Gunbuster 

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.

Stars:

Noriko Hidaka, Rei Sakuma, Norio Wakamoto

Cast

Series cast summary:
Noriko Hidaka	...	Noriko Takaya unknown episodes

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:

outer space | training | robot | space war | tv mini series | 

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Genres:

Animation | Action | Drama | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Gainax Net [Japan]

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 (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 (1982).

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Quotes

Tatsumi Tashiro (Captain of Excelion): Executive officer do you believe in God?
Executive Officer: No, Not me, sir.
Tatsumi Tashiro (Captain of Excelion): Well, I do. Take a look. At this close distance... they shouldn't be able to warp any closer. We'll beat them by 12 minutes.
Executive Officer: That's what I'd call a miracle.
Tatsumi Tashiro (Captain of Excelion): A miracle... That's a word God created for us, just for this moment.

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Alternate Versions

Due to music which intentionally resembled that from Chariots of Fire, the score for the training montage was replaced on the US R1 dvd version of the film.

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Connections

Referenced in Otaku no video (1991)

User Reviews

The Forever War

None of use ever have enough time because time never always moves at the pace we want it to go, there are times it goes fast, slow, medium but no matter what speed it goes it is always fleeting and so are our lives with it.

This is one of my favorite animes of all time. This mini series despite being a lot of fun is also is also one of the saddest I've ever seen.

The animation I think is great and holds up today, from the character designs but my favorite the Gunbuster mecha. It's just awesome looking and is also really powerful, it's always a lot of fun seeing the funcions of it utilized. The music is also great, I really love the theme song which is one of the best themes I've ever heard and is a personal favorite of mine.

However what truly powers it is in the story and characters. It's not just another mecha action story but it's also a time travel story and I think it's one of the best. I really love how this show played with the concept of time dilation which is similar to Joe Hademan's "The Forever War" which was also about a soldier as he continued to fight aliens on another planet time on earth moves faster.

The thing about the mecha is that it's a machine that can go up in space and move light speed fast which means that a lot of the alien threat will be decimated quicker and the odds will be more even. But there is a catch, from how quick the mecha runs time on earth moves quickly, where just a mere amount of minutes can equal a certain amount of years gone by.

The characters are great I like Noriko, she the typical rookie fiery cheerful determined heroine. At first with her at times you think she might not be spiritually strong enough or she in it for all the wrong reasons which at times we question if she is able to do what she should. But she is able to come though which is part of why she's enduring but she is also emotionally engaging which I'll get to latter.

However the character that is my favorite is Kazumi, whom is a little older than Noriko which makes her slightly mature but also the most emotionally engaging in my book. I really like how she is fiery and feisty but how she has strong feelings toward things.

Which is where the drama of the mini series comes in which I'll admit I found really moving but also at the same time really sad. We see how deeply the whole time dilation experience effects both of them when we see certain characters all age and become older than both Noriko and Kazumi. Due to the ages of some of them it makes their relationship with those people difficult and different due to the difference in age and their changes. Which is I'll admit can be an awful feeling know your friends have gotten older which means how long you've not been a part of their lives, it's a lonely feeling. This is the kind of feeling that most solders after a tour of duty have felt, when they went back to their home town nothing is the same because everything changes as they were away which is why they have trouble adjusting to our present day. Noriko despite her endless determination is deeply affected by this and can't help at times wonder if she really is using her time right or just wasting it.

Though to me the most affecting was with Kazumi whom we see loves the Coach but unfortunately he has a certain disease which has reduced his biological clock. We really sucks because due to her involvement in piloting the mecha with Noriko it means she'll lose the limited time with the one she loves which was the time she wanted to spend with the most. That's also really awful, unable to spend time with the one you love let alone friends in your life. You can say this dilemma she has is a lesson to show, we should spend as much time with our significant others and friends for as long as we can and while we have the chance because they won't be around forever and you never know when the next day with them could be the last.

There are themes of coming of age, but what sets this apart from most of those stories are it's on the awareness of time and age and that youth isn't forever. But also on how much solders truly sacrifice, it's not just innocence but time itself. It then comes down to an ending which I thought was really bittersweet which I'll admit put a tear in my eye.

Spend your time wisely, time is forever but we don't live forever.

Rating: 4 stars