Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Gunbuster: The Complete OVA Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Gunbuster is one of the most beloved of classic anime series. The classic OVA production comes from creator Toshio Okada. The original character designs by Haruhiko Mikimoto make an impression, too. Featuring animation production by Bandai Visual (Blue Submarine No.6, Cardcaptor Sakura: The Movie), GAINAX (FLCL, Gurren Lagann), and Victor Entertainment (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Kokoro Library), Gunbuster certainly established a high bar for classic OVA productions.

Produced by Hiroaki Inoue (El Hazard: The Alternative World, Royal Space Force - The Wings of Honnêamise), Minoru Takanashi (Jin-Roh - The Wolf Brigade, Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket), Satoshi Kohno (A Letter to Momo, Miss Hokusai), Shigeru Watanabe (Ghost in the Shell, Shin Getter Robo vs. Neo Getter Robo), Shiro Sasaki (Dragon Half, RahXephon), Takeshi Sawamura, and Toshio Azami (The Weathering Continent), Gunbuster is a visually compelling action-anime series. Audiences seeking action- packed excitement will find it here. Featuring a vocal performance by star Noriko Hidaka.

Noriko Takaya (Noriko Hidaka) decides to enlist in the Space Pilot Academy. Following the death of her father, Noriko vows to become a pilot and fight space aliens. The task is set – the role is established. Even so, Noriko is troubled with peer worries – many fearing she is just being bestowed some elite favoritism because of her famed dad and his success as a well-known admiral. Some of her peers approach her involvement with doubt and consider her incapable of being a true space pilot.

A smorgasbord of surprises are in store for Noriko as she sets forth on this journey. Yet two pilot candidates emerge as stars: Noriko’s name is selected alongside her idol and super-star Kazumi "Onee-sama" Amano (Rei Sakuma). Even despite the doubts of her fellow students, Noriko will stop at nothing to aim for the top! There’s no time like the moment.

The journey of Noriko is one that audiences will relate to. There is something inherently relatable and charming about a hero attempting to be their absolute best while working to accomplish something meaningful. The character is on a wild journey. With many doubting the abilities of Noriko, the lead character finds herself with a lot of challenges along the way. The epic stakes of her journey make Gunbuster stand out all the more as a character journey for the protagonist.

The animation is breathtaking. The animation on Gunbuster is undeniably one of the strongest elements of the production. The series has impressive art direction by Hiroshi Sasaki (Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo, Roujin Z) and Masanori Kikuchi (Nadia - The Secret of Blue Water, Blue Submarine No.6). The chief animation direction by Toshiyuki Kubooka (Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket, Time Jam: Valerian & Laureline) is remarkable as well. The animation director also handled the main character design duties for the anime production. The results are fantastic -both for these character designs and for the overall quality of the animation. The animation style is something special – the hand-drawn animation offering a fantastic visual aesthetic. Ambitious and mesmerizing in good measure.

The mecha designs by Kazutaka Miyatake (The Super Dimension Century Orguss, Macross 7), Koichi Ohata (Project A-ko 3: Cinderella Rhapsody, Super Dimensional Fortress Macross II: The Movie), and Mahiro Maeda (Magic User's Club!, The Vision of Escaflowne) add to the epic quality of the production as well. The mecha element is essential to the action-packed backdrop of the production. This adds to the sense of fun the series manages to create.

The score composed by Kōhei Tanaka (One Piece, Dirty Pair) is a highlight of Gunbuster and provides the series with more action-packed excitement. Composer Tanaka certainly enjoys exploring the characters alongside the canvas of mecha action the series offers as well. The score provides a nice balance of fun themes for the characters and the energetic adventure the genre demands.

Directed by Hideaki Anno (Neon Genesis Evangelion, Nadia - The Secret of Blue Water) and Kazuya Tsurumaki (FLCL, Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time), Gunbuster is famous for its involvement with the creator of Neon Genesis Evangelion at the helm. Anno is one of the most gifted and celebrated anime filmmakers in the industry to this day. There is a good reason for the acclaim: Anno is an incredibly gifted visionary.

Hideaki Anno & Kazuya Tsurumaki handled the script writing duties with some additional screenwriting by Toshio Okada (Otaku no Video, Honō no Tenkōsei). Gunbuster achieves an impressive aesthetic and tone and much of this is the result of the fantastic directing by Anno. There is something special about an auteur anime filmmaker working in the medium and bringing something ambitious to the forefront. Gunbuster has style in spades. A great work from Anno and the other collaborators.

Gunbuster: The Complete OVA Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Discotek Media, Gunbuster is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original aspect ratio used for the anime production. The series thereby includes a selection on the menu for those interested. Episode 6 is presented in black and white while other episodes are in color.

 The release benefits from a crisp and colorful high-definition presentation with great color reproduction. Detail is exceptional and is well preserved on the release. The naturally filmic video presentation is fantastic and a testament to good film restorations on classic anime productions. A beautiful cell-based presentation and one that has a lot to offer viewers. The encoding from Discotek Media is excellent as well.

The release offers both the original 16:9 widescreen presentation for episode 6 alongside an alternate 4:3 full frame presentation. Please Note that the widescreen and 4:3 version only applies to episode 4 (for select moments in part of the episode) and for the entire length of episode 6. Episode 6 is in open matte for the selection. Original version for Episode 6 is widescreen (not full frame). All other episodes are in the 4:3 full frame aspect ratio as intended.

Gunbuster: The Complete OVA Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles), English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (with songs & signs subtitles), and English 2.0 (featuring songs & signs subtitles). The lossless audio encoding on the release is excellent. The presentation sounds crisp and engaging.

Dialogue is well reproduced. The soundtrack and score sound engaging with the lossless audio encoding. The audio presentation is well refined for the release and remains crisp, exciting, and easy to listen to. A nice encode from Discotek Media.

Gunbuster: The Complete OVA Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes a nice-looking o-card slipcover. The slipcover adds a nice sense of collectability for fans and makes the release feel even more special in hand and on the shelf. A wonderful edition.

On disc supplements include:

Previews and Commercials:

Video Notice (July 1988) (SD, 2:16)

Video Notice (November 1988) (SD, 5:02)

In-Store Notice (1989) (SD, 5:22)

Blu-ray Box Commercials (2012) (HD, 00:34)

Episode Specific Features:

Episode 6 Creditless Ending (HD, 3:30)

Episode 6 Vintage Ending Credits (SD, 2:41)

Shorts:

Harumi and Yumiko's Good Morning Okinawa Girls! (HD, 2:00)

A Cosmic Battleground Along the Orbit of Halley's Comet (HD, 1:47)

Gunbuster: The Complete OVA Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Gunbuster is an ambitious and exciting action-adventure anime. Fans of classic hand-drawn animation with an artistic voice will find the OVA series to be a fantastic production. The series achieved a cult status with good reason: the involvement of Neon Genesis Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno. Anno remains one of the elite anime filmmakers working in the industry.

Fans of high-octane and ambitious anime with introspective intelligence will find Gunbuster well worth seeking out. The Blu-ray release benefits from an impressive high-definition presentation. The video on the release is exceptional and the lossless audio encoding impresses as well. The release comes with a nice selection of bonus features. The package includes a nice o-card slipcover to round out the package. Highly recommended.