# Gurren Lagann Gurren Lagann is a 27-episode mecha anime from studio Gainax that aired in Japan across 2007, following underground teen Simon and his hot-blooded mentor Kamina as they punch to the surface in drill-powered robots. The show built a Western fanbase on 4chan, Tumblr and Reddit through Kamina's quotable pep talks and the sniper girl Yoko, spawning fan art, sub-memes and a 2009 flaming-skull redesign of the Union Jack. ## Origin Gurren Lagann, full Japanese title Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann ('Heaven-Piercing Gurren Lagann'), was produced by Gainax and ran for 27 episodes on TV Tokyo between April 1 and September 30, 2007[3]. Director Hiroyuki Imaishi and writer Kazuki Nakashima built the plot around tunnel-digging kid Simon, his brash bro Kamina, and Yoko, a rifle-toting fighter they meet on the surface. Two theatrical recap films followed, Childhood's End in 2008 and The Lights in the Sky are Stars in 2009, alongside a manga retelling and spin-offs like the high school gag comic Gurren Gakuen-hen[3]. - **Platform:** Anime (TV Tokyo) / 4chan and Tumblr (fan spread) - **Creator:** Gainax - **Date:** 2007 ## Overview The meat of Gurren Lagann's meme output centers on Kamina, the loudmouth mentor whose flame cape, pointed red sunglasses and speeches about believing in yourself became reusable image fodder[4]. His shades in particular got cropped onto other characters and unrelated photos as a stamp of hot-blooded confidence, while the catchphrase 'Who the hell do you think I am?' and the finishing-move name 'Giga Drill Breaker' spread as shorthand for absurd escalation. Yoko Littner, the redhead sniper in the black bikini top and hotpants, drove a parallel stream of fan art, cosplay and adult edits across DeviantArt and Pixiv[6]. The show's habit of one-upping its own set pieces every episode, ending with mecha the size of galaxies hurling each other around, also fed a running fan joke about anime power creep. ## How It Spread The show picked up an Excellence Prize at the 2007 Japan Media Arts Festival while still on air, then took Best Television Production at the 2008 Tokyo Anime Awards[1]. English-speaking imageboards, especially 4chan's /a/ and /m/ boards, treated Kamina's midseason death as a defining anime moment and spent years reposting the scene, screencaps and pep-talk quotes. In January 2009, The Daily Telegraph ran an online poll to redesign the Union Jack after a Welsh Dragon controversy. The winning entry, submitted by a Partyvan.info user, replaced the flag with a flaming skull wearing Kamina's pointed sunglasses, yanking the meme into mainstream British press[2]. Fan communities kept the series alive on Tumblr, Reddit and Nico Nico Douga through MADs, recuts and image edits[4]. In August 2010, YouTuber ancsagirl95 posted a Yoko-focused clip set to the Audiostalkers remix of 'Let Me Hit It,' seeding the 'When I'm Bored' remix format that spread through anime YouTube[5]. ## How to Use Fans typically edit Kamina's pointed red sunglasses onto other characters or real people as a stamp of hot-blooded confidence, often pairing the crop with quotes like 'Who the hell do you think I am?' or the drill-attack shout 'Giga Drill Breaker' for absurd hype reactions[6]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Gurren Lagann? A 27-episode Gainax mecha anime from 2007 that grew an obsessive Western fanbase on 4chan, Tumblr and Reddit through fan edits, catchphrases and image macros centered on the character Kamina[4]. ### Where did Gurren Lagann come from? It aired on TV Tokyo between April 1 and September 30, 2007, produced by studio Gainax and directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi[3]. ### What does Gurren Lagann mean? The full Japanese title Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann translates as 'Heaven-Piercing Gurren Lagann,' a reference to the drill-powered mecha the heroes pilot[3]. ### How do you use Gurren Lagann? Fans crop Kamina's pointed red sunglasses onto other characters or people as a badge of maxed-out confidence, often paired with the 'Giga Drill Breaker' catchphrase[6]. ### Is Gurren Lagann still popular? The show is treated as a classic mecha entry, with fan art, cosplay and quote-based memes still surfacing on anime communities years after its 2007 TV run[3]. ## References 1. [https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-12-07/coo-gurren-lagann-kafka-win-media-arts-awards]() 2. [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/4198596/The-new-face-of-Britain.html]() 3. [https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=7311]() 4. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/gurren-lagann]() 5. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx6_MWVHZ4g]() 6. [https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Gurren%20Lagann]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/gurren-lagann Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library