10 Forgotten '80s Anime That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

Published Oct 5, 2026, 4:05 PM EDT

Lucas Kloberdanz-Dyck is a writer for Collider. He grew up creating lists, stories, and worlds, which led to his love of anime and video games. He attended Sheridan College where he earned an Honours Bachelor of Game Design. Lucas and his group won 1st place for technical innovation at LevelUp Toronto 2023, and he was also an intern for the Oakville Film Festival of Arts. 

Sign in to your Collider account

As one of the most popular media in the world, there are plenty of anime shows available, including near-universally known ones like One Piece and Demon Slayer. However, with so many series, it is only natural that plenty of worthwhile efforts have been forgotten, which is especially true for the works of the 1980s. Since it was over 40 years ago, even the most popular anime from this decade has fallen out of favor with mainstream audiences, with some becoming outright forgotten.

Modern tastes may have changed, and plenty of '80s anime are outdated, but there are still plenty of perfect titles from the decade. That is why this list will feature ten forgotten anime from the 1980s that have aged perfectly even by modern standards, based on aspects such as animation, story, relevance, timeless aspects, fan opinion, critical acclaim, and overall quality.

'Space Adventure Cobra' (1982-1983)

Image via Tokyo Movie Shinsha

This list will feature a lot of sci-fi anime mainly because that is what was popular during the time, with shows such as Space Adventure Cobra. Johnson is a lonely salaryman, but he dreams of a grand adventure and of one day leaving this planet. His longing dream finally comes true after his suppressed memories resurface, taking him back into the galaxy to be free.

The rule of cool was undisputed in the 1980s, and Space Adventure Cobra represents that better than most anime of the time. This anime feels like pure eye candy, boasting an impressive visual style that is psychedelic, trippy, and an absolute blast from start to finish. In that way, Space Adventure Cobra is a maximalist series that aged perfectly, even if the ultra hard-boiled style is a bit much.

'Giant Gorg' (1984)

Image via Sunrise

Since sci-fi was so popular during the time, many sub-genres were spawned off of it, including mechs. Giant Gorg is one such series, following Yuu's adventure to an unmapped world. However, while there, he discovers a government conspiracy, alien presence, and strange happenings, including a giant robot who acts as his protector on this strange land.

Created by a team of legendary creators responsible for some of the best series of the time, Giant Gorg flew under the radar, even during its initial run. However, it is still perfect by today's standards, with underrated animation that is fluid and engaging, not to mention surprisingly modern. Giant Gorg is a magnificent sci-fi anime series, and the weighty motion of the mech is something that feels realistic and what modern audiences want.

'Kimagure Orange Road' (1987-1988)

Image via Pierrot

Outside of sci-fi, another genre that was a staple of the decade was romance, which paired even better with the school theme. Kimagure Orange Road follows Kyousuke, who often has to switch schools because of his ability to communicate with the dead. Even though it is hard to make friends, he finds someone he can connect with in his newest school, but he needs to keep his secret hidden, which is proving difficult.

Kimagure Orange Road isn't without its flaws, with a couple of one-dimensional and annoying characters. However, this anime will have fans feeling like their younger self, experiencing the nostalgia of slow school days, the forgotten joys of friendship, and the thrill of young love. This distinct style means it has aged perfectly in our age of nostalgia, and with solid animation, it also holds up visually.

'Gunbuster' (1988-1989)

Image via SYFY

The abundance of sci-fi anime during the 1980s meant that more than a few flew under the radar, including Gunbuster. This series follows Noriko and Kazumi, who are two rookie pilots sent into space to make sure an evil alien race doesn't find and destroy Earth. However, they are finding this mission more difficult than they thought it would be.

Gunbuster is a true cult classic, earning this status because of its shockingly fluid animation, creative character design, and charming style. It doesn't even feel like a 1980s show; in fact, with such great animation, it is more like a '90s anime masterpiece. The space battles hold real weight, and the splendid animation creates a captivating sci-fi series that unfortunately was forgotten over time.

Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive? The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars

Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you'd actually make it out of alive.

💊The Matrix

🔥Mad Max

🌧️Blade Runner

🏜️Dune

🚀Star Wars

TEST YOUR SURVIVAL →

01

You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do? The first instinct is often the truest one.

APull on every thread until I understand the system — then figure out how to break it. BStop asking questions and start stockpiling — food, fuel, weapons. Questions don't keep you alive. CKeep my head down, observe carefully, and trust no one until I know who's pulling the strings. DStudy the patterns. Every system has a rhythm — learn it, and you learn how to survive it. EFind the people fighting back and join them. You can't fix a broken galaxy alone.

NEXT QUESTION →

02

In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely? What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.

AKnowledge. If you understand the system, you don't need resources — you can generate them. BFuel. Everything else — movement, power, escape — runs on it. CTrust. In a world of fakes and informants, a truly reliable ally is rarer than any commodity. DWater. And after water, information — the two things empires are truly built on. EShips and credits. The galaxy is big — you survive it by being able to move through it freely.

NEXT QUESTION →

03

What kind of threat keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you're honest about what you're actually afraid of.

AThat reality itself is a lie — that everything I experience has been constructed to keep me compliant. BA raid. No warning, no mercy — just the roar of engines and then nothing left. CBeing identified. Once someone with power decides you're a problem, you're already out of time. DBeing outmanoeuvred — losing a political game I didn't even know I was playing. EThe Empire tightening its grip until there's nowhere left to run.

NEXT QUESTION →

04

How do you deal with authority you don't trust? Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.

ASubvert it from the inside — learn its rules well enough to weaponise them against it. BIgnore it and stay out of its reach. The further from any power structure, the better. CAppear to comply while doing exactly what I need to do. Visibility is the enemy. DManoeuvre within it carefully. You can't beat a system you refuse to understand. EResist openly when I have to. Some things are worth the risk of being seen.

NEXT QUESTION →

05

Which environment could you actually endure long-term? Survival isn't just tactical — it's physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.

AUnderground bunkers and server rooms — cramped, artificial, but with access to everything that matters. BOpen wasteland — brutal sun, no shelter, constant movement. At least the threat is honest. CA dense, rain-soaked city where you can disappear into the crowd and nobody asks questions. DMerciless desert — extreme heat, no water, and something enormous living beneath the sand. EThe fringe — backwater planets and busy spaceports where the Empire's attention rarely reaches.

NEXT QUESTION →

06

Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart? The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.

AA tight crew of believers who've seen behind the curtain and have nothing left to lose. BOne or two people I'd trust with my life. Any more than that and someone talks. CNobody, ideally. Alliances are liabilities. I work alone unless I have no choice. DA community bound by shared hardship and mutual survival — people who need each other to last. EA ragtag team with wildly different skills and total commitment when it counts.

NEXT QUESTION →

07

Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all? Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they're actually made of.

AI won't harm the innocent — even the ones who'd report me without hesitation. BI do what I have to to protect the people I've chosen. Everything else is negotiable. CThe line shifts depending on who's asking and what's at stake. DI draw a long-term line — nothing that compromises my people's future, even if it'd help now. ESome lines, once crossed, can't be uncrossed. I know which ones they are.

NEXT QUESTION →

08

What would actually make survival worth it? Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.

AWaking others up — dismantling the illusion so no one else has to live inside it. BFinding somewhere — or someone — worth protecting. A reason to keep moving. CAnswers. Understanding what I am, what any of this means, before time runs out. DLegacy — shaping the future in a way that outlasts me by generations. EFreedom — for myself, for others, for every world still living under someone else's boot.

REVEAL MY WORLD →

Your Fate Has Been Calculated You'd Survive In…

Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.

The Matrix

You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You're a systems thinker who can't help but notice the seams in things.

• You're drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it.
• You'd find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines' worst nightmare.
• You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it.
• The Matrix built an airtight prison. You'd be the one probing the walls for the door.

Mad Max

The wasteland doesn't reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That's you.

• You don't need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon.
• You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you're good at all three.
• You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider.
• In the wasteland, that distinction is everything.

Blade Runner

You'd survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.

• You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer.
• In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional.
• You're not a hero. But you're not lost, either.
• In Blade Runner's world, that distinction is everything.

Dune

Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.

• Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they're survival tools.
• You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory.
• Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You'd learn its logic and earn its respect.
• In time, you wouldn't just survive Arrakis — you'd begin to reshape it.

Star Wars

The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn't have it any other way.

• You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion.
• You'd gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire's grip can be broken.
• You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn't something you're capable of.
• In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference.

↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ

'Bomber Bikers of Shonan' (1986-1999)

Image via Toei Animation

The delinquent genre used to be one of the most popular in anime, peaking during the 1990s. However, its roots span into the 1980s, including Bomber Bikers of Shonan. Society in Japan is mild-mannered, which doesn't sit well with a handful of burning spirits who spend their youth beating up anyone they deem to be dishonorable, leading to fights everywhere all the time.

Bomber Bikers of Shonan instills a rebellious spirit within viewers that will have them wanting to take on the world. The spirited characters are all eccentric and brimming with personality, which the show puts into gorgeous locations based on real areas. This genre desperately needs to make a comeback, especially because Bomber Bikers of Shonan has aged so perfectly.

'Legend of the Galactic Heroes' (1988-1997)

Image via Kitty Films

While all the anime on this list are forgotten, some are still more popular than most, and Legend of the Galactic Heroes is bigger than most included here. After two young leaders take command of their respective colonies, they break a hundred-year ceasefire in order to prove their philosophies. With clashing ideals, they battle it out to determine which way of thinking is correct.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes has aged better than most anime, but the only reason it isn't higher is that it isn't as forgotten as most other series on this list. The philosophical discussion is intriguing, and this presents a story that doesn't have any plot armor, simply aiming to deliver the most engaging narrative. It hasn't just aged well; Legend of the Galactic Heroes is one of the best anime series of all time.

'Yawara!' (1989-1992)

Image via Madhouse

Naoki Urasawa is one of the greatest manga authors ever, and while most of his titles are well-known, one of his first has also aged perfectly. Yawara follows the titular character who just wants to live a normal life as a girl, but her prodigious talent for judo has made her a star of the craft. Not liking the attention and the sport, she tries to hide her talent, but that doesn't always end well.

Many fans know Urasawa as the creator of Monster, his magnum opus and one of the greatest anime series of all time. However, Yawara is one of his earliest and most underrated series that deserves more love simply because it is from a legendary creator, with fans able to see the growth and signature style in his work. However, it also highlights underrated aspects in Urasawa's writing, including comedy, charm, and character development. Yawara is an excellent 1980s anime that everyone should check out.

'Touch' (1985-1987)

Image via Shounen Sunday

As mentioned, the romance genre was one of the most popular during the 1980s, and the biggest series from that time was Touch, which somehow ended up rather forgotten. Kazuya is hardworking and popular, and his brother, Tatsuya, is talented but lazy. After a tragedy befalls Kazuya, Tatsuya must step up to realize his brother's dream while taking care of their childhood friend, Minami.

Touch is, fittingly, a touching story about adolescent grief that is always relatable and timeless, no matter the decade. However, the nuanced detail makes it perfect to watch nowadays. With gorgeous background art and a lack of dialogue, it portrays powerful emotions through the animation with a naturalistic tone. While it is a perfect forgotten anime, it has aged even better, with more fans needing to check it out.

'Space Runaway Ideon' (1980-1981)

Image via Sunrise

As mentioned, the sci-fi and mecha genres were two of the biggest in the 1980s, and one underrated series was Space Runaway Ideon. When the human colonists on the planet Solo discover a god-like mech, its energy awakens powers inside the people, but conflicts escalate between these people and an alien race.

Before anime like Neon Genesis Evangelion, Space Runaway Ideon dealt with topics such as existential dread, a theme ahead of its time and handled brilliantly. This anime has no plot armor, with many character deaths and major narrative consequences, creating a shocking story that fits with the themes of improper communication, war, and cosmic horror. Space Runaway Ideon ends tragically with a finale that is more mature and intriguing than most modern shows.

'Sherlock Hound' (1984-1985)

Image via TV Asahi

Studio Ghibli is one of the most iconic anime studios of all time, and all thanks to the legendary Hayao Miyazaki. However, before his time with the studio, he delivered delightful anime shows such as Sherlock Hound. It follows the titular detective and a cast of anthropomorphic dogs as they solve mysteries and go on adventures.

Although completely different than the modern anime masterpieces Miyazaki makes nowadays, Sherlock Hound is more charming and heartwarming, something that newer fans should experience. This show is quirky and whimsical, but maintains its intrigue and compelling characters. This unique combo makes for a fascinating mystery and has made it a hidden gem that is perfect to watch now.

Sherlock Hound