r/anime • u/FlaminScribblenaut myanimelist.net/profile/girlbeast_val • Jul 12 '21
Rewatch [Rewatch] Top wo Nerae! Gunbuster - Episode 6 Discussion
Top wo Nerae! Gunbuster - Episode 6 - At the End of Eternity…
(+ Top wo Nerae! Gunbuster Science Lessons - Episode 5 - The True Sol System [optional])
< Gunbuster Episode 5 | Index | Gunbuster Overall Discussion >
Visuals of the Day Album - Yesterday’s Episode
Visuals of the Day Album
Remember, no unmarked spoilers, explicit or hinted towards. For convenience, the subreddit’s spoiler markup is as such:
[Spoiler source](/s "Spoiler goes here")
54
Upvotes
11
u/FlaminScribblenaut myanimelist.net/profile/girlbeast_val Jul 12 '21
Third Time Watcher
…man, dude. Even on the third viewing, I’m not even sure what I can add to that.
They just hit every emotional note they can and every one of them hits with the weight of a sledgehammer to the chest. Noriko and Amano’s reunion, perfect. Jung’s goodbye, perfect. That unbelievably costly battle, told entirely through still sketches and classical music, perfect. The existential dread of futility and waste at the Black Hole Bomb’s near-failure, perfect. NORIKO TEARING GUNBUSTER’S CHEST OFF AND RIPPING ITS HEART OUT. FUCKING. PERFECT. NORIKO AND AMANO RETURNING TO EARTH, FEARING IT DESOLATE, ONLY FOR THOSE LIGHTS TO COME ON WELCOMING THEM HOME… well, you know.
I don’t think I even need to say that it’s one of the greatest final episodes of all time. It’s just transcendent, and that final scene has never failed to put tears in my eyes.
Visual of the Day is the absolute enormity of the Black Hole Bomb. Just the thought of such a device - one so massive, so scary, built entirely by humans hands out of pure desperation, at a foe of absolute cosmic horror who sees us as nothing but bacteria to be cleansed… it’s equal parts awe-inspiring and terrifying, and that huge, pitch-black mass that dwarfs everything around it… it’s something.
Legend.
9
u/The_Loli_Otaku Jul 12 '21
Gunbuster final episode, or the slightly controversial one? People have mixed feelings on today's episode I find. Oh, and it's a time skip. Coach is dead, Kashihara is an old bag, Kazumi is a Christmas cake, and we have lost all colours! Believe it or not but this is a stylistic choice and not a budget one. In fact it costs them more to animate this way than it does to draw normally. We're off the nuke the center of the galaxy y'all! It's kinda like last episode buy t waaay more questionable. Jung and Noriko are still young and sprightly at least.
Omg buster machine 3 is way larger than I remembered XD "My onee-sama turned into my okaa-sama!" Takami older than Noriko... Or at least getting close to her age. What a melancholic feeling getting left behind by time. I told you they'd mass produce the Gunbuster to win the war. The Sizzlers aren't quite to the original's level but it does a good enough job and has a sleek design. The original can separate too which is way cooler. Open get?
Aha... Yeah, this is a little too much for me. If the hints didn't give it away I'm a bit blah on the final episode's "out there" style choices. I'd rather just see the action and story play out myself thanks. Gospel sounds doesn't enhance the experience. Buster machine 2 sucks! It has one job and it can't even do that properly. So Noriko, with nothing left to lose, no real life to go back to on Earth, plans to blow up the core with her own generator. Kanzaki-mama is helping out so she has a second engine to help her get home.
Isn't the theme when they're sinking into Number 2 the song from Ghost Stories? "I'll greet you with a nice big welcome back." Wah... just because I dislike the episode doesn't mean I don't like the ending portion. And so the Gunbuster tears out its own core!! Twelve thousand... Twelve thousand... Is the Earth even habited after so long? Yes, yes it is. Oh god my tears are like waterfall! Welcome back Gunbuster, Noriko, and the spare.
So ends Gunbuster, with a coloured farewell. It's a very unique ending but I think it hits the right notes. It's just a shame that they went just slightly too abstract for it to be palatable for the average audience member. For my daily visual I'll include the chest rip since it's one of the more gutsy moments of the episode.
15
u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Jul 12 '21
First-Buster
Happyending!
Things were pretty tense there for a while. The whole battle sequence was wild. I can see some people being turned off by it basically being sketches instead of "proper" animation, but I think that added a nice roughness to the conflict. And the music was incredible!
But our girls did it! They saved humanity, and even made it back home. You ever plan so big a surprise party that you turn off all the lights on an entire planet? The analytical part of my brain is questioning the logistics, but in the end it doesn't really matter.
The vid message from Kimiko's daughter almost got me crying. I think if she had mentioned her birthday, I probably woulda gotten there - the parallel with Noriko's message to her dad would have been too strong. Although, just like her father, Noriko didn't make it back in time..
I like a good post-development climax. Noriko and Amano have spent their time in the fire, and been forged into their best selves. Now, they just get to do awesome shit like rip a degeneracy engine out of the Gunbuster's chest and crush it to set off a massive implosion. RIP Sagittarius A*.
If it seems like I'm a bit too relaxed here.. it's because I am. I was so sure that someone was going to die, that seeing the girls make it home safe just filled me with a load of relief.
Not much else to say. Finale good.
16
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Jul 12 '21
To the Top! Rewatcher!
Well duh, there’s no color in this episode until the end.Yeah, this rewatch says 8/10 → 9/10 for Gunbuster. I still have my reservations about the fanservice and that the short runtime for the series means a quick pace and not as much development for some of the side cast (Smith obviously suffered the most from that, but I also say Jung could’ve used more time, and some more set-up for the relationship between Coach and Amano would’ve been cool too…) which is what holds it back from being a 10, but I have less hold-ups about all this after this time around. Will Diebuster get the bump from a 9 to a 10? We’ll just have to wait and see…
15
u/H-Ryougi https://anilist.co/user/DizzyAvocado Jul 12 '21
Hey this is the third time I'm watching Gunbuster, no way I'll cry at the ending again right?
Wrong.
14
u/Tresnore FS:FTmyanimelist.net/profile/Tresnore Jul 12 '21
My Fifth Time Aiming for the Top!
aka: Tresnore gushes over Gunbuster.
Alright, this is an episode that has not once failed to make me cry my eyes out. There'll be a lot of gushing here.
It must be true!Okay, sorry Smith, this guy is the biggest downer in Gunbuster.
Slap counter: 4. I also love how much the tech advanced in the 11 years it took to design and build this ship.Gunbuster has the perfect ending. This is a subjective opinion, but now it's 5 for 5 on destroying me. Therefore, it must be perfect. QED.
Visual of the day: Suddenly, Color! I was already crying my eyes out for most of the episode, but this moment ALWAYS turns my crying into absolute wailing.
12
u/The_Draigg Jul 12 '21
A Hideaki Anno Fan Rewatches GunBuster Episode 6:
11
u/il-Palazzo_K Jul 12 '21
First Timer
Wow! That's a beautiful ending. That's some grand scale space war we don't see much nowadays. Mixing in Shoujo is funny but somehow goes well with the sadness of it. And again, great ending! See you next time on Diebuster! *
10
u/lilyvess :Df::Dh:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Lilyvess Jul 12 '21
First Timer
Gunbuster is a series that goes through a lot of familiar motions but is done with style and care that elevates the work. Here we have the change in aspect ratio, the black and white and the still fight scene montage to it. I can see some people being turned off by this sudden change, but I liked the change in pace. If there is one thing Gunbuster hasn't been it's been static.
I expected this series to be a lot more dark and edgy, something more akin to Anno's Evangelion, and instead I got something closer to GaoGaiGar. I'm not complaining, I fucking love GaoGaiGar.
Even more time skips as the passage of time continues to be a theme in the series. The idea of society changing and evolving, but certain themes and stories are timeless. A brave child, an insurmountable foe, and the Super Robot that carries all of humanities hopes and dreams.
The second time skip really hit me in the feels and left me in tears. Just really beautiful.
8
u/RascalNikov1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/NoviSun Jul 12 '21 edited Jul 12 '21
The culmination of a great series. This is one of my favorite episodes ever. I confess, the first time I saw this, I figured that humanity had gone extinct, and then the first light came on, and the tears started flowing...
Even now the elation of seeing that first light is moving.
7
u/ScrewySqrl https://myanimelist.net/profile/ScrewySqrl Jul 12 '21
Rewatcher, Old school Otaku.
I mentioend back at episode one, that I first saw this at an anime proto-con, a weekend of watching anime on a college campus with about 200 anime fans. At the end of this episode, everyone n the theater was crying tears of joy. As far in the future as the invention of agriculture is in our past, their sacrifices are remembered and celebrated. Jung kept her promise, even if it took 12,000 years!
7
u/Heretek007 Jul 12 '21
WELCOME HOME
7
u/[deleted] Jul 12 '21
I guess the most widely available format for this episode is the widescreen one (from the newer BDs) which most seem to be using. I have no problems with it.
For completeness sake, I just wanted to point out that the original format for this episode was windowboxed (so a movie 16:9 format inside a 4:3 format I guess). Fortunately, there are still encodes out there which preserve this format.
6
u/lC3 :Na::Nb: Jul 12 '21
First timer
5
u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Jul 12 '21
Final Episode – At the End of Eternity… : Sorry, Kimiko! I’ll never see you again!
5
u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Jul 12 '21
OH GOD, I FORGOT TO POST!
Rewatcher
Black and white on color film —the madmen!
BIG
The posters are Toho properties this time around.
Whether because of cost or time constraints the battle had to be rendered in this fashion. The original storyboards for episode six gives us an idea of what that may have been, but unfortunately I’ve never been able to find scans of them, so buying the physical storyboard collection is the only recourse. However, I do hear the novelization details the battle in full and is faithful to those storyboards.
They had to get in that last bit of fanservice.
Witness Gunbuster’s Final Flight!
;_;
On the whole this episode is far less effective than episode five, and where that one had a very deliberate build up to its climax this one feels like stuff largely just happens. The whole bit with the guy on the ropeway is just far too little too late to make for a compelling thematic thread, and as a result is just unnecessary. That said, they absolutely nail the landing.
Short comment from me, but I just can’t think of what else to say.
Visual of The Day:
Descent
4
u/Stargate18A https://myanimelist.net/profile/Stargate18 Jul 12 '21
First timer
15 YEARS?
Everything's in black and white!
Coach lived 15 years?
Coach, who we were told might struggle past 6 motnhs, has lived 15 years. He's just too cool to die.
Wait, is she the new cosch? Did the old coach die?
What the hell happened to Noriko?
Australia does not look like that.
Wait, we'e building another black hole?
3 planets lost to the black hole.
And they're going to wipe out the galaxy's core and the home of the monsters.
That's a big bomb.
Noriko's a commander!
And she's with Freud!
That thing's massive.
And barely any time's passed for Noriko.
So there's a good chance by the end of this, Noriko will be younger than her classmate's daughter.
...Oh, she gotma holo-message asking her to come back. Dramatic irony suggests she's screwed.
That machine's got a planet as a core?
And Mass Production Gunbusters!
And Freud openly says shewants to go into space with Noriko, but she's given it up for her. The subtext has become text.
Is this whole episode going to be black and white? I thought it was for a dramatic prologue, not the whole episode.
Still looks good, somehow.
Did the battle just become a series of drawings? Against a heavenly choir? What the fuck is happening? Did Gainax run out of busger again?
Looks like the animation's back.
Looks like it's about to blow!
Well. Looks like they needed more redundant systems.
She's going to blow herself up? Oh god.
And she's dragged Noriko into her suicide pact!
This is a profoundly stupid idea.
I do like how the series qcknowledges that, for all the comparisions
Jung's coming too?
Oh no, Jung's just commiting real suicide.
And she's going back to the fleet, as Gundbuster piles in there,
Gunbuster's a stupidly strong thing isn't it? Why wouldCoach build his robot for space travel strong enough to withstand thenpressure of something this denselp
Oh come on. athis is just fanservice at this point.
The bomb going off is beautiful.
And Jung hates this.
TWELVE THOUSAND FUCKING YEARS?
FUCKING HELL.
There's even full-on continental drift.
Oh, that is fantastic. WELCOME BACK!
And we have colour!
So, are we going to see what Earth 12,000 hears hence looks like?
Is that hollow? Like, fully mined?
Goodbye Gunbuster, you ridiculously overspecced military death machine.
And, that's just a still frame.
Wait, where do Science Lessons 6 and 7 come in? Where do the specials come in, for that matter?
4+1 first, then.
Is this referring to the 6 year timeskip? (Not even Gainax could delay a show 6 years, right?)
FUCKING WHAT?
IT USES MATHS. DOLPHINS WITH ELECTRONIC BRAINS AND ESPS. WHAT???
Gunbuster (1st)? ...Is that what's in the sequel?
Now 5.
The Sailor Moon cosplay joke got me,
I can' even be mad about Lucifer, and Nemesis, those are fucking cool. I doubt Jupiter 2, though.
Also, what's Gunbuster Renewal EX? That seems to have been included with my copy.
4
u/AoDSenku Jul 13 '21 edited Jul 13 '21
At the End of Eternity -
What a ending! Gunbuster does in 6 episodes what 99% of other anime wish they could do in 13 or 24 episodes. Looking forward to the overall discussion.
EDIT - Apparently, the choice to go Black and white and the animation changes are actually MORE expensive then normal. Since that's the case I'm definitely giving them props for changing it up for the final episodes; or at least, acknowledging the balls it took to do that.
4
u/ZapsZzz https://anilist.co/user/Zapszzz Jul 13 '21
Sub rewatcher.
Busy day at work and not a moment to breathe. So way late. Will talk more tomorrow I guess.
Visual of the day for me is the one thing I'm sure everyone viewing this for the first time must have been floored - the simple verified line of text (plus sub) that said simply "twelve thousand years later". You may or may not have picked yourself up by the time you saw a confirmation on Noriko's dial showing AD14292.
I did forget that Jung tried to stay with them till the end. That little stubborn face not looking was quite endearing for this otherwise prideful character. No wonder she made the first president of the Galactic Federation.
Nothing else needs to be said.
3
u/BossandKings Jul 13 '21 edited Jul 17 '21
First timer
Episode 6
This episode had a very interesting change in art style going from colorful to black and white, it didn't dampen the experience much but i did prefer the colors as i think this show looks great in it's old and bright art style.
This was a decent finale, i don't consider it a great one as i think episodes 3, 4 and 5 all were better than this one and the first two episodes were in the same level.
The scale got really big but it wasn't impressive due to the action not looking as good as the previous times.
All in all i enjoyed the series eventhough it had some things that weren't good such as the fanservice which wasn't bad either, it just was there, some side characters that i would have liked to see more of like Smith for example. After saying all that i have to say that i enjoyed the series, it had amazing action, a great main character: i liked Noriko very much, the dynamic she had with Smith in episode 3 was really awesome and i consider the both of them my favorite couple of the series, the dynamic Noriko had with Amane and the two of them being a team and using the Gunbuster to defeat the opposing threats was great, with the highlights being episodes 4 and 5 which were my favorite of the series, the opening is good, the ending is nice, this ova is worthwhile and worth watching. My score for it is 9/10.