The TV version of Area 88, in short, doesn't hold a candle to the 80's OVA. That being said, if you enjoy fast paced action, serious drama, stories about the psychological effect of warfare, and modern visuals, thus anime will suit you well. Some fairly realistic fighter planes are always a nice alternative to mechs, which we've become accustomed to being, generally, the centerpieces of this type of tale in the anime medium.
The TV version is a little more light-hearted than the OVA adaptation, and maybe easier to get into for that, but it suffers for the same reason. It's also not paced nearly as well. If you find yourself interested, think less "Legend of the Galactic Heroes" or "Armored Trooper VOTOMS" and more "UC Gundam".
