Anime is a very young medium when compared to other forms of art. Many of the shows and films that have gone on to define anime are less than 70 years old. Some of the more iconic works are even younger – coming straight from the 80s. The anime from this era set the standards for animation, depth, energy, and scale. Many of them were going to deliver quality. Adapting extremely popular manga from magazines like Weekly Shonen Jump should lead to very popular and influential anime.

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Not every show or film from the 80s comes from very established sources with dedicated fans. Even when an anime from this era is backed by prominent figures in the industry or successful pieces of literature, their themes and pacing push against the norms of the medium. Some of these works succeed when they should have failed.

10 Macross: Do You Remember Love? Polishes The Iconic Series

Hikaru, Minmay, and Hayase from Macross: Do You Remember Love?

Macross: Do You Remember Love? is the abridged retelling of the original season of Macross. Condensing 36 episodes into a 2-hour film is a difficult task that requires a lot of planning and cutting. Due to this, it cannot stand alone. It is better as an accompaniment for the series. However, it improves on the original anime in so many ways.

The film's story is tighter and incredibly focused. Do You Remember Love? understands what is essential from the franchise and champions its sentimentality. The animation is lavish and detailed, contrasting the rushed frames of the original series. In 2 hours, the film version of Macross outdoes the show.

9 Lady Georgie Is A Heartfelt Ride Across Australia And Britain

Georgie from Lady Georgie

Set in 19th Century Australia, Lady Georgie is about a charming, bright-eyed girl who lives out her rural life with her sickly father, twin brothers, and spiteful mother. She lives a relatively cheerful life, but things go south once her father dies. Her mother reveals that she is adopted with no real lead to her birth parents other than a golden bracelet. Georgie journeys to England to find her roots, chase her crush, and discover what life has in store for her.

While the premise may sound quaint, the anime absolutely nails it. Georgie is a fantastic lead character and her determination to direct her life elevates the story. It is an overlooked gem among historical anime.

8 Maison Ikkoku Grounds Itself Far More Than Other Rumiko Works

Kyoko,  Yusaku, and Shun from Maison Ikkoku

Rumiko Takahashi's stories are known for their funny antics, supernatural contrivances, and cute cast of women. Maison Ikkoku stands out by being very down to earth. Its premise is very mundane. Yusaku is a college student who is tired of his fellow tenants but chooses to stay because of the boarding house's beautiful manager. Kyoko differentiates herself from other Rumiko leads by carrying legitimate emotional baggage.

Compared to anime like Urusei Yatsura or Ranma 1/2, Maison Ikkoku takes itself seriously. Despite that, it is confidently one of the best works in Rumiko Takahashi's catalog. It is earnest, incredibly funny, and sympathetic.

7 Area 88 Is A Painfully Honest Depiction Of War And The Men It Creates

Shin Kazama from Area 88

Area 88 is a war story, but it is devoid of the nationalism that typically chokes the genre. Shin Kazama does not volunteer to join the air force. He is tricked into signing a contract that binds him to a foreign nation's mercenary squadron. The whole anime is about how dreadful it is to be put in the soldier's position. Even when Shin proves himself adept at the role, it only makes him see himself as a murderer.

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The anime goes further than most other war stories. It does not stop at showing the trauma Shin houses, but depicts how alien peace is for people who fight in wars. Peace becomes incompatible with those who take lives for a living. It is tragic and haunting.

6 Angel's Egg Is Difficult To Sit Through But Extremely Rewarding

Hair spreading out in Angel's Egg.

Angel's Egg is an eclectic film that is difficult to understand. Director Mamoru Oshii made a movie that meditates on his religious beliefs while presenting incredible visuals. On an initial watch, the loose structure of the plot, the oppressive atmosphere, and the symbolism might make the move hard to digest, but Angel's Egg rewards those who stick with it.

There is so much meaning to infer from the film. The egg, the whale, the girl, the man, and even the empty city are symbols depicting a crisis in faith. The movie shows how terrible it feels to lose something as crucial as belief, even when its critiques were always clear.

5 Gunbuster Overcomes Its Studio's Woes

Kazumi crying in Gunbuster

Gunbuster is remembered as the anime that solidified what the Studio Gainax experience is. Grand, sci-fi, mecha series that incorporate a lot of existential themes. This pattern would also become synonymous with Gunbuster's director Hideaki Anno. However, it is a miracle that this anime came together and succeeded when Gainax was already in dire straights.

The studio's earlier film, Royal Space Force, virtually bankrupted Gainax and plunged them into deep debt. Fortunately, they pushed through as a studio and somehow delivered this anime classic. It still holds up very well, showcasing a lot of heart. technical animation, and challenging philosophical questions.

4 Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind Was A Nightmare To Produce

Nausicaa explores nature in Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind

In retrospect, it is easy to think of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind as an obvious success. This is the movie that birthed the legendary Studio Ghibli. However, the studio did not exist in 1984. Hayao Miyazaki could not get it approved without first making a manga for it. Initially, Isao Takahata refused to produce it. Everyone involved was overworked.

The final product is a revelation of a movie. It shows how dynamic and ambitious anime can be. The scope is vast, the detail is ridiculous, the action is smooth, and the music is fresh. In the hands of a different team, this movie would have imploded.

3 Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War In The Pocket Is Gundam At Its Best

Alfred and Bernie in War in the Pocket

The Gundam franchise thrives off its cool mech designs, its iconic characters, and its dramatic space battles. Those factors make it popular, but they also distract from one of Gundam's core themes. It is an anti-war show. That is the clearest in the 1989 installment, War in the Pocket. Instead of viewing the war from the lens of newtypes, military commanders, or politicians, it centers itself on civilians.

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The show breaks away from the established strengths of Gundam, focusing on character drama and the terrors of armed conflict. It dares to be different and excels at it. Every moment of the series bleeds heartbreak, pathos, and frustration. It reminds Gundam fans that mechs are cool, but war is hell.

2 Touch Defies The Expectations Of Sports Anime

Minami, Tatsuya, and Kazuya from Touch

The most common formula that sports anime follow is to give main characters who loved a sport enough to pursue it. This model produced many classic titles, but Touch is not one of them. This anime focuses on Tatsuya's growth as a character. He is a hyper-talented boy who has no direction or drive in his life. He is contrasted with his twin brother, Kazuya, who embraces his passion for baseball.

While it goes against the grain, it is still one of the most popular anime of its time. Its story is full of trials, tragedy, grief, and brotherhood. Tatsuya's road to maturity is incredibly affecting. Very few sports anime can rival how good Touch is.

1 Legend Of The Galactic Heroes Is A Titanic Series

Yang And Reinhard Stand Together In Legend Of The Galactic Heroes

Legend of the Galactic Heroes is 110 episodes of mostly talking. It is relentless politics, character drama, battle tactics, and philosophical pondering. No other space opera in anime is as dense or grand. While this is daunting, Legend of the Galactic Heroes carries its weight with impeccable writing and stellar characters. Almost every character is multifaceted, nuanced, and complicated. They have their drives and aspirations which complement or clash with the people around them.

It is an epic in the truest sense. Many plot points captivate. It builds up suspense by increasing its stakes with each episode. Against all odds, the show lives up to its galactic ambitions.