OBSCURE O.V.A.S, *Diebuster

Gainax's sequel to their legendary space opera Gunbuster coincided with the studio's 20th anniversary. Diebuster at first seems like some kind of continuation of the epic space opera, but it isn't till the end that we learn its place in the Gunbuster timeline. Taking a lot of visual cues their previous production of FLCL, Diebuster director continued spastic take on animation as he fulfilled his place as protege to Gainax founder, Hideaki Anno.

Set thousands of years in the future, the Solar System continues to be cut off from the rest of the galaxy by an area called the Red Milky Way, which is populated by gigantic space-breathing bugs that mankind uses huge mechas called Buster Machines piloted by energetic teenagers known as "Topless" to fend off the star-bugs. An android girl named Nono joins the ace pilot Lal'C where the two begin a budding girl/romance, and Nono gets her own hi-tech mecha which allows her to reach planet-sized levels. The two pristine pilots help the human race pull through the overwhelming invasion. Years pass and Lal'C awaits the arrival of the original two Gunbuster pilots to tell them about Nono's sacrifice.

Diebuster pulls together alot of the standard Gainiax tropes, like the sci-fi military jargon during giant monster attacks, the strange but aloof bonding between the teenage characters, and the total "over the top" attitude the reckless youth has toward protecting their future. There's two cuts of this to view from, the uncut 6-episode OVA series, plus the compilation movie edition shown with the Gunbuster/Diebuster double feature originally put together for Japanese theatres. You'll probably find the movie edit available on streaming services, but you'll get a more complete story if you scope out the full OVA series.

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ANI-MOVIES, *The Garden Of Words

This 2013 short film by Your Name director Makoto Shinkai was a sort of template to his time-travel rom/com. Despite not having any otherworldly elements to it, The Garden Of Words is Shinkai's take on a youthful romance.

Takao is a teenager who continuously skips classes during his spring term, and goes to a sheltered park bench in the rain. He keeps meeting a young lady named Yukari that also frequents the same bench when it rains. The two end up sharing each others company during these rainy afternoons, and Takao begins to realize he would like to become a shoemaker after becoming somewhat interested in Yukari's footwear. After taking time away from going to the park to work during his summer break, Takao returns to school to discover that Yukari is really a literature teacher at his school. Yukari was caught up in a scandal started by a female student that started a rumor about her having an affair with a totally different boy. Takao waits for Yukari to show up at the bench again just before it starts pouring down one day, and they end up seeking shelter at Yukari's apartment where Takao confesses his feelings for her. Yukari reluctantly lets him down by informing him that she was leaving the school because of the scandal and avoided teaching because she couldn't deal with the depression the whole affair brought on. Takao leaves honorably, but Yukari chases after him and confesses that her time with him gave her the strength to carry on. Yukari ended up moving away, but left Takao a "thank you" note for helping her when she needed someone to talk to, and he in turn plans to make her a pair of his own handmade shoes to give her at some future date.

The Garden Of Words is largely a visual novel brought to life with amazing shots of the cityscape and the people living in it. There's a great blend of traditional and CGI animation, which really stands out in the overall film. The two main characters have similar but conflicting backgrounds, showing how much they have in common and could be a great couple if it weren't for their slight age difference. The story works more about how a brief relationship can deeply affect someone's life, for better or worse. For those who wish to get a more fully rounded take on the plot might want to check out the manga based on the movie which covers a little more on the main characters' future.

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