Top wo Nerae! & Top wo Nerae 2! Gattai Movie!!

The Gattai Movie was produced by Studio Gainax in 2006 to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the original Gunbuster series. It serves as a seamless edit that combines the six-part original video animation series, Top wo Nerae! Gunbuster, and its 2004 sequel, Top wo Nerae 2! Diebuster, into two feature-length cinematic experiences. This project allowed long-time fans to revisit the seminal sci-fi franchise on the big screen while introducing the high-concept storytelling and mecha action of Hideaki Anno’s directorial debut to a new generation of viewers.

The visual design and narrative framework draw heavily from the ambitious scope of the original 1988 production, which balanced heavy scientific concepts with a character-driven coming-of-age story. By synthesizing the two series, the project highlights the evolution of Gainax’s aesthetic, moving from the hand-drawn, eighties-era cel animation of the first series to the digital polish of the mid-aughts. Critics and fans generally received the compilation as a definitive retrospective of Gainax’s studio identity, celebrating the legacy of the original work while providing a concise entry point into the sprawling space-opera universe.