Bubblegum Crisis

The late 1980s were great for several things, and in the case of Bubblegum Crisis, it was a time of Cyberpunk and direct-to-video, or OVA, Original Video Animation, in Anime parlance. Bubblegum Crisis was released in 1987 and ran for four years. The Knight Sabers are an all-woman mercenary team who deal with the problems that megacorporations pose in the world of tomorrow.  The Knight Sabers are battling the influential Genom corporation, in the proud tradition of so many dystopian future novels. The real highlight of Bubblegum Crisis is the setting. It's a version of Tokyo following a massive earthquake that has redefined the city. The way the divided city is presented, with incredible disparity in wealth, and with a very different culture in each area. The richness of the setting helps to tell the story and make the action feel more life and death, and the plight of those being served more dire. Why it's on the list: The first OVA to really make a splash in the US, it's an incredible fun watch with a setting that rivals even Akira.