Ash Ketchum

Top 5 Classics (pre-1980):

Astro Boy (of course) (1963)
Kimba the White Lion (1965)/Leo the Lion (1966)
Devilman (1972, original TV series)
Space Battleship Yamato (1974, original TV series)
Mobile Suit Gundam (1979, original TV series)

Honorable mention:
Cyborg 009 (movies from 1966 & '67, I've never seen the 1968 TV series)
Lupin the 3rd (1971, original TV series)
Galaxy Express 999 (1978, original TV series)

GreenMonkey

I'll go with anime released in the 90s in the U.S. (That rules out my favorite show, Berserk, as it wasn't released until like 2002 here, and my other favorites, Bebop and Crest of the Stars as they were released in 2000).

Classic anime for me would be stuff released in the early 90s when I first watched anime - Ghost in the Shell, Ninja Scroll, Fist of the North Star, etc. Princess Mononoke. I took a lot of years off after high school before watching some anime again in 2002-2003 or so.

90s anime, order not necessarily accurate

1) Serial Experiments Lain
2) Evangelion
3) Escaflowne
4) Lodoss War OVA
5) El Hazard OVA

wuxiakitty

1. Cowboy Bebop
2. Boogiepop Phantom
3. The Professional: Golgo 13
4. Project A-Ko
5. Now and Then, Here and There

RichC2

Love the love for Lain! (I wrote to complain this letter is my last). Love that series.

Tenkyoken

Pre 80's

1. Mobile Suit Gundam
2. Galaxy Express 999
3. Lupin the 3rd
4. Cyborg 009
5. Astro Boy

90's (in no particular order)

1. Cowboy Bebop
2. Escaflowne
3. Neon Genesis Evangelion
4. Rurouni Kenshin
5. Gundam Wing

toldawg128

Couldn't settle on 5:

Pre-2000
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Vision of Escaflowne
Berserk
Slayers
Oh my Goddess
Trigun
Cowboy Bebop

There's still a lot I haven't seen yet.

Erdrick

Pre 90s

1. Akira
2. Dirty Pair - Project Eden
3. Riding Bean (edit: tie with Vampire Hunter D)
4. Bubblegum Crisis
5. Tie between Ranma 1/2 and Dragon Ball Z

90s (in alphabetical order)

• Ghost in the Shell
• Giant Robo
• Gunsmith Cats
• Oh! My Goddess
• You're Under Arrest!

toddly6666

Just FUTURE BOY CONAN

visitor Q

Pre-2000 Films/Shorts

The first three I can solely blame for drawing my attention to anime ..

Ghost in the Shell
Wicked City
Ninja Scroll
Memories
Cowboy Bebop

hm

Neon Genesis Evangelion
Akira
Gunm

tofu

Ranma 1/2
Evangelion
My Neighbor Totoro
Gurren Lagann
Here Comes Greenwood

BlazinTy

My top 5 Classics Would probably be in no particular order:
Maison Ikkoku
Touch
Mobile Suit Gundam 0079
Urusei Yatsura
Macross

Helga89

1)-Dark Butler/Kurishitsuji
2)-Ai no Kusabi
3)-Naruto
4)-o7 Ghost
5)-Umineko no Naku Koro ni

Will M

I have been reading some of the older manga and watching some of the older anime. By old I mean pre 1980.

Question for those who know more than me: are the following out on dvd anywhere (i have a region free dvd player) with English language or subtitles?

Kimba
Galaxy Express 999
Space Captain Harlock
The Yamato TV series (not the cut up Star Blazers version)
Mazinger Z

Thanks,

Will

Ash Ketchum

Of these, only "Kimba" has come out in a DVD box set in its English dub version. From The Right Stuf. The others--no.

For "Yamato," you're best off getting the "Star Blazers" set. It's the closest you'll come to seeing the original "Yamato" and it's pretty damned good despite the edits/alterations, which are not nearly as drastic as you might think. I've compared original episodes with the English dubs. If you want drastic, compare "Battle of the Planets" with the "Gatchaman" originals.

fujishig

Ah, a Leiji Matsumoto fan.

I know you're asking for the DVDs, but I think Crunchyroll has streaming eps of subbed Harlock and Space Galaxy 999. I dunno for sure, I've avoided the place since the original fansub controversy, but might be worth checking out.

edited to add: I should add that these streaming eps are officially licensed from Toei, just to clarify.

Baron Of Hell

1. Neon Genesis Evangelion
2. Vampire Hunter D + Bloodlust
3. Robotech series (japan version has better music)
4. Dungeon and Dragons
5. Dragon Ball Z (not dragon ball or gt which were crap)

mewmartigan

1. Cowboy Bebop (my first anime experience and unfortunately no show since has come close to it, seems i started at the top)
2. Princess Mononoke (One of the best movies ever!)
3. Outlaw Star
4. Trigun
5. Full Metal Panic

Ash Ketchum

Dungeons and Dragons is not anime.

fujishig

Neither is Robotech...

The Bus

Akira
Ninja Scroll
Nausicaä
Cowboy Bebop
Spirited Away

wishbone

Superdimensional Fortress Macross
Lupin the Third: Castle of Cagliostro
Akira
Nausicaä
Gatchaman

honorable mentions:
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Ninja Scroll
Project A-Ko

Helga89

i think spirited away is the coolest anime ever))
hm, but I havn't heard about Ninja Scroll or Nausicaa... what about them?? will u recommend me to watch them?

visitor Q

If you enjoyed Spirited Away, Nausicaa ..or any Miyazaki's works really ..is a no brainer.

Ninja Scroll is a classic ..but you have to know Yawajiri's style ..he doesn't hold back on the blood/gore and nudity when appropriate. Total hack and slash fest, but it's an interesting journey of a ninja in Feudal Japan getting chased by a set of really well drawn out supernatural enemies (8 devils of Kimon) having unusual abilities which set up some interesting challenges. Several elements from this are borrowed from Afro Samurai (similar levels of violence and nudity being two) but Ninja Scroll is a far better overall film.

Ash Ketchum

Yes it is. There isn't a single frame of non-Japanese animation in Robotech. Every visual image in Robotech is Japanese animation.

fujishig

Is that your definition of anime, though? If so, then even something like Warriors of the Wind is anime.