Ask John: What Anime Are Only Available on VHS?
Question:
I was wondering if you know which anime are only available on VHS? I need a list.
Answer:
With the time and resources available to me, it would be impossible for me to compile a list of all of the anime titles released in Japan that have never made the transition from analog VHS/LD to digital DVD/BD. There are certain to be thousands of obscure Japanese titles no longer available, many of them OVAs from 1980s and 90s. Even compiling a list of anime commercially released in America during the VHS era that has not made the transition to the digital age is a daunting task. I’ve made an effort, but there are sure to be releases I’ve overlooked or which I’m not aware of. I’ve also consciously excluded a handful of questionably legal American adult anime VHS releases that had no English translation, like “Watch Me Sink My Putz” (Beat Shot) and “Depraved and Happy” (Etchi de Happy Pin! Pin! Pin!).
Roughly half of the releases I’ve cataloged were heavily edited and recut English dubbed releases distributed domestically as children’s cartoons rather than imported anime. The other half, however, consists largely of early releases from America’s core anime licensing industry. DiscoTek has announced plans for a forthcoming DVD release of Sirius no Densetsu, but sadly most of these titles seem doomed to remain relics of anime’s history in America.
ADV/Soft Cel:
The Abashiri Family
Adventures of Kotesu
Bite Me! Chameleon (Chameleon)
Capricorn
Compiler
Dark Warrior (Makyu Senjo)
Delinquent in Drag (Oira Sukeban)
Dragoon (Ryuki Densho)
End of Summer
Fire Emblem
First Loves
Girl From Phantasia (Phantasia)
Gude Crest
Hanappe Bazooka
Iczelion
Luna Varga
Megami Paradise
Mighty Space Miners
Panzer Dragoon
Rail of the Star
Sol Bianca
Suikoden Demon Century
Twin Dolls
AnimEigo:
Genesis Surviver Gaiarth
Lupin III: Legend of the Gold of Babylon
Shonan Bakusozoku: Bomber Bikers of Shonan
Super Deformed Double Feature (Scramble Wars & Ten Little Gall Force)
Bandai:
AWOL
Eat Man
Ehrgeiz
Central Park Media:
Akai Hayate
Blue Sonnet
Crystal Triangle
Dancougar
Dog Soldier
Explorer Woman Ray
Roots Search
Rumic World: Fire Tripper
Rumic World: Maris the Chojo
Rumic World: Mermaid Forest
Rumic World: The Laughing Target
Space Warriors (Locke the Superman: Lord Leon OVA series)
Tale of Genji
Ultimate Teacher
Wanna-Be’s
Malibu Graphics:
Captain Harlock TV episodes
Manga:
Junk Boy
Mad Bull 34
Media Blasters:
O-Genki Clinic volume 1
Pioneer:
Tamagotchi Video Adventures
Right Stuf:
8th Man
Ai City
Godmars movie
Leda: The Fantastic Adventure of Yohko
Violence Jack
Star Anime Enterprises:
Dragon League
Homeroom Affairs (Tanin no Kankei)
Streamline:
Great Conquest: The Romance Of The Three Kingdoms
Lensman movie
Lily C.A.T.
Lupin III: Albatross – Wings of Death episode
Lupin III: Aloha Lovely Lupin! episode
Robot Carnival
Twilight of the Cockroaches
Zillion
U.S. Renditions:
Ambassador Magma
Dragon Century
Guyver: Out Of Control (Kyoshoku Soko Guyver: Out of Standardized)
Raven Tengu Kabuto OVA
Urban Vision:
The Cockpit
DNA Sights 999.9
Dragon Slayer
Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals
Goku: Midnight Eye
Hurricane Polymar OVA
Psycho Diver
Space Adventure Cobra movie
Wild 7 OVA series
Verotica:
Satanika: Anime Pilot
Viz:
Adieu Galaxy Express 999
Galaxy Express 999 movie
Grey: Digital Target
Mermaid’s Scar OVA
Ogre Slayer
One Pound Gospel
Sanctuary
Other Distributors:
The Adventures of Sinbad
The Adventures of Swiss Family Robinson (Kazoku Robinson Hyouryuuki: Fushigi na Shima no Flone)
Adventures of the Little Koala and Friends (Koala Boy Koki)
Adventures of the Polar Cubs (Hokkyoku no Muushika Miishika)
Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp
Alakazam the Great (Saiyuki)
Alibaba’s Revenge (Alibaba to Yonjubiki no Tozoku)
Angel (Hana no Ko LunLun)
Back to the Forest (Nodoka Mori no Dobutsu Daisakusen)
Battle for Moon Station Dallos
The Call of the Wild
Captain Future
Cleopatra, Queen of Sex
The Continuing Adventures of Pinocchio (Kashi no ki Mokku)
Crash Corrigan (Arrow Emblem: Gran Prix no Taka)
Cyborg 009 movies
Danguard Ace
Dracula: Sovereign of the Damned
E.Y.E.S. of Mars (Mother: Saigo no Shojo Eve)
Fables of the Green Forest (Yamanezumi Rocky Chuck)
The Flying House (Tondera House no Daiboken)
Frankenstein
Gaiking
Gigi and the Fountain of Youth (Maho No Princess Minky Momo: La Rondo in My Dream)
Goldwing
Grandizer
Grimm’s Fairy Tales
Gulliver’s Travels Beyond the Moon
The High Flying Adventures of Peter Pan (Peter Pan no Bouken)
Honey Honey (Honey Honey no Suteki na Bouken)
In The Beginning (Tezuka Osamu no Kyuyaku Seisho Monogatari)
A Journey Through Fairyland (Yousei Florence)
Jules Verne Adventure Classics
The Jungle Book (Jungle Book: Shounen Mowgli)
Jungle Emperor 2nd TV series
The Legend of Manxmouse (Tondemo Nezumi Daikatsuyaku)
The Littl’ Bits (Mori no Yogi na Shojintachi: Belfy and Lilabit)
Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid (Anderson Dowa Ningyo Hime)
The Little Prince (Shoukoushi Ceddie)
Little Prince and the Eight-Headed Dragon (Wanpaku Ouji no Orochi Taiji)
Little Women (Wakakusa no Yon Shimai)
The Littlest Warrior (Anju To Zushio-Maru)
Locke the Superman movie
Macron 1 (Sengoku Majin GoShogun & Aku Dai Sakusen Srungle)
Macross: Do You Remember Love?
Magnos the Robot (Magnerobo Ga-keen)
Magic Boy (Shonen Sarutobi Sasuke)
Maple Town
The Mouse and His Child (Oyako Nezumi no Fushigi na Tabi)
My Favorite Fairy Tales (Anime Sekai no Dowa)
Nobody’s Boy (Chibikko Remi to Meiken Kapi)
Noozles (Fushigi na Koala Blinky)
Ox Tales (Geragera Busu Monogatari)
Phoenix 2772 (Hi No Tori 2772: Ai no Cosmo Zone)
Robby the Rascal (Cybot Robochi)
Starvengers (Getter Robo G)
Samurai Pizza Cats (Cat Ninden Teyande)
Scamper the Penguin (Chiisana Pengin: Lolo no Boken)
Sea Prince and the Fire Child (Sirius no Densetsu)
The Secret of The Seal (Tottoi)
Serendipity the Pink Dragon (Serendipity Monogatari: Pure Tou no Nakamatachi)
Shadow World (UFO Senshi Dai Apolon)
Space Warrior Baldios
Spaceketeers (SF Saiyuki Starzinger)
The Story of 15 Boys (Hitomi no Naka no Shonen: Jugo Shonen no Hyoryuki)
Superbook Video Bible (Anime Oyako Gekijo)
Swan Lake
Techno Police 21C
Tekkaman: The Space Knight
Thunderbirds 2086 (Kagaku Kyujo Tai Technovoyager)
Timefighters in the Land of Fantasy (Time Bokan)
The All New Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Tom Sawyer no Bouken)
Tranzor Z (Mazinger Z)
Unico
Wee Wendy (Tongari Boshi no Memoru)
Winds of Change (Hoshi no Orpheus)
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So many! Now I want see half of them! Thanks for compiling this list John. ^^
Lots of stuff from the era of “Let’s license everything,” which is heartwarming on many accounts, I think.
But realistically, many of them weren’t very good. But I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I immediately searched Amazon.com for a number of titles I am now reminded I own on only on VHS… NINJA CADETS, CHAR’S COUNTERATTACK, EARTHIAN, and a few others. This is a good list, and looking through the list I am surprised at some titles that actually did make it to DVD, I was surprised TWILIGHT OF THE DARK MASTER was on DVD, for some reason.
Likewise, compiling that last refreshed my memory, and surprised me with the recollection that certain titles like “Strange Love” (Hen), Sprite, and Please Save My Earth got DVD releases which are really obscure and forgotten now.
Thanks to John for once again presenting a list that will have me scouring the land of e-tailing in an vain effort to track these down.
A while back, I started a small list of CPM’s shows that are on VHS and older that have not been picked up since CPM’s demise. So, they are a few more you can add to your list:
A-Ko the Versus
Ariel Deluxe
Dark Angel
Lunatic Night
Peacock King
Sohryuden – Legend of the Dragon Kings