The Significance of Gurren Lagann

The Esoteric Meaning of Gurren Lagann: Introduction

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is a journey of the archetypes as found in Alchemy; transmutation from the basest element (represented by Simon the Digger, digging=interred in earth) to the height of spiritual purity, the herald of the ultimate Spiral Energy and therefore by extension the leader of the human race. The spiral is an ancient symbol for dynamic evolution, transfiguration and the transcendent; the transcending of worlds, of the spirit, etc. The spiral represents the well of continuous spiritual energy that drives the survival of the human race and is the central radiating source of all spiritual power (i.e. the sun, the swastika, core of galaxy, etc.) This makes Simon the leader of the human race because he becomes the Avatar, or the incarnate representation of the Sun of the Earth and the Black Sun at the center of the galaxy, which is in opposition to the entropic Dark Energy/Matter, which is the expansive force which threatens to rip the entire universe apart and therefore diffuse the power of the Sun into infinity where it will die out (read more here). These are represented by the Anti-spirals, who want to preserve the physical universe by eliminating all manifestations of spiral energy (such as humans) since Spiral Energy will eventually cause the reunification of the universe similar to the big bang and completing the universal cycle. A side effect of putting a stop to this cycle is the continued expansion of the universe, which means that eventually life and Spiral Energy will never be able to evolve again, which effectively equals the death of the Spirit and the Eternal. The whole story echoes the archetypal war between the forces of chaos/entropy/expansion and the forces of light/order/contraction.

Multiple layers of such archetypal layers are fused into Gurren Lagann from start to finish. The story as presented is pretty straight forward, and with a little thinking it's very easy to understand. However, one might just be surprised at the depth of meaning that can be applied to it without every losing analogy with the original work. Usual academic literary analysis has already been done to it because of it being an Epic Journey and a Coming of Age story, which can be read here.

Concerning all this, one might wonder if the creators of this show consciously engrafted a deeper meaning discernable only by the initiated, or if in fact the free thought-forms sprung unconsciously from the creators' collective unconscious as a manifestation of supressed gnosis, unable to be manifested in any other area of Japanese life. Usual elements of anime might set some people off, and being an anime it is due to have these elements: fanservice, materialistic character traits, etc. However these all have their place and I will explain why later on.

This analysis will cover multiple posts so don't expect me to be able to get it all out in this one. I've been contemplating TTGL for a while now, and what I've been able to derive from it is astounding. It is one of the few works of modern times that features the true reproduction of the myth, or the mythos which shapes us all. It's deeper meaning is not straightforward, but lies in the use of scale and evolution which are themes reoccurrant in the plot. It can be broken down into two levels of analysis: the personal battles, which are represented by the physical characters and their earthly experiences, and the higher meaning which is represented in the holistic collective in the entire show.

Introduction

The name "Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann" means Breaking Through the Heavens: Gurren Lagann. Gurren Lagann is the name of the central mecha or giant robot in the series, which represents many things such as the manifestation of Simon's willpower. The title echoes GAINAX's previous work, Toppu wo Narae!, which means "Aim for the Top!" The title speaks of a very transcendental theme; from the underworld, the main characters literally "break through" the sphere of the heavens. In the old times, one theory represented heaven as the inside of a solid sphere which formed a roof over the world. When Simon and the others break through into the surface world, they are literally "shattering" and "breaking through" the heavens into the world beyond; in the second half of the series, they continue breaking through various stages of existence until finally they have reached the metaphysical universe.

The series has two parts: the First Part deals with the transcendence of the main cast into the surface world and their fight against the Beastmen, which are terrestrial/earthly obstetrical that the characters must face and defeat if they are to take control of their own destiny. The Second Part deals with their battle against the forces of universal entropy themselves, the Anti-spirals. The two parts are interrelated with each other and each contribute to the overall meaning of the plot.

The analysis of TTGL will take place in 4+ parts, each going over different facets of the show. It is highly recommended that you watch the series before you read this. This allows the show to soak in which enables you to think about it critically as a whole; without critical thinking, reading only gives you conclusions instead of helping you come to conclusions. There are 27 episodes and a few movie versions. The most important movie version to watch in order to follow this analysis is Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: Lagann-hen. (watch here)

Part I: Spiral Energy
Part II: Beastmen
Part III: Gunmen and Identity
Part IV: Conclusion