Top wo Nerae 2! Diebuster

Generations have passed since the war with the Space Monsters started, and none remain who know how it began, with even records of those times being scarce. It is a lost cause, but humanity still fights against them, relying on the "Topless": a group of elite space pilots with special powers that allow them to use the Buster Machines—the last hope against the Space Monsters.

Nono, a girl from a remote Martian town, has heard tales all her life of the legendary pilot "Nono-Riri," and wants nothing more than to leave her humble life behind and follow in the footsteps of her idol. Though she has no idea of the dangers that lie ahead, nothing will stop her from achieving her dream. While Nono is down on her luck, she chances upon the lonesome Topless pilot Lal'C Melk Mark, and decides to stake her entire future on following Lal'C, no matter the cost.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Nono Main

Fukui, Yukari Japanese

Melk Mark, Lal'C Main

Sakamoto, Maaya Japanese

Science, Tycho Main

Sawashiro, Miyuki Japanese

Takashiro, Casio Supporting

Yamazaki, Takumi Japanese

Vacheron, Nicola Supporting

Iwata, Mitsuo Japanese

Nigo Supporting

Hatori Supporting

Umezu, Hideyuki Japanese

Sasaki, Shirou Producer, Planning

Yasuda, Takeshi Producer

Kunisaki, Hisanori Producer

Tsurumaki, Kazuya Director, Episode Director, Storyboard, Key Animation, Planning

Reviews

Aug 27, 2024

rooster_

Recommended

If Gunbuster announced the birth of Gainax, Diebuster does the same for Trigger, although the studio wouldn't actually exist until years later. It revisits the story of hope and determination of Gunbuster and rephrases it for a new generation. It doesn't have a lot of new things to say, but it's savvy in its reuse of Gunbuster's most iconic gestures and moments, and has a very touching ending. More to the point, it's exemplary of the visual language that Trigger would later become known for, with its squiggly character designs and sensory-overload action scenes ocurring at mind-boggling, cosmic scale. It's a great example of a ... show that increases exponentially in scale with every episode. In a way it feels more like a celebration of Gunbuster than its own thing, but it's also a ton of fun, and it's not like Gunbuster doesn't merit celebration.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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May 1, 2021

YamaGucci_g00n3y

Mixed Feelings

To sum it up, this anime is essentially Evangelion and FLCL combined into a cesspool of GAINAX cliches.

By no means is this OVA necessarily bad, but it feels contrived. GAINAX plots are notorious for being indecipherable, and unsurprisingly, this show's plot is overly elliptical in its pacing, pun intended. It does have a cohesive plot once you do some brainstorming, but like I said, there's hardly time for most viewers to weigh in to connect the dots. I found myself pausing time again to grasp what was happening.

I feel like there's always an effort on part of GAINAX loyalists ... to read too far into the studio's plots -- like they do so for EVA and FLCL. Don't get me wrong. I absolutely love EVA, and I really enjoyed FLCL. However, it was admitted that Evangelion used religious symbolism just to merely look cool, and yet there are a number of folks who insist it has substantial philosophical depth. EVA does have philosophical depth, but its depth belongs in its characters rather than obscure lore.

Likewise, The best aspects of Gunbuster 2 are the characters and their internal struggles and ambitions. The animation is also top-tier for its time and has a strong FLCL flare.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Aug 3, 2024

Sp1cyCrab

Not Recommended

Didn't like the first one, don't like the second one too.

For a show purely about spectacle that doesn't want you to think (the enemy alien race is just called Space Monsters) it does like to talk and explain a lot. It's slightly less horny than Gunbuster (but still unnecessary so). It doesn't pretend to be Real Robot, what you see in the first episode is what you get.

Nono is a more enjoyable protagonist than Noriko. She is endearing, clumsy but full of conviction. The animation in general is great and CGI robots are ok.

It suffers the same issue: it doesn't know what its trying to ... say. There are cool concepts here and there that don't have time to be explored.

As others reviewers said, Diebuster is so different from the original, that if you like Gunbuster you probably won't like Diebuster. But if you didn't like Gunbuster, then you'll notice exactly the same weak points that makes watching Diebuster an incredibly dull experience.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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Studio Gaina Announces Four New Projects

The official website for Studio Gaina has announced four new projects. The projects are Aoki Uru, which has been in production since 2013, a new series in the Top w...read more

Sep 7, 2018 3:50 AM by tsubasalover | Discuss (29 comments)

	Poll: Top wo Nerae! 2 Episode 6 Discussion ( 1 2 3 ) MK - Aug 12, 2008	148 replies	by Kiikani »» Jan 4, 12:22 PM
	Underrated Masterpiece 🔥❤🌎🌕🌞💫🌟✨💥🌤🌈 SoloNecromancer - Nov 16, 2024	10 replies	by SoloNecromancer »» Nov 22, 2024 11:06 AM
	Poll: Top wo Nerae! 2 Episode 5 Discussion Veethorn - May 15, 2010	28 replies	by saberriderninja »» Aug 2, 2024 12:39 AM
	Poll: Top wo Nerae! 2 Episode 3 Discussion Ston3_FreeN7 - Aug 20, 2009	38 replies	by saberriderninja »» Jul 25, 2024 11:16 PM
	Poll: Top wo Nerae! 2 Episode 4 Discussion DonKangolJones - Sep 19, 2009	48 replies	by Adriannitro »» Dec 22, 2023 4:00 PM

Top wo Nerae!: Gainax's Precursor to Evangelion and Gurren Lagann

Gunbuster and Diebuster: Two titles that represent different turning points in Gainax's history and serve as the precursors to their more renowned works, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Gurren Lagann. Does the appeal of these OVAs extend beyond their legacy? Let's find out.

by MFA_Community

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