Japanese Anime in 80's

80's

Since the 70's Japanese anime started to bring the Japanese anime industry became more popular worldwide. The 1980s are considered the “golden age” of anime and saw a huge explosion of genres and interest. Many factors contributed to this, including the introduction of VHS (Video Home System).

Mamoru Oshii directed Urusei Yatsura in 1981 for Studio Pierrot, founded just two years later by former animators of Tatsunoko Pro and Mushi Pro. The series based on Rumiko Takahashi’s manga about a lecherous human, the playful alien he accidentally becomes engaged to, and their friends became a huge hit and introduced the now practically required practice of promoting pop songs via the show’s opening and ending sequences.

Mamoru Oshii

Urusei Yatsura

Tatsunoko Pro  Logo

The sports anime formula was codified in 1983 with Captain Tsubasa by Tsuchida Pro, a show about soccer, It inspired a generation of soccer players and manga writers and set the standard for anime sports moves of ever-increasing coolness and improbability. I remember I also watched it when I was young and it made me get interested in soccer. But the one I watched was the animation version, not the manga, it was newer than the manga version. 

Manga version of Captain Tsubasa

Animation version of Captain Tsubasa

Urusei Yatsura was available on VHS in late 1983, and the OAV (original video animation, Japan’s version of a straight-to-DVD movie) was invented in the same year. However, OAV wasn't that popular in that time and more popular titles began driving the market upwards.

Another technological first in 1983 was CGI (computer generated imagery). TMS’s Golgo 13 used CGI in several scenes, most notably to show helicopters circling a skyscraper. It was the first significant use of CGI in an animated film not just in Japan.

Golgo 13

The biggest news of 1984 was Kaze no Tani no Nausicaä produced by Isao Takahata and directed and written by Hayao Miyazaki and it was the first film of Studio Ghibli which made them became famous and known overseas. Especially, I am sure most people have heard Hayao Miyazaki before. 

Once more manga has been released, studios also made their manga to animation which also brought OAV back, people could buy anime and watch it in their own homes.

Kaze no Tani no Nausicaä

 

Hayao Miyazaki

In 1986, another best success animation has been released on that time which was Dragon Ball, anime sources were expanding. Manga, novels, and original stories continued to be as popular choices as ever. Other than that, video games started to be more popular at that time. For example "Super Mario Brothers", it was released in 1986 and it was really successful. Due to the fact of that, the studio not only develops animation from the manga but also video games, toy, etc.

Dragon Ball

Super Mario Bros