The Duality of Gurren Lagann

Twitter: / aleczandxr
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Music used:
Song 1 - Libera Me From Hell (Instrumental) (Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann)
Song 2 - Beyond The Wasteland (Orchestrated) (Final Fantasy Tactics)
Song 3 - Not Alone (Final Fantasy IX)
Song 4 - Blue Fields (Final Fantasy VIII)
Song 5 - Ard Skellig Village (The Witcher 3)
Song 6 - Stardust Road (Super Mario Galaxy)
Song 7 - Ending Theme (Final Fantasy X)

[@bobbyzamora6389]

“It drives home the very metaphorical nature of the narrative through the point that the closest thing to a villain in Gurren Lagann is the idea that you can’t achieve the seemingly impossible.” God damn that’s a good line.

[@ristane6849]

You're goddamn right.

[@andremeIIo]

Remarkably, in Junji Ito's Uzumaki, the villain is essentially the idea that you can't escape the seemingly impossible. It shapes the characters and ultimately destroys them. If there is a hero, it's the idea that you can always give up and submit to the horror. Kind of like the exact opposite of Gurren Lagann.

[@rnaegeli1]

Goosebumps man goosebumps... well done

[@brixtonkaysen6114]

I guess I am kind of off topic but does anybody know a good website to watch new movies online ?

[@aerindinescarro47]

@@andremeIIo So, the anti spirals

[@ConnorShea]

Fuck I love this anime, thanks for making this video.

[@Aleczandxr]

Thanks for watching!

[@timmyronin4588]

Connor Shea same

[@zipperman6045]

do the impossible write the unbeatable row row deep narrative

[@LifelsGreat]

This anime got me so off guard it was insanely good! However, I ended up having a serious case of *Existential Crisis* after finishing it lol. For someone who is obsessed with outer space and the unknown, this really stimulated my curiosity in all aspects of life. It had such a profound impact on me once it was over & felt induced to the thought of Bro's words with everything I want to do as of now... Great video dude!!

[@Aleczandxr]

Thank you!

[@boffymark]

im little dissapointed at the lack of Boota in the video but i loved what was here

[@Aleczandxr]

Haha.. Boota has always been someone I never paid much attention to. Maybe I should've.

[@warywolf1729]

I'm sure his parallel dream involved burrowing into Yoko's...

[@blackstardragon_]

I'm hungry

[@icarue993]

Can someone explain human Boota? Like he appeared 1 minute and gone

[@warrust]

spiral energy yo

[@Marx_D._Soul]

Ok the entire audio switching between left and right was hella cool and hella fitting.

[@Aleczandxr]

Ha, you're the first one who's mentioned that.

[@syweb2]

Wait, what? It did that?

[@traister101]

@@syweb2 You'll only be able to tell if you have two different speakers (or headphones/earbuds) if you have cheap ones it might be simply taking the mono audio channel and sending it to both speakers.

[@justsomeguy6841]

Me: *deaf in one ear* ;-;

[@kodytiffany5686]

The line that defines the series to me is "I believe in the you that believes in me"; that is a perfect descripter to me because what it says is simple yet grand. If one cannot love themselves enough to have faith in them selves than at least trust that those around you have no reason to lie when they speak of your exploits. Believe that there is a reason for others to trust you.

[@Adolf1Extra]

>It'll never be 10 years ago again >You'll never watch TTGL again just it's airing >You'll never ROW ROW FIGHT THE POWAH again >tfw

[@Cosmic-Bear.]

Yeah man, you will for the rest of your life carry on the ability to ROW ROW FIGHT THE POWER, and if you don't believe it then believe in the us, the community, than believes in you.

[@icarue993]

Well, doesn't matter the year. I just saw Gurren Lagan a week ago. It still holds up really well!

[@spiceforspice3461]

i watched it around the time you made this comment lol

[@SaberRexZealot]

@@icarue993 me too. FMAB first time too. 2020 was shit but I watched some goodass anime.

[@ok9418]

everything is right except you can still row row fight the powah til the day you die.

[@demarcogivens6459]

Best 21 minutes of my week

[@Aleczandxr]

[@stevenpeeckford5999]

GREAT thumbnail.

[@Aleczandxr]

Thanks much. Not sure if it'll attract the clicks but I thought it was appropriate.

[@someoneelse5005]

Now, this made me think a bit... If you had put Yoko's tits on the thumbnail I can guarantee you'd get more clicks. It's unavoidable, tits are tits and we're on the internet. But since you didn't, and instead you put a picture that only TTGL fans know what it truly means, you get some hard earned respect. Not that I'd disrespect you if you put Yoko, after all, as far as media reach and views are concerned, you have to compete with people who are literally getting away with putting tits on every thumbnail (and buying mansions off their YT money, yes Misty, I am looking at you), and while I have nothing against tits, it can kind of cheapen the message when you're talking about something you truly like in another way. Putting tits on a video talking about how an ecchi show is good is another thing entirely since it IS the content of that anime. But when you're talking about why you're so in love with a show like this, it would indeed seem inappropriate in a way.

[@easschung9442]

So fitting that you include FFX music when the endings to TTGL and FFX are so similar.

[@Aleczandxr]

I was thinking about that too. It's a bit scary, really.

[@Turahk]

nothing here

[@Aleczandxr]

Turahk Err.. he said FFX. Not FFXV.

[@Turahk]

oh shit

[@NoNameAtAll2]

what is FFX? what is FFXV?

[@gusbloo]

Can’t believe Simon was just a digger at the end and yoko ended up with no one. Kaminas death broke me

[@jayblade2000]

All the characters in Gurren Laggan are amazing, and I could go on a big a rant about Simon as I am about Yoko, but one reason I love both Yoko and Yang Xio Long from RWBY. On the surface they seem like "Big boob girls" yet they have complexity and development under that surface. Just goes to show you can never judge a book by it's cover (I also like the fact people complain about Yoko's clothes as 1. She lives in a barren desert wastleland where extra layers and clothing would get in the way of fighting and 2. Kamina and Simon are equally fanserviced, practically half naked throughout the show)

[@xtrememanster]

I love characters like Nia, they make watching so much more fun as they are blunt to the point of being hilarious, best example I can think of besides Nia would be Gon from HxH, watching him get super personal with killua without even realising it is fucking hillarious

[@Aleczandxr]

That's a pretty interesting comparison! Both are similar in that aspect.

[@tristantien3371]

Wew, that part when you put forth the duality of Kamina. It's been stated explicitly in the show, but now that you've extracted it out and really talked about it, I realized how much Kamina's just the motivation to everyone around him - he's the one providing the direction, and people like Simon are the actual force that's behind that direction, the force that pushes things forward. It really changes my perspective on Simon's role at the start of the series. That he wasn't just a person taken along for the ride, but someone who was essential in their starting journey. Amazing video as always!

[@Aleczandxr]

For sure. I think that Kamina, like the series as a whole, has an unwarranted reputation as a guy that's stupid and fun and inspirational just because. He's deeper than that, and like you said, that changes the entire way you can view other aspects of the series. Thanks as always!

[@RainOn2SunnyDay]

exactly my thoughts when kamina was explaining why he believed in simon so much, and why he kept saying to believe in him that believes in them

[@MiguelAngel-ep9vt]

Absolutely brilliant analysis

[@Aleczandxr]

Thanks so much.

[@Nexion3653]

Thank you for this it's one of my favorite animes

[@Aleczandxr]

No problem!

[@Nexion3653]

Aleczandxr Love all your videi s very deep and thought provoking

[@carltonlee17]

That Viral dream part never fails to make me cry every time……

[@Obsi399]

nia is the second side of simon's greatness. kamina and nia are these two sides.

[@JohnsConga]

Andy John Rodriguez I agree! Nia and Kamina both influenced Simon!

[@marche800]

The in depth look on themes often overlooked and the use of Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced music, a game that has overlooked themes and is overlooked in it of itself. You sir have found a direhard fan.

[@eleb3153]

yet another absolutely amazing video. i absolutely hate it when people watch like 1-2 episodes and judge the anime as being "stupid ridiculous action" and "nonsense" and cast it off as that, never again even trying tosee what actually makes this anime a masterpiece. a similar thing can be applied to berserk. ive heard people loving and disliking it for the same reason: its "dark fantasy action" or "gory and brutal"... but that is not what makes berserk an amazing piece of art. gut's storyline and his realization of not having a dream, not having a place in the world and his subsequent contemplation of his own life and his choices is what makes the golden age arc so damn enjoyable. it is character driven. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gn27gpaDetmie9k THIS is what makes berserk great. anyway, kind of a ramble from my side... yet again, amazing video man. youre videos are some of the most enjoyable ones ive seen in a long long time. keep up the work

[@Aleczandxr]

Happy to hear you enjoyed it, thanks a bunch! Your support/comments go a long way so I really appreciate it. And that Berserk scene you linked is probably my favourite scene in the 1997 anime, you've got great taste ;-)

[@antioche6276]

*hype overload* *heart attack* *dies* :c In all seriousness, it was a great video. The "only problem" I have with it, was "maybe" how your part on Nia felt out of place. As she is kind of an exception, I think it maybe should have been placed at the end, before the duality of TTGL.

[@Aleczandxr]

I agree, and that was something I was fiddling with in editing. The reason I ended with Viral is because at the end of his section I talk about his ability to accept reality, and that transitions into the "Duality of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann" section well. But it kind of left Nia's part in an odd spot. I probably should've switched them around, but live and learn!

[@antioche6276]

Can't be flawless all the time :) And anyway, only through time can knowledge and skill be aquired.

[@antioche6276]

in France we have a saying that goes : "it's the exception that confirms the rule". Perhaps am I too influenced by it. >~>

[@antioche6276]

anyway, TTGL is criminally intelligent for its form.

[@TheMahotizer]

and regard that fact with as much esteem as the fact that "water is wet" >but water isn’t wet >row row fight the powah

[@DailyMath]

Love taking a trip down memory lane with these videos. Thanks Aleczandxr!!

[@Aleczandxr]

No problem, thanks for checking them out!

[@BenitoraSan]

Amazing as always. Please keep making videos like these. I love you way of analyzing the characters, story and narrative.

[@Aleczandxr]

Thanks so much. I'll do my best to continue!

[@boffymark]

This video is Amazing love your work man

[@Aleczandxr]

Much appreciated man.

[@carlosdumbratzen6332]

I think I will do the same thing I did when you did your ping pong introduction. Listen to the first two minutes, getting hooked by it, start watching gurren lagann and coming back after marathoning the whole think to watch your video

[@someoneelse5005]

I suggest this too. I watched HxH in 5 days, so I know how you feel :D

[@Aleczandxr]

I look forward to hearing back from you again :) Hopefully you like it to a similar degree as Ping Pong.

[@Camilothegodfather]

Great work man! These Gurren Lagann videos are great. I love this show! This show has depth to it, not just eye candy and action.

[@Aleczandxr]

Thanks very much. I'm glad you enjoy them.

[@soniagutierrezquiroz5596]

The Best Guy Ever's Part 2 Gurren Lagann KZbin Review and your Gurren Lagann Analysis have proved YET AGAIN why this show is Number 1 out of My Top 5 Anime Legends.

[@sonicx3333]

Absolutely brilliant. You've been able to restore my love for this show time and time again, and words cannot express how much I appreciate this. Spin on, my friend.

[@Aleczandxr]

That's fantastic to hear, thanks for taking the time to comment pal :)

[@FloppeyPyro]

This show made both my brother and myself cry. It was a beautiful experience and I'm glad to have found some video essays on it.

[@bighex5340]

Always excited to see a new video m8y

[@Aleczandxr]

Awesome!

[@RachLZelda]

Thanks for another great video! I really enjoyed watching it and seeing your insight- duality, even though it's right there in front of you in TTGL, is something I never really thought of before!

[@Aleczandxr]

No worries! I'm glad the video worked out for you. There is plenty of subtext and depth to Gurren Lagann, and I just like pointing out the things that I notice. :)

[@joahchewbhaka5679]

you made the anime even better for me, the depth of your insightful analysis is inspiring both in essence when you extract the meaning of the story, and in reasoning demonstrating how much you saw, that general people often don't see. It makes me want to learn from you. Sorry for the bad english.

[@Aleczandxr]

That's terrific to hear, thank you so much. I really appreciate it more than you know. And your English was excellent.

[@Blizz3112]

You quickly became one of my favorite anime analysts...

[@Aleczandxr]

You quickly became one of my favourite commenters.

[@calcelmoanayru5870]

Nice video. Your intonation and speaking voice have improved so much over the months. I also think that's the best summary of Kamina I've seen on here.

[@Aleczandxr]

I appreciate it, thanks!

[@dalzellk.williams6428]

Thank you for this video! It was so very good...I'm going to watch the show again but now with a better deeper understanding.

[@Aleczandxr]

That's great to hear! Thanks for watching.

[@Ryker_One]

New video from the best KZbinr on a series I've never seen! Awesome. Probably gonna convince me To watch it

[@Aleczandxr]

Cool! Keep in mind that it isn't for everyone, though. But I really enjoy the story.

[@devib11]

Great video as always

[@Aleczandxr]

Thanks!

[@n27g]

Your videos make me rethink everything I thought about the anime I've watched (in a good way) You're the best!

[@Aleczandxr]

That's great to hear, thanks very much!

[@Sun-qq3kg]

Thank you for putting all of my emotions for this show into words. Great work.

[@Aleczandxr]

Thank you so much!

[@Faewilds.System]

i sincerly enjoy your videos. i can't say i have watched all of them. but you seem to tackle things so very throughly. and you also have a very nice voice to listen to.

[@Aleczandxr]

I'm really glad to hear that, thanks so much. And no worries at all that you haven't watched all of them - I'd be incredibly surprised if anyone has watched all of them!

[@TheMixedPlateFrequency]

I been watching anime since the 80's and Gurren Lagann is a masterpiece.

[@TheRevanchists]

The main thing I remember about this anime, is that when I got to where they were throwing whole galaxies like ninja stars, I had to literally pause the show, because my brain had just crashed from WTAF overload. I went out into the living room and stared off into space for maybe 45 minutes, just processing that ridiculous level of insanity. Then finally, having mentally rebooted and accepted it, I went back inside and finished it, wondering how in 26 episodes they went from a hand cranked drill underground, to Galaxy Ninja Stars.

[@r3gret2079]

Just watched the anime a little over a month ago. The whole shit had me like this.

[@katym8874]

This is a really, really well done analysis. I've been looking for how to word this all and you did it perfectly. I never tied together how Rossiu was on the path to becoming like Genome, crazy. Awesome video

[@Aleczandxr]

Thanks!

[@JimmySentence]

as always great content big bro and its also a video from one of my fond childhood memories thanks alot i enjoyed it alot. its your old fan! sorry for not responding earlier im not used to how youtube works

[@TheRealHerbaSchmurba]

Always a good day when you drop a video

[@Aleczandxr]

Much appreciated!

[@keviplayerxd4728]

Your Videos are awesome. Thanks for doing those :)

[@Aleczandxr]

[@enemia93]

That's a great character/theme analysis as always

[@Aleczandxr]

Thank you!

[@soggyconch5048]

You also forgot before he was arrested Viral was essentially a freedom fighter for humans who wanted to live underground.

[@thanossakogiannis9123]

it's been a while always happy for a new video

[@Aleczandxr]

They'll speed up again now. Hopefully one a week from now on.

[@thanossakogiannis9123]

Aleczandxr Don't worry about the timing focus on quality. Which I am sure you do

[@Pavise]

Loving the Mario Galaxy music. This video put in to words a lot of thoughts I've struggled to explain to others when recommending this show, amazing stuff.

[@Aleczandxr]

Glad you could relate to the points I made, thanks for checking it out. And glad you liked the music :)

[@Gynagi]

No fair, you've used FFX ost at the end, of course I've had to shed one, two tears! A really great video, thanks for that. It's always interesting to see an analysis about the true depths of something, which people easily diminish as pure action spectacle without any layers. It's also nice to see more of Viral, because he is, at least for me, underrated. Most people talk either about Kamina or Yoko, when they discuss Tengo Toppa Gurren Lagann & forget Viral, who I really enjoyed, as a villain and as a anti-hero later on(his scene with "his" wife & daughter, was also a tearjerker for me). Overall, a great video with good use of music!

[@Aleczandxr]

Thanks Brala :) No worries. I always like Viral to get his moment in the sun. He's one of my favourite characters as well, and definitely underrated. That last scene was super emotional, my favourite part of probably my favourite scene. Just amazing.

[@justmyopinion79]

Very good thematic and character breakdown.

[@maropap8222]

great video as always! love from greece

[@Aleczandxr]

Thanks so much!

[@Nakama4Forever]

Great video man. Just sharing my opinion here. I love Viral. He was my favorite character in the series. I always saw him as the Vageta character in Gurren Lagann. He starts off as a bad guy and then slowly goes over to the good guys side. During his character arc we learn how deep his characterization is and it really makes you want to empathize with him. When I saw his dream world it just fit and felt right. I was always rooting Viral and always excited when he was on screen. Second favorite character is Nia. Mostly for a character design and for some of the best moments of the show. I was crushed at the end , but the way you describe how Simon lets her go does alleviate my feeling a bit. Thanks for the great video Aleczandxr. :D

[@abyssal113]

I believe this is your best video yet and I've seen almost all of them.. Congratulations!

[@Aleczandxr]

Well thank you, that's great to hear!

[@dreziv]

I've recently had a lot of trouble trying to think through Yoko, Nia, and Viral's characters, so I really appreciate the analysis on them.

[@HxH2011DRA]

Excellent as always

[@robonerd125]

Your name, though...

[@HxH2011DRA]

Black Steel Kita Why thank you

[@Aleczandxr]

Cheers dude, always nice hearing from you.

[@citrusaurus1970]

I approve of your name

[@HxH2011DRA]

CitruSaurus Why thank you!

[@newAZUREDANIEL]

Amazing work :)

[@Aleczandxr]

Thank you!

[@XxZero1990xX]

I love how you put this into words. This show is deeper than people give it credit for, but I could never articulate it the way you did sir. Thank you!

[@Aleczandxr]

Thanks for watching!

[@wizfiasco123]

This show was too good for us:( very good vid man and great choice of music:) noticed that you slipped in some of that Witcher greatness!

[@Aleczandxr]

Haha, thanks man. Once in a while I can't help but slip in some Witcher greatness!

[@TriFekt]

And this video only scratches the surface, there's so many more layers to drill through, no pun intended.

[@adryanus9]

not alone alone could bring me to tears, great video

[@Aleczandxr]

Thanks!

[@permadeath668]

Gurren lagann (my favourite anime) with FF9 (my favourite game) music in the background... you, sir, just earned a new subscriber

[@Strelokos666]

My google translate was in use as never before.

[@Mrsamm1987]

i really enjoyd the video. Keep up the good work

[@Aleczandxr]

Glad you enjoyed, will do!

[@Mrsamm1987]

Quick question, are you Canadian?

[@Aleczandxr]

Sergio Matamoros Yep.

[@Mrsamm1987]

the pronounciation was a dead giveaway hahaha. I recognize it because of the bunch of canadian friends i have

[@atljames97]

Extremely well done! Wow!

[@Aleczandxr]

Thanks so much!

[@synysterpain]

Ohh that FF IX ost in the background for the extra feels

[@TudorascuBogdan]

After years.. I have come to a peace with the ending it had. I thought it was disgusting and a slap in a face as a teenager, now I know it is bittersweet and what should happen naturally . :) Thank you for this video, you have brought up some repressed feelings that I even forgot I experienced. Beautiful, Thank you.

[@Aleczandxr]

That's great to hear, I'm glad I was able to give you a different perspective and new appreciation on the ending. It really was very appropriate. Thanks for watching.

[@KeithTheDinosaurBoyVA]

Awesome analysis, I really do love how two-sided every character in GL was After all, the DNA that drills to the future has TWO helixes

[@rockinjoker07]

In the end, this was another fantastic video that peeled apart the layers of Gurren Lagann that many people unfortunately disregard. Additionally, I always thought that Kamina also housed a fair amount of guilt as a motivator for him for not being strong enough to go with his father, which was only exemplified after learning of his death. All and all, excellent work and can't wait to see more. Especially for the potential FLCL vid :y

[@Aleczandxr]

Cheers pal. Glad you liked it! :) Where are you getting this about FLCL though? I haven't even seen it, haha.

[@rockinjoker07]

Aleczandxr Ah, thought you were gonna check it out after some comments a few vids back. But either way, looking forward to anything you make!

[@Aleczandxr]

rockinjoker07 I'll be checking it out, yeah. It's just that lately I've been swamped with work, haven't had much time for anime. Thanks a lot for the support!

[@oliverbarajas3591]

Thank you very much. It was great.

[@Aleczandxr]

No problem, thank you for watching.

[@aceportgas42]

Nicely done. somehow it made me feel better... anyways thx for the vid :D

[@Aleczandxr]

Glad I could help, thanks for watching :)

[@michaelyu6250]

Amazing instrumental music in the beginning.

[@jimmyichigo7410]

Very nice.

[@haigracee]

I'm happy you added final fantasy music for the bg.

[@Aleczandxr]

Me too. Love that series.

[@thisisnotalex5383]

I love this and you so much keep it up!😏 BELIVE IN THE ME THAT BELIEVES IN YOU😆

[@Aleczandxr]

Awesome, thanks so much :)

[@spiritofthewolf15x]

Gurren Lagann is an anime that has the power to pull someone out of a depression.

[@KGBx988]

I did enjoy it. Thank you.

[@Aleczandxr]

Awesome.

[@rockinjoker07]

Ohhhh here we go

[@NWinnVR]

I'M NOT CRYING. *Cries violently*

[@BradleytheDavis]

it seems as though just like onions, anime. has. layers. LAYERS.

[@Brunoki22]

How did you even come up with all of this? I've never heard of character duality before! That's amazing!

[@Aleczandxr]

Haha, oh I definitely didn't come up with the concept. But it's good to hear you learned something new!

[@popejpv]

I mean when you think about it Kamina is the ideal All Might strives for. Kamina is the man who is always smiling and says “I am here” to fill others with courage and spur them on to the beauty and greatness he knows they can reach. If Kamina has powers he’d be All Might if All Might didn’t he’d be Kamina

[@focus-mo1nq]

with this video you convinced me, that gurren lagann is a masterpiece!

[@Aleczandxr]

That's the highest compliment possible, I'm glad!

[@chowrites6179]

GL has always been about duality, but you have just added another layer to that duality by examining the characters and I greatly appreciate that as I strongly believe this to be one of the best anime ever.

[@Aleczandxr]

I'm just glad for the opportunity to draw attention to the characters. Hopefully those who dismiss this anime slowly come to realize that it's got plenty of substance.

[@TheHustler245]

This is part of why I love Gurren Lagann, its much deeper than people give it credit for. Well played Sir.

[@Aleczandxr]

Thank you!

[@cmbaz1140]

the end was ..........unexpected and i cried from within ...................

[@ilovebeyondbirthday3]

Grah >.

[@ryantheanimator1156]

One of the manliest mecha anime ever! I hope someday we will get a spiritual successor to Gurren lagann with over-the-top epic Mech fight and a fun, simple yet emotional story with thoughtful character development. Nice video, btw, glad to see there're people who still care about the show.

[@Aleczandxr]

Thanks! There are plenty who love this show, it's nice to see.

[@ph8883]

Nice

[@giovannavongola3073]

I hear your Final Fantasy Tactics OST there, Alex.

[@elijahjarobi]

I used to hate the antispirals villains until the comment about the true villain being self doubt

[@xavierfranco2]

Random thought: I don't know if you have seen Legend of the Galactic Heroes but I would love to hear you talk about that show one day.

[@kollmack869]

The piano cover in the beginning

[@benturtl9076]

WATER IS NOT WET! IT MAKES THINGS WET! Great video.

[@douglaschristensen3008]

Hope your gonna be able to make it to one or both of the movies on jan 17th and 24th.

[@callumlyall4931]

Fight the power

[@christopherjohnson9167]

Love to hear your thoughts on Kill la kill, lots of themes you could focus on in that one :P

[@Aleczandxr]

I haven't seen it, sorry.