This is the second episode of my five-part series detailing the history of the legendary anime studio Gainax. In this episode, we see the studio recovering from the financial failure of the Wings of Honneamise, first by taking part in a number of journeyman projects before creating their first bonafide success, Gunbuster, which has (rightly) gone down in history as one of the greatest mecha anime series ever made.

Works Cited:
Animerica, “The Conscience of The Otaking,” https://www.gwern.net/docs/anime/eva/...

Animerica, “The Return of The Otaking,” https://web.archive.org/web/200002261...

Animetudes, “Graviton, Gainax, and the Itano School,” https://animetudes.com/2021/04/23/gra...

ANNCast, “Episode # 181 - Royal Podcast Force - The Carl of Honneamise,” https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/annc...

Callum May, “The Indestructible Studio Gainax,” https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feat...

Carl Horn, “Then, what is filmmaking to you, Yamaga?” from Royal Space Force: 25th Anniversary Fanzine

Joe Haldeman, The Forever War

Khara, “Hideaki Anno Official Information,” https://www.khara.co.jp/hideakianno/p...

Kid Fenris, “Gunbuster,” http://kidfenris.com/gunbuster.html

Kid Fenris, “Lost Anime: Route 20,” http://www.kidfenris.com/2012/06/lost...

Robin Syversen, “Gunbuster,” https://www.jcablog.com/post/gunbuste...

Ryusuke Hikawa, “Aim For The Top Spirit,” from Gunbuster DVD Liner Notes

Ryusuke Hikawa, “Otaku Self Reference and the Source of the Emotional Drama,” from Gunbuster DVD Liner Notes

Ryusuke Hikawa, “Touching Gunbuster Overcomes Space and Time” from Gunbuster DVD Liner Notes

Sean O’Mara, “The Secret History of Gainax: 1981-1992,” https://www.zimmerit.moe/secret-histo...

Thom “Tama” Langley, “History of Gainax (Gunbuster),” http://infiniterainyday.blogspot.com/...

Tim Eldred, “Space Battleship Yamato: The Making of an Anime Legend,” https://archive.org/details/TheMaking...

Tim Eldred, “Vintage Reports,” https://ourstarblazers.com/vault/cate...

Weekly Anime Review Podcast, “Episode 60 - Gunbuster,” https://archive.org/details/WeeklyAni...

Wonders In The Dark, “Nostalgia For The Future,” https://wondersinthedark.wordpress.co...

Yasuhiro Takeda, The Notenki Memoirs, https://gwern.net/doc/anime/eva/2002-...

Timecodes:
00:00 - Introduction - The Creation of Space Battleship Yamato
04:14 - Title
04:31 - Route 20 - Galactic Airport
06:46 - Music Videos and Commercials
07:59 - Mahjong Hishouden Naki No Ryuu
08:42 - Appleseed
10:43 - The Creation of Gunbuster
12:51 - Hideaki Anno and Studio Graviton
14:14 - Episode One
20:04 - Episode Two
29:58 - Episode Three
33:40 - Episode Four
37:33 - Episode Five
44:01 - Episode Six
51:06 - Conclusion
53:55 - Credits