Gurren Lagann’s story of the human struggle against adversity is one that resonates more to me as a seasoned adult than when I first saw the show at 19. Being forced to live underground, fearing for his life and sheltered from the outside world and unable to look forward to a proper future... can you see how relatable the story of our heroes falls squarely in my realm of experience?
Simon is a kid without much except a single friend who refers to himself as his “blood brother”, the extremely overly confident, Kamina. It’s this role model, protector, and friend who gives Simon the strength to pilot a mech known as Lagann that he found in the rubble one day while digging. Kamina’s trademark phrase: “Don’t believe in yourself. Believe in me who believes in you.”
With this mantra the two are able to break free from their cave system of a home, and along with the well endowed Yoko from a neighboring underground village, they slowly begin to gain new friends, defeat enemies, and start a war against those who forced humanity to live in fear under the Earth’s surface.
However, all of their victories don’t come at a cost. During one of their more risky battles they end up losing their fearless leader, Kamina, in a shocking and out of nowhere attack that leaves everyone at a loss for words and directionless as they figure out what to do in the aftermath.
Simon, distraught at losing the only person he called family, withdraws from the rest of the team and is full of nothing but anger and sadness. It isn’t until he finds a purpose for himself, an identity that he can commit to, a reason to keep digging, that he is able to lead his new friends into the battle to take back their world.
The ending sequence to the Gurren Lagann’s second movie is a roller-coaster ride that has three insane rises in action and three equally powerful climaxes (I counted) all within the span of 6 mins. It’s a non-stop shounen energy blast that even to this day hasn’t been rivaled.
The premise: Simon and the gang have learned they are what is known as a Spiral race, a species that can evolve and keep growing, which would explain their ability to continuously grow in strength. The enemy, “The Anti-Spirals”, want to lock away that power because they believe if left unchecked can threaten the universe itself. Simon, learning from the example of Kamina, will do whatever it takes to press forward, something the Anti-Spirals want to suppress. They do this by constantly placing despair over the human race by giving them unimaginable odds at survival, even going so far as to place their consciousnesses into a ‘Matrix’ type dream where they endlessly live in a fantasy world, all in the hopes this will quell their desire to keep fighting, growing and reaching their potential.
The Anti-Spirals are also the same force that were instrumental in forcing humans underground, placing a puppet government over the surface and using Beastman (non-spiral creatures) as a detractors for those who would brave reaching the surface. It is this impersonal force, this amalgamation of authority, that decided long ago the fate of Simon and his pals, who firmly believe they know what is right for the rest of the Universe and all those who would identify as “Spiral” races.
This all builds up to the final battle where Simon and gang have reached galactic levels of power and mecha. Their one time arch-nemsis, Lord Genome, sacrifices his life to absorb the enemy’s “Big Bang Storm” attack --- an attack so big it could create universes. By taking in that energy as a power-up Simon suggest they do what they’ve always done best: combine. This to me also highlights what the series has always been about, teamwork. It’s through their constant combing and changing of forms that exemplifies humanity’s strength in numbers and adaptability as a species.
As they take in the Big Bang’s energy they transform once again, but this time rather than becoming yet another giant robot they take on the form of nothing of raw spiral energy and the appearance of their fallen comrade, Kamina.
Simon, Yoko, Nia all naked in their cockpits (obviously as an easy fan-service grab) talk about how the Anti-Spirals have no right to impose their will on other races while also speaking of the greatness of the human spirit that Kamina so perfectly represented and is now their driving force in the battle.
Simon uses Kamina’s signature final move but the enemy follows suit, again trying to use “despair” as a tactic against them; using their own attacks against them to pummel them into submission. Both parties are virtually at a stand still, two immovable objects being forced into each other until something has to give. The Anti-Spirals are just too powerful and begin to tear apart at each mech the heroes have gained through their journey until there’s only Gurren Lagann.
The Anti-Spirals are unable to fathom how they are still able to withstand the attack. Simon preaches that they simply cannot lose. That the dreams of all their friends who died along the way, along with the hopes of everyone who has supported them through their struggled, are all resting on him, as a drill that will create the heavens --- Simon basically becoming the catalyst for the future he wants to create for his friends to enjoy - a hope he only had because Kamina gave his all and now he too will do the same.
He charges head first, his mech getting picked apart as he gets closer to the enemy until finally it is only him and Nia making their way to the stronghold of The Anti-Spirals, but even the mech Lagann can’t make it. “You struggle in vain!” the enemy shouts. Simon replies, “Maybe, but I still...” Nia launches him to a one-on-one fist fight against the entire consciousness of the Anti-Spirals who are personified as a generic humanoid devoid of identifying marks or personality for the fate of the universe.
They fight. Blow for blow, fist to flesh, blood and sweat dripping, this is the end and whoever wins will either free the universe to grow and flourish as it naturally should or continue to be repressed, ever growing energy under the surface, waiting again to blow up with the energy and ferocity of a nuclear bomb. One more time Simon believes that even if he fails at least he tried, and so he gives it his all, turning his will to live, his spirit, everything he is, into a drill that he wields on his arm. He attacks the Anti-Spiral. He comes out victorious.
I’ve watched this movie, this series, this ending countless times. The sheer determination and unflinching confidence that the main character’s wield is something of legend. As Simon says in the latter half of the show, “even if there’s only 1% chance of success I count that as 100%” To know that victory is simply not giving up. Our real world isn’t as simple as a cartoon made to show that if you believe in yourself you can accomplish anything, but it does teach good lessons about the evils of institutions and well-intentioned impersonal groups who want to control others and stifle progress.
I will always hold Gurren Lagann close to my heart. I will believe in myself and also do my best to help others do the same about themselves, just as Kamina did to Simon. We all need a big “Bro” that tells us everything will be okay if we just keep digging.
