Best Sci-Fi Anime of 1988

In 1988, a young boy with psychic abilities triggers a catastrophic explosion that destroys Tokyo and ignites World War III. To avert future disasters, he is captured and hidden from the public. Thirty years later, the reconstructed Neo-Tokyo is ravaged by gang violence and anti-government unrest. Shoutarou Kaneda leads "the Capsules," a notorious gang known for their oversized custom motorcycles and their bitter feud with "the Clowns." During a confrontation with their rivals, Kaneda's best friend, Tetsuo Shima, collides with an esper escaping a government facility. This incident awakens Tetsuo's dormant psychic powers, which quickly spiral out of control. As authorities struggle to contain this new threat to the city, Tetsuo becomes increasingly powerful, transforming into the epicenter of the escalating chaos.

In "Legend of the Galactic Heroes," the 150-year deadlock between the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance ends as a new generation of leaders rises: Reinhard von Lohengramm, an idealistic military prodigy, and Yang Wenli, a thoughtful historian from the FPA. Reinhard ascends the Empire's ranks backed by his childhood friend, Siegfried Kircheis, aiming to free his sister from the Kaiser's grasp and unite humanity under a single legitimate ruler while battling the fading Goldenbaum Dynasty's remnants. On the galaxy's opposite side, Yang, a staunch democracy advocate, struggles to uphold his beliefs amid the FPA's challenges and mentors his student, Julian Mintz, stressing that autocracy is not the answer. As war rages and ideologies collide, both strategic masters must reflect on the underlying motivations driving their conflict.

In "Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure," the disappearance of Emperor Chiaotzu's wife leads Master Shen to disclose that gathering the seven Dragon Balls can call forth the eternal dragon, who can grant wishes to bring her back. While the Emperor arranges the World Martial Arts Tournament, where Goku and Krillin take part, Bora and his son Upa conceal a Dragon Ball they discovered from the emperor's forces, commanded by the villainous Shen and General Tao. At the same time, Bulma sets off on her own quest for the Dragon Balls, joined by Yamcha, Puar, and Oolong.

In Universal Century 0093, Char Aznable, commanding the space rebel group Neo Zeon, promotes the idea of humanity relocating to space in order to secure peace. To advance this cause, he intends to send the immense asteroid Axis colliding into Earth, creating a catastrophic winter that would make the planet impossible to live on. This aggressive scheme also lets him address a personal conflict with Amuro Ray, which began with a comrade's death during the One Year War, even though they have sometimes fought on the same side. The Earth Federation's Londo Bell unit is the only group capable of stopping Char's plan. Led by seasoned Captain Bright Noa, and with Amuro Ray piloting the sophisticated Nu Gundam, Londo Bell launches an operation to safeguard Earth. As the original Gundam story heads toward its climactic finale, the decisive battle between Londo Bell and Neo Zeon determines the planet's future and concludes the bitter feud between Char and Amuro.

With technological advancements, humanity has developed versatile robots called Labors to assist with everyday tasks. Unfortunately, some individuals use these machines for illegal activities, leading police departments worldwide to employ specialized "Patrol Labors," or Patlabors, to combat Labor-related crimes. New recruit Noa Izumi becomes part of a dedicated Patlabor unit, operating her own mech named Alphonse. Working alongside her peers, Izumi aims to safeguard society against those who misuse this formidable technology. As she settles into her role, she navigates the challenges of balancing her personal and professional life while forming friendships with aloof colleague Asuma Shinohara, fellow pilot Isao Oota, and others in her brigade. Together, they confront conspiracies, internal conflicts, and even supernatural perils.

Before the legendary clash between Count von Lohengramm of the Galactic Empire and Yang Wen-li of the Free Planets Alliance at the Battle of Astarte, a four-month interval occurred. At this time, the future count was known as Reinhard von Müsel. As the youngest admiral in the Empire's history, he endured ridicule and skepticism from his peers, who were jealous of his connection to the Kaiser’s concubine. When Reinhard was dispatched with his fleet to Iserlohn Fortress, he received orders from the cunning and ambitious Fleet Admiral Gregor von Muckenberger to confront an enemy fleet in a nearby star system. Realizing these instructions were a covert attempt to eliminate him, Reinhard nonetheless directed his weary forces into combat within the atmosphere of the gas giant Legnica. Little did he know, this engagement would mark the beginning of numerous encounters with the Hero of El Facil.

Following World War III, humanity rebuilt and created Olympus, a high-tech city run by the supercomputer Gaia and inhabited by Bioroids—genetically engineered beings who handle all administrative tasks. Olympus provides its residents with comfort and safety. But a recent increase in crime breaks the city's peace. Deunan Knute and her partner Briareos Hecantochires, part of Olympus's Enhanced SWAT team, are tasked with dealing with the most perilous threats. When a terrorist group threatens Olympus's stability, Deunan and Briareos vow to stop them no matter what.

Leona Ozaki becomes a member of the elite Tank Police in Newport City. Alongside her fellow officer Al and her custom mini-tank Bonaparte, she fights to counter the dangers posed by Buaku and the Puma Sisters.

Thousands of years ago, the evil Emperor Talpa sought to conquer the world. After his defeat, he was exiled to the Nether Realm, and his armor was split into nine separate pieces. In the present day, Talpa has returned with the aim of reclaiming Earth, having recovered four of the armor fragments. The remaining five pieces are held by the only ones who can stop him—the Ronin Warriors.

In northern Europe, Dolbar, the reincarnated form of Odin, holds absolute power. Meanwhile, in Siberia, Hyoga rescues a man who warns him of unrest in Asgard. Athena decides to investigate the situation and sends Hyoga to scout ahead. But when Athena and the others arrive in Asgard, Hyoga has disappeared. Dolbar then captures Athena, intending to take control of the Sanctuary, as the Bronze Saints attempt to aid her while battling the God Warriors.

In "Saint Seiya: Legend of Crimson Youth," Apollo, the Sun God and sibling to Athena, appears with intentions to reclaim Athena for the heavens and assume control of the Sanctuary. He reawakens the fallen Gold Saints and enlists them alongside several God Saints to serve as his personal guards. Upon Athena's defiance, Apollo resorts to banishing her to the underworld. Concurrently, the Bronze Saints embark on a mission to rescue Athena.

After a century-long war concludes, Merowlink Ality is the only survivor from a squad that was set up and falsely accused of military corruption. Driven by vengeance, he carries the dogtags of his fallen comrades and uses an outdated anti-tank rifle, intent on hunting down and making the corrupt leaders who betrayed his unit answer for their actions. His quest also seeks to expose the hidden truth behind the conspiracy.

This animated feature brings the Urusei Yatsura saga to a boiling point by adapting the final story arc of the original manga, though it is not the series' concluding film. Lupa, another of Lum's suitors, arrives on Earth, forcing Lum and Ataru to rekindle their game of tag to stop the planet from being obliterated. Ataru's only path to victory is uttering the three words "I love you," which he has stubbornly refused to say to Lum. Will he finally confess his true feelings to save the Earth, or will his pride lead to the world's destruction?

In a futuristic setting, Kei and Yuri serve as Trouble Consultants for the 3WA, operating under the codename "Lovely Angels." Known across the galaxy as the Dirty Pair, they are celebrated for consistently completing their assignments, though they also carry a notorious reputation for leaving a trail of collateral damage and disorder behind them.

A young man named Akitsu Masato is taken into custody by a secret government initiative called "Last Guardian." He learns that his ordinary student life was fabricated, and his true purpose is to pilot a massive robot known as the "Zeorymer of the Heavens." This reality is driven home when Masato witnesses his `parents` accepting money for raising him. Last Guardian is preparing for the revival of "Hau Dragon," an organization intent on world domination. Fifteen years ago, Hau Dragon constructed eight colossal robots, each mecha representing a different natural force. But before any of them could be deployed, their creator Kihara Masaki destroyed all but the leader unit: Zeorymer. He handed Zeorymer and an embryo over to the government. That embryo grew into Masato. Now Hau Dragon has rebuilt the other seven mecha and seeks the eighth. It falls to Masato and Himuro to pilot Zeorymer and fight against Hau Dragon—yet neither Masato nor Himuro are what they appear to be.

During another school break, A-Ko dreams of finding the perfect boyfriend, which sparks an argument with C-Ko. C-Ko runs away and is nearly hit by a motorcyclist named Kei. While working part-time at a fast-food restaurant to save money for a party dress, A-Ko meets Kei and immediately falls for him. B-Ko happens to have feelings for him as well. Yet neither A-Ko nor B-Ko realizes that C-Ko is the one Kei truly cares about.

In "Doraemon the Movie: The Record of Nobita's Parallel Visit to the West," Nobita tries to prove the Monkey King is real by traveling back to the era when Sanzo began his journey. Doraemon provides a virtual video game console that allows Nobita to play through "Journey to the West" and get a costume similar to the Monkey King's. However, Nobita still cannot confirm the Monkey King's existence. After they finish playing "Journey to the West" without defeating any demons, their world becomes overrun by demonic creatures. The problem arises because Doraemon forgot to turn off the game console in the past, allowing demons to escape and take over their world. To set things right, Doraemon and the group must go back to the past to fight and eliminate these demons.

Mobile Suit SD Gundam Mk-I is a compilation of humorous short segments based on the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise. The first episode spoofs major moments from the One Year War. In the second episode, Amuro, Kamille, and Judau compete to determine who has the best pension management abilities, but Char interrupts their competition. The third episode features the SD Olympics, where a range of characters participate in different athletic events, setting humans against mobile suits.

Sonic Soldier Borgman is a science fiction series blending super sentai elements with non-combining mecha technology. The narrative follows a trio that resembles a sentai team in their fight against the Youma organization. The group consists of three members associated with the primary ranger colors of pink, blue, and green. The main characters are Chuck, Ryo, and Anise, with Ryo serving as the leader. Chuck and Anise also work as teachers at a public school. Their students frequently assist the Borgman or cause problems, and some even learn their secret identities. Ryo rides a modern blue motorcycle capable of self-upgrading and speech. The transformation phrase is "Borg. Get On." Each team member wields a personalized cannon matching their armor color, used exclusively to defeat the monsters encountered.

Despite the Destrons being forced off Earth, a small team of Cybertron Pretenders has stayed behind as a precaution. Under the leadership of Metalhawk—who takes the human identity of "Hawk"—these Pretenders blend into human society, employing their Pretender shells to take on human size and appearance. The Cybertrons' vigilance proves necessary when Destron Pretenders emerge, guided by an enigmatic entity called Devil Z. In response, both the Cybertrons and Destrons expand their ranks by enlisting humans to become Junior Headmasters and Godmasters, also known as Powermasters.

The girls find salvation from none other than Catty Nebulart herself! Now the clock is ticking as Catty struggles to finish her greatest achievement: a massive machine that will bring life to a barren world.

The narrative follows nine-year-old Wataru Ikusabe, who is mysteriously transported to a divine realm known as Soukaizan, where he is destined to become its savior. During his journey to rescue this magical world, he succeeds in turning a clay sculpture into a semi-autonomous miniature Super Robot.

After a dramatic accident, a traveling performance group discovers a damaged spaceship with only one survivor—a baby named Corona. Knowing almost nothing about where she came from or her cultural background, the troupe decides to take on their most challenging performance yet: acting as a human family. As Corona grows up, the performers reflect on the consequences of their decision and consider how they would respond if representatives from her home planet ever come to reclaim her.

Set seven centuries after the Dunbine TV series, "The Tale of Neo Byston Well" follows Shion Zaba, the reborn version of original hero Sho Zama. Alongside Silkie Mau, Reml Jilfried (who is the rebirth of Remile Luft), and the Aura Battler Silbine, Shion works to prevent a deranged Shot Weapon from launching a specially constructed nuclear ICBM that threatens to annihilate the entire realm. This story earned acclaim not only for its enhanced animation quality but also for incorporating B-CLUB Magazine's well-known AURA FANTASM series as the foundation for the redesigned Aura Battlers.

This is the story of a young girl and a young dragon. Unsurprisingly, they are the closest of friends, and just as predictably, the rest of the world is against them both. However, when demons decide to destroy their world, they take the side of those who have always opposed them.

A super deformed parody that shows the "making of" Eternal Story and Destruction. It offers a very humorous behind-the-scenes look at what would happen if "Gall Force" were a live-action series rather than an animated one. Cast and crew members encounter severe and embarrassing problems when things don't go as planned; for instance, Lufy is utterly mortified when she becomes the focus of a large crowd of onlookers while naked; the director's insistence on realistic filming creates some genuinely high-voltage friction with Catty; and finally, after the premiere, the girls end up in a continuous on-stage brawl over which one is the most popular character.

Marg is left stranded on the planet Gishin after Zure kidnaps her younger brother Mars and murders their parents. She then joins a guerrilla group to resist Zure and grows attached to Ruru, the daughter of resistance leader Ura. When the resistance is wiped out, Marg is captured and brainwashed into working for Zure. Her desire to reunite with Mars is granted, but it forces her to fight against him. The OVA features redesigned versions of Gaia, God Mars, and the Gishin robot Zeron, and presents an alternate telling of Marg's time on Gishin before the events of episode 19.

In a small coastal village where fishing sustains the community, Jam learns from his grandfather that recent catches have been dwindling. The reason is believed to be the kidnapping of Watt Poe, a narwhal honored as the guardian of the sea, by the steel hawks living in the nearby mountain. Driven by a desire to bring Watt Poe back to the ocean and revive his village's fortunes, Jam sets out on an expedition up the mountain.

This sci-fi anime is inspired by the actual tale of Kinshiro Toyama (1793-1855), a figure who initially achieved renown through the 1893 kabuki play "Toyama no Kinsan."

Three reporters from the school paper get transported back to the Edo period.