@Buuhan1:
Guess I missed my chance to finish the series, episodes 5+ I haven't seen. Upon hearing about it being on Sci-Fi I figured "why not, least I can sit on my couch" but I forgot. Oh well, I would have kept forgetting.
You'll get plenty of chances to watch this series since it's so popular, if you're really interested in it forgetting to watch it won't become a problem eventually. Besides, only one you missed on Sci-Fi you hadn't seen already was number 6, which besides number 15 which was just a recap clip-show was the one you'd probably mind missing the least. It's a very fun episode but Sci-Fi Channel used the TV-Tokyo censored version instead of the original cut, you're better off sticking with the DVD version for your first viewing of that episode.
Anyway, just wanted to say I recently finished watching the whole series, I told myself I would just wait patiently for Sci-Fi Channel airings but the show's just so addictive I lost self-control. I have to say all the hype is well-justified, this is probably the best cartoon I've seen in a long-time, and like pretty much all the other stuff GAINAX makes this is an instant classic. Even with spoiling myself with plot details on Wikipedia and through some clips before viewing I was still able to hook myself to the over-the-top energy of the action-packed and wacky animation, felt my heart race and tie itself up to the epic scope of the soundtrack, and most importantly I smiled and shed tears so much as I got to see how each of the characters were in a constant Hero's Journey of their own. The whole time I was fully expecting it to gradually go from action-comedy to something more dramatic and moralistic, that's a given with a series like this, but they still pulled it off with unexpected consistency. I was impressed how it goes from a simple "boy becomes a man" story (which in-and-of itself was done in a way I'd never seen before) to something that had a broader philosophical depth, granted it was a theme that was straightforward and something we've all seen in one way or another, and it all revolved around one big metaphor that was there from the very beginning which made things even simpler for the viewer, but it's one that's absolutely timeless and it was done in such a way where the ending was such a great departure from the beginning and yet everything that had happened made a deep-seeded connection that came full-circle. It's just something you've gotta see for yourself.
Even though this isn't an innovative next leap in anime like its robot kin such as "Gundam" and "Neon Genesis Evangelion", I certainly think it's the best one since "Neon Genesis Evangelion" changed the fact of giant robot anime, and anime in general. It doesn't really do anything new, but it takes a lot of the things that defined the genre over the years and melds them into something very much its own that's very inspiring. As a bonus it goes back to a time where you could watch anime without analyzing it too much while still having plenty of re-watch value. Perhaps one of the things that makes this show so great is that it doesn't try to be like "Gundam" or "Evangelion" like many other anime have done for so long, it's pretty much a Super Robot like from the good ol' days of Go Nagai with the best elements of the "Realsitic" Robot genre. I can't wait to see what sequels and prequels GAINAX will have in store in the coming years and I can't wait to own those sweet limited edition DVD boxsets Bandai's coming out with: http://www.bandai-ent.com/blog/?p=61.
I'm honestly thinking with the success of "Transformers" and the emminent release of "Evangelion" and maybe "Robotech", "Gurren Lagann" would make for an excellent live-action Hollywood adaptation.
If there's anything else I would've liked to have seen out of this anime, it's that I wonder what this anime would've been like if it was more of a singular, personal vision of one particular artist like "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and "FLCL" were. I like "Gurren Lagann" the way it is, as an excellent homage to classic anime created by some very talented fans, but it'd still be interesting to see this as less of a group creation and more of a personal vision like those two previously-mentioned anime were, those two were some of greatest and most original anime to come out in the last few years and they both came from GAINAX. Also I wish this anime came out a few years earlier or if things today were more like they were then. If so "Gurren Lagann" would've surely gotten a well-promoted slot on Cartoon Network and reached more of its potential audience, and in doing so it would've of course gotten better ratings, more DVD sales, and more fans.