10 Best Anime Films Of The '80s
4. Robot Carnival (1987)
People more familiar with anime will probably be a little more forgiving of the levels of absurdity that certain shows and films from Japan seem to revel in showcasing. So, when even those well-versed in anime tell you that Robot Carnival is completely balls-to-the-wall insane, it's best to take heed.
Robot Carnival is an anthology film, directed by a long list of industry geniuses including Kite director Yasuomi Umetsu and Akira director Katsuhiro Otomo. Every segment of the film is a little story in and of itself, ranging from a story about a young girl who falls for a theme park attendant dressed as a robot, to a weird riff on the tale of Frankenstein's monster, and then to the story of a man who leaves his wife for a sexy robot.
Most of the segments feature no voice acting, instead opting for a synth-themed, electronic soundtrack that absolutely slaps. Honestly, watch it for the music alone if nothing else.
For a lot of the animators and directors involved in the production, Robot Carnival was the first anime they worked on - including Kōji Morimoto, who went on to work on Akira, City Hunter, Fist of the North Star, and Kiki's Delivery Service.