( 
)I define "Classic Anime" as Pre-EVA (EVA being, of course, EVANGELION). I look at
Evangelion as a turning point in the art. As I grow older I find it harder to enjoy modern
Anime as it seems a lot has been taken from "cartoons" with more action than story and
canned repetitive filler episodes. Don't get me wrong, I am not out to condemn newer
Anime, my goal is to inform a younger generation of something the last one has left for
you. The Classics... enjoy!!!
Aim for the Top! Gunbuster
This is my favorite Anime of all time, and I don't see that changing any time soon. It is
from the same production company, Gainax, as other classics and some modern works
such as Nadia, Evangelion, FLCL and so forth. This is an Anime that can get an
emotional response from the most stolid of viewers. It was designed to be a "serious
parody" of the Giant Robot theme, however, it works much too well to be considered a
parody. This Anime literally has "everything" and it's meshed together so beautifully it's
one of the top classics. It's probably not going to be on any shelf in a video store, eBay is
your best source for the original VHS English subtitle tapes. It was never dubbed in
English, and there is no legitimate R1 DVD. There was a UK DVD released, but it was a
slightly edited (for content) copy of the original VHS tapes. There are rumors of a new
USA release of the new re-mastered Japanese DVD box set. The series is usually
considered appropriate for late teens and adults due to animated nudity. Some
"problems" with the English translated version are an inconsistency between the
translations of episodes 1 and 2 and the rest up to the end at episode 6. The reason was a
change at the company producing the English versions. This same change is on the UK
DVD.
Maison Ikkoku
This is a classic comedy/drama, and is very obvious to be the forerunner to Love Hina. It
is from the Master Manga Artist Rumiko Takahashi, who has others like Urusei Yatsura
(Lum), Ranma 1/2, Mermaid Forest, and Inu Yasha. It's the story of a guy who can't pass
his college entrance exam and is living in a apartment building full of interesting
characters, and one very new Apartment Manager, the recently widowed Kyoko. There
is a lot of comedy and serious drama. It is a perfect blend that has yet to be recreated.
The series ran 96 episodes and there is a movie as well. Maison Ikkoku is produced in
English by Viz Video and currently available in DVD collector sets.
Kimagure Orange Road
This classic Anime series deals with a family of telekinetics trying to live a "normal"
life. This series is also a comedy/drama and is very heavy into music and has a serious
love triangle. If you are into good anime and 80's retro, this cannot be missed (actually,
it's genuine 80's, but seems retro now). Comedy, drama, psychic powers, time travel, and
love triangles. How can you go wrong? This is available in English from AnimEigo.
Project A-Ko
This is a movie with several sequels, and a few in an alternate universe, so it's almost a
series. Although the sequels are watchable, they never attain the greatness of the
original. This is a genuine parody of almost every type of Anime in the 80s. It's a pure
comedy with little drama and there are so many obscure references it cannot be watched
only once. It's interesting to note that Project A-Ko started on the drawing board as the
next in the series of soft-core Anime porn Cream Lemon, but the producers knew what
they has was pure gold and reworked it as a mainstream comedy. The English subtitled
version tells a bit more of the relationships between the three girls, A-Ko (Eiko), B-Ko
(Biko), and C-Ko (Shiko) and leaves little to doubt of B-Ko's plan for C-Ko. It has
rivalry, love, friendship, giant robots, strange costumes and the Super Secret of A-Ko's
superpowers. It's available from U.S. Manga on DVD.
Dirty Pair
Despite the name there is little to nothing sexual in the Dirty Pair, aside from possibly
their costumes. The Original Dirty Pair are the classics that tore a path of destruction
through TVs and movie screens of the 80's. The Pair consist of Kei and Yuri, Trouble
Consultants of the WWWA. They are sort of bureaucratic investigators for hire, who
usually cause much more damage then what they were investigating ever could. Their
official code name is Lovely Angels, but they are known by everyone as the Dirty Pair by
their destruction causing tendencies. There was a revamp to the Pair in the late 90's
called Dirty Pair Flash which is not to be confused with the original. Flash has a younger
more "hip" Kei and Yuri. Personally it doesn’t get much better than the movie Project
Eden which pits the DP against a mad scientist trying to make a new life form. The 005
Conspiracy is also a favorite. The DP TV series is also very good, but looks very dated
by today's standards. DP is available on DVD from at least two US companies.
Urusei Yatsura
Everyone, at some point or another has seen Lum, even if you didn't know it was her.
She is Anime girl wearing a yellow tiger stripe bikini and has green hair and horns. She
is an alien princess who instead of taking over the Earth now lives in the closet of her
new "Darling", the lecherous Ataru. It is Ataru's goal to have every girl on Earth be his
girlfriends (all at the same time). He is also the unluckiest person alive. While he shuns
Lum's attention, there are a host of suitors for her, but she will have no other except
Ataru. She can also fly and shock people with electricity. This is mainly a comedy with
some dramatic moments, but most of the 196 episodes and 7 movies end on a light note
(usually Ataru getting blasted by Lum's lightning). It's a series that the word "wacky"
doesn’t even come close describing. I really can't think of anything quite like it out
there. It's available from AnimEigo on DVD and VHS.
I hope you've enjoyed this guide. There are so many more Classic Animes out there, and
I hope this will give you a taste of what started the Anime Movement here in the US.
Without these and other classics, Anime would not be a commonplace in the US as it is
now.
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