Best Action Anime of 1990

An unknown object crashes on Earth, sparking a huge wildfire near the campsite of Gohan Son, Kuririn, Bulma, and Oolong. Even after their attempts, they cannot fully save the forest and decide to use the Dragon Balls to restore it. Several days later, a group of unidentified warriors plants a seed at the crash site; it rapidly grows into a massive tree that devastates the forest and nearby cities. North Kaio informs Gokuu Son that the tree, called the "Shinseiju," drains all the planet's nutrients, leaving the land barren. The tree also yields a powerful fruit that grants great strength to anyone who eats it. Armed with this information, Gokuu and his allies try to destroy the tree before it's too late, but soon discover the task is far harder than anticipated.

In this installment of Dragon Ball Z, Dr. Kochin, a celebrated expert in biotechnology, collects the Dragon Balls within his laboratory to free his mentor, Dr. Uirou—a deranged scientist aiming for world domination—who has been sealed in the eternal ice of the Tsurumai-Tsuburi Mountains. While Son Gohan and Oolong search for the Dragon Balls, they fall into a trap set by Dr. Kochin's creations, called Bio-Men. Piccolo, nearby, tries to rescue Gohan and Oolong but is interrupted by three mysterious fighters. The fight is cut short when the ice below collapses, burying Gohan and Oolong. After waking up, they return to Kame House, where they are again confronted by Bio-Men demanding that Muten Roshi join them. Roshi refuses and quickly defeats the attackers, drawing Dr. Kochin's attention. Convinced that Muten Roshi is the strongest fighter in the world, Dr. Kochin kidnaps Bulma to force Roshi into participating in his hidden plan to release his master. The mystery grows: who exactly are Dr. Kochin and Dr. Uirou, and what sinister schemes do they have in store?

After successfully defending their hometown from goblins, Parn bands together with his friends Etoh, Deedlit, Ghim, and Slayn to investigate the dark forces threatening the island of Lodoss. As they delve deeper into their quest, they encounter hostile enemies and are briefly detained by city guards, only to be released shortly after. Despite gaining their freedom, the city falls to Ashram, a powerful fighter serving the rogue hero Beld, who kills the esteemed city leader. Overwhelmed with guilt over his perceived weaknesses, Parn resolves to confront Ashram. Simultaneously, the sorceress Karla exploits Beld's ambitions for her own nefarious purposes, compelling Parn to seek additional allies to avert an impending catastrophe that could destroy Lodoss and everything he holds dear.

In the year 2808, three convicts are enlisted into the Cyber Police to fight major crime in Oedo, formerly known as Tokyo. Each successful mission reduces their life sentences by a few years. To guarantee compliance, the authorities place special collars around the prisoners' necks. These collars are programmed to detonate if the prisoners attempt to remove them or exceed the time limits set for their assignments.

A mysterious gust of wind sweeps across the world, erasing everyone's memories. Cars crash, planes plummet, and society collapses into chaos. Amid this turmoil, a young man wanders until he enters a military research center. There, he meets Johnny, a boy whose memories were preserved due to an experimental procedure. Johnny names him Wataru, shares all the information he has, and then succumbs to his failing health. Motivated to find others with intact memories, Wataru ventures through the desolate landscape. In San Francisco, he encounters a mysterious silver-haired woman named Sophia, whose past she keeps hidden. She reveals her destination as New York and opts to travel alongside Wataru. As they journey across America, they uncover the remnants of fallen society and explore the essence of humanity.

Daizaburo Edi-Ban, a Japanese-American, is assigned to the 34th precinct, the roughest police department in New York City. On his very first day, he's paired with John Estes—known as Sleepy to his friends and Mad Bull to his enemies—a cop who fights crime with his own brutal form of justice. Mad Bull has no hesitation when it comes to blowing away petty criminals with his shotgun if they present even the slightest danger to him or those around him. He also regularly robs prostitutes and causes massive amounts of property damage in the middle of his crime-fighting. His thoroughly un-cop-like behavior often puts him at odds with both his partner Daizaburo and the rest of the 34th precinct. Yet, no matter how reckless or illegal his methods appear, a noble purpose always lies underneath—for instance, Sleepy uses the cash he takes from prostitutes to fund a clinic for venereal diseases and a shelter for women who've been battered or assaulted. Later, police lieutenant Perrine Valley joins forces with Daizaburo and Sleepy to tackle tougher cases involving the mafia and drug trafficking. Mad Bull 34 draws its inspiration from the high-octane buddy cop movies of the 1970s and 1980s.

The survivors of the Kanto Hell Earthquake constructed a new settlement they named "Hope Town." This once-peaceful community turns into a nightmare when it is attacked by the motorcycle gang known as "Hell's Wind," who kidnap the women while the remaining residents are powerless to resist. During this turmoil, a boy named Subaro encounters Jun. Jun's lover was killed earlier, and the two assist each other in their struggle against Hell's Wind. The fights become increasingly challenging, but when Violence Jack appears, the townspeople appear to gain an advantage over Hell's Wind.

During Japan's turbulent feudal era, the Awa clan faces annihilation from a rival clan wielding demonic powers. Their desperate hope for deliverance turns into a curse when the family dog returns with the severed head of the opposing warlord but insists on marrying the clan lord's daughter. Though this strange union produces children who are later killed, the eight unborn puppies are reborn as the legendary Dog Warriors, the Hakkenden. Each warrior follows an individual path of vengeance, eventually uniting into a powerful group that embodies the eight principles of bushido. Together, they strive to defeat the demonic forces and restore their fallen clan.

In "City Hunter: Million Dollar Conspiracy," the gorgeous American Emily O'Hara hires the City Hunter duo of Ryo Saeba and Kaori Makimura for one million dollars to protect her from a man named Douglas. The pair accepts the job, but soon finds the situation is more complicated than it first seemed. There is a suspicion that Ryo himself may be the actual target, even though it remains unclear who wishes him harm.

A crew of five female pirates commands the advanced starship Sol Bianca, which possesses technology far beyond any other vessel in existence. They search for treasures like the Gnosis—a legendary artifact of immense power—and pasha, the most precious mineral across the galaxy. During their journey, they must address the plea of a stowaway who seeks to rescue his beloved, while also pursuing vengeance against those who have harmed them.

Rumors circulate that the recently uncovered "Hemingway Papers" — containing the legendary author's final novel — point to hidden treasure on a remote Mediterranean island. Lupin travels there, but rather than searching for riches, he finds himself embroiled in a brutal conflict. Surprisingly, his former allies Jigen and Goemon are also on the island, each driven by their own reasons. The infamous arms dealer Marcus arrives alongside Lupin's greatest enemy and love interest, Fujiko, with the ever-persistent Inspector not far behind.

Chief Gooley faces his worst nightmare when the Lovely Angels return to duty, only for the 3WA's Central Computer to burden them with two simultaneous cases: probing a space liner explosion that killed three hundred people, with no one stepping forward to claim insurance money, and locating a missing scientist along with his family. Are these two cases linked? Only the Central Computer holds the answer, and it refuses to share. So the Dirty Pair must get down and dirty to crack the mystery before time expires for a grieving grandfather, his loved ones, and the entire universe.

Shurannosuke Sakaki is a ronin famed for his deadly skill with a katana and his frigid disposition. Upon his back is a brand of two crossed scythes—an omen of ruin for any who challenge him. The Nakura Clan employs him for his unmatched blade mastery, setting him on a hazardous quest to free Princess Mayu from the terrifying Seki Ninja. He must drive himself to the 极限 to outmaneuver and vanquish the merciless assassins dispatched by the Seki clan.

Gen Todoroki is a rally driver with considerable skill but a tendency for accidents. He receives a sponsorship from a major automobile manufacturer, which includes a shot at the Safari Rally Kenya championship. The journey is filled with difficulties and a host of formidable rivals. This car racing anime adapter adapts the manga by SHINTANI Kaoru, which ran in Big Comic Superior from 1988 to 1990.

Rem leads an ordinary existence in the real world, yet within the dream realm she becomes a guardian assigned to protect humans from the malevolent entities that dwell there. When nightmare demons break through into reality, she fights them together with her shape-shifting companions, who can transform into a tiger and a wolf.

Five centuries ago, during Japan's Tensho Era, a child was brought into the world who would stand against a demon's decree—a man blessed by benevolent deities, fated to confront evil at every turn. That man was Kabuto. The wicked Black Night Demon, Kuroyasya Douki, managed to break free from his infernal prison and return to the mortal realm, seeking vengeance upon Kabuto's bloodline. No one is safe from his lethal sorcery and unrivaled swordsmanship; yet the gods of the North, East, West, and South unite to empower Kabuto in his fight for justice. With the dubious aid of a sinister talking blade—one forged by Kabuto's own father—he might survive long enough to see his sons come into the world.

Child of Destruction continues the story from the RIKI-OH OVA Wall of Hell. This part delves into Riki's background, showing flashbacks to his childhood that reveal the tragic end of his mother and how he was separated from his twin brother Nachi during a game of hide-and-seek, with Nachi's desperate call of "Are you ready yet?" echoing in Riki's mind for years. Riki bears a six-pointed star mark on his hand, while Nachi has a swastika on his; the meaning behind these symbols is never clarified. Riki ends up in the town of Misaki, which is filled with illegal nuclear power plants and controlled by a religious extremist military faction known as "God's Judgment." Captured, he is forced to compete in gladiator fights inside a huge arena. He locates his brother, whose unique abilities have earned him the title "Savior," but their reunion quickly turns hostile due to Nachi's bitterness. This second installment is far bloodier than the first, with Riki punching through numerous enemy soldiers with much less reluctance.

Set at Kansai Fifth Technical High School—a school notorious for its delinquents, even by Osaka standards—the karate club there is infamously regarded as the toughest gang of all. First-year student Matsushita Tadashi joins the club to put an end to being bullied, but he quickly finds himself in over his head. The story later shifts its focus to the club captain, Takagi Yoshiyuki, who is known as the most powerful gangster in Osaka, as he strives to defend both the karate club and the city itself.

A young female bandit named Pink lives in a vast desert. Her ultimate goal is to steal all of the water that is guarded by the Silver Company.

Hakuo Gakuin was once a prestigious high school renowned for its martial arts, but its rival institution, Seishikan, has been deceitfully poaching its top students, causing Hakuo to fall into decline. To turn things around, acting principal Hojo Himeko dispatches Yagyu Ranko to Fuma Village, seeking assistance from the legendary Fuma ninja clan. The Fuma leader sends Kojiro to Hakuo, where he soon confronts the notorious Yasha clan—who fight on behalf of Seishikan—under the command of Asuka Musashi. Before long, Kojiro's allies arrive, and a long-dormant ninja war, which had been postponed for 500 years, erupts between the two clans.

Thirteen researchers attempted to unlock genetic potentials and engineered human-beast hybrids. Decades later, their thirteen children are caught up in a struggle to undo that legacy. Meanwhile, Shinichi, born to one of those scientists, allies with powerful Christian entities to defend the planet.

This OVA release in the Sonic Soldier Borgman series acts as a follow-up to the 1980s television program, which revolved around a crack team of bio-enhanced human crime fighters known as Borgmen. Taking place a number of years after the original Borgman unit was disbanded, this installment brings back the three surviving members—rocket scientist Ryo, his girlfriend Anise, and police officer Chuck Sweager—for the emotionally driven episode "Lover`s Rain," which sees them up against an army of the undead hell-bent on a spree of murder and destruction.

This is the fourth and final OVA in the Machine Robo: Revenge of Chronos spin-off/sequel centered on Leina. Rather than continuing the story from the earlier Wolf Sword Legend continuity, Lightning Trap unfolds in a different universe. In modern-day Tokyo, air travel has never been more luxurious than on the Lightning L808, Japan's new top-tier passenger plane. One day, during what appeared to be a normal flight, Haruka Leina and the other passengers had no knowledge of the secret, highly classified cargo that had been loaded onto the aircraft—cargo that drew the interest of international terrorists determined to seize it. Faced with a perilous hostage crisis, only special agent Laika Strange and the courageous Leina may be able to rescue the passengers and prevent the dangerous cargo from ending up in the wrong hands.

At only eleven years old, Tasuke is already a student at the police academy, carrying a bold dream—to become the academy's top manager and capture every criminal lurking in Edo city. His burning desire to rid the world of wrongdoers and make it a safer place drives him forward despite his youth. Alongside his three companions, including his friend Omon, Tasuke joins forces with them, marking the beginning of adventures that swing between laugh-out-loud comedy and moments of genuine gravity.

Super deformed Ultraman shorts

A gritty story follows a World War II veteran and expert in karate who becomes a member of the yakuza, hoping to find someone strong enough to kill him. After rising to become the karate champion, he allies himself with an Italian woman whose family was murdered by Nazis—she is also out for revenge against them.

Set during Japan's medieval Muromachi period amid the Onin Wars, a band of five skilled mercenaries offers their services to the highest bidder. Leading the group is Onimaru, while Bo excels in explosives, Saru boasts monkey-like agility, Osamu provides strategic insight, and Kiri is a captivating swordsman. Their roster expands when Onimaru saves Princess Aya, who subsequently falls romantically for him and refuses to leave the group.

Sonogong is condemned to five centuries of imprisonment inside a massive iron block after causing chaos in Heaven. He is later released by Samjang Bupsa, an elderly priest who seeks to eradicate evil and bring peace across the world, and subsequently becomes Samjang's disciple. On their journey, Sonogong encounters Saojung, who covets his extraordinary Superboard, and Jopalgye, a coarse merchant of pig oil. Though they initially clash, they eventually come together under Samjang's leadership. As a group, they face powerful foes and land in countless predicaments. Yet they never waver and always come up with clever tactics to overcome the monsters they meet.

Pokopon takes the lead role in an animated adaptation of the classic tale Journey to the West. This film is part of the Sanrio Anime Festival series of theatrical releases.

The second Taoist Mutul movie.