We've finally come to the best part...
of the Exelion's launch party.
Here's the man we've all been waiting for, Coach Ohta!
In a duet with the Rose Queen herself, Kazumi Amano!
Surrounded by an air of forbidden love, they'll be singing...
"A Man and a Woman's Love Game."
And now, without further ado!
Woo-woo!
Go for it!
You're embarrassing me.
Such a lovely couple!
What a hot pair!
I'm so jealous!
Quiet, please.
It's your fault that I drank too much
That's the charm of a sensuous woman
Coach! Smile!
It's your fault that I drank too much
That's your bluff, you cute little thing
Hold me tight
Holding you tight, I never want to let go
Whisky, casual love, and old pains
A man and a woman's love game
From behind you, I run up the hill road
anata no ushiro kara sakamichi kakete yuku
Outrunning the burning sunshine
kogeru you na hizashi wo oinuite
With huge bounds, when I catch up to your back
ookiku hazunderu senaka ni oitsuku to
I feel your body heat
anata no taion ga tsutawaru wa
Every time I cut through the wind, it feels so good
kaze wo kiru tabi kimochi yokutte
My heart swells
mune ga fukuramu
And my hopes are high
nozomi wa takaku
I want us to be wrapped up, unconstrainedly
tsutsumaretai nobiyaka ni ne
Together
futari no mama
The distance is approaching zero
kyori wa ZERO ni natteku
Episode 3
「First Love ☆ First Sortie」
Kimiko... Kimiko...
Kimiko, how have you been?
Your best friend Noriko is now in the galaxy.
Here, the sun looks so small, it fades into the Milky Way...
and I can't even make it out.
So I guess I'm sending this to you via telepathy.
Kimiko, you wouldn't believe how much a spaceship can pitch and roll.
We're going at an amazing speed, billions of kilometers per hour.
So, even traveling through the vacuum of space...
it feels like we're cutting through the wind.
Even in the vastness of space...
there are calm and stormy spots.
It's kinda like traveling on the ocean.
0.5 parsecs of acceleration area secured, sir.
Ready to warp.
All ships, warp!
Warping can only be done in areas where the sea of space is calm.
The moment we enter subspace is incredible.
The way the ether gets all plasmanized, it's so gorgeous to behold!
But I've only seen it once...
since we're all confined to quarters during warp.
Whenever we enter subspace, they always tell scary stories.
You know, they say subspace is connected to the spiritual world.
So ghosts wander corridors and hangars looking for lost relatives.
They even knock on cabin doors every now and then... Knock, knock...
I don't hate it or anything, but I get scared pretty easily, you know.
Then we play games of "dare."
Oh, no way!
Please, anyone else to do it?
Have a nice trip!
Still, I don't want to be made fun of.
I'll do it!
Are you on a dare, too?
C'mon, do I look that scary?
I guess you girls do the same kinda stuff, huh.
Let's place our markers quick and head back.
Did I really scare you that much?
Give me your headband.
Here.
Up there?
I'll handle it for you.
Still, you're a pretty lousy excuse for a space warrior, aren't you?
Wimping out like that.
During warp, you should be standing by at Level 2 Alert Status.
After the warp, I want you both to report to me in spacesuits.
I haven't had to polish laser cannon lenses...
since I was an ordinary seaman.
What a huge nebula!
It's just close by, that's all.
The sky is so bright!
You can see so many gas nebulae from here!
There must be a lot of decayed stars around.
That one looks like a flower!
Just a dead star.
Don't you have any feelings?
Ah... My back hurts.
Dispatch to all ships, hold present course and speed.
Captain, at this speed we expect to reach Leaf 64 today.
Leaf 64... That takes me back.
The last time I saw it, I was a navigation officer.
It's much like our sun.
Quite beautiful...
A veritable oasis in space.
Stars as young as our sun are quite rare, after all.
The fact that they have a low gravitational influence helps.
Your galaxy must be made up of a giant flow of figures.
Several objects approaching along the ecliptic at 12 o'clock.
Their relative velocity is near-lightspeed.
OK, next lens.
What's that?
Get down!
It's the enemy. They've passed us at a distance of 20,000 km.
All right, we'll pursue them.
Have all ships change course at full speed!
We'll use the gravitational field around Leaf 64 to make a U-turn.
Yes, sir! Preparing for gravity turn.
Dispatch to all ships, prepare for fleet assembly.
You handle the coordinates.
All ships, prepare for fleet assembly at coordinates 120-717-341.
All ships, prepare for fleet assembly!
Prepare for gravity turn!
Now, maintain 2 kilometers between ships.
Maintenance rooms #1-3, commence operations.
Begin assembly of Cosmo-Attacker V.
Ready the photon torpedoes.
Release safety systems #1-4.
Start up sub-engines #3-6.
Output, 80%!
The ship is now entering Level 1 Combat Alert Status.
Expecting contact with the enemy 20 hours from now...
tomorrow morning, at 4:30.
Next stop, Women's Locker Room.
Um, er... "If the red alarm on the left side goes on..."
"stabilize the space gyro, then deactivate the interlocking device."
"If the red alarm on the right side goes on, reduce throttle to 30..."
Wow, you're such a bookworm.
I should at least memorize basic space maneuvering patterns.
I'm so many months behind everyone else.
All that stuff is useless in real combat.
Why do you have to keep patronizing me?
'Cause you're such a cute little freshman.
I'll have you know that Oné-sama and I...
are the best team in the entire Top Squadron!
A"solo" like you with no partner couldn't possibly appreciate...
everything we've been through together as a team. So long!
"Patronizing," huh...
Hey, did you hear? Saeko went all the way with her boyfriend yesterday.
"When the enemy turns left, turn right..."
What, they did?
Then they both hit their heads on the bed!
Those two crack me up.
Hey, check Noriko out.
...What? Tell me.
Leaf 64...
This is Leaf 64?
This hideous red giant?
These are definitely its coordinates, sir.
This is Leaf 64, in the 8th branch of the Perseus Arm of our galaxy.
Leaf 64 was a young, white star, much like our sun.
For it to change so drastically in a mere decade...
could it be due to?
Coach.
I must speak with you.
Go on. What is it?
"In case of a strong shift in momentum to the left..."
"cancel it out as follows..."
I just don't get it...
Oné-sama!
Are you seriously sending Miss Takaya out into real combat?
At her level of skill, it's too dangerous.
That's my decision to make.
But, as her partner, I'm saying I can't fight with her.
Say what you will, I'm not benching her.
Very well, then...
as of today, I hereby dissolve my partnership with Noriko.
I'm telling you that I cannot fight with Noriko as my partner.
Oh, no...
Er, um... I, uh...
You overheard?
Don't take it the wrong way.
It's for your own good.
Takaya, I've seen your potential!
So I paired you up with Amano.
Because I expected you to become the best team!
If either of you were to fail, everything would come to naught.
I've believed that you had potential within you.
So you have to believe in yourself!
And hone yourself. Show me what you've got.
What's wrong? Lost your textbook?
Sorry about earlier.
Now I'm a "solo," too.
I've fallen out of Oné-sama's favor...
Well, not much I could do about that. She was always so much better than me.
Say, how about pairing up with me, if you're on your own now?
I'm looking for someone.
You'd really take me?
Of course I would. How about it?
Sure.
It's settled, then. Did you ever even get my name?
I'm Smith Toren.
I'm Noriko Takaya.
I know.
Why are you laughing?
I'll go sign us up.
See you later!
A secondhand kiss...
The Tardyon has completed its turn.
25 minutes to contact with the enemy fleet.
Enemy fleet confirmed at a distance of 221 light seconds.
Contact will occur near the orbit of the 5th planet.
Open all cannon ports.
Prepare for laser cannon battle.
Open all cannon ports. Prepare for laser cannon battle.
Activating compass.
Open photon torpedo launch tubes.
Noncombatant personnel, take shelter in block #3.
Top Squadron, hurry and prepare to launch!
After the starfighters are away, the Top Squadron...
will be launched towards the enemy.
After that, each team will act at their own discretion.
All units will maintain a distance of 1,000 meters.
The half-life of our californium nuclear warheads is 3 hours.
Be sure to use them and return by then.
Orders to return must be strictly followed!
This is the first operation ever to use a machine weapon squadron.
Exercise extreme caution in every regard.
Dismissed!
Releasing all launch catapults.
Depressurizing.
Top Squadron launch preparations complete.
2nd laser cannon compartment, all ready.
Photon torpedoes, fully armed!
All ships' main battery auto-tracking systems have been set.
Time difference from target is 1.8 light seconds.
Estimated 3.6 seconds until hit confirmation.
Fire all cannons!
Launch the starfighters and the Top Squadron 280 seconds afterwards!
All units, prepare to launch!
Get into position.
Get ready!
Exelion, 8th Squad deployment confirmed.
All Cosmo-Attackers, release identification signals.
The Doppler and the Trick have passed the safety zone.
Smith?!
Hiya. I'm right below you.
Roger. Estimated contact with the enemy at 220.
Smith, I can't see you...
Fix firing selection to mode-II. Repeat, fix firing selection to mode-II.
Calm down, it's okay.
The enemy hasn't reached us yet.
Listen, I'll handle offense, you handle defense.
Message from squad leader.
Got that?
I cover you, right?
The enemy, small organic weapons, are headed for the Tardyon from near 120.
Right.
Exelion, roger that. Tardy...
What was that?
The Tardyon's been hit.
Looks like it's been sunk.
Oh, no!
Look out, incoming shockwave in... 5 seconds!
...contacted the enemy. Engage the battle.
Electromagnetism barrier, battle pressure...
Smith!
Calm down, it's all right.
It's not gonna kill you.
Enemy! On your upper port side. Two of them, incoming!
They've swapped sides. Dammit!
Another one, upper port side!
What?
Engage that one on your starboard side!
Roger that!
This is the flagship Exelion. 8th Squad, come in.
Smith?
Smith, come in!
Come on, I can't take this...
Smith!
Smith!!
Captain, the bulk of the enemy force is at Leaf 64.
What we fought just now was not their main force.
A diversion?
They're assembling at Leaf 64.
All right, dispatch to all ships.
Recall all units immediately!
Commence warp the moment they're all in.
Yes, sir!
One theory suggests that the monsters use stars as hatching grounds for their eggs.
That would explain the frequent star explosions in the area.
Yes.
If that's true, then we need to get clear of this region as soon as we can.
Smith...
I couldn't fire a single shot...
Smith...
Coach...
Coach!
I... I... Smith was...
I was with him.
But I couldn't do a thing...
Not a thing...
I'm so sorry, Smith...
Takaya...
Coach! I'll do anything. I'll hone myself!
So please, train me harder!
If I can't improve myself enough for Oné-sama...
I'll... I'll...
"You're like a younger sister to me"
Imouto mitai sonzai datte
That's what you murmured in answer
Anata ga kotae tsubuyaita no yo
My desperate confession of love
Hisshi datta kokuhaku
Was scattered on the wind that Sunday
Kaze ni chitta nichiyoubi
I lost my love under bright sunshine
Taiyou no shita furarechau to ne
Too bright to even cry
Namida nanka mo deban ga nakute
Heartbroken, I just watched your back
Tada bouzen to senaka ni
And waved a forlorn goodbye
Te wo futta no nasakenai.
Since that day, my life is dark
Sorekara mou kurayami no hibi
But, encore, the power of love!
Demo ne ankooru koi suru pawaa
In my heart, encore, pure fighting spirit!
Mune ni ankooru mujaki no faito
I'll polish the depths of my heart,
Haato no oku migaki wo kakete
And someday, I'll try again
Itsuka mata "I'll try again"
Next Episode Preview
My first love has vanished into the stars. But I can't stay in mourning forever.
Coach, please, train me harder!
Under intensive, painful special training... Fight on, Noriko!
Don't let those evil Space Monsters approach the Sol System!
But, but... Oh, no! The Exelion is going down!
Dad, Smith... Lend me your strength!
Even if all men's lives must come to an end, the Buster Machine's power is indestructible!
Move, Gunbuster!
Save our Earth!
Next time on GUNBUSTER...
Episode 4
「Launch!! The Incomplete Ultimate Weapon!」
Episode 4: Launch!! The Incomplete Ultimate Weapon!
LIGHTNING KICK!