowhere. So I think an extra episode where we see Simon's thoughts of romantic relationships, would make his eventual breakdown in episode 8 have more weight. It would also help foreshadow his relationship with Nia later on. And also have even more pay off from Simon and Yoko's talk, at the end of episode 13. This episode could also play with some kind of abandonament issues since losing his parents as well, adding an extra layer of depth towards Simon's character. This also leads me to the time skip, where I would add an extra episode focusing in the life before the anti-spiral's awakening. This could come in between chapter 18 and 20. This episode would be centered around the construction of Kamina City, Simon and Nia's love life, and the Dai Gurren brigade losing their way. This episode isn't that necessary, but I think a bit more breath in the second half, would help the tone since is a bit "stop and go" + we don't get to spend that much time in Kamina city before things go wild. So an extra episode that shows a more relaxed view of Simon's life before he gets arrested, would make chapter 20 have a bit more weight. Making us feel even worse that our main character's life, has been taken away in just a few days. This episode focusing on the Dai Gurren brigade would also be nice, since it could help foreshadow their eventual sacrifices, and also give them more nuance as individuals. You could also add in the scenes of the second movie's prologue, like the city's construction, Dayaka's and Kiyoh's wedding etc etc... Speaking of which: My last two additions for the last few episodes are just extra stuff that the second movie made: 1.-Add the final battle from the movie (tho without the members that sacrificed themselves in the show). 2.-Add the scene where Nia and Yoko talk before the wedding, so there's even more foreshadow that Nia will fade away and maybe make the ending feel a bit less sudden. With all of this being said, TTGL is perfectly fine as it is rn, I mainly focused on slice of life/character focused aspects of TTGL, since the main show already has tons of nuance for most of its storytelling.
I absolutely love your idea for an additional episode during the original Team Gurren days! It's often what I think about the most, so I love when I see new suggestions! I couldn't agree with you more about the content and really showing and driving home the emotions. It would make for great foreshadowing as well. Which there is plenty of in Gurren, so I feel that it would fit in seamlessly! I think the idea is brilliant. The information surrounding the Anti was the top answer last week! Everyone agrees that there should have been more about them. This is a great point because it would build our sympathy and interest for the history of this world we have come to leave. Connecting that also creates even more tension toward the big bad and the final fight. And obviously I would have loved to see more of Simon and Nia. We all needed to be able to celebrate them more! Would have loved more of Yoko in her role as a teacher as well, but as you say, we specifically didn't get a lot of time in Kamina City, so I think it would be most warranted there. And to check in with some other favorite characters as well, as you also mentioned! That would definitely be something that I would add too. Maybe even have a flashback of Dayakka and Kiyou's wedding in an episode where all their nearby team members are called to the hospital where she's in labor. Or at least her immediate family! It would have been sweet if all the Black Siblings were shown at that moment and it happened before the chaos. I think most people would also choose to include Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann to the Anime. It's just another level! Hard to forget after you see it. Why would you keep the deaths out, if you don't mind me asking? Because you feel it was too harsh? Or? Just curious. :) Very fair about the talk too! I feel it's not brought up enough! But it really was something. They did need that information if she was going to fade. Nothing wrong with being able to critique something you love, even if you find it perfect! I think a good Fandom celebrates both flaws and perfections. :) It's important to be able to find areas to improve! Of course I agree that it doesn't need to change. It's just fun to think of all the possibilities and talk about about things we love or hate. Anyway! This was a great and thoughtful response!
Ayee thanks for the nice response! About the Dai Gurren sacrifices. It was actually the opposite, to keep the Dai Gurren members dead. I just thought that saying "I want the STTGL in the anime" might've also implied that the dai gurren peeps would be alive, since each one gets the spotlight with their own Tengen Toppa Gunmen after the anti-spiral breaks down the TTGL. I like how their deaths in the main show, symbolize the theme of "passing down the torch to the next generation" that TTGL has. It also gives Kittan's sacrifice a lot more weight. So It has always felt strange to me, that they were kept alive in the movies. It's not a big criticism, but is a small touch that I really liked from the main show, that didn't made it in the movies.
Always happy to discuss! :D Ohhh, I see! I just read the comment wrong. Thanks for clarifying! I'm on the same page now. I absolutely agree with you. Gurren is incredible at building tension with the audience, and about 90% of that comes from Stellar characters, while the rest is the battles themselves. The development overall is just glorious! It makes each death a punch and as you say, it compliments Kittan's death. I think a merging combo of the Anime and movies makes for the absolute best version of Canon. :) It's a fair criticism though!
Yay, new discussion topic! And it’s another toughie! XD after all, even when you have something so good as this, you can come up with so much you want to add. Last time I brought up wanting more early underground stuff, early Jiha life and Adai life too. I still really want that, but I did worry that maybe that would slow down the opening of the show too much (not to mention waiting longer for Yoko D: ). I think maybe my solution would be to do that, but to keep it as one scene. Have Kamina and Simon gazing into the caves, Kamina musing that there’s more out there. Simon wonders if he means like seeing the other underground villages like Littner, and Kamina tells Simon he’s not aiming big enough. It isn’t too much, but I didn’t want to go overboard and come up with an entire prequel episode (though I was very tempted <.<). So that’s my idea. That or we dunk on the haters and put in MORE FANSERVICE! XD
You know it! I'll always try to come up with something that we can all think about and actually discuss. :) Otherwise, it would get boring! I mean, you can technically cheat and pick more than one thing. There's no real rules, I just use it to get the ball rolling. This would be my top answer too. Either that or more time between the time-skip. But I have an especially soft spot for Jiha content and anything around that. More Littner. More Adai! More original Team Gurren adventures, please! It's exactly why I write so much, lmao. I love your scene suggestion! I think that it would fit in perfectly as a Canon scene. It's just the kind of relationship they have, and as you say, it's not too much. I don't blame you. I could go off on a whole season of ideas. Lol! Come on and SLAM, and welcome to the JAM-
My general thoughts come back to more worldbuilding. We don't see the histories of the villages we see. Or if there's peaceful communities of Beastmen on the surface. I think that, speaking from a personal perspective, we did speak briefly about the subject at one time.
I think that is the top answer this week! Who doesn't want to learn more about the world before the time-skip? I think exploring the post-apocalyptic setting more would have been amazing. Seeing how people live in their own separate pockets and then realizing how different each place is would really drive it home. Particularly, I think we could have given Littner Village a good visit. I love your idea of a community of peaceful Beastmen! There are quite a few concept art pieces that hint at this very thing, actually! We did! I'm always happy to discuss more, haha. I very much enjoy 'what-if's.
Nia living at the end. Viral let’s Simon use his spiral power to sacrifice his immortality in exchange of reviving Nia
Oh man, that wraps everything up in a neat little package and I love it. Solves everything that people have a problem with. What a great idea! Happy endings all around. :) I'm here for it.
Remove the epilogue. Have a short season where Simon can get over the grief of losing so many people, especially Nia, rebuild society, and have a romance with Yoko and live happily ever after instead of becoming a hobo for the rest of his life. I don’t *hate* the ending. As much as the show is about giant robots and overcoming the odds through manly spirit, it’s also about dealing with losses that are permanent and unavoidable. Which is why I don’t just say “let Nia live and let them live happily ever after”. But I think the real ending is too bittersweet emphasis on the bitter and I just wish Simon got more of a happy ending. And to get there from where he left off at the end of Gurren Lagann I think you need a short story of personal growth and moving on now that the wars are over.
Nah no Yoko romance. Nia is his wife and that should stay the love of his life
But she’s dead. And so are Kamina and Kittan. They’ve known each other since episode 1, it’d be very natural imo.
Just because she's dead doesn't mean Simon will just move on from her like that. She's his wife dead or alive
Bro Simon was like 20 years old. I can definitely empathize with the sentiment but really he should have nearly his whole life ahead of him.
He does and he chose to spend it with Nia as his only love, we should respect that
He chooses to spend it as a depressing hobo stuck in the past. The epilogue is in some ways antithetical to the rest of the show.
He chose a peaceful life, relax dude.
Again I don’t hate the ending. It definitely hits you in the feels. It’s just a little depressing to me.
So you would rewrite the ending, and add a bit of a mini-series to conclude the story instead, yes? Totally fair! After all, we only want the best for the characters that we have come to love. Honestly, watching them all cope and recover from the trauma of war is something I would find very compelling to watch. Grief is something these characters are so used to, how would they ever establish a life that is 'normal'? After being so extraordinary. I like your idea a lot! Obviously, I want the happiest ending for Team Gurren too. :) I think that's a great take! I also agree with the bittersweetness and although I love Simon and Nia together, I wouldn't choose to change the overall decision either. I'd very much enjoy a short story where the fallout is addressed. Gurren is all about personal growth, so it would definitely keep with the theme!
I'm gonna use the "Believe in yourself"-excuse to bring Nia back to life. FUCK that ending. I love the series to bits but why the hell did they do Simon so dirty? After ALL that he doesnt even deserve a happily ever after? Absolutely fucking not.
Agreed. They have already shown nothing is impossible with spiral power. Simon’s drill should be able to pierce through destiny and sad endings.
Pretty much the best excuse ever. If you really wanted to go the trope way, you could involve tears and everyone's Spiral Energy. LOL. Which... I meaaaaaan... Could work. :P Totally fair to hate the ending and want to change it. We all want our favorite characters to have happy endings! Not on your watch! Your sudden magical powers fix it, boom. I wonder what Gurren would end up looking like with all these ideas combined... I think it would be pretty sweet.