The 1990s was a time of experimental media in virtually every genre. It was a trend for television shows, movies, video games, and literature to challenge the conventional ways of storytelling, plot, and character development.
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Few other types of entertainment pushed the experimental line more thananime, and it might have been the incoming wave of animated shows from Japan that prompted the trend in the first place. These anime movies and shows were so influential that they started franchises and genres on their own, and now have a permanent legacy in the cultural zeitgeist.
Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995)
The popularity ofNeon Genesis Evangelionmarked the beginning of a new era in experimental animation. This series initially tricks the viewer into thinkingit’s a fairly conventional mecha show with a focus on action, but it’s really about human beings and what it means to be human on both a psychological and spiritual level.
Fighting for the survival of humanity is an interesting way to tell a story already, with plenty of external threats to shock and dismay the audience, but this anime explores the limits of the human mind as much as the limits of technology. It takes on bigger issues like sex, death, guilt, and child abuse, and the anime expresses these stories in a way that was surreal, genuine, and artistic. That’s why the theme ofEvangelionresonates with viewers on a deeper level than big giant robots fighting.
Samurai Pizza Cats (1990)
The formula of wisecracking superheroes that aren’t exactly the most morally upstanding wasn’t something that Marvel invented. TheSamurai Pizza Catswere created as a parody ofTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesand the whole trend of shows about mutant anthropomorphic vigilantes.
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The Pizza Cats mocked all kinds of anime tropes, including the trend of superheroes that look the same in and out of uniform. It’s not for kids, with much of the political and socially-charged jokes and humor delivered in fast quips and punchlines that only adults will understand.
Sailor Moon (1993)
In some ways,Sailor Moonfits into certain magical girl and superhero conventions, but the important and unusual difference is that she wasn’t diligent or moral or descended from a family of secret samurai or have a magical shrine in her backyard. It takes a whole season and a couple of fake-outs before the audience finds out that Serena isn’t just Sailor Moon but also the Moon Princess.
On the way there, the anime produces some serious dialogue and drama that’s not just superhero related but also grounded in the real issues of being a young adult. When they fought demons and evil spirits they were superheroes, but in their regular lives they were also trying to do the right thing, and that often reflected in the way their fights would end. This grounded what would normally be pure fantasy in reality, an unusual feature in shoujo anime for the time.
Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water (1991)
It was a show that was based on ancient legend and archaeology that had a steampunk theme years before it was cool. The influence ofNadia: The Secret of Blue Waterstarted a new era when it came to mystery and adventure, and later viewers would compare it to shows likeThe Last Airbenderwith the whole “magical children on a journey” motif.
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The show ran for two seasons and was unconventional at the time with its linear storyline as opposed to one-and-done episodes. As the story progresses and the plot intensifies, the adventure moves beyond solving ancient mysteries to preventing world domination, so it’s not just for kids.
Ghost In The Shell (1996)
Ghost In the Shellmight be one of the most influential anime movies of all time. It not only helped popularize and redefine cyberpunk, but it also inspired TheMatrixand started a franchise that includes everything from many spin-off prequels shows to video games and every kind of merch imaginable.
The main character is the now iconic Mokoto Kusanagi who is also given the nickname Major, which is her title within the clandestine military organization that owns her prosthetic, cybernetic body. She’shaving an existential crisisconnected to the uncomfortable fact that the only original part of her left is her brain, and who has ever seen their own brain? The internet, a fairly new concept at the time, plays an important role in the plot and its resolution.
The Vision of Escaflowne (1994)
Another anime that playedwith the idea of steampunk,The Vision of Escalflownewas a new and interesting take on the genre known as isekai, a type of speculative fiction in which a character is transported from the real world into another world by some kind of magical means.
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Another feature that sets this series apart is the dark fantasy aesthetic, which recalls mature-themed stories that make it more likeGame of ThronesthanAlice in Wonderland. The underlying plot of the series, which consists of a machine that can shape and change destiny, is also an innovative idea.
Perfect Blue (1997)
Any anime directed by Satoshi Kon and produced by Madhouse isn’t only going to be deeply experimental but also gorgeous.Perfect Bluedoes a lot with visuals and music to deliberately challenge the viewer’s perception, mimicking the experiences of the main character as she is stalked by a fanatic and slowly descending into madness.
The story revolves around Mima Kirigoe, a former J-pop star who’s trying to break into more serious drama. Her psychological trauma as she suffers from pushy directors and abusive fans would be enoughto make this a horror storybut the worst is yet to come. The way that visuals and music are used movePerfect Bluefrom thriller into horror, as the movie is both scary and compelling.
