Honoo no Tenkousei

A list of bully OVAs with openings for AMQ.
Watching them with a friend will make your experience better!

Anime made by the first generation of anime fans.

I’m coining the term Anime New Wave in reference to the French New Wave and the Japanese New Wave in film canon. Like both of these movements, the first generation of creatives to achieve any kind of mainstream success were establishing the medium themselves and were drawing inspiration from outside their art form, such as how Osamu Tezuka was inspired by the work of Fritz Lang or how Hayao Miyazaki’s adaptation of Lupin III was deeply entrenched in film noir and Golden Age Hollywood aesthetics. With the rise of an otaku culture punctuated by the first doujin anime and the development of Studio Gainax, anime began to have its ideas and themes codified into a replicable series of cinematic references. Dezaki’s beautiful use of intense lighting and postcard memories, Tomino’s frantic paneling and action set pieces, Takahata’s evocative pastoral landscapes and slow takes, the language of anime was being written one word at a time. In the late 80s we saw the rise of talented creators who speak that language as their first tongue, and the results were inimitable and immediate.

Some directors I am considering under the term include Hideaki Anno, Shinichiro Watanabe, Kunihiko Ikuhara, and Satoshi Kon, just so there’s a point of reference here. I’m trying not to include directors who are usually lumped in with others on this list but were actively working as primary creatives in the studio system in the 80s, such as Mamoru Oshii. Lastly, I’m trying to keep the list centered on the initial wave of anime created even though plenty of these creatives have gone on to work on other things, just so I don’t have it be too confusing to look at. Arbitrary, I know.

Feel free to post comments on my page if you have any suggestions.

This is a weird concept for a list, but I think it's worth putting it out there. These are anime which I consider help understand anime better because of their referential humour, commentary on otaku culture (whether it's anime or gaming), exploration of the industry and twisting of classic tropes in self-aware ways that put them in perspective. Also included a couple shows which are not necessarily meta or referential, but they are here for being aggresively "anime" in nature, if that makes sense. With how over the top they are and/or how stereotypically otaku their concepts are, I think they give a good idea of how anime has developed.

Note: If you truly want to understand otaku culture and anime history, I think an absolute essential is a short show called "Blue Blazers". It is live action however, so it can't be added here. I strongly recommend you check it out, even if the humour can be cringy, because of how deep of an insight it gives into the history of anime and the industry.

Kick back with your choice of inebriant or lack thereof and have some fun watching action heroes battle it out with all sorts of weapons, explosives, superpowers and machines. OVAs aren't usually very long so you don't even need to commit. You don't need to think too much and don't take it so seriously. These shows are all about having a good time and maybe some laughs along the way.

Welcome to my Obscurity series, which I hope will help you delve deeper into the depths of anime, particularly the classics.

The criteria here is simple: Anime released in 2001 or earlier, with under 35,000 MAL Members, and which I've rated a 7 or higher.

I'm also not including anything that I've already included on my Good Stuff list: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/9517

It is perhaps worth noting that I rate things entirely on gut feeling. It's just, "I like that, that was good, it gets a 7.", that's the whole process. I can also find enjoyment in just about anything and there's very little that bothers me.

Ascend: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/9834
Descend: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/9615

Tags: Old, Obscure, Oldtaku, Retro, Underrated, Hidden Gems

some lesser known shows, movies, etc. some have been very surprising gems to me. some mind-blowing, some heart-warming, some merely interesting, some just outright hilarious!

A list of boxing anime. Ashita no Joe, Hajime no Ippo, and Megalobox are essential watches (especially Ashita no Joe, one of the most influential anime/manga of all time).

A list of 80s/90s anime OVAs and movies you may not have heard of. Some are good and some are bad, but the bad ones are of the "so bad it's good" variety. Think of this as the anime rack at an old video store.

anime for smart people

All OVAS,ONA,Special, TV Special with Opening for AMQ, Famous or not!

(Openings being single, not part from TV series)