As part of my new feature, ‘Anime you should check out whilst you’re stuck at home’ it’s time for another top ten recommendations, last week I brought you my top ten action and adventure anime, this week I bring you my Top 10 Sci Fi Anime. We have Giant Mecha, Virtual Reality, Time Travel, brains over brawn, space travel and so much more. The Sci Fi genre brings so much to the world of anime, picking my top ten was a near impossible job, but I sifted through my mind to bring you my top ten recommendations based on the Anime I love. Here we go;
10) Gurren Lagann
In a dystopian future where Earth is ruled by the Spiral King, who forces mankind to live in isolated subterranean villages. Two brothers, Simon and Kamina, wish to go to the surface after they find a drill shaped key and a small mecha known as Gunmen, they finally make their wish come true, with this mecha will they be able to get humanity to rise once again.
I was caught off guard by this anime really and truly, it was not what I was expecting at all, there was so much I loved about this series from it’s classic 80’s feel, the fantastic choice in music, an absolutely insane plot, great action and incredible cast characters this show will bring out so many emotions.
9) Code Geass: Lelouch of The Rebellion
In a world where the English army has conquered the world setting up a new Britanian empire, Teenager Lelouch, a member of the Britanian Empires royal family becomes involved in a terrorist attack and finds a mysterious girl who provides him with the mysterious power which he calls Geass. Lelouch decides to use his Geass to find his mother's murderers, destroy the Britannian Empire, and create a better world.
There were many great Mecha Anime of the nineties including Mobile Suit Gundam Wing and Neon Genesis Evangalion but I decided to go with Leoch of The Rebellion I feel there was a little more edge due to the use of an extra supernatural power. It has great story and some incredible action everything you would want with a mecha anime.
8) Assassination Classroom
The Earth is threatened by a powerful creature who destroyed 70% of the Moon with its power, rendering into the shape of a crescent forever. The creature claims that within a year, Earth will also be destroyed by him, but he offers mankind a chance to avert this fate. He will teach class 3-E at Kunugigaoka Junior High School! It’s your typical class of losers and trouble makers. He starts working as a homeroom teacher where he teaches his students not only regular subjects, but the ways of assassination.
Crazy comedy, incredible action, twists and turns Assassination Classroom really does have it all. This Anime will have you laughing at times and crying at others, what more can you ask for.
7) Astra lost in Space
In the year 2063, eight high school students and a child are flown out to Planet Camp, tasked with surviving on their own for a few days. But shortly after arriving, an ominous glowing orb wraps around them, transporting them to an unknown quadrant of space, nearly 5,012 light years away. Now, the only way back home is a slow, dangerous trek across the universe.
One of the more recent releases on this list, the series aired in 2019 a great plot with mystery upon mystery and an awesome arrangement of characters, this Anime is both light hearted and yet full of threats and drama throughout and well deserving of its spot on this list despite being a relatively short series of only 12 episodes its great quick watch.
6) Guyver
While investigating a mysterious explosion, Sho Fukamachi discovers the Chronos Corporation's greatest weapon: a techno-organic suit of bio-armor known as the Guyver. With Chronos determined to conceal its secrets, Sho finds himself relentlessly pursued by an army of horrific bio-monsters. When he runs out of options, Sho is forced to call upon the fearsome powers of the Guyver.
So there is actually 2 versions of this Anime one released in the 1989 and a rebooted version in 2005, I have a particular fondness for the 1989 release as it was the first Anime I ever watched, my brother had the 1992 English dub VHS release. It changed my entire view I had never seen animation or action like this, I was hooked, I loved Anime. Unfortunately it only lasted 12 episodes. The 2005 release brought back so many memories although this time the Anime followed the core source marital from the Manga much closer than it’s predecessor and although it lasted 24 episodes the story was still unfinished. In fact I’m starting a petition bring back Guyver and complete the story and not a Netflix CGI.
5) Dr Stone
Thousands of years pass and high schoolers Senku and Taiju awaken in an overgrown version of the world they once knew. With Senku as the brains and Taiju as the brawn, they’re determined to revive the petrified masses and rebuild civilization.
The only series on this list that is actually a current ongoing series, Dr Stone is not just a great comedy it has a great story too. It’s actually quite informative about history, science and survival so much in fact it comes with a warning regarding Laws about foraging and other techniques used in the anime without expertise.
4) Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans
When a private security company from Mars known as the CGS, made up of a group of misfits and orphans, accepts a mission to protect a young states woman seeking to liberate the Martian city of Chryse from Earth’s rule, it sets off a chain of events that threatens to send the galaxy back to war.
Mobile Suit Gundam has long history in Anime dating back 1979 and there have been so many series, some good, some okay and some bad. This is my favourite of all the series, released in 2015 its not actually the most recent series. The Animation is Crisp, the action sequences are incredible, the plot is intense. It’s an underdog story, as a great cast of cliche misfits are trying to overcome the odds with the incredible Mikazuki, one of my all time favourite characters and his Mobile Suit Barbatos.
3) Cowboy Bebop
Bounty hunting in the far future, Spike is an easy going dude with some deadly skills in martial arts. Together with his partners, Jet Black former ISSP oficer, and later Faye Valentine as well as Ed and their faithful dog Ein, they go from job to job across the galaxy looking for the high priced fugitives to bag.
I do not know if I can say anything that has not already said about Cowboy Bebop this is a universally loved Anime. It is critically acclaimed and rightfully so, its an Anime that has truly lasted the test of time released in 1998 it still holds up today as one of the best Anime ever.
2) Steins Gate
Okabe Rintarou is a self-proclaimed mad scientist who invents 'Future Gadgets' in a small 'lab' in Akihabara above an old electrical goods store with the help of his friends. When he meets Kurisu it sets of a chain of events that leads to the tragic death of his childhood friend. Could his latest invention using a Microwave and phone send a message to the past to stop these events from happening or will Okabe be driven mad trying.
This is the only Anime not to have come from a Manga series on this list, in fact the source material is adapted from the critically acclaimed visual novel by 5pb and Nitroplus. Another of my all time favourite protagonists this excellent mystery thriller is truly stunning and incredible from the Animation, characters and story I cannot praise this enough. There was second season dubbed Stiens Gate Zero, which erase the last two episodes, and although not as good as the first season I would still recommend watching it.
1) Sword Art Online
In the year 2022 virtual reality is the only way to play games with full dive technology creating a fully immersive environment, a massive multiplayer online role-playing game called Sword Art Online (SAO) is released. However everything is not as it seems and the players are sent into turmoil when the creator informs them that there is no way to log out, the only way out is by completing all 99 levels.
I don’t care what anybody has to say I love Sword Art Online I know it has a fair share of haters and critics but I honestly do not care, it is my all time favourite Anime. In particular the first Arc Aincrad from the first episode I was hooked I loved the premiss. I related to main character Kirito in so many ways and his love story with Asuna is just beautiful. The subsequent arcs I did feel lacked that something the original arc had, but I feel that the recent film Ordinal Scale and following season 3 has brought back that feel and drama. Another thing that I love about SAO is the soundtrack It’s so beautiful and so fitting with the action and drama.
As with last time these picks are just based on my opinion of shows that I have seen, there are still so many series I am yet to watch. As always I encourage you to go out and watch as much Anime as you can, there really is something for everyone. Most of these Anime on this list are available to stream and watch, on Cruchyroll, Funaimation and Netfix. Most will be available to buy on DVD and Blu Ray on amazon, although you can also look to support small time sellers, on eBay such as www.ebay.co.uk/str/kurucollections
The Great British Otaku
Andrew More
Kuru Collections
Good list! I've just watched both Vampire Hunter D's, Dantes Inferno and started on the manga Avengers series that's on Disney Plus (and incredibly mental). Will be giving some of your suggestions a try later