Gunbuster: The Movie (Blu-ray Review)

(All or portions of this review were previously published) —Fans of Gunbuster will already know that Gunbuster: The Movie is not really an original feature-length film entry in the franchise at all. It is in fact an edited down version of the six-episode OVA. The 95-minute “film” follows the story of young Takaya Noriko who is training to pilot a giant, humanoid mech, but is not very good until her teacher pairs her with her mentor, the school’s best pilot Amano Kazumi. The two must battle monsters and aliens threatening to destroy the Earth, and it is a journey that will take them through the depths of space and time as they sacrifice their relationships to the faster-than-the-speed-of-light travel, which means they lose years on Earth for mere hours of flight and fight in space. The series is epic, while this condensed version is action-packed, but lacks some context for those unfamiliar with the OVA. Even so, it is a marvel to watch for the pulse-pounding action and glorious animation alone. The hand-drawn-done-on-film production from 2006 looks so much more organic in today’s world of digital animation and 3DCGI productions. The style is almost quaint, even as it remains eye-catching, and the action sequences are downright mesmerizing. It helps that the redone 5.1 soundtrack really gets you going as well with pulsing sound effects and booming explosions.

Gunbuster: The Movie (2006)

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The Video

The HD transfer of Gunbuster: The Movie looks beautiful in this 1.33:1 (partly 1.78:1 black and white) AVC 1080p transfer. There’s little visible source damage, considering this is an original film-sourced animated production, but it hasn’t been so wiped clean that it looked excessively smooth. The texture is still there, and grain looks quite crisp and natural. Colors are also vivid and vibrant, but not too over saturated and unnatural

The Audio

The Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track sounds excellent on this Sentai Filmworks Blu-ray release. The low-end is deep, so the explosions in the action sequences really have authority. Dialogue is clear as well and the atmospherics sound natural. There is also a good bit of solid effects in the surround channels. As always, the Japanese cast did an excellent job here, even though this is a re-dub of the original OVA soundtrack – but at least it is the original cast members and, in a sense, depending on how you look at it, this is the original re-dub, not a new re-dub, if you take my meaning.

The Supplements

The Japanese commentary is the most interesting bonus supplied here, but the interviews are also worth checking out.

• Japanese Commentary
• Staff & Cast Interviews (1.78:1; 1080i/60; 00:26:15)
• Sentai Filmworks Trailers

The Final Assessment

Gunbuster: The Movie may not be a good starting point for anyone unfamiliar with the series, but it is still fantastic anime, hitting all the right points, be it action, animation, or sound. This reissue Blu-ray from Sentai Filmworks looks and sounds just as fantastic as it always has.

Gunbuster: The Movie is out on Blu-ray September 13, 2022 from Sentai Filmworks

• Rating Certificate: TV-MA (VS)
• Animation Studio: Gainax
• Distributor: Sentai Filmworks
• Directors: Anno Hideaki | Tsurumaki Kazuya
• Written By: Okada Toshio | Enokido Yoji
• Run Time: 95 Mins.
• Street Date: 13 September 2022
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Video Format: AVC 1080p
• Primary Audio: Japanese DTS-HD MA 5.1
• Subtitles: English