Aura Battle Dunbine: The Tale of Neo Byston Well

Set seven centuries after the events of the original Dunbine TV show, the film follows Shion Zaba, the new incarnation of the series hero Sho Zama. Shion wakes up in Neo Byston Well where old conflicts simmer under strange new rulers and technologies. Joined by Silkie Mau, the returned soul of Remile Luft as Reml Jilfried, and piloting the Aura Battler Silbine, he squares off against a fanatical faction that has reworked a Shot Weapon into a carrier for a custom nuclear ICBM. The story focuses on urgent missions, mecha combat, and the moral weight of war, with the cast racing to stop a strike that could destroy the realm without revealing later surprises or outcomes.

Directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and released in 1988, the movie draws on Yoshiyuki Tomino's original Aura Battler Dunbine setting. It acts as a late era cinematic entry that references the TV series while standing on its own.

Commercial details are scarce, the film had a limited theatrical footprint and didn't register major worldwide grosses. Specific box office totals aren't widely recorded, and it remains a niche release outside Japan.

Within fan circles the movie has a modest profile, mainly of interest to collectors and followers of the Dunbine continuity. It hasn't achieved broad mainstream recognition, but its setting and callbacks resonate with series devotees who follow the franchise's extended timeline.

Critical reception is mixed to negative based on limited voting and reviews, reflected in a low average on sparse ratings. The film touches on themes of reincarnation, the ethics of weaponizing technology, and the persistence of old conflicts under new names. Its strengths will appeal to viewers who want extra lore from the Dunbine universe, while others may find the pacing and production choices dated compared with other late 1980s anime films.