Gunbuster

I screened this before letting my son watch it. This probably shouldn't have a U rating, apart from the skimpy uniforms and breast physics there is a bath scene containing full frontal nudity in the 2nd episode. Not saying I didn't enjoy it lol, but it might be a bit much for an 11 year old.

This anime is typical of the style used in many cheesy 80's production due to the upheaval in the economy at the time, but dawns on the hard working, yet peanut paid animators.

With most Space anime, there is only one goal is foccuss-- to engage the enemy in combat noisily, and take 'em down with an outrageously rapid feat of lighting shows. I've forgotten the story, but it revolves around the human race pitted against an alien invasion fleet in some 300 years hence, using the latest and greatest in combat technolodgy to tear then up good.

The story is moderate, and not at all garbage, but at times the fragile,sentimental side of things can really get under your skin...like when the girls are continously sobbing in their cheesy, skimpy spandex costumes. The best bits are the action sequences though.

The character design isn't that hot, but the mecha sequences are something else; with fluent, well drawn, carefully painted cels. The organic alien design is also unique as well, despite they're mostly slowly progressing cardboard cutouts. In the later part of the series, the colour is dropped to black and white for some unknown reason, maiking the 'watchability' of the anime go from strength to strength, but consistantly holding a drab atomsphere.

You have to give the studio credit for the epic, thought-provoking,and highly origional ending though. One solid fact I can hold about this show is that the exeptional quality of the animation is always consistant. A good watch ***6/10***

Gunbuster a early successful of Gainax studio in the mecha genre that I find myself get suck in the world and the characters when it touch many interesting aspect of travel through time and space and most importantly how people cope with in a world of rapid change.At first I don't find Noriko the main character to be admirable or reliable cause she spent most of her time crying and whining about how people look down on her despite clearly know why.Gunbuster don't deserve to be just a 6 episode OVA so I hope Gainax or Trigger will remake someday

Almost like a preamble for Neon Genesis Evangelion but without its too philosophical ending and with a bit of silliness. The science fiction in this is extensively researched and mostly works with the existing theories of that time even though certain liberties are taken in including some rejected theories. But it never tries to give much exposition on anything. This highly intelligent side is covered with some sappy and silly stuff too which kind of doesn't make too much sense to me. The time warping is used as the main source for emotional narrative here way before Interstellar. The details of animation and the emotion created by it is the best things about this even with all these other factors.

Viewed on: HiDive (via VRV).

Sci-fi epic that follows a young girl who goes from a bumbling recruit to being a key figure in defending Earth & humanity from an alien threat (one that killed her father, a starship captain, years prior) by piloting the "GunBuster" (an experimental giant robot, naturally).

The animation is absolutely stellar & it seems to have some great character arcs and narrative themes (I like that space travel has the consequence of time flowing differently for those going into deep space, so while only a few months/a year has passed for the main heroine, school friends she left behind on Earth become parents & middle aged during her return trips), but a lot of what are supposed to be powerful moments are absolutely ruined by the pacing. As mentioned in the header I viewed the film version, which was hobbled together by chopping up & condensing the original six episode miniseries, and it absolutely shows in the end product. Unfortunately the film version is the only one currently available in the US on modern platforms/media (as far as I'm aware), and while it's still a pretty cool sci-fi action adventure in that form (hence the 7), I think it'd truly be something great in it's original form.