What are your favorite "Classic" anime series?

[Han Ji-Eun]

What is your favorite anime oldie? These days we are all primarily focused on shiny new anime, with the rare exception of a Gundam series or two, and even 1995's Gundam Wing just got called "old" in a recent Toonzone article.

I'm asking this question with the idea in mind that anything before 1980 can be considered classic these days.

I recently saw Rose of Versailles from the 70s and thought it was one of the best animated series I've ever seen, period. I must say, I really don't enjoy European history generally, and I've never had any specific love for France, but that show really won me over. So it's definately my favorite "classic".

What's yours?

[Umino]

Cutie Honey

Very fun series, excellent characters and plots. Honey is a great character, very charming and strong. The characters are all fun, realistic, and zany. The villians are also very bizzare yet vicious. Easily one of the best (if not the best) mahou shoujo series out there.

I also enjoyed...

Devilman
Dororon Enma-kun
Sally The Witch
Cyborg 009 (black & white ver.)
Majokko Tickle
Rose of Versailles
Hans Christian Anderson's Princess Mermaid
Taro, The Dragon Boy
Tokimeki Tonight
Majokko Megu

[GWOtaku]

Its not before 1980, but I'm mentioning Legend of Galactic Heroes because space opera simply doesn't get more epic. Other oldie giants would be Mobile Suit Gundam, Galaxy Express 999, 1970's Captain Harlock. Getting outside of that genre, no oldie list is complete without mentioning Lupin the third. Aside from that...I suppose I can't say I know that many oldies. I know Mazinger Z was huge but I can't claim to have seen any of it.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Mobile Suit Gundam
An excellent classic with a strong cast of strong characters(Amuro, Char, and Sayla being the most noteworthy, but everyone had their strong points), a great plot, and did lots of great stuff. Not to mention the first series I ever saw where I wasn't sure who the real 'good guys' were.(Well the White Base crew were the protagonists, but I'm talking about on the scale of the Federation and Zeon) The humanization of everything was excellent.

Its also the show that got me involved in Gundam, as well as the Mecha Genre in general.

And it unfortunately never gets the credit it deserves, either.


Lupin the 3rd is also worth mentioning. A great series that ran for a long time and still gets new installments.

[Artimus Gigan]

Bubblegum Crisis

The music is burned into my mind to this very day

[Keldran]

Future Boy Conan

I never saw this when I was a kid but there's something about this show that just screams nostalgia and makes me grin like an idiot.

[AstroNerdBoy]

Well, what is the time-rule for "classics?" Seriously. 1986 means TWENTY YEARS! To me, that's more than enough time to be considered a "classic" and indeed I so note titles older than 20-years that were impactful on some level as classics.

However, if the established rule is pre-1980, I've only seen three titles. One is still superior to this day -- Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro (1979). I do have Space Battleship Yamoto on my list of titles to watch and I think that's late-70's.

[herbkir]

Don't forget the anime comedy classic Urusei Yatsura. It's among my all-time favorites. The comedic misadventures of Lum, Ataru, Shinobu, Mendou and the rest of the diverse cast never fail to amuse me. And it's a big series, with 198 TV episodes, 6 movies and 6 OVAs. (^_*)

[Elven Moon]

I would say Candy Candy, but I've only read the manga.

[RAINMAN]

Ronin Warriors
Voltron
speed racer

[Golgo13]

Lupin The Third (1971)
Astro Boy (1963)
Mobile Suit Gundam (1979)
Gigantor (1963)
Area 88 (1983)
Macross (1982)
Armored Trooper Votoms (1983)

[mg_winxclub]

Voltron and Battle of the Planets get my votes!

[Daizaburo Estes]

Now having seen the majority of it fansubbed, Lupin III Pt. One, the original series from 1971 that was geared towards an adult audience but got shafted just a year later due to ratings. A true classic, especially the first 9 or so episodes. Great dialogue, clever plots, and a colorful cast of characters make this one a must-see. (and probably a "never see officially" in the U.S.! :sad: )

And(do I even need to say it?) Fist of the North Star. An true shonen action classic.

[MGFanJay]

Speed Racer and the first two Lupin the Third series for me.

[AstroNerdBoy]

Don't forget the anime comedy classic Urusei Yatsura. It's among my all-time favorites. The comedic misadventures of Lum, Ataru, Shinobu, Mendou and the rest of the diverse cast never fail to amuse me. And it's a big series, with 198 TV episodes, 6 movies and 6 OVAs. (^_*)

I was only able to make it through 70-something episodes and two or three movies. For the life of me, I can't understand the appeal of this series beyond Lum-chan in her tiger-striped bikini.

[herbkir]

I was only able to make it through 70-something episodes and two or three movies. For the life of me, I can't understand the appeal of this series beyond Lum-chan in her tiger-striped bikini.

It's character-driven comedy, funny because fans come to know the characters as people, like a kind of extended family. So the venality, lust, embarassments and misunderstandings among the UY cast are kind of like having weird funny stuff happen to Cousin Ed or Aunt Sally. Of course, Lum, Oyuki, Benten etc. aren't bad to look at either.

If you don't get to know the Urusei Yatsura cast members as people, then UY just won't be funny to you.(^_*)

[Weatherman]

Most definatelu Gundam 0079 and Macross. The ylaid the essential groundwork for anything robot related from that poitn on that tried to take itself seriously.

Can't forget anything Go Nagai worked on as well.

Laputa deserves a place up on that list to.

[Pomegranate]

I must say Saint Seiya(though I've only watched DiC's Knights of the Zodiac), Ronin Warriors and the entire Dragonball series(excluding GT, of course).

[Anavel Gato]

My favorite classics include:
Mobile Suit Gundam
Robotech
Dragonball
Something about classic shows is great. Maybe it's the nostalgia or perhaps they're just better... but lately I've found myself watching older stuff, rather than the new releases.

[KuwabaraTheMan]

A true classic, especially the first 9 or so episodes. Great dialogue, clever plots, and a colorful cast of characters make this one a must-see. (and probably a "never see officially" in the U.S.! :sad: )

There was a time when people would have said that about Lupin period.

Hell, just a week ago people said the same thing about GaoGaiGar...

Never say never.

[Umino]

There was a time when people would have said that about Lupin period.

When was that? Hasn't Lupin been brought over since the early 80's?

[KuwabaraTheMan]

When was that? Hasn't Lupin been brought over since the early 80's?

Not the tv show, aside from a couple of episodes.

And the rights issues made it seem like it would never come back over, due to the legal rights over the 'Lupin' name outside Japan because of the LeBlanc estate.