Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is an anime produced by Studio Gainax. Directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi, it was the final mecha anime produced from Studio Gainax and has garnered even more praise than both Gunbuster and even Neon Genesis Evangelion. Released in 2007, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann starts out as an affectionate parody of mecha anime, especially older anime very much like GunBuster. It then goes on to deconstruct elements of those kinds of anime before reconstruction them. Then, after a time skip, the show deconstructs anime like Neon Genesis Evangelion and FLCL before reconstructing them as well. Because of the similarities between the two along with a shared tone and the fact that two of the main characters are based on Gunbuster's, this anime is considered to be the closest thing to a successor GunBuster has.
Similarities to GunBuster[]
Due to sharing many of the same themes as GunBuster, there are quite a few similarities:
- Both were produced by Studio Gainax
- Both focus on a trio of people: one with dark hair, one with blue hair and one with red hair.
- Both shift in tone majorly halfway through. Unlike Evangelion, the shift in tone is very much the same.
- Both take place after catastrophic events.
- Both are heavily influenced by Getter Robo.
- Both have an emphasis on humanity and what it will do to survive.
- Both contain heavy amounts of Shout-Outs to mecha anime before it.
- Both are equally nihilistic and optimistic.
- Both have their title mecha appear by merging two others.
- Both have time skips.
- The third form of the Gurren Lagann, the Super Galaxy Gurren Lagann, is the GunBuster with drills.
- Both mechas faced off against inhuman alien entities by blasting them with homing lazers.
The following similarities are shared specifically between Noriko Takaya and Simon The Digger:
- Both lost their parents.
- Both are initially easily scared and cowardly.
- Both character's personalities change drastically as the result of losing a male figure they looked up to, becoming very badass.
- Both character's development scenes are accompanied by the GunBuster pose.
- Both look up to big sibling characters before surpassing them.
- Both give up a lot to protect humanity.
- Both never give up.
- Both don't have very good luck in the love department
The following similarities are shared between Kazumi Amano and Kamina:
- Both act as big sibling surrogates that aren't actually related to the main characters.
- Both are most commonly called by sibling names (Onee-sama for Kazumi and Big Bro for Kamina)
- Both constantly try to inspire their siblings.
- Both know that they are inferior to their partners.
- Both are considered better than their partners in the beginning.
- Both have tragic love lives.
- Both have blue hair.
Differences between GunBuster[]
- GunBuster was 21 episodes shorter.
- GunBuster stars females instead of males.
- Noriko is remembered for her actions whereas Simon is not.
- Kazumi doesn't die.