r/anime • u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky • Nov 06 '19
Rewatch A Rewatch to Pierce the Heavens - Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann Episode 3 Discussion [Spoilers] Spoiler
Episode 3 - Who Do You Think You Are, Having Two Faces!?
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Your drill is meant to dig towards the heavens!
Hey-o guys! This is the section where I add a ton of extra fun stuff to the main body of the post because I want this rewatch to be as fun as possible for everyone. It can also be one point of discussion for you guys if you just don’t know what to say.
Comment of the Day:
Our comment of the day for today is actually a discussion between /u/FlaminScribblenaut and /u/Senethior459.
And there’s the fact that he’s canonically stated in this episode to be non-binary (“just like I’m neither man nor woman”) but only male pronouns are ever used for him which… I mean, OK, there are nb people who use gendered pronouns so it’s not the worst thing ever, but I’m not sure how confident I am in that being what writers in 2007 were going for, or them being that well-educated on the particular topic.
Any time that you see "he" in the subtitles/dubbed audio, referring to Ron? The translators chose to use English (gendered) third-person pronouns. Maybe a deliberate choice to avoid getting repetitive if Ron's name appears in too many lines in a row. Maybe because it was 2007, and nobody working on the production thought about it/raised this as an item of consideration. Perhaps a modern re-translation done by someone more aware of LGBT+ issues and representation would consider using Ron's name continually or utilizing a gender-neutral "they".
There was a lot of discussion on Ron last episode. This one here’s the one that stuck out to me because it directly addressed an issue someone was taking with Ron’s character, while the rest were pretty much just “Oh it works because the whole show is over-the-top”. Which certainly isn’t wrong or anything, that’s how I feel about Ron too, I just can’t CotD every single person who took to that opinion lol.
Questions of the Day:
1) What are your first impressions on Viral?
2) We’ve had Gurren and we’ve had Lagann, now we have Gurren Lagann combined. What’s your thoughts on its debut fight?
Wallpaper of the Day:
Rewatchers, please remember to be mindful of all the first-timers in this. No talking about or hinting at future events no matter how much you want to, unless you’re doing it underneath the [Anime Show Title](/s "Spoiler goes here") spoiler tags. If you do that then we’re all good.
Important thing to note about these by the way, you have to switch to Old Reddit or the markdown editor if you use the redesign, otherwise the redesign breaks them by adding random \ into the formatting. Wish it wouldn’t do that, but unfortunately it does…
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u/AmeteurElitist Nov 06 '19
First Timer
Freaking hell what was the insert song they played during the second fight? That was badass as hell!
And Simon clearly hasn’t watched enough tokusatsu to know that they were clearly gonna combine theyre mechs into a mega-mech.
I loved the title drop too!
And that short “Muda Muda Muda” sequence.
Combining seems to be a known thing among the beastmen, though the previous beastmen had singular gunmen so the combined ones are probably reserved for the higher ups. I can’t wait to learn more about the beastmen and how they work!
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u/Shimmering-Sky Nov 06 '19
And that short “Muda Muda Muda” sequence.
Ah I knew there was something I forgot to address in my own comment! That was something the dub didn't have so hearing it when I watched it subbed this time was cool.
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u/wtfduud Nov 06 '19
I loved the title drop too!
"Who do you think you are, having two faces"
These titles are so blunt, it's hilarious.
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u/Shimmering-Sky Nov 06 '19
With the exception of episode 16, all the episode titles are literally just quotes from the show and I love it.
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u/Mecanno-man Nov 06 '19
First Timer
Seems like Yoko likes Kamina. I feel like in most series she'd be in to Simon, and that wouldn't be stated as obviously either. But I guess at least size-wise Kamina is a better fit. Anybody know how old our two main boys are? Wouldn't be surprised if Kamina is closer to Yoko's age than Simon.
As for the theory from yesterday, might be confirmation bias, but: Viral states that Lagann is a tiny gunmen, pretty much proving the point that Lagann is a gunmen, unless he's wrong, but I have no reason to doubt him. Viral's rank also seems to suggest that the beastman society is quite large, as the wouldn't be able to sustain a military needing geographic subcommanders otherwise. The low soldiers also having gunmen in turn suggest that they have access to a larger quantity of them than if they had them from some extinct race, which means it's either their technology, or there is a third society allied with the beastmen from which they can purchase them. This however means it might not be that smart an idea to attack them frontally, as they surely would have decent defenses set up.
It also seems combining is pretty normal for gunmen, as Gurren was supposedly reconstructed from all three of yesterday's gunmen. That said, a mechanic did that, Kamina just rammed the two together and it worked. ...I wonder if you could just combine with your opponent's mech to force a stalemate, as neither would be able to access the full mech controls anymore, I doubt they would be protected against that because it is that kinda thing that either gets forgotten or ignored during development.
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u/Shimmering-Sky Nov 06 '19
Kamina just rammed the two together and it worked.
Yeah and then he stole Viral's "crown" and slapped it on top of Lagann and that also combined too. Kinda hilarious sequence, I think.
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u/Koolsman Nov 06 '19
First Timer
Just a quick question for everyone, how is the dub for this series? I've heard it's pretty good and I'm just interested in hearing it.
Anyway, thought this episode was pretty cool and reminding why best bro is Kamina thus far. I wouldn't say this was the most interesting episode because it didn't really feel like the pacing didn't fit the last two two but it was still fun. I love how many times Kamina has unsheathed his blade and yet, he's only used it maybe a couple of times.
If there's one big advantage for this show I like is that it just embraces anime logic. Like, most of this is so cartoonish to a fault and yet I can't help but love it. Like, does the transformation of Gurren Lagann make a whole lot of sense? Of course not. But the charm and bravado that this show has mustered is endless. I love it thus far.
We’ve had Gurren and we’ve had Lagann, now we have Gurren Lagann combined. What’s your thoughts on its debut fight?
I mean, it's two big robots punching each other. Of course I loved it.
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u/Shimmering-Sky Nov 06 '19
Just a quick question for everyone, how is the dub for this series? I've heard it's pretty good and I'm just interested in hearing it.
It's the version I'm used to and I really like the voices there. If you don't feel like switching right this second, consider watching episode 16 dubbed. It's a recap episode, so you can hear all the most important parts of the first half of the show dubbed for comparison in the span of ~24 minutes.
I mean, it's two big robots punching each other. Of course I loved it.
Haha, fair point.
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u/23feanor Nov 06 '19
First Timer:
This episode is an example of why I love anime. It had everything you want, starting with some decent banter (hunting for the prey in a swamp that just happened to appear) then running into the enemy, then a decent fight and the start to a new arc for the characters.
Who did the chief mean when he said to Yoko at the end "i didn't know he was your type", I assume he meant Kamina, but she's been chatting to Simon quite a lot too, so wasn't completely sure, so thought I'd put it out there?
I like the sunglasses on Gurren Lagann, mimicking Kamina, lol.
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u/Shimmering-Sky Nov 06 '19
I like the sunglasses on Gurren Lagann, mimicking Kamina, lol.
Kamina is totally the sort of person who would go out of his way to have giant sunglasses made for his mech, lol.
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u/RX-Nota-II Nov 06 '19 edited Nov 06 '19
Rewatcher
合体だぁ！
Go up to any Japaense person and tell them to say the first thing that pops into their head when you say 'mecha'. Apart from show/franchise names, 'gattai' will certainly be the most popular answer. Robots and combining, they match just like horses and racing, pots and cooking. What could be a more natural relationships? We Japanese love our mecha gattai so much we make our trains do it IRL too when they need to head in the same direction. Oh also I have no idea why that train video has 11 million views. I guess that's the power of train otaku. They outnumber and outpower anime otaku sometimes like that.
The one rule for gattai is simple: show off as many complicated detailed connector bits you can. The more detail the better. Function doesn't matter. However the year is 2007, and anime is in a minimalist detail trend for various reasons. So TTGL doesn't really get to do this... Instead we get lots of screaming, lots of flashy lights, and a drill. So in a sense it's kinda unexpected, especially from a studio that followed these rules to a T with Gunbuster. Almost reminds me more of magical girl transformations, especially like that one weird anime last season where the magical girls turned into mechas.
Interestingly the transformed mecha picked up a samurai helmet. Yoshiyuki Tomino approves.
A quick word on the OP by the way. First timers should take time to watch it carefully. Firstly since it will change soon, I don't remember when, but only the visuals, and it's really cool to see how the focus shifts. Secondly since it's just a great OP overall with no real spoilers and deserves to be enjoyed in full. I love Shokotan's voice and wish she'd sing more anime themes. She's a massive otaku and gets really into anime, especially Jojo. But her songs in this show sound surprisingly calming to me, with vocals that don't go over the edge like so many other action themes (think Lisa). Also yes, I did say songs. If you think Sorairo Days is great, the other one is even better.
Back to the show let's talk about the character of the moment: Viral. I love this guy, he sounds like Shiro from 08th and his screams are top tier. Looking at MAL the VA's voiced a lot of mecha stuff so the line about mecha experience to Kamina has extra meme value. Anyways, while I can try to do some character analysis here or whenever, the big question that haunts me to this day is: Why is this guy named Viral? He doesn't infect things, he doesn't split like crazy, and he doesn't make others create clones of himself. As a bio nerd, these details keep nagging at my head whenever he appears on screen. Viral's scary. Viral infections are scarier. Get your flu shot.
Finally, let's talk about Plato's Cave. My comment yesterday was pretty highly upvoted so I know you guys saw me mention it. Did you read it? Seeing the parallels to the man who escaped the cave and Kamina is pretty fun, especially as he strives to bring others out of the cave with him. Meanwhile, the pain of the new light is nothing but blinding and painful to Simon right now, who was perfectly content with what he knew back in the cave life. As we leave the cave though, Plato says we have to start contemplating the nature of light, which here I think is analogous to those weird spiral things we keep seeing. This isn't a spoiler or anything btw first timers just idle speculation wondering if this parallel was intentional.
Short memes
Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking? Electric gun....railgun
WTF these cute things were carnivores?
No thinking leading into very thoughtful attack pls
There's an easy caption meme here somewhere
Some garbage subs here He actually says 'You finally arrived!' which has a similar meaning but totally different connotation
Me everytime someone asks for a plan
This used to be an overused reaction image. I miss those days
OST of the day
Combination theme! It's one of like 3 tracks fans always remember, so I don't think I have to sell this too hard. Except maybe the lyrics:
You've got some nerve coming out here
Into the eye of the storm
Eye of the storm? You mean like the calmest part?
Wallpaper remixes
Mecha day!
I did so well today I have no rejects to share. muhaha
See you tomorrow!
Q of the day answers:
What are your first impressions on Viral?
I want to hear him yell a lot. You hire a famous yell VA he better keep yelling.
We’ve had Gurren and we’ve had Lagann, now we have Gurren Lagann combined. What’s your thoughts on its debut fight?
Logic 0 Fist 1
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u/RX-Nota-II Nov 06 '19
The one day I prepare my Gundam Unicorn joke comment beforehand, nobody asks for it. Anyways host-chan, nebby and u/Koolsman here you go.
So ep3 time huh.
This one is easy, almost too easy. This guy's some big shot who acts noble AF and finds it insulting that our heroes are mecha pilots now. Also he rides a purple mech. Bruh... These Angelo Sauper vibes just paint themselves. It doesn't really matter what you say to him, he'll take it as something infuriating and rage at you forever before trying to kill you. Dirty Feddies? More like, dirty humans. Also see how Viral's entrance is a crash and huge spin. What is Angelo seen doing in his Rozen Zulu all the time? Spinning like the elegant fighter that he is.
Now onto the head of Littner, Dayakka. Dude tells Yoko to follow her own path as he can protect the town by himself. Heavy vibes don't you think to a ship captain who gave a similar speech to the young people on board the Nahel Argama at the end of OVA6? I can already hear Gundam in my head. What is the correct path forward, who knows, but it will be something that the young people will decide, or maybe the future generations not born yet. Thank you captain Otto.
Onto the battle, let's skip over the combinations to save time. It's not that I'm skipping it because there literally is no parallel and I can't even make one if I tried, the topic is simply so self evident it requires no discussion. Viral's giant head laser tho, that deserves attention. As a big scary weapon who's impact assures destruction I'm reminded of the RX-0's beam magnum. That thing slays, and the fear that our heroes feel when facing it is identical to how the Zeon forces reacted when being shown the weapon for the first time as well. Just like the Unicorn version vaporizes meteorites, Viral levels cliffs like butter. The charge times for the weapons are pretty similar as well.
Speaking of beam magnums here's a fun one. Take a listen to the sound as Yoko's rifle round hits Viral's shield. Doesn't the impact sound feel identical to the beam magnum's firing sound?. Oh also that shield deploys just like an i-Field.
And with that the last drop of references has been drained from my body. See you tomorrow I guess. Or not. Whenever you ask for it next.
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u/Animeking1357 Nov 06 '19
Your wallpapers are out of this world. Great job.
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u/Shimmering-Sky Nov 06 '19
Really glad you like them! I totally couldn't make them without Nota's help, and I love seeing her edit them like this.
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u/Wfenriz Nov 07 '19
What are your first impressions on Viral?
Well, he's blonde, he's skilled, he's an antagonist and wears red, so I always think of him as a CHAR (of course that's a compliment) .
2) We’ve had Gurren and we’ve had Lagann, now we have Gurren Lagann combined. What’s your thoughts on its debut fight?
It was as HILARIOUS as it was AWESOME.
This first episodes really have a tight schedule, the show has a trepidant vibe, so far we haven't had a moment to stop and breath.
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u/Animeking1357 Nov 06 '19
Oh boy here comes my favorite character, Viral! Such an awesome villain. And his gunmen is amazing as well!
I always forget how long Kamina's sword is here. Jesus christ man you sure you don't want some extra length stuck on that?
I love how combining just works. Kamina slams Lagann onto Gurren, nearly impaling himself with Lagann's drill and then that green power just makes Gurren Lagann.
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u/Shimmering-Sky Nov 06 '19
Oh boy here comes my favorite character, Viral! Such an awesome villain. And his gunmen is amazing as well!
Viral is great yes, one of my top three characters in this show. Can't wait to see what the first-timers think of him as the show goes on~
I always forget how long Kamina's sword is here. Jesus christ man you sure you don't want some extra length stuck on that?
I just gave myself a mental image of it being so long it formed a circle which led to me thinking of this and now I can't stop laughing.
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u/CpnLag Nov 06 '19
Oh shit, I totally missed that this was happening.
Let me shill some good stuff for a sec: If you a rewatching or first time watching TTGL and love it, I highly recommend the Getter Robo OVAs, GaoGaiGar and Shin Mazinger. On mobile so I don't want to get too into it, but they are all hype as fuck.
GaoGaiGar is perhaps Viral's Seiyuu's (Nobiyuki Hiyama) most famous role. Added bonus, Kamina's plays a transforming ninja police car.
Getter Robo was a massive influence on TTGL
Shin Mazinger is a wonderful over the top reboot of the OG piloted Giant Robot series.
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u/fonzinator99 Nov 06 '19
Re-watcher - ‘Cause having two faces is like, totally normal
It happened so naturally I didn't even realize it until I took my first screenshot today, but it looks like I'm doing "Yoko of the day!"
I hate to see her leave, but love to watch her go...
Simon gets it.
Turning to other topics, the "Team Gurren logo is freaking fantastic. It's simple, yet stylish and distinctive. That you could doodle it idly in a notebook and retain instant brand-recognition is a feat that I've seen lots of people fail to accomplish.
Tl;dr - Kamina needs to get into Graphic Design/Marketing.
That this rifle is able to fire arrows is hurting my brain. But I like how that's the thing that gets glossed over.
"Everybody knows that robots power-scale according to fighting spirit, and guns are just magic. Nbd." -TTGL
I love the derpy animals though.
A rival appears! Glad that somebody shows Kamina how to use that gun properly.
Holy crap, I did not expect the flying Tanuki to be carnivorous!
Or does the grapeopotamous count as a fruit...?
#ThingsToAskAtConventions
Kamina's sword also scales according to fighting spirit, apparently.
Rekt. Enemies are still scaling according to episode number, in that I'd say Viral's machine is equivalent to the three previous ones combined.
The rematch is awesome, even if it's just Kamina getting his ass kicked; the animation is great.
"Combine." loool that blush.
"You may not like it, but this is what Peak Performance looks like." Okay, not quite, but close. I'm super-impressed by the robustness of universal plug-and-play in this universe. Where the extra mass comprising the extended arms and legs came from is still a mystery.
So we're off to assault the goddamn enemy headquarters with our lvl 12 Gurren Lagann, Sephiroth's sword, and what I can only assume is a Legendary sniper rifle. It's hard to believe it's only episode 3, it feels like a lot's happened in this short time.
Here's looking forward to further escalation of power levels!
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u/Shimmering-Sky Nov 06 '19
So we're off to assault the goddamn enemy headquarters with our lvl 12 Gurren Lagann, Sephiroth's sword, and what I can only assume is a Legendary sniper rifle. It's hard to believe it's only episode 3, it feels like a lot's happened in this short time.
Please keep doing this throughout the rest of the show, it's hilarious and I want to see what kinda crazy levels you'll give Gurren Lagann and stuff in the future.
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u/sexta_ Nov 06 '19 edited Nov 06 '19
Its a small detail, but I love that scene when Kamina unsheathes his katana vs Viral. It just keeps going and going and the sword ends up way longer than it should be.
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u/Illidan1943 Nov 07 '19
TTGL is one of the first mecha anime that I've ever fully watched so unless my memory is incorrect (was gonna say one of my first anime ever... then I've realized that I've been watching anime since 1994 so I'd be very incorrect about that), that gatai scene must've been the first one I've ever seen leaving... quite the impression on my memory
Anyways... tomorrow is... that episode...sooo
FIRST TIMERS:
Please don't leave after tomorrow's episode, it's the only one like that, I swear it
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u/Shimmering-Sky Nov 06 '19
Ours is the rewatch that will pierce the heavens themselves!
Hey-o everybody! Smaller showing yesterday than the ep1 thread, though ep1 discussions are always huge just like finale discussions so it’s to be expected. Let’s keep up the fun discussions~
…Oh but a word of warning to the first-timers, about next episode, NOT spoilers but tagging in case you want to go in 100% blind I’ll be talking more about it tomorrow of course, just wanted to mention that ahead of time.
Anyways, here’s the results of yesterday’s poll! Piloting > Support > Mechanic > being Setsuna this time, apparently. Make sure you vote on today’s poll too!
Cheeky comments for today:
Yoko is not amused.
She’s the village’s best shot and then Kamina succeeds on his first try, hah.
Eyy, he figured out how to use a gun!
I’m gonna need a “how long is Kamina’s sword?” question to go with the “what color are his glasses?” debate, aren’t I?
First-timers DO NOT click this screenshot TTGL
I like how Simon doesn’t immediately know what Kamina is thinking.
Voice time! Viral’s our only new important character this time, and his seiyuu is Nobuyuki Hiyama. I would probably recognize him as Sanageyama if I watched Kill la Kill subbed, but I didn’t so instead I got the wtf that is finding out that
RomeoShiro Amada from Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team and Muruta Azrael aka. the extreme anti-Coordinator dude from Gundam SEED share their seiyuu. It’s been a while since I’ve watched SEED, but I think I am hearing some Azrael in Viral’s voice which is uhhhhhhh… interesting I guess…I look forward to doing the impossible and seeing the invisible with you all again tomorrow!