Ask John: Exactly What and When Was Anime’s Golden Age?

Question:
It bothers me that official publications acknowledge the Golden Age but never really say when it ended. I guess 1994 myself, but I also feel that the 1980s didn’t end until 1992. I see more polished and focused titles appearing to genres that the golden age gave birth to – Ai no Kusabi in 1992, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure in 1993, Genocyber in 1994, and plenty of other bizarre titles were still filtering out in the 90s in much smaller numbers and typically on tighter budgets. I guess, in the larger sense, we could call 1983-1989 the “Golden Age,” despite some Golden Age titles spilling over into the 90s.

Answer:
The phrase “golden age” has been used in the American fan community to refer to the 1980s era of Japanese animation for at least the past decade. I don’t know who originated the phrase, or exactly when it first came into use, but it is now an established and useful term, albeit one that I don’t think has ever been strictly delineated. “Golden age” refers to the amorphous 1980s of the height of Japan’s bubble economy and a period of tremendous evolution and experimentation within the anime industry. While the 1980s are home to countless modern classic anime franchises like Dragon Ball, St. Seiya, Macross, City Hunter, Hokuto no Ken, Dirty Pair, and numerous others, the 1980s are also fondly remembered as a period of time during which animators had the luxury of indulging their creative inspiration and curiosity. Probably no other period in the history of anime is more concentrated with unusual, experimental, psychedelic, stylish, and frequently just plain weird anime productions. The height of Japanese economic power from 1984-1989 gave Japanese animators the financial flexibility to create pet projects and experimental works. When money wasn’t a concern, animators had the freedom to do whatever they wanted to do with animation. And animators took full advantage of their opportunities.

While the 80s economic bubble is defined at 1984-1989, I’ve never encountered a precise estimation of the term of anime’s “golden period.” I won’t try to insist that my own clarification is defining and beyond reproach, but I would like to suggest for consideration that anime’s “golden era” lasted from roughly 1982 until 1988. I’ll explain my reasoning. 1980 was highlighted by anime including the third Space Cruiser Yamato motion picture, Ashita no Joe 2, and several Galaxy Express 999 specials. The anime of 1980 primarily reflected the 1970s. The daring, experimental spirit of the golden era hadn’t yet permeated the anime released in 1980. It wasn’t until the end of 1981 that the spirit of the golden era emerged. As the last remnants of the 1970s began to appear in early 1981 anime including Tiger Mask II, Shin Dokonjo Gaeru, and the Mobile Suit Gundam movies, the bizarre Urusei Yatsura television series premiered in October 1981, arguably introducing anime’s golden era.

The age of characteristic 80’s anime began in earnest in 1982 with titles including the genre hopping magical girl show Minky Momo, one of anime’s first sexually ambiguous titles, Patalliro, and the groovy, irreverent Space Adventure Cobra. It’s also important to note that the AIC production studio, which would soon create many of the golden era’s most memorable and characteristic anime titles, opened its doors in 1982.

1983 is a tremendously important year for anime, and a very relevant year for the golden period of anime because Dallos, the first anime created exclusively for home video release, premiered that year. The Original Video Animation format freed animators from the limitations imposed by TV broadcast standards, and freed animators from the necessity of making anime with mass market commercial appeal. The OVA format gave animators an opportunity to produce esoteric, personal, experimental anime for niche markets. In other words, the OVA format encouraged the already developing spirit of pushing the envelope with strange, highly stylish anime made simply out of love for the art form and a desire to make creative, unusual animation.

The golden era of anime flourished from 1984 to 1987 with countless unusual and exceptional works. Just a few examples of the stylistic abandon characteristic of the time include Urusei Yatsura movie 2: Beautiful Dreamer, Night on the Galactic Railroad, Ai City, Nayuta, Robot Carnival, Battle Royal High School, Mani Mani, Twilight of the Cockroaches, Goshogun: Etrangere, Angel’s Egg, Midnight Anime Lemon Angel, To-y, Twilight Q, Amon Saga, Space Sagittarius, Leda, Bavi-Stock. This time period is also notable for developing the erotic anime genre, and particularly the seminal Cream Lemon series and the spectacular Urotsukidoji.

By 1988, the end of the golden era was within sight as the end of Japan’s unprecedented prosperity loomed. While 1988 introduced some characteristic and even highly unique golden era style anime like Dragon’s Heaven, Dragon Century, and Space Family Carlvinson, revolutionary productions like Gunbuster and Akira presaged the complex and sophisticated anime that was to come in the 1990s. Meanwhile, 1988 productions including Urusei Yatsura 5: Final Chapter and Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack brought conclusions to anime that had typified the 1980s, and the dying children of Graveyard of Fireflies seemed to symbolize the slow extinction of the violent, sexy, stylish, and strange era of 80s anime.

1989 introduced a few remaining stalwarts of characteristic 80s charisma including Jushin Riger, Earthian, Gosenzosama Banbanzai!, and the unrepentantly violent Baoh Raihousa, Cyguard, and Angel Cop. But anime debuts such as Rhea Gall Force, Dragon Ball Z, and Ranma 1/2 signified the end of the 80s Gall Force, Dragon Ball, and Urusei Yatsura franchises and new directions. While Mobile Suit Gundam 0080 harkened back to 1979’s original Gundam, it simultaneously introduced a new maturity and sophistication that seemed more akin to practical 1990s sensibilities than the free-spirited 1980s.

The spirit of 80’s golden era anime hasn’t disappeared altogether. Even now in 2008 new anime productions like Mnemosyne undeniably resurrect the 80’s emphasis on stylish and violent action, sexuality, and striking imagery. But contemporary productions like Mnemosyne, Ayakashi, and Project ICE that recall the spirit of golden era anime are rare exceptions now, which is quite different from the mid 1980s when such attitudes were the standard rather than the exception.