"Aura Battler Dunbine" (1983) TV series 1983-

Creators:

Yoshiyuki Tomino
Hajime Yatate
(more)

Seasons:

1

Genre:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Plot:

An aspiring Japanese motocross racer is pulled into the world of Byston Well, where he is forcefully recruited into becoming the pilot of a Dunbine, a giant robot guided by his aura.

Plot Keywords:

Giant Robot | Anime

Cast

Leraldo Anzaldua

...

Additional Voices (unknown episodes)

Series Directed by
Yoshiyuki Tomino		(49 episodes, 1983-1984)
Osamu Sekita		(11 episodes, 1983-1984)
Iku Suzuki		(10 episodes, 1983-1984)
Shûji Iuchi		(10 episodes, 1983)
Yasuhiro Imagawa		(9 episodes, 1983)
Kôji Kawate		(4 episodes, 1983-1984)
Toshifumi Kawase		(2 episodes, 1983)
Kazuhito Kikuchi		(2 episodes, 1983)

Series Writing credits
Yoshiyuki Tomino		(49 episodes, 1983-1984)
Hajime Yatate		(49 episodes, 1983-1984)
Yûji Watanabe		(25 episodes, 1983-1984)
Sukehiro Tomita		(23 episodes, 1983-1984)

Series Produced by
Toru Moriyama	....	producer: Nagoya TV (49 episodes, 1983-1984)
Hironori Nakagawa	....	producer: Nippon Sunrise (49 episodes, 1983-1984)
Kuniaki Ohnishi	....	producer: Sotsû Agency (49 episodes, 1983-1984)
John Ledford	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)
Mark Williams	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Katsuhiro Tsubonô		(49 episodes, 1983-1984)

Series Cinematography by
Akio Saitô		(49 episodes, 1983-1984)

Series Film Editing by
Yumiko Fuse		(10 episodes, 1983)

Series Art Direction by
Shigemi Ikeda		(49 episodes, 1983-1984)

Series Art Department
Yasuhiro Imagawa	....	storyboard artist (11 episodes, 1983)
Iku Suzuki	....	storyboard artist (9 episodes, 1983-1984)
Shûji Iuchi	....	storyboard artist (9 episodes, 1983)
Osamu Sekita	....	storyboard artist (8 episodes, 1983-1984)
Kôji Kawate	....	storyboard artist (6 episodes, 1983-1984)
Yoshiyuki Tomino	....	storyboard artist (6 episodes, 1983-1984)
Kazuhito Kikuchi	....	storyboard artist (4 episodes, 1983)

Series Sound Department
Keiko Chida	....	sound producer (49 episodes, 1983-1984)
Sadayoshi Fujino	....	recording director (49 episodes, 1983-1984)
Michihiro Ito	....	sound effects editor (49 episodes, 1983-1984)
Akiyoshi Yoda	....	sound mixer (49 episodes, 1983-1984)

Series Special Effects by
Yutaka Hoshiba	....	special effects (49 episodes, 1983-1984)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Itta Kobayashi	....	camera operator (43 episodes, 1983)
Hôsaku Miura	....	camera operator (43 episodes, 1983)
Atsushi Okui	....	camera operator / camera operator: K.K. Lucky More (6 episodes, 1983-1984)

Series Animation Department
Yutaka Izubuchi	....	guest mechanical designer (49 episodes, 1983-1984)
Tomonori Kogawa	....	character designer / chief animation director / ... (49 episodes, 1983-1984)
Kazutaka Miyatake	....	mechanical designer (49 episodes, 1983-1984)
Naoyo Tobe	....	color designer (38 episodes, 1983)
Ken'ichi Hirano	....	inbetween checker (33 episodes, 1983-1984)
Tatehiko Uchida	....	background artist: Studio Uni (25 episodes, 1983-1984)
Masaki Yamada	....	animator (14 episodes, 1983-1984)
Norimichi Yoshino	....	color designer / cel painter: Studio DEEN (14 episodes, 1983)
Nobuyoshi Sasakado	....	animator / animation director (13 episodes, 1983-1984)
Hidetoshi Ômori	....	animator / animation director (13 episodes, 1983-1984)
Yasuyoshi Geki	....	animator (12 episodes, 1983-1984)
Junko Kawamoto	....	background artist: Production AI (12 episodes, 1983-1984)
Masuo Nakayama	....	background artist: Production AI (12 episodes, 1983-1984)
Hideaki Sakamoto	....	animator / animation director (12 episodes, 1983-1984)
Eiichi Endô	....	animator / animation director (11 episodes, 1983-1984)
Hiroyuki Kitazume	....	animator / animation director / ... (11 episodes, 1983-1984)
Kiyoko Takashima	....	color designer (11 episodes, 1983-1984)
Junichi Watanabe	....	inbetween artist (11 episodes, 1983-1984)
Masayuki Yagi	....	animator / animation director (11 episodes, 1983-1984)
Jun'ichi Higashi	....	background artist: Studio Easter (11 episodes, 1983)
Kunio Suzuki	....	background artist: Studio Easter (11 episodes, 1983)
Naoyuki Onda	....	inbetween artist / animator (10 episodes, 1983-1984)
Yoshihisa Yumoto	....	inbetween artist (10 episodes, 1983-1984)
Katsuo Hiroi	....	color designer (9 episodes, 1983-1984)
Shûichi Yamada	....	background artist: Studio Uni (9 episodes, 1983-1984)
Toshiyuki Kubooka	....	inbetween artist / animator (9 episodes, 1983)
Kôji Murase	....	color designer / cel painter (9 episodes, 1983)
Tomokazu Tokoro	....	inbetween artist / animator (9 episodes, 1983)
Kiyomitsu Tsuji	....	inbetween artist (9 episodes, 1983)
Kiyomi Ônishi	....	inbetween artist / animator (9 episodes, 1983)
Mari Nakatani	....	inbetween artist (8 episodes, 1983-1984)
Saburô Sakamoto	....	animator / animation director (8 episodes, 1983-1984)
Yasuharu Senuma	....	inbetween artist (8 episodes, 1983-1984)
Yôichi Akino	....	animator / animation director (8 episodes, 1983)
Ryôko Kashiwada	....	inbetween artist: Studio Dub (8 episodes, 1983)
Jun'ichirô Nishikawa	....	background artist: Studio Uni (8 episodes, 1983)
Atsuko Takahira	....	inbetween artist (8 episodes, 1983)
Katsumi Teratô	....	animator / inbetween artist (8 episodes, 1983)
Yûji Tsuge	....	animator / inbetween artist (8 episodes, 1983)
Katsuhiro Haji	....	background artist: Studio Uni (7 episodes, 1983-1984)
Sadao Ogura	....	inbetween artist (7 episodes, 1983-1984)
Masafumi Yamamoto	....	inbetween artist (7 episodes, 1983-1984)
Machiko Ôsone	....	inbetween artist (7 episodes, 1983-1984)
Yoshiaki Akutagawa	....	inbetween artist (7 episodes, 1983)
Mitsuaki Hirooka	....	inbetween artist (7 episodes, 1983)
Akihiro Kanayama	....	animation director / animator (7 episodes, 1983)
Toshimitsu Kobayashi	....	animator (7 episodes, 1983)
Nozomu Matsui	....	color designer / cel painter (7 episodes, 1983)
Jôji Ôshima	....	animator (7 episodes, 1983)
Miho Nakata	....	inbetween artist: Shindôsha (6 episodes, 1983-1984)
Hiromasa Sato	....	inbetween artist (6 episodes, 1983-1984)
Masahito Sawada	....	inbetween artist (6 episodes, 1983-1984)
Masanori Shino	....	inbetween artist (6 episodes, 1983-1984)
Kazuhiro Okino	....	inbetween artist (6 episodes, 1983)
Teizô Shimada	....	inbetween artist (6 episodes, 1983)
Midori Yamamoto	....	inbetween artist (6 episodes, 1983)
Takao Miyahara	....	inbetween artist (5 episodes, 1983)
Toyomi Sugiyama	....	animator (5 episodes, 1983)
Kôichi Usami	....	inbetween artist (5 episodes, 1983)
Masakazu Yamamoto	....	inbetween artist (5 episodes, 1983)
Kimiko Yamauchi	....	inbetween artist (5 episodes, 1983)
Mieko Yoshii	....	color designer (5 episodes, 1983)
Rie Eyama	....	inbetween artist: Studio Dub (4 episodes, 1983-1984)
Misako Kinoshita	....	inbetween artist (4 episodes, 1983-1984)
Hiroko Soga	....	inbetween artist (4 episodes, 1983-1984)
Shinichirô Minami	....	inbetween artist (4 episodes, 1983)
Morifumi Naka	....	inbetween artist: Shindôsha (4 episodes, 1983)
Shun'ichi Ozawa	....	inbetween artist: Studio Dub (4 episodes, 1983)
Nobukazu Sakuma	....	animator / animation director (4 episodes, 1983)
Shigeko Sakuma	....	animator (4 episodes, 1983)
Yorihisa Uchida	....	animator (4 episodes, 1983)
Hiroyoshi Ôkawa	....	animator (4 episodes, 1983)
Misa Kuwabara	....	animator / inbetween artist (3 episodes, 1983-1984)
Yoko Muraoka	....	inbetween artist (3 episodes, 1983-1984)
Yukie Imai	....	inbetween artist (3 episodes, 1983)
Michio Satô	....	animator (3 episodes, 1983)
Akira Shinoda	....	animation director (3 episodes, 1983)
Yoshiharu Fukushima	....	animator (2 episodes, 1983)
Kazuhiko Hasegawa	....	color designer (2 episodes, 1983)
Kazukiyo Hirata	....	animator (2 episodes, 1983)
Atsuko Sasaki	....	inbetween artist (2 episodes, 1983)

Series Editorial Department
Yumiko Fuse	....	editor: Inoue Editing Room (49 episodes, 1983-1984)

Series Other crew
Toshifumi Kawase	....	setting production (49 episodes, 1983-1984)
Hiroshi Kazama	....	setting production (49 episodes, 1983-1984)
Kenji Uchida	....	production desk (49 episodes, 1983-1984)
Rinko Fukuda	....	set production assistant (33 episodes, 1983-1984)
Nana Harada	....	set production assistant / setting production assistant (12 episodes, 1983-1984)
Kazuhiko Mezaki	....	production assistant (11 episodes, 1983-1984)
Yutaka Izubuchi	....	guest mechanical designer (10 episodes, 1983)
Yoshihiro Yamaguchi	....	production assistant (9 episodes, 1983-1984)
Kunihisa Sugishima	....	production assistant (7 episodes, 1983)
Kazutoshi Nakagawa	....	production assistant (6 episodes, 1983)
Masashi Hashimoto	....	production assistant (5 episodes, 1983-1984)
Tsuneo Tominaga	....	production assistant (4 episodes, 1983)
Shigeru Ikebe	....	production assistant (3 episodes, 1983-1984)
Yutaka Sasaki	....	production assistant (3 episodes, 1983-1984)
Tsutomu Watanabe	....	production assistant (3 episodes, 1983)
Minoru Nishikawa	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 1983)

Production Companies

• Bandai Visual Company

Distributors

• ADV Films (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:Not Rated (video rating) | USA:TV-14 (TV rating)

Company:

Bandai Visual Company

Quotes:

Show Zama:[bluffing on a kamikaze threat] The suicide attack is a specialty for us Japanese.

Ground-Breaking Above Average Fantasy Effort From Yoshiyuki Tomino

In 1983, after wrapping up "Xabungle," a Western With !GIANT ROBOTS! Yoshiyuki Tomino decided to make a Fantasy Epic ...with !GIANT ROBOTS! Well, he didn't exactly decide. The story goes that Tomino wanted to do a robot-less fantasy show based on some novels he had written but Sunrise pressured him into adding mecha for marketing purposes. So he did, and wow are they different - courtesy of Macross mecha designer Kazutaka Miyatake.

The Story: Japanese motocross racer Sho Zama disappears one night and falls (along with his motorcycle) into the parallel world of Byston Well, where he is recruited (more like drafted) to fight for local warlord Drake Luft. Seems that Sho possesses great "Aura Power" which enables him to fight in a giant insectoid robot called an Aura Battler. There is opposition to Luft's imperialist ambitions, however and Sho is recruited to the rebel side after an encounter with Marvel Frozen, another Aura Battler pilot from "Upper Earth." Now they must fight Drake Luft and his ever growing power - not only to keep Byston Well free, but potentially Upper Earth as well.

Kudos to Tomino for making this one different. This is the first medieval fantasy giant robot show, predating "Escaflowne" by more than a decade. The overall plot is not that original (Person from Our World falls into Fantasy World and must fight Evil Overlord) but it is epic, if a little repetitious. This is my main beef with the show, actually, especially near the end. An example of how repetitious "Dunbine" can be: there is a princess character (every fantasy show's gotta have one) named Elmelie who is constantly rescued only to be captured by the villains again. After about the 7th time I started to keep score of the game of "Elmelie Ball" being played on my screen - seriously, the girl changes hands more times than the Ark of the Covenant from "Raiders of the Lost Ark." The characters are a mixed bag. My favorite is Cham Huau, Sho's fairy companion and mascot for the show (she's in all of the commercial bumpers). Bold, spirited (sometimes *too* much so), loving and loyal but sometimes inconsiderate and selfish, and last but not least so gosh-darn *cute* Cham is the most lovable and well-rounded character on the show. Her creator obviously loved her; Tomino basically copied her for his character of Lilith in his next TV series, the sci-fi epic "Heavy Metal L-Gaim." Other characters range from good, like the brave and noble Queen Celia Lapana to average (Sho and Marvel are only so-so as far as leads go) to dull and not all that likable. An example of the latter is rebel leader Neal Given, who comes off as a drip and a jerk most of the time. Also, some characters display the typical Tomino Stupid Character Syndrome (TSCS) and do something completely stupid and (usually) whiny right out of the blue - Keen Kiss I'm looking at you! On the Bad Guy side of things, the villains are never portrayed as being 100% Pure Unadulterated Nazi Evil, but aren't really fleshed out that much either, at least compared to Tomino's other shows - there is no Char Aznable here. The art and animation are standard for 1983, and while that may scare off those used to modern anime it was alright for me. The requisite giant robot battles are adequate - exciting and well done most of the time but not on par with Tomino's best (Zeta Gundam, Char's Counterattack). The music in this show is phenomenal though - the background score is appropriately epic and the opening and ending songs by MIO are awesome.

"Dunbine" was released on Region 1 DVD a few years ago but is now-out-of-print. Good luck hunting it down: some sellers want hundreds of dollars for *the last few volumes alone*. The ADV discs include a sub-par English dub (Sho sounds like he is about 20 years older than he is, and Neal is done by Vic Mignogna trying to do - a... Scottish... accent?). I would stick to the Japanese.

Conclusion: I recommend this show to anyone who is a fan of Yoshiyuki Tomino or giant robots in a fantasy setting - fans of Escaflowne can see where the genre got its start. I can't unconditionally qualify it as a classic though; flaws with both plotting and characterization make this in the end a merely above-average effort.

+ Concept, music, awesome insectoid mecha designs, some characters, epic plot...

- ...that sometimes get repetitious, other characters, TSCS, some of the episodes leading up to the (good) ending.