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Warning: This post contains SPOILERS for My Adventures with Superman
The Adult Swim series My Adventures with Superman is already an acclaimedDCproject with three episodes left to go within season 1. Not only has the animation hit the right notes when it comes to the anime-inspired style and the portrayal of Jack Quaid’s Man of Steel, but it’s also pleased other fandoms through a flurry of Easter eggs.
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With the show’s mecha being previously compared to the Eva Units in Neon Genesis Evangelion, it came as no surprise to anime fans when a nod to another series followed suit. Here’s everything you need to know about the My Adventures with Superman Gurren Lagann Easter egg.
My Adventures With Superman Gurren Lagann Easter Egg Recap
During episode 6 of My Adventures with Superman, titled My Adventures with Mad Science, Clark asks Lois for help locating Jimmy. The previous episode saw the disappointed intern go off into the woods himself to investigate Bigfoot, after Clark and Lois didn’t show up to his camping trip. Before the end of the episode, Jimmy appears to be captured by a large gorilla.
It turns out Jimmy was taken into Area 52 by the gorilla Monsieur Mallah and his partner the Brain, who revealed their involvement in Task Force X’s Project Cadmus which focused on futuristic technology before turning bad. Mallah and the Brain introduce Jimmy to the wormhole they’ve been working on to find other dimensions before Clark and Lois break into the establishment to reconcile with Jimmy. Before leaving through the wormhole, Mallah and the Brain help the trio fight against the OMACs by offering up some mecha of their own.
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Described as mutants Mallah and the Brain created when they got bored while hiding, a small group of mechas with different colors, faces, and sizes are unleashed against the OMACs, and many viewers pointed out that their design was almost identical to the ones seen in the anime Gurren Lagann.
Twitter userWeBuildMechsapplauded the series for paying tribute to Gurren Lagann and stated that the show was “criminally underrated and absolutely GOATED.” My Adventures with Superman received a lot of praise from viewers for including an Easter egg of a hidden gem anime and were confident in saying the DC animators were fans.
What Is Gurren Lagann?
Alternatively known by its Japanese name Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Gurren Lagann is a mecha anime series hailing from Japan.
Running for 27 episodes, Gurren Lagann is set on a futuristic Earth where civilizations live in subterranean villages. Under the rule of the crooked Spiral King Lordgenome, some villagers become diggers who are tasked with extending their homes underground by digging further. One of these diggers, Simon, is the protagonist of the series. Simon soon joins his best friend Kamina’s Team Gurren with the goal of reaching the surface world one day.
After an attack on their village, Simon and Kamina discover the mecha Lagann—its design looks similar to a large face resembling M.O.D.O.K. fromMarvelComics—and use its might to get to the surface world. Gurren Lagann then explores Simon and Kamina’s plight to fight alongside humans on the surface, using these mecha in order to overthrow Lordgenome’s reign.
On top of the anime series, Gurren Lagann also became a manga illustrated by Kotaro Mori in June 2007. After the series was discontinued in the Dengeki Comic Gao! magazine, Ten tankobon volumes were later published between 2007 and 2013. The franchise also inspired a spin-off manga titled Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: Gurren Gakuen-hen that ran for one year in 2008, and an online video game called Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann Chōzetsu Hakkutsu ONLINE by Konami. Additionally, two animated movies were produced, Gurren Lagann The Movie: Childhood’s End and Gurren Lagann The Movie: The Lights in the Sky are Stars, both of which received a Blu-ray release for the franchise’s 15th anniversary.
Of course, Gurren Lagann wasn’t the only fandom to be referenced within My Adventures with Superman, as the series previously included a shot of the Wabbajack weapon from The Elder Scrolls video game franchise. Additionally, the first episode of the series provided a number of DC Easter eggs, including an Amanda Waller cameo, a Starro the Conqueror mention, and an Aquaman nod.
