With dozens of seasonal anime available to watch, there is not much incentive to look to the past for entertainment. The fact thatclassic animetend to not be easy to locate also doesn’t intensity the temptation to seek out shows of yesteryear, particularly series that debuted prior to the year 2000.
RELATED:Best Anime Movies You Can Watch For Free On Tubi
Anime started to crossover into Western countries during the late ’90s through shows likeDragon Ball Z,Cowboy Bebop, andSailor Moon. Nowadays, anime is mainstream and generally quite accessible, even if new series are spread across multiple streaming platforms. While the future is packed with exciting shows, the past holds many stellar offerings that should not be ignored. Likely,RetroCrush offers free access to hundreds of classic anime.
Note:Only pre-2000 anime will be included, soGreat Teacher Onizuka,Mononoke,Beelzebub, andThe Twelve Kingdomshave been left out. However, those shows are all among thebest anime on RetroCrush.
Bubblegum Crisis
A hyped-up show at the time of its release,Bubblegum Crisisfollows a group of mercenary women who take on the overwhelming power of a corrupt mega-corporation. Thecyberpunk OVA anime seriesfeatures some great animation and music, along with an interesting (if dated) look at a technology-ruled future.
Bubblegum Crisisdoes suffer some consistency issues and ends abruptly at just eight episodes, only to be completed in its underwhelming sequel series,Bubblegum Crash, which is also available on RetroCrush. Despite these criticisms,Bubblegum Crisis' high points are dizzying, and most of the OVAs are very entertaining.
The Three Musketeers
There have been plenty of adaptations of Alexandre Dumas' novels, with some of the most famous coming out during the ’90s. It might surprise some to know that Japan also made a stab at covering this classic tale, andThe Three Musketeersis a pretty entertainingadventure anime.
The series does a solid job of covering Dumas’The Three Musketeersnovel, generally sticking true to the book’s characters while adding a few comedic elements to make the narrative more family-friendly. The second half of the anime coversThe Man with the Iron Mask, although it deviates considerably from the source material.
Gokudo
Gokudo is not your typical anime protagonist. Sure, he goes on grand adventures and has a magical fire-spewing sword, but Gokudo is completely out for himself and doesn’t hesitate to use other people for personal gain.
RELATED:Best Fantasy Manga That Do Not Have An Anime
Heavy on the slapstick humor,Gokudois a refreshingfantasy animeabout an awful adventurer and the chaos he brings.Gokudois constantly amusing, courtesy of its memorable protagonist and likable cast of secondary characters.
Astro Boy
RetroCrush has both the 1963 and 1980Astro Boyanime shows. Each series is a classic in its own right, however, the latter is more accessible in this day and age. Osamu Tezuka’sshonen mangais one of the most influential of all time, and theAstro Boybrings Atom’s story to the small screen in grand fashion.
Blending episodic content with elements of serialized storytelling,Astro Boyis the ultimate Saturday Morning anime. Sci-fi fans should take the time to check this classic out.
Voltes V
1979’sMobile Suit Gundamis thedefinitive mecha animefranchise, but it wasn’t the first property to lay the groundwork for Super Robot shows.Voltes Vhelped establish many of the genre’s conventions and also left a significant mark on countries outside of Japan,particularly the Philippines.
Voltes Vfollows a team of five who must defend Earth from an alien invasion, an act accomplished by combining vehicles to form a mecha. Along with solid action,Voltes Vexplores its characters quite extensively, including its villains.
City Hunter
Ryou Saeba is unbeatable with a gun, and the private detective can always be relied upon to solve a case (especially if a pretty client is involved). Lasting four seasons and spawning plenty of specials and movies,City Hunteris a massive property in Japan, although it isn’t quite as well known outside of the country.
RELATED:Best Anime From The 80s
A procedural that focuses predominantly on stand-alone stories,City Hunteris a pulpy crime show with an overabundance of comedy and action.City Hunter 2marks the franchise’s high point, but all the seasons are solid.
Flame Of Recca
Shonen fans are not exactly in short supply when it comes to action-heavy shows; in fact, it would take years for someone to work their way through justOne Piece,Naruto,Bleach, andDragon Ball.While the most popularbattle shonen animehave episode counts that eclipse the hundred mark, there are a few shows that distill the genre’s appeal into more digestible lengths.
Consisting of 42 episodes,Flame of Reccais about Rekka, a self-proclaimed ninja who learns that he is actually from a shinobi clan. Action, magic, humor, and memorable villains soon follow. The anime only covers a small section of the manga, but it is a satisfying watch on its own.
Arcadia Of My Youth: Endless Orbit SSX
Although somewhat eclipsed by 1978’sSpace Pirate Captain Harlockanime,Endless Orbit SSXis still a fantastic classicsci-fi fantasy series. A sequel to 1982’sArcadia of My Youthfilm, which is also available on RetroCrush, Endless Orbit SSXfinds Harlock and his crew traveling around the cosmos after they were expelled from Earth.
An old-fashioned fantasy anime that comes packed with a healthy helping of romanticism and melodrama,Endless Orbit SSXis certainly a product of its time. However, that only adds to its charm.
Lupin The Third Part 2
The timeless story about a master thief and his wacky assortment of cohorts,Lupin The Thirdhas proven itself to be one of anime’s most enduring properties. RetroCrush hasPart 2, which entails more than a hundred episodes.
Lupin The Thirdis popcorn entertainment done right. Each episode largely stands on its own as the legendary thief expertly and humorously plans his way through a heist while being chased down by Inspector Zenigata. While the animation is unsurprisingly dated, the anime’s characters hold up incredibly well.
