Anime Vintage Anime That You're Dying to Watch, But no Translation Exists (At the Moment)

Scotty

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I enjoy a lot of vintage anime. Whether it's classics like "Sailor Moon" or lesser known ones like "Minky Momo" and "Ghost Sweeper Mikami", they rank up with some of the best modern anime (at least in my opinion).

Despite that, it tears me up inside that a lot of vintage anime from the 60s to the 80s still have yet to be translated. Three examples of this immediately come to my mind:

Lady Lady!! & Hello! Lady Lynn!

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An adaptation of the 1987 manga series, "Lady!", it tells of the events of a motherless 5 year old child adjusting to society. It spawned two seasons with a total of 57 episodes and ran from 1987 to 1989.

While the manga has been fully translated into English, the same can't be said for both seasons of the anime, unfortunately. Try as I might, I couldn't find ANY English subs for the anime.
Just a couple days ago, I managed to come across the French dub, "Gwendoline", but most other versions appear to be partially lost or COMPLETELY lost. Maybe some day that will change, but the possibilities are slim to none.

Hana no Ko Lunlun

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This one is another series by Toei and was released in 1979; nearly a decade before "Lady!!" It follows a tomboyish girl named Lunlun who, with the help of cat and dog named Cateau & Nouveau respectively, must travel all over Europe to find the Flower of Seven Colors (Not a flower that blooms in seven different colors. No, no, no. A flower that literally has every color of the rainbow on it). Along their journey, they'll encounter the fiendish Togenishia and a doofy tanooki named Yabooki. There's also a photographer named Serge who is Lunlun's love interest.

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Lunlun gains access to a magical flower pin from the King of the Flower Planet. If she were to reflect a flower using the pin's mirror, she'll gain access to different outfits that would prove useful for various situations (kinda like Usagi's transformation pen from early Sailor Moon episodes). In the first episode, Lunlun dons a suit of armor to rescue a child from burned building. A helluva way to start a magical girl anime lol.

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This series ran for 50 episodes and was dubbed into multiple languages. Now, hold on, I know what you're thinking, "But Scotty, isn't this post supposed to be about anime that has yet to be translated?" Well, allow me to explain:

In terms of available English localizations, all we currently have are the first 10 episodes of the original Japanese version with subtitles and a couple dubbed versions by Harmony Gold and ZIV that stitch multiple episodes together to try and pass it off as a "movie".
(And yes, it's the origin of both that famous "Release the Bees" clip.)
The ZIV dub also has this opening theme by Hal Winn & Mark Gibbons. Upon hearing it, you discover that... it's kind of a bop (Seriously, I downloaded it via 3rd party YouTube downloader lol.)

Anyway, while this show didn't see much success here in America, it was popular in Europe and Latin America. After I finished the 10th episode of the original JP version, I looked at the French dub as that had all 50 episodes with English subtitles. It's actually pretty good. For starters, it also has a BANGER opening theme by the late Claude Lombard (a Belgian singer who was known for doing opening theme songs for French dubbed cartoons and anime ‐ Including "Gwendoline" (Lady!)).

As was common with most dubs at the time, the French dub changed some of the character's names. Lunlun is now Lydie, Togenishia is Sabrina, Yabooki is called Boris, Cateau and Nouveau are now Cathy and Cador, and Serge is Florent. I'm sure other language dubs modified character names as well, but I haven't seen those yet.

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While I DO enjoy the French dub, I still hope that the remaining 40 episodes of the JP version will get translated some day. I don't care who picks it up; Crunchyroll, HIDIVE, fansubbers, etc. As long as the entire JP version is fully translated, then I will be an even happier camper.


Anmitsu-hime

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The manga ran from 1949 to 1955. In 1986, a retelling of the manga with artwork by Izumi Takemoto would surface around the same time as the anime.
It tells of the aforementioned princess frequently escaping the castle to go on her own little adventures.
If you've ever played "Alex Kidd in High-Tech" world for Sega Master System, you might recall it taking place inside a very... Japanese style castle. Well, that's because it is actually a reskinned version of "Anmitsu-hime" for the Sega Mark III. Sadly, no translation exists for that, either.

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I hope that both the anime and the Master System game will receive an English translation some day. Odds are slim, but hey, a man can dream.
 
I don't know if these ever got official translations but I used to watch bootlegs with wonky translations at my old job. Mine are maybe all newer but I'd still like to see them
Anne of Green Gables from 1979
Quiet Country Cafe
Super Radical Gag Family
 
Neither of these count as vintage, but i remember Bobobo spent a good chunk of its lifespan only having 28 of its episodes translated, forcing me to sit through the 4kids dub. That is until it was licensed by crunchyroll and all is well.

Tragically however, the second season of Virtua Fighter remains untranslated, and you can only watch it dubbed in Arabic or Spanish if you any any translation at all.
 
I was about to say Magical★Taruruto-kun but I just checked my go-to spot for anime and it turns out a full fan translation was completed just last year! Anyway it's a pretty cute comedy series, I know of it because Game Freak released a Mega Drive game based off it.
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In the age of streaming, where even anime's from the mid 2000nds aren't available. Fan sub circles are more important than ever.
The algorithm only promotes new things, it has no need for the old.

I would have liked an official release of Dragons Heaven once upon a time.
But if I really wanted it I would donate to fan sub circle, download faithful subs & just import physical media direct from Japan.
 
Last time I checked, that one is fully translated.

I'm actually planning on starting it soon before watching the 2025 version (Heard good things about that one).
Ah, right on, then. I would put it on at work and customers would be like, "what is this you're watching?" and when I'd tell them they would ask why in a real dismissive way. "Because it's good? Because I feel like it? Are you gonna buy something?"
 
I was about to say Magical★Taruruto-kun but I just checked my go-to spot for anime and it turns out a full fan translation was completed just last year! Anyway it's a pretty cute comedy series, I know of it because Game Freak released a Mega Drive game based off it.
View attachment 115073
That series has been on my bucket list for quite a while now.
 
I don't know if these ever got official translations but I used to watch bootlegs with wonky translations at my old job. Mine are maybe all newer but I'd still like to see them
Anne of Green Gables from 1979
Quiet Country Cafe
Super Radical Gag Family
Well, i know Quiet Country Cafe has a English sub. i watched it not to long ago actually, But there's so little dialogue in it, it wouldn't even matter. It's a great relaxing anime to boot

Anne of Green Gables - ya all 50 episodes are both subbed and dubbed now as @Scotty said

and urayasu tekkin kazoku/Super Radical Gag Family is still in Japanese only.

And as for myself Legend of the Galactic Heroes <1988 version> but Hooboy that would be a undertaking as its 110 episodes
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I could say Red Baron, but the entire anime is subbed in English, so I'm going to talk about two other examples.

Jungle King Tar-Chan has fansubs, but they aren't good, I watched this anime twice with the bad subs and sometimes I struggle to understand what the characters are saying in certain moments.

Virtua Fighter is a curious case, because the first 24 episodes are translated, but the last 11 episodes aren't, which makes me really sad because I wanted to see more. I do have the raws for the final 11 episodes, but I don't understand japanese so I can't translate them ç.ç
 
Holy cow Scotty! You sure have my attention with Hana no Ko Lunlun! I still don't know why Europe in general was way more passionate about anime than NA during the early years, but I'm sooo glad for all their dubs & translations. My french comes in clutch during these moments lol.
 
Holy cow Scotty! You sure have my attention with Hana no Ko Lunlun! I still don't know why Europe in general was way more passionate about anime than NA during the early years, but I'm sooo glad for all their dubs & translations. My french comes in clutch during these moments lol.
I'm actually thinking of rewatching the FR dub. Been several months since I last kept up with it, but it helped me remember the bit of French I learned in school and I learned a few new words.
It is probably the only other language that I'd like to learn besides Japanese right now... Unless one day I decide to learn German or Italian lol.
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I could say Red Baron, but the entire anime is subbed in English, so I'm going to talk about two other examples.

Jungle King Tar-Chan has fansubs, but they aren't good, I watched this anime twice with the bad subs and sometimes I struggle to understand what the characters are saying in certain moments.

Virtua Fighter is a curious case, because the first 24 episodes are translated, but the last 11 episodes aren't, which makes me really sad because I wanted to see more. I do have the raws for the final 11 episodes, but I don't understand japanese so I can't translate them ç.ç
This is how I find out that there's a "Virtua Fighter" anime lol.
 
I'm actually thinking of rewatching the FR dub. Been several months since I last kept up with it, but it helped me remember the bit of French I learned in school and I learned a few new words.
It is probably the only other language that I'd like to learn besides Japanese right now... Unless one day I decide to learn German or Italian lol.
lol of course we only apply the languages we learn in school towards anime. I've always had the option to learn Spanish in school... but god I wish they were Japanese classes instead ::warcraft-skeleton
 
I’m a sucker for vintage anime, especially the kind that blends surreal humor, realism, or early mascot energy. While I’ve devoured classics like Urusei Yatsura and Creamy Mami, there are a few elusive gems that haunt my watchlist like untranslated ghosts.

Mahō no Mako-chan (1970) Toei’s early magical girl series predates Sally the Witch. Mako is a mermaid who becomes human to live among land dwellers, and the show explores themes of identity and sacrifice. It ran for 48 episodes, but as far as I can tell, there’s no full English translation. Just scattered summaries and a few raw episodes floating around. The animation style is peak 70s charm, and the opening theme is a bop in that wistful, orchestral way.

1759196873554.png


Vampire Princess Miyu (1988 OVA) Okay, this one technically has a partial translation, but the original OVA series (before the 1997 TV reboot) has a very different tone. It’s more atmospheric and poetic. The English dub is… let’s say “of its time,” and I’ve been hunting for a faithful sub that captures the eerie elegance of the original Japanese. The art direction alone deserves a restoration.

1759196900410.png


Shin Hakkenden (1999) A sci-fi retelling of The Eight Dog Chronicles set in space. It’s got cybernetic samurai, planetary politics, and a haunting score by Yuki Kajiura. Only a handful of episodes were ever fansubbed, and the rest remain untranslated. It’s one of those series that feels like it was made for a niche that never got to find it.

1759196922663.png


Bonus: Obake no Q-Tarō (1965) This Fujiko Fujio ghost comedy was a cultural phenomenon in Japan, but it never got a proper English release. It’s like Casper meets Doraemon, and it helped shape the “friendly ghost” trope in anime. There’s a 1985 remake too, but both versions are largely untranslated. I’d love to see it restored, not just for nostalgia, but for its influence on later gag anime.

1759196955609.png


I’m holding out hope that one day these will get the fansub or official release they deserve. Until then, I’ll keep scouring obscure forums and praying to the VHS gods.
 
Yeah the Virtua Fighter anime is actually decent, shame they never translated the shorter second season. The Game Gear VF is based on the anime, btw.
Other than that, mine is Judo Sanka (1974). The manga is from the same writer as Ashita no Joe (but different artist).
 
I’m a sucker for vintage anime, especially the kind that blends surreal humor, realism, or early mascot energy. While I’ve devoured classics like Urusei Yatsura and Creamy Mami, there are a few elusive gems that haunt my watchlist like untranslated ghosts.

Mahō no Mako-chan (1970) Toei’s early magical girl series predates Sally the Witch. Mako is a mermaid who becomes human to live among land dwellers, and the show explores themes of identity and sacrifice. It ran for 48 episodes, but as far as I can tell, there’s no full English translation. Just scattered summaries and a few raw episodes floating around. The animation style is peak 70s charm, and the opening theme is a bop in that wistful, orchestral way.

View attachment 115157

Vampire Princess Miyu (1988 OVA) Okay, this one technically has a partial translation, but the original OVA series (before the 1997 TV reboot) has a very different tone. It’s more atmospheric and poetic. The English dub is… let’s say “of its time,” and I’ve been hunting for a faithful sub that captures the eerie elegance of the original Japanese. The art direction alone deserves a restoration.

View attachment 115158

Shin Hakkenden (1999) A sci-fi retelling of The Eight Dog Chronicles set in space. It’s got cybernetic samurai, planetary politics, and a haunting score by Yuki Kajiura. Only a handful of episodes were ever fansubbed, and the rest remain untranslated. It’s one of those series that feels like it was made for a niche that never got to find it.

View attachment 115159

Bonus: Obake no Q-Tarō (1965) This Fujiko Fujio ghost comedy was a cultural phenomenon in Japan, but it never got a proper English release. It’s like Casper meets Doraemon, and it helped shape the “friendly ghost” trope in anime. There’s a 1985 remake too, but both versions are largely untranslated. I’d love to see it restored, not just for nostalgia, but for its influence on later gag anime.

View attachment 115160

I’m holding out hope that one day these will get the fansub or official release they deserve. Until then, I’ll keep scouring obscure forums and praying to the VHS gods.
"Obake no Q-tarou" is another series that I'd like to watch. I played the Famicom game a few months ago and... it wasn't exactly amazing lol.

I only recently discovered "Mahou no Mako-chan".
 
"Obake no Q-tarou" is another series that I'd like to watch. I played the Famicom game a few months ago and... it wasn't exactly amazing lol.

I only recently discovered "Mahou no Mako-chan".
Obake no Q-tarou! That’s such a classic, definitely one of those early gag anime that laid the groundwork for so many others. I’ve heard the Famicom game’s a bit rough, though… platforming plus ghost physics sounds like a recipe for chaos. Still cool that you gave it a shot.

And Mahou no Mako-chan? That’s a pretty early magical girl series from the 1970s, with a mermaid as the main character. It came out before shows like Sailor Moon, so it helped shape the genre in its early days. Even though it looks light and whimsical, it has a soft, emotional tone that was common in anime from that time, where even fantasy stories had a bit of sadness or depth mixed in...
 
My native language is Spanish and for a long time the only way to watch ashita no joe 2 has been with TMS's Los Angeles crappy dub. I've searched everywhere but I have to assume that no one ever made a proper fansub for it.

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My native language is Spanish and for a long time the only way to watch ashita no joe 2 has been with TMS's Los Angeles crappy dub. I've searched everywhere but I have to assume that no one ever made a proper fansub for it.
UPDATE: So... I just found out last year someone did it so I must have looked like an idiot lol.
1759203526309.png
 
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You'll be very happy to know that it got subbed almost a decade ago.
Eh i want dubs. it gives me a headache to read and watch at the same time
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Serial Experiments Lain
When I first got my hands on this anime, it was in the original Japanese with English subtitles, and I didn't know much English back then; it's not my native language. So I had a hard time watching it.
DVD1_NAVI.jpg
 
My picks are usually:
Kyojin no hoshi (1968) because most of the later works in japanese media referenced, alludes, parodies and homages every single iconic scenes from it, even most sports manga and anime are influenced by it's DNA,
Tiger Mask (1969): This is a major one because most of the time it actually influenced the pro wrestling world, and most of it's themes, elements and archetypes had actually influenced most japanese media for generations, heck even King from tekken was inspired by naoto date/Tiger Mask!
Ganso Tensai Bakabon: i suppose gag comedies in general are pretty hard to translate due to cultural specificities, visual gags, and japanese wordplay, but actually It's the gag Anime To end all gag animes and some of it's jokes and scenes are iconic and timeless even persists and inspired many gag comedy anime and manga, it's also referenced, alluded, parodied and homaged in many japanese media, it's also the magnum opus of the mangaka fujio akasaka (The King of Gag Comedy)
Mashin Hero Wataru: Again another gag comedy that is a bit dense and difficult to translate, but the combination of chibi mecha, a proto isekai fantasical japanese setting and also it's quirky yet relatable characters made me consider it a holy grail to wish watching the whole anime in retranslated fansubs,
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Well, i know Quiet Country Cafe has a English sub. i watched it not to long ago actually, But there's so little dialogue in it, it wouldn't even matter. It's a great relaxing anime to boot

Anne of Green Gables - ya all 50 episodes are both subbed and dubbed now as @Scotty said

and urayasu tekkin kazoku/Super Radical Gag Family is still in Japanese only.

And as for myself Legend of the Galactic Heroes <1988 version> but Hooboy that would be a undertaking as its 110 episodes
View attachment 115114
That anime did actually get official (Via Sentai Filmworks) and fan translated english subs
 
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