Netflix’s original anime, Make My Day, is based on an original story by Yasuo Ohtagaki. Created by 5 Inc., a Taiwanese 3D CG Studio, the anime has been directed by Makoto Honda. Contrary to the traditional hand-drawn anime that we are used to, this anime is a CGI project.
The announcement for the anime was made back in June 2021 on Netflix Geeked via Twitter. The initial information was about an anime film, but it turns out that the project was modified into a series that was released on Netflix on 2 February 2023.
The anime is set on a cold planet encompassing ice and snow, appropriately named Coldfoot. Coldfoot comprises a valuable and rare ore called “sig.” Superficially, the planet appears to be a faultless utopia, but the reality is far from it.
In order to obtain the ore “sig,” prisoners are made to serve their sentence by doing back-breaking labor to mine the ore in this barely habitable environment. One day, bizarre creatures come up to the surface from the mine, attacking the prisoners.
James ‘Jim’ Mirror, a young prison guard deployed on the planet Coldfoot, is one of the first to witness the horrific events where human habitation is being attacked by this mysterious creature. Jim is a passionate artist but is stuck in his job, located lightyears away from home.
Jim, along with other prison guards, go for a roundabout after a prison work crew goes missing, and to their horror, they encounter disturbing secrets of this new planet. Jim balances out his extraordinary job role with the help of his grandfather Ed and his friends.
Nothing, however, is the same as they now have a mission to escape the planet alive, escaping the attacks of the creatures and trying to save the lives of the people he cares about.
This adventure, paired with other obstacles, such as internal politics within the workforce, creates an intense environment where nothing is what it seems.
With a score of 5.82 on MAL, the anime received mixed reviews. The 3D animation style is not something that regular anime watchers would expect, but if the sci-fi genre and otherworldly phenomena, along with the darker side of human nature, interest you, then you can give this one a shot.
Space Dandy
Space Dandy is based on a pompadour-wearing bounty hunter named Dandy who hunts for aliens in outer space and must get an unknown species as he works in an industry where prizes are awarded to those who get the otherworldly creations fastest.
Dandy is joined by an overworked robot assistant named QT and a friend with feline characteristics named Meow. They make up a team that is not so bright and well-intentioned and face challenges throughout the course of the anime.
Dandy needs to find new alien life forms in the universe and register them in the Space Alien Registration Center. Dandy, along with his crew, resides in a ship captained by him named the Aloha Oe.
Dandy, along with his crew, goes on exciting and thrilling adventures, every day a new one. Their aim is to bag the reward for their bounty, but it is not as simple as it seems, and their expeditions often turn out to be misadventures where they themselves go through unimaginable situations and forms, only to appear normal in the next episode.
While he is involved in various unfortunate romantic rendezvous, unbelievable scenarios, and life-threatening situations, Dandy and his crew are also a target of an evil scientist named Dr. Gel of the Gogol Empire and his minions.
Dandy is unaware of the chase by Dr. Gel which he manages to escape, and the reason for Dandy’s hunt, a mystery.
- Genre: Science fiction, Comedy
- Studio: Bones
- Duration: 2 seasons, 26 episodes
- Score on MAL: 7.88
- Aired: 5 January 2014 to 25 September 2014
- Where to Watch: Hulu, Crunchyroll, Funimation
Tekkaman Blade (Uchuu no Kishi Tekkaman Blade)
‘Tekkaman Blade,’ also known as ‘Uchuu no Kishi Tekkaman Blade,’ is a retelling of the anime ‘Tekkaman The Space Knight,’ both created by the same studio, Tatsunoko Production. The story was written by Mayori Sekijima and Satoru Akahori, and the directive lead was taken by Hiroshi Negishi.
The story is essentially a battle between the alien species who go by the name Radam and an organization named the Space Knights. The Space Knights have a much-needed advantage as they have an armored warrior called the Tekkaman Blade, assisted by Takaya Aiba, who eventually gets nicknamed Dangerous Boy or ‘D-Boy.’
The alien race of Radam, consisting of armored Tekkaman warriors and bug-like monsters, led by Tekkaman Omega, invade the Earth to a point where it becomes impossible for the inhabitants to survive the attacks.
The Space Knight is a special defense force protecting life in the United Earth Year of 192. The organization consists of the group commander, Heinrich von Freeman; the Space Knight ship, Blue Earth’s pilot, Noal Vereuse; the communications operator, Milly; the Blue Earth’s navigator, Aki Kirasagi; Levin, the computer mechanic; and Honda, the group’s mechanic.
Over the course of this 50-episode-long anime (including Episode 0), we discover the truth about the Radam species and how the Tekkaman, with their unbelievably dense shield, superhuman and quantum abilities, were created.
We also get to know why Tekkaman Blade or D-Boy is supporting the Space Knights as opposed to the handful of other Tekkaman on the opposing side of Radam.
The anime has decent animation for most parts, especially considering the fact that it was released a long time back. It is suitable to watch for all ages and gets better through the course with the characters developing and the plot evolving, garnering the interest of its viewers.
- Genre: Mecha, Military, Space, Science fiction, Drama, Action, Adventure, Romance
- Studio: Tatsunoko Production
- Duration: 50 episodes + 3 OVA + Tekkaman Blade ll (6 episode OVA)
- Score on MAL: 7.45
- Aired: 18 February 1992 to 21 April 1995
- Where to Watch: Amazon
Mobile Suit Gundam (Kidou Senshi Gundam)
The vast franchise of Gundam began in 1979 with the release of Mobile Suit Gundam. For this very reason, the anime is also called by the name of First Gundam, Gundam 0079, or Gundam 79. Mobile Suit Gundam was the fundamental anime that paved the way for successive spin-offs and sequels.
The story is set in the futuristic timeline of the calendar year ‘Universal Century’ 0079. Humanity has begun to settle in outer space living in colonies. The Earth Federation is the heart of this newly established civilization that is a result of overpopulation.
Their way of living gets disrupted as the Space Colony, under the guidance of the Principality of Zeon, has declared a war of Independence from the Earth Federation called the One Year War. Zeon has the advantage to make up for their smaller manpower, and it is the powerful Mobile Suits that is a new type of humanoid weapon.
This war affects not only almost every space colony and lunar settlement but every continent on Earth as well. The war, which lasted over eight months and resulted in the loss of almost half the humanity, has now been settled into a dissatisfying deadlock.
The 15-year-old civilian Amuro Ray is a mechanic who gets caught in the frenzy of it all. The teenager accidentally discovers the Federation’s new prototype armory, called the RX-78 Gundam, with which they hope to defeat any uprising.
Amuro Ray becomes the designated pilot of this weapon and is used to protect the Earth Federation and the civilization from the attacks of the Principality of Zeon, but to what extent they are able to achieve the goal must be found out.
The anime, apart from focusing on war and high-stakes battles, also showcases politics, manipulation, and loss.
The anime did not gain much applause when it was initially released but gained popularity after its cancellation as an anime, after which the creators morphed the project into 43 episodes that garnered a lot of audiences and positive reviews.
- Genre: Mecha, Science fiction, Adventure, Action, Military
- Studio: Sunrise
- Duration: 43 episodes
- Score on MAL: 7.76
- Aired: 7 April 1979 to 26 January 1980
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
Also read: Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Season 2 Episode 2: Release Date & Streaming Guide.
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, which translates to Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch, is popularly referred to as simply Code Geass. The original story of Code Geass was written by Ichirō Ōkouchi, and the anime was directed by Gorō Taniguchi while the production was done by Sunrise.
The anime is set in a parallel universe where the world has been divided into three Superpowers, namely, the Holy Britannian Empire referring to the Americas, also known as the Britannia; the Chinese Federation, pertaining to Asia; and the Europa United, which depicts Europe and Africa.
The story is set in a time after the Holy Britannian Empire has taken control over Japan, rendering them without any freedom or rights and mockingly giving them the title of Area 11 while all the people hailing from there are referred to as Elevens.
The protagonist of the story is Lelouch vi Britannia, an exiled Britannian prince whose mother, Marianne vi Britannia, was murdered and the witness of this, Lelouch’s sister, Nunnally vi Britannia, suffers from the trauma and is unable to walk or see.
Resentful towards his father, Emperor Charles zi Britannia, for not investigating the crime that took place in a high-security Palace and not seeking justice for his mother, Lelouch eventually sets out to find out the truth and seek revenge.
Lelouch eventually becomes a popular student yet reserved student at the Ashford Academy and becomes involved in terrorist activities putting him in trouble with the Britannian Royal Guard. With the help of a deal, C.C., a mystifying girl, saves Lelouch from the Britannian Royal Guard.
The deal grants Lelouch, who now goes by the name Lelouch Lamperouge, magical powers which are known as the ‘Power of Kings.’ This power needs to be used on others judiciously as he can only use it once by making eye contact with them, commanding them to make them do whatever he wants, even if it means being willing to sacrifice their life.
Lelouch, disguised as the vigilante Zero, leads an uprising movement called the Black Knights, hoping to create a better world for Nunnally and his sister and get revenge for what was done to his mother, Marianne.
Lelouch is, however, unaware of the full extent of his powers and must realize his full potential to gain an advantage over his enemies.
The anime was praised by the viewers as well as the critic and received a score of 8.7 on IMDb as well as MAL.
- Genre: Mecha, Superpower, Action
- Studio: Sunrise
- Duration: 2 seasons, 50 episodes
- Score on MAL: 8.70
- Aired: 6 October 2006 to 28 September 2008
- Where to Watch: Netflix, Crunchyroll, Hulu
Also read: Code Geass Watch Order: Anime, Movies & OVAs
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a 10-episode-long standalone anime that premiered on Netflix in September 2022. The animation of the anime was done by Japanese Studio Trigger with the regulation of Polish CD Projekt.
The anime is set in the same universe as Cyberpunk, created by Mike Pondsmith, and serves as a prequel to the game Cyberpunk 2077, explaining the events of a year prior to the story of Cyberpunk 2077.
The story takes place in the dystopic Night City based in the Free State of California. Night City is an ultra-modern, fully-functioning city that seems to be obsessed with cybernetic implants and is riddled with corruption and violence.
Each of the six districts that the Night City is divided into is controlled by giant corporations, bringing in the rivalry for autonomy. Two of the major rival corporations include Arasaka and Militech.
The story primarily focuses on the disadvantaged and most industrial district of Santo Domingo, where our protagonist, David Martinez, is from. David is a hotheaded but talented kid who risks everything owing to his lifestyle. He has taken to the life of a thug after a sudden tragedy in his life.
To survive the world around him that would consider him a misfit, he decides to lead his life on the wrong side of the tracks. He becomes an Edgenrunner or someone who is known as a Cyberpunk, who are basically black marketers in the field of high technology.
The anime has received positive reviews for its storyline, the world it created as well as the animation, along with a whooping score of 8.3 on IMDb. It is a must-watch for people interested in watching futuristic dystopia with unconventionally advanced technology.
- Genre: Science fiction, Psychological, Gore, Action
- Studio: Trigger
- Duration: 10 episodes
- Score on MAL: 8.61
- Aired: 13 September 2022
- Where to Watch: Netflix
Also read: 20 Anime Like Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, The Talk of the Town
Space Brothers (Uchuu Kyoudai)
The manga series, which was later adapted into an anime, was written and illustrated by Chūya Koyama. The 99-episode-long anime was created by the A-1 Pictures studio. The anime series was followed by an anime movie that premiered in August 2014, named Space Brother #0.
The story follows two brothers, Hibito and his elder brother Mutta Nanba. The two of them are stargazing in the summer of 2006 when they witness what appears to be a UFO flying off toward the moon. That very night, the two of them make a promise to themselves to be astronauts when they grow up.
Hibito aims to reach for the moon, while Mutta Nanba, as the elder brother, feels that he needs to outshine Hibito and promises to aim for Mars. As fate would have it, Mutta Nanba works at an automotive company, not quite fulfilling his childhood dreams, while Hibito is all set to become the first Japanese to set foot on the Moon.
Mutta Nanba can still turn things around as he decides to change his career path after he loses his job and is met with an opportunity that can help him fulfill his childhood desires.
The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, popularly known as JAXA, has accepted Mutta’s application to take part in the next cycle for the selection of astronauts. The journey is challenging for Mutta, who is riddled with self-doubts, but his willingness to give it a shot overpowers his fears.
- Genre: Science fiction, Comedy, Workplace
- Studio: A-1 Pictures
- Duration: 99 episodes
- Score on MAL: 8.49
- Aired: 1 April 2012 to 22 March 2014
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
Planetes
The science fiction manga series, Planetes was written as well as illustrated by Makoto Yukimura. The manga got adapted into a 26-episode-long anime series by Sunrise. The story is set in the futuristic year of 2075, where traveling back and forth space is a part of daily life.
Humankind has taken over the moon. They have established commercialization in outer space, set up large corporations in space, and are on their way to achieving capitalism in outer space.
The story follows the life of Ai Tanabe, who is a hopeful and ambitious woman joining the Technora Corporation to work in the Debris Section. Who are essentially responsible for collecting and removing space debris between the orbits of Earth and the Moon to avoid any collisions between the space stations, satellites, or space crafts with the debris.
The Debris Section, although much needed, is looked down upon and not appreciated for its work, not to mention the department is understaffed and underpaid. It is considered to be a loss-making venture and is considered a joke.
The Debris Section has been allotted a shabby spaceship nicknamed the ‘Toy Box’ to retrieve the debris.
The once excited Ai Tanabe gets acquainted with her team members that, include Philippe Myers, who is a confused yet good-natured man. Edelgard Rivera, who is reserved and mysterious, and the impulsive and passionate Hachirouta Hoshino, who hopes to own a spaceship.
Many plots develop throughout the series, including the mission to explore Jupiter, while the focus for most parts remains on the character development of the debris collectors in the backdrop of the vast and endless space.
Through the series, concepts of colonization, internal politics at the workplace, capitalism, and other such phenomena are covered, while the technical aspect of the show is given due diligence.
- Genre: Science fiction, Drama, Romance, Workplace
- Studio: Sunrise
- Duration: 2 seasons, 26 episodes
- Score on MAL: 8.26
- Aired: 4 October 2003 to 17 April 2004
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
Parasyte: The Maxim (Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu)
The uneventful and usual life of the seventeen-year-old boy, Shinichi Izumi, gets turned upside down after his encounter with the Parasyte. These parasitic aliens have come to descend on the Earth while preying on the human species by getting inside their heads and taking complete control of their bodies.
The Parasytes feed on their human prey by burrowing into the skin and getting inside their body through their ears or mouths and, in Shinichi’s case, his nose. The Parasyte aims to gain control over his mind and body, ultimately feeding on him but takes a detour to his hand as he wakes up midway.
The Parasyte now resides in Shinichi’s right hand, hence going by the name Migi, which means ‘right.’ Due to the unusual situation, Shinichi and Migi form a symbiotic relationship and learn to deal with each other.
Migi and Shinichi must co-exist in harmony as other hostile Parasytes aims to put an end to the threatening species that was created owing to the amalgamation of Shinichi and Migi. The two are now responsible for saving their own as well as their companion’s life, and they do this while the rest of their kind are at war with each other.
The anime covers the possession of the human species by mere parasites while it presents a commentary on the human tendency to put themselves on a pedestal while negating the right to life and dignity of other beings.
It also speculates on the treatment of humankind towards nature and other living beings while also focusing on the importance of love and what it means to care. With a score of 8.3 on IMDb, this critically acclaimed anime is a must-watch for science fiction lovers who can manage gory scenes.
- Genre: Science fiction, Horror, Action, Gore, Psychological
- Studio: Madhouse
- Duration: 24 episodes
- Score on MAL: 8.34
- Aired: 9 October 2014 to 26 March 2015
- Where to Watch: Netflix, Crunchyroll, Hulu
Also read: Anime Like Parasyte Kiseijuu To Watch in 2022
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion was produced by Gainax and was animated by Tatsunoko. The writer and director of the series, Hideaki Anno, based the story of this anime on his real-life experiences suffering from depression.
This classic anime revolves around the life of Shinji Ikari, a teenage boy who pretty much looks after himself as his father and Shinji have been estranged for a long time. He is summoned one day by his father, Gendo, to his place of work, the Nerv Headquarters in the city of Tokyo-3.
The young boy has been called upon to pilot a gigantic bio-machine mecha called Evangelion or Eva. He is the pilot of Eva 01 and eventually meets two other pilots, Asuka Langley Sohryu and Rei Ayanami, who are his age and have distinct personalities.
Shinji lives in the care of one of the senior workers at Nerv, named Misato Katsuragi, who lives a carefree life as a bachelor with a pet penguin. The two are eventually joined by Atsuka, and the dynamic of the three of them is extremely interesting and, at times, hilarious.
Shinji and the two other pilots have been summoned to save the civilization by terminating mysterious otherworldly beings known as ‘Angels.’ The truth and real source of these Angels that keep appearing regularly is still a mystery, but their impact is destructive, and they must be stopped.
The main story focuses on the battle between the Evas and the Angels, but we also get a deep dive into the lives of the characters who struggle psychologically at some level but have to be prepared for a demanding job in order to save the world.
Every character in this anime is well-written and has depth to them. The viewer is bound to develop a sense of empathy for them because they are, in the midst of all the chaos, still very human experiencing challenges that we all have faced ourselves.
The journey of seeing them enjoy a victory, being overwhelmed by their situation, losing, and getting back up makes you want to root for them. None of the characters are perfect, and their flaws give the anime the brilliance that it is well known for.
The art style of this anime is oddly beautiful, and the characters may not always seem likable, but if you stick around for some time, you are sure to be fascinated by them and will grow to understand and root for them. The opening of this anime is one of the most iconic songs that I personally can never get myself to skip.
The time and effort that was put into making it clearly shows, but a fair warning to those planning to watch it as the topic that this anime explores include trauma and various psychological stressors.
The anime is widely critically acclaimed and attracted audiences from all over the globe and acquired a high score of 8.5 on IMDb. People who do not regularly watch anime must have heard of this one, as it is one of the most popular ones to exist.
- Genre: Mecha, Science fiction, Avant Garde, Drama, Psychological
- Studio: Gainax, Tatsunoko Production
- Duration: 26 episodes + 2 Movies
- Score on MAL: 8.35
- Aired: 4 October 1995 to 27 March 1996
- Where to Watch: Netflix
Also read: Neon Genesis Evangelion Watch Order & Guide
