REVIEW: Gurren Lagann the Manga

Vital Statistics Title: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann Format: Manga Story: GAINAX Manga: Kotaro Mori Original Publisher: MediaWorks

Release Info Release Date: 12/02/09 (volume 3) US Publisher: Bandai Entertainment Inc. Translator: Shoko Ono Length: 186-200 pages per volume MSRP: $10.99 per volume

 
Disclosure: This review is based on review copies courtesy of the publisher.

The Story

Okay, I probably don't need to tell you guys the story of Gurren Lagann anymore, so I'll keep this part blissfully short: set in a world where most humans live underground, young Simon is buddies with a slightly older guy named Kamina who is obsessed with breaking through to the surface. One day their underground home is invaded by a giant mech and a busty young woman mid-battle, and Kamina and Simon take their chance to move to the surface-- which is under the control of the Beastmen, who attempt to slaughter any attempts by humans to settle on the surface.

The Review

You guys may remember that I reviewed the first volume of this manga and didn't find myself too impressed; it was mostly just a retelling of the same story, with the plot tightened up to move a bit faster.

Having now read volumes 2 and 3 though, I'm revising my opinion: if you're someone who just kinda liked Gurren Lagann, you should still probably skip the manga...but if you're an obsessive Gurren Lagann fan, it's worth your money. Especially if you start from volume two (although volume one isn't terrible by any stretch).

There's JUST enough expansion on certain plot points-- for example, Rossiu and Kinon connect earlier to foreshadow their eventual relationship --to feel like you're getting added flavor, not just rehash. You've also got Mori-sensei's hilarious 4koma comic strips between chapters that, at least for me, provided a lot of laughs. Maybe not ten bucks' worth, but they were pretty amusing. There are also a few other little touches-- like the scenario when Rossiu makes Yoko cover herself up with a cloak, in the manga version the cloak has cat ears.

Finally, it really starts to come across in volume three that Mori is a fantastic artist. While it's really hard to compare to the anime in terms of the over-the-top action, he does a fantastic job at rendering some scenes, particularly the ending of the Gurren-dan's battle with Thymilph.

So there you go: if you're more of a manga person but want to know the fuss about Gurren Lagann, the manga will get you through, and if you're desperate for more Gurren Lagann content-- you know, the kind of desperate that gets you flying across the country to see the second movie --you'll enjoy the new tweaks.

But half-hearted Gurren-dan members need not apply.