What old anime would you recommend (pre-90s I guess)?

Star Blazers is awesome and easily accessible on Hulu.

It is awesome, and there's so much content to dig into if you get hooked! Old stuff and new.

@gunstarred: For some reason, Maiden Japan hasn't released The New Files episodes on Blu-Ray yet. The don't have rights, I guess. Besides that, the show looks incredible and they did a great job cleaning it up.

I'd like to back Patlabor TV and Ranma 1/2 as fantastic. Shows that haven't been mentioned yet: Sukeban Deka, Ai No Kusabi, Compiler, Devilman/Lady, Doomed Megalopolis, Hyper Police, Battle Angel/Gunmm, Silent Mobius, SPT Laynzer, The Ideon, Toward The Terra/Terra e, Venus Wars.

Someone recommended it earlier on this thread but I still really like City Hunter. City Hunter can sometimes get silly but I really like how the series always tried to balance it's sillier moments with super dramatic serious stuff as well.

@bisonhero: That's Mecklinger...and yes he is as glorious as his mustache.

Akira and Dragon Ball (only 80's anime I've watched) Akira is a FANTASTIC movie. Highly recommend getting the blu ray.

The more recent remake of the show, Space Battleship Yamato 2199, is a much better version of the show, if one wants to experience it.

All of you have already mentioned some really great anime. I love the 80s. Here's another personal favorite I grew up with. It has some of the best comedy, ninja action, and helpless romance in any anime. By the way, it's called Igano Kabamaru.

If you can find it, I highly recommend watching it. It's hard to find an english dubbed version but if you don't mind subtitles, you're in for a treat!

i've been on a kick of just 70s and 80s anime. Loving it more then the stuff today, probably because I'm 30 something and this reminds me of like spanish television. But recently I've been addicted to Casshan, which is basically Metal Gear Rising except groovy 80s clothing. And Yatterman is a delightful series that originated the whole Team Rocket design of comical Villians who get shot off into space after every episode. Plus nudity for 70s childrens TV, nice.

I'm pretty sure his voice will get you pregnant.

It doesn't take very long to figure out that the creator doesn't think very highly of women though.

Akira...well worth seeing.

Gunbuster...I actually like this, not the typical tween girl in mecha stuff.

Project Ako...just crazy stuff

Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise...very self serious but interesting drama

Space Battleship Yamato...a lot of that series was done in the 70s.

Grave of the Fireflies...depressing, but very well made.

Armored Trooper Votoms...I can't remember if I ever watch this or just knew it existed

Barefoot Gen...a bit more dramatic than some might like, even more brutal that Grave of the Fireflies.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind...just great! So, well worth watching for the great visuals.

Area 88...dumb, but action packed.

Laputa: Castle in the Sky....a very sweet fun movie everyoen shoudl see.

Robot Carnival...a lot of shorts I saw this in a theater in fact one of the few animes I saw in an American theater in the 80s.

Patlaobor...I find it it a bit boring...but you might like it.

A much shinier version to be sure, but I wouldn't say "better". My nostalgia factor is too strong and the dub and lines therein are part of my childhood. However if you want to entice new potential fans, the newer show in 1080p honey would probably catch more flies.

@turambar said:

I've only seen the first 6 episodes but I wouldn't say that 2199 is "better" than the original Star Blazers. Both shows are great but they have their own strengths and weaknesses, you get a different experience watching each version.

Pretty much everything in this topic.

@reverendk: This is incredibly off-topic - my picks were Legend of Galactic Heroes and Macross, so I'm done - but which Nexus 7 do you have - 2012/2013 - and would you recommend that someone pick one up as a budget tablet today, with Lollipop and so on? I've been looking at 2013 models to replace my old iPad 2 - I've never really been much of an iOS guy; the iPad was pretty much the only game in town at the time - and I'm trying to figure out if I'd really regret not spending more on something newer.

I have a soft spot for Saint Seiya. I watched it for the first time a few years ago and I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would. I mean it's corny as fuuuuuck sometimes but for the time it came out I could totally see myself getting into it as a kid. There is almost never an episode that goes by without a fight occurring. It's great because it always starts off with these Barbie doll looking, overly pure protagonists talking endless amounts of shit to a villain before a fight and you just want to crack up laughing. Then they actually fight and they really beat the shit out of one another. There's a subtlety to the violence that makes the over the top fights entertaining to watch.

I also like Ashita no Joe from the 70's. It's not as briskly paced as modern sports anime these days but it's an interesting character story starring probably one of my all time favorite main characters. I respect a lot about this series and it's place in history and I'll gladly call it one of my favorite cartoons.

Sort of surprised no one mentions Speed Racer. So...Speed Racer.