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VECT

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"Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann", or simply "Gurren Lagann", if anyone hasn't seen it yet I highly recommend it.

This 27 episode series comes as close to the ideal of Romantic Art as one can get in today's art mediums, and epic beyond belief, bar none.

If you haven't and do decide to check it out, watch it with Japanese dub and English subtitle; there is a version with English dub, but the voice acting just isn't on par.

I've watched a lot of animated works from both East and West, there are quiet few great titles, especially from the East, as Japan have taken what they learned from Disney cartoons decades ago to a whole different level. But this title, TTGL, blew every impression of animated works I've ever had and set a completely different record. Those of you who truly enjoy Romantic works, this series will bring tears to your eyes, guaranteed.

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While I have to agree with you, it is a beautiful spectacle, I have to point out that this show also grabs onto some of the fallacies of so called "Romantic" art, particularly a rejection of reason. Granted, when the show says reason, what it really means is "a pessimistic status quo." Unfortunately, many so called "romantics" feel that reason is such.

If you can get past that, its a beautiful work that leaves you feeling empowered and uplifted and ready to take on the world. It has a great sense of kife and has a great view of humanity and the strength of the individual. I love it greatly, and do recommend it.

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Yeah, it's shame the producers at Gainax can bring such a great sense of life implicitly into their work but cannot communicate it fully in explicit terms. Guess that's one of the reason you need philosophers.

It happens in a lot of other great works in the East. Unlimited Blade Works, the second route of Fate Stay Night, the most popular and highest sold visual novel in Japan's history. In the story the main character is plagued by survivor's guilt and a serious case of altruist morality. Plot develops until he have to face off against his future self who have ultimately turned into a Machiavelli anti-hero.

Here's the climax scene:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNSEWOlup8w#t=30s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V0tGvI4NNI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7SlIQkAspA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjQHLFemeSs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syRyxNCJ22I

The preconditions are setup almost perfectly. But without professional philosophical guidance, the author struggles to finish the conflict with a final philosophical answer.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Where would be a good place to see all the episodes of TTGL? Youtube has a few parts of episodes, but I'm not sure where exactly to find more.

They showed the whole season (english dub) on adult swim or the cartoon network a little while ago. Since it is licensed in America if it is not on DVD/Blu-ray already it will probably get released soon seeing as it is one of the most popular and highest rated animes since Death Note.

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While I have to agree with you, it is a beautiful spectacle, I have to point out that this show also grabs onto some of the fallacies of so called "Romantic" art, particularly a rejection of reason. Granted, when the show says reason, what it really means is "a pessimistic status quo." Unfortunately, many so called "romantics" feel that reason is such.

If you can get past that, its a beautiful work that leaves you feeling empowered and uplifted and ready to take on the world. It has a great sense of kife and has a great view of humanity and the strength of the individual. I love it greatly, and do recommend it.

Going to have to second this. I truly believe TTGL to be a fantastic work, and the best Gainax has produced. I really wish it got more love, though many still seem to think of NERV as Gainax's best work....

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EVA have it's appeals on how it was set up, but the very ending was a total chaotic cesspool if there ever was one. Hopefully they'll do better with the Rebuilds.

All of the works that's good now days can only set the conflicts up right (in that the conflicts are both metaphysically important and the style plus integrity of their presentation), and a lot of them done so brilliantly. But almost all of them falls apart midway, the better ones, which are very few, manage to carry it further, or at least finish it decently. But none so far I have seen finished their conflicts brilliantly. For anime/manga, in terms of theme/plot, TTGL and Sanctuary manga are the only 2 that concluded decently with important conflicts and Berserk manga is the longest running one that still kept up strong and haven't fall apart yet. Death Note is worth mentioning as one of the best thriller. Macross series have the best style by far, and in the latest series, Macross Frontier, human's elite and their best military divisions the "SOS" which the protagonist is in, are basically small professional militias backed up financially by Capitalism.

A lot of those authors/producers came pretty far in terms of their own personal philosophic achievements delivered through their works, and in those few titles above, all of them have managed to touch Objectivism partially by their own strength (especially Sanctuary, political wise at least). But unfortunately they are artist after all instead of philosophers, and their talent mainly lies with their own trade. For a lot of authors, if only they found out and studied Objectivism and integrated the philosophy with their sense of life, so much more work could have been brilliant instead of falling out short.

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  • 6 years later...

I reccomend Gatchaman: Crowds. It is one of the few anime where philosophic values are clearly identified and the consequences of faulty philosophy are shown. The first season subtly advocates the morality of self interest. However, it is the second season that really stands out. In it, the enemy possesses no values of his own, does not think for himself, and only speaks the minds of others. It demonstrates some of the real dangers of what happens in a society where there is little to no independent thought. In both seasons is the issue of gun rights, although not explicitly stated. It is not without flaws, but it is the only anime I have seen that clearly states and identifies with philosophy. If you want something truly flawless, read the Library Wars manga. It is an outstanding work which openly challenges big government, gun control, restriction of free speech, mixed government, and advocates individual rights. It has a firm understanding of both reality and the thought process of those who deny it. I never have and maybe never will find a manga or anime of this philosophical quality again. It is a must read.

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