Hundreds of new anime are released every year, yet there’s still endless love and respect for the classic titles of the past. Modern anime have managed to accomplish remarkable feats, in terms of their visuals, productions, and storytelling. That being said, these modern hits wouldn’t be possible without the framework that’s been established by older classics. The 1980s was an especially formative decade for anime, both on television and in movie theaters.
The ’80s saw the releases of Akira, Grave of the Fireflies, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and other totemic titles that are still regarded as masterpieces. At the same time, the ’80s could be a very broad and ridiculous decade that was subjected to extremely cheesy stories. There are a number of 1980s anime movies that are a ton of fun, but also represent how cheesy the medium could be.
Night On The Galactic Railroad Cuts To The Very Core Of Existence
Gisaburo Sugii’s Night on the Galactic Railroad is an ’80s classic, albeit a polarizing picture when it comes to its tone, themes, and message. The patient and curious film is built around a lengthy, scenic train ride through the Milky Way galaxy that’s shared by two cats, Giovanni and Campanella. A beautiful journey plays out that isn’t afraid to pull any punches and dip its toe in melancholy subject matter.
Some will regard Night on the Galactic Railroad as a masterpiece, while others will roll their eyes at Giovanni’s epiphanies and the rote way in which everything is explored. Night on the Galactic Railroad is meant to be sincere, yet these two cats’ quest for answers is also rather cheesy.
Lupin III: The Fuma Conspiracy Is A Standout Action Caper With Sporadic Cheesy Moments
Lupin looks sheepish in Lupin III: The Fuma Conspiracy.Image via Toho
Monkey Punch’s Lupin III franchise is coming on close to 60 years and its titular character remains the mascot for the gentleman thief heist subgenre. Lupin III has released many series, spin-offs, specials, and feature films over the years that wildly vary in quality. Lupin III: The Fuma Conspiracy is one of the franchise’s stronger efforts from the ’80s.
Lupin and friends attempt to rescue Goemon’s fiancée, Murasaki, from a renegade ninja clan. There’s always a chance for broad slapstick shenanigans in Lupin III. The Fuma Conspiracy is rather serious as far as Lupin stories are concerned, but there’s still an abundance of cheesy material that surrounds Murasaki. Lupin III: The Fuma Conspiracy finds an effective balance between saccharine, suspenseful, and cheesy.
Toward The Terra Unleashes A Futuristic War Between Humanity & AI
Jomy makes a face in Toward the Terra (1980).Image via Toei Animation
Toward the Terra is considered to be a rather formative and contemplative science fiction text that was very ahead of its time. The questions that it explores regarding artificial intelligence and humanity’s apathy are just as relevant today. Toward the Terra takes place after the 301st century during a pivotal turning point.
Psychic humans who find themselves on the brink of extermination long to return to Terra as they fight an uphill battle against an AI-aided government. Toward the Terra unpacks some very baroque themes and isn’t afraid to ask heavy questions. It’s just that the nature of the 1980 feature film sometimes struggles to capture the magnitude of it all. This can result in scenes that now read as cheesy.
Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer Strives For Higher-Minded Storytelling In A Silly Shell
Lum hugs Ataru in Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer Movie.Image via Studio Pierrot
Rumihiko Takahashi’s Urusei Yatsura is a beloved shonen series that’s recently drawn in a whole new generation of fans with the series’ passionate 2022 remake. Urusei Yatsura has a limitless nature to its storytelling, which is even more apparent in the anime’s movies and the ambitious swings that they take. Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer, written and directed by Mamoru Oshii of Ghost in the Shell fame, breaks down time-loops, alternate realities and the concept of destiny.
Beautiful Dreamer visits some surprisingly esoteric places for what’s typically such a silly series. At the same time, the prospect of Ataru and Lum waxing philosophical on the nature of life is likely to prompt some eye rolls. Beautiful Dreamer feels cheesy whenever it ventures into more thought-provoking storytelling, even if it manages to stick the landing with it all.
M.D. Geist Creates The Ultimate Warrior & Prepares For Furious Fallout
M.D. Geist — which stands for Most Dangerous Soldier Geist — is another out-of-control ’80s offering that prides itself on brutality and pushing boundaries. The original M.D. Geist OVA from 1986 chronicles the bloody efforts of Geist, a soldier who has been genetically engineered to excel in combat and war.
When Geist is prematurely awakened from suspended animation, he leads a vicious crusade that only understands death and destruction. M.D. Geist is not for the faint of heart, and it’s reminiscent of other dark titles like Berserk and Blue Gender. It’s hard not to view all this as cheesy in its hardened, futuristic world. It’s all just so extravagant and grim-dark that one can’t help but laugh.
Fist Of The North Star Mixes Post-Apocalyptic Peril With Exaggerated Action Absurdity
Kenshiro points down in Fist of the North Star.Image via Toei Animation
Buronson and Tetsuo Hara’s Fist of the North Star helped set new standards for martial arts action epics. The franchise feels like anime’s version of Mad Max with a heightened world that’s full of larger-than-life characters. 1986’s Fist of the North Star movie opts to remix the manga’s characters and events to tell an original alternate story that functions like more of sizzle real for the franchise’s greatest hits.
Fist of the North Star is set in a cutthroat world that’s been decimated by nuclear war. Nevertheless, Kenshiro and the martial artists he takes on all feel inherently cheesy. Everyone begins at such stereotypical extremes that it’s difficult to take any of it seriously, even when it’s meant to be dramatic.
Urotsukidôji I: Legend Of The Overfiend Works So Hard To Be Mature That It Ends Up Cheesy
Horrified victims in the infamous Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Overfiend.Image via Phoenix Entertainment
The Urotsukidôji franchise has a very complicated history. It occupies the “erotic horror” genre and contains many of the stereotypes that erroneously held back the medium for years. Urotsukidôji, despite its extreme subject matter, is also remarkably silly due to its destiny-driven storytelling. A legendary figure must unite, man, demon, and man-beasts before their respective realms destroy each other.
Urotsukidōji I: Legend of the Overfiend is the first and only entry that was released in the 1980s, but it’s the ideal entry point for this gruesome universe. The franchise’s title translates to “Super God Legend: Wandering Child,” which does a great job at highlighting the cheesiness that runs rampant during Urotsukidoji‘s demon apocalypse.
Lily C.A.T. Conjures A Careful B-Movie Atmosphere To Boost Its Body Horror
The robotic cat reveals itself in Lily C.A.T.Image via Studio Pierrot
Lily C.A.T. is a 67-minute OVA from the late ’80s that’s a must-watch for body horror fans. The sci-fi spectacle riffs on both Alien and The Thing as a space cruiser’s crew are systematically taken out by a hostile alien bacteria with shapeshifting properties. Lily C.A.T. aims to scare and unsettle, which is definitely accomplished through its graphic visuals.
That being said, the over-the-top horror story achieves a very “b-movie” energy. A broad English dub that’s not overly concerned about realistic performances doesn’t help Lily C.A.T.‘s case either. It’s cheesy in a way that makes it the perfect double feature for some schlocky creature feature.
Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess in Devil’s Castle Features A Scheming Supernatural Sinner
Lucifer blocks Goku’s punch in Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess in Devil’s Castle.Image via Toei Animation
Feature film installments were a regular event for Dragon Ball during the ’80s and ’90s, and all of Dragon Ball‘s ’80s contributions are cheesy to various degrees. That being said, Sleeping Princess in Devil’s Castle is more outlandish than Curse of the Blood Rubies, Mystical Adventure, and Dead Zone.
What begins as a simple enough rescue mission turns into a macabre scheme by a monster to destroy the sun so that his vampiric kind can thrive in permanent darkness. Sleeping Princess in Devil’s Castle touches on some cheesy material between Bulma’s infatuation with Lucifer, the theatrics faced within his castle, and Goku’s Great Ape transformation. Even the film’s general premise reflects the original Dragon Ball’s gag-centric storytelling and the absurdity of some of its earlier obstacles.
The Wizard Of Oz Turns A Foundational Fantasy Story Into An Even Cheesier Adventure
It’s always interesting when Western properties are reimagined through an anime lens, which is the case with Topcraft’s Wizard of Oz adaptation. L. Frank Baum’s story is already rather exaggerated in nature and this anime adaptation only heightens these emotions. It’s a very silly experience, albeit one that’s still engaging and full of accomplished work from a legendary staff that includes many early Studio Ghibli talent.
1982’s Wizard of Oz is dated and cheesy in the best way possible. Its overall impact may wash over the audience to some extent, but it’s worth pointing out that this production would help make 1986’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz anime possible, which remains one of the strongest adaptations of Baum’s foundational fantasy franchise.
