Mecha Recommendation: Top wo Nerae! Gunbuster !

Mecha Recommendation #1: Top wo Nerae! Gunbuster!
Short, hot-blooded, badass and bittersweet.

If you’re new to Mecha and is looking for a starting series (or lead your friends into Mecha), look no further than one of Gainax’s greatest masterpieces: Gunbuster! Directed by Hideaki Anno in his early career, he showed his talent for making Mecha animes that will be classics for generations.

The 6-ep OVA follows Noriko, a clumsy teenage girl who went from unable to balance a simple trainer robot to the savior of the Solar System. The small episode count really helps to deliver hard and fast. It brings massive interstellar battles, hot-blooded girls with powerful personalities and an ending none can forget.

Plot: The story starts slow and pick up the pace really fast midway through. We can see the development of a young high-school girl tasked with the responsibility of being Earth’s defender while dealing with her adolescent emotions as well. Throughout her journey, she matured into one of the best pilots we’ve ever known.

Animation: Released in 1988, Gunbuster is entirely hand-drawn with classic style. The animation however ages really well, with fluid Mecha movements and smooth character animation as well. It really raises the tension when needed and deliver heartfelt emotions in every scene. 

Mecha Design: From the legendary Kazutaka Myatake, the Gunbuster is an elegant machine of awesomeness. All the designs scream 80s super robots. The Gunbuster is just one menacing machine.  

Music: The combination of Kouhei Tanaka (Gaogaigar, Sakura Taisen, One Piece, …) and Noriko Sakai was phenomenal at the time. And one of the insert songs was sung by the main characters themselves which makes your blood boils. 

Overall, Gunbuster is a timeless classic that every Mecha fans and even non-fans should watch and experience. It packs one hell of a story, top-tier battles and awesome soundtracks. It is Gainax's definitive piece in the mecha genre.