Gunbuster Review
The directorial debut of acclaimed director Hideaki Anno, Gunbuster is a legendary anime fan favorite that casts pretty girls and giant robots into a moving epic of insterstellar naval war. Newly translated and re-mastered in HD 24P format, Gunbuster has never before been available on DVD in North America...until now!
2015: Earth's first faster-than-light ship, the Luxion, is lost, attacked by unidentified space monsters in the Perseus Arm. Six years later, Noriko Takaya, daughter of the Luxion's commander, enters the Okinawa girls' Space Pilot High School, vowing to be a pilot and follow her father's trail to the stars. But is she prepared for the intense training to become a member of the elite Top Squadron? Noriko's fight has just begun-and the fate of all humanity depends on her meeting the challenge!
It's hard to believe that it's been nearly 20 years when I first discovered "Gunbuster", the awesome mecha anime that has won the hearts for anime fans since its first release back in 1988.
The year was 1992 and I discovered this awesome series through an anime club meeting and I was just enamored by the series so much that I purchased the English subtitled VHS videos which contained two episodes for like through Books Nippan. In fact, when the VHS was re-released in 1996 by another company, I had to buy that because the video tapes have been viewed too many times and started to lose its quality.
It's really interesting how many people I converted to anime fans through letting them borrow my video tapes. "Gunbuster" is one of the few rare series you will find where each episode is well written, gripping and you just can't stop after one episode. You just want to watch the whole series completely throughout.
What I really enjoyed is how the OAV series fluctuated between parodying other anime but also its attention to light speed travel, black holes and warp factor.
Of course, back in the 90's, not only did you have a knock out punch with beautiful animation, a well written storyline but you also had the top voice actresses from a popular anime series that was so big among American anime fans at that time. You had Hidaka Noriko as the main character Takaya Noriko (note: Hidaka is known for the voice talent of Akane from "Ranma 1/2), Sakuma Rei as Amano Kazumi (note: Sakuma was the voice talent of "Ranma 1/2" character Shampoo) and then you had the "Active Heart" theme song by then-pop idol Sakai Noriko.
The series would feature a lot of references and then at the end of each episode, fans were treated with "Science Lesson" episodes featuring chibi versions of the characters featuring even more references.
But as much as the anime references to other anime and scientists, "Gunbuster" also worked as a fun parody with its use of the title "Gunbuster! Top o Nerae" (Aim for the Top) which is a parody of the anime and manga tennis series "Ace wo Nerae!" and the hugely popular Western film "Top Gun".
Of course we know that director Hideaki Anno went on to be known for his creation of "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and the "Science Lessons" director Tsurumaki Kazuya went on to direct "FLCL" and "Gunbuster 2".
Here we are 20 years since the original OAV's were released in Japan, six episodes all on DVD featuring Noriko as she pushes herself to become a formidable pilot, watching her as the weak girl who would cry a lot but push herself and train herself to become one of the best pilots from the squadron.
There is so much to love about the anime, not just about the oh-so-good feeling of an underdog showing everyone that she can do it and accomplish things and prove them wrong but also how science is used in this series. Each time they go light speed into space, each minute that goes by, three months has gone by in Earth.
So, what could be complex is actually well written and explained in the anime series as each time Noriko arrives back to Earth, her schoolmates are much older than her and have children.
I guess you can say that with each episode, you get much more than what you would expect. That's how I felt about "Gunbuster". Fulfilled, excited about the next episode and wanting more.
Also, for the guys wanting a little "H", "Gunbuster" does have it's share of nudity scenes.
As for the DVD, inside the box, you will find a folding case with three DVD's featuring artwork of the cast of "Gunbuster" and the "Gunbuster" mech itself.
Also included is a booklet featuring character information, "Gunbuster" Gainax behind-the-scenes information plus information on each episode
The episodes are presented in its full aspect ratio with the final episode being black and white and letterboxed. The animation looks awesome even for it being 20-years-old, I really enjoyed how this anime was remastered.
The sound is offered in Linear PCM 2.0 which is a higher bit rate for audio.
There is no English dub, all vocals are Japanese and for subtitles, you can choose to have it on or off or on with the signs translated as well.
The menus are clean with selections of each episode (two episodes per disc) and the Science Lesson Chapters.
As for extra features, there are a few.
Disc 1 features "Good Morning OGH!" which was the promotional trailer produced back in July 1988. This is featured in 2ch, 5.1ch and 5.1ch (dialogue off). There is a quic intro explanation how the trailers were saved on to a VHS tape to a super hi-8 tape and thus the quality is not great. But you start to see how the quality between the DVD versus a promo tape are.
Disc 2 features "Cosmic Battle Space" in 2ch or 5.1ch which features another perspective (from episode 4) of the fight between the squadron and the alien monsters.
Disc 3 features the "Sizzler Project" in 2ch or 5.1ch. This is a promotional trailer produced in 1989 and actually features character Jung Freud learning about the new Gunbuster mechas being created. This was very interesting to see and similar to the first promotional trailer.
"Gunbuster" has remained one of my top 3 anime that I will forever treasure in my heart. It's a series that shows guts, determination, happiness, sadness. It's literally an emotional rollercoaster that has made me smile, cry...
It's well written, features really awesome scenes and interaction between the characters. Well-acted, well-animated and just one of those rare treasures that have come along that you just don't see as much these days from a lot of anime.
Especially with a storyline managed to be complete in six episodes, I'm impressed.
I know that there is a region 0 disc that was released with a fourth disc that featured a rough episode five and unmatted episode six with a few other features but sure, as much as it would have been nice to have that in the US release, I'm not actually losing sleep over it either.
For a great price, you get all six episodes on DVD. For the boxset is the price I paid for one VHS back then. And I know for dub fans who don't like to read subtitles, it's going to be hard to recommend it to you to begin with.
But if you want quality anime that still looks very cool now as it did 20 years ago and also to watch one of the best, well written sci-fi/mecha anime OAV series ever released, then definitely check out "GUNBUSTER".
I highly recommend the "Gunbuster" anime DVD box set. You won't regret it.
Gunbuster Overview
The directorial debut of acclaimed creator Hideaki Anno, GUNBUSTER is a legendary anime fan favorite that casts pretty girls and giant robots into a moving epic of interstellar naval war. Newly translated and re-mastered in HD 24P format, Gunbuster has never before been available on DVD in North America...until now! 2015: Earth's first faster-than-light ship, the Luxion, is lost, attacked by unidentified space monsters in the Perseus Arm. Six years later, Noriko Takaya, daughter of the Luxion's commander, enters the Okinawa Girls' Space Pilot High School, vowing to be a pilot and follow her father's trail to the stars. But is she prepared for the intense training to become a member of the elite Top Squadron? Noriko's fight has just begun and the fate of all humanity depends on her meeting the challenge!
Gunbuster Specifications
The OAV Gunbuster (a.k.a. "Aim for the Top") proved so popular it spawned a manga series, the sequel Diebuster (2004) and a theatrical feature (2006). When she was a child, Noriko Takaya's father was killed in humanity's first encounter with aliens from the core of the galaxy. Her desire to follow him into space leads Noriko to the Okinawa Girls' Space Pilot High School, where she meets her future partner Kazumi Amano and Coach Koichiro Ohta. Noriko displays little aptitude for steering mecha, but Ohta sees the potential beneath the maladroit exterior. Soon Noriko is in space, piloting the experimental robot-suit Gunbuster and fighting aliens who look like the monsters in Gahan Wilson cartoons. Gunbuster plays like a mixture of Patlabor, Star Wars, and Robotech, with a generous helping of fan service nudity. In the intervening years, Noriko's mixture of weepy ineptitude and I'll-do-my-best fire has become an anime archetype. And there's simply too much story for a six-part OAV: characters appear and disappear with little effect.
Gunbuster has received a great deal of attention because it marked the first commercial success from the fledgling Gainax studio and the directorial debut of Neon Genesis Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno. It's hard to see much foreshadowing of Anno's later brilliance, except for the dramatic use of a black and white palate and still artwork in the last episode, set 12,000 years in the future. Spreading six episodes with minimal extras over three discs seems chintzy, as the material could easily fit on two or even one. (Rated 16 and older: violence, nudity, minor risqué humor) --Charles Solomon
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Customer Reviews
weirdly funny, but sometimes very cool - H. Shamsi -
Do you know those parody anime when they make fun of an old classic anime,well, i think that Gunbuster is the main Target that they aim at.
This 1988, 6 Episode OVA from the Director Anno Hideaki, the man who presented to us NGE is one of the best OVA that i've ever watched, though i couldn't stop laughing here and there for how much classic this anime is.
the story follows Noriko who her father was killed in humanity's first encounter with aliens. being Proud of her father Noriko decided to be a space pilot herself, for that, she joins Okinawa Girls' Space Pilot High School, unfortunately Noriko is just a klutz young girl who is one of the worst pilots in the school, but when Koichiro Ohta a new couch arrives, he sets his eyes on her out of all the students and he puts her together with Kazumi Amano the best mecha pilot in the school, and there Noriko's journey to space starts.
what i really liked about this OVA was the good implementation of the space theories, like the speed of light and the time dimension factor and how those have effected the characters and the story development. that helped us see the change on earth over the years from the eyes of the characters.
the characters themselves were memorable, even thought Noriko was so annoying in the begging, she managed to get so much experience that made her develop remarkably making her fit to be a the pilot of the great mecha gunbuster,and while noriko was going foreword we saw the other character Amano being bushed back by her emotion that she was hiding at the begging and which made her a cool character at the time, but still she was a great character herself.
the music for this OVA was just great, i loved that sound track that comes with the gunbuster seances making the fight much more exciting, and that Inazuma (lighting) kick, even thought it was funny at the beginning, it was just plain cool later on.
the Art for it's time was nice, i'm still not that much into the characters design, but it was still classic, what i really hated was the last Ep Black and White panel thing, after 12,000 year people will think that the animation should be more the better, but using black and white coloring was annoying, they say it's artistic and unique, but still it was annoying, if i wanted to watch something in black and white, i would put my sunglasses on, but still, that what makes out Gainax, they always don't disappoint you to be disappointed in the end of anything they make, i'v got used to it, but that doesn't change that this OVA was the best for me so far, even from Gainax.
beutiful things - Juan Jose Namnun - santo domingo
if you like anime
if ou like movies
if you like hideako anno works
if you like giant robots, aliens invasion in good sci fi setting
if you like beautiful things
there a big chance you ll like gunbuster
i ve saw it on vhs( and youtube also) a great many times had always like it( sometimes love it)
give it a try you ll hardly regret it
Video Quality - A. Stokes - MN
This is not a review of the show but of this DVD release. Bandai Visual USA essentially put zero effort into this "remastered" three disc-set.
There is a thick white line that always runs down the entire left side of the frame and there's a thin white line that sometimes runs down the right side of the frame. There's constant video noise that mars the image (not film grain, mind you, just video noise). Worst of all is the near constant frame judder. The video jumps constantly and almost never stops moving. It's extraordinarily distracting.
To sum it up, this release has the quality of a bootleg at best - only it's priced ridiculously high instead. What a waste of money.
Did I miss something? - Sun Wukong -
After many recommendations from friends, and reading universal praise, I went into the "classic" 6 episode series with high hopes - hopes that developed leprosy and collapsed under the weight of their dead, jaundiced flesh by the end.
Gunbuster is wrought with 2D characterization, uninspired designs, awkward fan-service, and a hilariously incomprehensible plot - and not incomprehensible in an entertaining, mysterious sense - but in a pissed out sort of way that's explained in an embarrassing, 30 second, expository excretion. Anyone who says this show has depth must be weighed down by nostalgia for it, because I simply can't understand any other reason for it being praised. It boggles my mind. And if anyone recommends it with a disclaimer about it being made in the 80s, don't trust them - age does not excuse quality.
But does Gunbuster have redeeming qualities? Of course - it's very well animated. The drama with characters aging in space is novel. And...uh...hmm...sorry, I just remembered how tedious and head-punchingly bad this show was.
If I was forced to recommend this series, I would only for those who are interested in its historical value, to be watched more as research than entertainment. I would explain my reasoning further, but this brief moment of nerd-rage has subsided - and the less time spent with Gunbuster, the better.
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jul 18, 2010 06:07:14
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