Best Action Anime of 1982

In "Space Adventure Cobra," Johnson, a solitary office worker, longs for an exciting life full of adventure. One day, he experiences a vivid hallucination that brings back memories of Cobra, a renowned space pirate. Armed with the Psychogun on his left arm, Cobra once terrorized the galaxy with his partner, Lady Armaroid, earning both fear and hostility from law enforcement and the Pirate Guild alike. On Earth, a chance encounter at a casino changes Johnson's fate. His luck draws the attention of Vaiken, the casino's manager and leader of the Pirate Guild, who recognizes him as the disguised Cobra from his dreams. Attempting to seek revenge, Vaiken inadvertently activates the Psychogun hidden beneath Johnson's arm, which awakens his dormant memories and alerts Lady Armaroid. With his memories restored and having defeated Vaiken once more, Cobra reemerges to thwart the Pirate Guild's criminal activities. Alongside Lady Armaroid, he embarks on a series of galactic adventures, aiding those victimized by the Guild's members.

At a bar, the notorious outlaw Cobra, whose left arm is fused with a deadly weapon, notices an attractive yet dangerous woman named Jane Royal. She is pursued by the Pirate Guild, a dangerous syndicate run by the enigmatic Crystal Bowie. As Cobra assists Jane in escaping the Guild and locating her missing sisters, he uncovers that she may hold the key to the entire galaxy's destiny.

In a world where Earth is subjugated by the oppressive Illumidus Empire—a situation reminiscent of the post-World War II U.S. occupation of Japan—Captain Harlock assembles a crew that become his lifelong comrades. Uniting, they initiate a revolt against the tyranny that has seized their home planet. Driven solely by the goal of restoring freedom to Earth's people, they carry on with their mission, unswayed by personal sacrifices.

Following the events of "Arcadia of My Youth," Captain Harlock and his crew aboard the spaceship Arcadia are exiled from Earth. The planet, along with countless others across the galaxy, has fallen under the control of the Illumidus, a brutal species that enslaves, destroys, or subjugates any habitable worlds they encounter. In "Endless Orbit SSX," Harlock spearheads the resistance against the Illumidus while simultaneously hunting for a legendary "Planet of Peace"—a refuge where all beings across the cosmos can coexist without conflict.

Ataru Moroboshi's mother reflects on how her once calm middle-class life was disrupted half a year ago, when the alien Oni invaded Earth. The Oni leader, Mr. Invader, proclaimed that if a randomly chosen human could defeat his daughter Lum in a game of tag, Earth would be spared. To everyone's astonishment, that crucial role fell to Ataru, who actually won, and as a result, Lum became part of the Moroboshi family. Now, Ataru's mother thinks about the various individuals—allies and enemies, human and alien—that her son has gotten involved with, resulting in endless turmoil at home. She wonders whether she should admire his resilience or pity him, and whether her household will ever know peace again. Elsewhere, Kaede, a young kunoichi, questions her fate as a ninja, especially after her irritable elderly master, Yatsude, insists she continue on that path. Things get worse when Kaede accidentally loses a secret scroll in the forest, further infuriating her master. During a school trip to the historic city of Nara, Ataru initially finds the excursion dull until he stumbles upon the missing scroll and catches Kaede's attention, adding an unforeseen twist to his day.

In the Andromeda galaxy lies a planet inhabited by an advanced human civilization. The gentle Prince Itaka and the beautiful Princess Lilia from a neighboring kingdom are preparing to marry for love and ascend the throne together, when they notice a strange object appearing in the night sky. The object eventually descends upon the planet, and an alien, mechanical civilization launches an invasion of King Itaka's peaceful nation, enslaving nearly all of its people. On that fateful night, Queen Lilia gives birth to twins, and to ward off misfortune, the nanny Tarama takes one of the infants away, entrusting the child to the gladiator Balga. Unbeknownst to them, the twins were born with immense powers and hold the key to the battle against an enemy determined to eradicate every human civilization on the planet.

Nikumaru, whose name means "meatball" in Japanese, is a seventeen-year-old attending Ninja High School—an academy focused on training ninjas. Although he is short and chubby, he wields a formidable technique called the "kamikaze," generating a whirlwind through his distinctive footwork. The story follows his many adventures and mischievous pranks, as he takes on challenges from rivals both within and beyond the school.

A brief Ninja Hattori-kun film that was part of a triple feature with Doraemon: Nobita no Daimakyou and Kaibutsu-kun: Demon no Ken.

Way out in the sticks, the fourth-graders at the local school in Tokio village each possess their own dubious superpowers, such as flying eyeballs and missile-hair. Ippei and his friends diligently train to become ninjas, but they face constant threats from the arrogant cheats hailing from the neighboring village of Techno. This is a peculiar blend of ninja action and school comedy, adapted from a children's manga by Kawai Kazuyoshi.

This is a TV special animation based on the classic Chinese historical romance that has been passed down through the ages. The story is set in China during the Eastern Han dynasty. With the imperial court having lost its power, peace in the land was shattered, and a large group of bandits known as the "Yellow Turban Party" rampaged throughout the country. Liu Bei Gentoku, a descendant of the Chinese royal family who was deeply concerned about the state of the world, rose up alongside his sworn brothers Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, who also yearned for peace on the continent. Using secret and cunning strategies, Gentoku achieved victory and gradually cut down the mighty enemy force, the Yellow Turban Party. A hero of the time...