Guys… GUYS! This series isn't Gurren Lagann's sequel.. it's the prequel! This is how humans learn of life on other planets, and after they defeat Life Fibers, they use Life Fibers and learn how to use the energy they extract (later named Spiral Energy). Then the Anti-Spirals came and wrecked them, creating the civilization that TTGL started in. Ryuko isn't Simon's descendant, she's his ancestor.

crosses fingers for extradimensional space battle