Feel the rainbow, taste the rainbow
16 November 2007
I still have at least three hours of backlog sitting on my computer, some major catching up to in terms of Rental Magica, Dragonaut, G00 and Night Wizard. This post isn’t anything new, rather, it’s a response, a hasty response at that. I’m actually supposed to be packing and practicing for a three day competition, but I just couldn’t help myself. I’ve been waiting, literally, ages for Owen to post on Gurren Lagann and he finally did. I’ve also been looking for an excuse to write about GL, here’s my juicy opportunity and I’m going to go for it.
Gurren Lagann
I think, by now, I don’t have to explain that I turn into a complete raving lunatic when Gurren Lagann comes up in any conversation. (Refer to the cat proximity example.) The sheer brilliance of Gurren Lagann warrants such lunacy, such insanity and such total abandonment of all that is considered logical and sane. I don’t really care if its the ‘magnum opus’ of anything. It was, for me at least, the greatest ode to life. I mean, the thing is stapled, etched, burned, weld, crazy glued to my brain, my memories, it’ll haunt me for the rest of my life. Simon is my Odysseus, Rossiu is my Oedipus (don’t ask), I can’t speak, think, do anything without, somehow, relating it to Gurren Lagann. I don’t know what that is, but I’ll say one thing, that’s genius, pure, raw, unabated genius.
And here’s why this post is, in a seemingly random gesture, titled “Feel the rainbow, taste the rainbow”. It’s the Skittles advertising slogan, but hell, its effective, its catchy, it even rhythms, slightly. You’ve all seen the commercials, right? There are a couple of guys sitting on a rainbow, popping skittles into their mouths, in absolute shock and awe, of course. Then one guy suddenly realizes that, wait, they’re sitting on a rainbow? That’s not poss-and, he falls off the rainbow. Gurren Lagann is like eating Skittles, the whole thing is about believing that the impossible is possible, that there is no limit, that there is no challenge too great, obstacle too obstinate or task too daunting. And you know what, just believe it, just leave it be.
In reference to another xkcd comic, the normal approach is useless here. Gurren Lagann isn’t meant to be dissected, or examined, or even discussed really. Okay, that last one there’s a lie, but as the majority of the viewers have demonstrated, speaking coherently about Gurren Lagann is difficult. Usually, I’m all for the dissection and discussion, heck, that’s why I have a blog, but I’m just willing to drown and wallow in the resonating silence that accompanies this show. Just a lot of gaping and gawking, the whole “I’m done, I think I’ve seen the greatest thing on Earth” sorta thing.
Magnum Opus?
Owen’s calling a magnum opus, basically, whatever the hell he wants it to be, a purely subjective matter. While I do agree with that definition, in retrospect, the subjective magnum opus isn’t doing the show, or the creator, any justice. As for my definition, I’m forsaking my own opinions for the general consensus. I mean, I liked GL, the majority of the viewers liked GL, but the greater majority liked Evangelion. I’ll make the distinction right here, Gurren Lagann is my favorite but Evangelion is the magnum opus. When the ever so fickle general consensus shifts, I’m willing to follow. (However, I’m sticking to guns when it comes to Bebop. Code Geass’ got nothing on Bebop.) C’mon, Evangelion was like dropping a ten kiloton nuke in the middle of a pond and going, “Gee, that made a big splash.”
People have this whole thing with defining terms, and I’m really not willing to get into a whole semantics argument. Language is infinitely lacking in its ability to properly communicate and represent concepts, ideas, anything for that matter, I’m just leaving it at that. Subjectivity leads to more subjectivity and it ultimately leads to nowhere. Much like nuclear fission, this whole magnum opus thing is like a chain reaction. Asking what a magnum opus is, how do we define the term, is, in my opinion, the anime blogsphere equivalent to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I’m under the impression that the questions are asked with the intention of provoking a response, almost like poking a beehive with a stick just to see what will happen.
I guess, the point of this is, well, life is simple. Relish in its simplicity, in the fact that Gurren Lagann needs no reasonable explanation, the fact that the term ‘magnum opus’ needs no real definition, that general consensus is just the general consensus, pure and simple. Life is very simple, contrary to popular belief, forget the technicalities, the fine print and the little details.
Don’t question the rainbow, feel the rainbow, taste the rainbow.
Your deprogramming begins now.
Gurren Lagann is not a religion! Gurren Lagann is not a religion! Gurren Lagann is not a religion! Repeat after me.