The Official Aim for the Top! Gunbuster Thread

[lord_breetai]

Well, the opening titles always showed it as "Aim for the Top! Gunbuster", and its so much easier to just call it "Gunbuster". Maybe the problem is that we are all looking at this as a "Gunbuster" sequel, instead of just "Aim for the Top! 2".

really are you sure? I remember in the Japanese credits it only saying "Top O Nerae" and only being called Gunbuster in the eyecatches...

Infact in the Super Robot games when they credit all the different shows they only say "top o nerae" too they don't say Gunbuster...

So I'm fairly certain the official name was just "Aim for the Top"... though I could be wrong.

[Noriko Takaya]

really are you sure? I remember in the Japanese credits it only saying "Top O Nerae" and only being called Gunbuster in the eyecatches...

Infact in the Super Robot games when they credit all the different shows they only say "top o nerae" too they don't say Gunbuster...

So I'm fairly certain the official name was just "Aim for the Top"... though I could be wrong.

Gunbuster was included in the opening credits along with the Japanese title (See images). Its official name was Top O Nerae! or Top wo Nerae! or however it is called. And it all boils down to being called Aim for the Top! in English. It was US Renditions which refered to it as Gunbuster here in the states. It kind of caught on with the fans and made it more easily discernable. At least that is how I feel about it. But the word Gunbuster is prevalent on a lot of the Japanese media titles as well. It's just used in the background.

[Gunbuster]

Didn't Gainax said that originally they wanted to make the first Gunbuster a comedy series, but then it took a life of its own and became the masterpiece we knew and loved today? Maybe history will repeat itself for the second one ;;

[JValk]

You know, watching it now, I think you all missed the boat (whether you liked it or not). The original was a homage piece, and played up every cliche in anime. That is EXACTLY what 2 is, an homage piece to the last 15 years of anime since the original came out. Cats talk in 2 because there were talking cats in Sailor Moon. The psychic characters, the silliness, its all about the last 15 years in anime.

Whether you like it or not is another matter. Its exactly what the original was, just with 15 more years of anime behind it.

My sister said "Is that Jiji from Kiki's Delivery Service?" Long live talking black cats!

Anyhow, should we start calling this series Diebuster instead of Gunbuster2 now? May be appropriate since it has killed the series (JOKE!)

[Keith]

Don't forget the eyecatches also had "Gunbuster" spoken. What do the eyecatches for the new series (if they have any) say?

[wolfx]

Don't forget the eyecatches also had "Gunbuster" spoken. What do the eyecatches for the new series (if they have any) say?

It says "DIEEE BASTAAAAAAAAAA"

in your usual "GUN BUSTAAAAAA" chorus.

[Keith]

Then the reasonable answer would seem to be the show's title is "Top O Nerae 2 - Die Buster"

Edited October 13, 2004 by Keith

[Gui]

Maybe Gainax's goal is to kill the Gunbuster legend: "Die, Buster! Die!! Die!!!"

[Final Vegeta]

If it wasn't for the title and the Gunbuster theme as the Dix-Neuf made its grand entrance, you never would have known it's a Gunbuster sequel.

If there is a Dix-Neuf (19) I would like to see a Vingt-Un (21)

(I am not watching Gunbuster 2)

There were a few Gainax refernces in the original, but they were all little stuff.  The names of ships from Nadia (Exelion and Eltreum) are the only ones that come to mind.

Actually, Nadia was made in 1990, Gunbuster in 1988 AFAIK, so it's the opposite.

Hey, the original had few references because Gainax did only few works before Gunbuster. I think only Daicon and Honneamise precede it.

FV

[Seven]

I loved the original Top o Nerae back when I first watched the US Renditions release from 1990. Even then, there were things that I didn't get, like the Buster Cape and Homing Lasers, but everything else was so satisfying, the incorporation of time dilation, the high animation quality, Mikimoto designs, the Gunbuster, the increasingly awesome mecha designs as episodes went on. It just felt EPIC.

I actually enjoyed the first episode of the new one too. Everything that I saw or heard about the new one made me cringe, but after watching it, I think I will trust Gainax to make another masterpiece. There are a few things that aren't to my taste, but I can live with it, since the animation quality just seemed so high in comparison to other stuff out right now. I'd prefer less 3D and more traditional cel animation, since great cel work will always stand out over great 3D efforts. It does seem at first to be more upbeat than the original, but this IS the first episode and I remember the first episode of the original was kinda goofy in its own way (cadets doing push ups in their training robots). I'm in the opinion that the Die Buster has yet to show itself and the Deux Neuf is more like a RX7 Machine Weapon or Sizzler. I hope that the show does start to work in more epic drama like the original as time goes on. Nono is funny as hell and the other girl is interesting if not the cliched badass girl.

Nono surviving in space.... I can't even begin to explain it, but maybe its part of the story, with her splitting stuff all the time and being able to do a bare breasted Inazuma Kick?

The music was awesome and fit in with the music of the original. The animation designs are definitely FLCL inspired, but hey, I'd rather take something that tries to go out on a limb to mix it up rather than get more of the same uninspired stuff like Gundam Seed. Sadamoto kicks ass.

Anyways, just my opinions... I'm happy with it.

Edited October 13, 2004 by Seven

[lord_breetai]

Okay my point still stands then... I think "Top O Nerae" is the official name though as you said, cause if you look at the Super Robot games that include Gunbuster none of them list Gunbuster in the copyrite info either on the actual disc or on in the credits (where they list each series and the staff that worked on the designs and the VAs who did the voiced... it says Top o Nerae... So yeah like you say I think Gunbuster is the popular title and Aim for the Top is the official title.

Edit: Another thing that is possible... sometimes there are official english titles the studio wants used instead of a direct translation of the Japanese title... in the second Sakura Taisen OVA each episode had two titles a Japanese title and an English title and they were not close to each other... I've even seen this done for things wich are not going to get an English release... So it is possible "Gunbuster" was ment to be the English title all along and "Aim for the Top" was ment to be the Japanese title... cause Japanese people would recognize the ref. to Aim for Ace and English people wouldn't, so they gave them the more dynamic title Gunbuster... that's just a random thought.

And the Diebuster courus sounds dumb... the Gunbuster thing is cool... but the Diebuster thing sounds so annoying, anyone agree?

Edited October 13, 2004 by lord_breetai

[Seven]

And the Diebuster courus sounds dumb... the Gunbuster thing is cool... but the Diebuster thing sounds so annoying, anyone agree?

Yeah, it is sorta annoying. Although I can't pin down why, since the Gunbuster chorus sounded similar. It'd be nice if they had those physics lessons in between the episodes like the first one, explaining time dilation and stuff.

[Noriko Takaya]

It'd be nice if they had those physics lessons in between the episodes like the first one, explaining time dilation and stuff.

Why? Most of this stuff was already reasonably explained in the original. And if you aren't aware of it, the science lessons were in a fact a parody of the series itself, as the super deformed Noriko and Kazumi treated the show as a series they were actors in. They even answered 'fan mail' from kids who wanted to know how things worked. Hopefully Gainax will not retread over this and leave well enough alone.

As for the title being added to the Japanese name, ガンバスター literally translates to gamba star, which probably evolved into the romanized Gunbuster we are all familiar with. I also came up with the same conclusion you did, figuring fans who were not familiar with Gunbuster would think you were mistakenly thinking of Aim for the Ace!

[Seven]

It'd be nice if they had those physics lessons in between the episodes like the first one, explaining time dilation and stuff.

Why? Most of this stuff was already reasonably explained in the original. And if you aren't aware of it, the science lessons were in a fact a parody of the series itself, as the super deformed Noriko and Kazumi treated the show as a series they were actors in. They even answered 'fan mail' from kids who wanted to know how things worked. Hopefully Gainax will not retread over this and leave well enough alone.

Why? Cause it was funny and was a nice little touch. I wasn't asking for a complete reading of Hawkings theories, I meant more in a little extra parody bit. Yes, the physics have been gone over before, but they could always go into other stuff about the Gunbuster universe. Haven't you ever wanted a little more out of something you like?

[JELEINEN]

Edit: Another thing that is possible... sometimes there are official english titles the studio wants used instead of a direct translation of the Japanese title... in the second Sakura Taisen OVA each episode had two titles a Japanese title and an English title and they were not close to each other... I've even seen this done for things wich are not going to get an English release... So it is possible "Gunbuster" was ment to be the English title all along and "Aim for the Top" was ment to be the Japanese title... cause Japanese people would recognize the ref. to Aim for Ace and English people wouldn't, so they gave them the more dynamic title Gunbuster... that's just a random thought.

Given the time in which it was made, I think that's highly unlikely. That was a few years before anime became a regular export as anything other than re-written and dubbed fodder for American television.

[Valkyrie]

As for the title being added to the Japanese name, ガンバスター literally translates to gamba star, which probably evolved into the romanized Gunbuster we are all familiar with.

Actually, that's not true. The only thing ガンバスター definitively means is ganbasutaa.

Any word written in katakana is nothing more than a series of sounds from the japanese syllabary, strung together to aproximate the pronunciation of a foreign word. So the meaning of katakana words can be a bit subjective. And you can rarely trust Babblefish translations of them

For example, while スター (sutaa) written on its own could mean 'star', that same スター could form the '-ster' in 'Gunbuster". Same characters, same sounds, different meanings.

So in the end, it's all about context. What's Gamba Star mean in relation to Top wo Nerae?

[Noriko Takaya]

Actually, that's not true. The only thing ガンバスター definitively means is ganbasutaa.

For example, while スター (sutaa) written on its own could mean 'star', that same スター could form the '-ster' in 'Gunbuster". Same characters, same sounds, different meanings.

So in the end, it's all about context. What's Gamba Star mean in relation to Top wo Nerae?

Actually, that loose translation came from Nemo who owns the Gunbuster site at http://www.biwa.ne.jp/~buj/teikoku.htm. I talk to him every now and then and he actually helped me on the Gunbuster chronology time table which I have been working on. He's a nice guy, but his English is rather limited. He told me the same thing you did in reference to the kanji, but the other version he gave me was easier to remember and sounded the closest.

[bandit29]

A new Gunbuster game is coming to the PS2 on 01/20/05. No word on a US date.

October 15, 2004 - If you've seen Neon Genesis Evangelion, you're probably familiar with anime director Hideaki Anno. Bandai revealed today that Anno's directorial debut, Ace wo Nerae (also known as Gunbuster), will be made into an action-adventure game for the PlayStation 2.

The original Top wo Nerae was a short six chapter "OVA" (original video animation) from 1988. The animation depicted a story of mankind's fight against alien beasts while focusing on two particular girls, Noriko Takaya and Kazumi Amano, who pilot a 200 meter tall Gunbuster super robot. The series is known for how time dilation effects affect its storyline, with characters heading out for week-long deep space missions and returning home to find that ten years have passed while they were gone.

More recently, in addition to a remastered version of the original (set for Japanese release on 10/22), animation studio Gainax has been working on Top wo Nerae 2!, a sequel OVA to the original title. This is scheduled for Japanese release on 11/26.

But the game isn't based off either of these. Instead, Bandai has chosen to base the PS2 title on the 25 episode Top wo Nerae! television series that doesn't actually exist. The OVA was based around the idea that a full 25 episode television show had been produced, but no such show actually exists. The PS2 Top wo Nerae allows players to experience what this television show would have been like.

Each of the game's 25 episodes is comprised of an adventure part and an action part. In the adventure part, you're free to move around as Noriko in a 3D world, locking on to items and people to investigate further or make conversation. Moving to the right area and speaking to the right person will cause events and mini games (a jump rope game is known to be in the game) to occur. You can even make Noriko board a Buster machine to move around and take part in practice fights.

Depending on what you do in the adventure part, the action-based latter half of the episode will change, with a different partner joining you in battle. The action parts place you in the Gunbuster machine and allow you to perform all the trademark moves like the Buster Beam, Homing Laser and Super Lighting Kick, with Noriko shouting out the commands with just as much enthusiasm as she does in the show.

With twenty-five stages and the ability to see a part of Ace wo Nerae that's never before been seen, we have a feeling fans of the show will want to check out the PS2 title. A Japanese release is planned for 1/20/2005, perfect timing for an influx of new fans from the new OVA.

http://ps2.ign.com/articles/557/557501p1.html

[JELEINEN]

Did that article not have an editor?

[lord_breetai]

A new Gunbuster game is coming to the PS2 on 01/20/05. No word on a US date.

October 15, 2004 - If you've seen Neon Genesis Evangelion, you're probably familiar with anime director Hideaki Anno. Bandai revealed today that Anno's directorial debut, Ace wo Nerae (also known as Gunbuster), will be made into an action-adventure game for the PlayStation 2.

The original Top wo Nerae was a short six chapter "OVA" (original video animation) from 1988. The animation depicted a story of mankind's fight against alien beasts while focusing on two particular girls, Noriko Takaya and Kazumi Amano, who pilot a 200 meter tall Gunbuster super robot. The series is known for how time dilation effects affect its storyline, with characters heading out for week-long deep space missions and returning home to find that ten years have passed while they were gone.

More recently, in addition to a remastered version of the original (set for Japanese release on 10/22), animation studio Gainax has been working on Top wo Nerae 2!, a sequel OVA to the original title. This is scheduled for Japanese release on 11/26.

But the game isn't based off either of these. Instead, Bandai has chosen to base the PS2 title on the 25 episode Top wo Nerae! television series that doesn't actually exist. The OVA was based around the idea that a full 25 episode television show had been produced, but no such show actually exists. The PS2 Top wo Nerae allows players to experience what this television show would have been like.

Each of the game's 25 episodes is comprised of an adventure part and an action part. In the adventure part, you're free to move around as Noriko in a 3D world, locking on to items and people to investigate further or make conversation. Moving to the right area and speaking to the right person will cause events and mini games (a jump rope game is known to be in the game) to occur. You can even make Noriko board a Buster machine to move around and take part in practice fights.

Depending on what you do in the adventure part, the action-based latter half of the episode will change, with a different partner joining you in battle. The action parts place you in the Gunbuster machine and allow you to perform all the trademark moves like the Buster Beam, Homing Laser and Super Lighting Kick, with Noriko shouting out the commands with just as much enthusiasm as she does in the show.

With twenty-five stages and the ability to see a part of Ace wo Nerae that's never before been seen, we have a feeling fans of the show will want to check out the PS2 title. A Japanese release is planned for 1/20/2005, perfect timing for an influx of new fans from the new OVA.

http://ps2.ign.com/articles/557/557501p1.html

To me it sounds like Sakura Taisen the Gunbuster years... honestly thats what it sounds like, Sakura Taisen... really it does.

[areaseven]

Dumbasses at IGN called the series Ace wo Nerae!, mistaking the series with the anime it's parodying.

[F-ZeroOne]

Well... I saw a bit of Ace wo Nerae! the other day.

I think IGN only got it half wrong... (Gunbuster being Ace wo Nerare! with giant robots, solar-system crushing battles, black hole bombs, and of course, Gainax bounce... )

Edited October 16, 2004 by F-ZeroOne

[Duke Togo]

Anybody see a subbed release pop up yet? Only thing I've seen is the raw rip.

[lord_breetai]

Anybody see a subbed release pop up yet? Only thing I've seen is the raw rip.

http://www.animesuki.com/series.php/486.html errr of the OVA itself? Yes the frist epsiode.

[Duke Togo]

Jesus, how did I miss that? I check AnimeSuki every friggin day...

[Gaijin]

Dumbasses at IGN called the series Ace wo Nerae!, mistaking the series with the anime it's parodying.

They still called the Macross PS2 game Robotech and veritech fighters too.

[lord_breetai]

Dumbasses at IGN called the series Ace wo Nerae!, mistaking the series with the anime it's parodying.

They still called the Macross PS2 game Robotech and veritech fighters too.

Well that's easier to understand if annoying... I saw a walk-through for Super Robot Wars Alpha that called Hikaru Rick and treated all of the Macross/DYRL plot portions of the game as if they were Robotech... You kinda expect it after 20 years of it don't you?

I mean it sucks but what are you going to do, strap every video gamer in the world down make them watch Robotech and Macross back to back? "See This is Robotech and this is the much better Macross... never confuse them again!!!"

[Mercurial Morpheus]

Checking out the Lunar sub, it appears they've never seen the original Gunbuster. The translated "Inazuma Kick" as "Onee-sama Kick". It is hard to hear, but any fan of the original knows what she's saying. I could be wrong though, it is very muffled. It's kind of like how the (thankfully) defunct Anime Junkies fansub group mistranslated "Protoculture" as "Protocol". In that case, the line was clear, showing how bad they were.

[lord_breetai]

Checking out the Lunar sub, it appears they've never seen the original Gunbuster. The translated "Inazuma Kick" as "Onee-sama Kick". It is hard to hear, but any fan of the original knows what she's saying. I could be wrong though, it is very muffled. It's kind of like how the (thankfully) defunct Anime Junkies fansub group mistranslated "Protoculture" as "Protocol". In that case, the line was clear, showing how bad they were.

Dangaioh's Psychic Wave becomes Sidekick Wave...

This is kinda common... at first I thought it was a joke... the Inazuma Kick it was her own version that was the Oneesama kick... Then I listned to it again and it was Inazuma... The Oneesama didn't make much sense anyways... But they might have been confused since US Renditions called it Plasma kick anyways... *shrugs* whatever... we all know what she was saying.

[Mercurial Morpheus]

My US Renditions tape says "Thunder Kick" for the first episode, then "Lightning Kick" for the rest. Still, it goes to show that they haven't seen the first one. Onee-same Kick doesn't make sense at all anyway.

[Seven]

Any news on when the second episode will be released?

[Mercurial Morpheus]

Considering that the first DVD isn't out, I'd would guess anytime soon.

[Seven]

Considering that the first DVD isn't out, I'd would guess anytime soon.

I thought this was an OVA? What's the deal with the fansubbed rips floating around? Were the raws obtained off of a rental only video?

[wolfx]

Considering that the first DVD isn't out, I'd would guess anytime soon.

I thought this was an OVA? What's the deal with the fansubbed rips floating around? Were the raws obtained off of a rental only video?

Apparently the 1st episode was released on TV so that people will buy the future episodes on DVD. Apparently Macross Zero was also like that.

Edited October 20, 2004 by wolfx

[Mercurial Morpheus]

A lot of OVAs are like that now. It kind of takes the point out of OAV.