This anime is a must-see for fans of Evangelion. It's an earlier work of Anno Hideaki, but his unrestrained, dramatic style is quite in place. Also, those who didn't like Evangelion might find this release to bit slightly more palatable. Gunbuster is rather unique to sci-fi anime in that it's actually based on real science. In fact, the show has several little "Science Lesson" interludes explaining the physics behind some of the events in the movie. One of the big dramatic points in the film is the relative passage of time at speeds near that of light. The series does a wonderful job of dealing with the imaginably traumatic experience of leaving earth on a six month mission traveling near the speed of light and returning to an Earth where ten years have passed. The main character remains age 17 or 18 throughout the entire series while almost all of the other characters age considerably. Be warned, this show is heavy on the sap at times. It also has a couple of the most wholly unmerited breast shots that I have ever seen. I found it fairly easy to ignore the skimpy uniforms and boo-hoo scenes, because the series is otherwise very good, but viewers with a low sap tolerance might want to stay away from this one. On an interesting note, Gainax, as always, managed to run out of money in the last couple of episodes. However, they managed to use black and white film and still action sketches to produce a good resolution anyway. The ending is a bit silly, but it left me with such a good feeling in my gut I couldn't help but love it. Gunbuster is, in my opinion, one of the finest pieces of Anime around.
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Gainax's follow-up to Royal Space Force: The Wings Of Honneamise (1987) is another beautifully crafted, meticulously designed science-fiction story with a human heart. It also took on the inescapable paradox that most pulp sci-fi ignore: relative time dilation. As Noriko fights in space for a few months, her friends on Earth age fifteen years. Mixing moments of true pathos with some wonderfully silly visuals, Gunbuster can be enjoyed without any knowledge of the history, or anime, it parodies. Noriko, who spends most of the series in gym kit and is animated to bounce and jiggle like any normal, well-rounded teenage girl, was the forerunner of a line of heroines that persists in anime to this day. The two-minute "science-lessons" at the end of several episodes are hilarious, the action sequences are outstanding, and the ending is very moving. Never as successful as Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995), but far more hopeful, this is another must-see. Gunbuster's so-called "fan service" is brazen, with utterly superfluous shots of skimpily clothed girls in training, on the beach, or naked in showers and baths. Indeed Noriko's precocious breasts often have a hard time remaining covered, one being bared - like France's national heroine Marianne - during the ultimate confrontation with the enemy.
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/* slight spoilers */
Way back, before Evangelion was made, before Hideaki Anno was an idol and household name for many anime fans, and before Gainax had reached the status of fanfavorite, Gunbuster was made. With only Wings of Honneamise made by Gainax at that time, and the famous Otakon shorts or course, Gunbuster had some tough acts to follow up. It didn't make it easier on itself by picking out a genre that was already done countless times before, space opera.
Luckily, Gainax decided to put it out as a six-part OAV (direct to video) series. This allows the series to have a bigger scope than would have been possible if it was made into a film. This also prevents it from becoming too boring and overly long, with lots of pointless battles and filler along the way. Besides that, they made some effort to stay clear from the tested space opera mechanics used in Macross or Gundam, and many other popular space operas.
For one, the shows starts out pretty light, with Noriko in the Okinawa High School for mechapiloting. Noriko is the daughter of a respected ship commander who died in battle, when she was still a little kid. This makes her life at the academy quite hard, as some of her fellow classmates start to suspect that Noriko is favored by the professors. The first episode is pretty much a comedy drama, with a very tight focus on the characters and setting of the school. Things quickly change when the threat of an alien invasion is announced, and Noriko and Kazumi (best girl in class) are chosen to help the assembled fleet out.
The middle bulk of Gunbuster leaves our female lead in space, focusing on both personal drama and action. A couple more characters are introduced, and parts of Noriko's past are dragged up again. Besides that, the alien threat becomes more imminent every minute, and the Gunbuster, mankind's final hope, is presented. Smart as writer Okada was, he incorporated the principles of time dilation, to spice things up a bit. In short, time moves slower for those who travel at the speed of light. This means that Noriko can be part of a war that takes almost a century to complete. Also the dramatic aspect of this is accentuated, when Noriko sees her friends again on her return to base, who have aged considerably more than her. The science might not be perfect, but it's presented in a pretty believable way, with even some SD science theatre shorts in between the episodes, where Noriko, Kazumi and their coach give a short description of the scientific principles used in the series.
The animation, for a series made in the 80s, is definitely good. The designs are retro 80s style of course, but it has it's charm. Animation is fluent enough and the character designs are nice, although the costumes do betray
some of the fanservice fascination Gainax will later exploit to the fullest. The mechas throughout the shows are pretty cool too, with the Gunbuster as the ultimate killing machine, strong and vast. The last episode was entirely done in black and white. While it's generally believed (but not confirmed) that this was done for budget reasons, it lends a whole different atmosphere to the series, which is suited perfectly for the latter part.
The music is very typical space opera fair. Too bombastic in places, very generic, and definitely not worth buying. It does fit the series for the most part, but it can become quite annoying at times. Tanaka is not really a famous composer, and the only other respectable series he's worked on is Dragon Half. If you think 80s anime music, you will know what to expect.
As the series progresses, the focus slowly shifts from drama to space opera to epic battle, but in such a way the viewer will hardly notice this. Step by step the drama will be toned down, and the battles will take the front row. Neither aspect is ever left completely out though. With the last episode in sight, Noriko and crew are fighting for the further existence of human kind, and with the last battle in sight, certain questions are presented to the audience, concerning to position of the human race in the galaxy, and how far it can go to guarantee self-preservation. While they are never answered later on, they still present some interesting food for thought. The last episode is very epic, with a nice, but quite predictable ending, though not all endings should contain numerous outlandish twists of course. Again, it fits the series.
Gunbuster may sound like your average space opera anime at first, with alien invasions, huge battles, and some personal drama, and for the bigger part, it is. But it is done exceptionally well for a change. Instead of going for a steady mix of former elements, six episodes long, Gunbuster presents us a change from small scale drama to large scale epic heroism. Along the way we meet with some various interesting and well fleshed-out characters, which mutual relationships changing heavily due to the time dilation phenomenon. The show is very tightly written, although it does tend to slip up at some points. Overly dramatic occurrences and too cheesy mecha attacks could have been easily avoided. Overall, the trip Gunbuster takes you on is a very relaxed, sometimes sad, sometimes heroic one. It might not have shattered the boundaries and limits of the space opera genre, but at least it bend them a little. Highly enjoyable anime classic, but not without flaws.
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Noriko-Takaya10 March 2004Aim For The Top! Gunbuster is one of those anime series which has classic written all over it. I totally loved this series, and to this day, it remains my favorite anime. And while it was not Gainax's first animated product, it was their first OVA series.
Mainly starting out as a parody of the 1970's sports drama Aim For The Ace (Ace O Nerae!), Gunbuster picks up steam as a serious drama toward the ending of episode 2, when Noriko Takaya is forced to relive the death of her father, who was killed in mankind's initial encounter with the insect race Humanity is at war with. It is because of her father's death that Noriko wants to become a combat pilot. But her lack of confidence proves to get in the way at times and she falters. Her friend, Kazumi Amano, even has doubts about Noriko being chosen as a pilot. However, Noriko's coach, Koichiro Ota, has faith in her. And he has made it his personal mission to see that she succeeds at becoming a pilot, for he was a survivor of the battle in which Noriko's father was killed.
Other characters include Jung-Freud, a Russian combat pilot assigned to serve with the squadron Noriko and Kazumi belong to, Smith Toren, a love interest for Noriko who is killed in their first sortie together, and Kimiko Higuchi, Noriko's childhood friend. Kimiko's involvement is also of interest, as while Noriko is off in space, Kimiko remains behind on Earth to live a normal life. And because of the acts of time dilation, Kimiko ages normally on Earth while Noriko is relatively the same age as when she left school. By the end of the series, Noriko is roughly 18 years old while Kimiko is in her mid-fifties.
All in all, this is an excellent anime series to watch if you are a fan of giant robot mecha and of Gainax animation. If you like Hideaki Anno's other shows, or are a fan of Haruhiko Mikimoto's artwork, then give this show a chance. It will grow on you. -
DonaldDooD25 July 2014I rarely deliver 10 out of 10s. Such a work must be ambitious, highly produced, realistic, relateable, emotional. Essentially flawless. So when I say Gunbuster is great, it comes from the bottom of my heart. Its the best anime I've watched, and even beats almost all movies I've seen.
At first, Gunbuster seems like standard fare. Hostile aliens have entered our galaxy, so the nations of Earth must prepare for battle. Noriko is an inexperienced high school student, forced to be something more by a stern, biased coach. Can she succeed - or even survive - in the vast vacuum of space? Alien invasion stories have been done dozens of times, but none are as focused on character, nor have such a perfect aesthetic.
Despite technically a mecha/super robot anime, there are surprisingly few fight scenes. Its a character-driven series, where we see Noriko deal with her hardships and mature. The other characters are also very solid, likable, and three-dimensional. Nobody is annoying or contrived. When they succeed, you are cheering in your seat. When they are devastated, it feels like a jackhammer to your heart.
If you're a fan of 80s/90s anime, Gunbuster's animation is among the best. Especially the detail! The attention on spaceships, mechs, consoles, and aliens is great. If you loved the art of Cowboy Bebop, you should love this. And the score! The pop and "space opera" pieces excellently convey the tone. Gunbuster has the rare moments where the actions and emotion on screen synch perfectly with the soundtrack in our ears. I couldn't image the best moments of the series without this!
I cannot recommend Gunbuster highly enough. Its short length (6 episodes) means you have little to lose, but so much to gain. Its emotional, beautiful, even awesome...and the only movie/anime/television series to make me cry. An unmatched masterpiece -
darthnavatar20 August 2021I am Japanese anime fun.
This anime is very old.
But I think very good animation and SF. -
framer945 September 2002This anime is typical of the style used in many cheesy 80's production due to the upheaval in the economy at the time, but dawns on the hard working, yet peanut paid animators.
With most Space anime, there is only one goal is foccuss-- to engage the enemy in combat noisily, and take 'em down with an outrageously rapid feat of lighting shows. I've forgotten the story, but it revolves around the human race pitted against an alien invasion fleet in some 300 years hence, using the latest and greatest in combat technolodgy to tear then up good.
The story is moderate, and not at all garbage, but at times the fragile,sentimental side of things can really get under your skin...like when the girls are continously sobbing in their cheesy, skimpy spandex costumes. The best bits are the action sequences though.
The character design isn't that hot, but the mecha sequences are something else; with fluent, well drawn, carefully painted cels. The organic alien design is also unique as well, despite they're mostly slowly progressing cardboard cutouts. In the later part of the series, the colour is dropped to black and white for some unknown reason, maiking the 'watchability' of the anime go from strength to strength, but consistantly holding a drab atomsphere.
You have to give the studio credit for the epic, thought-provoking,and highly origional ending though. One solid fact I can hold about this show is that the exeptional quality of the animation is always consistant. A good watch ***6/10*** -
ExpNoob195 June 2018For a six episode miniseries Gunbuster (1988) is somehow able to cover all of the narrative requirements of a full length anime series. As Hideaki Anno's directorial debut some of the concepts and ideas he is well known for are explored here, though not to the same degree and scale of his more well known show "Neon Genesis Evangelion". Most of the focus of the show is placed on the continuation of the overall plot with a fair amount of time focused on the development and inner thoughts of the main character Noriko. The story is mainly focused on the idea of how light-speed travel distorts time, and based on that the show is able to deliver some memorable and emotional moments typically not found in series' of this short length. Some complaints I have with this show is how the first episode is painfully 80's (if that makes sense) and tonally doesn't transition well into the rest of the series. Another thing I didn't like is how the first instance of nudity felt very undeserved and inserted in for the sake of appealing to an older audience. Gunbuster is still however a great anime that should be used as a reference for future miniseries'.
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Almost like a preamble for Neon Genesis Evangelion but without its too philosophical ending and with a bit of silliness. The science fiction in this is extensively researched and mostly works with the existing theories of that time even though certain liberties are taken in including some rejected theories. But it never tries to give much exposition on anything. This highly intelligent side is covered with some sappy and silly stuff too which kind of doesn't make too much sense to me. The time warping is used as the main source for emotional narrative here way before Interstellar. The details of animation and the emotion created by it is the best things about this even with all these other factors.
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bcnkor5 January 2022This is one of the many animated movies in the Giant Mecha Japan space, which is a masterpiece. With a great story, narration, staging that are very good. A great job from the entire team that carried it out.
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phanthinga5 February 2018Gunbuster a early successful of Gainax studio in the mecha genre that I find myself get suck in the world and the characters when it touch many interesting aspect of travel through time and space and most importantly how people cope with in a world of rapid change.At first I don't find Noriko the main character to be admirable or reliable cause she spent most of her time crying and whining about how people look down on her despite clearly know why.Gunbuster don't deserve to be just a 6 episode OVA so I hope Gainax or Trigger will remake someday
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hellraiser710 September 2014None of use ever have enough time because time never always moves at the pace we want it to go, there are times it goes fast, slow, medium but no matter what speed it goes it is always fleeting and so are our lives with it.
This is one of my favorite animes of all time. This mini series despite being a lot of fun is also is also one of the saddest I've ever seen.
The animation I think is great and holds up today, from the character designs but my favorite the Gunbuster mecha. It's just awesome looking and is also really powerful, it's always a lot of fun seeing the funcions of it utilized. The music is also great, I really love the theme song which is one of the best themes I've ever heard and is a personal favorite of mine.
However what truly powers it is in the story and characters. It's not just another mecha action story but it's also a time travel story and I think it's one of the best. I really love how this show played with the concept of time dilation which is similar to Joe Hademan's "The Forever War" which was also about a soldier as he continued to fight aliens on another planet time on earth moves faster.
The thing about the mecha is that it's a machine that can go up in space and move light speed fast which means that a lot of the alien threat will be decimated quicker and the odds will be more even. But there is a catch, from how quick the mecha runs time on earth moves quickly, where just a mere amount of minutes can equal a certain amount of years gone by.
The characters are great I like Noriko, she the typical rookie fiery cheerful determined heroine. At first with her at times you think she might not be spiritually strong enough or she in it for all the wrong reasons which at times we question if she is able to do what she should. But she is able to come though which is part of why she's enduring but she is also emotionally engaging which I'll get to latter.
However the character that is my favorite is Kazumi, whom is a little older than Noriko which makes her slightly mature but also the most emotionally engaging in my book. I really like how she is fiery and feisty but how she has strong feelings toward things.
Which is where the drama of the mini series comes in which I'll admit I found really moving but also at the same time really sad. We see how deeply the whole time dilation experience effects both of them when we see certain characters all age and become older than both Noriko and Kazumi. Due to the ages of some of them it makes their relationship with those people difficult and different due to the difference in age and their changes. Which is I'll admit can be an awful feeling know your friends have gotten older which means how long you've not been a part of their lives, it's a lonely feeling. This is the kind of feeling that most solders after a tour of duty have felt, when they went back to their home town nothing is the same because everything changes as they were away which is why they have trouble adjusting to our present day. Noriko despite her endless determination is deeply affected by this and can't help at times wonder if she really is using her time right or just wasting it.
Though to me the most affecting was with Kazumi whom we see loves the Coach but unfortunately he has a certain disease which has reduced his biological clock. We really sucks because due to her involvement in piloting the mecha with Noriko it means she'll lose the limited time with the one she loves which was the time she wanted to spend with the most. That's also really awful, unable to spend time with the one you love let alone friends in your life. You can say this dilemma she has is a lesson to show, we should spend as much time with our significant others and friends for as long as we can and while we have the chance because they won't be around forever and you never know when the next day with them could be the last.
There are themes of coming of age, but what sets this apart from most of those stories are it's on the awareness of time and age and that youth isn't forever. But also on how much solders truly sacrifice, it's not just innocence but time itself. It then comes down to an ending which I thought was really bittersweet which I'll admit put a tear in my eye.
Spend your time wisely, time is forever but we don't live forever.
Rating: 4 stars -
I screened this before letting my son watch it. This probably shouldn't have a U rating, apart from the skimpy uniforms and breast physics there is a bath scene containing full frontal nudity in the 2nd episode. Not saying I didn't enjoy it lol, but it might be a bit much for an 11 year old.
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Marking Hideaki Anno's directorial debut and regarded as the spiritual predecessor to the critically acclaimed Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gunbuster is nothing short of a classic. Comprised of only 6 episodes, each a mere 25 minutes, Gunbuster makes for a quick and easy watch. Despite its short duration, it provides plenty to think about.
{ Story 7/10 } To put it bluntly, the first 2-3 episodes of Gunbuster suck. Character motivations make little sense and plot elements lack any reason behind them. Very little of interest happens in these first few episodes and the things that do happen really shouldn't have in the first place. To their credit, the mystery of the aliens plaguing mankind and their interesting designs do provide some intrigue, though it isn't explored extensively within these episodes. At best, they deserve a 5/10 for at least providing some semblance of continuity and not being entirely unwatchable. On the other hand, Gunbuster's final episodes are absolutely fantastic. They bring a concept I've yet to see elsewhere in Sci-Fi (except in the movie Interstellar), the idea that travelling at the speed of light causes the traveller to experience a distorted sense of time. With this comes the heartbreak of seeing childhood friends grow up in what seems like months to the person travelling. Off fighting the aliens threatening humanity, the main character, Noriko, is faced with this exact problem but must keep moving forward (both literally and figuratively). It creates a sense of isolation in that the world is moving on without Noriko and gives the second half a more depressing, melancholy mood. Gunbuster's slightly controversial final episode is one I found to be absolutely phenomenal and very emotional with its use of a sacrifice beyond that of even death. Though I'll admit it is a bit cheesy, its bittersweet finale has stuck with me as one of the best, if not the greatest, anime endings of all time (or endings, period). I found this to be surprising, considering it was only given 6 episodes of buildup; however, Gunbuster managed to pull off a memorable and emotional ending in a timespan I'd previously thought would make such a feat impossible. The jump in story quality for the last few episodes earn themselves a 9/10 as they yield a plot that's expertly told (ironically despite Hideaki Anno being an amateur at the time). Sadly, let down by its first episodes which are required viewing for the series, Gunbuster's story is hurt considerably.
{ Characters 5/10 } The characters of Gunbuster are about as flat as I've seen. Very little depth is given to its rather small cast of characters, though I suppose nothing more should be expected of a 6 episode series. One character in particular, Freud Jung, is the perfect example of a terribly written character, with her personality switching on the fly to suit the story. The side characters of Gunbuster; however, are not its focus. Noriko, being the main character, receives proper development and feels like a real human. Her upward climb to reach the top, lack of self-confidence to do so, struggle to come to terms with being responsible for another person's death, and the toll of light speed travel, among other things, are all well portrayed in Noriko's character. The difficulties she's faced with and her responses to them feel genuine; as though they make a permanent impact on her personality. In short, Gunbuster's overall character quality is hurt by its poor side characters, even if its main character is well written.
{ Art 8/10 } The animation of Gunbuster is dated, but looks great nonetheless, especially for its time. Character designs are alright, though hair color is the main distinction between the girls. The final episode, filmed in black and white, came as a surprise, but made the color used in its final moments stand out much more than it would have otherwise. Because they couldn't use hair color to identify the female characters in the final episode, a clever trick was used with regard to its plot (that I can't name for spoiler reasons) that simultaneously made the characters distinguishable and added to their character development in a meaningful way. The use of black and white in the final episode came off as more artistic than anything and was just as visually pleasing as the rest of the series. Though it's not fantastic by today's standards, the hand-painted animations still hold up remarkably well.
{ Sound 8/10 } Gunbuster's soundtrack screams 80's with its many old superhero sounding tracks and eurobeat-esque songs. For the most part, they sound nice and perform their job in adding excitement to the series, though they're nothing outstanding. The sadder and more emotional tracks of the show; however, are absolutely phenomenal, with some even being my favorite musical pieces in all of anime. Examples include Noriko's theme, Oneesama's theme, and Kanashimi, which all sound beautiful and invoke plenty of emotion during their respective scenes. As for the voice actors, they definitely have their moments where they're able to shine, but, generally, they sound pretty average. The series' wonderfully composed tracks are sadly dragged down by its other much more average sounding pieces.
{ Enjoyment 8/10 } The first few episodes were very difficult to get through. The sheer stupidity of them felt like an insult to my own intelligence and required some patience. Boy am I glad I stayed though, otherwise I would've missed the breathtaking final episodes and ending. My suggestion is to push through the boring beginning, especially considering it's only 2-3 episodes- a total of 60ish minutes, if only to watch the last few episodes.
{ Overall 7/10 } A trend that should've been made apparent throughout this review is that Gunbuster has many stunning elements to it- from its beautiful tracks, to its amazing use of the effects of light travel, to its well written main character- that all suffer from its other painfully subpar qualities. The final episodes alone would receive an easy 10/10 from me, but the shaky beginning that precede them do nothing but damage the series as a whole. In the end, Hideaki Anno's vision falls short of being a masterpiece due to the many half-baked components that compose its start. As poorly as I've described Gunbuster though, I feel it's an experience that should not be missed by anyone. I urge those reading to power through its first episodes and watch the entire show, something that'd only take a few hours considering how short the series is and could be realistically completed in a fraction of a day. -
Being an otaku since the days of Robotech, I can still say that Gunbuster is one of my favorite animes of all time. Considering when it was made, the animation is of superior quality. There are no loops and sequences in which the art decreases in quality. Although the final episode is in black and white, it does not detract from the enjoyment of watching the film. Although it has been described as being "sappy," it should be kept in mind that females do not react in the same way that males do. Since the main character is a female, it should be obvious that she does not necessarily need to resort to "macho-man" tactics in order to gain the respect of her peers. The seiryuu for Noriko, incidentally, also plays Akane in Ranma 1/2. Noriko is as 3-dimensional a cartoon can get; her personality captures the essence of a spirited girl who seems at first to be completely helpless but in the end succeeds through the strength of her will. The only complaint I have is that the mecha looked somewhat like teddy bears. Even the Gunbuster utilizes a rather dubious "Homing Laser" and "Buster Shield" (which is nothing more than having the machine wrap a giant velvety cloak around itself in true Dracula style) technique. I doubt that scene was meant to be funny, but it cracked me up. Yet all in all, I would rank Gunbuster in the top 20 anime of all time.
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stanteau26 May 2001The story is extremely unique.It's about these 2 pilots saving Earth from alien beings but they have to use a special speed that makes everything around them age rapidly.The whole series is about the pilots dealing with the loss of time,friends,and mentors.
The ending COULD have been fantastic.It started to end on a total down note and leave a real mark but instead ended on a super happy Disney note and annoyed me VERY bad.
The animation is decent for 89 but can't compare to nowadays.I have also heard many complain about the cheesiness of the nudity.I actually found it to be somewhat decent.The nudity for the most part was warranted except in episode 2 where there was an excess.
Overall it deserves a look but the ending keeps it from being a classic. -
TooKakkoiiforYou_32119 October 2020The only downsize of this series is the uber-loved last episode. Why people praises it to no end? because it's in B/W? Jung Freud (A.K.A. the best character of the whole series) acts completely out of character, the christian overtones are constantly bashed on your head like a jackhammer digging the road (who cares about god or miracles?!), and the over-the-top nature of the series is completely thrown away from a cheap, uberdramatic tone that doesn't fit well with the rest of the series (even with the drama of episode 5) nor with the last bit of fanservice. Is it because it showcases what will come out with Neon Genesis Evangelion? it doesn't make any sense at all. Without the ending it would have been an 8, with the crappy emo-leaning and preachy ending is a 7,5.
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Visually, "Gunbuster" is absolutely stunning, sporting that oh-so-delightful 80's anime aesthetic - sometimes in snappy colours, sometimes in gorgeous monochrome.
The narrative, however, leaves a few things to be desired. The main conflict always feels foggy, particularly in regards to the alien threat, which we never learn about (and thus leaving us with questions such as: er, are our protagonists perpetrating a genocide?). The reason why the fate of the world is left to Japanese teenagers is never explained, the character conflicts aren't particularly engaging, and the scenes that suddenly veer into full horniness are more confusing than alluring (not least because it is the "camera" - not the characters themselves - who venture into the world of the sexual).
Despite a mostly excellent (and - again - visually stunning) final episode, the series as a whole is mostly just memorable as "that thing Hideaki Anno directed before "Evangelion"). -
rr-568115 May 2021Viewed on: HiDive (via VRV).
Sci-fi epic that follows a young girl who goes from a bumbling recruit to being a key figure in defending Earth & humanity from an alien threat (one that killed her father, a starship captain, years prior) by piloting the "GunBuster" (an experimental giant robot, naturally).
The animation is absolutely stellar & it seems to have some great character arcs and narrative themes (I like that space travel has the consequence of time flowing differently for those going into deep space, so while only a few months/a year has passed for the main heroine, school friends she left behind on Earth become parents & middle aged during her return trips), but a lot of what are supposed to be powerful moments are absolutely ruined by the pacing. As mentioned in the header I viewed the film version, which was hobbled together by chopping up & condensing the original six episode miniseries, and it absolutely shows in the end product. Unfortunately the film version is the only one currently available in the US on modern platforms/media (as far as I'm aware), and while it's still a pretty cool sci-fi action adventure in that form (hence the 7), I think it'd truly be something great in it's original form.