Gunbuster
Encyclopedia
Gunbuster, known in Japan as is a six episode anime
OVA
series created by Gainax
in 1988. It was the directorial debut of Hideaki Anno
, best known as the director of Neon Genesis Evangelion. The title is a combination of the titles of classic tennis
anime Aim for the Ace!, whose plot inspired Gunbusters, and the 1986 film Top Gun
. To celebrate Gainax's 20th anniversary in 2004, an official sequel to Gunbuster, Diebuster
(or Gunbuster 2), was released as an OVA. The sequel features new characters and mecha, but retains the format and many of the concepts of the original series.
aliens
is discovered traveling the galaxy
. These aliens, which are known as the Uchuu Kaijuu, or Space Monsters (Note: This name is what they are referred to throughout the series, although the Super Robot Wars
games names them the "STMC" or "Space Terrible Monster Crowd"), seem dedicated to the eradication of the human species as the latter takes its first steps away from the solar system
, and they are getting closer and closer to Earth
. Humanity has responded by developing space-going battleships and giant fighting robots
. These complex robots—RX-7 Machine Weapons—are actually an advanced type of fighting suit, piloted by a single occupant. As advanced as they are, however, they are being used as trainers for a new weapon, the Gunbuster. However, being relatively new technology, they are difficult to operate (stock shots show pilots working multiple controls with hands and feet, while fingers rapidly operate switches on the hand grips), so pilot candidates are selected from the best and brightest youth on Earth and the Lunar colony. These are trained at schools around the world.
The story begins in the year 2023, not long after the first battles with the aliens, and centers on young Noriko Takaya (タカヤ・ノリコ Takaya Noriko) (voice: Noriko Hidaka
). Although Noriko's father was a famous admiral
in the space fleet who went missing following one of the first battles of the war, her own talents as a pilot are questionable—especially when compared to the other students. Nonetheless, she has entered a training school on Okinawa, where she is largely influenced by her instructor, Kouichirou Ohta ("Coach Ohta"), who was one of Admiral Takaya's crew. He has faith that she will overcome her early clumsiness, while other students are critical of her inability.
Noriko idolizes the beautiful, competent and talented Kazumi Amano (アマノ・カズミ Amano Kazumi) (voice: Rei Sakuma
). She is not alone, the other students recognize that Amano is the top RX-7 pilot at the school, and likely the entire world. Coach Ohta shows the extra training which Amano creates for herself, inspiring Noriko to look within herself for strengths which she did not know that she had.
Only two Gunbuster pilots from each school will be selected for the real mission. Amano, of course, will be going, and all of the others want the second slot on the team. Takaya is determined to win, not only to be with Amano but also to find (or avenge) her father. She is thrilled to discover that she has in fact been chosen as the second Japanese pilot.
Following that selection, conflict between Takaya and other students comes to a head, when the second-best RX-7 pilot at the school publicly challenges her to a one-on-one fight. Planned for late at night, when none of the school authorities will be around to stop it, Ohta learns of the duel and comes to the battleground—but does nothing. He is there to observe, and perhaps to save Takaya's life, if the combat gets too intensive.
Takaya is on the defensive from the start, and the older student humiliates her by action and over the radio. As Takaya's RX-7 is pummeled, Noriko realizes that her difficulties are a case of sensory overload—she is getting too much information from the electronic monitoring systems. She turns off her monitors, but as the systems go dark, her opponent is infuriated by the perceived insult and prepares the final, killing blow. Just as it appears that Noriko is doomed, she destroys her opponent's RX-7 with a "Thunder Kick." Her opponent muses that the school rookie has beat her with an advanced maneuver which she hadn't been taught. This is the proof that Ohta was seeking, that Noriko had an innate ability which would be invaluable in the battles to come.
Together, with Coach Ohta and Amano, Takaya is sent into space to train with other representatives from all over the solar system in preparation for the attack upon the space monsters. There they are introduced to a soviet pilot from the moon base by the name of Jung Freud. On their first training mission, Takaya and Amano are stopped by Jung, and challenged to a duel. Amano and Jung become completely involved in the fight, as Noriko trails along, and all three get lost within the machinery of the space station. The fight stops midway, when all three come in contact with the first space monster that was defeated and captured.
Once they return they are scolded by their coach, but because of their importance to the missions success as well as building feelings between the coach and them, they are let go with a simple warning. Jung later apologizes for her challenge, and thus begins a friendship with the two.
As they move farther into space, the young pilots are placed in their quarters for subspace traveling. On a dare Takaya is sent into the hangars and meets a male space pilot named Toren Smith. Amano comes into doubt of Takaya's abilities and asks the Coach to end their partnership. Takaya overhears the conversation and ends up partnering with Smith instead.
The first true battle between the aliens begin, and the humans realize how vastly out maneuvered and out numbered they are. They are able to retreat with limited casualties, but Takaya has lost Smith, and gained an uncontrollable fear towards deep space combat. As their second battle approaches, Takaya is determined to improve and asks the Coach for private lessons. Jung finds out and thinking that she doing so to control Gun Buster, challenges her in space. But even before they are able to fight, Takaya breaks down within her suit and is taken to the infirmary.
Seeing as how they are outmatched the captain decides to immediately travel back to Earth in secrecy as to keep the location of Earth secret. The plan is unsuccessful, and the fleet is attacked in sub-space, leading to the destruction of the majority of the fleet. Once they reach Earth's orbit, only the Exelion and a couple minor cruisers are still alive.
The second battle starts and things look grim for everyone. Finally Takaya realizes what she must do, and helps her friends and crew members. She takes control of the incomplete Gunbuster and manages to force the enemy to retreat. Takaya and friends then must face the trauma of war and the discovery of loss.
Once this battle is over, the story goes back to Earth, and Takaya, Amano and Jung realize how much things have changed. Her old nemesis who had previously challenged her at school is now the coach for new pilots. Her best friend is now a mother with a 3 year old daughter, and Earth has been working on a 70 km long space ship as a safety in case Earth is ever attacked.
While in a peaceful lull Takaya and friends try to re-adjust to living in a world that has already passed them by. Takaya tries to reconnect with her friend, while Anamo tries to share her feelings with the Coach. The peace is broken, however, when Earth is notified that a fleet of space monsters, much bigger than anything comparable is headed towards Earth. After many arguments, the idea of sending the old Exelion as a unmanned black hole bomb
, is proposed. The gunbuster is nominated to escort the bomb there, and then to come home.
Takaya and Amano, in separate ships which conjoin into gunbuster, are sent out, a trip that will last an hour or more to them, but half a year to everyone back on Earth. As they almost reach their goal, Amano breaks down, admitting that she does not want go forward, since each second forward means the longer she is away from their Coach, who is now dying from space radiation. Takaya is able to convince her to continue, and their mission is a success. When they come back, it turns out that the Coach is still alive and Amano and he get married.
The final episode starts 15 years later, when the Coach is dead. The aliens are coming back, and in retaliation Earth has been working on a small planet sized black hole bomb, which has been created using the mass of Jupiter pressured into the size of the moon, Buster Machine III. This when it is detonated, along with 3,000 'slave mines' placed around the center of the galaxy, will cause a black hole to be formed that will suck the space monsters in.
Amano is sent back up to a new Eltrion to fight in a new mobile suit called Sizzlers: buster sized machines, piloted individually. While she has been busy in marriage, Jung had taken over as Takaya's partner up in space. Amano and Takaya meet once more, and Amano expresses her love for Takaya which has grown while the two have been apart. Takaya, at first, is withdrawn seeing the changes and maturity in Amano in just 6 months her time.
When the final battle begins, Amano is ordered to man Gunbuster with Takaya, and both fight alongside others to defend the bomb. The alien army is fended off, allowing the black hole bomb to be set. When the time comes to activate, however, they find out the enemies' attacks have damaged 2% of the 'slave generators' required for implosion. Amano and Takaya decide to dive down into the core of Buster Machine 3 and activate it by using one of Gunbusters two Degeneracy reactors, even though doing so means they will likely be unable to leave without suffering severe relativistic time dilation during their escape.
After the bomb is set off, Noriko and Kazumi spend 12,000 Earth years objective traveling home, although for them only hours or days have passed. Upon arriving in Earth orbit, the pilots cannot make contact with anyone nor see any sign of habitation on the planet, suggesting that human civilization is long gone. However, their despair is instantly dispelled when a massive light pattern suddenly appears on the planet saying "WELCOME HOME!" (the final character, however, is reversed, which is a nod from Jung who pledges in the past to welcome them back) Delighted that their home civilization is alive and well after so long, the pilots abandon their mecha to land on the planet.
anime, started by the Mazinger Z
series, but also contains some elements of the Real Robot
genre by showing mass produced versions of the titular robot (called "Sizzlers") as well as previous smaller combat mecha called "RX" which are used along with bigger battleships in space warfare
, elements seen previously in Gundam
and Macross
. It is notable for being one of the few anime series to deal with the concept of time dilation
in a realistic way, and indeed makes it one of its central plot elements. Though the scientific accuracy of the series is variable (it posits the invention of acceleration compensators, artificial gravity
and warp drives by the year 2015) it includes many hard science fiction elements, and provides a consistent technological frame if one assumes that human technological progress has been put into overdrive in order to wage war against the aliens.
Gunbuster is also notable as being a spiritual predecessor to Anno's more famous Neon Genesis Evangelion in that the themes of space opera and mecha action take somewhat of a back seat to various romances, rivalries and other relations between the main characters, made more complex by the differing speeds of their aging due to time dilation (for Noriko, the 40 year or so timespan of the major part of the series takes roughly about a year). It is also similar to the later Evangelion in that it begins as a high-school anime, with the students at Okinawa space high school for girls competing for places among the elite pilots sent to fight the space monsters. This pattern has since become something of an anime cliché. Noriko also shares many personality traits with Evangelions Shinji Ikari
, particularly in her lack of confidence in herself, and Jung Freud, a Soviet
pilot who befriends Noriko and Kazumi, is regarded by many fans as a prototype of Asuka Langley Sohryu, right down to her red hair and arrogant attitude.
(reversed to fit Japanese name patterns). Smith was a key figure in popularizing anime and manga in the United States. Once the owner of Studio Proteus
(which has now been absorbed by the publishing company Dark Horse Comics
), also provided the voice of an anonymous bridge operator during one episode of the OVA.
The science lessons are short "omake
" bonus features originally present on the first two volumes. Each short lasts around two minutes, and stars super deformed
versions of Noriko, Kazumi and the Coach explaining the various scientific aspects of the series. The Tannhauser Gate
, or starbow as it is more commonly called, created by the fictitious Dr. Tannhauser as explained in the first of the science lessons, is a direct reference to a remark made by the Replicant Roy Batty at the end of the film Blade Runner
. Although only four "lessons" were produced during the series' original run, another two episodes (for episodes 5 and 6) were later produced for the Japan-only Laserdisc
collection. They also appear on subsequent DVD releases in Japan and North America. The "New Science Lesson" clips mark the directorial debut of Kazuya Tsurumaki
, who went on to direct FLCL
, first half of The End of Evangelion
and Gunbuster 2.
videocassette, with two episodes per volume. It was then released on three laserdisc
s with a later boxset containing two new science episodes. Eventually, it was released on DVD. In 2004, a remastered four disc set was released with dramatically improved image, and new extras such as three short animations, a rough cut of episode five and an unmatted version of episode 6.
The series was first released in English in North America
starting in March 1990 on video by U.S. Renditions
as their first release. It was only released in the original Japanese language audio track and featured some rather loose English subtitles, especially on the first volume. It was later re-released verbatim in 1996 on VHS by Manga Entertainment
after U.S. Renditions ceased operations.
The series was released in English on a single DVD
in the United Kingdom by Kiseki Films
, but this release suffered from poor video quality and inconsistent subtitles. It was also criticized for lack of advertised extras and the editing of a scene with full-frontal nudity.
On November 24, 2006, Bandai Visual USA released a limited, regionless reprint of the 2004 R2 remastered set exclusively at Kinokuniya Bookstores. The set lacked any translation and was an exact 1:1 copy of the R2. The set was marketed to die-hard fans of the show, and was meant to cease distribution upon the R1 release. As of August 2007, six months after officially going off sale, the set can still be purchased at Kinokuniya.
On February 20, 2007, Bandai Visual
USA officially released the remaster
ed R1 DVD box set under their Honneamise label, with the series spanned over three discs like the R2 and R0. However, the set lacked the fourth disc of the previous R0, which contained the rough episode five and unmatted episode six, along with other period extras.
While it is common for anime released in North America to come with an English-dubbed audio track
, no English-language audio track has been released. In an interview with Anime on DVD, Jonathan Clements
stated that "the Music & Effects track has been lost, and [an English dub] would need to be reconstructed from the ground up". However, in 2006, a theatrical version of Gunbuster was released in Japan featuring a 5.1
soundtrack, containing new sound effects, the original score and re-recorded dialogue by the original Japanese voice actors. The feature-length film is an abridged version of the original OVA, and uses the same animated footage as the original. This film (along with the theatrical version of Diebuster, which was released theatrically as a double feature
with the Gunbuster theatrical edition) has been licensed for North American distribution by Bandai Visual USA. It was initially released in the USA on DVD as Gunbuster vs. Diebuster: Aim for the Top! The GATTAI!! Movie, a box set containing the theatrical edits of both Gunbuster and Diebuster. A high-definition
Blu-ray Disc
version was released in November by Bandai Entertainment in the USA (following the liquidation of Bandai Visual USA and Bandai Entertainment's acquisition of the Honneamise label) and by Beez Entertainment
in the United Kingdom, where Gunbuster The Movie will also be released as a separate Blu-ray Disc.
In 2011, Bandai Visual announced that there would be a BD release of the OVA with extras.
's rendition of a piece inspired by Vangelis
' theme from Chariots of Fire
. Unlike the R2, in which this scene is completely intact, this set, while visually uncut, has this piece of background music replaced with a piece of score from later in the series. There was a bit of a controversy regarding this change, due to lack of info as to why, along with no official announcement made until after a fan discovery.
The reasoning behind the change is still unclear. During a panel at Anime Los Angeles 2007, where the change was discovered, Tatsunori Konno, president of Bandai Visual USA
, was unsure of the circumstances regarding the change. It appeared as if the fact of its existence had slipped his mind. After the panel, he stated to a fan that he believed it was due to fears of copyright infringement. Fans have speculated that this was due possibly to its similarity to Vangelis
' score
, given that the piece was a homage. The official letter of response from Bandai Visual USA, written by Takenari Maeda, was that it was something "the Japanese producers thought they needed to do for the US release" with no other reason as to why given. They offered the alternative of purchasing the more expensive, limited R0 release for "stickler" fans. While the minimal dialog in the scene remains, this change also omits the sound effects in the scene as no isolated Foley reel exists.
Furthermore, upon comparison with the Japanese R2 release, it was later discovered that the removal of the music track had an adverse effect on the overall audio quality of the first episode, causing it to sound somewhat less clear in comparison to that of the R2 DVD. This is likely a byproduct of whatever sound removal process was used or possibly a side-effect of re-encoding the audio to accommodate the change.
Upon being informed of the alteration at Fanimecon
2007, Gainax President Hiroyuki Yamaga
stated that he was unaware until that moment, even checking with a colleague before responding. His opinion was that, from a business perspective, one altered foreign release of a show they did twenty years prior did not affect him. However, from the perspective of a fellow anime fan, he could sympathize with American fans over the alteration. He likened it to feelings he had over changes Yoshiyuki Tomino
had made to his landmark first Gundam
series.
- in association with Xebec - released a PVC
figure of Gunbuster. Though limited in poseability, the figure featured an extra set of arms and hands, as well as the weapons Buster Tomahawk and Buster Home Run from the radio dramas. In 2005, Kaiyodo released a newer figure sculpted by Katsuhisa Yamaguchi (of Revoltech fame). Though shorter than the original, this newer figure was more detailed and poseable than its predecessor. Figure #101 of Kaiyodo's Revoltech line is Gunbuster. Once again sculpted by Yamaguchi, it is capable of transforming into both Buster Machines, and has parts to replicate tearing out the power core.
In 2006, Bandai released a large diecast toy replica of Gunbuster under the Soul of Chogokin
line. Just like in episode 5 of the series, the toy is a combination of Buster Machines 1 and 2. It includes an array of weapons that were used in both the anime and radio drama, as well as a miniature of Kazumi's RX-7 Machine Weapon and a display stand designed to resemble a launch pad. Also included are accessories that can be used to replicate the final scene in episode 6, where Gunbuster removes its power generator core from its chest.
Studio HalfEye also released a transformable replica of Gunbuster. In contrast to Bandai's diecast toy, this figure is made of resin plastic and priced higher.
Figures of Noriko have also been manufactured as well. Yellow Submarine (a division of Takara
) released a poseable doll, while Kotobukiya and Kaiyodo sold non-poseable figures. Bandai had a limited-edition Noriko & Nono figure set bundled with the North America and Japan DVD release of Gunbuster vs. Diebuster Aim For The Top! The GATTAI!! Movie.
and MSX
, Cybernetic Hi-School, focused on characters from Gunbuster.
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
OVA
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
series created by Gainax
Gainax
is a Japanese anime studio famous for productions such as Gunbuster, The Wings of Honneamise, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, Neon Genesis Evangelion, FLCL and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann which have gone on to critical acclaim and commercial success, as well as for their association with...
in 1988. It was the directorial debut of Hideaki Anno
Hideaki Anno
is a Japanese animation and film director. Anno is best known for his work on the popular anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. His style has come to be defined by the touches of postmodernism that he injects into his work, as well as the thorough portrayal of characters' thoughts and emotions,...
, best known as the director of Neon Genesis Evangelion. The title is a combination of the titles of classic tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
anime Aim for the Ace!, whose plot inspired Gunbusters, and the 1986 film Top Gun
Top Gun
Top Gun may refer to:* Top Gun is a 1986 film starring Tom Cruise.**Top Gun , soundtrack to the movie**Top Gun , a number of games based on the movie...
. To celebrate Gainax's 20th anniversary in 2004, an official sequel to Gunbuster, Diebuster
Diebuster
Diebuster, known in Japan as is a six episode anime Original Video Animation series created by Gainax in 2004.The first episode was aired on October 3, 2004, while the final episode was released on August 14, 2005. A movie, officially titled retells and recaps the end of the first Gunbuster OVA...
(or Gunbuster 2), was released as an OVA. The sequel features new characters and mecha, but retains the format and many of the concepts of the original series.
Plot
In the very near future, a race of huge, insectoidInsectoid
Insectoid denotes any creature or object that shares a similar body or traits with common earth insects and arachnids. The term is a combination of "insect" and "-oid" . Compare "humanoid"....
aliens
Extraterrestrial life in popular culture
In popular cultures, "extraterrestrials" are life forms — especially intelligent life forms— that are of extraterrestrial origin .-Historical ideas:-Pre-modern:...
is discovered traveling the galaxy
Galaxy
A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter. The word galaxy is derived from the Greek galaxias , literally "milky", a...
. These aliens, which are known as the Uchuu Kaijuu, or Space Monsters (Note: This name is what they are referred to throughout the series, although the Super Robot Wars
Super Robot Wars
is a series of tactical role-playing video games produced by Banpresto, which is now a Japanese division of Namco Bandai. The main feature of the franchise is having a story that crosses over several popular mecha anime, manga and video games, allowing characters and mecha from different titles to...
games names them the "STMC" or "Space Terrible Monster Crowd"), seem dedicated to the eradication of the human species as the latter takes its first steps away from the solar system
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
, and they are getting closer and closer to Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. Humanity has responded by developing space-going battleships and giant fighting robots
Mecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
. These complex robots—RX-7 Machine Weapons—are actually an advanced type of fighting suit, piloted by a single occupant. As advanced as they are, however, they are being used as trainers for a new weapon, the Gunbuster. However, being relatively new technology, they are difficult to operate (stock shots show pilots working multiple controls with hands and feet, while fingers rapidly operate switches on the hand grips), so pilot candidates are selected from the best and brightest youth on Earth and the Lunar colony. These are trained at schools around the world.
The story begins in the year 2023, not long after the first battles with the aliens, and centers on young Noriko Takaya (タカヤ・ノリコ Takaya Noriko) (voice: Noriko Hidaka
Noriko Hidaka
, real name , maiden name is a seiyū, or voice actor. Hidaka is most known for the roles of Mikage Matsunaga , Minami Asakura , Akane Tendo , Satsuki Kusakabe , Near , Seta Sōjirō , Jean , Kikyo , and Noriko Takaya .Hidaka...
). Although Noriko's father was a famous admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
in the space fleet who went missing following one of the first battles of the war, her own talents as a pilot are questionable—especially when compared to the other students. Nonetheless, she has entered a training school on Okinawa, where she is largely influenced by her instructor, Kouichirou Ohta ("Coach Ohta"), who was one of Admiral Takaya's crew. He has faith that she will overcome her early clumsiness, while other students are critical of her inability.
Noriko idolizes the beautiful, competent and talented Kazumi Amano (アマノ・カズミ Amano Kazumi) (voice: Rei Sakuma
Rei Sakuma
is a Japanese voice actress employed by 81 Produce. She is best known in Japan for her voice work in the long running children's series Soreike! Anpanman; her most famous role in the English-speaking world, however, is probably as the Chinese Amazon Shampoo in Ranma ½.-Notable voice roles:*Akabon...
). She is not alone, the other students recognize that Amano is the top RX-7 pilot at the school, and likely the entire world. Coach Ohta shows the extra training which Amano creates for herself, inspiring Noriko to look within herself for strengths which she did not know that she had.
Only two Gunbuster pilots from each school will be selected for the real mission. Amano, of course, will be going, and all of the others want the second slot on the team. Takaya is determined to win, not only to be with Amano but also to find (or avenge) her father. She is thrilled to discover that she has in fact been chosen as the second Japanese pilot.
Following that selection, conflict between Takaya and other students comes to a head, when the second-best RX-7 pilot at the school publicly challenges her to a one-on-one fight. Planned for late at night, when none of the school authorities will be around to stop it, Ohta learns of the duel and comes to the battleground—but does nothing. He is there to observe, and perhaps to save Takaya's life, if the combat gets too intensive.
Takaya is on the defensive from the start, and the older student humiliates her by action and over the radio. As Takaya's RX-7 is pummeled, Noriko realizes that her difficulties are a case of sensory overload—she is getting too much information from the electronic monitoring systems. She turns off her monitors, but as the systems go dark, her opponent is infuriated by the perceived insult and prepares the final, killing blow. Just as it appears that Noriko is doomed, she destroys her opponent's RX-7 with a "Thunder Kick." Her opponent muses that the school rookie has beat her with an advanced maneuver which she hadn't been taught. This is the proof that Ohta was seeking, that Noriko had an innate ability which would be invaluable in the battles to come.
Together, with Coach Ohta and Amano, Takaya is sent into space to train with other representatives from all over the solar system in preparation for the attack upon the space monsters. There they are introduced to a soviet pilot from the moon base by the name of Jung Freud. On their first training mission, Takaya and Amano are stopped by Jung, and challenged to a duel. Amano and Jung become completely involved in the fight, as Noriko trails along, and all three get lost within the machinery of the space station. The fight stops midway, when all three come in contact with the first space monster that was defeated and captured.
Once they return they are scolded by their coach, but because of their importance to the missions success as well as building feelings between the coach and them, they are let go with a simple warning. Jung later apologizes for her challenge, and thus begins a friendship with the two.
As they move farther into space, the young pilots are placed in their quarters for subspace traveling. On a dare Takaya is sent into the hangars and meets a male space pilot named Toren Smith. Amano comes into doubt of Takaya's abilities and asks the Coach to end their partnership. Takaya overhears the conversation and ends up partnering with Smith instead.
The first true battle between the aliens begin, and the humans realize how vastly out maneuvered and out numbered they are. They are able to retreat with limited casualties, but Takaya has lost Smith, and gained an uncontrollable fear towards deep space combat. As their second battle approaches, Takaya is determined to improve and asks the Coach for private lessons. Jung finds out and thinking that she doing so to control Gun Buster, challenges her in space. But even before they are able to fight, Takaya breaks down within her suit and is taken to the infirmary.
Seeing as how they are outmatched the captain decides to immediately travel back to Earth in secrecy as to keep the location of Earth secret. The plan is unsuccessful, and the fleet is attacked in sub-space, leading to the destruction of the majority of the fleet. Once they reach Earth's orbit, only the Exelion and a couple minor cruisers are still alive.
The second battle starts and things look grim for everyone. Finally Takaya realizes what she must do, and helps her friends and crew members. She takes control of the incomplete Gunbuster and manages to force the enemy to retreat. Takaya and friends then must face the trauma of war and the discovery of loss.
Once this battle is over, the story goes back to Earth, and Takaya, Amano and Jung realize how much things have changed. Her old nemesis who had previously challenged her at school is now the coach for new pilots. Her best friend is now a mother with a 3 year old daughter, and Earth has been working on a 70 km long space ship as a safety in case Earth is ever attacked.
While in a peaceful lull Takaya and friends try to re-adjust to living in a world that has already passed them by. Takaya tries to reconnect with her friend, while Anamo tries to share her feelings with the Coach. The peace is broken, however, when Earth is notified that a fleet of space monsters, much bigger than anything comparable is headed towards Earth. After many arguments, the idea of sending the old Exelion as a unmanned black hole bomb
Black hole bomb
A black hole bomb is the name given to a physical effect utilizing how a bosonic field impinging on a rotating black hole can be amplified through superradiant scattering. An additional condition which must be met is that the field must have a rest mass different than zero...
, is proposed. The gunbuster is nominated to escort the bomb there, and then to come home.
Takaya and Amano, in separate ships which conjoin into gunbuster, are sent out, a trip that will last an hour or more to them, but half a year to everyone back on Earth. As they almost reach their goal, Amano breaks down, admitting that she does not want go forward, since each second forward means the longer she is away from their Coach, who is now dying from space radiation. Takaya is able to convince her to continue, and their mission is a success. When they come back, it turns out that the Coach is still alive and Amano and he get married.
The final episode starts 15 years later, when the Coach is dead. The aliens are coming back, and in retaliation Earth has been working on a small planet sized black hole bomb, which has been created using the mass of Jupiter pressured into the size of the moon, Buster Machine III. This when it is detonated, along with 3,000 'slave mines' placed around the center of the galaxy, will cause a black hole to be formed that will suck the space monsters in.
Amano is sent back up to a new Eltrion to fight in a new mobile suit called Sizzlers: buster sized machines, piloted individually. While she has been busy in marriage, Jung had taken over as Takaya's partner up in space. Amano and Takaya meet once more, and Amano expresses her love for Takaya which has grown while the two have been apart. Takaya, at first, is withdrawn seeing the changes and maturity in Amano in just 6 months her time.
When the final battle begins, Amano is ordered to man Gunbuster with Takaya, and both fight alongside others to defend the bomb. The alien army is fended off, allowing the black hole bomb to be set. When the time comes to activate, however, they find out the enemies' attacks have damaged 2% of the 'slave generators' required for implosion. Amano and Takaya decide to dive down into the core of Buster Machine 3 and activate it by using one of Gunbusters two Degeneracy reactors, even though doing so means they will likely be unable to leave without suffering severe relativistic time dilation during their escape.
After the bomb is set off, Noriko and Kazumi spend 12,000 Earth years objective traveling home, although for them only hours or days have passed. Upon arriving in Earth orbit, the pilots cannot make contact with anyone nor see any sign of habitation on the planet, suggesting that human civilization is long gone. However, their despair is instantly dispelled when a massive light pattern suddenly appears on the planet saying "WELCOME HOME!" (the final character, however, is reversed, which is a nod from Jung who pledges in the past to welcome them back) Delighted that their home civilization is alive and well after so long, the pilots abandon their mecha to land on the planet.
Episode list
- Shock! Big-Sister and I are Going to be Pilots Together?! (October 7, 1988)
- Daring! The Girl Genius Challenger!! (October 7, 1988)
- First Love☆First Sortie (January 1, 1989)
- Launch!! The Incomplete Ultimate Weapon! (January 1, 1989)
- Please!! Time Enough for Love! (July 7, 1989)
- At the End of Eternity... (July 7, 1989)
Cast
Genre
Gunbuster follows the genre of Super RobotSuper Robot
is a term used in manga and anime to describe a giant robot or mecha, with an arsenal of fantastic super-powered weapons, extreme resistance to damage unless the plot calls for it, sometimes transformable or combined from two or more robots and/or vehicles usually piloted by young, daring heroes,...
anime, started by the Mazinger Z
Mazinger Z
, known briefly as Tranzor Z in United States, is a Super Robot manga and anime series created by Go Nagai. The first manga version was serialized in Shueisha Weekly Shōnen Jump from October 1972 to August 1973, and it later continued in Kodansha TV Magazine from October 1973 to September 1974. In...
series, but also contains some elements of the Real Robot
Real Robot
is a genre of Japanese animation. The genre contains mecha robots that are powered by conventional power sources and weapons explainable by real world science, and that use ranged weapons and speed to survive battle situations....
genre by showing mass produced versions of the titular robot (called "Sizzlers") as well as previous smaller combat mecha called "RX" which are used along with bigger battleships in space warfare
Space warfare
Space warfare is combat that takes place in outer space, i.e. outside the atmosphere. Space warfare therefore includes ground-to-space warfare, such as attacking satellites from the Earth, as well as space-to-space warfare, such as satellites attacking satellites.It does not include the use of...
, elements seen previously in Gundam
Gundam
The is a metaseries of anime created by Sunrise studios that features giant robots called "Mobile Suits" ; usually the protagonist's MS will carry the name Gundam....
and Macross
Macross
is a series of science fiction mecha anime, directed by Shōji Kawamori of Studio Nue in 1982. The franchise features a fictional history of Earth/Humanity after the year 1999. It consists of three TV series, four movies, six OVAs, one light novel and five manga series, all sponsored by Big West...
. It is notable for being one of the few anime series to deal with the concept of time dilation
Time dilation
In the theory of relativity, time dilation is an observed difference of elapsed time between two events as measured by observers either moving relative to each other or differently situated from gravitational masses. An accurate clock at rest with respect to one observer may be measured to tick at...
in a realistic way, and indeed makes it one of its central plot elements. Though the scientific accuracy of the series is variable (it posits the invention of acceleration compensators, artificial gravity
Artificial gravity
Artificial gravity is the varying of apparent gravity via artificial means, particularly in space, but also on the Earth...
and warp drives by the year 2015) it includes many hard science fiction elements, and provides a consistent technological frame if one assumes that human technological progress has been put into overdrive in order to wage war against the aliens.
Gunbuster is also notable as being a spiritual predecessor to Anno's more famous Neon Genesis Evangelion in that the themes of space opera and mecha action take somewhat of a back seat to various romances, rivalries and other relations between the main characters, made more complex by the differing speeds of their aging due to time dilation (for Noriko, the 40 year or so timespan of the major part of the series takes roughly about a year). It is also similar to the later Evangelion in that it begins as a high-school anime, with the students at Okinawa space high school for girls competing for places among the elite pilots sent to fight the space monsters. This pattern has since become something of an anime cliché. Noriko also shares many personality traits with Evangelions Shinji Ikari
Shinji Ikari
is a fictional character from the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise created by Hideaki Anno. The protagonist of the series , he is the Third Child and pilots the Evangelion Unit 01...
, particularly in her lack of confidence in herself, and Jung Freud, a Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
pilot who befriends Noriko and Kazumi, is regarded by many fans as a prototype of Asuka Langley Sohryu, right down to her red hair and arrogant attitude.
Names
All the characters are named in some part for members of the production staff, with the exception of Jung Freud, who was named after the two famed psychologists. An example of this is Amano Kazumi, the maiden name of Okada Kazumi, the wife of Okada Toshio, one of the founders of Gainax and its first president. She also worked on the show. The character of Smith Toren was named after Toren SmithToren Smith
Toren Smith is a manga translator and founder of Studio Proteus. He was born in Alberta, Canada, learned to read by the age of four, and by the age of 12 had won his first award for writing from the Calgary Stampede and Exhibition. By thirteen he had sold his first magazine article, an...
(reversed to fit Japanese name patterns). Smith was a key figure in popularizing anime and manga in the United States. Once the owner of Studio Proteus
Studio Proteus
Studio Proteus is a Japanese manga import, translation and lettering company, founded in 1986 by Toren Smith and based in San Francisco. Other staff included translators Dana Lewis and Frederik Schodt, letterer Tom Orzechowski and translator/letterer Tomoko Saito...
(which has now been absorbed by the publishing company Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
), also provided the voice of an anonymous bridge operator during one episode of the OVA.
Production
- The basic plot of Gunbuster is similar to the manga/anime Aim for the Ace!, with the three main characters being closely patterned after those of the latter title. Many scenes also mirror those of Aim for the Ace!, such as in episode 1 when Noriko falls prey to a thumbtack prank. Gunbuster also borrows many story elements from the Robert A. HeinleinRobert A. HeinleinRobert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...
novel Starship TroopersStarship TroopersStarship Troopers is a military science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein, first published as a serial in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and published hardcover in December, 1959.The first-person narrative is about a young soldier from the Philippines named Juan "Johnnie" Rico and his...
. - The characters were originally designed by Haruhiko MikimotoHaruhiko Mikimotois a Japanese anime character designer, illustrator and manga artist. Mostly active during the 1980s, during that decade he rose to promience and is considered one of the top character designers of his time....
. They were adapted for animation by Yoshiyuki SadamotoYoshiyuki Sadamotois a Japanese character designer, manga artist, and one of the founding members of the Gainax anime studio. Before the studio was founded under the official name , he served as animator on the second animated project, the Daicon IV opening animation...
, of The Wings of Honneamise and Neon Genesis EvangelionNeon Genesis Evangelion, commonly referred to as Evangelion, is a commercially and critically successful Japanese anime series that began airing in October 1995. The series was highly influential, and launched the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise. It garnered several major animation awards...
fame. Mechanical designs for this OVA were created by Kazutaka MiyatakeKazutaka Miyatakeis an anime designer known for the mechanical design of the Macross TV series and a number of its continuations from Studio Nue, of which he is a founding member. He has also contributed to the mecha design of other series such as Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny.-Mechanical Design:Kazutaka Miyatake...
(who also worked in MacrossMacrossis a series of science fiction mecha anime, directed by Shōji Kawamori of Studio Nue in 1982. The franchise features a fictional history of Earth/Humanity after the year 1999. It consists of three TV series, four movies, six OVAs, one light novel and five manga series, all sponsored by Big West...
) and Kouichi Ohata (Macross II). - The series is also notable for being the first anime to introduce jiggling breastBreastThe breast is the upper ventral region of the torso of a primate, in left and right sides, which in a female contains the mammary gland that secretes milk used to feed infants.Both men and women develop breasts from the same embryological tissues...
s as a form of fan serviceFan service, fanservice, or , is a term originating from anime and manga fandom for material in a series which is intentionally added to please the audience. It is about "servicing" the fan - giving the fans "exactly what they want"...
, which led to such movement being sometimes called the "Gainax bounce", and also lead to the show being nicknamed "Bustgunner" by fans. - Much of the final battle sequence is not animated, but shown as a series of images portraying tableauxTableau vivantTableau vivant is French for "living picture." The term describes a striking group of suitably costumed actors or artist's models, carefully posed and often theatrically lit. Throughout the duration of the display, the people shown do not speak or move...
of events during the battle. - The entire final episode is monochromeMonochromeMonochrome describes paintings, drawings, design, or photographs in one color or shades of one color. A monochromatic object or image has colors in shades of limited colors or hues. Images using only shades of grey are called grayscale or black-and-white...
, except for the very end. Unusually, this was achieved by executing the artwork in shades of grey & shot on color film, rather than shooting color animation using black and white film. - The proposal for Gunbuster languished until Anno, who was then working at Studio Gravitron on Grave of the FirefliesGrave of the Firefliesis a 1988 Japanese animated war tragedy film written and directed by Isao Takahata. This is the first film produced by Shinchosha, who hired Studio Ghibli to do the animation production work...
, saw Yamaga's script and 'was moved to tears' by it.
Science lessons
Omake
means extra in Japanese. Its primary meaning is general and widespread. It is used as an anime and manga fandom term to mean "extra or bonus". In USA, the term is most often used in a narrow sense by anime fans to describe special features on DVD releases: deleted scenes, interviews with the...
" bonus features originally present on the first two volumes. Each short lasts around two minutes, and stars super deformed
Super deformed
Super deformed or SD is a specific style of Japanese caricature where characters are drawn in an exaggerated way, typically small and chubby, with stubby limbs and oversized heads, to make them resemble small children...
versions of Noriko, Kazumi and the Coach explaining the various scientific aspects of the series. The Tannhauser Gate
Tannhauser Gate
Tears in rain is the final soliloquy of the android Roy Batty in the movie Blade Runner. It is much quoted and has been described as "perhaps the most moving death soliloquy in cinematic history"...
, or starbow as it is more commonly called, created by the fictitious Dr. Tannhauser as explained in the first of the science lessons, is a direct reference to a remark made by the Replicant Roy Batty at the end of the film Blade Runner
Blade Runner
Blade Runner is a 1982 American science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young. The screenplay, written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, is loosely based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K...
. Although only four "lessons" were produced during the series' original run, another two episodes (for episodes 5 and 6) were later produced for the Japan-only Laserdisc
Laserdisc
LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
collection. They also appear on subsequent DVD releases in Japan and North America. The "New Science Lesson" clips mark the directorial debut of Kazuya Tsurumaki
Kazuya Tsurumaki
Kazuya Tsurumaki is a Japanese anime director. He was born on February 2, 1966 in the city of Gosen, located in the Niigata Prefecture.He is the protegé of Hideaki Anno, and a longtime animator at Gainax...
, who went on to direct FLCL
FLCL
is an original video animation series written by Yōji Enokido, directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki and produced by the FLCL Production Committee, which included Gainax, Production I.G, and Starchild Records....
, first half of The End of Evangelion
The End of Evangelion
is a 1997 Japanese animated science fiction film written and directed by Hideaki Anno along with Kazuya Tsurumaki; it ended the anime releases in the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise until the Rebuild of Evangelion tetralogy remakes were announced in 2006....
and Gunbuster 2.
- Science Lesson 1: The Theory of Ether Space
- Noriko and Kazumi discuss the discoveries by Tannhauser allowing for faster-than-lightFaster-than-lightFaster-than-light communications and travel refer to the propagation of information or matter faster than the speed of light....
travel.- Science Lesson 2: Starbows and the Rip van WinkleRip Van Winkle"Rip Van Winkle" is a short story by the American author Washington Irving published in 1819, as well as the name of the story's fictional protagonist. Written while Irving was living in Birmingham, England, it was part of a collection entitled The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon...
(Urashima TaroUrashima Tarois a Japanese legend about a fisherman who rescues a turtle and is rewarded for this with a visit to Ryūgū-jō, the palace of Ryūjin, the Dragon God, under the sea...
) Effect
- Science Lesson 2: Starbows and the Rip van Winkle
- Noriko, Kazumi and Coach discuss time dilation effects.
- Science Lesson 3: Faster-than-light (c-plus) Travel All About Warp
- More Tannhauser GateTannhauser GateTears in rain is the final soliloquy of the android Roy Batty in the movie Blade Runner. It is much quoted and has been described as "perhaps the most moving death soliloquy in cinematic history"...
space warp theory, increasing the Schwartzchild radius to achieve warp.- Science Lesson 4: The Evil Space Monsters
- Discusses the enemy space creatures encountered in the series.
- Science Lesson 4+1: The History of Spaceships
- Noriko and Kazumi discuss the history of space travelSpaceflightSpaceflight is the act of travelling into or through outer space. Spaceflight can occur with spacecraft which may, or may not, have humans on board. Examples of human spaceflight include the Russian Soyuz program, the U.S. Space shuttle program, as well as the ongoing International Space Station...
from the earliest manned rocket to their most advanced ships.- Science Lesson 5: Final Chapter: The True Solar System
- Noriko and Kazumi discuss the solar systemSolar SystemThe Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
as it pertains to the Gunbuster universe. As Noriko recites the planets of the Solar System, planets Mercury to Jupiter are accompanied by her cosplaying as a Sailor Senshi (from Sailor MoonSailor MoonSailor Moon, known as , is a media franchise created by manga artist Naoko Takeuchi. Fred Patten credits Takeuchi with popularizing the concept of a team of magical girls, and Paul Gravett credits the series with "revitalizing" the magical-girl genre itself...
) representing each planet. For Earth, she cosplays as Tuxedo Mask. (Only the Inner Senshi are featured, as the Outer Senshi (Sailor Saturn, Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune and Sailor Pluto) had not yet been introduced in the Sailor Moon series; hence Noriko's clueless look while reciting the planets beyond Jupiter.) When Coach appears and gives his usual lecture, Noriko cosplays as Sailor Moon and declares herself the "Pretty Soldier of Hard Work and Guts."
Releases
The series was originally released in Japan over three volumes on VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
videocassette, with two episodes per volume. It was then released on three laserdisc
Laserdisc
LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
s with a later boxset containing two new science episodes. Eventually, it was released on DVD. In 2004, a remastered four disc set was released with dramatically improved image, and new extras such as three short animations, a rough cut of episode five and an unmatted version of episode 6.
The series was first released in English in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
starting in March 1990 on video by U.S. Renditions
U.S. Renditions
U.S. Renditions was a Special Projects Division of Books Nippan and one of the pioneers of anime home video distribution in North America. The division was originally founded in February 1987 by Kevin Seymour, David Keith Riddick, Sho Nagata and Satoshi Komatsu...
as their first release. It was only released in the original Japanese language audio track and featured some rather loose English subtitles, especially on the first volume. It was later re-released verbatim in 1996 on VHS by Manga Entertainment
Manga Entertainment
Manga Entertainment is a producer, licensor and distributor of Japanese animation in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand...
after U.S. Renditions ceased operations.
The series was released in English on a single DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in the United Kingdom by Kiseki Films
Kiseki Films
Kiseki Films was an Anime licensing and distributing anime created in 1993, and tried to capitalize on Manga Entertainment's success of marketing and distributing anime in the UK and Australia...
, but this release suffered from poor video quality and inconsistent subtitles. It was also criticized for lack of advertised extras and the editing of a scene with full-frontal nudity.
On November 24, 2006, Bandai Visual USA released a limited, regionless reprint of the 2004 R2 remastered set exclusively at Kinokuniya Bookstores. The set lacked any translation and was an exact 1:1 copy of the R2. The set was marketed to die-hard fans of the show, and was meant to cease distribution upon the R1 release. As of August 2007, six months after officially going off sale, the set can still be purchased at Kinokuniya.
On February 20, 2007, Bandai Visual
Bandai Visual
, is a Japanese anime, film production and distribution enterprise, established by Bandai Co., Ltd. and a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings, Inc., which is based in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Since the reorganisation of Namco Bandai Holdings in 2006, Bandai Visual now heads the group's Visual and...
USA officially released the remaster
Remaster
Remaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...
ed R1 DVD box set under their Honneamise label, with the series spanned over three discs like the R2 and R0. However, the set lacked the fourth disc of the previous R0, which contained the rough episode five and unmatted episode six, along with other period extras.
While it is common for anime released in North America to come with an English-dubbed audio track
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
, no English-language audio track has been released. In an interview with Anime on DVD, Jonathan Clements
Jonathan Clements
Jonathan Clements is a British author and scriptwriter. His non-fiction works include biographies of Confucius, Koxinga and Qin Shihuangdi , as well as monthly opinion columns for Neo magazine...
stated that "the Music & Effects track has been lost, and [an English dub] would need to be reconstructed from the ground up". However, in 2006, a theatrical version of Gunbuster was released in Japan featuring a 5.1
Surround sound
Surround sound encompasses a range of techniques such as for enriching the sound reproduction quality of an audio source with audio channels reproduced via additional, discrete speakers. Surround sound is characterized by a listener location or sweet spot where the audio effects work best, and...
soundtrack, containing new sound effects, the original score and re-recorded dialogue by the original Japanese voice actors. The feature-length film is an abridged version of the original OVA, and uses the same animated footage as the original. This film (along with the theatrical version of Diebuster, which was released theatrically as a double feature
Double feature
The double feature, also known as a double bill, was a motion picture industry phenomenon in which theatre managers would exhibit two films for the price of one, supplanting an earlier format in which one feature film and various short subject reels would be shown.The double feature, also known as...
with the Gunbuster theatrical edition) has been licensed for North American distribution by Bandai Visual USA. It was initially released in the USA on DVD as Gunbuster vs. Diebuster: Aim for the Top! The GATTAI!! Movie, a box set containing the theatrical edits of both Gunbuster and Diebuster. A high-definition
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
version was released in November by Bandai Entertainment in the USA (following the liquidation of Bandai Visual USA and Bandai Entertainment's acquisition of the Honneamise label) and by Beez Entertainment
Beez Entertainment
Beez Entertainment is a European anime distributor, and they also distribute anime soundtracks. They mainly act as the European branch for Bandai Visual as it is owned by Namco Bandai Holdings...
in the United Kingdom, where Gunbuster The Movie will also be released as a separate Blu-ray Disc.
In 2011, Bandai Visual announced that there would be a BD release of the OVA with extras.
Region 1 DVD Controversy
On the original video release of episode 1, Noriko's training montage was accompanied by music composer Kōhei TanakaKohei Tanaka (composer)
is a Japanese composer, arranger and singer. He is affiliated with the music production company Imagine. He has created numerous musical scores for famous anime TV series, OVAs, movies, computer games and tokusatsu series. Tanaka was born in Ebisubashi, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture on February 14,...
's rendition of a piece inspired by Vangelis
Vangelis
Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou is a Greek composer of electronic, progressive, ambient, jazz, pop rock and orchestral music, under the artist name Vangelis...
' theme from Chariots of Fire
Chariots of Fire
Chariots of Fire is a 1981 British film. It tells the fact-based story of two athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian who runs for the glory of God, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew who runs to overcome prejudice....
. Unlike the R2, in which this scene is completely intact, this set, while visually uncut, has this piece of background music replaced with a piece of score from later in the series. There was a bit of a controversy regarding this change, due to lack of info as to why, along with no official announcement made until after a fan discovery.
The reasoning behind the change is still unclear. During a panel at Anime Los Angeles 2007, where the change was discovered, Tatsunori Konno, president of Bandai Visual USA
Bandai Visual
, is a Japanese anime, film production and distribution enterprise, established by Bandai Co., Ltd. and a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings, Inc., which is based in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Since the reorganisation of Namco Bandai Holdings in 2006, Bandai Visual now heads the group's Visual and...
, was unsure of the circumstances regarding the change. It appeared as if the fact of its existence had slipped his mind. After the panel, he stated to a fan that he believed it was due to fears of copyright infringement. Fans have speculated that this was due possibly to its similarity to Vangelis
Vangelis
Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou is a Greek composer of electronic, progressive, ambient, jazz, pop rock and orchestral music, under the artist name Vangelis...
' score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
, given that the piece was a homage. The official letter of response from Bandai Visual USA, written by Takenari Maeda, was that it was something "the Japanese producers thought they needed to do for the US release" with no other reason as to why given. They offered the alternative of purchasing the more expensive, limited R0 release for "stickler" fans. While the minimal dialog in the scene remains, this change also omits the sound effects in the scene as no isolated Foley reel exists.
Furthermore, upon comparison with the Japanese R2 release, it was later discovered that the removal of the music track had an adverse effect on the overall audio quality of the first episode, causing it to sound somewhat less clear in comparison to that of the R2 DVD. This is likely a byproduct of whatever sound removal process was used or possibly a side-effect of re-encoding the audio to accommodate the change.
Upon being informed of the alteration at Fanimecon
FanimeCon
FanimeCon is an annual anime convention run by the Anime Resource Group . It is the largest anime convention in Northern California and one of the ten largest anime conventions in North America...
2007, Gainax President Hiroyuki Yamaga
Hiroyuki Yamaga
is a founding member of the Japanese animation studio Gainax, and a anime director. He wrote the screenplay for Gundam 0080 . He is best known for directing the film "Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise" at age 24, directing Mahoromatic & Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi , and an episode...
stated that he was unaware until that moment, even checking with a colleague before responding. His opinion was that, from a business perspective, one altered foreign release of a show they did twenty years prior did not affect him. However, from the perspective of a fellow anime fan, he could sympathize with American fans over the alteration. He likened it to feelings he had over changes Yoshiyuki Tomino
Yoshiyuki Tomino
is a Japanese mecha anime creator, director, screenwriter and novelist. He was born in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and studied at Nihon University's College of Art...
had made to his landmark first Gundam
Gundam
The is a metaseries of anime created by Sunrise studios that features giant robots called "Mobile Suits" ; usually the protagonist's MS will carry the name Gundam....
series.
Merchandise
In the mid-1990s, KaiyodoKaiyodo
thumb|320px|Kaiyodo Figure Museum Kurokabe is a Japanese company dedicated to figurines and garage kits. Its headquarters is in Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture. While the company mostly focuses on anime related characters, it recently has acquired other licenses, e.g...
- in association with Xebec - released a PVC
Polyvinyl chloride
Polyvinyl chloride, commonly abbreviated PVC, is a thermoplastic polymer. It is a vinyl polymer constructed of repeating vinyl groups having one hydrogen replaced by chloride. Polyvinyl chloride is the third most widely produced plastic, after polyethylene and polypropylene. PVC is widely used in...
figure of Gunbuster. Though limited in poseability, the figure featured an extra set of arms and hands, as well as the weapons Buster Tomahawk and Buster Home Run from the radio dramas. In 2005, Kaiyodo released a newer figure sculpted by Katsuhisa Yamaguchi (of Revoltech fame). Though shorter than the original, this newer figure was more detailed and poseable than its predecessor. Figure #101 of Kaiyodo's Revoltech line is Gunbuster. Once again sculpted by Yamaguchi, it is capable of transforming into both Buster Machines, and has parts to replicate tearing out the power core.
In 2006, Bandai released a large diecast toy replica of Gunbuster under the Soul of Chogokin
Soul of Chogokin
or "Soul of Super-alloy", is a popular line of adult collector's toys produced by the Japanese company Bandai.The line, which began in 1997, focuses almost exclusively on mecha taken from various 70's/80's anime series, although the line has diverged from this on a number of occasions, most...
line. Just like in episode 5 of the series, the toy is a combination of Buster Machines 1 and 2. It includes an array of weapons that were used in both the anime and radio drama, as well as a miniature of Kazumi's RX-7 Machine Weapon and a display stand designed to resemble a launch pad. Also included are accessories that can be used to replicate the final scene in episode 6, where Gunbuster removes its power generator core from its chest.
Studio HalfEye also released a transformable replica of Gunbuster. In contrast to Bandai's diecast toy, this figure is made of resin plastic and priced higher.
Figures of Noriko have also been manufactured as well. Yellow Submarine (a division of Takara
Takara
Takara Co., Ltd. was a Japanese toy company founded in 1955, that merged with another prominent Japanese toy company, Tomy Co., Ltd., on March 1, 2006 to form Takara Tomy, also known in English as TOMY Company Ltd....
) released a poseable doll, while Kotobukiya and Kaiyodo sold non-poseable figures. Bandai had a limited-edition Noriko & Nono figure set bundled with the North America and Japan DVD release of Gunbuster vs. Diebuster Aim For The Top! The GATTAI!! Movie.
Eroge Game
The third installment of Gainax's eroge strip quiz game series for the PC-9801PC-9801
The NEC PC-9801, part of the PC-98 series, is a Japanese 16-bit microcomputer manufactured by NEC.- History :It first appeared in 1982, and employed an 8086 CPU. It ran at a clock speed of 5 MHz, with two µPD7220 display controllers , and shipped with 128 KB of RAM, expandable to 640 KB...
and MSX
MSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
, Cybernetic Hi-School, focused on characters from Gunbuster.
External links
- Ain't It Cool News review
- "TOP O NERAE" -(The Encyclopedia of Science FictionThe Encyclopedia of Science FictionThe Encyclopedia of Science Fiction is an English language reference work on science fiction.- Publication history :The first edition, edited by Peter Nicholls with John Clute and Brian Stableford appeared in 1979, published by Granada. It was retitled The Science Fiction Encyclopedia in the US...
)