Archive Season
Explore the archived Spring 1981 anime lineup and open the deeper guide pages for any title in the season.
Spring 1981Toei Animation
TV / Spring 1981
Release date
In a whimsical small town, eccentric inventor Senbei Norimaki brings to life a cheerful little android named Arale whose boundless energy and literal, naive outlook upend everyday life. Her remarkable strength and childlike curiosity lead to a steady stream of absurd misadventures that keep the townspeople and viewers…
Spring 1981Toei Animation
TV / Spring 1981
Release date
Hyakujuu Ou GoLion follows five young pilots who return to a ravaged Earth only to be drawn into a larger interstellar conflict. Stranded on the planet Altea, they discover five dormant mechanical lions that can join to form a colossal guardian. As they learn to operate the lions and work together, they must confront…
Spring 1981Toei Animation
TV / Spring 1981
Release date
Tiger Mask Nisei follows a new generation stepping into the legacy of a legendary masked wrestler, blending the physical intensity of professional wrestling with personal drama. The protagonist must reconcile public expectations with private struggles, training hard while navigating alliances and rivalries inside and…
Spring 1981Toei Animation
TV / Spring 1981
Release date
Hello! Sandybell follows a spirited young girl from Scotland whose sunny disposition belies an unquiet longing to understand her past. Her life shifts when a mysterious white lily from an affluent woman arrives, setting her on a new course. After a painful loss she moves to London and begins piecing together clues abo…
Spring 1981Toei Animation
TV / Spring 1981
Release date
In 1999, an ordinary boy's life is upended by a sudden tragedy that brings him to live with his astronomer uncle, where he reunites with a familiar girl who works at the observatory. The girl, Yayoi, carries a secret tied to an alien world with a cyclical threat that could reshape life on Earth, and her presence raise…
Spring 1981Visual 80
TV / Spring 1981
Release date
Meiken Jolie follows a boy named Sebastian who forms a deep bond with a large white mountain dog he names Jolie. Together they leave home and travel across varied landscapes, facing natural obstacles and unpredictable encounters. Their journey becomes as much about survival as it is about the quiet strength of compani…
Spring 1981TMS Entertainment
TV / Spring 1981
Release date
Ohayou! Spank follows Morimura Aiko, a petite junior high student being raised by her uncle after her parents have been absent from her daily life. When a spirited stray dog named Spank shows up, his playful energy begins to lift Aiko out of a long spell of loneliness. The pair get into a string of comedic misadventur…
Spring 1981Nippon Animation
TV / Spring 1981
Release date
Ai no Gakkou Cuore Monogatari follows young Enrico Pocchini, a warm hearted schoolboy growing up in the Italian city of Torino. When his favorite teacher leaves and a strict new instructor takes her place, the classroom dynamics shift and students must adapt. Through their interactions with one another and their mento…
Spring 1981Toei Animation
TV / Spring 1981
Release date
Wakakusa no Yon Shimai follows four sisters growing up in 19th century New England while their father serves in the Civil War. Each girl has a distinct personality and passion one dreams of writing, another loves music, one is gentle and thoughtful, and the youngest is artistic and their relationships with one another…
Spring 1981Tatsunoko Production
TV / Spring 1981
Release date
Ougon Senshi Gold Lightan follows young Hiro after he discovers what looks like an ordinary lighter that is, in fact, an enigmatic mechanical being. That object awakens as Gold Lightan, a powerful robot who can transform into a towering golden warrior to confront threats from another dimension. Together with Hiro and…
Spring 1981
TV / Spring 1981
Release date
Child prodigy Michiru, who attains an advanced degree at an exceptionally young age, uses her scientific skill to build a robot boy called Dotakon. Soon a small robot sister, Chopiko, joins them, and the three form an unlikely household. Their days unfold through inventive experiments and mishaps that blend sci‑fi gad…
Spring 1981Nippon Animation
TV / Spring 1981
Release date
Fuusen no Doratarou follows Tarou as he returns to Cat Island after years away to reunite with his sister, Sakura, and the adoptive family who raised them. His homecoming brings quiet moments of recognition and the gentle awkwardness of relatives who have changed in his absence. As they reconnect, the story explores h…