Simon, as a character, accepts Nia as a person, which gives her the right to be individual and make choices. This is why she dies in the end, because it's not his choice to make and imposing his will on her in invalidating Nia as an individual.
But, more often, Nia is used as a narrative device. Even Kamina, the real Kamina, is allowed to show up as a person to have impact on Simon's choice. During the last half of the show, she was nearly taken out of play entirely. She was important at the end, but ultimately, her effect on Simon tends to be less "two people reaching out to one another" and more "you taught me how to be human, I give you something to focus on".
Nothing is wrong with that as individual journeys, but I reject it as the nature of love. I don't mean they had to lose themselves, but for something to be the "greatest love story ever told in animation", I'm going to need something more between the two. To me, a single moment of Eureka and Renton doing the dishes together had more love than anything else in the entirety of Gurren Lagann.
Re: The rage is strong with me today
Simon, as a character, accepts Nia as a person, which gives her the right to be individual and make choices. This is why she dies in the end, because it's not his choice to make and imposing his will on her in invalidating Nia as an individual.
But, more often, Nia is used as a narrative device. Even Kamina, the real Kamina, is allowed to show up as a person to have impact on Simon's choice. During the last half of the show, she was nearly taken out of play entirely. She was important at the end, but ultimately, her effect on Simon tends to be less "two people reaching out to one another" and more "you taught me how to be human, I give you something to focus on".
Nothing is wrong with that as individual journeys, but I reject it as the nature of love. I don't mean they had to lose themselves, but for something to be the "greatest love story ever told in animation", I'm going to need something more between the two. To me, a single moment of Eureka and Renton doing the dishes together had more love than anything else in the entirety of Gurren Lagann.