Best planetary romance anime

Summary

• Super Dimension Fortress Macross is a deep saga of space exploration and romance, marking a milestone in science fiction anime.
• Cowboy Bebop tells a star-crossed love story across alien worlds with jazz-infused action and personal character arcs.
• Space Pirate Captain Harlock is a rebellious space adventure with nostalgia and classic science fiction elements.

Not to be confused with love and relationships, planetary romance is a subgenre of science fiction that focuses on long journeys, the discovery of new worlds, or the daily lives of humans or aliens. It's also about the adventure of visiting and discovering new and surprising worlds. Anime series there is quite little focus on this type of storytelling, but here are some great examples for those who want to take a look at an example of this genre.

These eight planetary romance anime series are ones that every fan of the sci-fi genre needs to watch at least once. From an all-time classic that remains the finest example of planetary romance, to one of the most infamous science fiction anime series ever created.

8 Super dimensional fortress Macross

The father of the genre and the mother of idols

Macross (also known as Robotech) represents the best of the Planetary Romance genre, with a deep emphasis on romance. An intergenerational saga of humanity entering the golden age of space exploration and leaving Earth to conquer the Galaxy. On their journey they will discover many allies, enemies, and the secret behind the technology they have repurposed to try to become a galactic civilization.

A love letter to science fiction classics, created by Akira Inoue and Hiroshi Iwata and written by the legendary Kenichi Matsuzaki. This series not only marks a before and after in the history of science fiction anime (and Japanese animation in general), but also created one of the most iconic tropes of Japanese pop culture: The Idols. The figure of Lynn Min-May is considered to this day the mother of all idols in anime culture and, along with Rick Hunter, the avatars of space romance in animation.

7 Cowboy Bebop

A doomed love story across alien worlds

A legend among fans of the neo-noir genre and action westerns, Cowboy Bebop is the doomed love story of a man, his past love, and a woman who is trying to convince him to let go. All in all, the adventure of Spike Spiegel and the Bebop crew is a planetary love story, with high doses of drama, tragedy and action.

Through 26 episodes of thrilling sequences, the series tells the story of how a former mobster became a bounty hunter, traveling across wondrous (and dangerous) worlds chasing fugitives and trying to make a living. Each character's personal stories, motivations and deepest, darkest secrets are told to the rhythm of jazz. Unfortunately, this is too short a series, but that's its charm as the story comes full circle without the need for endless renewal.

6 Space pirate captain Harlock

In an era where humanity is stagnant, space exploration is the highest form of rebellion

Also known as The Adventures of Captain Harlock (or simply Captain Harlock), this series depicts a future in which humanity has abandoned all ambitions of galactic expansion and has instead turned to debauchery, causing society to stagnate into a hypercapitalist dystopia. In this age where nothing new has a price, several men decide to take up their spaceships and head towards the stars in search of the unknown. This act of rebellion against the establishment becomes a treaty for governments, who decide to label these intrepid companions as “Space Pirates”.

Aboard his faithful ship Arcadia, Harlock and his crew traverse the deep voids of the solar system in search of answers, while a boy who was robbed of his father vows revenge against a mysterious race known as the Amazons, who are planning to invade Earth. . All in all, this anime series is a good old-fashioned planetary romance, with high doses of nostalgia and classic sci-fi clichés. A timeless masterpiece that fans of science fiction anime should not miss.

5 Outlaw star

A classic fantasy tale of treasure hunting, in space

For those who understand how 90s anime works by balancing comedy and drama, Outlaw star it's more or less like the Hunters of planetary romantic sci-fi anime. Not only does he have a similar style, but he also approaches serious events with a light-hearted and positive mood. This story is about a group of misfits who wander the stars (and planets) aboard their mercenary spaceship in search of the mythical Galactic Dragon Ley Line, a place said to be full of treasure and other resources.

If fans found “Treasure Planet” appealing, then this series has all the positives of the film (and more). Told from a morally gray perspective, and without beating around the bush, the series is a 26-episode epic. A gem from the era when anime was short and explosive and could be binge-watched.

4 The legend of the galactic heroes

A powerful and heartbreaking planetary love story

Humanity has expanded to the farthest corners of the Milky Way, terraforming everything in its wake, creating wondrous worlds filled to the brim with beauty and danger. Two opposing forces fight for control of all civilizations created by man: one is the Galactic Empire and the other is the Alliance of Free Planets, formed by a branch of the best of humanity who managed to escape by entering the remotest corners of the galaxy. .

In an environment where galactic war is inevitable, heroes will rise, new alliances will be forged, and even a cult will emerge, calling for all the lost lambs born to humanity to return to their origins. A series with so much to tell that it's impossible to summarize in a few words, and a must for any fan of sci-fi anime.

3 Knights of Sidonia

The last bastion of humanity is defended by Mecha pilots

Sidonia No Kishi is a great anime series about space travel. It has deep roots in post-Macross culture and has been universally recognized as its rightful heir. However, many also believe it has an identity of its own, due to the plot's ties to transhumanism and biopunk. In this 24-episode epic we follow a mecha pilot, born from the lower statuses of Sidonia: a society built from the remains of planet Earth after it was destroyed by a mysterious alien race.

In a society that has evolved beyond barriers of gender, love and even romance, the conflict against the Gauna will unleash a sudden change among the inhabitants of this planetary ship. Just like in Macross, we witness a true planetary love story and a story of survival against an enemy impossible to defeat: extinction.

2 Astra: Lost in space

A story of homecoming, from unknown regions of space

A group of young and talented students are stranded in an abandoned spaceship and drift into an unknown region of space. They will have to do whatever it takes to return home and survive the perilous journey through strange and dangerous worlds.

A planetary love story that mixes the best of Macross with many sci-fi clichés. Mysteries to unravel, the vastness and solitude of open space, a dangerous saboteur who endangers the crew, and many twists and turns in this thrilling adventure among the stars.

1 Vandread

In a dystopian future, man and woman must learn to live together again

Vandread became famous for several reasons: when it was released, it proposed a single-gender society in which men lived with men and married each other, while women married women and did the same. The only way to have children was through parthenogenesis, and this was so rare that the mere sight of a human child was something absolutely disconcerting. When a low-ranking mechanic from the slums tries to steal a combat robot, he ends up finding himself in the middle of a space battle between the crew members of an invading ship from the rival planet of Mejere.

Little does he know that his senseless act will set in motion a series of events that will cause women and men to mix again after centuries, and reveal a dark secret about the original settlers who had a very good reason for separating men from women. This polarizing planetary romance is pretty good (narratively speaking), but it was pretty cutting edge for the time it was released. Nowadays it will also be frowned upon for some of the topics it deals with and for its excessive fan service. So it has gained both followers and detractors: you either love it or hate it.