posts tagged “Gunbuster 2”
[Anime Reviews]
30 Sep 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Gunbuster 2]
And so the long-awaited conclusion to the series is finally here…and there doesn’t seem to be much blogsphere fanfare surrounding it. A shame really - although it is not without its flaws, the ending is really quite something.
Gainax productions inevitably carry the dread of the Gainax Ending but back in the day of the old Top o Nirae! OVA the Gunbuster Ending was a totally different animal: epic, emotional and, er, monochrome. For the sequel, it is also epic, emotional but fortunately in colour! Since I’m so tempted to compare the two I’ll get most of my observations of parallels out of the way first. There are numerous references to the first series in this episode, as well as one or two moments that look decidedly End of Eva-esque. At its heart though it is a Gunbuster ending and this episode more than any of them has much to offer to viewers who have seen the original beforehand.
Final Thoughts
So, it’s a spectacular ending in every sense. As a whole though, Top O Nirae 2didn’t quite fulfill its potential. It was outstanding in some areas, such as the animation, music and Sadamoto’s distinctive character designs; in others, such as the characterisation, it was decidedly average.
I know I’m making more comparisons with the first series again but this is a direct sequel and as such relies on many features of its predecessor. In many ways this is a good thing: the story, themes and soundtrack have been borrowed from one of the greatest sci-fi anime series ever set to cel and it allows for some affectionate homage. After all, Gunbuster was intended to be a parody but wound up being a classic of unprecedented depth along the way, as if by an ‘accident’ at the hands of Hideaki Anno.
It is the presence of such a creative force that Gunbuster 2 lacked. During production the writers had differing opinions on the course the series should take and sadly it shows: in the midway point the series loses focus and doesn’t seem sure about what it wants to be. It takes a more serious turn in its second half but would have fared much better had there been a strong character in the director’s chair to keep it on course from the beginning. The transformation of the heroine from clumsy Jane Average to potential saviour of humanity was already done but in the case of Nono it was little more than a retread: as likeable as she was, the dynamic between her and Lark didn’t add anything new to the formula and as a result the series didn’t have the strong heart of the first series. Any depth added to their relationship was too little and arrived too late to deliver its full effect.
While the characterisation was run-of-the-mill, the production values certainly weren’t. From the snow-laden winter wonderland of Mars to the absurdly brilliant final confrontation in which the whole Earth (that’s the entire goddamn PLANET) is used as a weapon, Gunbuster 2 was outstanding. The backgrounds glowed, the stars shone, and the stylised mecha designs were a breath of fresh air; intentional recycling of the first series’ soundtrack was a wise move but in the quieter moments it was possible to hear even the rustle of clothing when the characters moved. In the case of OAVs at least, Gainax seemed to have put the days of cost-cutting behind them - I can only say Gunbuster 2 looks and sounds fantastic.
Conclusions
Now that the first series is being re-released under its new licence, it’s probably a given that Top O Nirae! 2 will also see a Western DVD release. I can see myself buying both on DVD, but probably more in the interests of completeness than anything. Was I at any point surprised that the sequel didn’t maintain the standards of what went before? No. Gainax never do the same thing twice so it was always intended to be, for all the intentional similarities, a different product. Sadly it also meant that it would always be judged against its predecessor by fans. It began well, lost its way for a while but got back on course for an amazing conclusion, which is no mean feat. Maybe I’m just longing for the next FLCL or, more likely, another Hideaki Anno masterpiece; Top O Nirae 2 is neither but disappointment is inevitable with expectations as high as those.
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[Anime Reviews]
06 Jun 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Gunbuster 2]
The midsection of Top o Nerae! 2 left me a little cold but the penultimate instalment delivers so much in terms of characterisation and plot I can’t help but feel impressed. Even before the opening credits roll there is a significant flashback that takes us five years into the past (pic below) and shows a reference to the original series! Honestly, I gave a gasp of “At last!” after my spine had stopped tingling when that turned up. Make no mistake, this is a spectacular episode in more ways than one.
Through a fascinating exposition scene we are given a bit of history and background explanation about the space monsters and the rest. It mentions a region of the solar system named Black Hole Exelio - another spine tingling Top o Nerae! reference to grab the viewer’s attention. There is A LOT to take in here, which might require a repeat viewing of this and all the previous episodes on my part to fully appreciate what’s going on.
This episode deals with the aftermath of the battle with the variable gravity well and as a result feels like the morning after your worst ever night out, only on a cosmic scale. Everyone is reeling from the destruction; some are dead, many are injured and nothing will be the same again. Chiko and Raruku are recovering in hospital (above) and because of the battle’s outcome the TOPLESSes are both feared and despised - they now have to wear ridiculous headgear to keep them from using their Buster Machines.
Raruku feels especially bad about all this: thanks to Nono’s status as the new saviour and a nasty scene featuring Nikolas she feels powerless, redundant and alone. To make matters worse the next battle involves Nono going into battle instead…but the new space monster proves to be be much worse than those previously encountered!
This was one hell of an episode - it is a real shame that, as the subbing group pointed out, “only Gainax knows when that will come out.” which basically means that we’ll have to wait quite a while to see the story finished. There are numerous questions answered, only for it to throw up as many new ones; there is some excellent and much-needed characterisation in Raruku and Nono; not to mention the second half’s battle scene that surpasses those that went before it in terms of sheer over-the-top epic scale. It nearly makes me wonder how I ever doubted Gainax as far as this show’s concerned - but course we still have the ending to come yet!
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[Anime Reviews]
16 May 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Gunbuster 2]
As the series reaches its halfway point we see a marked change in tone of the story; in fact it seems to have taken a 180 degree turn for the serious as the playful comedic vibe has almost completely given way to a much darker theme.
The members of Fraternity are stationed on Titan by the order of the Twins, who are trying to awaken a Buster Machine that has lain dormant for tens of thousands of years. Nono, desparate for a Buster Machine of her own, is called up before them to answer to trespassing charges after she tries to see the excavation site for herself. As an alternative to punishment she is offered the chance to find an old abandoned Buster Machine that lies on the surface of Pluto and, with the promise of Casio’s help when she reaches her destination, sets off to retrieve it.
Interestingly Raruku (or Lark, I’m not entirely sure from the subs at this point in time) is actually unhappy about seeing Nono go to the far end of the Solar System but such is Nono’s ambition that she sets off regardless. Meanwhile there seems to be more to this Buster Machine excavation than meets the eye…what plans have the Twins drawn up?
When I said that the series takes a sharp turn in atmosphere I meant an almost complete change - the cheeky slapstick is (perhaps fortunately) almost completely absent and the story, with its countless unanswered questions, moves forward in leaps and bounds. As hard as it is to believe, this episode manages to continue the trend of ‘this instalment’s space monster battle’ exceeding the last in terms of scale and we are left with some serious battle damage and interesting revelations afterwards. This all resulted in (for me at least) a distinct feeling of not knowing what the devil is going on. As one of the pilots accurately sums up “What are we actaully fighting?”
After being a tad underwhelmed with Top O Nerae! 2’s progress so far I was left pretty impressed with this fourth episode which appears to have been subject to a change in director/scriptwriter - this is the extent of how different it feels. Of course, the animation style is still the same but it seems more intent on diving headlong into the story. It’s interesting to see the motives behind Raruku’s reluctance to see Nono fight in the war, for instance; that is, it extends beyond mere lack of faith in her abilities, at least. We even learn a little about Casio’s past and finish on a dramatic and quite messy battle that will have serious consequences for what will follow. So many questions, so few answers!
The plot thickens, as they say. I do believe my faith in this show may be restored…
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[Anime Reviews]
09 May 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Gunbuster 2]
After two episodes of Nono’s introduction to her new life in space the third instalment makes a surprising change of course in introducing several other Buster Machine pilots. The most significant of these is Chiko (below), a headstrong young pilot with some real insecurity issues. Mecha fans will immediately identify her personality as the archetypal Competitive One, harking back to Jung Freud’s rivalry with Noriko in the original Top O Nerae!; there’s even a short spat between her and Nono whilst on patrol. We soon learn the reasons behind Chiko’s driven attitude and short temper: going back to the character development issues I outlined in my episode 2 review, we learn more about Chiko and her motivations in one episode than did about both Raruku and Nono in the last two! Still, it makes this ep the most interesting so far in terms of the show’s personalities.
This episode also introduces another Buster Machine, the latest off the production line and the new weapon against the space monsters. Needless to say it allows for another spectacular mecha battle towards the end (and more combat moves yelled out loud in ear-shredding Engrish!): once again Top O Nerae! 2 delivers in terms of bright, vibrant and eye-popping combat. There is talk of ‘Fraternity’, ‘the Twins’ being in charge of TOPLESS and that of the new Buster Machine ‘awakening’, which leads me to believe that the mecha are themselves living entities that require the emotional input of a pilot as well as his or her physical abilities. An interesting idea indeed - Nikola, one of the other pilots is sure that Nono has this potential.
There is a lot to take in during this episode: there are plenty of questions being raised, the pacing and animation is sometimes frantic and the dialogue/subs threaten information overload at times. The fact that the show will only be six episodes in length is in particular evidence but for once it is a Gainax production that does not seem to have been made on a shoestring; whether or not you like the colours and character designs (I’m still undecided, as much as I respect Sadamoto’s efforts) there’s no denying how lavish and fluid it all looks.
For all this though, Top O Nerae! 2 is still lacking something - it frustrates me to work out what but there is definitely a lack of depth or heart that I can’t put my finger on. Maybe I’m being a little hasty in judging a series when I’ve only seen half of it but there’s a sort of magical quality that Gainax’s other series share that draws the viewer into the characters and their situations - there is still no clear sign of it here, for all the eye candy and bright, bold soundrack. Top O Nirae! 2 is intensely watchable but it has yet to really hit the spot.
Gunbuster 2 is still worth sticking with I think, but my expectations are now considerably lower.
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[Anime Reviews]
26 Apr 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Gunbuster 2]
The second instalment presents us with an interesting revelation, more questions than it answers and some more Buster Machine Vs. Alien space Monster action. Nono is still desparate to become a member of TOPLESS and not even Raruku’s words of discouragement do anything to change her mind. Unfortunately, Raruku is in the middle of a meeting with some stern-looking military guys (one of whom is pictured below) in orbit when the next monster rears its ugly head so Nono takes it upon herself to hop aboard Raruku’s Buster Machine (second pic) and save the day.
My problem with the show at this point is that of character development. I’m not expecting every major cast member’s life story to be laid out after two episodes but not one of them has much depth - there are some hints about the identity and nature of TOPLESS but Nono in particular is still the lanky, clumsy, two-dimensional girl who wants to be an elite pilot with no reason for her ambitions given. We do learn that she is in fact a robot (a spoiler perhaps, but it’s revealed in the first couple of minutes) but that only makes things worse, for me at least. If she’s not human, are those expressions of determination and devotion ‘real’ and ‘human’ emotions, or is she a preprogrammed puppet? I’m sure all will become clear eventually but the plot will still have to work hard in that respect.
Apart from this oversight Top O Nerae! 2 is a delight. We learn that Nono actually came from Mars (she’s never even been to Earth before), that TOPLESS are for some reason not popular with the military and the nature of the aliens is explored a little more. It’s enough to maintain the viewer’s interest but even if it wasn’t there is still a spectacular mecha battle involving not only Raruku’s Buster Machine but another as well (see the pic below). Throughout the episode there is a constant feeling of deja-vu: the parodies and in-jokes come thick and fast (I recommend a game of ’spot the Eva references’).
In summary the second Top O Nerae! 2 episode is leading me to see it as more of a tribute to the original than a bona fide sequel. I’ve now given up on comparing the two with one another because they are so different in art and storytelling style; to call it an inferior production would be pretty unfair. On its own though Top O Nerae! 2 is an action-packed rollercoaster ride.
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[Anime Reviews]
21 Apr 2006
Posted by Martin [Tags: Gainax, Gunbuster 2]
Gunbuster: Aim for the Top (or Top O Nerae! to give it its proper Japanese title) is, in my opinion at least, one of the greatest sci-fi anime series. Ever. Epic, dramatic, emotional and, for its time, beautifully animated, Gunbuster told a heart-tugging story of friendship and determination in the face of adversity in the space of only six episodes. How it found room to cram romance, drama and mecha combat into such a short running time is testament to Hideaki Anno’s skills as director and the talent of Gainax studios. At the same time it was an affectionate pastiche of the old classic mecha anime shows with cheeky fan service (introducing the now-famous ‘Gainax Bounce’) and countless references and in-jokes. Okay, enough rambling - suffice to say I love it. Moving on…to celebrate their 20th anniversary Gainax have revisited their old OVA title to give us Gunbuster 2, another six part OVA.
The premise is fairly similar: a girl with lofty ambitions and modest talent wants to become an elite space pilot to fight alien monsters who threaten the lives of people on Earth. This time it is cafe waitress Nono (above) who dreams of battling among the stars; too bad she is almost superhumanly clumsy and flat-broke. Her life changes with a chance meeting with a space pilot named Raruku (below), a member of defence organisation TOPLESS, which throws her headlong into battle with the aliens.
Now, sequels of ANYTHING rarely stand up to the promise of the originals but I still felt some cautious optimism for Gunbuster 2. In addition to the background and premise there are a few similarities with the Top O Nerae! OVA, such as one of the incidental/next ep preview tunes, the gleefully cliched mecha designs, even the corny middle-of-episode jingle. As a homage to an old favourite, so far so good.
A Top O Nerae! episode isn’t complete without parodies of existing sci-fi shows and with not only the oldies but more recent efforts (including Gainax’s Evangelion) to draw on for inspiration Gunbuster 2 has no shortage of things to send up. Indeed, there are echoes of Eva in the battle choreography but there is also an obvious influence of Gainax’s slice-of-life comedy FLCL in terms of character designs and artwork. This is a good thing at this stage because, like FLCL, the frantic animation and sharp, bright art are superb and the combat scenes offer all the giant robots, cute girls, gruesome alien monsters and giant explosions that any self-respecting mecha fan could want (below).
With the staff roll-call reading like a Who’s Who of Gainax luminaries there is no shortage of talent on board and early signs give this series great promise. In the intervening years the industry and audiences’ expectations have changed a great deal so it would have been neither sensible nor as interesting to merely retell the original. Unfortunately the more tender character-driven aspects, the other great thing about the Top O Nerae! series, are absent here but it is early days yet. As far as can tell from this opening episode Gunbuster 2 is an action-packed and funny blast of mecha action that is great fun to watch. I just hope it stays good…
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