All forms of media flourished throughout the 1980s, and Japanese anime was no exception. At the time, some outstanding animators and filmmakers were only beginning their careers, and so many fans of the series are still familiar with the adaptations that have been made.
It might be entertaining to look back at the top programs of a particular era to see what might get a completely new look next, as many shows are being revived these days for contemporary audiences.
Some television programs nevertheless have enduring appeal thanks to their outstanding animation and compelling narratives. People will probably mention 1990s programs like Cowboy Bebop, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and YuYu Hakusho when discussing “vintage” anime. With a few notable exceptions, ’80s anime tends not to receive as much public attention for its rarity and occasionally distractingly out-of-date animation.
Most of the industry’s ’80s production doesn’t have the same sentimental appeal for non-Japanese viewers because anime didn’t fully spread to western nations until the late ’90s. For a good reason, the 1980s are frequently referred to as the ‘golden period of anime. It also helped boost the Japanese economy.
As a result of the formation of companies like Studio Ghibli, Kyoto Animation, J.C. Staff, and Daicon Films (now known as Gainax), producers began to consider a far wider variety of genres. Additionally, various reasons contributed to increased anime manufacturing and consumption in the 1980s.
Despite these drawbacks, the 1980s produced many outstanding programs that merit revisiting; this page has been updated to include some examples of the top 80s anime movies.
The Top 10 Japanese 80s Anime Movies are:
10. Project A-Ko
- Director: Katsuhiko Nishijima
- Writers: Tomoko Kawasaki, Yûji Moriyama, Katsuhiko Nishijima
- Cast: Miki Itô, Stacey Gregg, Emi Shinohara
- IMDb Ratings: 6.9
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Its dominant females are tearing across the city in fashionable school uniforms and have enormous, piercing eyes. Teenagers are controlling giant robots to stave off alien invasions. Characters yell at each other at 1,000 kilometers per minute, making it both noisy and colorful.
Project A-Ko, on the other hand, purposefully incorporates all these clichés, empowering them and reminding us each time we watch it why they have become the eternal tentpoles of Japanese animation that they still are.
There is no better time to watch since Discotek Media’s beautiful new film remaster makes the animated film cult classic seem better than ever! Watch this anime of the 80s in case you have not already and are an anime fan!
9. Royal Space Force: The Wings Of Honneamise
- Director: Hiroyuki Yamaga
- Writers: Hiroyuki Yamaga, Kevin Seymour, Mary Claypool
- Cast: Leo Morimoto, David Thomas, Mitsuki Yayoi
- IMDb Ratings: 7.2
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Shirotsugh, the main character of the science-fiction anime Royal Space Force: The Wings Of Honneamise, is influenced by a woman named Riquinni and becomes the first astronaut in a parallel universe.
Hiroyuki Yamaga, who also directed and wrote the screenplay, along with award-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, created an animated tale that is a coming-of-age drama full of internal conflict.
This anime’s (Royal Space Force) debut production by Studio Gainax, the same studio that produced the wildly successful Neon Genesis Evangelion and later Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, is a fun fact about it.
8. Wicked City
- Director: Yoshiaki Kawajiri
- Writers: Hideyuki Kikuchi, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Norio Osada
- Cast: Yûsaku Yara, Toshiko Fujita, Ichirô Nagai
- IMDb Ratings: 6.7
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
The dark fantasy animation Wicked City is a Japanese OVA that takes place near the end of the 20th century. In this place where they both coexist covertly, the Black Guard police agency serves as a link between humans and the demon world in this. The production, which was incredibly sensual and violent, was directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri. Most well-known for upcoming anime productions like Ninja Scroll and Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, the second Vampire Hunter D movie.
Later, the movie received a live-action rendition in Hong Kong, also titled Wicked City, except some changes, were made to the story, and the demons were replaced with “Rapters.” When Kawajiri’s investors saw what he was producing and suspected a smash, they decided to extend what had originally been a 35-minute short film into a feature.
The human world and demonic worlds coexist covertly in Wicked City. The border between the worlds is guarded by a clandestine police organization, the Black Guard. Still, as the human-demon pact approaches its renewal deadline, it grows danglingly hazy.
The film’s first scene is particularly memorable, involving a female demon who resembles a spider and tries to emasculate Taki, the main character. However, this messed-up 80s anime movies is a little dark and thus is not exactly suitable for children.
7. Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya
- Director: Kōzō Morishita
- Writers: Masami Kurumada
- Cast: Masakazu Morita, Bryson Baugus, Hideyuki Tanaka
- IMDb Ratings: 8.1
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Outside of Dragon Ball, Saint Seiya is arguably the most well-known anime from the 1980s because it made it from Japan to western nations. A gang of youngsters is given magical abilities in the Greek mythology-inspired video game Saint Seiya so they can defend Athena and battle other pantheon gods.
Compared to other anime from this era, Saint Seiya, a famous battle shonen series, goes along at a breakneck pace. One of the best Japanese 80s anime movies is a product of excellent animation, a straightforward yet powerful plot with good martial arts-like tricks, and an epic soundtrack.
6. My Neighbor Totoro
- Director: Hayao Miyazaki
- Writers: Hayao Miyazaki
- Cast: Hitoshi Takagi, Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto
- IMDb Ratings: 8.1
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
Mei and Satsuki move to a new home to be nearer to their mother, who is in the hospital. They quickly make friends with Totoro, a gigantic spirit that looks like a rabbit.
Two girls embark on adventures with the magical woodland spirits who reside nearby when they relocate to the country to be closer to their dying mother.
It is apparent that My Neighbor Totoro is more well-liked in Japan than in the United States due to its heavy emphasis on Japanese culture. That does not imply that the movie does not have a fan base in the United States. Viewers who are passionate about anime, filmmaking, and animation adore this movie. Yasuko is finally able to go back to her house.
5. Grave of the Fireflies
- Director: Isao Takahata
- Writers: Akiyuki Nosaka, Isao Takahata
- Cast: Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi, Akemi Yamaguchi
- IMDb Ratings: 8.1
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
An American setting off bombs during World War II separates the two children from their parents, leaving Seita (Tsutomu Tatsumi), a teenager, in charge of looking after his younger sister Setsuko (Ayano Shiraishi). This animated story involves Seita as he looks after Setsuko.
Their story of surviving is both hurtful and realistic. The pain reminds you of what the people might have suffered in World War II.
The siblings depend entirely on one another and fight bravely to remain united and survive in Grave of the Fireflies. This studio ghibli film is a must-watch and can be seen on Prime Video.
4. Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
- Director: Yoshiyuki Tomino
- Writers: Yoshiyuki Tomino
- Cast: Nobuo Tobita, Shûichi Ikeda, Hirotaka Suzuoki
- IMDb Ratings: 8.1
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
It is not easy to imagine how the tv series- Mobile Suit Gundam managed to earn a sequel, given that the television content was almost canceled after only 39 episodes. It didn’t happen until the 1980s, but viewers were impatient to see more by that point.
Many traditional Gundam show cliches can be found in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, which sets up the series’ eventual complete development. A 1985 Japanese anime tv series called Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam is the follow-up to the original Mobile Suit Gundam and the second entry in the Gundam franchise of the sci-fi genre.
3. Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone
- Director: Daisuke Nishio
- Writers: Akira Toriyama, Takao Koyama, Eric Vale
- Cast: Masako Nozawa, Toshio Furukawa, Hiromi Tsuru
- IMDb Ratings: 6.8
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
When Goku arrives, determined to save his son, a young boy, Garlic Junior prepares for his underlying purpose of retaliation for his father’s death. Garlic Junior kidnaps Gohan for his Dragon Balls to utilize them to hope for eternity.
Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone, which takes place before the events of the tv series, follows Goku and his young son Gohan as they attempt to stop Garlic Jr. from using the Dragon Balls to attain eternal life. The narrative begins when a young boy named Son Goku meets Bulma, a blue-haired girl. This movie also is martial arts based.
The young woman is searching for all seven Dragon Balls, magical spheres that, when gathered, can grant any wish you have. One of the orbs is in Goku’s possession, but he won’t part with it until he can travel with Bulma. You will hardly find any anime fans who do not talk about Dragon ball, so watch this feature film. Western audiences loved this Japanese anime adaptation.
2. Gunbuster
- Director: Toshio Okada
- Writers: Toshio Okada
- Cast: Noriko Hidaka, Rei Sakuma, Norio Wakamoto
- IMDb Ratings: 8.1
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
It is a 1988–1989 Japanese OVA series in the realm of Japanese Anime produced by Hideaki Anno, the man behind Neon Genesis Evangelion fame. Studio Gainax created it.
The anime, inspired by Top Gun, is set in 2023 and depicts humans deploying enormous mechas to battle an alien race known as the Uchuu Kaiju. The anime, which lasted for roughly 6 episodes and had a few elements carried over to Neon Genesis Evangelion, is regarded as the spiritual forerunner to that film. 80s anime movies fans need to watch this.
1. Kiki’s Delivery Service
- Director: Hayao Miyazaki
- Writers: Eiko Kadono, Hayao Miyazaki
- Cast: Minami Takayama, Rei Sakuma
- IMDb Ratings: 8.1
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
According to the custom of her tribe for witches in training, 13-year-old little girl Kiki and her talking cat, Jiji, relocate to a seaside town where they will spend a year alone in Kiki’s Delivery Service.
After becoming proficient with her broomstick, Kiki establishes a flying delivery service and quickly establishes herself as a neighborhood pillar. But when the shy young witch starts doubting herself and loses her magic, she has to fight her insecurities to regain her magic. Watch this Studio Ghibli movie on Prime Video if you are an anime fan.
It, however, is not the end of some good 80s anime movies. Do not be surprised, as the list is pretty long. From The Mysterious Cities of Gold to Captain Tsubasa, from Fist of the North Star to City Hunter, this list will not end soon. So make sure to watch these amazing cartoons of the 80s.
