Anime: Neppuu Kairiku Bushi Road

This is a movie-length special about a post-apocalyptic world where the remaining humans are fighting what appears to be a losing battle against poisonous, aggressive aliens known as shinobi. It is a mech-based action/adventure through the barren remains of what used to be the Earth. The heroine, Ame, is the princess of a kingdom that is obliterated by the shinobi. To avenge her people and the human race in general, she vows to seek out Giga Road. Along the way, she encounters many obstacles and meets new allies. Will she be successful in her quest?

Neppuu does a good job of painting an interesting setting, however the overall plot and Gurren Laggan level of screaming at the end points to a predominantly shonen target audience. Don't expect significant depth in the characters and don't expect much of a conclusion. In the end, the introduction pumps up the show too much, leaving me pretty disappointed by the end. Check this out if you like action and mechs and don't have much else to watch, otherwise I'd pass on this.

Animation:
The show has good production values with crisp animation, nice effects, and good lighting. There is CGI usage for the mechs and shinobi but it isn't distracting, they're getting pretty good at blending. The characters are distinguishable though perhaps a bit generic in both appearance and emotions. There is significant action in this special, both swordplay as well as mech action. Do expect a fair amount of blood. In my opinion, the early fights are better choreographed and animated; the later ones (especially the climax battle) are rushed to a point that you don't really fully get what's going on. Despite the large number of female characters in Ame's entourage, there isn't much in terms of ecchi.

Sound:
The special has a fairly generic ED that wasn't particularly worth listening to in my opinion. The BGM is supportive but not particularly memorable. The VA work isn't anything special as well; Unshou Ishizuka probaly has the strongest presence here.

Story:
The story follows a fairly linear plot progression with a fairly long exposition. There are a few foreshadows and a few plot twists; some of the plot twists are somewhat jarring and a bit nonsensical. Regardless, it's a fairly easy follow as long as you just strap yourself in for the ride. The rising action builds quickly to a final battle and a very brief conclusion post credits.

The show is primarily geared towards action, though some of the early travels reminded me of the adventure aspect in Kaminai. There is a pitiful and wasted attempt at a bit of romance, which should by no means be your primary reason for watching this. Overall, it was an underwhelming watch that had a lot more potential than what it turned out to be.

Character:
The protagonist pair is pretty weak. The special is short so there wasn't much time to explore Suou's past and why he feels so emotionally stunted. Ame doesn't fare much better, being single-minded in her pursuit of a weapon that might not even exist. There just isn't any exposed depth in the characters, which make them pretty hard to relate to. Yes, the special does show a few shots of Suou getting bullied but that felt more like a checklist item than an overarching theme. There is supposedly development as Ame and Suou get to know each other, but the progress doesn't feel at all organic. And the antagonist is as generic as they can possibly come, annoyingly voiced and with logic so flawed that it makes your head hurt.

Value:
If you want to watch mechs fight with their pilots screaming mantra at each other then you should watch Gundam. If you're attention span is too short for Gundam and you need instant gratification then go watch Gurren Lagann. If you want to watch a mech show with strong characters and mature development go watch FMP. If you have the mind of a nine year old boy and happen to have nothing to do, go ahead and give this a try.

TLDR- life's short and this isn't worth your precious time.