The Anime Backlog

Gunbuster

Hi there, loyal readers! Convention season is finally over, so hopefully, I can get the Anime Backlog out a bit more consistently. I already have my next column after this one in the bag, allowing more leeway to dive into some longer series on my 100+ title spreadsheet. What I'd like to know from you is whether you prefer each column to be a surprise or if you'd like to vote on my next title from four potential choices. Spoilers, but I've done this on Twitter a few times already under the assumption that those of you who don't follow me on social media enjoy the surprise.

Let me know in the comments if you'd like to see a poll or prefer the surprise.

Now with that out of the way, let's check off another seminal classic off my shameful list, Hideaki Anno's directorial debut: Gunbuster! (Aim for the Top!)

Note: This column will routinely include spoilers. Reader discretion is advised.

I'll give you the condensed version, but you can read a more expansive look at Gunbuster in Dawn H.'s Gunbuster 30th anniversary feature from 2018. Suffice it to say, Gunbuster (like most of the entries in this column so far) features early work from some of the anime industry's biggest names and would continue to influence studio Gainax's output for more than a decade, to say little about sci-fi anime series in general.

The six-episode OAV debuted almost two years after Gainax's expensive (but critically-acclaimed) Royal Space Force - The Wings of Honnêamise. The dramatic story of an underdog teenage space pilot paired with her more mature classmate was the recovery the studio needed. It helped propel director Hideaki Anno into the spotlight ahead of Neon Genesis Evangelion. There are early signs of what would later become iconic in NGE, from the stylized technical screens to Anno's dedication to minute specificity. I snickered to myself when, after one of the episode's super-deformed science lessons, a black screen with white text appeared apologizing for referring to warp speed under the incorrect technical term. Anno himself signs off the correction.

Gunbuster is Gainax during its highest point. While Anno's name may draw the most immediate recognition, it also features an unapologetically bombastic musical score by Kōhei Tanaka and memorably retro character designs by frequent Macross collaborator Haruhiko Mikimoto. Other Gainax members who would later go on to make names for themselves with their solo work include storyboard artist Shinji Higuchi (Attack on Titan live-action, Shin Ultraman), background artist Masanori Kikuchi (Memories, Spirited Away), animation director Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Evangelion manga, Great Pretender, Summer Wars), and mechanical designers Kazutaka Miyatake (Macross, RaXephon, Eureka Seven) and Mahiro Maeda (The Vision of Escaflowne, Blue Submarine No. 6).

Gunbuster is an important relic of its time but still a relic. I enjoyed its individual elements more than its attempt at a cohesive whole. A lot of that comes down to its gestures at emotional depth that don't quite get there. Lead pilot Noriko is a tough sell. Her emotional pathos regarding her father feels real. Still, despite her high aspirations and insecurities about perceived nepotism from her peers, the girl has a hard time figuring out that she has to actually try to get good at something as technically complicated as piloting a giant robot. Later, an underbaked romantic subplot leads to long-lasting and devasting emotional effects on her development, but the single-episode romance fails to leave an impression. The short tryst is supposed to be life-changing for Noriko and informs her character through the rest of the story.

I liked her pilot partner Kazumi Amano far more, but her characterization isn't particularly nuanced either. The last two primary characters are Jung Freud, who is woefully underutilized, and Coach, an archetype unto himself but does well enough as the girls' stern motivator.

The early episodes and later entries couldn't be more dissimilar, but I enjoyed both for different reasons. The first episode will feel like a parody, both because of how many elements are now the norm in sci-fi/mecha series and due to its intentional lampooning of the the shojo sports series Aim for the Ace!. From top to bottom, the anime looks fantastic (I watched Discotek's Blu-ray release) and quickly made me nostalgic for hand-drawn mechanical animation. I miss that stuff so much. The latter episodes also start playing with time dilation to inject a sense of tragedy into the sci-fi spectacle that is particularly effective where other emotional beats miss their mark.

What could be a divisive element (and why the streaming version is marked "mature" on Crunchyroll) is full-frontal nudity of 16- to 17-year-old girls. The titillating elements are present in every episode but can vary from the infamous "Gainax bounce" of fully-clothed Noriko, to an extended bath scene, to blink-and-you'll-miss-it nip slips of Noriko in her pajamas. The casualness of it was amusing; here is how fanservice used to exist. You were either into it or passively ignoring it to enjoy the rest of the anime. It was just sort of there, mostly uninterrogated. On the one hand, I wish these design sensibilities for sexual content still existed compared baby-head-looking boobs we get now. On the other hand, it feels grimy to be perving on high school space girls; can they at least be 20-something?

Absolutely watch it for the animation spectacle (please note: there is a lot of strobing light effects in some episodes) and to appreciate how it set the tone for sci-fi anime to come. In the story department, temper your expectations somewhat. There's a fair amount of melodrama in what is otherwise a straightforward narrative. Also: keep your eyes peeled for the psychic dolphin.

Final Verdict: Watch it in the highest definition possible.