Any stacks for pre-2000's anime with 26 episodes or less?

The list found here shows all TV series that meet those criteria and have complete English-subtitled releases available. There's a total of 198, with only 2 from the 60s, 29 from the 70s, and 28 from the 80s, with the rest from the 90s.



That "8 ep OVA," Bubblegum Crisis 2033, is an alternate-setting series (or rather, the original setting, with 2040 being the alternate setting) -- it's not directly related to BGC 2040, in terms of plot progression. However, it is roughly equal to a 14-episode series in terms of runtime.

The list found here shows all TV series that meet those criteria and have complete English-subtitled releases available. There's a total of 198, with only 2 from the 60s, 29 from the 70s, and 28 from the 80s, with the rest from the 90s.



That "8 ep OVA," Bubblegum Crisis 2033, is an alternate-setting series (or rather, the original setting, with 2040 being the alternate setting) -- it's not directly related to BGC 2040, in terms of plot progression. However, it is roughly equal to a 14-episode series in terms of runtime.

@Zalis
What caused everyone to decide to make sub-50 episode anime during 1999 in specific?

@Zalis
What caused everyone to decide to make sub-50 episode anime during 1999 in specific?

Using the list provided, here are the ones that caught my attention (Higher bias towards 1-cour anime):

• Dororo to Hyakkimaru
  
• Lupin III
  
• Ace wo Nerae
  
• Cutie Honey
  
• Uchuu Senkan Yamato
  
• Takarajima
  
• Dirty Pair
  
• Slayers
  
• Shinpi no Sekai El-Hazard TV
  
• Tenkuu no Escaflowne
  
• Elf wo Karu Mono-tachi
  
• Eat-Man
  
• Kyuuketsuhime Miyu TV
  
• Bannou Bunka Neko-Musume 1998
  
• Seihou Bukyou Outlaw Star
  
• Lodoss-tou Senki Eiyuu Kishi Den
  
• Weiß Kreuz
  
• Devilman Lady
  
• To Heart
  
• Arc the Lad
  
• Kakyuusei TV
  
• Mahoutsukai Tai TV
  
• Koutetsu Tenshi Kurumi
  
• Ima Soko ni Iru Boku
  
• Di Gi Charat
  

@thewiru These are fine. Also

https://myanimelist.net/anime/33/Kenpuu_Denki_Berserk
https://myanimelist.net/anime/30/Shinseiki_Evangelion
https://myanimelist.net/anime/6/Trigun
https://myanimelist.net/anime/302/Mirai_Shounen_Conan
https://myanimelist.net/anime/589/Ginga_Nagareboshi_Gin
https://myanimelist.net/anime/145/Kareshi_Kanojo_no_Jijou
https://myanimelist.net/anime/1060/Oruchuban_Ebichu
https://myanimelist.net/anime/1483/Master_Keaton
https://myanimelist.net/anime/58/Blue_Gender
https://myanimelist.net/anime/593/Mugen_no_Ryvius
https://myanimelist.net/anime/339/Serial_Experiments_Lain
https://myanimelist.net/anime/290/Seikai_no_Monshou
https://myanimelist.net/anime/1025/Kachou_Ouji
https://myanimelist.net/anime/621/Night_Walker__Mayonaka_no_Tantei
https://myanimelist.net/anime/978/Change_Getter_Robo__Sekai_Saigo_no_Hi

well first let me look at my completed list from this era.

Cowboy Bebop - 26 eps [But I assume you've watched that already] [same with Trigun/Berserk/Evangelion/Lain

Kareshi Kanojo - 26 eps

Legend of Basara - 12 eps

The Irresponsible Captain Tylor - 26 eps

[from my planned list we got]

Sasurai no Taiyou - 26 eps

Master Keaton - 24 eps

Kidou Senkan Nadesico - 26 eps [If I looked corectly it is not a big mecha franchise XD]

Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor - 16 eps [it does branch out later, but the ep count still stands XD]

Glass no Kamen - 23 eps [well there is a version from 2005 but still]

Eat-Man and Eat-Man '98 - 12 eps + 12 eps = 24 eps

Bubblegum Crisis 2040 - 26 eps [+ 8 ep ova]

and I guess the first Black Jack has 12 eps but that lates branches out, that's all from me XD.

Already watched Eva and Lain.
As for Mugen no Ryvius, I dropped it on episode 14 because it began to become very repetitive (There was never an "expansion in scope", which isn't a problem in itself, but the current scope had already exhausted itself, so at one point they just decided to... repeat the initial premise of "You're stranded in space in a ship and have to ration food"), pacing problems.
For Berserk, I read the manga.

There's a silly reason I avoided anime like Berserk, Trigun (Outlaw Star, even), which seems pretty childish in retrospect: I associated those anime to be "Toonamicore", to be associated with a very specific kind of fan from the very-late-90's, 2000's and early 2010's: The "manime" people that disliked moe and made sure to spout something of the likes of "I like anime, I just don't like the weird stuff".

No complaints for any of the rest.
In fact, I don't know how I didn't saw KareKano and Conan in that list.

@Szczelajo The 16-ep entry for Patlabor is a sequel of the 47-ep TV series; so it's a 63-ep endeavour overall. Original OVA (7 eps) and movies is sort of a different timeline.

@thewiru
Presumably the same thing that led to all the 13 episode seasons we see nowadays.

@Lucifrost It was mainly the shift away from the advertising/sponsored* day/evening-timeslot model for TV series, and towards the production committee "rent out infomercial timeslots" system we all know and love(?) today. Afaik Those Who Hunt Elves, from Fall '96, is considered the first example of modern latenight anime.

Also, for anyone looking at Ebichu and Di Gi Charat, be aware that they have short episode lengths, so they might not qualify under than "longer than movie or typical OVA" criteria.

* For an example of this, check out 90s long-runners like Kodocha and Marmalade Boy -- there's a ton of random toys/gadgets that characters will repeatedly use and showcase for the audience.

Using the list provided, here are the ones that caught my attention (Higher bias towards 1-cour anime):

• Dororo to Hyakkimaru
  
• Lupin III
  
• Ace wo Nerae
  
• Cutie Honey
  
• Uchuu Senkan Yamato
  
• Takarajima
  
• Dirty Pair
  
• Slayers
  
• Shinpi no Sekai El-Hazard TV
  
• Tenkuu no Escaflowne
  
• Elf wo Karu Mono-tachi
  
• Eat-Man
  
• Kyuuketsuhime Miyu TV
  
• Bannou Bunka Neko-Musume 1998
  
• Seihou Bukyou Outlaw Star
  
• Lodoss-tou Senki Eiyuu Kishi Den
  
• Weiß Kreuz
  
• Devilman Lady
  
• To Heart
  
• Arc the Lad
  
• Kakyuusei TV
  
• Mahoutsukai Tai TV
  
• Koutetsu Tenshi Kurumi
  
• Ima Soko ni Iru Boku
  
• Di Gi Charat
  

Moe was not invented yet then. It's really important to look at a period trough the eyes of that period, rather than retrofitting later ideas. Art is timeless, but it's creation has a clear context and is always tied to the ideas and esthetics of their creation time. And a good director remains a good director, regardless which time's period he is forced to appeal to due to $$$. Only a very, very few artists ignore their context and then can create really innovative shows.

Edit: added
https://myanimelist.net/anime/290/Seikai_no_Monshou
https://myanimelist.net/anime/1025/Kachou_Ouji
https://myanimelist.net/anime/621/Night_Walker__Mayonaka_no_Tantei
https://myanimelist.net/anime/978/Change_Getter_Robo__Sekai_Saigo_no_Hi

@thewiru
I must point out that the anidb list is incomplete and is missing some translated anime I previously recommended. In fact I edited my previous recs to add an additional title I noticed is missing.

Also, the tennis anime has a remake without an English translation. You should check if it has been translated into another language you understand. And if it has, ask people who have seen it which version is better. You will not get an answer on MAL because nobody here has seen the remake.
https://myanimelist.net/anime/8542/Shin_Ace_wo_Nerae

@Lucifrost Ace wo Narae (1973) was directed by Osamu Dezaki with art direction by Akio Sugino. This dynamic duo created some of the all time masterpieces of anime (Ashite no Joe, Versailles no Bara, Takarajima, Oniisama e...). There probaly is a good reason why nobody watches the remake. You simply can't snow the snowman.

Moe was definitely already invented by the 90's, lol (Let alone the 2000's and early 2010's), the term itself was invented in the very late 80's, but the concept existed prior to that under other terms.
But yes, in this case I should've used the term "bishoujo" instead from what I meant to say.

I do not hate the period, though, my main point was how I was bothered by the "bishoujo erasure" from those kind of fans as a way to try to de-legitimize the growth of moe at the end of the 90's to the start of the 2010's.
Was it a dumb reason for me to not watch those anime? Well, yes.

I remember trying to get into Mecha around 2015/2016 and meeting an oldschool mechafag on the Brazillian LoL forums that recommended me this.
I don't exactly remember the reason, but I think I dropped it after 2-3 episodes, one of the reasons I gave at the time being that the caracters seemed coolers and made better actions scenes while outside of their mecha rather than inside then (Also, later people would tell me that this rec was a mistake for a newcomer because it relies a lot of references to other Getter Robo series. I don't know if that's true or not).
A couple time later, though, I went to watch Gunbuster and managed to like it.

Maybe I should give it another try.

@thewiru Getter Robo is pretty much the predecessor of Gurren Lagann and about as chaotic. The main differences are: Getter Robo is darker, and in the end they throw planets at each other and not galaxies. It's an an aquired taste for sure, and one of a kind.

Shocking revelation: It's a Japanese word and as such hundreds of years old. There may have been cute character designs before, but the moe formula was only invented by Azumanga, then perfected by KyoAni under Yamada-sensei (K-On, Suzumia).

I'd honestly define 2009 (K-On) as the first modern moe, the 2000-2010s were dominated by other genres.

I mean, yes, that's why I should've used the word "bishoujo" instead.
That being said: No, the word Moe isn't hundreds of years old, it was never used in any text prior to the late 80's.
Either way, we're just splitting hairs on this issue.

Please be careful with big words like "never". https://jisho.org/word/%E8%90%8C%E3%81%88
The word well exists for long as "budding, sprouting" but then became slang for a certain type of character design for underage girls in anime. From plant to ink and paper, but the word is the same.


Source: Google Translate of https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%90%8C%E3%81%88?oldid=42758216

And bishoujo ("pretty girl") is a totally different design style, just saying. Same difference as "beautiful" and "cute" in English.

Bishoujo (left, from Sailor Moon) emphasizes the female side, Moe (right, from Hyouka) the child like features of what canonically are often girls of a similar fictional age.

Please be careful with big words like "never". https://jisho.org/word/%E8%90%8C%E3%81%88
The word well exists for long as "budding, sprouting" but then became slang for a certain type of character design for underage girls in anime. From plant to ink and paper, but the word is the same.


Source: Google Translate of https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%90%8C%E3%81%88?oldid=42758216

And bishoujo ("pretty girl") is a totally different design style, just saying. Same difference as "beautiful" and "cute" in English.

Bishoujo (left, from Sailor Moon) emphasizes the female side, Moe (right, from Hyouka) the child like features of what canonically are often girls of a similar fictional age.

From the English Wikipedia:

"Beautiful" and "Cute" have such a large overlap in English that they're often used interchangeably (Save for some small nuances of each), something that doesn't happen with the equivalent words of my main language.
Also, the focus on differentiating the two two (Moe and Bishoujo) was more of a thing that started in the late 90's.

Not to mention, the Japanese Wikipedia EXPLICITLY uses the term moe(萌え) as an example of Bishoujo.

Let's cut this short and say the concepts bishoujo and moe are related. They are not identical or synonymous, easily seen by the fact there are two words in both EN and JP. Just try to tell your mother she is beautiful, then that she is cute. Wait for the reaction. Moe emphasizes the early pubescent aspect, it can only apply to young teens - not your mother. In that sense it can be seen as an euphemism for Hebephilia, it has a sexual co-notation "beauty" completely lacks.

Beauty (美, as used in bishoujo and bishounen) is a wider concept than either of kawaii (かわいい, related to little), moe (萌え, pubescent attractive girl, related to sprouting) and chibi (禿び, little, child-like). https://jisho.org/search/beautiful%20%23words shows half a dozen translations / kanji for nuances. When drawing middle to high-school aged girls (=shoujo), there is overlap in use because of age. But in general, the concepts (the reason for attractivity) are fundamentally different.

There's no blessing on arguing with translated words, languages are not 1:1. 美少女 (bishoujo) can be split into the kanji beauty-little-woman, 萌芽 (Moe) uses totally different kanji from the botanical realm: sprout, bud, early sign; beginning; starting to appear. The difference here is striking in JP. There is a reason why moe is used as a loan-word in EN: because this hides chronosexual taboo co-notations of "Hebe-*" ("jailbait" in slang). It's not fully synonymous to this, though, for details see "protec" logic.

tl;dr In https://youtu.be/fM2cYLH27R8 Mio is both bishoujo (classic beauty) and moe. Ritsu is moe, but not bishoujo - she's a tomboy stereotype.

That's a G-rated show, i.e. for children. I haven't seen it, but it may be chibi rather than moe because of this. Depends on the degree of sexual co-notation used. If one uses MAL's CGDT tag and sorts in reverse order, the three trope makers of the genre are Azumanga Daiou The Animation (2002), Binzume Yousei (2003) and Ichigo Mashimaro (2005). It's debateable if either K-On! (2009) or Lucky☆Star (2007) is the Trope Codifier.