Bingo. One thing to consider is that many of most praised anime of the 80s were not released for TV, but OVA (Original Video Anime). This allowed them to do st

Bingo. One thing to consider is that many of most praised anime of the 80s were not released for TV, but OVA (Original Video Anime). This allowed them to do stories and themes that western animations could not touch, because they where expected to be broadcast for kids. Perhaps the best example could be Legend of the Galactic Heroes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend_of_the_Galactic_Heroes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend_of_the_Galactic_Heroes You are looking at 110 episodes, each 25 minutes long, covering what is effectively a naval war in the stars. But with it you have intrigues of all stripes, and no real good guys.