Best Action Anime of 1987

In the busy streets of Tokyo, the City Hunter organization, known by the call sign XYZ, acts as a powerful force against crime, taking on any job without question. Its key member is Ryou Saeba, a sharpshooter armed with a Colt Python, who works alongside the tough and tomboyish Kaori Makimura. The pair confronts difficult cases and faces the many perils of their dangerous profession head-on. When not handling high-stakes assignments, Ryou spends his time pursuing attractive women, a habit often stopped by Kaori and her heavy hammer. Whether dealing with small-time thieves, arms dealers, or large crime syndicates, nothing can stop Ryou Saeba once he sets his sights on his next objective.

Kame-Sen'nin gives Goku and Kuririn the assignment of rescuing the sleeping princess from Lucifer, promising to take them on as his students if they succeed. However, the task turns out to be far more dangerous than they first expected.

Renzaburou Taki seems like an ordinary office worker, but he is actually a member of the Black Guards, a covert group dedicated to preserving peace between humans and demons. With the peace treaty renewal deadline nearing, Taki is assigned to protect Giuseppe Mayart, a key human mystic, alongside Makie, a female demon. The task proves far more challenging than anticipated; as a faction of radical demons uses terrorist methods to break the agreement between the two realms, Giuseppe focuses on avoiding his duties to pursue romantic adventures with women.

Shirotsugh "Shiro" Lhadatt is a cadet in the Royal Space Force (RSF) of the Kingdom of Honneamise, despite never having left his home planet—something no one has ever achieved. The RSF is seen as a failure by its citizens and a government more focused on war with a neighboring nation than on advancing science. After attending a memorial for a fellow cadet, Shiro wanders the city at night and meets Riquinni Nonderaiko, a passionate young person enthusiastic about space exploration. Their interactions deepen, and Riquinni's motivation inspires Shiro to volunteer as a pilot for an upcoming rocket mission that could make him Honneamise's first astronaut. Soon after, Shiro and the RSF join forces with a dedicated group of experienced scientists and engineers eager to revive the nation's struggling space program. However, their efforts catch the government's attention, revealing possible hidden motives for the RSF. Despite major obstacles, this determined group persists, believing the cosmos may hold humanity's ultimate chance for redemption.

In the follow-up series, after Kenshiro defeated Raoh, a new adversary emerges: the warriors of the Gentou Kouken. Falco, the successor of the Gentou Kouken style, takes orders from an evil ruler named Jacko. Jacko claims to be the man chosen by the Tentei and commands his subordinates to capture all living people in order to build his Imperial Capital. Kenshiro once again rises from the shadows and puts an end to Jacko's tyrannical ways. Amidst the chaos, Lynn is captured and taken to the land of the Shura, a place inhabited only by ruthless fighters. Now Kenshiro must pursue her captor and defeat the three Rasho of that land in order to escape with his life and with Lynn.

During Goemon's wedding to Murasaki Inabe, daughter of a prominent samurai clan leader, the Fuma ninja clan launches an unexpected assault and kidnaps the bride, demanding the family's ancestral treasure as a ransom. Lupin, together with his comrades Jigen, Goemon, and Fujiko, reunites to plan a rescue mission for Murasaki and to seize the treasure before the Fuma can claim it for themselves.

The planet Agerna holds vast deposits of Vizorium, the sole mineral that makes space travel possible. When mysterious attacks against mining operations start a wave of mutual accusations among the world's governments, the World Welfare & Works Association dispatches its finest agents to get to the bottom of it. Can these lovely angels handle a mad scientist who intends to guide a long-dormant alien race toward its ultimate evolutionary stage? Add a thief on the hunt for a bottle of wine from the World War II era, and it's a sure thing that no one on the planet is safe. With chaos, mayhem, and destruction reaching new heights, the Dirty Pair face their most outrageous case yet.

Hyoudo Riki is a pretty average guy who just happens to enjoy wearing a tiger mask and practicing Kung Fu, which makes him fit right in at Battle Royal High School. Unfortunately for Riki, he turns out to be the doppelganger of Byoudo, the Master of the Dark Realm. When a dimension gate opens between the two worlds, the evil Fairy Master tricks Byoudo into trying to conquer our world—which is much better lit, by the way. Now poor Riki is semi-possessed by his evil counterpart, and the Fairy Master's minions are mutating his classmates into hideous, lustful monsters. To make things worse, all the interdimensional chaos has drawn the attention of a sword-happy exorcist and the heroic Zankan of the Space-Time Police. All of which means Riki is about to face one nasty mid-term exam. The subject is survival, and forget "pass/fail"—this test is graded "live or die!"

Following the cancellation of the original TV series, this OVA was released directly to video in Japan and actually consists of the last two episodes of that series.

The story is set on the planet Maris in the year 2387. During this period, the Nozas begin a genocidal campaign to kill all humans, intending to use the planet for their own egg-laying and reproduction. In response, three enigmatic guns known as the "Zillion Weapon System" emerge, and three teenagers—JJ, Champ, and Apple—are selected to wield them as the White Knights, fighting to resist the Nozas.

In "Muramasa," a samurai capable of killing effortlessly soon realizes that he is merely a puppet himself. Through a stark, hand-drawn silent animation, the warrior arrives at this understanding firsthand. While traveling, he encounters a straw figure beneath a tree, pierced by a sword. When he pulls the blade free, he discovers its magical nature and the immense power it bestows. However, this strength comes with a heavy cost: wielding the sword gradually erodes the samurai’s sanity. He must now decide between holding onto his true self or sacrificing his mind for unparalleled might.

After being found drifting lifeless through space, Lufy is taken aboard a Solnoid cruiser and granted a second chance at life. The former hardened warrior is shown events that erode her beliefs—experiencing death tends to change one's outlook—and weaken her fighting prowess at the very moment that strength is most critical.

Gun Koma, a high school student with a deep love for motorcycles and speed, gets invited by a classmate to take part in a demanding four-hour race that could launch him into the professional ranks. Keen to grab this chance, Gun agrees but discovers he has to partner up with his longtime street racing rival, Hideyoshi Hijiri. Even though the opportunity to race on a legitimate circuit is appealing, Gun has to put aside his animosity toward Hideyoshi if he wants any chance of winning.

In 1580, Lord Nobunaga Oda unleashes hordes of unholy armies across Japan, slaughtering all who resist. A young female ninja flees her village's destruction clutching a short sword, one of three mystical weapons capable of ending Oda's reign. On her journey, she is joined by two other ninjas, each wielding the remaining legendary weapons: the sacred sword and the sacred spear.

A manga by Tanimura Hitoshi that ran in Comic Burger serves as the source for this story. Teenager Kanemori Kousuke works as a covert operative for the international VN intelligence network. He utilizes his computer hacking talents to pursue global criminals. Eventually, he targets Neo-Nazis in the Arctic who are attempting to salvage a U-boat harboring a dark secret.

In the 22nd century, Shambhala city reporter Youko works for the Private Eyes newspaper and, together with her android boyfriend, bodyguard, and cameraman Pete, pursues the elusive criminal Mr. X. Their investigation brings them to the Rainbow Tower at TechnoLand amusement park, where Youko is taken hostage. Pete must fight to save her by destroying the program of the tower's central computer, preventing Mr. X's escape.

While searching for the legendary Mapman—the last surviving member of the Nomad Star tribe—Lipumira locates him in Tokyo. His name is Gen Tokishima, and he is the only person capable of retrieving one piece of the starmap hidden within Earth. After obtaining that piece, Gen must choose whether to follow Lipumira on her reckless quest to find the remaining starmap fragments or stay on Earth. He makes his decision, only to discover that his girlfriend has already boarded the spaceship ahead of him, insisting on coming along. Unfortunately, as Gen learns the secret of the starmap, Lipumira's sisters devise plans to stop her—and they will do so at any cost. Note: Shown in theaters as a double bill with the anime feature TWD EXPRESS Rolling Takeoff.

Mitsuteru Yokoyama's Kamen no Ninja Akakage centers on its hero, Red Shadow, who sports a vivid red-and-black costume and a characteristic red mask. The story unfolds in Feudal Japan, where Red Shadow teams up with his fellow ninja Aokage and Shirokage to battle wicked warlords, sorcerers, and enormous monsters. Their clashes are aided by an assortment of advanced futuristic gadgets, resulting in a surprising but engaging mix with the historical setting.

In the port city of Yokohama, a motorcycle gang called the Kentauros—named after the centaurs of Greek mythology—consists of 93 members. When both Arthur and Ken develop feelings for the same woman, their friendship turns into a fierce rivalry, which they resolve by racing each other. The narrative follows the adventures and exploits of the Kentauros motorcycle gang.

Based on The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. Note: The pilot episode of Anime Sanjuushi.

This humorous crime comedy, reminiscent of Cat's Eye, follows Audrey, an attractive blonde photographer who chases the mysterious thief Slippy Dandy relentlessly. She has no idea that behind the mask is Steve, a college student who secretly has a crush on her. Made up of short segments originally aired on the variety show Midnight Treasure Chamber, the series features a deliberately American-inspired look with bright, flashy colors and exaggerated sound effects, calling to mind the 1960s Batman TV series.