Gunbuster (Video 1988)
"Top wo Nerae!" (original title)

A young pilot, daughter of a deceased space captain, is selected to pilot a colossal robot as the key point of Earth's defence in a space war.

Director:

Hideaki Anno

Writers:

Hideaki Anno, Toshio Okada,

Stars:

Noriko Hidaka, Rei Sakuma, Norio Wakamoto

Cast

Credited cast:
Noriko Hidaka	...	Noriko Takaya (voice)
Rei Sakuma	...	Kazumi 'One-sama' Amano (voice)
Norio Wakamoto	...	Kôichirô 'Coach' Ôhta (voice)
Maria Kawamura	...	Jung Freud (voice)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Yuriko Fuchizaki	...	Kimiko Higuchi / Takami Akai (voice)
Masako Katsuki	...	Reiko Kashiwara (voice)
Kazuki Yao	...	Smith Toren (voice)
Tamio Ôki	...	Tatsumi Tashiro (Captain of Excelion) (voice)

Storyline

In the future, Earth is under attack by gigantic aliens. Noriko Takaya, daughter of a famous captain in the battle against the aliens, enlists in the military to combat the aliens, but must struggle with her memories, the pressures of training, the ridicule of her classmates, and herself to make herself ready to be a mech pilot. She is eventually partnered up with her rival/idol, and given control of one of two Gunbuster mechs, Earth's most powerful weapon to combat the aliens. With the fate of the earth in her hands, Noriko flies off to meet her destiny...

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Plot Keywords:

space | robot | space war | training | anime | 

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Genres:

Animation | Action | Drama | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Gainax Net [jp]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

7 October 1988 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Gunbuster

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bandai Visual Company, Gainax, Victor Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 30 min (6 episodes)

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The method of travel is explained in the story as being part of an effect known as the "Tannhauser Gate." Tannhauser Gate was the name of a battle mentioned by Roy Batty in Blade Runner.

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Quotes

Jung Freud: The moon is great, you're weightless! On Earth, your bra's too tight, your shoulders are in knots, and soon your boobs sag.

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Connections

References Gekido no showashi: Okinawa kessen (1971)

User Reviews

Excellent character development, mecha needs improvement

Being an otaku since the days of Robotech, I can still say that Gunbuster is one of my favorite animes of all time. Considering when it was made, the animation is of superior quality. There are no loops and sequences in which the art decreases in quality. Although the final episode is in black and white, it does not detract from the enjoyment of watching the film. Although it has been described as being "sappy," it should be kept in mind that females do not react in the same way that males do. Since the main character is a female, it should be obvious that she does not necessarily need to resort to "macho-man" tactics in order to gain the respect of her peers. The seiryuu for Noriko, incidentally, also plays Akane in Ranma 1/2. Noriko is as 3-dimensional a cartoon can get; her personality captures the essence of a spirited girl who seems at first to be completely helpless but in the end succeeds through the strength of her will. The only complaint I have is that the mecha looked somewhat like teddy bears. Even the Gunbuster utilizes a rather dubious "Homing Laser" and "Buster Shield" (which is nothing more than having the machine wrap a giant velvety cloak around itself in true Dracula style) technique. I doubt that scene was meant to be funny, but it cracked me up. Yet all in all, I would rank Gunbuster in the top 20 anime of all time.