nils19 - 2017-02-08 04:39:01

I cant call it perfect, but it’s darn close if you ask me.

lbartell - 2015-03-30 09:23:45

Gunbuster was a classic in its genre and fondly remembered by many, but I watched both it and this, Diebuster, its sequel series, in the past few days. So how's the payoff?

First off, you really have to watch Gunbuster to get the most from this. While the setup feels very divorced, you'll have to just trust me on this.

Story is simple, but without much in the way of problems. There's not much to it that wasn't fleshed out better in Gunbuster, which is basically assumed to be known by the audience, it's a battle between humanity and space aliens with nuance in where humanity is headed as they advance, and some spoiler-y developments as the TOPLESS crew comes at odds with the military. Nothing groundbreaking, nothing bad or poorly executed. Pacing can drag in slow scenes, but nothing near how slow Gunbuster could be.

Animation is GAINAX with a good budget. You still get the comical "modern" style with lower budget, but those big scenes ARE BIG SCENES. Having only 6 episodes avoids having to sprinkle in lots of budget shots. Also it continues the tradition from Gunbuster of being R17+ for those... little snippets in a lot of scenes. I guess it is one way to sell people on a mostly female cast.

Sound is great, OP is catchy as hell and the backing tracks are quite good. 

Characters are probably Diebuster's weakest leg, per se. The main cast almost all very likeable characters, and side characters have arcs, but with the 6 episode budget, Gunbuster spent a lot of time dedicated to building up Noriko in those very slow first three episodes. We don't really get that same level of attachment to anyone in Diebuster, even if Nono is adorable.

Enjoyment is a funny topic though, since, I can't discuss it without spoiling, but suffice to say if you've watched Gunbuster and have expectations for Diebuster, they become hugely rewarded. That's all I can say about it. If you watch this show, WATCH GUNBUSTER FIRST. 

I think this is one of those shows that's far greater than the sum of its parts, and it kinda goes for Gunbuster as well. I could point out and complain about flaws in pacing and characters, but I can't say I regret even a second of it. I don't think you will either.

von.myrtis - 2014-07-20 07:06:27

Top wo Nerae! 2 (or Diebuster) is the kinda-sequel / kinda-spiritual successor to Gunbuster. Without spoiling anything, the entire thing was made for puns.

So, a long time after the events of Gunbuster, the Sol System is being attacked by space monsters. An elite group of Buster Machine pilots known as the "Topless" fights to defend the solar system, and a klutzy girl named Nono wants to join them. As it turns out, the Topless are all children (or... not adults, at least), and their powers come from their childlike wonder, or something.

By removing the special seals on their heads (Topless, get it.), they can activate their Buster Machine's "EXOTIKU MANEUVER"s, which allow them to break the laws of physics in various ways. Will Nono be able to prove herself and to join the Topless? Probably.

Story

Honestly I had a hard time following the intricacies what was going on in this series, although the basic plot is pretty simple. There are a bunch of characters that get thrown at you very quickly, some important, some not. The locations are also very  "vague," so it's hard to figure out if they're still on earth, or mars, or what. Also, VLC messed up when I watched it the first time and put me at episode 6 or something after episode 2 without my realizing it. So I was understandably confused trying to keep track of things at first.

Sound + Animation + Characters

But really, the story's not what we're here for. This is basically a tribute to Gunbuster, and to a lesser extent, Gainax itself, so there's lots of gorgeous art to look at, inventive designs, catchy music ("Groooooovin' magic"), and of course, boob jiggles. The animation is great, and while there are a few spots where they CG some of the monsters in, it's not too noticeable. The characters designs are varied and interesting, if slightly cartoony, as are the mechs. If you liked the designs from Gurren Lagann, expect more of the same, because this was made the year before.

Enjoyment

They also play up the fact that the Topless are kids in fun ways, like a new Buster Machine coming off the assembly line in a giant action figure package, complete with accessories and hole to be hung on the shelf. They play homage to the ridiculous scale of Gunbuster as well, at one point constructing a giant engine ring around a planet to accelerate it to lightspeed as a weapon. Obviously, any pretensions of being a "real robot" series that Gunbuster had are long gone (And even further gone when Gainax made Gurren Lagann).

Overall

There are more than a few surprises and "Ooohhhh...." moments in store for you, should you choose to watch Diebuster. And if you like tongue-in-cheek mecha action or wacky Space Age design, give it a shot! Just make sure you watch Gunbuster first for the full effect.