Hiraku Takemura

Crusher Joe, though loved by many, is sadly overlooked as one of the premier animated movies out of Japan. Takachiho Haruka created Crusher Joe after Star Wars became such a huge hit around the world. Going back to old stories he had written in high school, he was able to pull together what would eventually become this movie. Combining action, suspense, sci-fi, and a bit of romance, Crusher Joe pleases on many different levels. (imdb)

The OAVs are concentrated more on narrowly focused plots which tend to take place in one locale and deal with confrontations putting our heroes in tense life-or-death situations. They're well-written, offer excitement and genuine suspense and are marked by high quality animation and design that's as good as any theatrical space anime we've seen. (imdb)