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Anime started to crossover into Western countries during the late ’90s through shows like Dragon Ball Z, Cowboy Bebop, and Sailor Moon. Nowadays, anime is mainstream and generally quite accessible, even if new series are spread across multiple streaming platforms. While the future is packed with exciting shows, the past holds many stellar offerings that should not be ignored. Likely, RetroCrush offers free access to hundreds of classic anime.
Note: Only pre-2000 anime will be included, so Great Teacher Onizuka, Mononoke, Beelzebub, and The Twelve Kingdoms have been left out. However, those shows are all among the best anime on RetroCrush.
Bubblegum Crisis
Air Date: 1987-91
A hyped-up show at the time of its release, Bubblegum Crisis follows a group of mercenary women who take on the overwhelming power of a corrupt mega-corporation. The cyberpunk OVA anime series features some great animation and music, along with an interesting (if dated) look at a technology-ruled future.
Bubblegum Crisis does suffer some consistency issues and ends abruptly at just eight episodes, only to be completed in its underwhelming sequel series, Bubblegum Crash, which is also available on RetroCrush. Despite these criticisms, Bubblegum Crisis’ high points are dizzying, and most of the OVAs are very entertaining.
The Three Musketeers
Japanese Title: Anime Sanjuushi Air Date: 1987-89
There have been plenty of adaptations of Alexandre Dumas’ novels, with some of the most famous coming out during the ’90s. It might surprise some to know that Japan also made a stab at covering this classic tale, and The Three Musketeers is a pretty entertaining adventure anime.
The series does a solid job of covering Dumas’ The Three Musketeers novel, generally sticking true to the book’s characters while adding a few comedic elements to make the narrative more family-friendly. The second half of the anime covers The Man with the Iron Mask, although it deviates considerably from the source material.
Gokudo
Japanese Title: Gokudou-kun Manyuuki Air Date: 1999
Gokudo is not your typical anime protagonist. Sure, he goes on grand adventures and has a magical fire-spewing sword, but Gokudo is completely out for himself and doesn’t hesitate to use other people for personal gain.
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Heavy on the slapstick humor, Gokudo is a refreshing fantasy anime about an awful adventurer and the chaos he brings. Gokudo is constantly amusing, courtesy of its memorable protagonist and likable cast of secondary characters.
Astro Boy
Japanese Title: Tetsuwan Atom Air Date: 1980-81
RetroCrush has both the 1963 and 1980 Astro Boy anime shows. Each series is a classic in its own right, however, the latter is more accessible in this day and age. Osamu Tezuka’s shonen manga is one of the most influential of all time, and the Astro Boy brings Atom’s story to the small screen in grand fashion.
Blending episodic content with elements of serialized storytelling, Astro Boy is the ultimate Saturday Morning anime. Sci-fi fans should take the time to check this classic out.
Voltes V
Japanese Title: Chou Denji Machine Voltes V Air Date: 1977-78
1979’s Mobile Suit Gundam is the definitive mecha anime franchise, but it wasn’t the first property to lay the groundwork for Super Robot shows. Voltes V helped establish many of the genre’s conventions and also left a significant mark on countries outside of Japan, particularly the Philippines.
Voltes V follows a team of five who must defend Earth from an alien invasion, an act accomplished by combining vehicles to form a mecha. Along with solid action, Voltes V explores its characters quite extensively, including its villains.
City Hunter
Air Date: 1987-91
Ryou Saeba is unbeatable with a gun, and the private detective can always be relied upon to solve a case (especially if a pretty client is involved). Lasting four seasons and spawning plenty of specials and movies, City Hunter is a massive property in Japan, although it isn’t quite as well known outside of the country.
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A procedural that focuses predominantly on stand-alone stories, City Hunter is a pulpy crime show with an overabundance of comedy and action. City Hunter 2 marks the franchise’s high point, but all the seasons are solid.
Flame Of Recca
Japanese Title: Rekka no Honoo Air Date: 1997-98
Shonen fans are not exactly in short supply when it comes to action-heavy shows; in fact, it would take years for someone to work their way through just One Piece, Naruto, Bleach, and Dragon Ball. While the most popular battle shonen anime have episode counts that eclipse the hundred mark, there are a few shows that distill the genre’s appeal into more digestible lengths.
Consisting of 42 episodes, Flame of Recca is about Rekka, a self-proclaimed ninja who learns that he is actually from a shinobi clan. Action, magic, humor, and memorable villains soon follow. The anime only covers a small section of the manga, but it is a satisfying watch on its own.
Arcadia Of My Youth: Endless Orbit SSX
Japanese Title: Waga Seishun no Arcadia: Mugen Kidou SSX Air Date: 1982-83
Although somewhat eclipsed by 1978’s Space Pirate Captain Harlock anime, Endless Orbit SSX is still a fantastic classic sci-fi fantasy series. A sequel to 1982’s Arcadia of My Youth film, which is also available on RetroCrush, Endless Orbit SSX finds Harlock and his crew traveling around the cosmos after they were expelled from Earth.
An old-fashioned fantasy anime that comes packed with a healthy helping of romanticism and melodrama, Endless Orbit SSX is certainly a product of its time. However, that only adds to its charm.
Lupin The Third Part 2
Japanese Title: Lupin III: Part II Air Date: 1977-80
The timeless story about a master thief and his wacky assortment of cohorts, Lupin The Third has proven itself to be one of anime’s most enduring properties. RetroCrush has Part 2, which entails more than a hundred episodes.
Lupin The Third is popcorn entertainment done right. Each episode largely stands on its own as the legendary thief expertly and humorously plans his way through a heist while being chased down by Inspector Zenigata. While the animation is unsurprisingly dated, the anime’s characters hold up incredibly well.
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