Film

Techno Police 21C

Name: Techno Police 21C
Genre: Animation, Action, Science Fiction
Released: 1982
Cast: Kumiko Takizawa, Yoshito Yasuhara, Junpei Takiguchi, Kenji Utsumi, Masaru Ikeda

A 1982 anime sprint through a noir-soaked future city where a wisecracking rookie cop joins an elite anti-crime unit to stop hijacked experimental tanks. Frenetic, bright, and utterly convinced of its own cool, it's a time capsule of eighties sci-fi optimism wrapped in neon and velocity. Built for anyone who loves propulsive action, practical animation, and unapologetic style over substance.

If you liked this

Akira1988

The definitive cyberpunk anime milestone. Massive scale, intricate hand-drawn action, and a vision of dystopian Tokyo that feels lived-in and inevitable. Sets the bar for what animation can do.

But Glacially paced in places, and the plot becomes deliberately cryptic in its final act. You need patience and goodwill to stay with it.

Ghost in the Shell1995

A philosophical thriller disguised as an action film. Stunning animation, a noir-soaked aesthetic that inspired everything after it, and ideas that genuinely stick with you about consciousness and identity.

But The plot can feel remote and the pacing uneven. Some find the philosophical weight more interesting than the narrative momentum.

Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket1989

A single-season OVA that proves mecha anime can be intimate and human-scaled. Beautiful animation, genuine stakes, and a protagonist whose perspective as a kid makes the war tragic rather than glorious.

But Very much a side story to a larger universe. If you need standalone closure, the ending leaves echoes rather than answers.

Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Techno Police 21C

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team1996

Both are action narratives about special police/military units with experimental gear, but Gundam 08th MS Team grounds its spectacle in mud and human cost, inverting Techno Police's sleek optimism into something somber. One celebrates the technology; the other asks what it costs.

Eight episodes of mecha combat told from ground level, in a war zone, with a romance at its center. Gorgeous hand-drawn animation, genuinely excellent action choreography, and emotional stakes that feel earned.

But It's a tragedy. The ending is not triumphant and the knowledge that everyone's doomed from episode one can make the hopeful moments sting rather than uplift.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team poster

Cyber City Oedo 8081990

Three episodes of pure eighties-nineties aesthetic bliss. Stylish, cynical, and faster-paced than it has any right to be. A perfect late-night watch with a killer synth score that lodges in your brain forever.

But Paper-thin plots and characters. It's style utterly devouring substance, which is the point, but not everyone wants that trade.

Bubblegum Crisis1987

Eight episodes of an all-female tactical unit fighting rogue robots in a retro-futuristic Tokyo. Gorgeous hand-drawn action, tremendous style, and a sense of playfulness that makes it genuinely fun to revisit.

But The animation quality wavers and the plotting is frankly chaotic. Later episodes feel like they're making it up as they go, because they sort of are.

Patlabor: The Movie1989

A gorgeous police procedural set in a near-future Tokyo, focusing on a unit of officers piloting industrial robots. Meditative, beautifully paced, and surprisingly intelligent about society and surveillance.

But Introspective and slow-burn. If you want kinetic action you'll find long stretches of quiet investigation and dialogue instead.

Angel Cop1989

Six episodes of violent, operatic action about a special police force chasing terrorist organizations. Fluid animation, genuine political edge, and unafraid to be brutal and dark.

But The politics are muddled, the plot lurches inconsistently, and it's genuinely unpleasant in ways that sometimes feel accidental rather than purposeful.

Urusei Yatsura: Only You1983

A 1982-1983 sibling from the same era, both brightly colored and kinetic, but Urusei Yatsura proves anime could be tender and character-focused where Techno Police is all spectacle and style. Same technological optimism, inverted emotional temperature.

A romantic comedy time-travel adventure that proves anime can be charming and funny and visually delightful all at once. Great character work, genuine laughs, and an ending that earns its sentiment without ever becoming saccharine.

But It's openly silly and sentimental. If you find the tone precious rather than endearing, this will feel like treacle. Also requires light familiarity with the TV series to fully land.