Fall 2023 Anime: Bullbuster

Synopsis

Mysterious creatures have been terrorizing an island, forcing locals to flee their once-thriving home. With government funds lacking for monster eradication, Tajima purchases the only construction company left and transforms it for the task. Thankfully, the brilliant Tetsuro Okino and his new robot, Bullbuster, come to their aid. But the team is on a tight budget. Can they save the island? (From Crunchyroll)

Comments

Caesar E.S. (The Indonesian Anime Times)

Not too long ago, I found myself in a discussion about robots in anime and robots in real life with a science graduate. We were talking about whether we liked the former or the latter more, but ultimately came to the same conclusion: robots, as they are depicted in fiction and robots as they are currently in real life, are two completely different things. The former can take in even fantastical elements and act as characters more than objects, while the latter one is constrained by technology and the laws of physics.

Then Bullbuster comes as a piece of fiction that blurs that fine line. Robot fans like to use terms such as “super robot” to describe the fictional robots that are more fantastic, and “real robots” to describe the fictional robots that are “realistic” and try to adhere to some form of science in fiction. But the titular Bullbuster, a fully-functioning 8-meter-tall bipedal robot, puts a wrench into that dichotomy (though some would say it was already a false dichotomy, to begin with)- made with technology that feels like it’s completely within the plausibility of today’s science and engineering. It’s not that there haven’t been other robot shows that have committed themselves to a more grounded worldbuilding approach rooted in real life, such as Patlabor (1989) or Dai-Guard (1999). Still, the constraints to reality that Bullbuster adheres to feel a bit epoch-making considering that as it airs, piloted commercial large-sized robots such as the ARCHAX exist.

That leads to an interesting question: can you still call “robot anime” a “robot anime” when the robots depicted in them one day become as mundane as everyday cars? Granted, genetically mutated beasts the size of bulldozers that threaten people’s lives and need to be culled aren’t a reality (hopefully not anytime soon), and the ARCHAX itself is still more of a cool-looking proof-of-concept than viable disaster relief vehicle. But one does wonder if the same can be said in ten, twenty, or fifty years from now on. If it was possible to build a functional Mazinger Z one day, would it still be called a “super robot”?

At the very least, in Bullbuster’s case, the spirit of persevering in your giant robot against impossible odds to save the day still persists, making it a worthy contender in the long line of excellent robot anime. Even if the challenges it faces off have more to do with rigid corporate structures, staying professional while navigating around strict guidelines/regulations, and keeping the company afloat instead of fighting off invading alien forces or the end of the world. (Though frankly if you’re an office worker, what’s the difference?)

Bullbuster is currently streaming on Ani-One Asia

Facts and Figures

Screenshots and Trailer

The Indonesian Anime Times