Gurren Lagann - Set 1 (DVD, 2008, 2-Disc Set)

In his sky-less cavern of a village Simon toils daily, drilling holes to expand his stifling little world until one day he makes an extraordinary discovery: a small glowing drill-bit and the man-sized mech it activates. Before he can give it a second thought Simon s dragged into a plot to break through to the surface by the local gang leader Kamina, only to have the ceiling come crashing down on top of them under the weight of a giant monster! It somehow falls onto the boisterous Kamina and cowardly Simon to defend their village but once they defeat the monster what awaits the duo on the surface world? Get ready for buxom babes, beastmen and giant mechs as only Gainax can provide them! The fantasy-adventure Gurren Lagann (2007) bursts onto the screen in an explosion of color, action, and energy. Quiet, resigned Simon works as a driller, expanding the claustrophibic cavern that houses his subterranean village. One day, he finds a glowing drill bit that serves as the ignition key for a large humanoid robot. At the urging of his best friend, hyperactive gang leader Kamina, Simon fires up the mecha and the two misfits head for the forgotten realm of the Earth's surface. Humanity retreated below ground centuries earlier, to escape the Beast Men who pilot mecha called "Gunmen." While Kamina yells about what a man's gotta do, he and Simon beat the enemy Gunmen into scrap metal. Travelling through an endless desert, they pick up various allies, including Yoko, a buxom red-head who's a crack shot, effete technical wizard Leeron, and the mismatched Black Siblings. The result is thenuttiest mecha action since Gekigangar III in Martian Successor Nadesico. Although Gurren Lagann has been dubbed into English twice, this release is only in Japanese with subtitles. A Gurren Lagann feature is slated to debut in Japan in fall, 2008.(Rated 13 and older: violence, nudity, risqué humor, alcohol use, stereotypes) --Charles Solomon