Standalone OVA (Original Video Animation) Club

This club was created in order to provide a somewhat comprehensive list of interesting direct-to-video anime productions that can be enjoyed without needing to be familiar with a parent work. These aren't beach episodes included with the Blu-Ray release of a TV anime; these are original stories, and a lot of them are from directly after video made it into the hands of the general public in the form of Laserdic, VHS, and Betamax, an immediate consequence of many production studios' optimism for the new medium. To articulate why Direct-to-Video anime productions are more experimental, adventurous, and just more unique than regular TV anime productions, here is an excerpt from the fascinating Anime: A History by Jonathan Clements: Manglobe, now defunct, released some fantastic TV productions in-between the contract work they used to fund such ambitious productions. Today, we also have studios that produce daring original TV anime like Studio Trigger (descendant of the similarly experimental Studio Gainax), but they are far and few between. Rarely are there production companies like Studio 4°C who are able to survive for so long and continue creating crazy anime like Mind Game and Mutafukaz. No, unfortunately, most TV anime exist to sell merchandise or manga. An original production is rare. OVAs are different. OVAs are a smaller investment than both TV and films, putting funding within reach of smaller, more independent studios without having to rely on large sponsors who steer the production in a direction most beneficial to them. Your episodes don't need to be 21 minutes and 40 seconds; they can be as long as they need to be. No need for recapping to pad out the episode. No harrowing weekly production schedule. OVAs are stories told in a manner they couldn't be told on TV or in film, or even stories that couldn't be told at all otherwise. The majority of OVAs today are side stories released as bonuses for TV productions and adult productions without much substance, but standalone OVAs are still being released, albeit at a much more casual pace. We're no longer in the video boom of the '80s and '90s, where viewers could, for the first time, rewatch a show at their own whims, not those of the local theatre or TV station. However, there are hundreds of unique OVA releases from those 2 decades worth viewing, and those titles are here. Less of a commitment than a TV series, and more content than a film. I haven't seen most of titles included on the relations list, but they had positive reception from viewers, so I threw them on anyway. When I eventually get around to watching them, I'll make a judgment as to whether I should keep them on the list. You are naturally free to suggest any titles you want to see added in the relevant forum thread. There may be hentai titles on here, but there isn't a focus on them. This is the OVA that got me into standalone OVAs. While this is an offshoot of a long-running TV series, and serves as a final epilogue to the franchise, it is standalone because it requires no knowledge of the parent series to enjoy. This isn't really a story about Momo, anyway. She's just an observer; a normal girl with nothing in particular going on. Why It's Good: Bridge Over Dreams manages to craft a very distinctive atmosphere. This OVA is rich in characterisation. What I find particularly endearing about Bridge Over Dreams, however, is how it develops all of these characters primarily through its audiovisuals and implications rather than direct dialogue. Within are stories of meetings and farewells, of loneliness and hope. Bridge Over Dreams is a story of the time in-between, lives spent in anticipation of one moment. This might be the final farewell for Momo in name, but this is a story of people and our lives. So, Go Watch It: Be one of the few people to have seen this little gem. Perhaps you won't love it nearly as much as I do, or perhaps you'll feel that this title simply wasn't for you, but I urge you to at least give it a shot. These 40 minutes are something I will remember fondly for a very long time, and I hope that you might feel even a semblance as strongly about Bridge Over Dreams as I do. Full Review

• The Aironic OVA (Original Video Animation) Club: The first OVA club to exist on MAL. Catalogues all worthwhile OVAs, regardless of whether they are related to a parent series or not, and excludes hentai, being a serious business club.
• Retro OVA Fanclub: A small catalogue of retro (pre-21st century) OVA titles, with some films included.
• The OVA/ONA/Anime Movie club: A large catalogue encompassing every medium but TV anime.