8 Best Anime About Space if You Are Tired of All These Star Wars Projects

Space is not the most popular topic in Japanese animation — stories about school routines or wizards' battles are much more beloved.

However, several space-themed titles have become classics, and others, while not achieving that status, are still a cut above what Disney is now doing with its main space franchise, Star Wars.

1. The Orbital Children, 2022

The year is 2045, and there is an unfinished station hotel in Earth orbit. A boy named Touya, who was born on the moon, lives here. Since people have abandoned further space exploration, he is the last child not born on Earth.

He is gradually being prepared to move to Earth, but he is not happy about the prospect. Nor is he happy about the arrival of guests — children from Earth who have been invited on a field trip. However, they will have to find a common language as a serious emergency occurs on the station and the kids find themselves cut off from the adults.

2. Harlock: Space Pirate, 2013

In the distant future, people who have settled throughout the galaxy are running out of resources. Many want to return home, but the planet's government, realizing that Earth cannot support billions of new residents, has forbidden the inhabitants of other worlds to even think of returning.

Captain Harlock, a space pirate, disagrees. He has a plan for the benefit of all mankind, and the authorities want to know about it, because Harlock is a dangerous enemy.

3. Planetes, 2003-2004

In the year 2075, mankind is settling in space. As a result of the intense activity, a lot of dangerous debris rotates near the Earth's orbit, which one day causes a catastrophe with a large number of victims.

After the precedent, a special department is created to clean the near-Earth space from debris and garbage. The main character, the enthusiastic and naive Ai Tanabe, joins the space garbage department.

Planetes belongs to the not very popular genre in Japan — hard science fiction. While working on the series, the creators took a course in space technology and physics.

4. Legend of the Galactic Heroes, 1988-1997

In the 35th century, humanity populated the galaxy without encountering any other intelligent beings. Two major political forces have gradually emerged: the Galactic Federation, which seeks to subjugate all planets, and the Free Planets Alliance.

On the side of the Federation fights Admiral Reinhard von Lohengramm, who secretly dreams of overthrowing the ruling dynasty and taking the imperial seat. In the Alliance, the most prominent person is Admiral Yang Wen-li, who becomes Lohengramm's main opponent.

5. Knights of Sidonia, 2014-2015

3394, a thousand years have passed since people left Earth, which was destroyed by alien monsters. Several giant ships have left the planet, but the Sidonia ship is alone in space, and its inhabitants do not know if the others survived.

To defend themselves against the aliens, they have huge piloted robots. However, there have been no incidents for so long that many people no longer believe in the existence of enemies and consider them a fiction.

One day, a boy named Nagate appears, who grew up in an underground city and knows no one but his own grandfather. Nagate turns out to be an excellent mecha pilot — and just in time, as the terrible creatures appear again.

6. Space Brothers, 2012-2014

As children, brothers Hibito and Mutta were very close, but Mutta, being the oldest, always felt he had to be first in everything. So when the kids saw a UFO and both were inspired to become astronauts, Hibito wanted to go to the moon and Mutta wanted to go to Mars.

Many years later, Hibito joins the cosmonaut corps and is about to become the first Japanese to fly to the moon. Meanwhile, Mutta loses his job at a car company and becomes disappointed in himself. His brother reminds him of his childhood oath, and he decides to take part in a competition for astronauts.

7. Space Battleship Yamato 2199, 2012-2013

In the year 2199, Earth is attacked by the alien civilization Gamilas. The aliens are constantly attacking the planet with meteorite bombs, turning it into a radioactive desert. Humanity is forced to move to underground cities, but this does not help much.

There is only one way to save Earth: fly to the planet Iscandar. There they can get a device that will help cleanse the planet of radiation. The government secretly equips the space cruiser Yamato for a long expedition. The crew will have to travel a great distance, and of course the enemy will not leave Yamato alone.

8. Astra Lost in Space, 2019

A group of eight students go on vacation to a space camp. For five days, they must survive on a strange planet and protect a ten-year-old girl. The teenagers barely know each other, and each has their own problems.

Everything would have stayed the same, but a mysterious orb intervenes and teleports them directly into space. An abandoned spaceship is discovered nearby, and the students decide to use it to get home. They are now much further away from Earth than before, and in order to get there alive, they have to stop at alien planets along the way to replenish their supplies of water and food.