Appleseed

Author: Shinji Aramaki & Steven Foster

Appleseed dwells in that arena of anime you can call Noir Cyberpunk. It's another OVA and one that is powerful in the use of nihilism. The story of the experimental utopian city of Olymmpus, where Humans, the Bioroids that were built as their servants, and cyborgs, all hold sway. Like many, if not most, utopian experiments, it's not at all what it seems. Calon, a cop, is working with a rogue element to take down the control computer Gaia, and the team that attempting to defeat Calon and his terrorist aides. Appleseed, released in 1988, is a beautiful accompaniment to the other 1980s cyberpunk classics like Blade Runner, as well as themes as diverse as Jean Luc Goddard's Alphaville, and even Kirasawa's Stray Dog. The way Olympus is presented certainly draws from the rich history of utopian scifi, but adds a layer of 1980s paranoia that amps up the stakes at every turn. The characters are all flawed, and the concept of bioroids is troubling, bringing up many issues ranging from slavery to human technological depenendance. Why it's on the list: One of the best OVAs of the 1980s, and one that has had long lasting effects on anime in general.