In Gurren Lagann, human beings are forced to live under the Earth's surface in isolated subterranean civilizations. The various "villages" have no contact with each other or with the surface. The story opens in Giha Village, a place that has regular earthquakes that damage the infrastructure. Some of the people in Giha Village, known as "Diggers," drill deeper into the earth.
The main character of the series is Simon, who is a 14-year-old orphan that is one of the best diggers in Giha Village. On one of his digs, he finds a special drill key. After one of his digs, a fellow orphan named Kamina recruits Simon for his "Gurren Brigade." Kamina leads the group on a mission to reach the surface, but it fails; Kamina is jailed by the village elder.
Simon resumes digging, and he finds a "big face" in the tunnel. Simon helps Kamina break out of jail to show off his discovery; however, they are caught by the village elder. As the elder chews out Kamina and Simon, the ceiling over the village collapses. A huge mecha falls through the hole, and is followed by a woman named Yoko who wields a large rifle.
After Yoko makes a couple of attempts to subdue the mecha, Simon takes Yoko and Kamina to the "big face." It turns out the drill key he found is the key for the "big face." Kamina names the "big face" Lagann, and Simon uses his new mecha to repel the invading mecha and to break through to the surface. Kamina and Simon learn about what's been happening on the surface of the planet, and they agree to help Yoko and her village.
Gurren Lagann has an interesting story, but it's definitely not a series being aimed at young viewers. It has been given a rating of TV-14, and I believe it's primarily due to the fact that there is sexual innuendo included in the series, especially in regards to the character of Yoko. Also, in the English dub, some of the characters use swear words. Personally, I would recommend Gurren Lagann to anime viewers who are 15 or 16 years of age and older.
| Gurren Lagann | 27 | 2007 | Hiroyuki Imaishi | Gainax | Bandai Entertainment |
| Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: Gurren-hen | N/A | 2008 | Hiroyuki Imaishi | Gainax | Aniplex USA |
| Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: Lagann-hen | N/A | 2009 | Hiroyuki Imaishi | Gainax | Aniplex USA |
