Noriko Takaya

Noriko Takaya
Gunbuster character
Noriko Takaya as she appears in episode 1
First appearance	Gunbuster episode 1: "Whoa! Big Sis and I Are Going to Be Pilots Together?!" (1988)
Created by	Gainax
Designed by	Haruhiko Mikimoto
Voiced by	Japanese Noriko Hidaka English Kiane Chula King
In-universe information
Full name	Noriko Takaya
Nickname	Daughter of Defeat
Species	Human
Gender	Female
Relatives	Yuzo Takaya (father)
Nationality	Japanese
Birthday	September 12, 2006
Age	15[a] 16[b] 26[c] 42[d] 12,285[e]

Noriko Takaya^[f] is a fictional character from the Gunbuster franchise, created by the Japanese animation studio Gainax. She is the franchise's most developed character and protagonist. In the anime series of the same name, Noriko is the daughter of deceased space captain Yuzo Takaya. When she was young, she wanted to follow her father. Years later, she joins the Okinawa Girls' Space Pilot High School to learn to pilot a mecha. She goes with "big sister" Kazumi Amano to space to defend Earth against extraterrestrials known as space monsters. By the end of the story, she grows to be a master pilot.

Analysts and critics have praised her appearance and character arc for growing from an inexperienced pilot to a master one through hard work and will. She has had merchandise released of her, influenced the development of characters such as Shinji Ikari of Neon Genesis Evangelion, and popularized the Gainax Pose, an arm fold, commonly seen in different media.
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