Obscure Anime You Love

[danth]

I'm tired of hearing about Naruto and Full Metal Panic and Azumanga Diaoh. I wanna hear about old, obscure, or underrated shows.

Here are some of my obscure favorites:

* Bastard! I love these OAVs. Heavy metal sorcery with an anti-hero as the star. Great stuff.

* Genesis Survivor Gaiarth. When I was a kid, I loved fantasy, sci-fi, transforming robots, and post-apocalypse stories. This anime had it all.

* Gall Force. Maybe not obscure among the Macross crowd. This one had beautiful designs by Kenichi Sonoda and Hideki Kakinuma (lots of Mospeada-esque designs). Kakinuma came up with some sweet mechs -- transforming hoverbikes among other things.

What other obscure anime should more people know about?

[Ginrai]

I like Hades Project Zeorymer a lot. The mecha are amazing. Moriki, the same designer for the SNES game Xardion, the Gundam Hathaway's Flash novels, and other totally obscure crap.

Space Warriors Baldios is a totally obscure movie version of an even more obscure mecha show that totally bombed and was cancelled early. They made a compilation movie out of it and animated an ending for it, since the TV series just stopped short.

Techno Police 21C is a cheesy, goofy combination of caper movie and high tech police movie with robots. One of the earliest efforts from Artmic, the studio that would later go on to be famous for Mospeada, Bubblegum Crisis, Megazone 23 and more.

Phoenix 2772 is an amazing movie based on Osamu Tezuka's masterwork, the Phoenix (Hi no Tori) series. Weird mix of serious, dramatic, emotional sci-fi, mythology and almost Disney attitude. Circa 1980, retro-futurism. Awesome.

[Seven]

While these two shows are far far from being obscure, I find that with today's young anime fans or casual anime watchers they are like dinosaurs if they even know what they are.

I love watching Urusei Yatsura and Kimagure Orange Road. Urusei Yatsura has a sense of humor that hasn't been matched in 20 years. I tried Excel Saga and other supposed heirs to the crown of wacky humor, but couldnt get into them. Kimagure Orange Road is great too, and I just love the weird take on 80s music in both productions.

[Fortress_Maximus]

I completely agree w/A7 too many of the n00bs don't know about the great animes that influenced and set the standards for todays anime. Pity, ignorance must really be bliss.

- Bastard OVA - too damn funny. You got to read the manga for more.

- Dangaioh OVA - Toshihiro Hirano, Kawamori Shoji and so many other anime veterans that we love worked on this series.

- Devil Hunter Yohko OVA - Damn sweet character designs and fun storyline with just the right amount of h.

- Fire Tripper OVA - Takahashi Rumiko's Rumic world is a based on the manga one short. IMO it's a great old school anime that combines a feudal tale, time travel, love, and discovery.

- GunBuster OVA - Yes we know about it on this board but you'd be amazed how many newer fans have never even heard of this classic. WTF?

- GUNNM aka Battle Angel - Awesome series, the manga is excellent! Martial arts, philosophy, sci-fi, revenge, and the heroines journey.

- Iczer-1 OVA - Toshihiro Hirano's original OVA that is widely overlooked due to age, style, and its horror elements.

- Laughing Target OVA - More Rumic World goodness. Horror. Yes.

- Kimagure Orange Road tv, OVAs, movie - Takada Akemi art and classic 80s music mixed w/tragic hs love!

- Mermaid Forest/Mermaid Scar OVAs - Yes another set of Rumic World OVAs.

- Ninja Scroll and Wicked City movies - Kawijiri classics, horror, sex, violence, more sex and violence.

- Patlabor tv, OVAs, movies - Great work by Headgear and you got to love Oshii's work on the films.

- Urusei Yatsura tv, OVAs, movies - IMO one of Rumiko's best work ever. Hilarious and I don't care if it IS dated... I still love it!

Edited August 10, 2006 by Fortress_Maximus

[areaseven]

+ 1 on Dangaioh and Hades Project Zeorymer.

As far as obscure, underrated anime goes, few can compare to Figure 17. It's got action, drama, an excellent story, outstanding art and animation, and a great soundtrack to boot.

[gerwalk25]

Excellent topic. Here's my pics for obsure anime.

Royal Space Force: Wings Of Honneamise-Excellent flick about the dawn of an alternate Earth's Space Age

Gunbuster-What can I say? It was great!

Devil Hunter Yohko-Buffy can s_ck it

Big Wars-Epic Battles and great mecha and alien designs from Kow Yokoyama

Original Appleseed-Not from Geneon, But I like that version too

[Ladic]

I don't know how popular this were outside latin america, but, candy candy, star zinger, Kotetsu Jeeg, Magnetorobo Ga-Keen, captain future, captain harlock, queen millenia, Ulysse 31

[F-ZeroOne]

Urusei Yatsura? Obscure? Good grief, I suddenly feel old...

Mine would have to be Cats Eye, an early 80s series from the guy who created City Hunter. I believe at least some of the cast have recently appeared in the series Angel Heart. I mainly like it because it features the dumbest detective there has ever, ever been...

Then, of course, theres Star Fleet/X-Bomber, which isn't exactly anime but was obviously heavily inspired by it.

Patlabor on Tv shouldn't be obscure, but it must be the best anime series no-one actually seemed to buy. The fools, the terrible fools!

Edit: oh, of course. Turn-A Gundam. Dammit, get over the moustache thing already!

Edited August 7, 2006 by F-ZeroOne

[armentage]

I always liked the old-school, 1970's version of Cutey Honey. So ridiculous, so campy, that it actually wraps around (integer overflow!) and becomes super-cool!

Does Giant Robo count as obscure? I don't really know too many people who have seen it. Back in '95, I did a Giant Robo cos-play skit at AnimeEast...

[Sundown]

If we're going to consider Kimagure Orange Road and Urusei Yatsura obscure, my favorite obscure anime probably has to be Maison Ikkoku. It's sort of a KOR with less teen angst.

[bsu legato]

How about:

Blazing Exchange Student (OVA)

Space Cobra (TV series)

Riding Bean (OVA)

Space Pirate Captain Harlock (TV)

Technovoyager, aka Thunderbirds 2086 (TV)

[Beltane70]

Wow, bsu legato beat me by a few seconds with the mention of the Space Cobra tv series and Technovoyager.

I can, however, add Space Runaway Ideon to the list. I've been watching it recently thanks to a recent fansubbing.

[sabretooth]

i've always liked "those who hunt elves" i think thats the title

[JELEINEN]

Blazing Transfer Student is fun. By the same people who did Prefectural Earth Defense Force, which is another obscure gem.

Horus Prince of the Sun - Late 60's Toei film that helped give Miyazaki his start. It's very different from most anime and very cool.

Future Boy Conan - Miyazaki TV series from '77. It's a great story and you can really see a lot of elements that got used in his later movies here.

Hamelin the Violinist - Some of the worst animation ever and silly character designs hide one of the best dark fantasy stories of all time.

Uninhabited Planet, Survive! - An old school SF adventure story that is aimed at a younger audience, but still has plenty of appeal for us older people.

Wings of Honneamise - It's a sad day indeed when the greatest film of all time is considered obscure...

Bakuen Campus Guardress - Another great whacky fun show with an awesome ending.

Sorry, BSU, but I just can't see Harlock as being obscure even today

[kensei]

Zoids. Any one of them. Something abnout mechanical animals and dinosaurs with weapons.

[danth]

Oh crap, I forgot an important one!

* Dragon Quest -- the original series. Based on the game series, with character designs by (of course) Akira Toriyama. A damn good show. The first season was shown in the US as Dragon Warrior. It's finally getting a Japanese DVD release, but who knows when we'll get it elsewhere.

[bsu legato]

Sorry, BSU, but I just can't see Harlock as being obscure even today

423353[/snapback]

Well it's not really obscure, but most people I know have only seen the more recent Harlock material. Heck, i don't even remember seeing the Harmony Gold bastardization on TV in the 80's, at least in my neck of the woods. IMO, it's something everybody knows, but few have actually watched.

[armentage]

Ahhh, Hamelin the Violinist. What an awesome concept. Very cool show. I didn't get very far in it because the animation was so unwatchably bad, but the story was interesting.

I just can't repress my urge to say this -- but listing all the original "fanboy anime" just doesn't qualify for a list of the obscure. They were just unknown to most americans at the time, because we didn't watch anime. They were likewise unknown to most Japanese, because the mid-80s OAV explosion was mostly crap, only enjoyed by a small number of otaku.

Hell, most of the early stuff we we're seeing was some of the worst; it was what compnanies could by the cheapest! at the time, companies like Animego just didn't have the customer base to afford thw better titles.

Edited August 8, 2006 by armentage

[wolfx]

Most of what u guys named are classics, not all of them obscure. I'll show you obscure.

Pale Cocoon....based on the replies, only me and Oihan has seen it on the boards.

http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?...&hl=pale+cocoon

Urda....a 5 episode web-only anime (each 5 minutes long?) using cel-shaded animation about a bad-ass Allied chick protecting a lil girl from the future from the cluthes of an evil Nazi chick.

http://www.animenfo.com/animetitle,919,pshbla,urda.html

And lets not forget Space Gandam. Sorry no link for reference. That's the one with the VF-1J ripoff.

[Akilae]

The Tajou - Debut OVA was a short, sweet piece. The original songs written for it wasn't too bad either. It's also a relatively unknown piece anywhere.

BAOH, by the auther of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, isn't too bad.

Story of the Seven Cities (rough translation), by the author of LOGH, is more or less LOGH Lite and more action packed, nice when you don't want to wade through 100+ episodes of LOGH.

Dunno if Idol Defence Force is anywhere near obscure, for a time the popularity of their songs rivaled that of Goddess Family Club.

[Gunbuster]

Does "Now and Then, Here and There" considered obscure? It's a good series, but sad.

How about "Photon"? It's one of the funnest series I watched.

I liked "Dual", especially after watching EVA :-)

Hey Wolfx, I watched "Pale Cocoon" and enjoyed it, do you know where I can get the song from that music video?

[Father Jack]

Wings of Honneamise

lots of Matsumoto stuff (Harlock, Yamato, Galaxy Express ect.)

Five Star Stories

Votoms

Legend of Galactic Heroes

and for recent ones Kino's Journey

[GreatMoose]

Problably not obscure, but I don't know anybody that's seen it. My favorite anime ever, Last Exile.

Oh, and the Starship Troopers anime. Very 80s, very cool.

[Hoptimus]

Alot of mine were mentioned already but here is a few.

Y's Anime. Based on books I+II of the popular Japanese RPG. Its a great fantasy anime in its own right.

[JsARCLIGHT]

Fang of the Sun Dougram - while people might claim this is not so "obscure" and a lot of folks say they like it, almost no one these days has seen the whole 70 some episode series (Opus you and I don't count ) It's a rare early gem cut from the same cloth as the original Gundam TV remembered more for the part it played in US Robotech model sales than for it's actual origins.

Armored Trooper Dorvack - see Dougram above

Dead Leaves - I don't know why but the first time I saw this I laughed myself sick

Windaria - What can I say, there is something about a movie in which every single person dies in totally shakespeareian ways.

Kimagure Orange Road - also not all that "obscure" and someone else mentioned it already, but few people have seen the whole TV series, OVA and movie. IMHO this is the show that Rumiko should be remember for, not Ranma or flavor of the week InuYasha.

Urusei Yatsura: Beatiful Dreamer - once again, saw this in the early 90's before all the new Rumiko stuff. While I did not care for the series that spawned it or the other UY movies I found this movie to be strangely haunting and engrossing.

Black Magic M66 - my first exposure to Masamune Shiriow was through this manga and my first exposure to anime made from his work was this one-off video. While it was shallow, plodding and by today's standards quite poorly made I liked it and still do.

[kanedaestes]

i have always been a fan of gunbuster and devilman, thought the idea behind devilman was great

[Seven]

Kimagure Orange Road - also not all that "obscure" and someone else mentioned it already, but few people have seen the whole TV series, OVA and movie. IMHO this is the show that Rumiko should be remember for, not Ranma or flavor of the week InuYasha.

423472[/snapback]

I think you are confused here. Rumiko Takahashi did not work on KOR. Izumi Matsumoto created KOR. Takahashi created Maison Ikkoku.

[Seven]

I have to agree about Windaria. I really liked the character designs in the movie. I remember feeling pretty sad for the main character at the end of the story after he returns home. The only movie that I can recall to make me feel more crappy at the end was Graveyard of the Fireflies.

I heard that Streamline had edited the heck out of Windaria, but I dont know what they removed or replaced.

[JsARCLIGHT]

Kimagure Orange Road - also not all that "obscure" and someone else mentioned it already, but few people have seen the whole TV series, OVA and movie. IMHO this is the show that Rumiko should be remember for, not Ranma or flavor of the week InuYasha.

423472[/snapback]

I think you are confused here. Rumiko Takahashi did not work on KOR. Izumi Matsumoto created KOR. Takahashi created Maison Ikkoku.

423516[/snapback]

My bad, I get all those mid '80s anim-emo soap shows mixed up... it still beats the crap out of most of the modern Rumiko stuff though.

I heard that Streamline had edited the heck out of Windaria, but I dont know what they removed or replaced.

I have a bootleg of the original cut (titled Once Upon a Time: Windaria if I'm not mistaken)... not much was removed, just a handful of scenes that didn't affect much of the story. The stuff they removed was about on par with the things you'd see hollywood remove to drop from an R to a PG13 and from what I recall it was simply a handful of the more "graphic" death scenes. For all intents and purposes the things they cut are not missed.

Edited August 8, 2006 by JsARCLIGHT

[Ivan]

Captain Tsubasa

Taken from Wikipedia:

Captain Tsubasa is a popular manga, anime, and video game series originally created in Japan by Yoichi Takahashi in 1981. Captain Tsubasa is based on the sport of football (soccer). Because of its potential to help promote the sport, Japan Football Association assisted with the development of the Captain Tsubasa series.

The story focuses on the adventures of a Japanese youth soccer team and its soccer captain Tsubasa Ozora, whose name literally translates to "Big Sky Wings". The series is characterized by dynamic soccer moves, often stylish and implausible. The plot focuses on Tsubasa's relationship with his friends, rivalry with his opponents, training, competition, and the action and outcome of each soccer match.

Saw this when I was in grammar school in Hong Kong. Considered by many in Hong Kong to be a classic, this was one of the first animes to have no bad guys. Sure, there is the hero and his archrival, but everyone is just following his dream of winning the football tournament. The plot is character driven, and every player is very well drawn out. My only complaint is that the pace drags too much (takes forever for a game to finish) and the moves can become exaggerating and even silly. Other than that, it's one of my favorite shows of all time.

[F-ZeroOne]

Kimagure Orange Road - also not all that "obscure" and someone else mentioned it already, but few people have seen the whole TV series, OVA and movie. IMHO this is the show that Rumiko should be remember for, not Ranma or flavor of the week InuYasha.

423472[/snapback]

I think you are confused here. Rumiko Takahashi did not work on KOR. Izumi Matsumoto created KOR. Takahashi created Maison Ikkoku.

423516[/snapback]

My bad, I get all those mid '80s anim-emo soap shows mixed up... it still beats the crap out of most of the modern Rumiko stuff though.

There is a connection, though - the famous character designer Akemi Takeda worked on Kimagure Orange Road and Urusei Yatsura; the occasionally similar character designs might be one of the causes of the confusion.

Incidentally, Madoka would kick most modern anime heroines into orbit. Asuka might be good with Unit-2, but Madoka once crippled someone just by using a guitar pick!

Black Magic M-66 is surprisingly decent. It actually depicts a special forces group acting intelligently. They still get their butts kicked, but at least they thought about it first.

[CoryHolmes]

One of my favourite "obscure" anime titles has to be Detonator Orgun. Given its age, the animation has held up remarkably well to today's titles, the plot is original and even throws in a few surprises here and there. The mecha designs are inventive and the battle scenes are always enjoyable.

[Phyrox]

I'm not really a huge fan of anime, so I can't add much.

I will say that besides the obvious favs, I'd add Gall Force as mentioned above.

I love it for the mechanical designs, and for what it could have been.

The basic outline of the story (at least for part one) is pretty interesting, but the movies don't deliver like they should.

It almost feels like they had an entire series planned, and had to cut it down to three OVA movies, but had already animated two or three filler episodes so they used a lot of that.

Not a bad series, but one that actually works better in outline than finished form...at least to me. Gall Force is one of the very few titles in any medium that I think would really reward any "remake" efforts. It has all the right elements, it just didn't gel right (but I still dig it of course).

In fact, although I have no evidence to suggest it, I would almost bet money that Gall Force was originally envisioned as a longer project.

[Seven]

Incidentally, Madoka would kick most modern anime heroines into orbit. Asuka might be good with Unit-2, but Madoka once crippled someone just by using a guitar pick!

423570[/snapback]

That reminds me about how I was watching The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya the other day and thought about how similar Haruhi is to Madoka. Both are loners at school, both are considered eccentric by classmates, both excel at anything they try like sports, and both are exceedingly smart. There are differences of course, but many similarities too - although Madoka would kick Haruhi's ass easily.

Is that some sort of anime archetype or Japanese culture archetype? The girl that is beautiful, eccentric, smart, and physically gifted?

[JsARCLIGHT]

Black Magic M-66 is surprisingly decent. It actually depicts a special forces group acting intelligently. They still get their butts kicked, but at least they thought about it first. 

423570[/snapback]

I was mostly speaking to the production values and the pace of the story. M66 is a fine example of specops in action but a poor example of animation and storytelling.