Comments on: A Hero-Myth for a Genetic Culture

By: ‘My Father is a Pirate’ « The Animanachronism

‘My Father is a Pirate’ « The Animanachronism — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:02:04 +0000

[...] time ago, while performing some myth-criticism on Gurren Lagann, Cuchlann pointed out that ‘[a]n orphan, by [...]

By: Cuchlann

Cuchlann — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:49:07 +0000

@Pontifus
Yeah, myths abound with the orphaned or the quasi-orphaned (think Oedipus), so it’s a thing I’m generally aware of when I’m writing — now, until I thought up this essay, I’d never particularly thought of Simon as an orphan either. I’m prey to exactly the same tendency you’re describing. And I also like the newer tendency to start giving heroes parents again, and Shana is a great example of that.

By: Pontifus

Pontifus — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:42:56 +0000

I always like to see the science in science fiction examined this way. All in all, this is a refreshing look at TTGL…I just wish I had more to say in response. Mecha isn’t my specialty, you see.

I’m going to second Coburn and point out that I particularly liked your point about orphans as children of the world. In my mind, at least, the orphaned hero has become something of an anime/JRPG cliche, pervasive to the point that I (like most people, I’d assume) never really devote much thought to the implications of having no parents in those media. With that said, though, I suppose there are plenty of series these days in which the young heroes do have parents — for example, I like the wrench having two living parents throws into Yuji’s gears in Shakugan no Shana — and the two states of parentage are becoming more distinct for the contrast between them.

By: Cuchlann

Cuchlann — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:21:01 +0000

@IKnight
Yeah, Campbell’s equally liked/disliked, I think — or I could just be fooling myself. : D I think you’re absolutely right, that the audience should like the Spiral Energy. And I recall being vastly uncomfortable when the Energy calls down the Anti-Spirals, just like we might imagine Simon was.

@coburn
Campbell (I’m making IKnight squirm again) claimed that Buddhism is the closest thing in the world to an all-accepting religion. GL seems to share traits; finally, Simon accepts Viral, pairing with him to pilot Gurren-Lagann. And I hadn’t thought about the implications of Lagann being necessary to unlock his abilities. But in the fight with the Beast King (I should really look up his name, but I’m late this morning already), don’t both he and Simon use Spiral Energy without their machines? Simon does use the spiral key, but I’m left to wonder (having not finished yet) if he could do that without any mechanical help.

By: coburn

coburn — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 13:15:07 +0000

This is a really interesting post. I like “Simon easily represents the progeny of the entire world” a lot. When you see natural gifts as genetic constructs rather than bloodline products there’d be a sort of democratic aspect then? That a persons gift represents mankind (rather than a tribe or nation) could make Gurren-Lagann a humanist myth. Though a humanism which is open to making friends with the beastmen and exploring the universe to befriend new species. So perhaps a myth for Enlightened rationality/morality? I mean, kick reason etc., but Simon’s seeking a rationally better world for everything that lives.

Also, regarding the gift-power, Simon needed Lagann to unlock his Spiral abilities. It’s probably significant that he unearthed the artifact – discovering the submerged heroism of the past and learning how to use his own power and all that.

By: IKnight

IKnight — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 07:48:58 +0000

You had me worried when you mentioned Campbell, as I dislike him, but this was refreshingly short on capitalised catch-all catchphrases and long on thought. Spiral Energy is an equally bad and good thing for our heroes, but at the same time I think we’re meant to like it; it’s not morally or tonally ambiguous. (I’m probably missing the point and stating the obvious, but hey.)