First Impressions / Gurren Lagann

Summary:

As the Dai-Gurren proceeds through the desert, Nia finds Simon is resting on the deck, and he comments on how her image has changed, though he likes the new look. Nia then reveals that she wants to work because she can’t stand not doing anything while everyone else is so busy. Before Simon can suggest anything, Yoko interrupts their conversation to lecture Simon for not eating breakfast again. She feels that eating is part of his job since he’s the only pilot of the Lagann, and that gives Nia an idea about what she can do: cook. She heads to the kitchen and starts cooking for the eager crew, but before they can eat, the ship’s warning alarms go off. Cytomander has arrived on his flying aircraft carrier, the Dai-Gunten, and he launches a fleet of bombers into battle. The Dai-Gurren crew prepares to fight, but since Rossiu happens to be sick from an unknown cause, Yoko will be piloting the Gurren today. Inside the cockpit, however, she notices the Gurren Brigade symbol on the seat and is reminded of Kamina. Boota helps her move forward, and the Gurren quickly accepts her as its pilot. When the bombing runs begin and ravage the Dai-Gurren, Cytomander quickly gets the impression that he’s too strong.

In order to fight, Simon has the Dai-Gurren throw the Gurren Lagann into the air and then uses long-ranged drills to swing from enemy aircraft to enemy aircraft, destroying each one in the process. One of the planes manages to dodge the drill and dives at the Gurren Lagann, but Simon avoids it and sends drills out the back of the Gurren Lagann to impale the aircraft. Yoko then alerts Simon to the fact that they can combine with it, giving them the ability to fly. With their allies returning fire now and the battle really heating up, the Enkidu suddenly strikes against the Gurren Lagann. Simon recognizes the pilot to be Viral, and since he’s having trouble fighting in the air, Yoko opens her cockpit and fires her gun directly at Viral. An angry Viral responds by having the Enkidu punch the Gurren Lagann out from under Yoko, sending her into free fall. Simon rushes the Gurren Lagann to catch her and crashes into the Dai-Gunten, with Viral following close behind. When Simon checks Yoko, she’s still alive and talking, but she has clearly hurt her arm.

The Enkidu soon lands beside them, and Viral demands to know where Kamina is, so Simon finally reveals that Kamina is dead. Viral is shocked to find out what happened back in the battle with Thymilph and quickly realizes that he’s been losing to Simon all this time. He then asks for Simon’s name, and after giving it, Simon heads off to fight by himself, vowing to protect Yoko. Their subsequent battle damages the Dai-Gunten from within and thus gets Cytomander quite pissed off. However, the Enkidu is still unable to best the Gurren Lagann, and this causes Viral to start questioning why he’s losing to a human child. As she watches the fight, Yoko sees that Simon really can fight by himself like he always says he can. Things change suddenly when Cytomander himself shows up and pins Yoko against the wall with his Shuzakk Gunmen. With Yoko as his hostage, Cytomander orders Viral to finish off the Gurren Lagann, but Simon calls this cowardly. Realizing that Simon is right, Viral puts away the Enkidu’s weapon, which pisses off Cytomander even more.

Meanwhile, the team is pushing the Dai-Gurren to the point where it can run up the side of a rock structure and jump right at the Dai-Gunten. The Dai-Gurren manages to land several devastating kicks, one of which causes an explosion that hits Cytomander’s Shuzakk inside the Dai-Gunten, giving Simon the opportunity to grab Yoko and escape. Leeron also recognizes the part of the Dai-Gunten that lets it fly, and so he has the Dai-Gurren grab it so that it can land safely. Now on the ground, Simon watches the Dai-Gunten retreat, and Yoko stares wide-eyed at him until she finally decides to ask him if he knew that she liked Kamina, which he indeed had known. In the aftermath, Nia visits Yoko’s infirmary room and hears Simon’s stomach growling, so she suggests that they go eat with everyone. Once those two leave, Rossiu suddenly bursts out of his infirmary bed and rushes to the bathroom. He explains afterwards that he got sick from sampling Nia’s cooking, but he couldn’t tell her how bad it was since she had been so happy in making it. Leeron and Yoko then realize that this is bad because the rest of the crew is about to taste that very same cooking, but it’s already too late. To everyone’s shock, Simon and Boota are the only ones able to eat the food with no side effects, and Simon even finds it delicious.

Viral meanwhile is brought in front of the Helix King by Cytomander for punishment, but before taking any, Viral first has something that he must know: are humans really inferior beings compared to beastmen? With Viral demanding to know what exactly humans are, the Helix King dismisses Cytomander and takes Viral to a room where the walls and floor are lined with beastmen specimens. He then explains that beastmen are imperfect beings, and in order to preserve the tough body, they have to go into a death-like deep sleep. Cell revival is thus essential, and if you wake them forcibly, the entire body’s cells would undergo necrosis. This causes Viral to question why the Helix King created the beastmen with such bodies, and the Helix King responds by creating a small model of a drill in his hand as he asks if Viral really wants to know the answer to what humans are. Viral simply answers yes.

Preview:

As I watched this, I was surprised at how small a part Nia played in this episode and how much bigger roles Viral and Yoko got. Viral finally found out that Kamina is dead and that it’s been Simon piloting all along, which leads him to confront the Helix King about what humans are. We get cliffhanged in the end, but I think this shows that we’re finally to the point where we start to learn more of the back story of the Helix King and the humans there. It also seems to suggest again that Viral is an important character who will be around for a while yet. At the very least, I like that he’s shown that he has a sense of honor, though that very well may be what gets him in the end.
Yoko also finally admits to Simon that she had feelings for Kamina in one of the most smoothly animated scenes (wind blowing through hair) all episode. She’s like his older sister now with the way she scolds him about eating, though I still question what is ultimately going to happen to her character. Yoko was blushing after Simon said that he’ll protect her, but I have my doubts about if that really means anything. Anyway, the preview for next week shows that our heroes are finally within sight the capital, and it looks like they’ll have to fight Cytomander again.

53 Comments

  8. He’s escaped the pale horse of death twice now.
    This episode looks EPIC!
    Oh btw I read somewhere that episode 13 is directed by the same guy who did Neon Genesis Evangelion.. O: might be the reason behind hightened quality?

    Kenn
    Reply

  18. @Tokkan
    I like the way you think 😛

    Nia just kind of jumped the mary-sue/goody-good scale with the ‘I’m good at cooking lalala’ but eh. Though by the looks of it, seems like Yoko finally gets over Kamina after telling Simon about it (which the latter already knows about) and maybe start the whole Simon x Yoko thing.

    Or Simon becomes too GAR for any girl.

    Ciel
    Reply

  20. Looks like more part stealing goodness. And Im always up for more Yoko action.

    I would say this is my fav show this season but Jeeg 10 was really freaking epic

    AND STOP USING MY NAME!!

    King7th
    Reply

  22. MAN! this series makes me a bigger fan of GAINAX, “FLCL, CUTEY HONEY 04, DIEBUSTER 2” are just some of the reasons,, but man….i would kill for some more diebuster!

    BROOKLYN otaku
    Reply

  24. @anonymous
    Heh, thanks for the info. Just too used to the girls being able to miraculously cook food, but well, there’s always the ones who cook horribly by adding mayonaise to everything or something of that sort.

    Ah, poor Rossiu…

    Ciel
    Reply

  26. Yoko is a slut, the second she wanted Kamina, was the second Gurren Lagann dropped a few spots for me. The main character who is awesome gets the hot chick, not his retarded friend. i call that a major mess up. i still like the show of course.

    Jay
    Reply

  27. Now GL now have the wing part.
    Also Cheif Nia is totally bad cooking (Make Rossiu going to the toilet) but Simon and Boota has no effect on her cooking
    Viral is going to importain role if Viral is going to betay the Hetix King and join the human side.

    ededdeddy
    Reply

  30. Gantz isn’t anything like this, and if you read the manga for Gantz, then you’d know Kei can get the other hot chick but doesn’t cuz he’s got a GF already. Anyways, I agree with a few people who are looking at some simon x yoko. I think it can happen now, you could say the blush doesn’t mean much but I think it does. Also her asking simon if he knew she liked kamina, that’s a big step. Why even bring that up at all if you don’t like the guy?

    Besides, Simon saved her twice in this episode, FUCKING TWICE PEOPLE!! That gets you points in any show. It might have looked like a big sister role for Yoko before, but now with this episode, it could swing both ways. And besides, lots of people think Nia could die. It would be sad, but who knows.

    GP
    Reply

  31. I say yay to Yoko and Simon! She confessing to Simon that she was in love with Kamina means she has cross the border of “sister like” to liking him “that way”, and she doesn’t want secrets between them. I was kind of defeated because even though i wanted them to end together besides the little jealousy fits Yoko had when she saw Nia and Simon together it seem she was heading for just a sibling relationship. Now that she saw Simon’s coolness and awesomeness, she look at him the same way she used to look at Kamina.

    golthin
    Reply

  32. sigh, ppl starts seeing their fantasy now. Let me clarify this for people who are slow and havn’t watch the raw nor quick sub

    1. Neither Yoko nor Simon didn’t blush this episode, well Simon blush for Nia twice really.
    2. Exact sentence of the sunset scene. “Hey, Simon do you know? I actually like Kamina”, well the tense is present perfect in japanese but it sounds bad in english which means she is still liking him.
    3. Yoko’s development in this episode mainly is about she learning that Simon is no longer a child that she need to protect. She told Simon by the end that she liked Kamina because Viral reminds her about him and she thinks that Simon is old enough to know this.
    4. If she would look at Simon being the same way as Kamina, she would have put a gun up his ass for being too cool now. She is a tsundere type towards one she likes, and clearly Simon is currently not one.

    quina
    Reply

  37. @haitechan
    iam not too sure myself but all the preview are base of Nia if you know what i mean
    so maybe she is trying to say everyone welocome? since is they arrive in the beastman city and all

    Rinkun
    Reply

  38. @quina

    So you’re going to sidetrack our opinion and go off on a few points that could be argued a bit.

    1st one, so no blushing, I’ll give you that one, but that doesn’t mean anything either.

    2nd, “I actually Like Kamina.” I don’t know about you, but how can you still like a dead guy? Saying she “liked” him and asking if Simon knows, why even bring that up? It’s not like Simon said he likes her and she then has to turn him down or something. Why even ask?

    3rd, I think you’re half right about the development here. Her seeing Simon as someone who doesn’t need help or protection is correct. If anything Simon has to protect everyone else. Viral bringging up Kamina isn’t anything new, and I don’t think that’s got anything to do about it. Yoko saw how Simon has taken over and started to pass kamina up character wise, so I think that has even more to do with why she said what she did anyways. Simons age has nothing to do with it, Yoko isn’t 18+ anyways. Their difference in Age is at best 3 years IMO, I still think she’s 16 at best, unless gainax has given us an official age for everyone.

    4th, The tsundere type bit is debatable, she was the same towards both of them at the start, only being a bit violent towards kamina cuz he was an idiot and often did stupid shit. She didn’t try to help Simon at all when he was emo like Nia did, so much for a “big sister role”. Infact what about that part where she said they’ll just get rid of him and leave him behind if he doesn’t take care of himself. Yet even less “big sister” like imo. Now that Simon is officially the leader she’s looking out for him again, before she didn’t really care at all.

    GP
    Reply

  39. Actually, I think Viral could switch sides. He ain’t gonna be beating Simon anytime soon though unless he gets an upgraded Gunmen. And finding out Kamina is dead, I don’t think Viral considers Simon to be his rival since their age difference is somewhat great.

    And now that Leeron has ahold of the flying technology, this could be a first evidence to space travel/flight for the Dai-Gurren….?

    Gil
    Reply

  40. I’m one of those oddballs that are wishing Simon and Yoko would get together (from the earlier episodes), though it’s more of a brother/sister relationship now, and probably will remain that way. Oh well.

    NiaNii
    Reply

  41. When Simon said he’d protect Yoko, she had the most eye-agonizingly-slight-flush-in-cheeks blush. Considering the lighting during that time, I thought it was a perfect time to throw that in. Make it ambiguous and people going ‘No it didn’t happen’. Well, it’s perfectly okay for people to think that way; I was just curious about that scene during the subs and saw a tint. As for any rebuttals to that; you’re free to think that way.

    I found Yoko mentioning that she liked Kamina to Simon a bit strange, but the way she acted seemed like she was saying it to get out any secrets, or to see if Simon was going to be any childish in hearing something like that, or the longshot one of trying to see if Simon’s intentions of protecting her were pure and only for her wellbeing. The latter doesn’t make too much sense considering Simon’s character and what Yoko knows of it so nevermind.

    When he answers that he knew, her expression seems, I don’t know, amazed? Look-at-him-in-new-light? He’s not the kid and subsequent scaredy-cat she knew anymore. I thought it was more of Yoko getting over Kamina at last and acknowledging Simon, along with learning just how kind he truly is. Since mostly everyone can agree that Yoko now sees Simon as her, if not Kamina’s, equal, it could be steps for Yoko x Simon, I guess.

    -this coming from a person who kind of likes nia x simon so sigh- Though I admit; I was enraptured with the fluid animation too much to pay attention to the dialogue at first.

    I really hope Viral doesn’t end up dead as a result of his chivalry; even if I can see it clearly in my head as day.

    And I’m glad to see I wasn’t the only one who thought of the space traveling of Dai-Gurren when Leeron got his hands on the flying technology.

    Next episode seems interesting, is it time for Nia!Deux ex Machina/death?

    Jei
    Reply

  46. It was adult Simon. Or at least it seems pretty evident that it’s adult Simon. I’m also thinking that Lord Genome is gonna give Viral an upgrade. Anybody have and theories on what’s the deal with Genome? There’s a link between him and the Lagaan for sure.

    JP
    Reply

  47. Viral joining would be TEH WIN!1 It seems somewhat possible.

    I think that Yoko telling Simon that she liked Kamina has to do with them bonding over the memory of Kamina more than anything else, especially since Viral reminded them of him.

    It seems to me that in this episode Yoko has seen a resemblance of Kamina in Simon, and her look at the end is that of a proud nee-san that sees in him the potential of being as great a man as the one she loved.

    I haven’t read the supposed spoilers that are around so I’m not sure (wouldn’t like to know beforehand anyway) but it seems Nia is dying next episode(I really hope not she’s just so moe). Was I fooled by the translation? Is what she says at the end not good bye? (I know it’s also a greeting but think it has both connotations)

    LifeCarrier
    Reply

  51. It’s great to see that even now, Kamina’s legacy still has an effect. As for Viral, he’s steadily becoming my 4th favorite character (behind Kamina, Nia, and Simon, of course.). Of course, Show Spoiler ▼

    Snap Master
    Reply

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