I've been watching Gurren Lagaan as it airs on Sci-fi. I liked the first two episodes . . . and didn't like ep. 3 through six. I thought, "Is all they're gonna do is wonder around the surface and beat the crap out of Beastmen? If so, then this show is getting old, fast." If episode 7 and 8 weren't at least as good as # 1 and 2, I would've stopped watching GL altogether, thinking that, it's not bad, but it's certainly no E7 either.
Well lucky for me, ep. 7 through 12 have been fantastic. It's almost like a whole 'nother show now. Also, it seems like the dub cast has gotten more comfortable in their roles, sounding more nuanced now. It still is a lot of dub actors and actrersses I know, (Wow, Yoko sounds a lot like Yukari-chan, doesn't she? Oh wait, she is Yukari-chan! No way!) but I guess that's why they keep getting parts, 'cause they're just so good. By the way, my favorite character is still Leeron. I don't know why, but I guess I love mechanics that are just so . . . fabulous! But that's another thing about Leeron; he's rather ambiguous. He could be straight, gay, bi; he could be a man, or maybe a woman, who can say? But now, I have a second-favorite character. Wanna know who it is? My second-favorite GL character is Princess Nia.
OH NO! NOT NIA!
Why yes, it's true! And care to guess why I like her so?
"Oh dear GAWD! You think she's cute!?"
Hey, come on, I'm not the only guy in the world who thinks that. Oh sure, she may be a prototypical moe girl, but I don't care! She is just such a darling! A moe girl done right! Looks like I'm gonna have to edit my article about cute anime girls again . . .
By the way, that whole section in ep. 12 when they're at the beach was just so hilarious. You think, "Oh. They're at the beach. Time for girls in swimwear! Can never have too much sexual fanservice!" But no, it kinda is a subversion of that. "Yoko's right. It's better to conceal than to reveal." It was so silly, I was laughing nonstop.
So GL is more than meets the eye. I still don't like it as much as E7, (E7 has more depth, better characters, and cooler music.) but it is an action cartoon done right. Just remember, don't believe in me; believe in the me who believes in you. Indeed.
