History Anime / GunBuster

What starts as a {{fanservice}}-laden, tongue-in-cheek [[AffectionateParody soft parody]] of super robot anime, ''Film/TopGun,'' and ''Ace o Nerae!'' (''Manga/AimForTheAce'') takes a gradual turn into themes of coping with loss, returning to a world that's no longer what you remember it as, and Noriko [[CharacterDevelopment struggling to grow]] as she deals with her crushing anxiety... in between all the uproarious [[CallingYourAttacks battle screams]] and gorgeous, over-the-top battle sequences against eldritch space monsters.

-->--'''Noriko Takaya'''

* BookEnds: The flashback that opens the second episode has Admiral Takaya open a holographic photograph of his daughter, silently lamenting he won't be able to return for her eighth birthday. In the final episode, [[spoiler:Noriko receives a similar photograph of her best friend's grown-up daughter, the same age as Noriko herself due to the effects of time dilation. The realization of how much of her and Kimiko's life has passed her by is enough to make Noriko burst into tears]].

* BadassArmFold: So associated with this trope that the gesture in question is commonly referred to as the "Gunbuster Pose" by anime fans. Alternately, the more concise "Busterpose/Busterposing", And in Japan, the [[Creator/StudioGainax Gainastance]].
** Noriko notably does a ''sitting'' version of the pose when Gunbuster combines, and Gunbuster's default pose is a seemingly permanent one.

* {{Bowdlerized}}: The original Japanese videotape release is notorious for showing Noriko's pubic hair in a bath scene, subsequently [[{{Pun}} trimmed]] in future releases.

"''Top wo Nerae!''" serves notice that the show will borrow from many sources and genres, with the title itself a mashing-together of ''Film/TopGun'' and a famous tennis manga ''Ace o Nerae!'' (''Manga/AimForTheAce''), that eventually takes a left turn into ''Literature/TheForeverWar''. As might be expected from this, episode one opens at a girls' high school that trains HumongousMecha pilots to battle the alien monsters that destroyed the Luxion Fleet six years before.

The central character is Noriko Takaya (Creator/NorikoHidaka), daughter of the admiral in command of the lost fleet and one of the newest students. Despite having plenty of motivation, she is [[CuteClumsyGirl clumsy]], not terribly mature, and completely lacking in self-confidence. Like all the students, she is in awe of OneeSama ("Big Sister") Kazumi Amano (Creator/ReiSakuma), the star pupil of their school -- especially after she defends Noriko from a group of bullies and gives her some advice (and a headband). Unfortunately, school becomes even harder after "Coach" Ohta (Creator/NorioWakamoto), their new instructor, serves up TrainingFromHell for everyone. Oh, and Kazumi carries a torch for him, a big one.

Noriko's life becomes harder still when "Coach", who is also the sole survivor of the Luxion fleet (Noriko's father saved his life), sees something in Noriko that no one else does. Because of this, he selects her as Kazumi's partner to graduate early and participate in a secret project -- over ''all'' the other students, and the objections of both Kazumi and Noriko. Days of bullying, several speeches, a couple of {{training montage}}s, and one robot {{catfight}} later, Noriko and "big sister" are shipping out for advanced training in Earth's orbit. Here they find [[TheRival a rival]], "genius" Soviet pilot Jung Freud (Creator/MariaKawamura), who starts by challenging Kazumi to a duel, then settles into a snippy sort of friendship.

At this point a ''Film/TopGun''/Sports-themed Mecha show [[CerebusSyndrome takes a left turn into]] ''Literature/TheForeverWar''. Admiral Takaya's flagship comes barreling through the solar system at near light-speed, and Noriko and Kazumi are chosen to intercept it. It's been years since the battle that wrecked the ship - but, thanks to time dilation, it's only been hours since then aboard the ship. Noriko runs through the ship, hoping to find her father, but jeopardizing their chances of getting off the ship in time.

And that's just the first two episodes.

The middle two show our heroines shipping out with the fleet, tapped to try out the new "Buster Machine" giant robot. If Noriko's angst and fear doesn't derail them first. Episode Five is Kazumi's turn to get put through the wringer. The final episode is elegiac and deeply angst-ridden (not that the previous episodes were a barrel of laughs). In fact, it's so serious that [[DeliberatelyMonochrome it was animated in black and white, on color film]].

In 2004, Creator/StudioGainax released a sequel series, ''Anime/DieBuster'', as its 15th anniversary project. This was released in R1 as ''Gunbuster 2''. A third entry in the series has been [[DevelopmentHell reportedly in production for decades]]. Additionally, a little known work known as ''Aim for the Top! Next Generation'' (consisting of novels and manga) bridges some gaps between ''Gunbuster'' and ''Diebuster''.

Creator/DiscotekMedia released a new Blu-Ray in 2023, sporting an English dub for the very first time. You can aim for the top yourself and watch the whole show, both subbed and dubbed, on [[https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/GZJH3D8D8/gunbuster Crunchyroll]].

!!Tropes appearing include (but aren't limited to):

''Aim for the Top! [=GunBuster=]'' (''トップをねらえ! [=GunBuster=]'' -- ''Top wo Nerae! [=GunBuster=]'') is a [[SuperRobotGenre super robot]] {{OVA}}, released in three VHS tape volumes from October 1988 to July 1989. The directorial debut of one Creator/HideakiAnno and what put Creator/StudioGainax on the map, ''[=GunBuster=]'' is a loving mish-mash of homages towards numerous aspects of old school otakudom, a den of gorgeous animation and breath-taking background art, and as much evocative melodrama and emotional catharsis as could be crammed into six episodes. One of the most well-known titles among old school otaku, and a spiritual predecessor to much of Gainax's later work; without ''[=GunBuster=]'', there would probably be no ''[[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Evangelion]]'' or ''[[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann Gurren Lagann]]''.

''Aim for the Top! [=GunBuster=]'' (''トップをねらえ! [=GunBuster=]'' -- ''Top wo Nerae! [=GunBuster=]'') is a [[SuperRobotGenre super robot]] {{OVA}}, released in three VHS tape volumes from October 1988 to July 1989. The directorial debut of one Creator/HideakiAnno and what put Creator/StudioGainax on the map, ''[=GunBuster=]'' is a loving mish-mash of homages towards numerous aspects of old school otakudom, a den of gorgeous animation and breath-taking background art, and as much evocative melodrama and emotional catharsis as could be crammed into six episodes. One of the most well-known titles among old school otaku, and a spiritual predecessor to much of Gainax's later works; without ''[=GunBuster=]'', there would probably be no ''[[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Evangelion]]'' or ''[[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann Gurren Lagann]]''.

''Top wo Nerae!'' serves notice that the show will borrow from many sources and genres, with the title itself a mashing-together of ''Film/TopGun'' and a famous tennis manga ''Ace o Nerae!'' (''Manga/AimForTheAce''), that eventually takes a left turn into ''Literature/TheForeverWar''. As might be expected from this, episode one opens at a girls' high school that trains HumongousMecha pilots to battle the alien monsters that destroyed the Luxion Fleet six years before.

''[=GunBuster=]'' is a six-volume {{OVA}} from 1988 directed by Creator/HideakiAnno. The series is what put Creator/StudioGainax on the map, and is one of the most well known title among old school otaku. It's also considered somewhat of a spiritual predecessor to ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' and ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'', as it contains a lot of elements that would later be used in those shows.

''Top o Nerae!'' ("Aim for the Top"), the Japanese title, serves notice that the show will borrow from many sources and genres. It is a mashing-together of ''Film/TopGun'' and a famous Tennis Manga/Anime ''Ace o Nerae!'' (''Manga/AimForTheAce''), that eventually takes a left turn into ''Literature/TheForeverWar''. As might be expected from this, episode 1 opens at a girls' high school that trains HumongousMecha pilots to battle the alien monsters that destroyed the Luxion Fleet six years before.

The central character is Noriko Takaya, daughter of the admiral in command of the lost fleet and one of the newest students. Despite having plenty of motivation, she is [[CuteClumsyGirl clumsy]], not terribly mature, and completely lacking in self-confidence. Like all the students, she is in awe of OneeSama ("Big Sister") Kazumi Amano, the star pupil of their school -- especially after she defends Noriko from a group of bullies and gives her some advice (and a headband). Unfortunately, school becomes even harder after "Coach" Ohta, their new instructor, serves up TrainingFromHell for everyone. Oh, and Kazumi carries a torch for him, a big one.

Noriko's life becomes harder still when "Coach", who is also the sole survivor of the Luxion fleet (Noriko's father saved his life), sees something in Noriko that no one else does. Because of this, he selects her as Kazumi's partner to graduate early and participate in a secret project -- over ''all'' the other students, and the objections of both Kazumi and Noriko. Days of bullying, several speeches, a couple of {{training montage}}s, and one robot {{catfight}} later, Noriko and "big sister" are shipping out for advanced training in Earth's orbit. Here they find [[TheRival a rival]], "genius" Soviet pilot Jung Freud, who starts by challenging Kazumi to a duel, then settles into a snippy sort of friendship.

* BadassArmFold: So associated with this trope that the gesture in question is commonly referred to as the "Gunbuster Pose" by anime fans.
** Alternately, the more concise "Busterpose/Busterposing".
** And in Japan, the [[Creator/StudioGainax Gainastance]].

** In 2007, Noriko and Kazumi would get their own in the form of Simon The Digger and Kamina respectively. Yes, The [[RatedMForManly Simon The Digger and The Kamina]] from ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann''.

* HotBlooded: Noriko Takaya may have been one of the first true examples of a female HotBlooded protagonist in giant robot history. Not only that, she remains as one of the most HotBlooded mecha pilots in history, to the point where only [[Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann one]] in her own studio surpassing her.

* CreatorCameo: Not the creators themselves, but the studio. If you look closely, you see a Gainax billboard in the background of the Japan Air Lines shuttle launch scene.

** And in Japan, the {{Gaina|x}}stance.

* LensmanArmsRace: We begin with not especially radical vessels capable of accelerating to a fraction of c and of using a fairly sci-fi standard method of FTL travel via wormhole, and robots only a few stories tall. Then we get seven mile long battleship-carriers, aliens who ''eat suns'' to reproduce, a robot bigger than the Eiffel Tower which is capable of killing thousands of alien ships in a single attack,[[spoiler:using the aforementioned battleship ''as a bomb that creates a black hole'' to kill an alien fleet ''eighty astronomical units in size'']], a new battleship ''ten times'' the size of the old one, and capping off with [[spoiler:using the planet Jupiter ''as the core of a Black Hole Bomb the size of the moon to destroy the'' '''''center of the galaxy''''' ''and wipe out all the aliens forever''.]] Even with relativity, on Earth all of this takes place in a timeframe of about fourty years. On the alien side, we go from small skirmish fleets to [[spoiler:the aforementioned eighty AU Earth attack force to a fleet in the Galactic Core of easily ten billion creatures.]] It gets so ridiculous (and awesome) that the characters even {{lampshade|Hanging}} the fact toward the end.

* {{Fanservice}}: By modern standards, ''Gunbuster'' contains a strong amount of {{Fanservice}}. The bath scene in Episode Two is particularly notable. For the time? Well, let's just say that it's the TropeNamer for {{Gainaxing}}. And many fans refer to Jung as "Juggs"... Hell, some people like to refer to the series itself as "Bustgunner."

* CreatorProvincialism: As may be expected from a series created in the halcyon days of the late '80s, ''Gunbuster'' paints a picture of [[JapanTakesOverTheWorld a world dominated by Japan]]. It's governed by a Japanese Empire ruling from Tokyo, protected by a very Japanese Imperial Navy. According to the [[AllThereInTheManual backstory]], Japan bought Hawaii from a declining USA in a very different economy. 12 years later during WorldWarIII, the US [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything attempts to take Hawaii back]]. However America's continuing collapse allows a more militant Japan to confiscate its space program and technology, soon using it to force the rest of the world under its [[TheEmperor emperor]].

* {{Gainaxing}}: The shot that started it all.
** Ironically, the breast physics in this anime are realistic when compared to later Gainax series like ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'', which take their breast physics to ridiculous extremes. For example, Noriko has a [[BuxomIsBetter shapely bust]], but it's not really overdone - Noriko bounces whenever she runs or does anything that leaves some inertia to the bust. RealLife has it that women with moderately sized busts bounce the most - too big and the breast tissue would be too heavy, too little and there wouldn't be anything to bounce. Noriko firmly fits into that middle ground.

* AnAxeToGrind: Gunbuster was originally set to dual-wield these, ala [[Manga/GetterRobo Getter Dragon]], but they didn't make the cut.
** They can actually be seen during Gunbuster's combination sequence, packed inside the mech's shoulders.

* SkyscraperMessages: [[spoiler:The entire ''planet'' is shut down then lit up to give our heroines a warm welcome back after ''ten thousand'' years.]]

* BittersweetEnding: On the one hand, [[spoiler:the fact that they are recognized after TWELVE THOUSAND YEARS, that humanity still remembers their sacrifice and welcomes them back, makes some viewers baww like a baby.]] On the other hand, [[spoiler:the fact that twelve thousand years have passed means that all of their loved ones are dead, and they'll have to acclimatise to a radically different society.]]

In 2004, Creator/StudioGainax released a sequel series, ''Anime/DieBuster'', as its 15th anniversary project. This was released in R1 as ''Gunbuster 2''. A third entry in the series is reportedly in production as well. Additionally, a little known work known as ''Aim for the Top! Next Generation'' (consisting of novels and manga) bridges some gaps between ''Gunbuster'' and ''Diebuster''.

* SkyscraperMessages: Taken UpToEleven, [[spoiler:where the entire ''planet'' is shut down then lit up to give our heroines a warm welcome back after ''ten thousand'' years.]]

* {{Sampling}}: Episode 5 actually samples audio from [[Film/Ghostbusters1984 Ghostbusters]] of all things, several times. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gseCSaCO7qE really.]]

* ExtyYearsFromNow: Averted.

* MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness: About a 3, leaning towards a 2 at times. There's FTL and "ether," a thoroughly discredited theory of physics but both are used very deliberately and with a fair degree of consistency and the show has been noted for its fairly consistent use of real theories relating to relativity and black holes as well as the use of [[EnergyWeapon lasers that are relatively close to real-life concepts instead of Star Wars style ray guns]]. It even earned the [[Website/AtomicRockets Atomic Rockets Seal of Approval]]. Notably, a very large sum of the information in the science lecture extras is fairly accurate.

* TheGreatPoliticsMessUp: All this future tech and there's still a Soviet Union around!!
** Given the series's playing at with speculative governmental developments in the future, [[WildMassGuessing they could very well be referring to]] ''[[WildMassGuessing another]]'' [[WildMassGuessing Soviet Union...]]