Kara Dennison
October 27, 2023 
It’s never been easier to watch Gunbuster! The 1988 OVA is now available to watch in its entirety on Crunchyroll. Fans who have seen it before know it’s full of heart, action, and gorgeous art. But if you’ve only ever heard about it in conversation until now, your time has come.
Here are just a few reasons why it’s time for you to join the many enjoyers of this classic Gainax title.
Subbed and Dubbed!
We’re big believers in watching anime in whatever way works best for you. Sadly, Gunbuster has had a lot of difficulties on that front. When it did finally get an official release via boutique label Honnêamise, it was only for a limited time. And, regrettably for dub enjoyers, it was without an English-language dub track.
Fortunately, the dub vs. sub war is over for this vintage title! The new release comes with an English dub track, so you can immerse yourself in the show in whichever way works best for you.
100% Completion
Gunbuster’s many forms tend to come with some sort of catch. In some releases, some of the iconic music has been replaced. And for a while, you could only stream the movie cut. This kept all the intense action scenes intact, but lost a lot of character development for main girl Noriko.
It’s been years—decades, even—since U.S. audiences have been able to watch the show as intended. And now it’s not only available, it’s easy! So if you’ve only seen the show in recent years, it’s worth coming back in again to see it with all its moving parts.
Anime History in Action
These are all great reasons to watch now if you’ve simply been putting it off. If you’re wondering “Why Gunbuster at all?” then allow us to elaborate. Besides being a fun mash-up of Aim for the Ace! and Top Gun, it’s a tear-jerking story of young love, heroism, and the bonds that exist across time. The final episode will almost certainly have you crying.
Need more reasons? The OVA is the first-ever anime directorial work of Hideaki Anno. This anime legend would go on to direct Neon Genesis Evangelion (among others). It also features character designs by Haruhiko Mikimoto of Macross fame. And the show itself would pave the way for the larger-than-life mecha series like GaoGaiGar, Gurren-Lagann, and others. (Many of which start with “G,” we’re noticing.)
Convinced? Watch Gunbuster right now on Crunchyroll!
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