The show was produced when there was no word for OVA yet. As soon as "Area 88" appeared on the market, it's quality story-telling and animation impressed the jaded anime viewers back then. Based on the manga by Kaoru Shintani, the show's hero is Shin Kazama, a pilot who is forced to play mercenary at Area 88, a Foreign Legion unit, as a result of the betrayal of his devious friend, Satoru Kanzaki. The drama follows his struggle to find his freedom, battle he's forced engage, his love for a girl named Ryoko, and his friendships with his unit mates. This film was originally released theatrically in 1986.