1988 in anime

none in anime 1988 The events of 1988 in anime. The final full year of the Shōwa era. Accolades Ōfuji Noburō Award: My Neighbor Totoro Releases Released Title Type Director Studio Ref January 9 Himitsu no Akko-chan TV series Hiroki Shibata Toei Animation January 10 Little Lord Fauntleroy TV series Kōzō Kusuba Nippon Animation February 5 Leina: Wolf Sword Legend OVA series Takao Kato, Nobuyoshi Habara, Kiyoshi Murayama Ashi Productions https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=6844 Leina: Wolf Sword Legend (OAV) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source February 6 Maison Ikkoku: The Final Chapter Film Tomomi Mochizuki Ajia-do Animation Works February 6 Legend of the Galactic Heroes: My Conquest is the Sea of Stars Film Noboru Ishiguro Madhouse, Artland February 6 Ultimate Teacher OVA film Toyoo Ashida J.C.Staff February 6 Urusei Yatsura: The Final Chapter Film Tetsu Dezaki Magic Bus February 13 Osomatsu-kun TV series Akira Shigino Studio Pierrot February 25 Aura Battler Dunbine: The Tale of Neo Byston Well OVA series Toshifumi Takizawa Sunrise February 25 Dragon's Heaven OVA series Makoto Kobayashi AIC Artmic https://myanimelist.net/anime/3135/Dragons_Heaven My Anime List June 24, 2025 Dragon's Heaven April 2026 User-generated source February 25 Sakigake!! Otokojuku TV series Nobutaka Nishizawa Toei Animation February 25 Salamander OVA series Hisayuki Toriumi Studio Pierrot March 1 Xanadu: The Legend of Dragon Slayer OVA film Atsutoshi Umezawa Toei Animation https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=3356 Xanadu Dragonslayer Densetsu (OAV) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source March 3 Tsurupika Hagemaru TV series Hiroshi Sasagawa Shin-Ei Animation March 9 F TV series Koichi Mashimo Studio Deen March 11 Harbor Light Story Fashion Lala yori OVA film Motosuke Takahashi Studio Pierrot March 12 Bikkuriman: Taiichiji Seima Taisen Short film Hiroyuki Kakudou Toei Animation https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=3658 Bikkuriman: Taiichiji Seima Taisen (movie) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source March 12 Doraemon: The Record of Nobita's Parallel Visit to the West Film Tsutomu Shibayama Shin-Ei Animation March 12 Esper Mami: Hoshizora no Dancing Doll Film Keiichi Hara Shin-Ei Animation March 12 The Heated Battle of the Gods Film Shigeyasu Yamauchi Toei Animation March 12 Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack Film Yoshiyuki Tomino Sunrise March 12 Mobile Suit SD Gundam Short film Osamu Sekita Sunrise https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=2458 Mobile Suit SD Gundam (OAV/movie) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source March 14 The Burning Wild Man TV series Osamu Kobayashi Studio Pierrot March 19 Armored Trooper VOTOMS: The Red Shoulder Document: Roots of Ambition OVA film Ryosuke Takahashi Sunrise March 25 Aim for the Ace! 2 OVA series Noboru Furuse Tokyo Movie Shinsha March 26 The Adventures of Scamper the Penguin Film Kinjiro Yoshida, Gennady Sokolskiy Soyuzmultfilm, Life Work Corp, Sovinfilm, Aist Corporation March 27 Kiteretsu Daihyakka TV series Hiro Katsuoka, Keiji Hayakawa Studio Gallop April 2 City Hunter 2 TV series Kanetsugu Kodama Sunrise April 5 Wowser TV series Keiichiro Mochizuki Telescreen Japan April 9 Dagon in the Land of Weeds TV series Kazuyoshi Yokota Nippon Animation April 12 Transformers: Super-God Masterforce TV series Tetsuo Imazawa Toei Animation April 13 Sonic Soldier Borgman TV series Kiyoshi Murayama Ashi Production April 15 What's Michael? TV series Satoru Akahori Kitty Films https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=2145 What's Michael? (TV) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source April 15 Mashin Hero Wataru TV series Shūji Iuchi Sunrise April 16 My Neighbor Totoro Film Hayao Miyazaki Studio Ghibli April 16 Grave of the Fireflies Film Isao Takahata Studio Ghibli April 21 Appleseed OVA film Kazuyoshi Katayama Gainax April 25 Patlabor: Early Days OVA series Mamoru Oshii, Naoyuki Yoshinaga Studio Deen April 27 Topo Gigio TV series Noboru Ishiguro, Shigeo Koshi Nippon Animation https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=1441 Topo Gigio (TV) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source April 29 Spirit Warrior OVA series Ichiro Itano, Katsuhito Akiyama AIC https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=710 Spirit Warrior (OAV) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source April 30 Legendary Armor Samurai Troopers TV series Masashi Ikeda, Mamoru Hamatsu Sunrise May 12 Hello! Lady Lynn TV series Hiroshi Shidara Toei Animation May 25 Mahjong Hishō-den: Naki no Ryū OVA series Tetsu Dezaki Gainax May 27 Dominion OVA series Kōichi Mashimo Agent 21 May 25 Balthus - Tia's Radiance OVA Yukihiro Makino Kusama Art https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=2067 Balthus - Tia's Radiance (OAV) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source May 25 Mobile Suit SD Gundam OVA series Sunrise June Toyama Sakura Space Book – His Name is Gold OVA film Atsutoshi Umezawa Toei Animation https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=4036 Samurai Gold (OAV) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source June 5 Godmars: The Untold Legend OVA film Masakatsu Iijima Tokyo Movie Shinsha June 20 Project A-ko 3: Cinderella Rhapsody OVA film Yuji Moriyama Studio Fantasia June 21 Zillion: Burning Night OVA film Mizuho Nishikubo Tatsunoko Production, Production I.G https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=2707 Zillion: Burning Night (OAV) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source July 2 Ironfist Chinmi TV series Jutaro Oba Ashi Productions July 7 Natsufuku no Shōjo-tachi TV special Toshio Hirata, Yoshiyuki Momose Madhouse https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=5903 Natsufuku no Shōjo-tachi (special) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated sourcehttps://www.nhk.or.jp/archives/teachers-l/list/id2019003/ ja:NHK特集 夏服の少女たち～ヒロシマ・昭和20年8月6日～ NHKティーチャーズ・ライブラリー NHK May 1, 2023 July 9 Bikkuriman: Moen Zone no Himitsu Film Junichi Sato Toei Animation https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=3683 Bikkuriman: Moen Zone no Himitsu (movie) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source July 9 Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure Film Kazuhisa Takenouchi Toei Animation July 16 Akira Film Katsuhiro Otomo Tokyo Movie Shinsha July 21 Ryūko, the Girl with the White Flag Film Tetsu Dezaki Magic Bus https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=7548 Shirahata no Shōjo Ryūko (movie) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source July 21 Vampire Princess Miyu OVA series Toshiki Hirano Anime International Company July 23 Saint Seiya: Legend of Crimson Youth Film Shigeyasu Yamauchi Toei Animation https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=3331 Saint Seiya: Legend of Crimson Youth (movie) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source July 23 Sakigake!! Otokojuku Film Shigeyasu Yamauchi Toei Animation https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=3842 Sakigake!! Otoko Juku (movie) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source July 25 The Tokyo Project OVA film Osamu Yamasaki Minamimachi Bugyosho Co., Ltd. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=331 The Tokyo Project (OAV) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source July 25 What's Michael? 2 OVA Yoriyasu Kogawa Kitty Films https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=3337 What's Michael? 2 (OAV) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source July 31 Bride of Deimos OVA Rintaro Madhouse https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=3327 Bride of Deimos (OAV) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source August 12 Watt Poe and Our Story OVA film Shigenori Kageyama Kaname Production https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=3355 Watt Poe to Bokura no Ohanashi (OAV) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source August 23 Fair, then Partly Piggy Short film Toshio Hirata Oh! Production September 15 Raining Fire Film Seiji Arihara Mushi Production https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=4729 Raining Fire (movie) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source September 23 Kosuke and Rikimaru: Dragon of Konpei Island OVA film Toyoo Ashida J.C. Staff https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=18990 Kosuke-sama, Rikimaru-sama: Konpeitō no Ryū (special) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source September 25 Through the Passing Seasons OVA film Naoyuki Yoshinaga Kitty Films September Crying Freeman OVA series Daisuke Nishio et al. Toei Animation October 1 Hiatari Ryoko! Ka - su - mi: Yume no Naka ni Kimi ga Ita Film Minoru Maeda Group TAC October 2 New Grimm Masterpiece Theater TV series Hiroshi Saito Nippon Animation October 3 Soreike! Anpanman TV series Akinori Nagaoka, Shunji Ôga Tokyo Movie Shinsha October 7 Gunbuster OVA series Hideaki Anno Gainax, Studio Fantasia October 7 Yume Miru Topo Gigio TV series Noboru Ishiguro, Shigeo Koshi Nippon Animation https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=1663 Yumemiru Topo Gigio (TV) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source October 8 Kimagure Orange Road: I Want to Return to That Day Film Tomomi Mochizuki Studio Pierrot https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=493 Kimagure Orange Road: The Movie Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source October 17 Oishinbo TV series Yoshio Takeuchi Shin-Ei Animation October 25 Demon City Shinjuku OVA film Yoshiaki Kawajiri Madhouse https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=576 Demon City Shinjuku (OAV) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source October 25 Starship Troopers OVA series Tetsurō Amino Sunrise, Bandai Visual October 26 Dragon Century OVA series Kiyoshi Fukugawa Anime International Company November 2 Stardust War Film Katsuhito Akiyama AIC, Artmic November 21 Armor Hunter Mellowlink OVA series Takeyuki Kanda Sunrise November 21 Tama & Friends: Third Street Story OVA series Tsuneo Maeda Group TAC November 26 Hades Project Zeorymer OVA series Toshihiro Hirano AIC, Half H.P. Studio December 2 One-Pound Gospel OVA film Makura Saki Studio Gallop December 16 Metal Skin Panic MADOX-01 OVA film Shinji Aramaki Anime International Company December 18 Ganbare! Mōdōken Serve TV special Seiji Okuda Tama Production https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=23914 Ganbare! Mōdōken Serve (special) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source December 21 Fairy King OVA film Katsuhisa Yamada Madhouse https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=3400 Yōsei-Ō (OAV) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source December 21 Legend of the Galactic Heroes OVA series Noboru Ishiguro Artland, Magic Bus, Madhouse https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=1786 The Legend of the Galactic Heroes (OAV) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source December 21 Space Family Carlvinson OVA film Kimio Yabuki Doga Kobo https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=10955 Space Family Carlvinson (OAV) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source December 21 Violence Jack: Evil Town OVA film Ichiro Itano D.A.S.T., Soei Shinsha, Studio88 Purple Eyes in the Dark OVA music video Mizuho Nishikubo Toei Animation, Youmex https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=7167 Purple Eyes in the Dark (OAV) Anime News Network May 1, 2023April 2026 User-generated source Births February 4 - Ayano Niina, voice actress February 19 - Miyu Irino, voice actor March 16 - Azusa Kataoka, voice actress April 15 - Manami Numakura, voice actress June 2 - Ayaka Saitō, voice actress June 11 - Yui Aragaki, voice actress July 11 - Yuka Iguchi, voice actress July 12 - Risa Taneda, voice actress August 9 - Nozomi Yamamoto, voice actress September 16 - Shizuka Hasegawa, voice actress October 27 - Juri Nagatsuma, voice actress November 11 - Mikako Komatsu, voice actress December 6 - Nobunaga Shimazaki, voice actor December 14 - Ayumu Murase, voice actor December 26 - Arisa Noto, voice actress See also 1988 in animation References External links Japanese animated works of the year, listed in the IMDb Anime Anime Category:Years in anime