In fact, Shiga Taka wasn't the only one left bewildered.
Most viewers who had watched the eighth episode of Gurren Lagann were left somewhat stunned. Before long, the internet was abuzz with discussion:
"Big Bro Kamina actually died! He died!"
"Old Thief Lin, didn't you say the new anime wouldn't kill off the Male Lead? What the hell was episode eight?"
"LMAO, I went back and checked the text version of the Gurren Lagann planning press conference. Old Thief Lin never actually said the Male Lead wouldn't die—he only said it wouldn't follow the same tropes as Death Note and Lelouch."
"I guess 'not killing the Male Lead' still holds up. After all, Kamina isn't the real Male Lead—Simon is. It's just that Simon was so insignificant before that many people subconsciously assumed Kamina was the Male Lead."
"Even though Big Bro's death is a bit depressing, I have to admit episode eight was incredibly hype and passionate!"
"The plot just got a lot more interesting. I was going to drop the show after episode eight, but now I feel like I can stick with it for a few more episodes."
"It was definitely hype—it even burned out Kamina himself! But this time, I think Old Thief Lin was right to kill Kamina. Otherwise, Simon would have remained forever in Kamina's shadow, unable to grow."
In the previous Lelouch, many viewers had cursed Lin Zhiyan for the deaths of Euphemia, Shirley, and Nunnally's feigned death. This time, however, Kamina's death drew far less criticism.
Instead, the audience was mostly surprised.
But the animation had even more surprises in store.
Kamina's death devastated the Dai-Gurren Brigade, dealing a particularly severe blow to the Male Lead, Simon. He remained incapacitated for a long time, essentially becoming a useless shell of his former self. This continued until a new character appeared: Nia, the Spiral King's daughter. She debuted in a pure white princess dress, her appearance innocent and charming, with silver hair and flower-shaped pupils.
The Spiral King had many daughters, and Nia was just one of them. When she asked him, "Why was I born?", he judged that she had developed self-awareness. Since he viewed his daughters as mere dolls that should have no independent thought, he cast Nia aside.
It was Simon who found her and brought her back to the Dai-Gurren Brigade.
With Nia's unwavering support and encouragement, the Male Lead finally regained his resolve. Coupled with the events that transpired during this period, he rose to become the second leader of the Dai-Gurren Brigade, succeeding Kamina.
The Dai-Gurren Brigade's mission remained clear: defeat the remaining Three Great Generals under the Spiral King's command, eliminate the Spiral King himself, and allow humanity to rise from the underground to the surface.
Through a series of battles, the Dai-Gurren Brigade successfully defeated the remaining Three Great Generals. In episode 15, the Male Lead piloted Lagann, which merged with Lushu's Gurren to form Gurren Lagann. Together with Nia, they confronted the Spiral King.
Although all Four Great Generals under the Spiral King had been vanquished, one remained: the seemingly invincible Viral.
Despite repeatedly suffering defeats, the Spiral King didn't kill Viral. Instead, he granted him the power of immortality, ensuring his eternal existence.
Upon witnessing the fusion of Gurren Lagann, Viral charged into battle, only to be swiftly defeated.
The Spiral King showed no surprise. "Viral, you pitiful fool," he said. "I gave you immortality, not for battle, but to ensure my victory echoes through eternity. You will be my eternal messenger, watching as the foolish humans meet their end."
The Spiral King personally engaged Gurren Lagann in a fierce battle, which shattered Lushu's confidence until the Male Lead's encouragement helped him regain his resolve.
The Dai-Gurren Brigade's earlier battles were thrilling and passionate, but the episode where they fought the Spiral King sent most viewers into a frenzy of excitement.
Just when the audience assumed the Male Lead's campaign against the Spiral King would end in failure, forcing him to retreat, regroup, and try again, an unexpected twist occurred: the Spiral King actually lost!
The ultimate boss, who had single-handedly disabled Lagann—the machine driven by the Male Lead—was caught off guard when the Male Lead, after being dragged from the cockpit, launched a surprise attack.
The Male Lead ripped the core drill, which activated Lagann, from the machine and plunged it into the Spiral King's chest.
"I am Simon, leader of the Dai-Gurren Brigade! Simon the Digger! If you become a wall blocking my path, I will always dig a hole through you! That is..."
The Male Lead shouted, twisting the hand gripping the core drill. The drill erupted in a blinding azure light, blasting a massive hole through the Spiral King's body.
"So that's how it is... Spiral Power truly surpasses mine."
The Spiral King didn't show resentment. Instead, he burst into laughter, quickly adding, "You'll understand the weight of what you're about to bear soon enough. Let me tell you something: when a million monkeys inhabit this land, the moon will transform into hell's messenger and destroy the Spiral Star."
With that, the Spiral King's body tilted backward, and he plummeted from the high tower.
Outside, the rest of the Dai-Gurren Brigade had been battling the Spiral King's Faces. At his death, the Faces froze in place.
At the end of episode 15, amidst the cheers of the Dai-Gurren Brigade, the Male Lead, Nia, and Lushu—who had gone to slay the Spiral King—returned safely.
As Gurren Lagann soared through the air, the sun began to rise over the horizon.
Nia leaned against the Male Lead, who draped an arm over her shoulder. Together, they watched the sunrise.
Meanwhile, a subtitle appeared: "Battle for Teppelin - Day 7: The capital city of Teppelin has fallen."
With the main boss, the Spiral King, dead and the battle concluded, the Male Lead and Nia, though not explicitly stated to be together, were clearly an established couple.
The overwhelming sense of finality left many viewers bewildered:
"This is only episode 15 of a half-year series—there should be about eleven episodes left. The main boss is defeated and Teppelin has been conquered. What happens next?"
"The moon will transform into an emissary of hell—does that mean a new main boss is coming?"
"They could just end it here and it would feel complete."
"Ending it here wouldn't feel out of place at all."
"I'm genuinely surprised the Spiral King was defeated so easily. I never expected this twist; I thought they'd fail at least once and come back in the final episodes to finally defeat him."
"Honestly, failing once and then coming back in the final episodes would have made for a better story structure. But now I'm curious about what they'll do next—I hope it's not too formulaic."
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