Ralph Jenkins

I read Don Houston's DVD review of Gunbuster at http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=25796 and... I've noticed that the anime reviews on this site are usually biased towards newer, shinier shows, so I was glad to see GunBuster get a fairly positive review. For most fans who have been watching anime since the early '90s, Gunbuster is one of the "holy grails". Its release on DVD in region 1 is long overdue. Personally, I feel that most modern shows don't hold a candle to it. Everything -- the story, the characters, the music -- came together just right to create a timeless classic. I think the only OVA that can really be compared to Gunbuster in terms of quality is Giant Robo (although there are several others that are very good, like Macross Plus).

BTW, the last episode was animated in B&W for artistic reasons, not because of any budget limitations. Had the entire episode been in full color, it would have lost much of its impact.

Houstondon

"I've noticed that the anime reviews on this site are usually biased towards newer, shinier shows, so I was glad to see GunBuster get a fairly positive review."

I suspect this is as much due to personal tastes as it is to how companies treat older material (older shows tend to get lackluster releases). I remember Gunbuster from years ago and like the OVA but have always had a problem with the concept of the single, ultra powerful Mech being able to take on scores of the technically more advanced enemies after large human fleets were nearly wiped out (correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't this title was the most outrageous case of that idea in the history of anime?). Otherwise, it was a fine release in most ways and well worth the dough.

"BTW, the last episode was animated in B&W for artistic reasons, not because of any budget limitations. Had the entire episode been in full color, it would have lost much of its impact."

This has been discussed at great length for years, including bulletin boards before the internet became mainstream. While it has been awhile since I read the scores of opinions on the matter (a great many coming from admittedly loosely translated Japanese articles), there is no reason to believe that director Hideaki Anno lacked the ability to artistically present the episode in color, with full animation and maintaining it's impact, rather then make it more of an audio play with a series of stills and limited B&W animation to finish up the OVA. As adults, we can respectfully agree to disagree though.

mcarocks2003

It was mentioned over at AOD that the Gunbuster booklet that came with the R2J release put the 'we ran out of money so we animated it in black white' rumour to rest. It clearly stated that it was an artistic choice and i for one feel they suceeded in adding to the dramatic tone.

Depends on which company releases it. If it's Central Park Media then it's likely to get an underwhelming release.

But if it's a company like ADV or Geneon then they usually use the remastered R2 print if one is available. For instance releases this year would include Area 88 OVA and Barefoot Gen, both have stunning transfers.

I hope Dvd Talk reviews more older series, it would have been nice if you'd done Prefectural Earth Defence Force which needs all the exposure it can get being a very limited niche title.

Houstondon

"It was mentioned over at AOD that the Gunbuster booklet that came with the R2J release put the 'we ran out of money so we animated it in black white' rumour to rest. It clearly stated that it was an artistic choice and i for one feel they suceeded in adding to the dramatic tone."

Leaving the cheerleader websites alone for the purpose of this discussion, I have decidedly mixed feelings about simply taking the word of the company for a matter such as this. They have a financial stake in the success of the project and I reiterate that it wasn't simply an issue of using B&W, it was the whole style of limited animation that many fans have taken issue with over the years. I liked the DVD set and I'm glad they didn't go back and try to "fix" the last episode into something it was not made to be, but if I took the route several emails suggested (which essentially boiled down to my removing any reference to the difference in the technical matters of the last episode to allow it to become a big surprise for new fans in order to sell more copies); I'd fall into the cheerleader squad mode that a great many consumers aren't fond of.
That said, the release is a fine OVA presentation that anime fans should appreciate but the more you analyze the plot holes, characters, and other elements, the more dated it becomes. I'm glad you liked the show and I hope a lot more people buy a copy rather then download (ie: steal) a free version online to make it a success.

"I hope Dvd Talk reviews more older series, it would have been nice if you'd done Prefectural Earth Defence Force which needs all the exposure it can get being a very limited niche title."

We review every anime title that comes in but my associates can tell you that honest reviews come at a price. The day we start giving out inflated ratings to everything that comes in will probably be the day we start getting more titles but as a consumer myself, it's not a price I'm willing to pay. There is a lot more anime available these days then when ADV was a small videogame company in transition but that also means there is a lot more weak anime too; we try to provide a head's up with the consumer in mind and appreciate your comments, even when we disagree.

Seeker

Am I missing something?

I have the Region 2 Gunbuster - I think it was like $20 - what is it that makes this a 3 disc $60 set???

Houstondon

"Am I missing something?

I have the Region 2 Gunbuster - I think it was like $20 - what is it that makes this a 3 disc $60 set???"

Read the review and compare it to the version you have. I admit that the case it came in, the 3 disc set, the extras, the improved transfer from the last time I saw the movie (on tape), and other factors made it a nice looking set though (and you can find it on Deep Discount for ~$43; wait for a coupon or sale to get it even cheaper).

Seeker

Oh, I agree - this seems to be a nice set. 3 discs vs 1 I think, and other good stuff

Just when I saw about $60 at Amazon, I went "WTF"?

mcarocks2003

$43 at DeepDiscountDvd.com

I think it's a bargain considering the amount of effort thats gone into the release.