The 1980s are widely considered the golden age of anime. It was a vibrant era that was driven by Japan’s bustling economy and thriving home video market. This era served as the bedrock for the release of timeless masterpieces from Studio Ghibli and laid the foundation for classics such as Akira and Neon Genesis Evangelion, which were heavily influenced by 80s anime.
Unfortunately, the heavy success of the 90s era for anime resulted in a treasure trove of masterworks being overshadowed. The 80s perfected the formula for uncompromising cyberpunk dystopias, stunningly animated space odysseys, and mind-bending thrillers that became the bedrock of everything that made the 90s anime era unforgettable.
Not that the current era of anime streaming lacks enough ingenious anime content and long-running series; however, for those with a more refined palate, these 80s masterpieces deserve better than to slip into obscurity amid the sheer volume of content. Each is a masterclass of artistic execution, yet criminally excluded from pop culture discourse.
7
Space Warrior Baldios: The Movie (1981)
Space Warrior Baldios is a thrilling sci-fi odyssey with a jaw-dropping twist. The story begins on the radiation-choked planet S-1, where a military coup led by the dictator Gattler forces the population into space, killing many, including the protagonist Marin Raygun’s scientist father. She pursues him through a subspace warp that transports them to Earth in the year 2100.
On Earth, Gattler begins a fierce invasion, forcing Marin to team up with Earth’s defense forces and pilot the super-robot Baldios. This leads to a fierce battle with an unexpected twist: S-1 is actually Earth’s future, and the warp sent them back in time. Their efforts to conquer Earth inadvertently resulted in the polluted wasteland they initially needed to escape.
The anime broke new ground by ending with the heroes losing in an uncompromisingly bleak way that highlights the futility of war. Baldios cemented its status as a harrowing sci-fi tragedy tackling heavy themes such as xenophobia, environmental destruction, and political fascism, all of which remain relevant today. The anime deserves greater recognition for its daring narrative choices, which paid off.
6
They Were Eleven (1986)
A pillar in classic sci-fi anime, Moto Hagio’s They Were Eleven (1986) is a masterclass in psychological tension. The story follows 10 elite space cadets trying to complete their final exam by surviving aboard a decommissioned, drifting spaceship for 53 days. In the process, they discover that there are actually eleven in total, beginning a search for the intruder.
The anime perfected the space-imposter trope, using the hidden intruder to create psychological tension of the highest order. It is a claustrophobic, dialogue-driven psychological thriller that relies on character interaction and suspense to drive the narrative. They Were Eleven is ahead of its time, exploring themes of gender identity with incredible maturity through the character of Frol.
They Were Eleven exemplifies the gorgeous hand-drawn animation of the mid-80s, produced by Magic Bus. It provides the perfect ’80s sci-fi aesthetic, masterfully balancing a grounded, retro-futuristic look with beautifully expressive, vibrant animation, making it a must-watch for fans of mystery and thriller genres. The anime’s masterful, mature handling of complex themes is not talked about enough.
5
Area 88 (1985-86)
Area 88 (1985-1986) is a brutally honest military tragedy that stands at the peak of the genre. The anime showcases breathtakingly visceral aerial dogfights, featuring meticulously hand-drawn real fighter jets such as the F-14 Tomcat, A-10 Thunderbolt, and MiG-21. This creative choice led to realistic aerodynamics, g-force strain, and cloud geometry with staggering accuracy.
The story centers on Shin Kazama, a brilliant young airline pilot, who is tricked by his jealous best friend, Satoru Kanzaki, into signing a 3-year contract to join a foreign mercenary legion. The contract traps him in the Middle Eastern kingdom of Asran, at the station Area 88, where he has to fight for his freedom by killing enemy soldiers.
The anime does not shy away from the brutal realities of war, nor does it glorify combat. It explores the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and institutionalization that come with war. Shin slowly loses his humanity throughout the story, transforming from someone who hates killing into an adrenaline-addicted killer. The anime’s anti-war sentiment is even more relevant today.
4
Twilight of the Cockroaches (1987)
Twilight of the Cockroaches (Gokiburi-tachi no Tasogare, 1987) is a visually and conceptually distinct marvel of animation. It is a bizarre and daring political satire that uses a household pest infestation to mirror the darkest sides of human history. The film seamlessly juxtaposes hand-drawn 2D anime characters against entirely live-action backgrounds, a technique well ahead of its contemporaries.
The movie follows a peaceful colony of anthropomorphic cockroaches living in luxury in the bachelor Seiji’s messy apartment. At first, they view Seiji as a benevolent provider, giving them food scraps, but are soon confronted with the brutal realities of life outside the apartment when a woman moves in with him and urges him to exterminate the cockroaches.
The sheer technical difficulty of tracking animated insects moving across real-world, live-action furniture and floors in 1987 is a jaw-dropping feat of practical cinematic editing that deserves appreciation. The poignant and devastating social allegory of complacency, societal collapse, and ethnic cleansing, told through the lives of animated anthropomorphic cockroaches, is a message that has stood the test of time.
3
Robot Carnival (1987)
Robot Carnival (1987) is an industry-defining anthology film that brought together nine of the industry’s most talented emerging animators and directors, granting them complete creative freedom and a substantial budget to explore a single, unifying theme: artificial life. Rather than a single narrative, the film prioritized giving various creators the freedom to give varying perspectives and interpretations of that theme.
The film comprises eight distinct, self-contained shorts that rely primarily on visual storytelling rather than dialogue, accompanied by Joe Hisaishi’s stunning musical score. The shorts present stories that vary widely in tone and genre, serving as a launchpad for animators who would shape the industry for decades. The absence of dialogue pushed animators to master the art of visual storytelling.
2
Angel’s Egg (1985)
Before legendary director Mamoru Oshii directed Ghost in the Shell, he directed Angel’s Egg (1985), arguably the most fiercely avant-garde, hauntingly beautiful arthouse anime ever conceived. The anime was conceived through a collaboration between Oshii and legendary Final Fantasy artist Yoshitaka Amano and is more of a gothic poem than a traditional narrative.
Set in a bleak neo-Gothic wasteland illuminated by twilight, the story follows a young, unnamed girl who protects a mysterious egg concealed beneath her dress in a world filled with statue-like shadows of fishermen. When she encounters a nameless man wielding a cross-shaped weapon, he breaks the egg, revealing it to be empty, which leads to the girl drowning.
The film acts as an avenue for Mamoru Oshii to explore the loss of his Christian faith. It is an allegory depicting the struggle between blind religious devotion, embodied by the girl, and harsh existential skepticism, embodied by the nameless man. Angel’s Egg’s untouchable status stems from its refusal to conform to commercial standards, resulting in something truly unique.
1
Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise (1987)
Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise (1987) is the debut feature film of Studio Gainax, a group of young and talented animators who would later work on Neon Genesis Evangelion, permanently reshaping the industry. The film’s climax is widely considered one of the greatest animated sequences in celluloid history, making efficient use of an 800 million yen budget.
The story is set in an alternate, mid-century industrial world. It follows Shirotsugh Lhadatt, an unmotivated young man stuck in the “Royal Space Force”, a ridiculed branch of the military that has failed to put a man into orbit. When Shiro is inspired by the religiously devout woman Leiquanni, he throws himself into his training as a political conspiracy unfolds.
Wings of Honnêamise is an untouchable masterclass in fictional sociological design, creating a refreshingly diverse fictional civilization from scratch rather than merely tweaking real-world designs. In addition, it portrays an imperfect protagonist who is startlingly messy and human, as opposed to the idealistic sci-fi heroes littered throughout the genre, making for a genre-defining masterpiece that should be spotlighted.
Royal Space Force – The Wings Of Honneamise
- Release Date
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March 14, 1987
- Runtime
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121 minutes
- Director
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Hiroyuki Yamaga
- Writers
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Hiroyuki Yamaga
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Leo Morimoto
Shirotsugh Lhadatt (voice)
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Mitsuki Yayoi
Riquinni Nonderaiko (voice)
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Aya Murata
Manna Nonderaiko (voice)
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Kazuyuki Sogabe
Marty Tohn (voice)