Venus Senki

SOOOOOOO similar it's not even funny. Motorcycles, teenagers, villains, and even fighting the army are all things these two have in common.  

If you're looking for obscure yet well-animated 80s anime flicks, either one of these titles could be of interest! While taking place in decidedly separate settings and genres, Arion and Venus Wars are the personal creations of character designer/mangaka/director Yoshikazu Yasuhiko. With Arion, one gets a snapshot of the 80s anime trend of Ancient Greek-inspired stories found most prominently in Saint Seiya. Conversely, Venus Wars provides a gritty sci-fi setting not unlike Akira or the various Gundam series of the era (which Yasuhiko worked on as well). 

Similar setting set around motorbikes and armored tanks. Despite that similarity, this one is a bit more serious. 

Althought one is about alien invasion another intercontinental war - the war action is very similar. Both have a male character as the main character. Both have some interesting sci-fi elements 

both are about the struggle of mankind during-after interplanetary colonization, and the ´dictatorship´, wars and the price of their freedom thei long for ! cultclassics 

Same character designer and Director give these two movie a similar feel and look. Both have wonderful animation and really shine when the protaganist and his gang, In Venus Wars they are a Motor-sport biker gang and in Crusher Joe they are Space Privateers, are all together going through the paces. Overall I think Crusher Joe is the better show with its lighter mood and focused plot, but both are a fun watch. 

Outher space dictatorship, settlements and dissolusional utopia´s an more, Both are cultclassics that most sadly is forgotten over time. 

Cool bikes, biker gangs, hot 80's girls, 1980's culture BUT it's the future, and war disrupting it all. Both Venus Wars and Megazone 23 are oh so 80's, but oh so great! They feature amazing 80's pop (some of the best anime has to offer), they have great stories to tell (both are classics) and feature cool characters doing cool things. Also both shows are quite smart, very sexy, and the art/animation still looks amazing. You owe it to yourself to check the other one out!  

What the hell is going on? Who cares? Delicious 80s animation. 

While almost 20 years apart in creation, both feature space colonization plotlines, and high production values, young people (mentored/taken in by an older male) on tri/mono/motorcycles who get embroiled with opposing factions in some sort of larger scale conflict. There are also aspects of political critique that emphasizes the differences in 'freedom' on the colony and the Earth. 

I'm surprised no one made that obvious one. Both happens in the future, and uses some kind of motorcycles to turn the tide of a war ; which proves to be very effective against much heavier/slower conventional weapons and vehicules.