10 best retro anime OVAs that you should watch

Retro anime OVAs (Original Video Animations) were quite popular in the 80s and 90s. These direct-to-video releases offered high-quality animation and storytelling without the constraints of a TV series. Many became classics thanks to their experimental styles, violent content unsuitable for TV, and intricate plots.

Retro anime OVAs are a must-watch for anime fans who are getting into retro shows. They demonstrate the creativity and diversity of older anime far removed from current trends and censorship rules. From cyberpunk to supernatural horror, many retro OVA series would still feel fresh if released today.

These 10 picks shine above other retro anime OVAs, animation quality, innovation, and influence in the story.

Disclaimer: This article contains the author's opinion.

10 must-watch retro anime OVAs

1) Bubblegum Crisis

Bubblegum Crisis (Image via Artmic and AIC)

Bubblegum Crisis depicts a futuristic world beset by rogue androids called Boomers. Set in 2032 MegaTokyo, it follows four women in tight-fitting power suits who battle out-of-control Boomers.

Combining hard sci-fi with anime aesthetics, the 1987 eight-episode OVA highlights themes like corporate corruption, dystopia, and artificial intelligence gone awry. Among retro anime OVAs, Bubblegum Crisis stands out for its iconic character and mecha designs paired with a high-octane mix of cyberpunk, action, and music.

Its animation, while entirely hand-drawn, was impressive for the time. The English dub leans heavily into camp but conveys the dystopian struggle well.

2) Legend of the Galactic Heroes

Legend of the Galactic Heroes (Image via Artland)

This sprawling space opera depicts the epic conflict between the autocratic Galactic Empire and the democratic Free Planets Alliance. Based on a series of sci-fi novels, the Legend of the Galactic Heroes OVA adaptation premiered in 1988 and ran until 1997, making it a seminal anime work.

As one of the most ambitious retro anime OVAs, the 110-episode saga features huge fleets of spaceships clashing amidst political and military strategy reminiscent of classic literature. It balances action and slower-paced drama exceptionally well while juggling dozens of characters.

Tactics take center stage rather than flashy battles, rewarding patient viewers with one of anime's greatest war epics.

3) Gunbuster

Gunbuster, released in 1988, humanizes giant robot anime by depicting the intense training of young pilots defending Earth from monstrous space invaders. Focusing on Noriko and Kazumi's touching friendship, it movingly potrays the personal cost of war alongside frenetic action.

As far as retro anime OVAs go, Gunbuster is a masterpiece that awed viewers with its incredibly fluid motion and detailed designs. The spaceship and mecha visuals remain iconic as well. It condenses a space war arc spanning years into just six episodes while hinting at a vast, mysterious universe.

Known for its thematic and stylistic ties to Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gunbuster helped redefine and add depth to the mecha genre.

4) Riding Bean

This action-noir OVA from 1989 stars Bean Bandit, a suave professional getaway driver who becomes entangled in a complex plot while protecting a feisty kidnapping victim.

With stylish gun battles across Chicago, car chases, an eclectic hitman cast, and stark shadows reminiscent of crime cinema, Riding Bean oozes hardboiled cool. Among retro anime OVAs, Riding Bean demonstrates gorgeously fluid animation with vivid colors, which is considered a triumph for a one-shot OVA then.

The funky retro soundtrack and fashion add unique flavor as well. Bean Bandit left such a strong impression that a loosely related spin-off, the Gunsmith Cats OVA, followed in 1995. The original still stands tall for fans longing for more adventures as a singular retro gem.

5) Devilman: The Birth / The Demon Bird

Devilman: The Birth / The Demon Bird (Image via Oh! Production)

This two-part Devilman adaptation, directed by Tsutomu Iida, aired between 1987 and 1990. It depicts teenager Akira's fusion with a demon, granting immense power yet threatening his humanity.

This classic dark fantasy tale contrasted fluid animation with disturbing body horror and violence. As one of the darker retro anime OVAs, both OVA episodes create visceral kinetic battles and eerie imagery conveying Akira’s trauma.

The iconic Devilman character designs and setting still impress decades later. While adaptations exist in other mediums, these retro OVAs stand out as uniquely freaky, frenetic, and artsy, which is perfect for Devilman fans.

6) Vampire Hunter D

Vampire Hunter D (Image via Ashi Productions)

Set in a distant post-apocalyptic wasteland overrun by monsters, this gothic action fantasy stars the dhampir (half-vampire) bounty hunter known as D. With unearthly charm and prowess, D slays threats like vampires and mutants while becoming entangled with the young woman he saves from a vampire lord.

Vampire Hunter D remains one of the most stylish retro anime OVAs. Made in 1985, it drips with gothic horror. D’s iconic character design remains a defining example of the mysterious anime hero archetype.

Scenes shift fluidly between fast swordplay, zombies bursting from graves, peaceful pastoral moments, and gothic horror with decaying mansions and parasitic mutants. It condenses vampire story tropes into an endlessly rewatchable retro classic.

7) Megazone 23

This cult classic sci-fi OVA portrays Tokyo as a futuristic simulation, preserving human culture from extinction through escapism.

When biker Shogo Yahagi discovers the truth, it shatters the illusion as factions fight across simulated and real worlds for control. Among retro anime OVAs, Megazone 23 shines for its cyberpunk plot and distinctive 80’s aesthetic, which influenced many later works.

With some suggesting parallels to The Matrix, this OVA fluidly mixes action, intrigue, and romance with a great synthwave soundtrack. It remains an enthralling slow-burn watch, even as its later sequels declined in quality.

8) Otaku no Video

This unique 1991 mockumentary satirizes Japan’s emerging otaku culture through vignettes about fictional characters. It parodies huge anime fans as exaggerated stereotypes and humanizes their passion and community bonds.

Mixing live-action interviews with energetic animated reenactments, the meta-humor still feels fresh rather than mean-spirited. For fans of retro anime OVAs, Otaku no Video is a hilarious satire and an insightful dissection of anime culture.

Supported by Gainax animators before Evangelion fame, it demonstrates their signature animation style on a small budget. This OVA makes for an entertaining anime fandom history lesson.

9) The Guyver: Bio-Booster Armor

The Guyver: Bio-Booster Armor (Image via Studio Wave)

Based on the manga, this violent horror OVA chronicles young Sho’s accidental bonding with the alien Guyver Unit, granting insectoid armor and weapons but making him prey for its creators seeking to reclaim the weapon.

Bloody battles ensue as monstrous foes pursue Sho, and humanity comes under threat. Among retro anime OVAs, The Guyver: Bio-Booster Armor stands out for its body horror aesthetic of grotesque monster designs, which remain shocking even today.

The crisp, detailed art and animation convey brutal, bio-mechanical battles very impressively, too. This classic demonstrates anime's flexibility in adapting grittier-style manga.

10) Black Magic M-66

This cyberpunk thriller follows reporter Sybil outrunning a seemingly unstoppable military android.

With its tense cat-and-mouse story, coolly menacing bot designs, and stylish action, Black Magic M-66 exemplifies the best of retro anime OVAs. Fans of relentless man-versus-machine stories will find Black Magic M-66 delivers a gripping conflict.

As one of the most thrilling retro anime OVAs, Black Magic M-66 delivers tense, action-packed sci-fi thrills. Its relentless android antagonist makes for a chilling metaphor about AI potential gone awry. Viewers will find both adrenaline-fueled sci-fi action and deeper philosophical undertones here.

Conclusion

Retro anime OVAs offer a unique window into the medium’s past. They allowed for animation and storytelling that defied restrictions, showcasing anime’s potential for groundbreaking concepts and content. For modern fans looking to explore classic and influential anime, these 10 OVAs are required viewing.

Their creativity, stylish animation, and thematic depth make them just as engaging today as when they were first released. Anime’s modern legacy owes much to the creativity of retro anime OVAs, making them still very much worth any fan’s time.