Anime in the '80s were vibrant, energetic, ambitious, and iconic. There were many things to love about that era of anime. Films had big budgets, studios were taking more risks with rising talents, animation became far more expressive, and some of the most important works in the medium were being made. Japan's economy had not collapsed yet, so the industry was flourishing.
During this decade, Studio Ghibli was born, Akira premiered, and decade-defining classics like Dragon Ball started airing. Science fiction anime were dominating the market, but there was more than enough room for other genres like fantasy, romance, and historical fiction. However, there are certain trends within it that sour the overall experience and sully otherwise great shows.
10 '80s Anime Localization Led To Many Weird Creative Decisions
In America, the increasing popularity of anime led to some awful licensing decisions that are baffling in retrospect. Two of the worst examples during the '80s were Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Robotech. The former involved having 30 minutes of content cut out to cater to US children, while the latter was a mishmash of content from Macross, Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross, and Genesis Climber MOSPEADA.
This trend extended to script rewrites for English dubs that scrubbed out cultural nuance and references within the source material. The end product was usually an incredibly jarring anime that did not represent the original message, themes, or characters of the work.
9 The '80s Anime Landscape Was Oversaturated With Mecha
Mecha anime reached its golden age during the '80s. Series like Mobile Suit Gundam Zeta, Super Defense Fortress Macross, and Mobile Police Patlabor were incredibly popular. Even less popular mecha shows like Space Runaway Ideon and Armored Trooper Votoms made an impression in the minds of mecha fans with great characters and shocking moments.
This did not mean that every mecha show left an impact. There were titles like Ninja Robots and Blue Comet SPT Layzner that are virtually forgotten. Any persisting memory of these random series is almost certainly thanks to their appearances in the Super Robot Wars franchise.
8 Merchandising & Toy Making Dictated The Creation Of '80s Anime
Cartoons like G.I. Joe, He-Man, and Transformers all had toy deals that contributed to their overall profits. The same goes for anime as well. Every mecha anime had to have a toy line ready to go even before production could begin. This gave toy makers like Bandai a lot of power when it came to production and design.
While the relationship was ultimately beneficial for the industry, it did limit anime in ways. Shows were incentivized to appeal to younger audiences and air during kid-friendly time slots. Anime creators pushed the boundaries of what they could get away with, but many series had to fall in line eventually.
7 '80s Anime Episode Counts Were Incredibly Daunting
During the '80s, it was rare to find a show that did not go on for dozens, if not hundreds, of episodes. As these shows were intended for television, it was easy for viewers to tune in every day to watch the next episode.
However, this had the unfortunate side-effect of making these shows impossible to binge for most. Touch's pace worked for a manga, but watching 101 episodes at one go might be overwhelming. The worst part about this was that almost every great work of the decade was as long, if not longer.
6 There Were Many Bad Original Video Animations In The '80s
The 1980s were when Original Video Animation (OVA) was at its peak. VCRs were fairly new and in demand, so anime had a new avenue to release content that was restrained by television guidelines. This led to all-time classics like Legend of the Galactic Heroes and Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket. The potential of the format was exciting and liberating.
The flip side of the format is that it allowed for an avalanche of terrible anime. Since these works were shorter and quicker to produce, studios were making anime about absolutely anything. Ridiculously awful works like Mad Bull 34 and Wounded Man are just the tip of the iceberg. For every great OVA, there were dozens of mediocre ones.
5 Hyper Masculinity Drenched The Entire Anime Medium In The '80s
Themes of strength and persistence against a world of adversity have existed in anime before the '80s, with Tomorrow's Joe being one of the prime examples. However, this decade injected a lot more masculinity into its shows as can be seen from Fist of the North Star and Charge!! Men's Private School. Gender roles were a lot more rigid, especially for men.
While this resulted in a lot of great works, it also constricted expression at the time. Female characters had very little agency outside of works written by women or for women. Men were also subject to unattainable standards that could warp their view of themselves and others.
4 There Was An Over-Abundance Of Gore & Violence In '80s Anime
Gore and violence during the '80s were excessive. Every side character or enemy had the potential to erupt into a rain of blood and guts. This was far more prominent in OVAs, as television censors blurred out or cut the most graphic aspects of shows like Fist of the North Star.
OVAs like MD Geist, Dog Soldier, and Demon City Shinjuku were stuffed with graphic violence as it was a cheap and easy way to entertain fans. It was so absurd that the acts did not carry any weight. Death and pain are ironically less impactful when nameless humans just explode on the screen.
3 Fanservice Started To Become More Prevalent In '80s Anime
Fanservice during the 1980s went beyond character designs like Lum from Urusei Yatsura or Kei and Yuri from Dirty Pair. For instance, the opening sequence of Bubblegum Crisis focused on Priscilla undressing for no reason instead of just showing the girls performing on stage.
The worst offenders are shows like City Hunter, which sexualizes every girl around Ryo Saeba regardless of age. Instances like these set the precedent for fanservice down the line. Fanservice in anime wouldn't have been as prominent as it is today if shows like City Hunter did not establish the norm.
2 There Was A Lot Of Transphobia & Homophobia In '80s Anime
There was a lot of dehumanizing comedy directed at members of the LGBTQ+ during the '80s, with an emphasis on transphobia. The greatest example of this is City Hunter. Almost every other episode contains humor targeted against trans women or gay men. It is also present in manga creator Tsukasa Hojo's other work, Cat's Eye.
In this environment, it is hard for LGBTQ+ characters to thrive. Stop!! Hibari-kun! has an amazing trans character in Hibari, but the surrounding characters constantly deny her gender identity. The thing redeeming the anime is how steadfast Hibari is about herself.
1 The Depiction Of Other Races In '80s Anime Was Offensive
Racial prejudice is an ever-present and ever-evolving issue that finds its way into media across the world. During the '80s, there was little to no focus on this issue, especially in countries that are not directly engaged with the people who are othered.
There are numerous offensive racial stereotypes of Native Americans, African Americans, and other minority groups, and some of them managed to find their way into anime. Even beloved anime like Dragon Ball depicted characters like Staff Officer Black with Minstrel show features. Japanese anime producers being uninformed does not excuse how upsetting these designs and illustrations can be.