VFTF1 Posted December 27, 2008 Share Posted December 27, 2008 You wuss. Get over it. XD I'm trying, but Yoko crying over his memory isn't helping because it's like I wrote earlier - this bravado leads to death which is not just bad for the dying person, but leaves great sadness in the hearts of those who loved him I'm done with 9 and 10 now and I'm STILL sad Although -Princess Nia is a ray of hope and sunshine. Also, Viral's honor and devotion are very note worthy. But Princess Nia is very very very wise and a ray of light. One other thing - from the beginning - this series has reminded me of Mad Max - it's like Mad Max only better; more - it's exactly the way life should be. I love how the Gai Gurren Brigade has slowly come together, how everyone is important and how there's now a ship with a community. The old man's cooking... all of it - a bunch of little things... Oh - and I also note that the brigade has had a beast on its' side from the very beginning - I wonder if Boota will play any more significant role in the future...? But for now I'm sad. The hero character is not supposed to die 8 episodes in.. he's supposed to die at least two years after the pilot and two season and then return to life in the third season anyways.... Kamina was so cool. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Letigre Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Nope, all dubs are that bad, if not significantly worse. Besides which, watching Gurren Lagann dubbed makes the anti-spirals win! Oh come now, I've still yet to watch the series, but I was pleasantly surprised by the trailers, I thought the voicework was surprising strong. I just hope the lip syncing is a little better..still, I'm kicking around the thought of buying the season though iTunes (using those damn giftcards.) (..If only because $44 is more paiatable than $100+ for DVDs.. It's bad enough I got jipped being an early adopter for Witchblade and now they sell the whole series for what I bought the first few volumes ..but atleast I got the cooler case and the OST! :neener:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrapnasty Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 I'm trying, but Yoko crying over his memory isn't helping because it's like I wrote earlier - this bravado leads to death which is not just bad for the dying person, but leaves great sadness in the hearts of those who loved him I'm done with 9 and 10 now and I'm STILL sad Although -Princess Nia is a ray of hope and sunshine. Also, Viral's honor and devotion are very note worthy. But Princess Nia is very very very wise and a ray of light. One other thing - from the beginning - this series has reminded me of Mad Max - it's like Mad Max only better; more - it's exactly the way life should be. I love how the Gai Gurren Brigade has slowly come together, how everyone is important and how there's now a ship with a community. The old man's cooking... all of it - a bunch of little things... Oh - and I also note that the brigade has had a beast on its' side from the very beginning - I wonder if Boota will play any more significant role in the future...? But for now I'm sad. The hero character is not supposed to die 8 episodes in.. he's supposed to die at least two years after the pilot and two season and then return to life in the third season anyways.... Kamina was so cool. Pete Episode 11 will make everything better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miriya Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 I finally got my first Yoko Fraulein from HLJ. I had chosen SAL shipping so that is why it took so long. I also have another one on preorder from an ebay vendor which I will probably just keep so that I can either kitbash her into a valk-girl or pose differently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwinges Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Got ticked with BBTS's lack of information about revoltech Enki. So I called Diamond (the US distributer for Revoltech). Looks like Enki won't arrive here until Late Febuary. Last time I preorder with BBTS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFTF1 Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Zoooooooooooooooo..... Just watched episodes 18 and 19...and 17. I skipped 16 altogether (as soon as I saw that it was the compilation/review episode)... Some thoughts: 1. I hope that Yoko was the only one who didn't change radically - I can imagine that she ventured off into the desert to continue living just as before. I wonder WHY exactly everyone else settled on the political life rather than the poetic life and only she was smart enough to take the latter choice? In any event - I miss her - but I'm happy she isn't being corrupted by the city like the rest of the crew... 2. Simon seems to have done a pretty good job building peace - after all, while everyone suddenly gets peeved at him for being too hotheaded and charging in and causing damage during the Anti-Spiral attacks, you have to admit that he has achieved very very much over the course of 7 years of his rule. A pity that we do not see any "political capital" from this achievement - don't people like him at all for liberating them and for ruling over seven years of steady prosperity? Or do people forget so quickly that they had nothing, and now complain that they have "not enough" and therefore Simon has no "political capital" beyond his status as a legendary hero (which is immediately tarnished as people see him in action; and see that his legend is not so perfect). 3. Forehead - Riouu... well... he grew up to be an a$$ like his dad. Go figure. 4. Nia's "transformation" is a bit too sudden - and a bit too convenient. But then again, I guess it's at least in line with her character being so full of surprises. 5. Kitan's sister who loves Forehead so much as to strap a bomb to her waiste - or maybe she believes in what forehead is doing? In any event - she's changed. Oh - speaking of change... It's hard to come to grips with how much the characters have changed; but then again, if you look back at your own life and compare yourself to how you were 7 years or 10 years ago - then it sinks in that people do really change in time... so - I guess the series has to be praised. Still - it's kind of sad to see how far things have come. The only thing - ironically - that made me happy - was seeing Lord Genome "brought back" - he had a wisdom, a nobility and a sadness to him that went unexplored in his role as "the main bad guy" - and it was most obvious in how he dealt with his henchment. Cytomander and Adiene were just megalomaniacal psychotics and he dealt with them lowly. The Armodillo beastman was a wise old animal, and so Genome respected and even slightly feared him. Viral - on the other hand - was above all an honorable and loyal servant - and so he was given honor by Genome. Not bad. My point is that Genome was not arbitrary nor unitary in how he dealt with others. He even respected Simon...and warned him where this power would take him... Very interesting... There is however - one 'good' thing in Simon's fall from power: namely he has always been in his element as a rebel; government did not suit him. Perhaps now that he is a criminal then he will be better able to "fight the power." Well - in any event... the show has definitely taken a twist. Yoko's boobs are no where to be seen. And Nia doesn't wear those short short mini skirts any more. All that is left is Ron and his ice cream... Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 (edited) I envy you in your first viewing of the series, mine was on youtube over the course of 48 hours. I'm about to start my 3rd go through soon, and can't wait to go again. Edited January 6, 2009 by Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miriya Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 I just finished Gurren Lagann for my first time last night. I loved the series. Highly recommended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercurial Morpheus Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Hybrid set 2 is out today apparently. Any opinion on if the extras are worth buying the new set or should one just get the sub set (since i have no plans of ever watching it dubbed anyway)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miriya Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Good question. I DO intend to watch the entire series a second time Dubbed. I preffer subs but there is so much to look at I want to go again with dubs just for fun. Not sure if I will buy it though if a rentable version becomes available. But if there are cool extras that may be worth buying it for me. I did not know about Bettie Page. Rest in peace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one_klump Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 I buy the Hybrid sets so that my wife and daughter will watch them with me, and its was a hell of alot easier to get my friends to watch the dubs than the subs. So, thanks to the mostly great English voice acting, I was able to draw 5 more people into the Gurren Brigade! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Gurren brigade can kiss my ass, DAI GURREN DAN FOREVER! With that said, I've bought both releases, extra's & that awesome box, plus the original Japanese credit ops & ends on the sub disc's make it all worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miriya Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 One of my favorite parts from the last disc was when Boota turns out to have insane amounts of spiral power. It was so cute. And I laughed out loud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFTF1 Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 :(:( I just watched episode 25. Two episodes left to the end. SO sad Kittan was soooo cool. And now he's gone too... sniff...everybody's dying!... sniff I'm not happy. Why does it have to be like that? Even if they wanted to...I didn't want it... there seems to be a terrible calculus at work here... this is probably the most striking and depressing feature of the world of Gurren Lagann - as the narrator says "a world of conflict"... And poor Yoko... two great guys... both gone Strangely - I feel happy that the Helix King is around. He's seen more than anybody else; he knows what's up... his calm and reserve are the only things that keep me from crying more Such a passionate, moving wonderful anime series But so sad :( Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miriya Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Such a passionate, moving wonderful anime series But so sad Pete Well Alright "Mr. Lingerie!", I suppose it is a bit sad. Maybe my soul is dead after watching end of evangelion. That was some messed up stuff. I did like Kittan a lot as a character. Love his mecha too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0n5t3r Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 :(:( Such a passionate, moving wonderful anime series But so sad :( Pete i watched this again during the holidays (finished in 2 days) and i sorta forced my wife to watch w/ me... that's what she said - why the hell is everyone dying??? but, i guess, that's what moves the audience... when Kamina died, i figured "that's why his character is so over-the-top, 'coz he's supposed to die early... and it'll be where Simon will move into the main character position..." but coz Kamina was soooo over-the-top, you still get a feeling in every episode after he died that he was still a very big factor in the development of the story and the other characters, esp. Simon and Yoko (even Viral, even after he realized that Kamina had died). BTW, Kamina is my fave character on the show. Kittan's death was really a tear-jerker... poor poor Yoko, guess that's why her alternate character is a teacher... she ends up becoming a HOT unmarried woman (i would've said "old maid" but i didn't want to insult Yoko's character ). i also hope somebody makes an action figure of mature Yoko w/ black jacket and thigh-high boots, it's my fave Yoko look. i'll wait for your reaction on the ending between Simon and Nia... sad... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFTF1 Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Speaking of sadness and death - the Beastmen commanders seem to die en mass; and pretty quickly. I didn't care much for the first one (see, can't even remember his name), and Cytomander just rubbed me the wrong way - I think he was authentically a bad guy. Adine was also fairly worthless (I loved when Nia asked her "If the King commanded you to slit your throat - you would do it?")... But the little armodillo fellow was very wise. Like the Helix king, it was clear he'd been around for a long time and that he had gained a certain consciousness. By the by - why wasn't he also thrown out - like Nia? Nia noted that the Helix King ditched her when she asked why she was born - suggesting that as soon as his creations become sentient he discards them; prefering dolls... But that armodillo guy was pretty self-aware; and I got the feeling - the only time in the whole series - that the Helix King authentically feared him. "Are you questioning me?" didn't sound like "I'm pissed and gonna rip you a new one" but rather "oh shmit! Are you challenging me - and if so I'm shaking in my undies cause you're a very clever and strong foe".... His death was sad because he was thoughtful. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0n5t3r Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Viral got all the remaining lifespans of all the beastmen that died... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFTF1 Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Finished the series. Nia's passing was not sad. It was noble and beautiful. Viral's destiny made me so very happy because I found the character to be so compelling from the very outset. Simon's fate was, however, very sad. Like Yoko, he became "nobody" - they really need to get together at the end. They share so much together that it is sad that each of them walks their own path - alone. Rossieu growing up to look like his Dad and having a job like his Dad is not surprising. I still don't like him though. At least his Dad had a sense of humor and a self-awareness about his own hypocracy that was light hearted. I like religious figures who behave that way - they don't take themselves too seriously because they know very well that they preside over something they do not understand. Rossiu behaved as if he understood what he was doing - in his zeal he lacked the faith which allowed for some kind of...oh...I dunno...moderation? I don't know. I guess I just don't like politicians... even the "good" ones are bad; Rossieu is not exception. Maybe it's the nature of the beast... The battle risked being too abstract - but then again... they are to be commended for the bravery to actually do something THAT crazy... So - in the end- as I kind of suspected - the Anti-Spirals were simply humans overcome with despair. The cycle of life and death is unstopable - our only choice is whether to embrace what little life we have and make the most of it like Kamina taught, or whether to embrace despair in light of certain death and - like the anti-spirals - seal ourselves off in bittersweet respite; waiting for death itself - a kind of quite destruction to ward off the potential for despair at the destruction wrought by the evolutionary full blooded pursuit of life. The one thing I find questionable about the series is the premise that conflict is inescapable - that the Spirals and Anti-Spirals MUST be in conflict - that they cannot ever be reconciled... I don't know - I have to think about this ending some more. It is very...well...Gainax seems to want to keep up their reputation for thoughtful anime after NGE? On that note - I really truly loved the aesthetics in this anime. Tired now. Can't really babble on forever. Wonderful series. Lovely. And a GREAT adventure series. A fantastic fun voyage - no holds barred - and no gritty realism: yay! I much prefer this romantic view of things. Very good stuff. Great music, great visuals. Rough edges... A sure fire classic. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0n5t3r Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Finished the series. Nia's passing was not sad. It was noble and beautiful. i meant sad for Simon... he didn't get to use his other drill on Nia... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mpchi Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 That priest guy is not Rossiu's dad. He's the head of the underground village, and took care of Rossiu growing up. But he is not really related to Rossiu. Not to mention Rossiu looks kind of ugly at the end of the last episode. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 No, I'm pretty sure he is Rossiu's dad. Also, it was the Anti-Spirals that forced the innevitability of confict. They believed that Spiral evolution left to continue ended in absolute destruction. I don't know - I have to think about this ending some more. It is very...well...Gainax seems to want to keep up their reputation for thoughtful anime after NGE? Nope, they've been doing it since the very beginning with Wings of Honneamise, & Gunbuster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFTF1 Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 I wonder what the basis for the Anti-Spiral's belief was? I think it was despair - I think they constructed this system or ideology to justify their psychological shortcomings. Their knowledge of death as the end of all evolution, combined with their fear of its' imminent arrival likely gave birth to vast resentment of other living beings who IN SPITE of the knowledge of imminent death still pursued a life of meaning and happiness. This resentment caused them to construct a religion or philosophical system whereby they were determined to "show others their own despair" - and they masked this very low and petty motive in the high minded rhetoric of "protecting the universe." In a sense - Lord Genome is a good example of what this despair looks like - he was a Spiral knight who was defeated and therefore tasted of despair that comes from great power (the greater the power, the greater the failure and the greater the feeling of despair stemming from the recognition that no matter how vast your power, you can still always fail). The humans living under ground lived very close to the anti-spiral ideal. The only difference was that the anti-spirals were simply comatose... Except that one fellow. Could it be that the Spiral Nemesis as we saw him embodied actually tricked all of the other Anti-Spirals into accepting a vegative state in order to take their power and become like a God himself? In any event - my favorite scene in the whole series is the one in which Kamina turns off the television where Yoko was watching her dream and they look at eachother in love and understanding. I truly adore that scene - it is the picture perfect example of how art is used to communicate powerful messages - almost theatrically - in this anime. And it's also very moving because of course it would be Kamina who saves everyone in the end - his spirit which lives on in others memories. I also like the fake Kamina of Simon's dream prison - because everyone, watching the initial episodes of this anime, had to think "that Kamina is so brash - why can't he try to compromise for once? Why can't he try not to be so in your face?" -- and so, what we see is what Kamina would have looked like had he been like that... and we suddenly realize that there's no better way to live than exactly how Kamina did live. Sniff. Oh - and one thing that bugs me: How is it possible for Lord Genome to grant Viral immortality, but not to grant it to himself? In fact - how is it possible for only Viral to have this gift? Wouldn't that ipso facto make him the most powerful being in the universe? And isn't this power greater than Spiral power? Simon refuses to use spiral power to bring back the dead - he places limits on his own power. In fact, he shows that after achieving a limited and set goal, a true hero should give up his power and "become nobody." That is good. Others would be wise to follow in his footsteps. A very moving adventure. I love and hate how it changes. It is like the opposite of what Macross does. Macross just stops at a certain point without resolving important emotional plots so that we can forever remember the characters "at their best" and the feelings that go with it. Gurren Lagann takes us through the whole epic from youth to old age, from childhood through death - and it is very moving, but I guess this is why it's all the more sad. It will be hard now - to rewatch this anime - looking at little Simon and cute Yoko - knowing how they end up. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 I think you're overthinking things a bit. The Anti-Spirals are the final outcome of a person like Rossiu, they're exactly the type of evolution that a person who thinks like that leads to. Overanalyzing/rationalizing a situation without any sense of blind hope. They became the way they did simply because they believed that it was the only way for the universe to continue existing. They penned up the spirals because they wanted them to feel the same level of despair, and accept that the anti-spirals were right. Why else contain them rather than destroy them when they were at their weakest. Absolute despair was a fate they rationalized themselves to accept, and as such, believed everyone should accept as well. Just like Rossiu, they couldn't comprehend a minute probability solution that would allow spirals to continue flourishing without destroying everything. As for Lordgenome, Viral, & immortality, the only reason Viral was granted the ability was so that he could chronicle events. You'll note that Viral's immortality didn't equate to absolute power, didn't allow him to defeat Simon, and didn't do much else but prevent him from dying. The rest of the Beast Men were created with limited life & no spiral energy abilities because they were nothing more than toys & guards for Genome to keep himself occupied/the planets inhabitents under control. They weren't meant to be a true new species to take over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gui Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 A rather interesting article on the possible various meanings and symbolisms og this show: http://wtf.animeblogger.net/?p=140 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFTF1 Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 A rather interesting article on the possible various meanings and symbolisms og this show: http://wtf.animeblogger.net/?p=140 Well written, and longer than what I write Good find. And yes - Gubaba does rule Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mpchi Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 No, I'm pretty sure he is Rossiu's dad. .... Can you point out where in the show that suggested this? I watched the series quite a few times on DVD, but didn't catch a hint of that. So very curious where I missed this connection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 It's been a few months since I've watched, but aside from their resemblance to each other, fact that the elder saw orphans as death fodder, and general tone Rossiu took after he found out the elder intentionally chose to "send off" his own wife, I think it was more of an implied relation than a spoken one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gui Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 [...] And yes - Gubaba does rule YEAH BABY YEAH!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwinges Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 It's been a few months since I've watched, but aside from their resemblance to each other, fact that the elder saw orphans as death fodder, and general tone Rossiu took after he found out the elder intentionally chose to "send off" his own wife, I think it was more of an implied relation than a spoken one. The village leader was not Rossiu's dad. He cam to the village and became leader. Nowhere does it suggest that he is his father (other than the big forhead, nasty priestly way). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFTF1 Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 I have to agree with Kieth on this one. Maybe I watched a bad translation, but I'm fairly sure that on several occasions Rossiu calls him "father." Also - not only the big forhead and nasty priestly way, but the way Rossiu looks as an old man (very much like the leader) suggest it. In any event, the episode where Rossiu goes back to commit suicide in the village where he was born and the two reunite sure looks like a father/son reuniting to me. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 The village leader was not Rossiu's dad. He cam to the village and became leader. Nowhere does it suggest that he is his father (other than the big forhead, nasty priestly way). Now that makes no sense, he came to the village from where? There's on indication that the village had contact with any previous outsiders. And again, if he wasn't Rossiu's father, that would have made Rossiu an orphan, i.e. instant beastmen bait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwinges Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Now that makes no sense, he came to the village from where? There's on indication that the village had contact with any previous outsiders. And again, if he wasn't Rossiu's father, that would have made Rossiu an orphan, i.e. instant beastmen bait. Remember...roseau is an orphan...his parents also took the walk. Also the priest states that he once rode the gunman...thus he wouldn't have been from that village because they thought it was a god and nobody thought it could move. And yes, I'm willing to bet that roseau was raped often by that priest....their relationship was just too creepy for that not to have happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFTF1 Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Remember...roseau is an orphan...his parents also took the walk. Also the priest states that he once rode the gunman...thus he wouldn't have been from that village because they thought it was a god and nobody thought it could move. And yes, I'm willing to bet that roseau was raped often by that priest....their relationship was just too creepy for that not to have happened. Well - what can I say... Finally - someone with crazier interpretations than my own I guess I'll have to go back and re-watch that episode - what was it...episode 3 or 4? But honestly, I always was under the impression that it was his dad. I never got the impression that the Priest had ridden the Gunman - more like he stepped into it and did what was needed - and given that we are talking about super robots that work off of emotions - this is possible. But even if he did ride the Gunman earlier, this doesn't really contradict his being Rossiu's dad... As for their relationship being creepy - well - yes - if you rule out the father/son relationship, then all that remains is rapist/rape victim or top/bottom or something of that sort... But - wouldn't this "creepy" relationship only indicate the more plausible explanation (that their closeness was the result of father/son ties rather than being the result of bizzaro S&M?) Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miriya Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 This thread has gotten almost as interesting as the show!!! Yes, the priest had piloted the gunman. IIRC many times. Now I have to rewatch too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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