What does the future hold for us? Some anime try to answer this question and show scenarios that depict life in the future.
Most of them belong to the sci-fi genre but you will be amazed to learn that some of them are not that scientific.
So here are the best anime set in the future. They are ranked according to how well anime can describe future scenarios.
Table of Contents
15. Space Dandy
The legendary master Watanabe decides after the huge success of Cowboy Bebop to return to the scene with Space Dandy, another work destined to remain in history.
The plot is not linear. We are in a future where humanity has reached the edge of the universe. Dandy, the protagonist, is an alien hunter and self-proclaimed “first dandy of space.”
The anime consists of a series of self-contained episodes, with an apparent narrative discontinuity between them. It will not be uncommon to see our protagonists perish, only to see them intact in the next episode.
The real highlight of the vision is the comedy and lightness with which the narrated events are treated, creating an excellent viewing experience without commitment, just for a laugh.
14. Black Bullet
A rather well-known anime that combines in itself science fiction elements with pure action. Released in 2014 in 13 episodes, we are talking about Black Bullet.
The earth in a near future has been attacked by a race of parasites called Gastrea, which has decimated humanity. As a result, agents specializing in their defeat are born, including protagonists Rantaro and Enju.
A very enjoyable anime despite not being without flaws, which are, however, offset by a good technical and sound compartment.
13. The irregular at Magic School
From the light novel of the same name, the anime The Irregular at Magic School was born in 2014.
Set in the late 21st century, the story is set in a future where magic has become commonplace, merging with technology. The events follow the lives of a group of boys attending the school, who will experience various mysteries.
This work has many indisputable merits, ranging from the excellent technical and sound compartment to the excellent characterization and creation of believable relationships among the character.
A must-see if you are looking for an unpretentious anime.
12. Plastic Memories
If you are looking for an anime that in terms of its plot and themes ends up being a real punch in the chest, then Plastic Memories is just for you.
In the not-too-distant future, it has become customary to use human-like androids for the most common chores.
Their life expectancy, however, is limited to only nine years, and then they are decommissioned. But when the protagonist of the stories has to deal with the scrapping of certain units, he will make a discovery.
An anime that unabashedly relies on feelings, making them its pivotal theme. So get ready to feel strong emotions and shed a few tears.
11. Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040
Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 serves as a spiritual sequel within a parallel fictional universe to the original Bubblegum Crisis series, which debuted in 1987.
This underrated Sci-Fi/mecha series distinguishes itself by offering retrofuturistic atmospheres and narrative choices that stand apart from the usual conventions in the genre.
So it’s quite obvious to consider it as one of the best ’90s cyberpunk anime.
Following a mysterious earthquake that isolates Tokyo, Genom rises to become a significant social force by providing Boomers, cyborgs crucial for the city’s reconstruction.
Despite the benefits, some Boomers occasionally malfunction, posing a severe threat. To address this issue, the AD Police is established.
The protagonist, Linna Yamazaki, arrives in Tokyo intending to join the AD Police, but her journey takes unexpected turns as not everything unfolds according to plan.
The dark atmosphere is all there and you won’t be disappointed if you are looking for the usually grim cyberpunk setting.
10. Dennou Coil
Dennou Coil is an original anime from 2007, spanning 26 episodes filled with Sci-Fi and mystery.
It can be considered as a more accessible and family-friendly alternative to Serial Experiments Lain, but still don’t underestimate it because, despite its lighter tone, it still delivers its fair share of drama and uncomfortable scenes.
The story takes place in Japan in 2026, eleven years after an extraordinary development in augmented reality, which can be used through special visors, and cyber glasses.
Yiko Okonogi, an elementary school student, moves with her family to the small town of Daikoku, where there is a massive presence of cyber technology.
She will befriend Yuko, and the two will become involved in several technology-themed mysteries, including hacking and other deep tech things.
9. Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo
As you may have already widely guessed the inspiration for this anime is taken from Dumas’ novel, transposing characters and events into a futuristic animated version.
It is the year 5053, and the story is set in a human colony on the moon, where carnival is being celebrated.
Prominent among the guests is the Count of Monte Cristo, a decidedly apparent nobleman. Here he will accidentally make the acquaintance of the protagonist, but their relationship may not be the result of chance.
This vision makes its distinctive and recognizable animation technique its workhorse, resulting in a more unique than rare product that remains faithful to the original work while transposing it to a science fiction setting.
8. Space Battleship Yamato
It is 2199 and Earth has suffered a massive bombardment by radioactive asteroids. Soon, the entire planet becomes inhospitable and humans are forced to take temporary refuge underground.
The only hope will be provided by the planet Iskandar, which offers to donate a mechanism that can help them.
A World War II warship, the Yamato, is then exhumed from a dried-up seabed. It will be converted into a spaceship and crewed with 117 men, who must make this journey within a year, or it will be too late.
Not many of you will know this given its old age, but Space Battleship Yamato back in the day represented a real revolution in the industry.
Indeed, it was decided to move away from fictional themes with strong protagonists and aim for the first time at something more mature and relatable.
7. Psycho-Pass
Psycho-Pass is set in a futuristic society where it is possible to monitor and control an individual’s mental state and personality. It is then possible to assess the probability of a person committing a crime or not, the so-called Crime Coefficient.
If it exceeds a certain threshold, the Anti-Crime Section, consisting of Enforcers and Inspectors, intervenes. The story revolves around an Enforcer who exploits Psycho-Pass to deal with crime and Akane Tsunemori, a police inspector.
Psycho-Pass examines the theme of morality and what a possible society would look like if we were to implement such a control system.
6. Dr. Stone
Certainly one of the most closely watched and ambitious modern operas, which has been able to carve out its share of large audiences despite having just started.
Year 5738, all of humanity finds itself turned to stone due to a natural disaster. Ooki Taiju manages to awaken, thus being confronted with a completely different reality than he remembered.
After reuniting with his brilliant friend Senku, he will begin the story.
A work with a strong science fiction plot with a post-apocalyptic setting marked by the bleak and sad moors. We do not doubt that this series in the future if it maintains the pace of now will enter cult status.
5. Megalo Box
Megalo Box is an adrenaline injection in a futuristic world with a retro and steampunk vibe, released in 2018 wuth 13 episodes.
All of it is served with a wonderful hip-hop, rap and black music soundtrack that can be considered among the best of the last few years.
The series is an original story, although it is celebratory of an unreleased story created to celebrate 50 years of the Ashita no Joe manga.
The anime tells the story of Junk Dog, nicknamed JD, a boy who participates in Megalo Box matches, a futuristic variant of classic boxing to earn a living.
It takes place in a futuristic city where people live, according to income, in wealth or slums.
4. Ghost in the Shell
Based on the manga of the same name by Masamune Shirow, Ghost in the Shell is a work by Mamoru Oshii.
It is 2029 and the world is almost completely automated. Much of the population consists of individuals who have cybernetic grafts that can enhance their senses and faculties. Coupled with this, it is possible to find completely artificial people called cyborgs.
One of these is Motoko Kusanagi, and she is part of Section 9 of the police. It will be up to her to solve the case concerning a particular terrorist called the Puppeteer, who operates through cyborgs themselves.
3. Mobile Suit Gundam
The history of Gundam presents a division by universes, but you only need to know the most important one, namely Universal Century (UC), which encompasses the best works.
With its variety of themes and its attention to technological advancement, Mobile Suit Gundam is one of those series that will give you a fairly comprehensive idea of how interspatial conflict can be imagined. And that’s exactly why we consider it as one of the best anime set in space.
Despite humanity’s immense technological advances, wars continue and so does hatred, showing once again how technology and innovations are just tools in the hands of us humans.
Incidentally, a great many of the stereotypes or ideas of the mecha genre derive from Gundam itself, which although not the first work in this sense, is certainly one of the most important even outside of its genre of belonging.
Watch Gundam if you love politics and especially war consequences, the author Yoshiyuki Tomino criticizes war in a lot of ways during the series.
As stated in one of his interviews, war should never happen again, even though it’s impossible to get rid of it forever.
2. Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song
Produced by the more than well-known Wit Studio, Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song is an unreleased anime recently aired in 2021, consisting of 13 episodes in total.
The deeply science-fiction-driven story is set in 2056 when humanity invented androids. Our protagonist, Vivy, is one of them. The arrival of an android who claims to be from the future, however, disrupts everything.
A decidedly good anime, with a truly captivating plot and full of twists. We highly recommend this series if you’re looking for a great anime set in the future.
1. Cowboy Bebop
Impossible not to mention this masterpiece by Watanabe, one of the best works in the entire history of animation and probably the best sci-fi anime ever made.
Cowboy Bebop shows a not-too-future world where interspatial travel is the norm and Mars represents one of the cornerstones of humanity.
Unfortunately, it does not change one of the big problems in the story, namely organized crime, which is fought in a rather extravagant way by placing bounties on outlaws.
The bounty hunters are precisely called cowboys, hence the name of the title.
The characters are chased by the past and unable to rid themselves of certain burdens, so they are very conflicted and somewhat lonely, showing at times qualities far removed from those of classic hero stereotypes.
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