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What are some old (20+ years) anime series that stood the test of time?
After rewatching Evangelion on Netflix, I got in the mood for some classics. Some of my beloved old animes, like Kare Kano, Escaflowne and Fushigi Yuugi, are not available either on Netflix or Crunchyroll. So I'm curious to know from you guys which old animes (that premiered at least 20 years ago) are still a good watch. Thanks!
I was going to say Cowboy Bebop, but there's no way it's already twenty—
D:
But really, though, it's a classic space western. The dub is also incredibly well done.
I saw Cowboy Bebop in some very expensive VHS tapes I ordered from the other side of the country. It was instant love. My school friends were more into DBZ type of things (which I also like), and thought I was crazy. But our small otaku-club copied these and other of my tapes to death. I introduced quite a few people in my city to anime... lost some VHSs but whatever. Years later I still met people I never knew before that got into anime because of my tapes!
That's awesome! There's something really nostalgic and kind of magical about the days before access to things was so easy. It really felt special to find something like that, and afterwards to be the one sharing that with others.
I'm not totally wearing rose-colored glasses, though. I'll take the increased access to things by way of the internet any day, and I'm not going to lord those hardships over younger fans. Good for them, I wish I had that when I was a young nerd. :p It's just that it wasn't all bad, and those hardships created a sense of discovery, and were a part of what created a sense of community.
Since you said classics, I'll assume you mean well-regarded ones rather than just anything old:
Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is a gorgeous late 90s sci fi iyashikei worth giving a shot. It's a very short OVA, so just a short burst of eye candy.
Initial D's 3d animation is cheesy even for its time, but it's charming as hell for that reason and is a nice simple sports series which will at least manage to get you hyped.
Golden Boy is hilarious and brilliant if you're willing to deal with how overwhelmingly perverted it is. That's kinda driven its reputation, understandably so, but underneath all that is a deeply warm series which celebrates openness and willingness to learn.
Gunbuster is Gainax's greatest early achievement and the place to start when . Anyone who likes any of the important Gainax series (Gurren Lagann, FLCL, even Eva) needs to see this. Diebuster, the sequel, is even better...just not old enough for this topic.
Gunsmith Cats
Some films, short films, etc. which can't really be defined as "series" but I'll mention anyway:
Galaxy Express 999
Daicon iii and iv
Perfect Blue
Aru Machi Kado no Monogatari
Senya Ichiya Monogatari
Otaku no Video
Galaxy Express 999 actually started as a series.
The movie is actually a sequel to it.I wouldn't say the series held up very well, though.
I was under the impression that it's something of a summary film, not a sequel.
From what I've seen, I'd agree with your assessment of the series. I might go back and finish it someday but... I'd have to be pretty bored. Even then that'd probably be after reading the manga.
I take it back. I had it confused with Adieu Galaxy Express 999, which picks up after the series ends.
OMG I saw this show on my friend's computer and it seems like yesterday... I'm getting old! Will comment the others later. Thanks!
Legend of Galactic Heroes is the most wonderfully dense and sprawling space opera I've ever read or watched. It has such an interesting way of zooming right out to survey the economics, politics and war of billions of people and then effortlessly zoom in on some tiny minutiae of a single person's life and then zoom right back out again.
I've never quite seen a story with a scope of this size before.
I remember one of the things that struck me about the show was the total lack of dramatic effects. It was shot like a documentary.
There are one or two moments where they do use music and unrealistic visuals to show a characters emotions, and they really stand out.
It's not on Crunchyroll! It looks like I'll need to make a visit to my friend Jack Sparrow...
If you have Crunchyroll you should also have access to VRV, where it is available alongside most of the movies and spin-offs.
Gundam Wing,
Pokemon,
Akira,
Grave of the fireflies (feels warning)
Some people loved it in my otaku-club. The only thing I know about it is that there is a lot of mechas. Why do you like it?
Loved it when I was a kid, seems a bit too kiddie nowadays. Has Pokemon "evolved" into something denser?
Saw it at film theater! My father took me. I was probably too young to watch it, but it was the eighties, who cares! I think my dad just wanted to see the movie himself and was stuck with 9 years old me. He translated a few subtitles, but I didn't understand shit for the most part. Loved anyway. It was a mysterious bucket of wonderful images until e rewatched years later.
I don't like feeling feelings that much (pardon my refinement /s). But I'll give it a shot. Thanks!
a lot of people still love it cause of nostalgia, since its one of the first gundam animes aired in america. I grew up abroad though and grew up watching lots of Gundams. As a kid the mecha design was simply the best at the time. As an adult you either love it or hate it. Some people love the plot some thinks its ridiculous and think the characters are one dimensional. If you don't like mecha's then I'd probably drop it pretty fast. The plot is pretty good for a mecha at the time but there are better ones out there.
I was mostly talking about the original gen 1 + 2 series. I'm not a fan of the newer series and stopped watching it but I still go back to watch the original from time to time. The last few months I've seen a lot of kids watch the original series on their ipads in public and get absorbed by it. To me that is standing the test of time.
it fucked me up watching it as a kid and i didn't watch it again until in my 20's when I watched it with a bunch of college friends, fucked me up even more. I swore to never watch it again.
My boyfriend loves Gundam being cheesy and ridiculous. In fact, his favorite Gundam series is none other than G-Gundam.
Actually the surprising thing about that is that after rewatching it, I realized that it's got a whole lot more character than Gundam W and is actually much more enjoyable to watch, probably exactly because it's so ridiculous.
G-Gundam is actually my second favorite. some of the mecha designs are outrageous.
Feels warning is a huge understatement. Don't go into this unprepared.
Interested in the opinion of someone who's not an anime fan per se but has seen quite a few?
Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro. Miyazaki's debut is still great fun.
Angel's Egg. File under WTF; watch it anyway.
Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise. This is a fantastic film.
Roujin Z. An entertaining ride.
Ghost In The Shell. I'm sure you must have seen it already, but if not, it's a must-watch. Not without its flaws, but hugely influential.
Penguin's Memory: Shiawase Monogatari. A film about a penguin returning home from the Vietnam War. It's way better than the summary suggests.
I'll second Grave of the Fireflies, Cowboy Bebop, Akira, and Perfect Blue, but those should all go without saying.
Edit: Whoops. Somehow I totally ignored that you specified series, sorry.
There's this slice of life anime called Maison Ikkoku. It talks about a university student going through some struggles, living in a communal home.
I remember watching some episodes as a kid, and decided to give it another go last year. It was really good. As far as slice of life animes go (and I don't usually watch slice of life), I think it's the best one and definitely hold it in high regard in general.
The ending left me satisfied, though I can't say why without revealing a big spoiler. The fact that it was written in the 80s gives it a nostalgic vibe, and the animation is quite good, it gives it an authentic feel.
Cowboy Bebop (1998-1999) - Already mentioned, fantastic. I occasionally rewatch it.
Ima, Soko ni Iru Boku (Now and Then, Here and There) (1999 - 2000) - Dark, post-apocalyptic isekai with child soldiers. I watched it for the first time a few years ago and still leaves an impression.
Without a doubt, Revolutionary Girl Utena. It's weird that after that show came out, the themes are considerably less shocking and more mundane. Maybe it really was revolutionary after all.
Sailor Moon (as a whole) has almost certainly not stood the test of time, but
that won't stop me from binge watching it when I'm 100Sailor Moon Super does for the most part. The rest of the series desperately needs a competent remake.Edit for one more: Tenchi Muyo Ryo-Ohki. It's the only Tenchi series actually worth watching, IMHO - at least when you subtract the produced-years-later final volume. It's packed with an incredible amount of imagination and it leaves most of the background to your imagination. It's got some excellent visual designs, great animation, and it's really easy to step in the shoes of the main character.
Lots of great suggestions in this thread already. A few things I wanted to add
"Serial Experiments Lain", though the technology in the film is dated, the emotional core of the story is very much intact
"Perfect Blue", still an amazing psychological thriller and everything by Satoshi Kon should be featured here
"Jin-Roh", a very dark fairy tale with lots and lots of relevancy today
Blue Submarine No. 6. Misses your 20+ requirement by just a hair, but is really good. Its 4 30 minute episodes, so you can watch it all like a 2 hour movie.
Brief synopsis from Wikipedia: