While Japanese anime has been around since the early twentieth century, 1980s anime represents the Golden Age for anime in the West. Indeed, it was during that decade when anime experienced a significant increase in popularity in the United States. With no established set of anime fandoms, the anime that "came over" ran the gamut of what was available in Japan, from saccharin-sweet romance to ultra-violent war stories.
Naturally, a lot of the anime that made it to the West wasn't able to make the transition into American culture, and soon ended up in the cultural wastebasket. However, other series or movies were able to find their voice and become beloved classics - sometimes even more than in Japan. Below is a list of 10 1980s anime that not only found their voice but have proven to be as fun and enjoyable to watch now as they were three decades ago.
10 Super Dimension Fortress Macross (1982)
Super Dimension Fortress Macross follows the story of Hikaru Ichijyo, Lynn Minmay, and Misa Hayase aboard the floating battle station SDF-1 Macross, an alien spaceship that crash-landed on Earth years ago. Since then, the SDF-1 has been retrofitted by humans to form the Earth's last and best defense against the Zentradi: an alien race that wants to eliminate humanity. Super Dimension Fortress Macross is a mech anime where the technology is ancillary to the more interesting story of the humans who pilot the mechs, and the people who rely on them for protection. While the mechs in the show pale in comparison to what's depicted in mech anime today, the human stories of love and betrayal, pride and greed, envy and courage, bravery and wrath are what make Super Dimension Fortress Macross worth watching again and again.
9 Golgo 13: The Professional (1983)
Golgo 13: The Professional follows the adventures of master assassin Golgo AKA Duke Togo. Golgo has never failed to complete an assigned task. He'll do any job for the right price and if it fits his code of ethics. However, Golgo’s singular focus on his job means he’s made enemies in all countries and among all governments - constantly worrying about when someone will try to kill him. While the drama of planning and initializing a "hit" is fascinating, what really ensures that Golgo 13 will never get stale as entertainment is its depiction of a man dealing with the pressure of having no friends when the rest of the world is looking to kill him. Like James Bond before him, Golgo is a unique character who's often imitated, but never bettered.
8 Captain Tsubasa (1983)
Captain Tsubasa chronicles the joys and sorrows of soccer-playing teen Tsubasa Ozora from his earliest days in the sport to his participation at the professional level. As such, viewers not only get to see Ozora’s maturation as a player but also as a person, including many of the off-field issues that necessarily play a role in how he performs on the field. It’s the story of that progression that makes Captain Tsubasa a timeless story still relevant today. Captain Tsubasa is widely looked at as the major influence on soccer anime like Blue Lock that is popular today, but Tsubasa Ozora's personal journey has lost none of its thrill.
7 Fist of the North Star (1984)
Set in a post-apocalyptic world where humans fight for survival among themselves, Fist of the North Star follows the story of Kenshiro, who - having mastered a deadly martial art before the apocalypse - now must rely on it to persevere during the harsh times ahead. Kenshiro also uses his abilities to help those more vulnerable than himself. The series offers plenty of solid writing, complex character development, and eye-popping martial arts action that will always make the series worthy of viewing. While there is a fair share of graphic violence and gore, the depictions of violence went on to influence how fighting would later be portrayed in anime. Fans who enjoy the series are in luck, since a new anime reboot is on its way.
6 Mobile Suit Gundam Zeta (1985)
As the sequel to the original Mobile Suit Gundam series, Zeta starts off not far from where the previous story ended. In the midst of conflict between space colonists and Earth, Kamille Bidan joins an anti-Earth group that, in a twist of fate, eventually ends up deciding the fate of the planet. Like the original, the greatness of Zeta lies in its focus on the people rather than the tech. The conflicts that Bidan experiences over the course of the series - from his disenchantment with both sides to the emotional scars of dealing with the death of his girlfriend in the war - are so well written they’ll always make for a great story.
5 They Were Eleven (1986)
They Were Eleven tells the story of ten space cadets who, for their final test, must survive for weeks aboard an abandoned spaceship. The test takes a turn for the worse when eleven cadets arrive at the ship. Since they’ve never met before, none of the cadets knows which of them is the impostor. Now, in addition to the harsh realities of the test, they must also figure out who the impostor is and why they're there. They Were Eleven has aged well because of its gripping and suspenseful premise. The tension runs through the film from the beginning until the reveal at the end. It showed that anime could be something more than mechs, heroes, and romance. Indeed, its sci-fi mystery theme was rare for anime at the time, and remains special today.
4 Dragon Ball (1986)
A series about a boy who wants nothing more in life than to become the best fighter in the universe doesn’t seem like a story that will stand the test of time, but the fighting is only part of Dragon Ball’s appeal. Dragon Ball has timeless appeal baked into its DNA. It got this from being based on the ancient Chinese classic Journey to the West - an epic depiction of a hero's journey that continues to enjoy immense popularity across the world. Second, Dragon Ball aged well because its fans have never stopped loving and celebrating it, turning it into the anime equivalent of comfort food. It's consistently provided fans with a story of adventure that's not too complicated but is always enjoyable.
3 City Hunter (1987)
City Hunter tells the story of Ryo Saeba and Kaori Makimura, two "fixers for hire" who will take care of a person’s problems - especially the dangerous ones - for the right price. While the plot may be standard gumshoe fare, it’s the presentation that makes it special. First, there are the characters. Ryo and Kaori set the standard. Not only are they hip and interesting on their own, but their chemistry is incredible. Tough and serious at times, while goofy and hilarious at others, no one ever gets tired of watching solid characters do thrilling, dangerous work.
2 Gunbuster (1988)
Only six episodes long, Gunbuster packs a lot of story into a short amount of time - but it never falters in what it wants to say and how it wants to say it. The story follows Noriko Takaya - a high school student trying to navigate her way into adulthood. However, before she can do that, the Earth is threatened by aliens. Noriko joins a team of female mech pilots tasked with stopping the alien threat. It's a series that laid down the fundamentals of what makes a mech story work, and can still teach newer entries how it's done. A word of warning, however: the one aspect that hasn't aged well is the fan service, which is inarguably inappropriate by today's standards.
1 Legend of the Galactic Heroes
Interesting stories told with solid writing are the cornerstone of anime classics, and that's exemplified in the must-watch Legend of Galactic Heroes. While the story's main focus is on the conflict between the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance, the true genius of the series is its depiction of numerous human links and motivations behind the war. Game of Thrones has nothing on the backroom machinations of this anime's various characters. Indeed, small matters on individual planets far away from each other have a tendency to end up having galactic repercussions. Similarly, these micro-interactions lead to intense star battles. The scope of Legend of the Galactic Heroes is hard to beat, not merely in terms of spectacle, but the depth and intricacy of every event - an accomplishment that hasn't been dimmed by time.
It was a challenging time for anime outside of Japan in the 1980s. While the Western public said they wanted more anime, they weren't sure what anime they actually wanted. The 1980s anime in this list were the most successful in creating fandoms, thanks to a level of quality that endures to this day.