Gainax no Video IV: Gunbuster & Diebuster (1988-1989, 2004, 2006)

This is a part of a series on the home video releases of Studio Gainax. For more info, click here.

Last updated October 9th, 2022

Jump to:

• Gunbuster (OVA)
• Gunbuster 2 / Diebuster (OVA)
• Gunbuster vs. Diebuster: The Movie
• Conclusion

Gunbuster (OVA)

Between 1988 and 1989, Gainax would release a 6-part OVA by the name of Top o Nerae! (Aim for the Top!), which would be renamed Gunbuster for its international release. Over the years, Gunbuster would bounce from licensor to licensor, and the OVA would receive numerous minor edits over the years, which makes any list quite complicated, so before we get into the releases themselves, a word on the edits (Note: the following descriptions may be mildly NSFW):

Version A (Unedited)

This is the completely unedited, original Japanese release, and is available only on the very first run of Japanese VHS tapes.

Version B (“The Bath Cut”)

No one is exactly sure why, but starting with the Japanese LaserDisc release, there was a minor edit in episode 5 during the bath scene, a shot of public hair was cut. All future releases, on any format, anywhere in the world, feature this edit.

Version C (“The UK Cut”)

When Gunbuster was licensed by Kiseki Films for a UK release, they made a few minor edits in order to avoid a “15” rating from the BBFC. While I can’t find a complete list of changes made, it appears that they were mostly related to female nudity. This version also includes all edits made in Version B (“The Bath Cut”). While the UK releases themselves are out of scope of this article, its still worth mentioning the edits they made, in order to clear up some confusion you may see online.

Version D (“The Bandai Cut”)

Episode 1 of Gunbuster features approximately 65 seconds of music that toes the line between “inspired by” and “blatant ripoff”. When Bandai took over US distribution for the series, they made a minor edit to this music, likely out of fear of a lawsuit. This edit also includes all the changes from Version B (“The Bath Cut”), but not those from Version C (“The UK Cut”). All US releases from this point on use this version, but Japanese releases do not, and are still based on Version B.

The first company in North America to pick up Gunbuster was U.S. Renditions, who released the series over 3 subtitled VHS tapes. The initial printings featured black covers over white, plastic clamshell cases with no barcode printed on the back, despite being assigned one in USR’s catalog. Later, volume 1 (and only volume 1) would be reprinted with a black plastic clamshell case, and a slightly revised cover that included not only a barcode, but the new and slightly revised USR logo. Volume 1 would receive yet another printing some time later, this time with the box art from the 2nd printing, but now on a simple cardboard sleeve instead of a plastic clamshell. Volumes 2 and 3 oddly never got either of these reprints.

In 1994, British company Manga Entertainment would purchase U.S. Rendition’s sister company L.A. Hero, and establish Manga Entertainment (US). As part of this, many former USR/LA Hero titles, Gunbuster included, were transferred to Manga, who gave them new releases. To the best of my knowledge, the Manga Entertainment release of Gunbuster is almost identical to the U.S. Renditions one, other than a change in cover art and on-tape trailers, but I cannot confirm this as a fact. Many people seek out the USR releases, as the Manga releases dropped the plastic clamshells and switched to cardboard sleeves, and as such, they tend to be quite a bit cheaper.

After this Manga’s rights would expire, and Gunbuster would fall out of print in the US, until Bandai Visual USA announced they had acquired the rights in 2006. In a truly bizarre move, to hold off “true fans” until their proper DVD set was complete, they announced a Japanese-language only set. Exclusive to Kinokuniya USA bookstores, and reportedly on sale for less than a month, this set was almost identical to the 2004 Japanese DVD, with just two differences. First, the discs were region free, instead of region 2, and second, the barcode on the bottom of the box was gone. Those were the only changes. To reiterate, this set is Japanese only. There is no dub, and there are no subtitles. If you’re truly obsessed with Gunbuster, it may be worth tracking down this release, just for the novelty of a set they maybe made 100 of, but other than that, any other release is likely a better once to pick up.

Three months later, Bandai Visual USA (in partnership with distributor Image Entertainment) would release their “proper” DVD set of Gunbuster. This release was the first one to include the “Science Lessons” subtitled in English, and includes many (but not all) of the extras from the 2004 Japanese DVD. However, this release is also the first to feature the “Version D” edits, so it’s not a perfect replacement for the old VHS tapes.

Bandai Visual USA would be folded into sister company Bandai Entertainment in 2009, and completely shut down in 2012. Afterwords, Gunbuster would fall out of print, which it would remain until Discotek Media announced they had rescued the OVA in 2021. They also announced that they would be producing a dub, long thought impossible due to the missing music and effects track. While Discotek’s Blu-ray is still not available as of the time of this writing, some details have come out. It will be Version D, as per licensor demands, and it will feature “a ton” of extras.

Diebuster / Gunbuster 2 (OVA)

In 2004, Gainax would produce a sequel to Gunbuster titled Top o Nerae! 2: Diebuster, which would be renamed Gunbuster 2 for its international release. Like its prequel, Gunbuster 2 was licensed by Bandai Visual USA for release in North America on DVD in 2007 over 3 volumes. The next year, Bandai Visual USA was folded into its sister company, Bandai Entertainment, and all three volumes were re-released. These re-releases are identical other than the UPC and SKU (which in this case was just a sticker on the shrinkwrap), and can essentially be considered the same release.

Just like Gunbuster, Gunbuster 2 would fall out of print when Bandai Entertainment left the North American market, and like Gunbuster, Gunbuster 2 would be rescued by Discotek Media, but their re-release of it would happen far sooner that its prequel, and was released in 2013. This release looks nearly identical to the Bandai release, and has the same set of extras, sans the theatrical trailer for Diebuster the Movie.

Gunbuster 2 has been available on Blu-ray in Japan since 2012, but as of this writing, Discotek doesn’t seem interested in bringing it over, and their DVD has seemingly fallen out of print.

Gunbuster vs. Diebuster: The Movie

In 2006, Gainax would release Gunbuster vs. Diebuster, a double feature consisting of two 95-minute compilation films, separated by an intermission. Like the OVAs, the movies were originally licensed by Bandai Visual USA, who released a dizzying number of versions, starting with a DVD release in January 2008, and was available either standalone, or in a bundle with a figurine.

11 months later, Bandai Visual USA would re-release Gunbuster vs. Diebuster, this time on Blu-ray. In addition to a box set, like the DVD release, they also released standalone Blu-rays for each of the films. Each one has their respective film, and the intermission, but not the other, and both are missing the extras disc from the box set. In an interesting move, Bandai Visual actually used the same discs for the Japanese, US, UK, and French releases, and simply section off certain extras depending on if you chose the Japanese menu or not.

After Bandai Visual USA’s rights expired, Maiden Japan would pick up Gunbuster the Movie, but oddly not Diebuster the Movie as well. They would release it on both Blu-ray and DVD. While this release does have more English-translated extras than the standalone Bandai Visual USA release, its missing some of the extras from the box set, lacks the intermission, and is arguably missing the second half of the film without Diebuster.

In 2021, the Maiden Japan label was phased out, and Gunbuster the Movie was transferred to sister brand Sentai Filmworks, where it was re-released on Blu-ray. In theory, this release looks identical to the Maiden Japan Blu-ray, and the only differences are a different logo and some more extras, but I do not own this release to compare.

CONCLUSION

For Gunbuster (OVA), the best release will likely be the Discotek Blu-ray, but until that comes out, the 2007 Bandai Visual USA DVD is the one to get. If you must see the series with the original music, go for any of the VHS releases, as that cut will likely never be reprinted.

For Gunbuster 2 (OVA), all the releases are essentially the same. Go for whichever one you can find the cheapest, which as of the time of this writing, is the Bandai Visual USA one.

For Gunbuster vs. Diebuster, the best release is probably the Bandai Visual USA Blu-ray box set. If you’re a junkie for commentary tracks, I’d also pick up either the Maiden Japan or Sentai releases, but that is in addition to, not as a replacement.