The 17 Greatest Anime OVAs of the 1990s

Mecha epics, cyberpunk noir, sword-swinging horror and gleefully crude comedy all jostle for the crown in this snapshot of a golden age for direct-to-video animation. Cast your vote!

1. 1
   Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still

   Yasuhiro Imagawa's lavish 1992-98 OVA blending retro-future mecha spectacle with operatic martial-arts drama.
   1000pts
2. 2
   Patlabor: The New Files

   A 1990-92 OVA continuing the Special Vehicles Section's blend of mecha police procedural and workplace comedy.
   714pts
3. 3
   Record of Lodoss War

   A 1990 high-fantasy OVA chronicling Parn's quest across the war-torn island of Lodoss.
   577pts
4. 4
   Ninja Scroll

   Yoshiaki Kawajiri's ultra-violent feudal-Japan action classic, originally a 1993 theatrical OVA-style feature.
   494pts
5. 5
   The Hakkenden

   A 1990-91 supernatural period OVA retelling the epic legend of eight samurai dog-warriors.
   384pts
6. 6
   Golden Boy

   A raucous 1995 ecchi-comedy OVA following self-taught wanderer Kintaro Oe across Japan.
   384pts
7. 7
   JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

   The original 1993 OVA adapting the Stardust Crusaders arc that launched the franchise's anime legacy.
   384pts
8. 8
   Birdy the Mighty

   A 1996 sci-fi action OVA about an alien cop sharing a body with a human teenager.
   384pts
9. 9
   Gunbuster

   Hideaki Anno's 1990-era seminal mecha OVA mixing hot-blooded space combat with relativistic tragedy.
   231pts
10. 10
    Battle Angel Alita

    A 1993 cyberpunk OVA adapting the manga about cyborg warrior Alita rediscovering her lost combat past.
    231pts
11. 11
    Armitage III

    A 1995 cyberpunk OVA about a Martian detective and an android caught in a conspiracy.
    231pts
12. 12
    Macross Plus

    Shinichiro Watanabe's 1994 OVA pairing dogfighting prototype fighters with a haunting Yoko Kanno score.
    231pts
13. 13
    Iria: Zeiram the Animation

    A 1994 sci-fi OVA following bounty hunter Iria as she battles the indestructible creature Zeiram.
    231pts
14. 14
    Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki

    The 1992 sci-fi harem OVA that launched a sprawling franchise around hapless Tenchi and his alien companions.
    1pts
15. 15
    3x3 Eyes

    A 1991 supernatural-horror OVA following an immortal boy bound to a demon-eyed girl.
    1pts
16. 16
    Megazone 23

    An influential cyberpunk OVA about a youth who uncovers that his city is a simulation.
    1pts
17. 17
    Bubblegum Crisis

    A cyberpunk OVA following the armored Knight Sabers battling rogue robots in Mega-Tokyo.
    1pts