First Impressions / Gurren Lagann

Summary:

With Yoko pointing a gun at her, Nia tells them to give up and says that mankind has no future as she disappears through a portal. As for where Yoko’s been all this time, it seems that around one year ago, she had arrived at a peaceful island town as the new teacher. On her first day, she had encountered a boy named Nakimu who had been bullied by the other boys, but she had suggested that he get up on his own instead of being helped up. As a teacher, Yoko went by the name of Yomako and had looked forward to taking care of the first children born on the surface of the planet rather than under it. She was feared by her students for her deadly chalk throwing ability, but they also loved her as their teacher. During one particular history lesson concerning six years ago, Nakimu had recognized Yoko’s picture in the textbook, so she threw a piece of chalk to quiet him. One day, Nakimu found that some of the other kids had drawn a love picture of him and a girl named Maosha on the chalkboard, and he had quickly tried to erase it as Yoko came into the classroom. Later that afternoon, Nakimu discovered that someone had put his school bag at the top of the tall tree in the schoolyard. Nakimu was in tears because that bag was a keepsake from his father, but he had decided to get it back on his own and started climbing the tree.

Nakimu reached the top soon after Yoko arrived on the scene, but when he realized just how high up he was and started screaming, Yoko ripped up her skirt and leapt up the tree to save him. At the top, Nakimu revealed that he hated being on the island without his father, but he felt that the view from the top of the tree was pretty. Yoko then told him of how she had seen a similar view some time ago with a boy similar to him. She had made a lot of friends after that, and they had faced the future and did their best, though there were people who died too. Yoko felt that it was fine as long as Nakimu kept his memories of his father, and she got him to admit that he didn’t hate his classmates. In truth, all the kids were quite impressed with what Nakimu did, and they all gather around him after he comes down with Yoko. A little while later, Yoko is reading through some papers when the television turns on with the broadcast of Nia and Simon’s conversation about the humanity eradication system. Yoko had watched Rossiu’s speech with the rest of her class the next day, and soon after, they had gotten ready to evacuate.

It was during this time that Maosha’s parents had come running to Yoko because their daughter had disappeared. The other kids had figured out that Maosha was hiding out at the top of the nearby lighthouse, but before Yoko could head there, two Gunmen appeared from the sea and took Maosha hostage. The Gunmen were piloted by two wanted beastmen, and when they started destroying the school and toppled the tall tree, Yoko got angry. Returning to her room, she took off her normal clothes, put on her battle gear, and then arrived back on the scene on her bike to save Maosha. Declaring that she’s a teacher, Yoko proceeded to teach the two criminals about not destroying buildings, not taking children as hostages, and not threatening people with power, all while she made quick work of their Gunmen with several well placed rifle shots. Afterwards, Yoko had gotten a message from Rossiu asking her to get onboard the Arc-Gurren because he believed that she was a person who should survive. Yoko wasn’t too happy with this and decided to head to Kamina City, but before she left, she told her students that she was still their teacher Yomako and vowed that she’d recover the deep blue sky that they loved.

Yoko arrived in the city in the middle of the heated battle between the Gunmen forces led by Kittan and the Mugan, and Kittan had told her where Simon was, so that’s why she’s here at the prison freeing him now. She feels that it’s the Gurren-dan that can somehow manage to get them through this tough situation, and Simon agrees. Simon also frees Viral and tells him that they’re going to save everyone on the planet by stopping the moon. When Viral wonders if Simon is serious, Simon says that he’s always serious and feels that Viral should know who he is. After Viral calls Simon the big idiot of the Gurren-dan, the three leave the prison and are greeted by Kittan and the others. With all the members of the group gathered, including Boota, Reite presents them with the Gurren Lagann and a rocket to lift the others into space. Seeing the Gurren Lagann up close, Viral comments on how it’s stubborn, just like Simon, and to his surprise, Simon invites him to pilot it. Since Simon feels that the Gurren’s cockpit is a VIP seat for Viral to see the fate of humanity, Viral agrees to do it. The entire group then blasts off into space where the Arc-Gurren has met up with tons of Mugan, including two huge ones. At the moment when the Arc-Gurren’s spiral energy is decreasing because all of the people onboard are becoming uneasy, and at the moment when Rossiu is wondering if this is his limit, Simon suddenly tells him not to give up. He reminds Rossiu that his drill is that which pierces through the heavens, and he decides to gattai with Viral – the fated union that twists the two paths of humans and beastmen into one spiral path.

Preview

I thought at first that this episode would be a little wasted in exploring Yoko’s past a year before current events and in interrupting the flow of the story, but it didn’t turn out to be like that since they really spared no expense making her look cool and kick ass. A lot of that might just be built-up excitement since Yoko has been absent from the series for so long, but it’s hard for me not to be excited because Yoko’s return also seems to mark the return of the Gurren-dan as it used to be – full of fighting spirit and epic-sounding speeches, as Simon and Viral demonstrated at the end of the episode. I just hope that this won’t be the only focus Yoko gets for the rest of the series, though it now seems all but guaranteed that we’ll at least see her returning to her students once this is all over.
As for Viral, him piloting the Gurren didn’t come as a huge surprise for me since he was probably the best candidate short of resurrecting Kamina. It feels like so long ago that I was thinking that Viral’s continued survival could make him the final boss, but when the bigger mutual enemy appeared, he logically became Simon’s ally. We’ll probably get to see next episode just how powerful the Gurren Lagann is now with both Viral and Simon instead of just Simon, and from the preview, it looks like they’ll be going after Nia. Rossiu also mentions the Arc-Gurren-Lagann in that preview, so it would appear that the Lagann will be joining with Arc-Gurren too.

67 Comments

  10. *Takes big glug of water* *Looks at teacher pic* *5 seconds to process* *Realization* *spits water all over screen*
    Yeah, that was how i reacted. Yoko sooo resembles a certain teacher from a certain anime. Dam, yoko is pretty hot as a teacher…what i wouldnt give to be in her class…XD

    klazyguy
    Reply

  12. Oh my. I won’t comment on Yoko, but it’s pretty obvious that Rossiu’s escape plan had the makings of a disaster: did he think that the Ha-Rasen would let a spiral knight ship escape so easily?

    Still, with the Gurren back, and with Simon and Viral at the controls, mayhaps we’ll see the space battleship hinted at in the intro? Shades of Yamato and Harlock there…

    Myssa Rei
    Reply

  17. nice! Viral is now piloting the Gurren, at least Simon will not handle the battles all by himself anymore. and still, damn you Rossiu!!! bet he’ll now realize that his way of handling the situation is wrong. can’tw8 for the subs. 🙂

    whitey-chan
    Reply

  19. Can’t Wait for this episode!
    I would drop those kids if they ever did that to me
    and Viral is becoming a good guy now… I saw that one coming but anyways
    I wish i had a teacher like that O.o I mean friend…*wink*

    Beaglebites
    Reply

  23. Please tell me she’s not on Rossiu’s side.

    She’s on Simon’s side and Simon doesn’t hate Rossiu for what he did, so I’m guess in a way she could also support Rossiu… but she also saved Simon. Simon in the end had to bail out Rossiu. So, they are on the Gurren Lagann side… Rossiu lost.

    ann
    Reply

  26. Arc-Gurren-Lagann is blue in the OP because it hasn’t appeared yet, I expect. It’s like the black Gurren-Lagann in Episodes 1 and 2 and all of the GL upgrades in OP 2(which I expect the first to no longer be shadowed in the next episode)

    Hiruma
    Reply

  27. That part at the end of the episode was epic, Rossiu’s been dropped for Viral, and I cant wait for episode 23 for the next arc where Simon will be overflowing with GARness as see in ep 1, and I wonder what prevents them from stopping the Anti Spirals now in the first place, maybe Spiral Nemesis I guess………..

    Sugoi
    Reply

  30. MWAH !!! Simon & Viral team up is just pure win !!! Absolutely love it ! As expected, Yoko rocks, Simon is starting to look GAR and Viral is too sexy for his shirt. Still, I’m bit disappointed by the very short appearance of Evil Nia in this episode, I would have expected more talk but it really seems that she won’t have more than three words with anyone but the Spiral Nemesis. Next week will mark the rise of Gurren Lagann first power up (digimonisation yerk), and a direct confrontation (in the moon ?) with Evil (hum her eyes don’t seem to have this usual semi passive & agressive look so giving the fact she won’t die there -Come on we all know she won’t kick the bucket now- there’s definitively something’s up) Nia. And Mr & Mrs BigMugan bring some despair upon Dictator Rossiu.

    Bogus
    Reply

  31. If Nia DOES kick the bucket I’ll be sad. Evil Nia was really cool for a while, but then her whole ‘blah blah end of all hope’ speeches became boring. I’ll be MORE than happy to get the good Nia back. 😐

    Kalle
    Reply

  36. Damn! Yoko is hotter than ever.
    And nooo! You are not going to hit Nina, are you Simon?

    P.S. I am glad i watched this series. It seemed weird at the begining but it is a kick ass as it turned out.

    banzemanga
    Reply

  38. Yeah, Simons gotta take Nia out! Save teh world. It’d be very very very corny if somehow right at the end, she just turns all happy and good like the old Nia and returns. That’s just something gainax shouldn’t and won’t do. What happens to Yoko after this isn’t known, but I beleave it’s been said that her VA was present for the recording of the last arc also. So I don’t see her just up and leaving again after this arc. And I sure as hell hope she doesn’t go anywhere. Now that it seems Nia will be gone, Yoko can play a bigger role yet again.

    GP
    Reply

  39. Yoko is one of the best female anime characters ever and this episode shows why!

    I cant describe my excitement on that “Who do you think we are” scene with Simon and Viral. Finally the replacement for Kamina is here and he delivers.
    My only gripe is with Nia who seems to play a minor role and i can’t think of a way for Simon to get her out of this “messenger of evil” role except death.
    Maybe she will take control of herself and help them but my feeling is that Nia doesnt belong anymore to this show.

    Nisutora
    Reply

  41. Just to hide herself more. She even changed her name a bit. She doesn’t want people to know she’s Yoko at that point. But now she’s back, w00t!

    As for Nia, she’s lost guys. Any sorta last minute life saving stunt would be corny, and messup the whole show. The point of this arc is the tragic hero, and tragic heros can’t save everyone, or lose close important friends/family in the process. Who better, at this point, than Nia to fill up that role? This is also why many people think/say that lots of the other members will also die. But I don’t know.

    GP
    Reply

  44. “The two paths between human and beast, intertwine, to create the path of the spiral!”

    “Piercing destiny as yesterday’s enemies, creating a new path towards the future with these hands”

    “THE UNION OF FATE, GURREN-LAGANN!”

    “WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK WE ARE!”

    Best moment ever! This show is simply out of this world awesome!

    Darklord
    Reply

  46. This series will destroy the internets it’s THAT great.

    Gainax really went all for Yoko’s return. NEXT WEEK will be unforgettable.

    I LOVE that Simon and Viral are working together.

    pinoy78
    Reply

  54. Everyone here is saying that Nia is a lost cause now, but I certainly hope not. I mean come on she has been around in this show for too long to just leave her as a completely one dimensional character before killing her off. Her death would have absolutely zero impact if you kill her off here as this robotic messenger. She needs to have some kind of redemption that re-endears her to the fans if you want to have an emotionally jarring death.

    Personally I think killing Nia off would go against Simon’s trend of always saving what is most important to him after he lost Kamina. I just hope that should she survive that the writers have some way of doing it that makes it not dreadfully corny (and I do think they have plenty of options to do so).

    8GaugeBrett
    Reply

  55. This episode was nothing less but EPIC!
    Yoko is back (and how she’s back, dammit – her clothes changing scene alone is reason enough to watch this episode again and again), Simon and Viral are teaming up, the gurren dan reunites. All I hoped for came true, and the end of this episode really gave me shivers down my spine. I don’t care what happens from now on, I just know one thing: The awesomeness of this show can’t be described in words anymore.

    Neara
    Reply

  56. oh god oh god oh god. I don’t care if the neighbors scream at me but that final bit DERSERVES a 7.1 full blown wallop from my speakers!!!! Mwahahahah god !!! EPIC EPIC EPIC I tell ya!!!
    As for nia.. id say she stays as an anti-spiral but is the only survivor of the bad guys. I think the only reason why she kept popping around bring ye ole message o doom thing is its the only part of her that truly is still human.
    Human enough to warn Simon.
    Ah. Love.
    Man…. i vote she keeps her super cool ninja outfit
    And god i hope there is a season 3 and a season 4.
    This anime truly is what GAINAX is all about!!!
    whoo-hoo!!!!!!!

    sdliddo
    Reply

  57. This anime had me glued to my tv since Episode 1. Never a dull moment and full of adrenaline-pumping moments in every turn.

    I believe Nia could make it to the “Darth Vader” stunt with redemption at the very end – but that end would probably complicate Yoko’s possible comeback with Simon.

    If I read her eye gestures correctly, Yoko reacted to Simon’s name on the history book – which could mean a lot. It’s either that she has feelings for Simon but couldn’t let it out when she wanted Nia to be happy as well or just a recognition that Simon was a dear old friend.

    Launcelot
    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *