An iconic mecha anime is returning to the spotlight with new merchandise to celebrate its 35th anniversary.
Gunbuster — also known as Aim for the Top! in Japan — was a landmark anime OVA, especially for the then newly established studio Gainax. As revealed via Crunchyroll, more than 30 years later, it will receive new merchandise to commemorate the still highly regarded anime. This includes a scarf featuring Aim for the Top!’s logo, an acrylic stand depicting the OVA’s mecha units, and earrings featuring super-deformed versions of main characters Jung Freud, Kazumi Amano, and Noriko Takaya . An acrylic block keychain, prints of the aforementioned main characters by artist Haruhiko Mikimoto, and the iconic music box from the series finale are other products that will be available.
Fans can also receive a photo opp by making a purchase of at least 3,000 yen (or about $20 USD). These images are of characters from different points throughout Gunbuster, focusing on the three girls but also introducing the male character Trainer. Pre-orders will open on November 26, and shipping is expected to begin around March 2024.
Gunbuster was the directorial debut of Hideaki Anno, who would later create the legendary Neon Genesis Evangelion series – itself a huge success for Gainax and anime in general in the 1990s, with its Surrealism and a sense of deconstruction were a turning point for Japanese animation. Anno has continued to produce similar works in other franchises, including revamps of popular tokusatsu and kaiju properties such as Shin Godzilla and Shin Kamen Rider. Haruhiko Mikimoto is most notable as the artist/designer for the mecha series The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, with his signature style being classic 80s anime.
Gunbuster is both a humorous parody and a serious mecha anime, and its name is even a play on words. It pays tribute to the tennis series Aim for the Ace!, with aerial dogfights and the story’s military academy setting derived from the popularity of the film Top Gun. A sequel titled Diebuster (also known as Gunbuster 2) was released in 2004 to celebrate Gainax’s 20th anniversary.
Despite its age, the original Gunbuster remains immensely popular, receiving many forms of merchandise over the years. The iconic mechanical robot has also appeared in the Super Robot Wars video game series.
Source: Natalie.Mu, Crunchyroll