16 Underrated Sci-Fi Anime Newer Fans Probably Haven’t Seen
Vote up the sci-fi anime series that deserve more recognition.
Sci-fi is an exciting, expansive genre that's full of possibility - which is exactly why you might want to start checking out underrated sci-fi anime. While some of the best sci-fi anime are incredibly popular series like Psycho-Pass and Steins;Gate, the world of science fiction anime doesn't stop there.
From high-octane action series like Akudama Drive to quiet, thought-provoking shows like Time of Eve, there's a whole world of sci-fi anime that you may not know about. Hopefully, you'll discover a new favorite.
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- Last Exile
- Gonzo
If you like your sci-fi with a side of steampunk, try Last Exile. In the world of Prester, most travel is conducted in the sky. Claudia Fluid, a substance that is necessary to fuel aircrafts, is strictly controlled by an organization called "The Guild." The Guild also mediates an ongoing war between two nations, Anatoray and Disith. In the midst of the chaos, Sky Couriers deliver messages, packages, and even people.
Claus Valca and Lavie Head are two Sky Couriers on a mission to deliver an orphan girl named Alvis Hamilton to a battleship called Silvana. Caught between warring countries and ecological problems, the trip is arduous - and they soon find themselves up against the Guild itself.
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- Ergo Proxy
- Manglobe
After an ecological catastrophe destroys most of Earth, domed communities like Romdo are among the only hope that humanity has for survival. In order to make their lives a little easier, humanoid robots called AutoReivs are created. But when the Cogito Virus gives these androids consciousness, questions about their role in society begin to emerge. Re-l Mayer, the granddaughter of Romdo's mayor, begins investigating this phenomenon with her AutoReiv Iggy.
She soon realizes there's a lot more to the story than she realized - a vast conspiracy that's gone way too far. She soon encounters Vincent Law, an AutoReiv who may be able to help her uncover some of these mysteries.
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- Heavenly Delusion
- Production I.G
If you're looking for a new dystopian anime to add to your watchlist, then Heavenly Delusion might be perfect for you. The story is set in a universe where humanity was threatened 15 years prior, when man-eating monsters began to terrorize the world. With a limited amount of survivors left, a facility is created to raise children in a safe space, behind walls and away from harm.
Beyond the walls, survivors Maru and Kiruko travel in search of a place called Heaven. Its there that they hope to find the answers to all their questions and the solutions to all their problems. But while Maru and Kiruko traverse the dangerous area past the barriers, those hidden on the safe side begin to wonder what life is really like outside of isolation.
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Akudama Drive
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- Akudama Drive
- Studio Pierrot
If you love action-packed cyberpunk mayhem, you should check out Akudama Drive. Advanced technology makes the futuristic world of Kansai look like a utopia. However, even in a utopia, crime can flourish.
Criminals known as Akudama run rampant throughout the city. Cutthroat, a particularly infamous Akudama known for slaying 999 people, is about to be executed. An elite group of Akudama is assembled to try and rescue Cutthroat.
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- Dimension W
- Orange, Studio 3Hz
After humanity discovers a fourth dimension - called Dimension W - they develop a device called a coil that allows them to harness the power of that dimension. Soon, these coils are totally controlled by the New Tesla Energy Corporation, and any unauthorized coils are considered illegal.
Ex-soldier Kyouma Mabuchi doesn't trust coils at all - he even uses a gas-powered car instead of a coil-based one. His job is to track down illegal coils. While on a mission, he encounters an android who is connected to the "father" of coils. The two end up embroiled in a series of strange events that lead to them uncovering some of the mysteries behind Dimension W.
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Voices of a Distant Star
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- Voices of a Distant Star
- CoMix Wave Films
Despite being created by the world-renowned Makoto Shinkai, Voices of a Distant Star is not well-known. Though not as polished as later works like Your Name and Weathering with You, it still touches on Shinkai's core theme of lovers who can't be together.
Noboru Terao and Mikako Nagamine are friends who are falling in love. When aliens attack their home, Mikako is selected for a UN military space mission to help fight the aliens. The two try to keep in touch, but the further Mikako travels, the longer it takes for her messages to reach Noboru. Can they keep their love alive, or are they fated to drift apart?
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- Crest of the Stars
- Sunrise
After a race of advanced humanoids called the Abh Empire attacks humanity, they establish the Four Nations Alliance in the hopes of defending themselves. But not every world was able to defend themselves.
Jinto Linn's father sold their world to the Abh in exchange for a high position within the Abh Empire. Now a count, Jinto is mingling with Abh royalty while preparing to attend school. But on his way to his first day of school, his ship is caught up in a battle between the Alliance and the Abh. Alongside his friend, an Abh princess, he must find a way to manage the conflict.
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- Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo
- Gonzo
You may not have realized you needed a futuristic anime version of Alexandre Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo, but you do.
Set in 5053, the story begins with Albert de Morcerf attending a carnival on the moon. There, he encounters the charming and enigmatic Count of Monte Cristo. Albert is simply looking to make friends and find personal fulfillment, which he gets through his blossoming relationship with the Count. But the Count wants something far deeper, and far darker than that. He wants vengeance.
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Time of Eve
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- Time of Eve
- Studio Rikka
In a world where androids are commonplace, there are strict rules in place that separate them from humans. Androids are supposed to be considered no different than any other household appliance.
Rikuo Sakisaka believes what he's been taught about androids, but something happens to shake up his preconceptions. The activity logs on his android Sammy lead him to a cafe called Time of Eve. The cafe has one rule - there's no differentiation between humans and androids.
As Rikuo spends more time there, he learns that there's more to androids than he may have once believed.
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Do you love Yu Yu Hakusho and Hunter x Hunter? Then you might want to check out the anime based on another one of Togashi's manga, Level E.
The story centers around Baka Ki El Dogra, also known as the Idiot Prince. He hails from outer space and has dedicated himself to causing chaos on Earth. He breaks into people's apartments and steals their clothes, gives children supernatural powers for no reason, and generally creates ridiculous situations wherever he goes. If you're looking for sci-fi that will make you laugh, this is it.
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- Space Brothers
- A-1 Pictures
After seeing what they think is a UFO, Mutta Nanba and his little brother Hibito promise each other that they'll become astronauts and travel to space together. Fast-forward to their adults lives and Hibito is making his dreams come true. Mutta, on the other hand, is stuck in a dead-end job.
But then Mutta loses his job, and he ends up being accepted by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency. Seizing the chance he never thought he'd have, Mutta embarks on the journey of a lifetime - his brother by his side.
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Hal
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- Hal
- Wit Studio
When Kurumi's boyfriend Hal loses his life in an airplane accident, Kurumi is devastated. In order to help her through her grief, her grandfather enlists a robot - Q01 - to take on Hal's appearance and try to comfort her. It helps, but Hal isn't quite what he seems.
As the two begin to develop a romance, questions about what it means for a human and a robot to fall in love emerge.
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- Tsuritama
- A-1 Pictures
All Yuki Sanada wants to do is live a quiet life where he can try to overcome his anxiety in peace. That proves impossible when an eccentric transfer student who claims to be an alien appears in his life.
Haru immediately befriends both Yuki and another classmate and enlists them in saving the world from a mysterious underwater threat.
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Planet With
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- Planet With
- J.C.Staff
After a mysterious event that leaves him an orphaned amnesiac, Souya Kuroi finds himself relying on a giant cat and an eccentric maid who know way more about what's going on than he does.
When his city is invaded by aliens, a group of superheroes try to stop them. Souya ought to be happy that someone is here to save the day, but he's livid - these alleged heroes are the ones who destroyed his home. Now he has just one goal - revenge.
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Harmony
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- Harmony
- Studio 4°C
After a nuclear catastrophe called the Maelström, the World Health Organization seizes control of humans around the globe in an attempt to preserve humanity. Through medicine, nanomachine technology, and augmented reality, they can guarantee the healthy and happy lives of all humanity. By following the directions of the health implant surveillance system WatchMe, people can do even more to enhance their physical well-being.
For high school student Miach Mihie and her friends Tuan Kirie and Cian Reikadou, this is an horrible intrusion on their humanity, so dire that they try to take their lives over it. Cian and Tuan survive, but Miach is declared deceased. Years later, Tuan is working for a military organization called Helix. Her job is to investigate a wave of mass suicides that seem to be connected to her old departed friend.
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Kaiba
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- Kaiba
- Madhouse
What if your memories and personality weren't confined to your body, but could be uploaded to computer chips and reformatted elsewhere? In this anime's world, this is a real possibility - but only for the rich. In this world, the haves are functionally immortal, while the have-nots must sell their bodies as containers for rich people's consciousnesses.
A man named Kaiba wakes up to no memories, a hole in his chest, and a locket containing a photo of a woman he doesn't recognize. His quest to find his true identity takes him all over this strange world, and leads to him uncovering some unsettling secrets.
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