Recommended animes?

[ZentroCatson]

So, I recently finished watching Planetes (an anime about space debris haulers) and it kinda got me into anime. Some may speak of the "anime bug" or something like that 

Now I'm asking you fellow forum goers, do any of you know good Sci-Fi animes that you would recommend? I'm looking for hard Sci-Fi, kinda like Planetes. There's tons of anime out there, that's why I'm asking here! I don't know if such a topic already exist, I'm not good at search-Fu. 

I think that's all I want to say, thanks in advance!

[Tex_NL]

I've got a nice list of anime I've downloaded over the years. http://tex.texel.com/anime All with ANN and IMBD links when available.

Talking about ANN. You should really check out that website. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/ has articles and reviews on nearly every anime every produced.

[MaxxQ]

Cowboy Bebop - space bounty hunters

Ghost in the Shell - Original film of the same name, Stand Alone Complex (1st series), 2nd Gig (2nd series), Solid State Society (movie), Innocence (movie) - cyberpunk, secret government organization that suppresses terrorism, cyber or otherwise.  Live action version starring Scarlett Johansen as The Major coming out sometime next year, I think.  (No arguments about choice of lead, please - the people that hold the rights to the IP are happy with the choice, as are many Japanese fans of the series) 

Akira - it's a movie, as opposed to a series, but despite it's age, still VERY good.

Space Brothers - a pair of brothers make a promise to each other when they are kids to go into space.  Set in the not too distant future, and is a fairly realistic depiction of real space flight as it might be 10-20 years from now.  Available to watch for free on Crunchyroll, if you don't mind commercials twice per episode - 101 episodes last I looked.

There's a few others I might recommend, depending on your definition of "hard science fiction".  If you mean set in space, then Akira and GitS are out.  If you mean anything science fictiony, whether in space or not, then let me know.

I DO have to say something though: If you're just getting into anime, then at some point, I recommend widening your choice of genre.  The first anime I watched was Akira and GitS (the original film), and like you, I was only interested in more anime of that particular type.  Pickings were pretty slim, at least for what I could find locally.  Later, I finally decided to take a chance on stuff that fell outside of the narrow confines I had put my tastes into, and have found some really great stuff.

 

[ZentroCatson]

Thanks for the answers. I might look into some of them, though I'll have tons of work pretty soon, so I probably wont watch anything for a long time. If I'll get more into anime, I might widen my choice of genre @MaxxQ, but I don't think I can watch something else than space Sci-Fi right now. Maybe later.

(I want to port my KSP save from 1.1.3 to 1.2 now, so excuse me for the short answer)

[Blasty McBlastblast]

check out sites like animelab (if you are in Australia, not sure for other countries) as they have many new and classic amine to stream for free

@MaxxQ hit the nail on the head with his list (studiously avoiding "neon genesis evangelion" until you are too far hooked to turn back)

my recommendation is "Kill la Kill"; it is fast paced, stupidly funny, and flips many anime tropes on their head.. and then punches them for good measure!

[CAKE99]

Sooooo, I started writing this before I saw:

On 20/10/2016 at 5:38 AM, ZentroCatson said:

Sci-Fi animes that you would recommend? I'm looking for hard Sci-Fi, kinda like Planetes.

So here's a list of non-sci-fi anime, (but Steins;Gate isn't hard sci-fi though), but all the animes on this list are very good, and are definitely worth watching:

 

I have watched about 40-50 animes so far, here are some of the best I've watched:

Hellsing Ultimate, the first anime I watched at the time I got into anime, it has also been the source for the past 4 (not my current) avatars,

Noragami,

Drifters, this is based on a manga by the same guy (Kouta Hirano) who made the Hellsing manga, I've only watched the first 2 episodes, and it hasn't finished airing, but it's a great anime so far,

Overlord,

Highschool DxD, my all time favorite anime, for reasons you will see if you watch it,  (Note, only watch this if you either use headphones or live alone, and make sure you screen is visible to only you, )

Kill la Kill, I've only watched about half of it, but it's a good anime,

Rokka no Yuusha,

Soul Eater,

Mirai Nikki (AKA Future Diary),

Steins;Gate,

One Punch Man,

Assassination Classroom,

No Game No Life,

[ZentroCatson]

2 minutes ago, CAKE99 said:

Sooooo, I started writing this before I saw:

So here's a list of non-sci-fi anime, (but Steins;Gate isn't hard sci-fi though), but all the animes on this list are very good, and are definitely worth watching:

*snip*

I might check out a few of those, but definetly not Highschool DxD. I think I got what you meant to say, and I'm not into that kind of stuff 

[ludhiyaparker]

My first Anime was Dragon ball Z a long time ago(almost 15 years ago). then poke'mon along with digimon, Capeta and Naruto. Those were the best days of my childhood. One Piece is also one of them.

 

[pxi]

11 hours ago, MaxxQ said:

Ghost in the Shell

FYI your list is missing the 4-part OVA GITS Arise series.  It hasn't been dubbed yet afaik, but I enjoyed the sub quite a bit.

11 hours ago, MaxxQ said:

Akira - it's a movie, as opposed to a series, but despite it's age, still VERY good.

Was pretty much my introduction to anime back in the 90's along with the Fist of the North Star movie.  To my knowledge it's the only anime that's ever been shown on the BBC (where I first saw it), although towards the end of the 90's Channel 4 showed a few series of various animes late at night.  Akira is a must-see, even for people that wouldn't normally watch anime.

I can also highly recommend most of the Studio Ghibli stuff, particularly Spiririted Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and Princess Mononoke.

Kill la Kill was quite enjoyable, as was Prison School.

Death Note is another series that bears mentioning, was a lot better than I was expecting.

The various Bubblegum Crisis and AD Police series are worth a look, if you were to consider FotNS similar to Mad Max, I'd describe them as somewhat a Japanese take on Blade Runner.

[Nikolai]

I can't recommend Steins;Gate highly enough.  Sure, it might be my predilection for time travel talking, but I really thought it was exceptional, even if it doesn't fit your criterion for "hard" science fiction.

Edited October 20, 2016 by Nikolai

[MaxxQ]

6 hours ago, Blasty McBlastblast said:

check out sites like animelab (if you are in Australia, not sure for other countries) as they have many new and classic amine to stream for free

@MaxxQ hit the nail on the head with his list (studiously avoiding "neon genesis evangelion" until you are too far hooked to turn back)

my recommendation is "Kill la Kill"; it is fast paced, stupidly funny, and flips many anime tropes on their head.. and then punches them for good measure!

Yeah, I thought about adding NGE, but it's definitely NOT for someone just getting into anime.

I second the Hellsing Ultimate recommendation.  You could also check out the original Hellsing, but it was done before the manga was completed, and differs quite a bit in the second half of the series.  HU was done several years after the manga completed, and features most of the original's voice actors (for the English dub), who are VERY good.

@pxi - yeah, I knew I was forgetting something.  That's the one GitS "series" I don't have yet.

I also second the Death Note suggestion.  One of the few series that follows the original manga fairly closely.

Haven't seen Steins;Gate yet.

Later on, I might also suggest Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood.  This one's a bit controversial, as there are many who consider it the greatest anime ever, and others who don't.  I like it.  Just make sure you see FMA:B as opposed to just FMA, as, like Hellsing, FMA was done before the manga was completed.

I don't suppose it's too early to mention Elfen Lied (or Gantz for that matter), is it?  Should he get more anime under his belt before diving into THAT one?

[legoclone09]

@ZentroCatson Have you read the Planetes manga yet?

 

I thought so.

[Tex_NL]

18 minutes ago, MaxxQ said:

I don't suppose it's too early to mention Elfen Lied (or Gantz for that matter), is it?

Definitely worth mentioning this one. But keep in mind this one is NOT for children! Make sure the kids have left the room or you will have to deal with the nightmares.

Although it is a thriller instead of sci-fi another great anime worth mentioning is Monster. Some say if Alfred Hitchcock ever directed an animated series, it would have been Monster.

[ZentroCatson]

2 hours ago, legoclone09 said:

@ZentroCatson Have you read the Planetes manga yet?

 

I thought so.

I'll definitely read it if I'll somehow get my hands on it. I bet it doesn't sell in local book stores, maybe there's an online version somewhere...

As a side note to some of you guys, I don't like scary or weird stuff, I'm looking for something similar to Planetes. I'm okay with romance and that junk. I really want to watch Space Brothers, but sadly there are some legal issues with Crunchyroll in Switzerland 

And thanks for all the answers, I never expected this thread to get more than 10 replies! Holy Kraken...

Edit:

I heard of Space Battleship Yamato somewhere. Do you recommend it to me? It sounds interesting...

Edited October 20, 2016 by ZentroCatson

[legoclone09]

14 minutes ago, ZentroCatson said:

I'll definitely read it if I'll somehow get my hands on it. I bet it doesn't sell in local book stores, maybe there's an online version somewhere...

Kissmanga has it, read some of it there.

[KamenRiderzero1]

44 minutes ago, ZentroCatson said:

I heard of Space Battleship Yamato somewhere. Do you recommend it to me? It sounds interesting...

The source for the show known in the west as "Star Blazers".

 

Then there is my personal favorite: King of Braves; GaoGaiGar (I'm more into Mecha shows than anything else)

I can also recommended  Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

 

[MaxxQ]

For pure silliness, I also suggest Girls und Panzer.  It's about a class of 14-15 year old girls who have tank battles with girls from other schools - in real, rebuilt tanks. Lots of fun

1 hour ago, ZentroCatson said:

As a side note to some of you guys, I don't like scary or weird stuff, I'm looking for something similar to Planetes. I'm okay with romance and that junk. I really want to watch Space Brothers, but sadly there are some legal issues with Crunchyroll in Switzerland 

Elfen Lied isn't so much scary as it is violent and bloody, especially the first 5 minutes or so of the first episode.  It's more of a psychological thriller, as is Death Note, which is considerably less violent and bloody. 

Edited October 20, 2016 by MaxxQ

[legoclone09]

43 minutes ago, MaxxQ said:

For pure silliness, I also suggest Girls und Panzer.  It's about a class of 14-15 year old girls who have tank battles with girls from other schools - in real, rebuilt tanks. Lots of fun

Think I saw a patch about that somewhere, lemme find it.

[Cydonian Monk]

There really isn't much else similar to Planetes though, at least for hard science fiction..... That series is simply amazing. Still there's plenty of good fantasy sci-fi anime out there, several already mentioned.

Two series I'd recommend that haven't been mentioned: "Outlaw Star" and "Vision of Escaflowne." (For Escaflowne: avoid the movie. It's ok, and uses the same voice actors, but tells an entirely different story.)

(I also have a soft spot for Mononoke Hime and Nausicaa. And basically everything Ghibli has ever produced, but they're outside the scope of what you're asking for.)

[ZentroCatson]

1 hour ago, MaxxQ said:

For pure silliness, I also suggest Girls und Panzer.  It's about a class of 14-15 year old girls who have tank battles with girls from other schools - in real, rebuilt tanks. Lots of fun

Elfen Lied isn't so much scary as it is violent and bloody, especially the first 5 minutes or so of the first episode.  It's more of a psychological thriller, as is Death Note, which is considerably less violent and bloody. 

I think I'll check out Girls und Panzer. Some silliness will definitely do good after a hard day of school!

Regarding Elfen Lied, I also don't like much blood... its not like I have phobia, it is just... too real for me, I guess. 

[MaxxQ]

3 hours ago, ZentroCatson said:

I think I'll check out Girls und Panzer. Some silliness will definitely do good after a hard day of school!

Regarding Elfen Lied, I also don't like much blood... its not like I have phobia, it is just... too real for me, I guess. 

Okay... no blood.  That's fine, although that definitely leaves out Gantz and Battle Royale (think Hunger Games but it came first and is MUCH more violent and bloody).  

On a lighter note, I second the recommendation of Vision of Escaflowne, and for even more silliness than Girls und Panzer, try FLCL (most people just call it Fooly Cooly) - starts out with a girl on a scooter hitting the main character over the head with a bass guitar, and just gets sillier from there.

I also heartily recommend (as did others here) anything from Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli - Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Princess Mononoke, Kiki's Delivery Service, My neighbor Totoro, Howl's Moving Castle, and many others, especially Grave of the Fireflies.  GotF is based on a true story from the end of WWII, and will have you in tears, unless you have either the coldest heart, or no heart at all.  I still can't believe it was paired with My Neighbor Totoro when it was first released in theaters as a double feature.

Serial Experiments Lain might be somewhat close to your original question, although none of it is in space.

Sorry about the problems with Crunchyroll.  There are other places you could probably get/watch it, but for obvious reasons, I can't link to them here, and even if I could, I wouldn't specifically know where, as I don't do that sort of thing.

One last thing... many of these have some great music, if you're into that.  I credit anime for widening my musical tastes, although TBH, they were pretty wide to begin with.  Ghost in the Shell - the two series I mentioned way upthread - has Origa doing the OP songs for both seasons (Inner Universe  and Rise).  She was a Russian living in Japan, and was well known in the anime world because of her songs for various anime and collaborations with Yoko Kanno, a Japanese composer who has done music for some really great anime - GitS, Cowboy Bebop, Turn A Gundam (there's a live version of Moon from that series featuring Origa singing and Yoko Kanno conducting the orchestra on YouTube).  Sadly, Origa died in January at the age of 46.  She has a great duet with Lia, a japanese singer, where they are performing one of the OP songs for Eureka Seven (Sakura - which I prefer over the original from a group called Nirgilis).  She also has many songs and albums that are her own stuff, and not associated with anime.  If you don't mind someone singing in a foreign language, her stuff is great.

There's also Yui, who did one of the opening songs for, I think, the fourth season of FMA: Brotherhood (the song is called Again).  She's a bit different than most, as she also plays electric and acoustic guitar in her songs, and she has some wonderful stuff. 

Most of the music I mentioned above is available to watch on YT (the Origa x Lia duet isn't, anymore, for some reason - it shows up occasionally, though)

Edited October 20, 2016 by MaxxQ

[legoclone09]

30 minutes ago, MaxxQ said:

Girls und Panzer

Yeah about that patch I found.

[MaxxQ]

Just now, legoclone09 said:

Yeah about that patch I found.

Sweet!

[Bill Phil]

I wonder if Trigun would count as sci fi? It does take place in another star system. There's at least one episode that mainly takes place in space, but it's a ways in. The series is only about 26 episodes long, and (last I checked) the sub is on youtube for free, if you can deal with ads, that is. It even has an old west feel. Not hard sf, though, but still very good and worth watching(imho).

[XB-70A]

About series I personally really enjoy Sentō Yōsei Yukikaze : 

 

Otherwise Monster was really nice with 74 episodes : 

Then for movies the craziness of Yoshiaki Kawajiri can be extremely joyfull with : 

Highlander the Search of Vengeance.

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust

The Cockpit.

And the awesome Wicked City.

Venus Wars.

There is so much others I can't remember...