I quite liked the way they showed the village being absent of colour, showed how soulless a place it was to simply exist.
Why was Yoko embarrassed at having her cloak lifted to show what she usually shows?
Maybe if she wears the cloak for long enough she'd turn into one of them, drab and boring...
The tension was clear between Kamina and the leader of the village, but I think Simon was right, it wasn't their place to tell them how to do things, they had to make tough choices just to survive up to this point. Thriving is a totally new idea.
In the end we gain one whiny Rossiu and two kids, better than the alternative I suppose which was presumably to kill the kids off.
Episode 4 was a bit more fun & games with new characters. Animation was certainly different (I can't believe I didn't notice this on my first watch - maybe was half asleep...). It felt like it was meant as a laugh, and reminded me of the artwork/animation in the closing preview sequences on the original Hellsing.
This is what I liked best about episode 5, it very nicely summarised one if the "easier" coping mechanisms in relation to the main themes in the series.
Though probably no one would overtly agree with the leader's rules, at the same time it is very difficult without context to push one's ideals on a culture that sounds horrific to you. Hence I found Kamina's significant hatred for him a bit too arrogant. As I think the leader (is that the Alucard I hear again??) mentioned, Kamina & co have no background to the village's history, circumstances & capabilities to be making such self righteous judgements and condemning them. A significant majority won't have the will nor resolve to match Kamina's to break free and start a revolution (or may have tried unsuccessfully & eventually become despondent; history does cycle around, as the show later expands on). It seemed somewhat reminiscent of powerful nations forcing their ideals down the throats of others they look down on and conquer, to ultimately leave a mess in their wake when abandoning their responsibilities. Also reminded me to keep my own opinions in check in general, and as another example when reading about certain nomadic/hunter-gatherer communities killing off their elderly, sick & infirm to survive, which sounds inhumane and unethical to me, but what exactly do I know about surviving in their circumstances?
That was a bit ironic wasn't it but maybe the act was more embarrassing for the very active, rather than passive, leering heh.
I didn't even know the history of episode 6, I'm guessing the one on 4od was the original broadcast version so will try the other one, or maybe watch both as @João Gomes & @SkwigglesWorth plan to.
It's really interesting that you mention the scrolling direction, João, because I've noticed that in other anime before. Take a look at these three examples:
Here in the West, we read from left to right, so our perception is that action "progresses" in that direction, too. It's the opposite direction in Japan, and that originates from the direction that scrolls were once unfurled in, versus the reading direction of our books.
I'm so glad that Nintendo genius Shigeru Miyamoto chose to go against the grain and make Super Mario Bros. scroll from left to right!
Incidentally, as another little bit of trivia, here's something I learnt from watching the director's commentary for episode 5 of Gainax's FLCL. Have a look at these two stills of Masamune's family's truck. (They're the best examples I could find online; you'll have to zoom in on the second one.)
Notice how the phonetic characters appear to be written in the opposite order on either side of the truck? That's because, in decades gone by in Japan, lettering on vehicles was read from the front of the vehicle to the back. (It reads Masamune, incidentally.) Now back to GL.
I meant to ask this about episode 3 before, but...
Animation was certainly different (I can't believe I didn't notice this on my first watch - maybe was half asleep...). It felt like it was meant as a laugh
It certainly didn't end as a laugh. As Wikipedia explains:
Takami Akai, an animation producer of the series and a co-founder of Gainax, announced that he would resign his position effective episode five, which aired on April 29, 2007, over comments that he made regarding posts on the Japanese textboard 2channel. Akai and another Gainax employee, Keiko Mimori, made disparaging remarks about comments criticizing the animation style of the fourth episode of Gurren Lagann, which was completely directed by guest and friend Osamu Kobayashi. With regard to reading the fan criticisms, Akai stated that it was "like putting [his] face next to an anus and breathing deeply." Fans later became aware of his comments, and he announced his departure from the company he helped found.
Ouch.
As veteran Gurren Lagann viewers likely already know, it's difficult to suggest that Rossiu will gain much in the way of audience popularity. He's a sympathetic character, though, in terms of his role in the story.
I imagine you probably saw the actual proper episode, dude, rather than tomorrow's watered-down edit. The proper episode is the common one, and the "too hot for TV" edit is the curio.
Explanation of its original airing on Japanese TV, from that same Wikipedia article linked above:
As a result of the series airing at a child-friendly time slot, the staff members had problems with episode 6. Although that episode had a subplot involving peeking into the women's bath, the television stations believed it was suitable when reading the script. After seeing the finished episode, the station said that it could not be aired, and a revised version of the episode was produced.
[Again under "Production", sub-heading "Conflicts"]
I can't think of anything new to add that hasn't already been covered in other posts. I do like the introduction of the two children, although obviously the way Leeron interacts with them in later episodes is a bit... problematic.
Though probably no one would overtly agree with the leader's rules, at the same time it is very difficult without context to push one's ideals on a culture that sounds horrific to you
Couldn't agree more, I think Kamina was trying to show a different path, but clearly picked the wrong time and place to do it. "Come to the surface" he says. Eat what? live where? it would be a wildly different way of life for the people of the underground city.
D'OH @Neil.T! Of course, damn I feel dumb. Of course they would present the scrolling in that direction. I hate you for making me feel so dumb by not even thinking about that.
On the other hand, if there is someone who could be the exception to the rule of tradition, it's Watanabe.
Alright, let me watch episode 5 real quick and pull a tiger woods on you all and watch episode 6 while I'm at it.
Don't mind me, just cheating my way through the simulwatch real quick!
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEDIT - SENTAI POSE -
Episode 5 was actually pretty
pretty
pretty
boring?
I don't know if I'm just not in the mood.
It had a couple of good moments, the priest's genuine smile admitting he can't read was one. Getting back to the colored world was also a great bit, making us feel the same sense of relief as the kids and Rossiu.
Is the bass on this ED track hot or what? Whew.
I'm actually not pulling a tiger woods after all, I'm doing things by the book Watching 6 tomorrow.
I think with the fast pace of eps 1-3, the not so great ep4, the grey/lifeless ep5, and then the non-episode ep6, 4-6 seem more like filler than story to me.
I think I remember it picking up 7 onwards though, and only minor filler before the end?
As mentioned before I'm not going to post for ep6 tomorrow, I'll come back for ep7 in two days time
Episode 5
Team Gurren encounter a secret underground village .. Where the show seems to turn black and white and Kamina seems to disregard local customs.. and Team Gurren's cast expands by 3 members.. Episode 6
Interesting title and thumbnail you have there, Episode 6.
Ah, this episode.. It's really uncomfortable to watch due to the content in it.. It seems unnecessary.. Hopefully we don't see another episode like this
I'll be back on the 2nd as I have no way to watch the other edition of Episode 6
First time I've watched this. I'm surprised by how much was taken out. I didn't even know that censored and uncensored episodes had different titles.
Obviously the scenes where the kids are nude is best removed. The whole sequence in which Kamina tries to glimpse into the ladies' bath being removed I am slightly surprised by.
I think with the fast pace of eps 1-3, the not so great ep4, the grey/lifeless ep5, and then the non-episode ep6, 4-6 seem more like filler than story to me.
I think I remember it picking up 7 onwards though, and only minor filler before the end?
It's something that'll always be a factor with GL that two out of the first six episodes (4 and 6) are pretty messy affairs. It really doesn't create a good early impression of an outstanding series.
We'll be back up and running again with episode 7, though, as you say.
Arguably there's still the somewhat tonally misjudged beach episode (#12) to get through, and episode 16 is a recap.
First time I've watched this. I'm surprised by how much was taken out. I didn't even know that censored and uncensored episodes had different titles.
Obviously the scenes where the kids are nude is best removed. The whole sequence in which Kamina tries to glimpse into the ladies' bath being removed I am slightly surprised by.
They do indeed have different titles. The uncensored version is called "There are Some Things I Just Have to See!!", or in Japanese, "Mitē Mono wa Mitēn da!!", which literally means "I want to see (the) things I want to see."
The censored version is called "Sit in the Hot Tub Till You're Sick!!". The Japanese title is "Temēra zen'in yuatari shiyagare!!" Yuatari is dizziness caused by prolonged hot bath, and the first and last words are the roughest, most disrespectful ways to address a group of people and to tell them what to do. Oh, Kamina.
As for the censorship itself, well... As explained in the Wikipedia article linked in one of my previous posts, the show broadcast in a pre-watershed timeslot (on TV Tokyo). Your mileage may vary on what should and should not have been censored. ¯\ _(ツ) _/¯
We still have the bunny girls in either case. They're actually all cameos from other Gainax characters. I only managed to identify Rei and Asuka from Evangelion, alongside a character I couldn't name from Diebuster when I first watched this. The Gurren Lagann wiki got them all, though:
The bunny girls are cameos from characters of three popular Gainax series. Kazumi Amano, Jung Freud and Reiko Kashiwara are from Gunbuster. Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley Soryu are from Neon Genesis Evangelion. Nono and Lal'c Mellk Mal are from Diebuster. Mahoro is from Mahoromatic. Miss Aki is from Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi.
There are Some Things I Just Have to See!! is the 6th episode of the Gurren Lagann anime. It first aired on May 6th 2007. As they travel through the desert, Simon and Kamina recount the village they just came from and why Kamina didn’t like Magin. Kamina makes it a point to tell Simon that...
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Long post incoming.
Watching 6 tomorrow.
.. Where the show seems to turn black and white and Kamina seems to disregard local customs.. and Team Gurren's cast expands by 3 members..
