Top 20 Anime of the 1980s
From genre-defining cyberpunk and mecha epics to tender Ghibli fables and cult OVAs, this lineup spans the decade that put anime on the world map. Where do you stand?
1Fist of the North StarThe hyper-violent 1984 martial-arts series set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland that defined shonen action.1000pts
2AkiraKatsuhiro Otomo's 1988 cyberpunk masterpiece set in a dystopian Neo-Tokyo, widely cited as one of the greatest anime films ever made.960pts
3Urusei YatsuraRumiko Takahashi's influential 1981 sci-fi rom-com about an alien princess and a hapless teenager.844pts
4Bubblegum CrisisThe 1987 cyberpunk OVA series following an all-female mercenary team battling rogue androids.584pts
5Legend of the Galactic HeroesA sweeping 1988 space-opera epic often hailed as the finest science-fiction anime ever produced.584pts
6The Super Dimension Fortress MacrossThe genre-defining 1982 series blending transforming mecha, idol music, and a wartime love triangle.584pts
7Mobile Suit Zeta GundamThe acclaimed 1985 sequel that refined the original's mecha drama to near perfection.584pts
8GunbusterHideaki Anno's emotionally charged 1988 mecha OVA about a girl piloting giant robots against alien threats.454pts
9Nausicaa of the Valley of the WindMiyazaki's 1984 post-apocalyptic eco-fable that effectively gave rise to Studio Ghibli.454pts
10Grave of the FirefliesIsao Takahata's harrowing 1988 wartime drama about two siblings struggling to survive in WWII Japan.454pts
11Saint SeiyaMasami Kurumada's 1986 battle series about armored warriors defending the goddess Athena.273pts
12Kiki's Delivery ServiceMiyazaki's warm 1989 coming-of-age tale of a young witch starting a delivery business.273pts
13PatlaborThe grounded 1989 mecha series imagining police pilots operating giant robots in near-future Tokyo.273pts
14Castle in the SkyMiyazaki's 1986 steampunk adventure following two children searching for a fabled floating city.273pts
15Ranma 1/2Takahashi's 1989 martial-arts comedy about a boy cursed to turn into a girl when splashed with cold water.273pts
16Dragon BallAkira Toriyama's 1986 adventure series following a young Goku, launching one of anime's most enduring franchises.1pts
17Royal Space Force: The Wings of HonneamiseGainax's ambitious 1987 film about an alternate-world astronaut training for the first manned spaceflight.1pts
18My Neighbor TotoroHayao Miyazaki's gentle 1988 Studio Ghibli film about two sisters and a forest spirit in rural Japan.1pts
19Vampire Hunter DThe gothic 1985 OVA about a half-vampire bounty hunter roaming a far-future world.1pts
20City HunterThe stylish 1987 action-comedy following a wisecracking sweeper-for-hire in Tokyo.1pts
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Comments
A decade One Piece could not enter, and Dragon Ball is not the favourite in it either. The full fourteen-list comparison: https://youpick.best/articles/dragon-ball-vs-one-piece-ranked
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