Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
Ever since the Power Puff Girls, western animators believe they can do "manga"-style too. Design some big monster, set it free in a town with tall buildings, throw in some close-ups of the heroes with lots of speed-lines and hey presto: We've got "Manga" style.
Or so they think....
(Booming voice)
Step aside foolish western animators, the Japanese are back to show us how it's done.
(...end booming voice)
Yes, it's Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann!!!
Whenever we see a television series from our youth again, we're disappointed. In our heads it looks bigger and bolder than the real deal. We can't help but thinking that this is where Gurren Lagann found its origin. Some animators saying to each other: "Let's make a series that is as big and over the top as those old robot-series are in our minds."
Bigger, louder, brighter and more camp than Julian Clary on an oestrogen diet. Watch this on a widescreen television with the volume at 11. Gurren Lagann embraces and re-invents every cliché of the old pulpy fighting robots genre in a Quentin Tarantino way.
With lush imagery that makes the screen look like it's on fire, the craziest robot designs ever, some breathtaking backgrounds and a dash of retro, this is a true feast for the eye. Completely devoid of any subtlety, this is not for the arthouse crowd as it adheres to the aesthetics of bumper cars and heavy metal. Told with an unrelenting pace and some genuine surprise twists.
Another reason to play it loud is that it is easier that way to glance over the quality of the animation which is hit and miss. Unfortunately, the shoestring budget can't help but show every now and again.
As of the time of writing, this one hasn't reached its conclusion yet, so every week, we wait impatiently for the next episode. It gives some sense to our otherwise empty existence.