Anime from the 90s!

[WanderingKnight]

A bit disheartened by the lethargic state of this year's series (only the runaway masterpiece Higashi no Eden is saving it so far), I've scheduled a couple of series from the 90s for my viewing pleasure (Escaflowne and Turn A Gundam) for the sole reason that they featured Yoko Kanno as the music composer. I've already finished Escaflowne (whose almost only redeeming feature was actually Yoko Kanno being in the show ) and am currently plowing through Turn A Gundam, when an idea hit my head.

I'd like to run through every year of the 90s decade and watch each one's landmark anime. I've already singled out, just from seeing some art and reading a bit about them, 1990's Nadia and Record of the Lodoss War.

Still, even if I could go through each year's series and single out the ones that look interesting, there's no way I could be thorough. Series I've watched when I was a kid (which most of them I've left unfinished at the time) get an instant opportunity--but my experience with series from that time is quite limited apart from that.

So, what I'm needing is series from the 90s which have been considered great at the time. I need them to be not generic nor completely stuck on a single genre--only suggest something like that if it actually created or set the tone of a genre series nowadays follow. Sort of like how Love Hina is the perfect stereotype for the countless romantic comedies nowadays. Keep in mind that my tastes lead me away from most mainstream stuff nowadays... though I can see myself enjoying things like that from the 90s, if only for the nostalgia (which is the only reason why I kept on watching Escaflowne). I need you to point out the reason I would have to watch the series. "It's cool" doesn't cut it.

Also, please specify the year of your suggestion, if it's not too much trouble. I know I could go look for it myself, but it'd help me if you did.

Obvious suggestion is obvious: Neon Genesis Evangelion. It's my favorite series and I've already rewatched it plenty of times.

Thanks for the input

[klowny]

Great Teacher Onizuka comes to my mind , unless you have already seen it.

[Marion]

I would suggest Cyborg 009, but that comes from the 60's XD;

Well there's Cowboy Bebop (1998), Tenchi Muyo (1992), Sailor Moon (1992), YuYu Hakusho (1990) just to name a few off the top of my head.

[WanderingKnight]

Watched Cowboy Bebop already, Sailor Moon was already in my to-watch (having watched it a little during my childhood) and YuYu Hakusho isn't the sort of thing I'm looking for--I already watched a few episodes a couple of years ago and I didn't like it at all.

OTOH, Tenchi Muyo and GTO will probably make it to the list. Thanks.

[Cipher]

What about:

Detective Conan (1996)?
Pokemon (1997)?

[klowny]

oh yeah and The Irresponsible Captain Tylor

[qwertyuiopz]

late 90s

cardcaptors
medabots
gundam wing
zoids
and all those other famous shonens

flcl is right on 2000 if u wanna try

[Guardian Enzo]

For me, I love Outlaw Star - sort of the proto-Bebop. I'm a big fan of Rurouni Kenshin, though you need to stop immediately after the Kyoto arc. For sure, I'd check out Tenchi Muyo as a seminal representation of 90's style. Now and Then, Here and There is a wonderfully dark and serious late 90's series.

[Rawgers]

How about Macross Plus? Sure it is not the first Macross series, but still a very enjoyable one introducing a love triangle between 2 guys and a girl with some mecha awesomeness.

Even though you said specifically 90's, would something from 88-89 work. If so, you can always try out Gunbuster. Craziness with Super Robots

Last, but not least, Serial Experiments Lain.

[GuidoHunter_Toki]

Originally Posted by klowny

oh yeah and The Irresponsible Captain Tylor

(1990)Ranma 1/2,
(1991)Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water
(1992)Tenchi Muyo, Yu Yu Hakusho, Sailor Moon
(1993)The Irresponsible Captain Tylor
(1994)G Gundam, Macross Plus
(1995)Neon Genesis, Gundam Wing, Fushigi Yugi, Slayers, Tenchi universe
(1996)Gundam: the 08th team, Ruroni Kenshin
(1997)Berserk
(1998)Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, Cardcaptor Sakura, Outlaw Star
(1999)Big O, Excel Saga, Great teacher Onizuko, Turn A Gundam, Digimon, Zoids

[mit7059]

Patlabor 89-90

[james0246]

Only providing english subbed anime (and only TV and a few OVAs) -

Pre-1990:
Legend of the Galactic Heroes (starts in 1988 - finishes in 1997)

1990:
Hakkenden

1991:
Oniisama E…
Otaku no Video
City Hunter `91

1992:
Uchuu no Kishi Tekkaman Blade
Crayon Shin-chan
Tenchi Muyo!

1993:
Irresponsible Captain Tylor
Kidou Senshi V Gundam
Slam Dunk

1994:
Marmalade Boy
Please Save My Earth
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon S
Macross Plus
Key the Metal Idol
Mahoujin Guru Guru
Magic Knight Rayearth

1995:
Ping Pong Club
Slayers
H2
El Hazard: The Magnificent World

1996:
Rurouni Kenshin
Mahou Tsukai Tai
Kodomo no Omocha
Hana Yori Dango
Martian Successor Nadesico

1997:
Utena
Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo
Battle Athletes Daiundokai V
Berserk

1998:
Sexy Commando
Trigun
Card captor Sakura
Princess Nine
Brain Powerd
Sentimental Journey
Serial Experiments Lain
Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou
Gasaraki
Master Keaton
Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040

1999:
Crest of the Stars
Jubei-chan: Secret of the Lovely Eyepatch
Parallel Dual! Trouble Adventure
Mugen no Ryvius
Excel Saga
Blue Gender
The Big O
Legend of Black Heaven
Ningyou Zoushi Ayatsuri Sakon

[Coruja]

Rurouni Kenshin, Tenchi Universe (my favorite in the Tenchi Muyo! saga), Slayers, and Lost Universe were some of my favorites back then, especially Rurouni Kenshin.

[Ichihara Asako]

My favourite 90s series is Hyper Police. Some great voice casting (Miyamura Yuko; Eva's Asuka, Shibahara Chiyako also does a great kansai-ben) for the time, music by the always excellent Kawai Kenji, and it spans multiple genres (post-apocalyptic sci-fi/fantasy cop show with comedy and some romance). It suffered poor advertising so was never particularly widely known, so I don't know if you're looking for stuff that won awards, but I loved it from the first time I saw it and still consider it the best series from the 90s.

[C.A.]

Gaogaigar and Gaogaigar FINAL, the best of the Brave series. Gaogaigar FINAL is the best anime Sunrise ever made.

Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still, contrary to popular beliefs, Sengoku Basara was not inspired by TTGL, but Giant Robo instead.

Giant Robo, along with Gaogaigar/FINAL, is in the top 10 lists of most epic mecha anime, Gaogaigar FINAL is top 3 actually.

james0246 has mentioned all the rest of the great mecha anime. Nadesico, Nadesico: Prince of Darkness, Big O, Macross Plus and Tekkaman 1&2 are especially outstanding.

[james0246]

^I'll also throw out a suggestion for Betterman, another part of the Gaogaigar universe (can't believe I forgot Gaogaigar), but at the same time completely different.

[4Tran]

Originally Posted by WanderingKnight

So, what I'm needing is series from the 90s which have been considered great at the time. I need them to be not generic nor completely stuck on a single genre--only suggest something like that if it actually created or set the tone of a genre series nowadays follow. Sort of like how Love Hina is the perfect stereotype for the countless romantic comedies nowadays. Keep in mind that my tastes lead me away from most mainstream stuff nowadays... though I can see myself enjoying things like that from the 90s, if only for the nostalgia (which is the only reason why I kept on watching Escaflowne). I need you to point out the reason I would have to watch the series. "It's cool" doesn't cut it.

Go watch Utena; that is all.





Okay, it's worth expanding a bit on this. 1995's Utena is, in my humble opinion, one of the best anime ever made and it's also one of the most influential to boot. The influence part is easier to explain since elements, particularly of the show can be seen in pretty much all shoujo or shoujo-esque shows made in the last decade or so; especially those made by SHAFT and Sato Junichi. This effect is most pronounced in Princess Tutu and Melody of Oblivion, but it can be seen in everything from Simoun (gender identity) to Aria (emphasis on visual elements) to ef: a Tale of Memories (usage of stark imagery).

How good Utena is is a bit open to opinion as it's one of the most artsy (and feminist) anime out there. The very purpose of the show was to take familiar story ideas (mostly fairy tales and the like), and turn them on their head; playing with themes, imagery and deconstructing all of the above. For those interested in this kind of thing, Utena is one of the most rewarding (and challenging) viewing experiences as there are layers of complexity and meaning to be found everywhere. If you're lucky, you can find Utena DVDs with commentary from the director, Ikuhara Kunihiko. He's extremely talented, but nuts as well, and he gives some insight into all the wierdness he cooked up. Utena was considered a great anime then, and it's considered a great anime now, so go watch Utena .

For extra richness, it'd be handy to be familiar with the stories that Utena plays off of (most notably Oniisama e and Rose of Versailles), but that isn't necessary. Oniisama e (1991) is worth watching anyways as it pretty much defines schoolgirl shoujo anime - it's pretty much the origin of a lot of the motifs like the school garden, the ojousama clique, and so on. It's also notable in that the creators purposefully used an old art style so the show looks like it was made in 1971.

[Guardian Enzo]

Another interesting Sunrise 90's series is Infinite Ryvius. As an Eva fan you may like it, as there are some similar paranoid psychology elements to it. As well, the lead has a bit of Shinji Ikari to him. It's not perfect, but it's certainly substantially above-average in terms of writing and pretty handome-looking by the standards of the time.

[Shadow Kira01]

Here are some suggestions:

Gundam 0083
Gundam F91
Gundam Wing
Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz
Gundam Wing: Operation Meteor
Gundam X
Knights of Ramune & 40
Macross 7
Turn A Gundam

[Lvrhina]

The following is what I watched during and after the 1990's. I loved the humor of OVAs during the 1990's also and some OVAs i list below.

Agent Aika
Golden Boy ( always great for a laugh )
Let's Nupu Nupu ( 1990's ecchi humor all summed up in 16 five minute episodes )
Outlaw Star
Spriggan ( Amazing movie and manga )
Tenamonya Voyagers ( this was "decent", if only it was longer )
Tenchi ( My opinion, just don't compare Ryo-Ohki to Universe )
Tetsuwan Birdy ( The original OVA from 1996 loved it )
Video Girl Ai ( Loved the manga too )
Wizardry ( Probably only if you played the game, its one episode OVA and would be more familiar with the spells used )
Ippatsu Kiki Musume ( again , lovely 1900's ecchi comedy )
Colorful ( i started to see a trend in the years of which ecchi/comedy i like )
Dengeki Oshioki Musume Gootaman ( this and the sequel was ... interesting )

As an addition I suggest a couple from 1980

Space Adventure Cobra ( especially since they are making two OVAs leading to the new season in 2010 )
Choujo ( Interesting plot and entertaining, if you don't like it, it's only a 45 minute movie )

I skimmed through the list above and tried to go through some that were not mentioned, however all I could come up with were mostly OVAs ... I went through profile on MAL and also tried to go by memory. If you don't like ecchi / comedy that is probably half of my list. Hopefully was help.