The story begins in 2023, not long after humanities first contact with insectoid aliens threatening their existence. Humanity, needing to defend themselves, develop massive space battleships, mechs, and the people to pilot them in order to defeat these invaders.
Noriko Takaya is the main focus whom is a trainee pilot. She wants to go into space in order to find her father or get revenge for him whom died in the first encounter with the insectoids. She, at first, has zero talent for piloting the mechs but is picked out anyways by the coach to be one of the two that heads into space to join the fight. Joining her on the journey is Kazumi Amano, the ace of the school and partner. Together they face the trauma of war, and Noriko must also face the doubts of her peers, and her own lack of confidence.
This anime is animated extremely well and the music matches up perfectly with the time it was made. There are interesting aspects that are done well such as the passage of time from space and to Earth. The lessons it teaches along the way is extremely interesting such as the mech designs as time passes to the hard science involved with the evolving storyline. Episode 6 in the OVA is the most standout. Not just because it is the last one, but due to it being all in monochrome. It has super robot elements, but the slow development over the first three episodes is all a set up for the trials ahead in the last three.
With the masterful storytelling and the progression of the main character Noriko, more than makes up for the occasional fan-service and super robot elements. Do not miss Gunbuster.
