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There are plenty of anime that receive attention because of their elaborate fight scenes, recognisable characters, or massive manga following. Then there are series that tell some interesting stories without receiving nearly the same attention. If you’re looking for something beyond the usual recommendations, these three anime are worth adding to your watchlist.
1. Planetes
What if humanity had already conquered space, but nobody wanted to deal with the rubbish left behind?Planetestakes place in 2075, when space travel has become an ordinary part of human life. The story follows a crew working in the Space Debris Section of a corporation, tasked with collecting discarded satellites, broken equipment, and other objects floating around Earth’s orbit.
The protagonist, Hachirota Hoshino, dreams of owning his own spacecraft and travelling further into space. However, his current job involves some fairly unglamorous work. The series uses this setting to explore ordinary workplace frustrations, personal ambitions, relationships, and the difficulties of making a living in an environment where even a small mistake can prove fatal.
Sunrise produced the 26-episode anime, which aired between 2003 and 2004. Makoto Yukimura wrote the original four-volume manga.
2. Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit
A wandering female bodyguard must protect a young prince after his own father orders his assassination. That’s the premise ofMoribito: Guardian of the Spirit, a fantasy adventure that places its focus on the relationship between its two central characters.
Balsa is an experienced spear fighter who takes on the responsibility of protecting Prince Chagum. The boy carries a mysterious water spirit within him, and the emperor believes his existence threatens the kingdom. As Balsa and Chagum flee, they uncover the truth behind the spirit and the kingdom’s history.
Production I.G animated the 26-episode series, which premiered in 2007. Kenji Kamiyama directed the adaptation of Nahoko Uehashi’s fantasy novel.
3. The Eccentric Family
Kyoto has a rather unusual population inThe Eccentric Family. Alongside humans, the city is home to tanuki who can transform into different objects and creatures, as well as tengu who live above the ordinary world.
The story follows Yasaburō Shimogamo, a carefree tanuki dealing with family rivalries, the mysterious circumstances surrounding his father’s death, and a group of humans known as the Friday Fellows. P.A. Works produced the anime, which ran for two 13-episode seasons in 2013 and 2017. Tomihiko Morimi wrote the original novels.
These three series offer very different experiences, but they share one quality: their premises give them room to tell stories that don’t rely on the usual anime formulas. They’re worth checking out when you want something different from another tournament arc or supernatural battle.
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