Winter 1981

Saikyou Robot Daiouja

TV / 50 eps / Winter 1981 / Original

This is the story of Mito Mitsukuni in mecha style. Prince of the Edon Star, Edward Mito begins a trip to the galaxy with his servant Baron Kalkus, Duke Skead and the ninja girl Shinobu. Under the false identity of Bocchan, Suke and Kaku they help the oppressed people and fight with the super robot Daioja.

Firebird

TV / 52 eps / Winter 1981 / Unknown

Throughout history, the quest for power infected mankind. In the future..nothing much changes. The setting for this exciting, funny and intriguing series is the Kingdom of Fir antic, where two royal houses are locked in combat to determine who will become the future ruler of the Kingdom. To secure the throne, one of two must travel through the aeons of time to find the Firebird. Whoever brings it back to Fir antic will rule from the throne of this mysterious country. The story starts in the present.... Here, in the desolate office of the Ace Detective Agency, Detectives Paul Tuck and Tracy Headly are whiling away the time reading magazines, for want of something better to do. Suddenly, a girl appears before them. From her strange dress the pair can just deduce that the girl couldn't possibly be from their time. She begins to speak..."You are quite right. I am from another era. In time, you two will be married, and I will be born from your bloodline many generations hence". The girl's name is Princess Sara of the Kingdom of Fir antic. Paul and Tracy are amazed by the girl's telepathic powers, and even more amazed to be told that they are to be married. But there is more to come. Princess Sara is looking for the Firebird with the use of a Time Tunnel. Paul and Tracy decide that it is their duty to protect their descendent's future. They offer to help Sara on her quest for the Firebird, but Sara has no idea where it is to be found. The only clue she has is that Princess Miranda and her party have come to this time as well. Sara telepathically discovers the whereabouts of their time machine, and our heroes chase after Miranda, who possesses any and all information concerning the Firebird.... (Source: AniDB)

The Swiss Family Robinson: Flone of the Mysterious Island

TV / 50 eps / Winter 1981 / Novel

10-year-old Flone is a very active, tomboyish sort of a girl. One day, her father receives a letter from his English friend who is now in Australia. In the letter, the friend asks her father to come down to Australia because of a serious shortage of doctors. The family decides to leave their old house in Bern. Now their drifting voyage has begun! Flone's fantastic adventures will teach children about the importance of family and the joys of living amidst nature's beauty.

Tomorrow's Joe 2

TV / 47 eps / Fall 1980 / Manga

Yabuki Joe is left downhearted and hopeless after a certain tragic event. In attempt to put the past behind him, Joe leaves the gym behind and begins wandering. On his travels he comes across the likes of Wolf Kanagushi and Goromaki Gondo, men who unintentionally fan the dying embers inside him, leading him to putting his wanderings to an end. His return home puts Joe back on the path to boxing, but unknown to himself and his trainer, he now suffers deep-set issues holding him back from fighting. In attempt to quell those issues, Carlos Rivera, a world renowned boxer is invited from Venezuela to help Joe recover.

Astro Boy (1980)

TV / 52 eps / Fall 1980 / Manga

Set in a future where machines have advanced to the point of autonomy and become a point of major contention in the political and social realms, Astro Boy (1980) chronicles the struggles of a crime-fighting young robot named Atom. Created in the image of his enigmatic inventor's deceased son, Atom survives rough beginnings, getting saved and adopted by the benevolent Dr. Ochanomizu. In his pursuit of justice, Atom finds himself in the midst of numerous clashes with various factions, and is often faced with the harsh realities of the world. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Space Runaway Ideon

TV / 39 eps / Spring 1980 / Original

Mankind has traveled to the stars and come across various alien civilizations, now long dead. Upon discovering the archaeological remains of such a civilization on the planet Solo, humanity finally has its first encounter with a living alien species: the Buff Clan. When Karala Ajiba, the daughter of the Buff Clan's military leader, sets foot on the surface of Solo, the Buff Clan launches a brutal assault on the colony to retrieve her. In order to escape, Cosmo Yuki, Kasha Imhof, and Bes Jordan climb aboard three trucks, which soon transform into the giant humanoid robot Ideon. When the settlement on Solo is destroyed, the survivors board a recently discovered spaceship—the Solo Ship—and flee, endeavoring to get away from the aliens and finally find peace. The relentless Buff Clan, however, is still in hot pursuit and will not give up so easily. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Doraemon

TV / 1787 eps / Spring 1979 / Manga

Nobita Nobi is a normal fourth grade student. This all changes, however, when a blue robotic cat appears from his desk drawer. Calling himself Doraemon, this robot tells Nobita that his future descendants from the 22nd century live in poverty because of all the mistakes he made. Therefore, they have sent Doraemon to serve as a guide and mentor to Nobita, so that their future may change for the better. What Doraemon comes to learn, though, is that Nobita is the weakest and laziest student in the whole school. To assist in his quest, Doraemon has a four-dimensional pocket with him, in which he keeps various machines and gadgets from the future. Unfortunately, these often result in even more trouble for Nobita. Will Doraemon really be able to achieve his mission of changing Nobita, or will he remain as he is? [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Ganbare Genki

TV / 35 eps / Summer 1980 / Manga

Horiguchi Genki was 5 years old boy. His mother died when he was born, and he was raised only by his father. His father, Shark Horiguchi, was a professional boxer, but he was ruined and become an itinerant boxer. However, Genki believed his father was strong and he would become a champion, and he had a dream to become a strong boxer as his father. After his father’s death, he was adopted by his grandparents. Although they opposed Genki boxing, Genki made up his mind to become a boxer, and he continued training secretly. Meeting with various people, for example, Teacher Ashikiwa who resembles his mother, Mishima who is a high school boxing champion, he made his way to be a boxer. (Source: AnimeNfo)

Galaxy Express 999

TV / 113 eps / Fall 1978 / Manga

In the distant future, humanity has found a way to live forever by purchasing mechanical bodies, but this way to immortality is extraordinarily expensive. An impoverished boy, Tetsurou Hoshino, desires to purchase a pass on the Galaxy Express 999—a train that travels throughout the universe—because it is said that at the end of the line, those aboard can obtain a mechanical body for free. When Tetsurou's mother is gunned down by the villainous machine-man hybrid Count Mecha, however, all seems lost. Tetsurou is then saved from certain death by the mysterious Maetel, a tall woman with blonde hair and a striking resemblance to his mother. She gives him a pass to the Galaxy Express under one condition: that they travel together. Thus, Tetsurou begins his journey across the universe to many unique planets and thrilling adventures, in hopes of being able to attain that which he most desires. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Hoero Bunbun

TV / 39 eps / Fall 1980 / Manga

Bunbun, an abandoned puppy meets the old Big, also a stray dog. Bunbun will learn to survive in an hostile and strange world. (Source: manga-distribution.fr)

The Affectuous Family

TV / 1428 eps / Fall 1976 / Unknown

Short comedic stories about events and the daily lives of the members of a large multi-generational family. (Source: AniDB)

Ikkyu the Little Monk

TV / 296 eps / Fall 1975 / Unknown

Ikkyu is a little boy training to be a monk at Ankokuji Temple. Known for being mischievous and a bit of a troublemaker, but also extremely smart, Ikkyu constantly thinks of new ways to outwit his frustrated teachers, helping others at the same time.

Kagee Grimm Douwa

TV / 52 eps / 1980 / Unknown

The 3rd arc of the Chiyotarou Kodomo Gekijou program that aired on TBS. Every episode is a different Brothers Grimm fairy tale told with shadow puppet animation.

Kaibutsu-kun (1980)

TV / 94 eps / Fall 1980 / Unknown

Kaibutsu-kun and his companions, Dracula, Wolfman, and Franken, travel from Kaibutsu Land to the Human Realm, where they encounter and battle several monsters, mainly assassins from the demon group Demonish. (Source: Wikipedia)

Kirin Tomorrow's Calendar

TV / 1306 eps / Winter 1980 / Unknown

Mahou Shoujo Lalabel

TV / 49 eps / Winter 1980 / Original

Lalabel is a magical girl who arrives in the Human world to stop an evil wizard from stealing various magical objects or items. As a magical girl, she has a kitty for a companion and a magic wand. Coincidentally, she lands on the doorstep of the Tachibana couple and lives in with them during her stay in the human world. She attends the local school and begins to learn about the different things in the human world. (Source: ANN)

Manga Hajimete Monogatari

TV / 305 eps / Spring 1978 / Unknown

An educational program for children featuring various historical events, showing both animation and live action footage. A reoccurring "older sister" and the pink mole Mogutan, will take you on a journey through time.

Manga Kotowaja Jiten

TV / 88 eps / Fall 1980 / Unknown

An educational anime, each episode contains three short stories. (Source: AniDB)

Manga Nippon Mukashibanashi (1976)

TV / 1471 eps / Winter 1976 / Unknown

An omnibus-format TV series consisting of anime adaptations of Japanese folk tales, this is one of Japan's longest-running TV series, and Group Tac's second TV series (the first was The Road to Munich, a documentary anime about the 1972 Olympics). The governing rule of the series was that the creative staff change from episode to episode. While later other anime series like Nippon Animation's Famous Works of Japanese Literature would attempt the same, none would be as long-lived or successful. The rotation idea was that of director Sugii Gisaburo, a visual visionary unequaled in Japanese film history who has revolutionized anime several times in his career, be it in the 1967 TV series Goku's Big Adventure, in which he sought to shake anime free from the dominance of story development by yanking it back to a more cartoonish form, or The Belladonna of Sadness, where he broke the Disney full-animation mold, creating a full-length animated film in a completely new style that was a hybrid of still drawings and animation. The reason for rotating the staff each episode was so that each episode would have a completely different look and feel from its predecessor, and in this it was eminently successful. This is a series that is genuinely rewarding to watch, and is visually one of the richest in anime history. While this system also meant that quality varied, there were also occasionally superb episodes, as on the staff were many veterans like Group Tac founder SUGII Gisaburo himself, SHIBAYAMA Tsutomu, FURUZAWA Hideo, RIN Taro, and HIKONE Norio. Old episodes started being repeated more and more frequently as the years went on, and production of new episodes finally ceased completely in late 1995, but the series is still widely broadcast. (Source: Pelleas)

Invincible Robo Trider G7

TV / 50 eps / Winter 1980 / Original

Takeo Watta inherits a company upon his father's death. The company focuses on space travel, and the transformable robot Trider-G7 is their greatest creation. When an evil space organization lead by Lord Zakuron starts attacking Earth, Watta has to use Trider in a more combat-oriented way. (Source: ANN)

Wonderful Adventures of Nils

TV / 52 eps / Winter 1980 / Novel

Nils Holgersson is a young boy on a farm who is cruel to the animals. But when he catches the farm's little goblin it becomes one prank too many. He is magically shrunk and suddenly the farm animals are out for revenge. He flees on the back of the goose Morten and they join up with a flock of wild geese. Together they travel all over Sweden, with Nils hoping to find a way to become big again. (Source: ANN)

にんぎょうげき

TV_SHORT / 510 eps / Spring 1956 / OTHER

Puppet-animated show made for elementary school students in the lower grades with the aim of teaching children life lessons and morals while also nurturing healthy imagination. It adapts a wide array of stories; originating from foreign folktales, comtemporary fairytales and classic books.<br> The name originally was Puppet Show (人形劇) but in 1966 it was changed to "Ningyougeki" in hiragana.

Ojamanga Yamada-kun

TV / 103 eps / Fall 1980 / Unknown

TV anime adaptation of Hisaichi Ishii's comedy manga "Ojamanga Yamada-kun".

Mrs. Sazae

TV / Fall 1969 / 4-koma manga

The main character is a mother named Sazae-san. She lives in a house with her husband, her kids and her parents. The show is the ultimate family program and tends to follow traditional themes. Think of this show as the Japanese equivalent to "The Partridge Family" and you'll get a good feel for this show's atmosphere. Don't expect to see things like violence, swearing, kung-fu action or magical girls. The plots are more like "Today, Sazae-san goes to the new mall and gets lost". Such "boring" plotlines and the simplistic art are often a turn-off to non-Japanese audiences, but most Japanese find the show incredibly good. As a result, it continues to be one of the top ratings grabbers on TV and is one of the few anime that is considered "acceptable" by adults. (Source: AniDB)

Star Fleet

TV / 25 eps / Fall 1980 / OTHER

In the last years of the third millennium, the solar system is recovering from a devastating interplanetary war. Suddenly, a new enemy arrives in the solar system, intent on destruction and conquest. Against them stands the Earth Defense Force and its top secret X Project. <br><br> (Source: Anime News Network)

The New Adventures of Gigantor

TV / 51 eps / Fall 1980 / Manga

Shotaro Kaneda is a young boy whose dead scientist father created the giant robot Tetsujin 28 after realizing the chances of attacks from outer galaxies. Shotaro has possession of the only controller, kept in an attaché case, which enables him to have direct command of the all mighty Tetsujin 28. If the controller goes into the hands of the enemy, this could lead Tetsujin 28 to fight for villains who want to destroy The Earth. Whenever peace in this world is threatened, Shotaro together with his friends, Dr. Shikishima, Detective Otsuka, must unleash the power of our metallic super hero. (Source: ANN)

Time Bokan Series: Time Patroltai Otasukeman

TV / 53 eps / Winter 1980 / Unknown

Burning with ambitions to become the most beautiful woman, the most renowned scientist, and the greatest hero the world has ever known, three villains, Atasha, Sekobitchi and Duwarusuki, unite. The trio are Time Patrollers, the keepers and protectors of the annals of history. But, this is only a cover for the trio, as the villains are league with a nefarious leader, who is trying to alter the course of history to suit his desires, and, under his instructions, the trio travel in time with the aim of tampering with recorded history. Only Hikaru and Nana, disguised as the Otasukemen, stand between the villains and their goals. (Source: Wikipedia)

Tondemo Senshi Muteking

TV / 56 eps / Fall 1980 / Original

Twelve-year-old Linn Youki loyally supported his father when the world laughed at the scientist for saying that Earth was about to be invaded from outer space. But Linn did not expect to become personally involved--until he met Takoro, the strange young "deputy sheriff" from another world who was on the trail of notorious space criminals. There were only four Kurodako Brothers, but they plotted to use their alien science and natural shape-changing powers to become the secret masters of Earth. With Takoro's help, Linn became the mighty super-hero, Muteking, to foil their schemes. There is plenty of action and laughs in this light-hearted comedy-drama about a roller-skating costumed hero, his friendly but bumbling alien partner, a gang of klutzy would-be world conquerors, a beautiful police chief, an obsessed scientist, a sarcastic dog, an officious flying saucer, and others. This unusual but appealing cast of characters will charm viewers' hearts while it amuses them. (Source: Official Website)

Gordian Warrior

TV / 73 eps / Fall 1979 / Original

The Earth had become a wasteland of deserts as the survivors work to rebuild communities. Daigo Otaki is a young orphan raised by his uncle. Becoming an adult, Daigo discovers that Victor City was in fact planned by his father who was a genius scientist. Daigo's sister Saori had been managing it. She plead Daigo to take on the inheritance that Daigo's father left him, a super robot system known as Gordian. Daigo would join the Mechacon mechanic combat 18th regiment unit, an organization of law enforcers that defend Victor City against attacks from the Madokuta organization. (Source: Gordian Warrior, Wikipedia)

Sanpei the Fisherman

TV / 109 eps / Spring 1980 / Manga

Mihira Sanpei talks with a Tohou accent and is a down-to-earth boy with a cheerful and optimistic personality. However, when it comes to fishing, he becomes very serious and is a youth who enjoys fishing more than anything else. The village where he lives in is a natural environment which provides different kinds of fishing challenges. Despite his lack of experience, Sanpei has a first-rate sense with regards to fishing and decides to maxmise his potential by entering into different fishing contests. As he faces various challenges, he learns to solve difficult problems and learn from his mistakes to the extent that he is able to fish anything out of the waters. Along the way, he encounters all kinds of rivals and companions who increase his experience points and help him in his growth. (Source: ANN)

Star Blazers: The Bolar Wars

TV / 25 eps / Fall 1980 / Original

A stray missile from a confrontation between the Galman empire and the Bolar Federation crashes into the sun, turning it into a time bomb of radiation. The Star Force once again sets off into space, this time on a quest to look for a new world for the human race. (Source: ANN)

Space Warrior Baldios

TV / 34 eps / Summer 1980 / Original

After polluting their own planet beyond repair, a race of evil aliens target earth as their next home. Now it is up to a lone outcast and his robotic spacecraft, Baldios, to defend earth. But, first he must convince the distrusting human population of the impending danger. (Source: ANN)

Space Emperor God Sigma

TV / 50 eps / Spring 1980 / Unknown

The story is set in the year 2050 AD, and mankind has been steadily advancing its space technology. However, the planet is suddenly set upon by a mysterious enemy: the forces of Eldar, who came from 250 years in the future. In their time, 2300 AD, their planet Eldar was invaded by Earth, and soundly defeated by Earth's Trinity Energy, a mysterious energy used in their weaponry that possesses power many times that of a hydrogen bomb. The Eldar people's objective is to steal this Trinity Energy before it can be used against them. The Eldar forces begin by taking over Jupiter's moon Io, one of the places humanity has immigrated to by then. After that, they begin to attack Trinity City with their legions of Cosmosauruses in order to steal the Trinity Energy. Toshiya and his friends use God Sigma to protect the planet and the Trinity Energy, and the battle evolves into a long war to retake Io. (Source: Wikipedia)

Akuma to Himegimi

Movie / 1 eps / Winter 1981 / Unknown

The 18-year-old princess of Tomorrow Castle has a beauty famed far and wide but a less-attractive penchant for daytime drinking. Despite this, she has plenty of suitors, including a devil wearing a cunning disguise. One day, the princess meets Snow White at her teahouse in the forest, and while the girls get acquainted, the devil kidnaps them both. (Source: The Anime Encyclopedia by Jonathan Clements and Helen McCarthy)

Doraemon the Movie: The Records of Nobita, Spaceblazer

Movie / 1 eps / Winter 1981 / Unknown

Nobita has been having a weird dream about a boy named Roppel and his strange companion Chami traveling in space. By a twist of fate, he met them in person where it turns out that they are real and that they were being pursued in space, causing their space vehicle to malfunction, connecting the space vehicle itself with Nobita's room. They journeyed to Roppel's planet and amidst their enjoyment, Nobita and Doraemon pledged to help Roppel's planet free from their oppressors. (Source: ANN)

Ikkyuu-san: Haru Da! Yancha Hime

Movie / 1 eps / Winter 1981 / Unknown

Ikkyuu must help the princess once again as she doesn't have any table manners. Without them she won't be able to attend the plum blossom viewing party.

Kitty to Mimmy no Atarashii Kasa

Movie / 1 eps / Winter 1981 / Original

Hello Kitty franchise's first puppet animation work. Kitty and Mimmy are twin kittens. Two of them have been staying inside on a rainy day get a souvenir from mother who came home; an umbrella with different colors and boots. The two are delighted, but rain has stopped. Kitty and Mimmy wish for rain again to go out with an umbrella, despite the good weather the next day. The long-awaited rain will soon come.

Swan Lake

Movie / 1 eps / Winter 1981 / Other

When Prince Siegfried spots a beautiful swan with a crown on its head, for some reason he feels compelled to follow it. He discovers that the swan is, in fact, a princess named Odette, who is under a wizard's curse that causes her to become a swan by day. The wizard, Rothbart, wants to keep Odette to himself, and the only thing that can break the spell on Odette is a man who truly loves her, with all his heart and soul... (Source: ANN)

The Fantastic Adventures Of Unico

Movie / 1 eps / Winter 1981 / Manga

Unico the Unicorn has the amazing power to make anyone he meets happy. Whether it's because of his personality or the powers of his horn, no one knows. However, the gods become jealous of Unico, thinking that only gods should be able to decide or let people be happy or not. Unico is banished to the Hill of Oblivion, and the West Wind is ordered to take him there. She can't stand giving this fate to an innocent like Unico, so Unico's adventures begin, as the West Wind takes him from one place and time to the next, in a neverending journey to escape the wrath of the gods. In this adventure, Unico meets Beezel a devil child and then Katy (Chao), a cat who wants to be a witch! Can he become friends with them? (Source: AniDB)

The Call of the Wild

TV Special / 1 eps / Winter 1981 / Novel

Based on the novel by Jack London. Buck, a half German Shepherd half Saint Bernard who's life is pretty peaceful and happy living with the Millers’ in California. However, one day he is tricked and sold off. He ends up in the snowy North where he has become a sled dog during the Gold Rush. His story takes many twists and turns and he has to fight for his own survival. (Source: ANN)

Run Melos

TV Special / 1 eps / Winter 1981 / Novel

Melos, a Greek country man gets arrested accused of conspiracy against the king. The king gives him three days to travel to his sister's wedding while Selinentius the sculptor and friend of Melos stays as a hostage. Will he get back in time before the king executes Selinentius instead of him?

Kaitei Daisensou: Ai no 20,000 Miles

TV Special / 1 eps / Winter 1981 / Novel

All the nations of Earth are crumbling before the might of Darius, ruler of the Gabia Empire. Meanwhile, childhood friends Ben and Ricky are sailing on the oceans is search of the lost city of Atlantis. When their ship is sunk they are saved by Captain Nemo in his submarine Nautilus. (Source: ANN)