keiko777

Gunbuster is by no means bad.  Its characters are likeable and its plot is interesting.  But, its main characters simply aren't that well developed, and for every awesome scene, there are long stretches of mediocrity.  Especially the first two episodes are quite trite, but later, there is definitely an improvement in later episodes.  I think the real problem this show suffers from is its short length, which simply doesn't allow the characters to become unique enough to sympathize with, at least to the extent the audience needs to for this to be a truly great anime.  For example, there is a character who shows up for only one episode, who greatly affects the mian characters actions, and I just couldn't bring myself to care about their relationship, because he was there for too short a time.  Having said that, these characters are charming, and even if we the audience aren't sure of their intentions, we do learn them by the end, without any dramatic reveals (for which I am grateful.)  They are realistic, and this show does explore certain implications of space travel, especially regarding time, in a pretty thought-provoking way.

This OVA is old, but the animation. like the show, isn't bad.  The movements of the characters weren't jerky enough to be distracting, except a little bit near the beginning, and the breasts of our teenage protagonist are always rendered in magnificent detail.  The character designs are pretty, and the designs of the space monsters were creepy, but also beautiful in their own.

I would recommend this show, but I wouldn't want anyone to go into this with the highest expectations, because I think you'll be disappointed.  I must admit that I don't understand why this shows up on so many poeple's favorite lists, but I was entertained, and I did end up feeling for the characters.