What made 90s Anime SO SPECIAL? 

What’s your favourite 90s/Retro anime? Personally, I’d pick Yu Yu Hakusho! Check out all my socials @adrynsweb and thank you for watching ❤️

The hand drawn animation with its insane detail is why I prefer the style to be honest, it just has soul. Also its just a breath of fresh air, nowadays with CGI becoming massively popular.

90s anime with a good budget is the most gorgeous art ever

Cowboy bebop is literally 1 season, gun grave 1 season, trigun 1 season, the thing is, they had a vibe. It was beautiful, I believe digital have the potential, but it’s a trend area right now until we see the right production company that will separate themselves

To be honest, nothing has ever captured the same feeling I get from watching 90s anime. I like a lot of new stuff, but 90s always hits different.

There was always something that I liked about sci-fi anime back in that era. Maybe it was when the screens popped up, you would see the fuzziness of the light surrounding the screens. Definitely the atmosphere

its not just nostalgia, i didnt see most of the 90s animated movies and series until i was already an adult, including Cowboy bebop. i grew up watching Naruto, Bleach and similar shows. but my god when i got into 90s anime, its just so perfect in soul capturing and putting you in a mood that no new show can.

90's anime just hit different when watching it

RIP Akira Toriyama 🕊

It was absolutely the storytelling. Each one is unique and special in their own ways. The writers weren't scared to take their stories to dark places or make them more themed for adult viewers. Today's anime could learn from its predecessors.

HAND DRAWN is king. CG can work at times but with moderate use. HAND DRAWN and Traditional will ALWAYS rule as the beloved standard. We were better people before digital.

You literally have read my mind, for the past week, I've been looking back on old anime shows, video games, consoles, Xbox and ps2.. And I'm sorry but back then, they put heart and soul into their projects, and you could literally feel it!

Outlaw Star is still to this day my favorite anime. I've watched 100s of series, 10s of thousands of episodes across all genres. Lots of good stuff out there but OS is a series I come back to again, and again, and again.

Great video. One thing I've found not often discussed when talking about anime from the 80s and 90s is how the medium took into account the format that most people were going to be watching at the time: barring movies released in theaters, many anime were made for 4:3 CRT TVs. Many of the imperfections are hidden by the glow of the screen and the shading often looks profoundly different, much more stark and deeper in contrast compared to watching it through modern formats. It's one of the reasons the lines are so thick in older shows like DBZ; if they weren't, they wouldn't be visible on TV. It's impossible to capture in a RU-vid video for obvious reasons, but if you have the chance, pick up some old anime tapes and watch them on an old tube TV. It's seriously a whole different experience.

Modern animators knows the bottom line more than they knows the delivery of a quality message.

As an artist that has studied with japanese mangaka, try to understand from a historic standpoint, that not all 90s anime is better, we just remember the best ones. Consider that there are many good animes yet to be discovered of this period and with really original ideas. Sometimes the "good idea bad execution" is not remember too much. this is, for example, why some people believe that beethoven was the only good musician of his time when in reality there are a bunch of great art pieces that are not as good but good enough. We are going to have a period where the 2010 animes are going to be remembered as the classics too. edit: I guess some people do not understand that preference or mood (whatever that is) doesnt equal quality, dont get me wrong I prefer many older animes over new ones but im no so blindfolded to think with nostalgia over objective analysis. your "mood" is an effect created by vhs recordings, broadcasters and limited color palettes. its the tech not the animation. We have today Waaaay better fight scenes than before.

I'm really glad I discovered this video, ever since I began watching anime shows again a few years ago, I couldn't help but think how I preferred the nostalgic look of 90's/early 2000's shows (even though I was hardly even there at the time). I've spoken to countless friends about it and they always seem to come to the conclusion that these ideas are weird, and that technology has made animation the best its ever been. However, this has clearly shown me why these shows stand out as being some of the best ever... Much appreciated!

First off, I appreciate you making a video about this subject without being hostile towards other eras of anime. Like, yeah, I grew up on 90's anime and it'll always be my favorite, but I can still acknowledge the good in the modern. Instant like. With that out of the way, I think it really has to do with the culture of the time. Japan was suffering a huge recession, depression was starting to be acknowledged as a serious issue, and it just felt right to have intensely flawed heroes in media as a reflection of that. Evangelion might always be my favorite anime, but it won't be because of the animation, (cue another 10+ seconds of still elevator rides and robots holding cute angel guys) it will be because of the tone and feel of the show, and though it's a master class in that feeling of artistic miasma of melancholy, it wasn't the only one. I couldn't tell you what made the animation so good, I'm no expert, but I would like to point out that it's easy to see 90's anime as special because, as it was a niche import, we actually got to see far less of the turds at the time, versus now where anime is a fairly common nerdy interest that you can see every turd alongside anything special, thanks to The Internet. The modern blunders stand out more because you don't have to dig deep to find them, as you would have to do the 90's blunders. Also, as a giant robot fan, I've got this "who can beat Goku" shit locked down. An angered Ideon could destroy the fucking universe, and there's no way Goku's personality, such as it is, isn't going to frustrate it.

"Sailor Moon wins that fight and I will not be elaborating" Well he ran away from that debate quickly

Cheers man, all the best for more subs as this is a great presentation. Un-cut DBZ on Cartoon Network in NZ in the 90's, was well worth setting the VCR up to record the Toonami slot at 1am LOL.

Thats the one thing i dont like about demon slayer. It needs to Tell you everything thats going on. It doesn't just Show you.

The vision of escaflowne was peak animation when I was still young.

Also all the omega level legendary animators were doing there thing big time in the late 80s and 90s, now they just pop up for a 20 sec clip in your fav modern anime.

With the Disney renaissance also happening around that time period, an argument can be made that animation as a whole peaked in the 90s

I definitely agree that the aesthetic of '90s anime is virtually unrivaled in the realm of animation. I understand why shows today can't look exactly like they did back then, but I wish more animated works would at least make an effort to look more like that classic cel animation the way that Dragon Ball Super: Broly did-that is easily one of my favorite works of Japanese animation from the past ten or fifteen years aesthetically.

gj dude!!! Vision of Escaflown was one of my favourites...and also Golden Boy

Studio Ghibli still makes animation like the 90s absolute classic .

Amazing video man, well put out. I grew up with 90's to early 2000 anime and i still revisit and rewatch them whenever i get a chance

Really beautiful video man u did a great job. I see u like the ghibli movies as they were portrayed so often in this video and it would be so cool if u could make videos about them individually because I think they are all so iconic and deserve to be talked about

great analysis of the craftsmanship of everything that went into making this. the quiet tone of the video adds to the contemplative feeling. thanks for making this!

Dope video bro. I'll always have soft spot in my heart for 90s anime. It was what I grew up on and inspired much of my creative work. Its always gon be undefeated for me.

For me it’s the psychological depth sometimes hidden sometimes projected straight forward. Although today’s Anime still has it it’s way more rare and I think because of the bright colors that are preferred 99% of the time it doesn’t hit as much as 90s anime this goes for sadness to and emotions like relief, pressure, scare, numbness and the occasional cute happiness sometimes even a bit bittersweet. Maybe it’s the writing though I don’t know but it had and still has its flear

I do not have the answer, but it was when we were young and life did not suck. Toonami was awesome.

I absolutely love your choice of music. Especially in the characters section and also great video.

Loved the video. There is a charm of 90s anime. In recent years I love the background art and aesthetics. I want to go back and watch evangeleon now. Only watched half of it years ago

Great video!

I think something that helped a lot too was the CRT TVs that we had in those days. They added to the charm of that era's anime. Unlike modern displays CRTs felt like you were watching through a window, they gave the images a lot of depth and bit of a 3D feeling. Modern displays make everything look flatter.

I would take handrawn animation anyday. U feel the imperfection of the world in there .

”If it’s made on cell, you can tell”

Amazing work

What an amazing video! You did a great job, my friend. Subscribing for sure.

Thank you so much for this video. Ever since I've been watching these old animes, I've always been having a connection with the characters, their flaws, and perspectives on life. It was truly a wonderful experience.

Liked, subscribed and commented not only because this is a great video, but so your channel has more reach. You're putting in the work and it shows, bro. Keep it up! ❤️💯

loved it! keep it up. i personally love the aesthetic more than anything than what we have today, my fave being Monster by Urasawa.

We all remember those sailor moon transformation scenes

I would say the slowness of it felt calming and excitement to what could happen next or what the character is going through.

good work! do more of these

I think a lot of it has to do with Character Models. The style today for the most part is a particular style. The 90s had that realistic proportion. It translated into a lot of Gritty scenes. Its a lot easier to distance yourself visually when you got absurdy slender appearances, static and often ridiculous hair and massive eyes that have like 3 looks.

truly awesome video, great music selection and voice edition :))

Great vid bro!

Bro JJK is a classic where been reading it since 2018

Nice work, keep it up!

90's anime like cowboy bebop and inuyasha were instrumental parts of my childhood, it was something me and my brother bonded over still too this day

You've mentioned some 80s anime🙏🏾

Good stuff, Adryn. Looking forward to see you reach your first 100k subscribers.

i personally love the aesthetic animation of akira. it just feels so lively and human

For me , Cause they don't overdo with Isekai Formula and Well Written Story

Beautiful editing

90s anime is truly unmatched. It has a charm that most modern day anime simply lack. They all just look "generic anime" nowadays. I just started watching Ninja Kamui and only because of a few screenshots I've seen on Instagram. It gave me that 90s anime vibe. Ghost In The Shell meets Ninja Scroll type of a thing. More of that please.

Found this video and left a comment and subscribed. This made me want to watch some 90s anime movies.

90s was peak in general

Nice videos

I'm fine with all styles. I can look back on the cel animation as well as digital. Also great video, youtube algorithm brought me here.

The talk in 90 anime is like Quentin Tarantino dialog in his movies

as a moonie 🌙 it is so nice to see usagi get some respect put on her name. people really underestimate how powerful she is, mainly because they’re too wrapped up in the “magical girl” aspect of it. thank you for showing sailor moon love 💖

This was so beautifully done.

Bro the way you explained the Era I l grew up in and be so Eloquent about it and the love you showed brother I thank you I 😢 cause this was the best time in life for most of us and you showed ❤️ I appreciate you 🙏 more then you know. P.s Spike was a great man.

Can't deny the long working hours due to nearly everything is manual labor. It was the last years of the multiplane camera era. Yes, technology has come a long way and it should be alleviate some of the burden off but unfortunately some studios are taking way too many projects even though they possess the latest tech in animation. I have no particular favourite but I'll go with Agent Aika. One of the examples of 90's OVA (direct-to-video) animes and it's an original work (not adapted from any source materials such as manga).

The quality of this video is absolutely insane I hope you blow up!!!

I miss the one off OVA’s from the 90’s

The fact action sequences dominate the scene now shows us what the current directors paid attention to when they were younger. Goes to show why most shows now are so forgettable. Even the stories now do not captivate me any more (live-action cinema seems to do it better).

i'm excited to see your journey to fame. don't give up. good luck.

All those animators deserved way more money.

Also nostalgia play a big role

To be brutally honest is that the market wasn’t so saturated there was anime/manga for everyone but it was targeted more so but also they took their time with the styles and stories, I think the rarity of the anime at the time meaning that we never seen anything like it but now we can kind of guess where and when the story will lead to.

As amazing as anime is now in this current era, the traditional hand-drawn animation and the overall aesthetic of 90s anime is unmatched. There was a lot more heart and soul put into the art form back them.

Millions views before the end of the year

the answer boils down to the way kids and young teens view the world and are carefree. We associate these animes with those times

Great video. The points you made are pretty accurate. The parts about the artist is and has been an ever present issue

This was a great video essay, I love 90s anime

Just subscribed 🔥

Love tour content bro

They were gritty, real, intense and emotional

One of my favorite anime was big O 💪🏻👍🏼

The hand drawn animation is what makes it so special, not to mention they just wanted to tell Amazing Stories. I could go back and watch great teacher onizuka anytime any day amazing god tier show

I think one factor in why 90s anime was great is that it obviously drew a ton of inspiration from 80s Hollywood films. In the decades since, I feel that newer anime are increasingly drawing inspiration from older anime, and this starts to feel repetitive and boring to old heads like myself.

My favorite anime from '90s are Cowboy Bebop, Sailor Moon, Tenchi Muyo, Outlaw Star, and Princess Mononoke. All of these have great sketch work, art, color, storytelling, location, and creators talent.

90's anime makes me want to go on an adventure

I couldn’t have found this video at any other perfect moment. It’s 22:30, barely -1C° foggy, almost no people around and the unpaved ground is covered in 1 meter thick snow. It’s the fog and the snow makes it so quiet and the lights by the church are dimmed by it. It’s almost ghostly, yet the air is crisp and the smell of winter is so distinct I can taste it. So I stand at my balcony, sipping a cup of tea and listens to this video. Indeed it’s like a quiet scene from a 90's anime.

Hate to be that guy, but AKIRA came out in 1988 based on a manga from 1982. It's more indicative of anime from that time period than from the "lost decade" of the 90's.

PLEASE MAKE A VIDEO ON YOU FAVORITE 90S ANIME PLS ID BE ETERNALLY GRATEFUL PLS

I feel like most of what was said here applies to 80's anime too. Zeta Gundam was made in 85 and I think it still looks beautiful. It's also a good reference because it can be compared to the original series from 79. In six years there were some major leaps in quality and funding.

(3:10) I did not notice this before. The background looks a little bit more cheery without the shadowy buildings.

90s anime had a lot of depth and soul. The hand drawn visuals, the painting, the colors the movement. And in a lot of the 90s animes, not all, but many were more realistic than today. Mostly I noticed when it comes to movement and body proportions. Women had more natural waistlines than today and the stories felt more typical and every day. Stories of normal girls and boys, men and women dealing with life. With just a little fantasy thrown in.

90’s anime was a golden era of experimentation that’s been lost in newer generations. I think Miyazaki talks abt this a bit. But some of the soul that was present in older studios taking the risk lead to greatness. But as it’s aged it seems it’s becoming more formulaic and standardized for more safe bets because the studios know more of what will generally work without having to take those risks. It’s become less about the style and pressing against the wall, and more about ensuring a show that will bring in the money. As well as them trying to cut costs b/c the studios have never treated animators well.

Nice video!. New subs.

Very well said and put. Just one of many things in the 90's that was done right.

W video I like both styles but 90s just hit different to me .

Miss it so much fr. It hit so hard late at night.

90s anime are just something else. I like them much more than today's anime.