First,it wasEvangeliondirector Hideaki Anno, but it appears Trigger has also wrestled the rights to its founder’s works from Studio GAINAX, namelyGurren LagannandPanty and Stocking. Just in time, too, because Trigger is celebrating 15 years ofGurren Lagannwith a theatrical rerelease of its two compilation films, set to come out in Japan this year!
The show first aired in the Spring of 2007 and told a veritable odyssey across 27 episodes, spanning the caverns below the Earth to the farthest reaches of the stars. One year following the show’s conclusion, GAINAX compiled the story into two films that retold both halves of the series: first,Childhood’s End, and then,The Lights in the Sky Are Stars.
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How Do The Movies Differ?
On the surface, theGurren Lagannfilmsseem like typical recap filmscapitalizing on one of the most popular Super Robot shows in the genre, and few would disagree too strongly. However, the films aren’t merely a re-edit of the series, but an appreciable effort to take the story and reformat it for a cinematic experience.
It might sound like semantics, but the films are not without additions, though they may ultimately be few. Major action scenes are reanimated and directed with new dimensions of flair, finding ways to take climactic moments of already cosmic magnitude and somehow up the ante.
This is especially evident inthe final battle of the second film, which differs greatly from the original in ways big and small. But this ambition to create a truly satisfactory film version extends beyond the bombastic animated battles and into smaller details and a restructuring of the plot to do the story justice in a shorter runtime.
There are few ways - if any - to chronicle a lengthy two-cour TV series into two feature films and succinctly get the same details across. Things will always end up being cut and therefore the issues that many find with recap films still stand, but only if one is expecting the film to serve as a supplement for the original show.
Gurren Lagann’s filmsaren’t a replacement for the TV series. They are a trip down memory lane that seeks to celebrate the story and offer something new at the same time. They attempt to improve upon small flaws and even implement parts of the Parallel Works series to flesh out the core narrative.
The 15th Anniversary Re-Release
Both films are scheduled to come to theaters in Japan starting in August, not just in 2D but in 4D as well.Childhood’s Endwill release starting August 25, whileThe Lights in the Sky Are Starswill hit theaters beginning on September 22. Taiwan will receive the film in both formats this October. Finally, a North American release has been confirmed for the start of 2024.
The theatrical revival is accompanied bythe release of a 4K Blu-rayof the films, but it’s not yet confirmed if this will be sold outside of Japan and or contain English subs. Aniplex currently sells a box set containing all 27 episodes, the Parallel Works OVAs, and the two films for $149.98 on Right Stuf Anime. Although as of the time of writing, it’s currently sold out.
There has also been no mention of an English dub, which comes as less of a surprise. Previously, the films never received an English dub, even with the 10th anniversary Blu-ray from 2017. Unless Aniplex of America is planning to reunite the English cast, it’s unlikely that there will be a dub in time for the theatrical revival. However, it’s a small price to pay to see this grand saga on the big screen.
Studio Trigger has been on a roll as of late,between the success ofCyberpunk: Edgerunnersand the re-acquisition of old properties from GAINAX. If the return ofPanty and Stockingis how Trigger plans to look toward the future, thenGurren Lagann’s anniversary is a well-earned celebration of how they’ve gotten to this point.
