I have been watching some Anime lately. Like my taste in older comics, I have mainly been interested in the 70's to 90's era. I think because this is when I first became aware of anime/manga in the early 90's and have been a casual fan ever since.

Having had a massive break since watching any, probably since 2005 or so. The last proper Anime I remember watching back in that time was Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig. Not as good as the 1st series I seem to remember. Anyway..

The anime I have been watching lately : -

Bubblegum Crisis - This is an 8 episode series dating from 1988 and (I think) being released in Japan before Akira. Unsure whether this was a TV series or an OVA. My guess is its an OVA since they are generally 45 minute episodes with no interval. Anyway, I can highly recommend this series. The animation is great, the stories are great at least in the first couple and last couple of episodes. The inbetween episodes I can take or leave as there doesn't seem to be any continuity between the earlier episodes and they lose what makes the first episodes work so well, namely the action, animation and music. When it works, its like a 1980's J-pop video starring females in mechanised assault suits. Where it goes wrong with the middle episodes is they get more talky and lose the action, and the animation isn't as dynamic. Then they seem to realise this and the last 2 episodes go back to the same formula as the early episodes, but maybe it was too late? Anyway, back then the fans must have agreed with me as it was cancelled after 8 episodes I think it was originally planned for 12.

Galaxy Express 999 - Wow, this seems like a great series.  This was a TV series originally shown back in the 1970's. I have only watched 6 episodes so far but am enjoying it very much. The 1st 2 episodes were genius but doesn't seem like they could maintain this level so its seemingly dipped a bit since, im hoping at least some further episodes will match the 1st 2.  Hope so, as this series runs for at least 80 episodes I think.  I can almost imagine this being dubbed and shown on kids TV in UK back in the 1980's its certainly that style of show, although it has a weird amount of violence in it considering the main character is a small child. I think the creators must have been fond of spaghetti westerns as sometimes it has a kind of Leone/Morricone feel especially in the 2nd episode. The main crux of the story is a boy gets a pass onto the Galaxy Express 999 (a cosmic train service) and sets off on a journey to gain immortality through becoming a cyborg on a distant world.  He is in the company of a beautiful but enigmatic female companion who is also like a Mother figure. On the journey they stop at different planets and have adventures. It is a very sentimental series if you get my drift, the Japanese must find great beauty in sadness I think.