Best animated film of the 1980s?

[Roma_Victrix]

Aside from judging films' legacies on others or box office numbers, I suppose the criteria for judging the "best" of anything is subjective. That being said, personally I would argue for Who Framed Roger Rabbit, which admittedly is partially animated with mostly live-action sequences. The opening for the movie alone is just hysterical beyond words, to say nothing of Bob Hoskins' and Christopher Lloyd's utterly fantastic performances.



I just think it's the wittiest and funniest of the whole bunch from that decade. The gritty language and subject matter is also mature enough for grownups to watch too. Strong runner-ups include My Neighbor Totoro, Brave Little Toaster, and of course The Little Mermaid. Perhaps you think one of these or a different flick altogether is more deserving of the title?

[Knight of Heaven]

The classic of miyazaki...

Another cult classic


also for the mostest testosterone injection of kick assery, and manliest Animated film to date...
Fist fo the north star


But for me? My personal favorite?
Is 1988 Grave of the Fireflies

[Condottiere 40K]

Probably Akira for effect and legacy.

Unless that legacy is Rule 34, then it's probably Roger Rabbit, or more precisely, his better half.

[the_mango55]

Little Mermaid

Best music of any disney film by far.

[Roma_Victrix]

Probably Akira for effect and legacy.

Unless that legacy is Rule 34, then it's probably Roger Rabbit, or more precisely, his better half.

Yeah, come to think of it, I really should have put Akira into the strong runner-up category.



It's one of the few anime flicks that hold up even three decades later as awesome and thrilling to watch.

[Knight of Heaven]

You know one of my favorites animated films of my childhood, is the 12 labors of asterix ( not sure if late 70s or early 80s, but i think the VHS version was out in the 80s at very least.)
I recently watched it again as adult, and is as great, and funny as it was back then, probably even more.
a real masterpiece. Just love that movie.
This is a fan made trailer in english, as there isnt an official trailer. ( allthough when i was a kid i was only familiar with the french version of it)


lol at Ceasar scolding Brutus at the end

And the infamous place that makes you mad

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Just an usual day at office within the European parlament.
Also featuring a Dark taned Jupiter, and Brigitte bardot as Venus

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I dont know.... i just loved this film back then, and i still do

[Destin Faroda]

I would like to recommend this OVA movie: Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu: Waga Yuku wa Hoshi no Taikai (= Legend of Galactic Heroes: My Conquest is the Sea of Stars)
http://myanimelist.net/anime/3014/Gi...oshi_no_Taikai

The whole Gineiden animes and games are based on a series of Japanese science fiction novels. Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu is an epic space opera portraying the conflicts between the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance. Both factions have dozens of characters, but the two most important ones are:
- Reinhard von Lohengramm: a brilliant minor noble who wants to overthrow the corrupt Goldenbaum dynasty in order to liberate his sister from the Kaiser's harem. Besides, he dreams of a government that prefers talent over bloodline.
- Yang Wen-li: he's an excellent strategist held back by his lack of ambition and incompetent superiors. He wanted to study history, but had to enlist into the military to earn money after his father's sudden death. He's the only one capable of stopping Reinhard.
The anime relies on dialogues, its characters and classical music instead of cheap action sequences although it doesn't shy away from portraying the horrors of war in several episodes.

That's the only YouTube video I was able to find:


Central-Anime has created fansubs for the three movies and the three series with ~160 episodes.

[Condottiere 40K]

The series is highly regarded by quite a number of anime aficionados.

Though since I only watched it about three years ago, I find it rather dated, militarily naive, couldn't make the plot believable, political agenda is sledgehammered, and the dialogue was a relic of it's time.

[Halie Satanus]

1. Akira. Saw it at an advanced screening in a tiny 50 seat cinema and it was mind blowing.

2. Heavy Metal. Saw this at the cinema too. It looks dated now but in 1981 this was like having LSD drip fed into your brain. The was the movie that made me want to work in animation (which I did for about 14 years). I also had the pleasure of working with a guy called 'Dave Elvin' who had worked on Heavy Metal.

You can find it on You Tube (Heavy Metal 1981), has adult content.

[The Despondent Mind]

I really can't think of any animated movie that I find particularly interesting. I just find Disney meh and most of anime meh. I haven't seen Akira though since I was 6 years old, so that might change.

[Kyriakos]

Wait, surely Totoro is from the 90s?

As for the 80s, same (later renamed) studio, and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, was definitely a classic and overall hugely important for Anime marketing afaik:

[Knight of Heaven]

Wait, surely Totoro is from the 90s?

Nope it was 80s.
"My Neighbor Totoro" was released in 1988.

And as i already mentioned in this thread ( even posted the same trailer you did lol ) "Nausicaa of the valley of the wind" was from 1984. (four years earlier).

I know right Hayao Miyazaki is a genius.

He end up doing in 1986 "Laputa: Castle in the Sky" and Kiki's Delivery Service in 1989

( castle in the sky is actualy very good, there is actualy quite a few underrated studio Ghibli films out there)



And right after this in 1992, he does one of my favorites of his and possibly one of my favorite films ever "Porco Rosso"

[Kyriakos]

Ok, thanks

Personally my favorite Anime director is/was Satoshi Kon. Rip

[Knight of Heaven]

Ok, thanks

Personally my favorite Anime director is/was Satoshi Kon. Rip

Yes, even though i find his style too "depressing" ( maybe neurotic is the right word) for my taste personaly, and Satoshi kon had fewer films then Miyazaki, i like the way Miyazaki blends the fantastic, with beautifull emotional stories, and characters.
Perfect blue is a great 90s Classic though, often overlooked.
That said, Grave of the fireflies, might be considered depressing, allthough i would just say it is beautifully sad instead. One of those films you see one time, and you will find it very painfull to watch it again.

[Gaidin]

If Who Framed Roger Rabbit is already on the list I'm adding Transformers The Movie.

[PointOfViewGun]

An American Tail (1986)

[sabaku_no_gaara]

An American tail, one of my favourite children's cartoons!


My daughter loves this movie too, it's wonderful


EDIT: my god Akira sounds crappy in English! (But so do all dubbed productions)

[MacCarthy]

[Kyriakos]

Best euro (french) animated series of all time. 80s too:



I recall loving it when i was in elementary school ^^

(edit: as for US/Japan-US series of the 80s, i loved the darkness of Inhumanoids, and Spiral Zone )





Inhumanoids is just brutal. Where else would you see monsters maiming each other?

[Condottiere 40K]

It's actually movies, because with series, the Japanese would dominate. I think in the early nineties there was an attempt to de-infantalize American cartoons.

Catchy themes, though.
577