Space Opera Anime
- Thread starter Soviet Heavy
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Oh, definitely not a space-opera, not by a long shot... it's too realistic for that! Awesome series, and one of the best 'hard sci-fi' pieces of media I've indulged in.Tallim said:
Only one of the lot I've seen, but I'd hesitate to call it space-opera because it's too sociologically minded. It's like Lord of the Flies in space... :/Fdzzaigl said:
Anyway, apart from those mentioned, Tytania, Crest/Banner of the Stars are the only ones that come to mind at the moment...
Armored Trooper VOTOMS: An intergalactic Mecha Story about a war that's raged for centuries and the reasons behind it. Starts a little slow but really picks up and has a fantastic finale. Also this is quite old as it was made in the 80's.
Macross: Frontier: Easily the most accessible of the Macross Series's, it's shiny, new, fast paced and generally fun to watch. The movies are also good but the series has a better ending.
Vandread: A funny Mecha Series about a Planet composed entirely of Men and a Planet composed entirely of Women that are constantly at war with each other and an accident that leaves 3 Men stranded aboard a ship full of Women. It's a little bit harem anime, a lot bit Mecha anime and is generally pretty fun to watch, even if the Copious CGI gets on ones nerves at times.
Space Runaway Ideon: Best consumed as a pair of movies (The Ideon: A Contact and The Ideon: Be Invoked), tells the story of a group of colonists who find an ancient alien ship and giant robot and get into conflict with a group of "lost humans" known as The Buff Clan. As the whole thing plays out like an epic tragedy this is "Space OPERA" in the truest sense of the word.
Birdy The Mighty: Decode: Only "sort of" a Space Opera as most of the story takes place on Earth, however it is about Galactic Politics coming to play on our small, insignificant planet so I sort of count it. Involves a Super Powered Space Police Woman named Birdy who accidentally kills a human boy and takes his consciousness into her body while he is "grown" a new one. Seems like the set up for a comedy but while there are lighter moments Birdy is much more an Action/Drama series with some light heartedness.
Heavy Metal L. Gaim: A Sci-Fi Mecha Series from Gundam Creator Yoshiyuki Tomino, essentially Star Wars with Mecha. Last member of a lost tribe with a mecha left to him by his father joins a rebellion to battle an Evil Empire. Well written and presented with some unique Mecha designs.
Lost Universe: It's Slayers in Space, has a ton of the same tropes and even takes place in the same Multi-verse. Only Lost Universe is a Funny Space Opera instead of a Funny High Fantasy.
Gundam: Gundam is a doozy to recommend as not all Gundam is created equal... some of it being very "un space opera-ey" and some of it being VERY Space Opera. Here's my "personal" viewing guide...
The Universal Century (watch In Order)
- Mobile Suit Gundam Movie Trilogy, a really excellent, concise overview of the original series.
- Mobile Suit Gundam: 8th MS Team, definitely NOT space opera but deals with a more "average" soldiers story during the war overviewed in the original Gundam Series (and movies). Really, really good regardless.
- Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, watch the series, a little old but pretty powerful.
- Gundam Double Zeta, try to survive to the halfway point, it gets very good.
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counter Attack, a grand but tragic conclusion to the Federation/Zeon Conflict.
- Gundam Unicorn, good but wait until it's done, this is where it falls in the timeline.
- Mobile Suit Victory Gundam, the final bloody chapter of the Universal Century, excellent but DARK.
Alternate Universes
- New Mobile Report Gundam Wing, I'm not a big fan but some consider it a classic.
- Turn A Gundam, my personal favorite Gundam Series, light on the Space Opera elements but it's a really good story, it essentially feels like "Hayao Miyazaki presents Gundam".
- Gundam SEED, alright if you can get past the cheap looking animation, also this show is ANGSTY! Avoid "SEED: Destiny" like the plague however.
- After War Gundam X, also light on the Space Opera but a fun series none the less. It has the same character designer and mecha designer as Gundam Wing but is a much stronger series overall.
- Gundam AGE, VERY Space Opera but also kind of weak, a great premise with bad execution but it has a really epic scope.
- Gundam 00, honestly I didn't like this and most of it takes place on Earth anyway.
- G Gundam, Not really Space Opera.
Overall if you're only going to check out ONE Gundam Series, I would recommend Turn A Gundam... even though it's not all that space opera-ish... it's just really friggin incredible.
Macross: Frontier: Easily the most accessible of the Macross Series's, it's shiny, new, fast paced and generally fun to watch. The movies are also good but the series has a better ending.
Vandread: A funny Mecha Series about a Planet composed entirely of Men and a Planet composed entirely of Women that are constantly at war with each other and an accident that leaves 3 Men stranded aboard a ship full of Women. It's a little bit harem anime, a lot bit Mecha anime and is generally pretty fun to watch, even if the Copious CGI gets on ones nerves at times.
Space Runaway Ideon: Best consumed as a pair of movies (The Ideon: A Contact and The Ideon: Be Invoked), tells the story of a group of colonists who find an ancient alien ship and giant robot and get into conflict with a group of "lost humans" known as The Buff Clan. As the whole thing plays out like an epic tragedy this is "Space OPERA" in the truest sense of the word.
Birdy The Mighty: Decode: Only "sort of" a Space Opera as most of the story takes place on Earth, however it is about Galactic Politics coming to play on our small, insignificant planet so I sort of count it. Involves a Super Powered Space Police Woman named Birdy who accidentally kills a human boy and takes his consciousness into her body while he is "grown" a new one. Seems like the set up for a comedy but while there are lighter moments Birdy is much more an Action/Drama series with some light heartedness.
Heavy Metal L. Gaim: A Sci-Fi Mecha Series from Gundam Creator Yoshiyuki Tomino, essentially Star Wars with Mecha. Last member of a lost tribe with a mecha left to him by his father joins a rebellion to battle an Evil Empire. Well written and presented with some unique Mecha designs.
Lost Universe: It's Slayers in Space, has a ton of the same tropes and even takes place in the same Multi-verse. Only Lost Universe is a Funny Space Opera instead of a Funny High Fantasy.
Gundam: Gundam is a doozy to recommend as not all Gundam is created equal... some of it being very "un space opera-ey" and some of it being VERY Space Opera. Here's my "personal" viewing guide...
The Universal Century (watch In Order)
- Mobile Suit Gundam Movie Trilogy, a really excellent, concise overview of the original series.
- Mobile Suit Gundam: 8th MS Team, definitely NOT space opera but deals with a more "average" soldiers story during the war overviewed in the original Gundam Series (and movies). Really, really good regardless.
- Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, watch the series, a little old but pretty powerful.
- Gundam Double Zeta, try to survive to the halfway point, it gets very good.
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counter Attack, a grand but tragic conclusion to the Federation/Zeon Conflict.
- Gundam Unicorn, good but wait until it's done, this is where it falls in the timeline.
- Mobile Suit Victory Gundam, the final bloody chapter of the Universal Century, excellent but DARK.
Alternate Universes
- New Mobile Report Gundam Wing, I'm not a big fan but some consider it a classic.
- Turn A Gundam, my personal favorite Gundam Series, light on the Space Opera elements but it's a really good story, it essentially feels like "Hayao Miyazaki presents Gundam".
- Gundam SEED, alright if you can get past the cheap looking animation, also this show is ANGSTY! Avoid "SEED: Destiny" like the plague however.
- After War Gundam X, also light on the Space Opera but a fun series none the less. It has the same character designer and mecha designer as Gundam Wing but is a much stronger series overall.
- Gundam AGE, VERY Space Opera but also kind of weak, a great premise with bad execution but it has a really epic scope.
- Gundam 00, honestly I didn't like this and most of it takes place on Earth anyway.
- G Gundam, Not really Space Opera.
Overall if you're only going to check out ONE Gundam Series, I would recommend Turn A Gundam... even though it's not all that space opera-ish... it's just really friggin incredible.
I know people have mentioned Gundam in general already, but for me Gundam SEED and SEED Destiny is the series that feels most like a space opera
Particularly in SEED Destiny, there were a tonne of of things that made me constantly think Star Wars:
Whilst Gundam SEED takes a lot from existing franchises, it had it's own well done premise and great characters and fight sequences.
Particularly in SEED Destiny, there were a tonne of of things that made me constantly think Star Wars:
- Introduces a main character who is influenced to act out of anger and believe in corrupt politics, and turns on his friends.
- Has a princess and main character who turn out to be fraternal twins.
- Has a chancellor who appears good on the outside, but turns out to be a villain
- Huge sprawling space combat, complete with a giant space laser that does massive damage.
- Has a princess and main character who turn out to be fraternal twins.
- Has a chancellor who appears good on the outside, but turns out to be a villain
- Huge sprawling space combat, complete with a giant space laser that does massive damage.
Whilst Gundam SEED takes a lot from existing franchises, it had it's own well done premise and great characters and fight sequences.
We don't talk about THAT Macross (7), but yeah Memories is alright. Pulls a lot of themes from Phantom of the Opera (pre-Webber).Soviet Heavy said:
There's also the good Macross, Space Battleship Yamato, Galaxy Express 999, and several of the early Gundam series (pre-Wing, Seed, Destiny, and 00).
Eh. The best parts of that were Anemone and TheEND, and neither were featured all that much, sadly.captainballsack said:
Agree both. Every scene that has the count in it was just great (the voice-actor for him did a great job).gnihton said:
Albert was super annoying. I couldn't understood they had to put him in there when Maximillian was supposed to be the main supporting character (whose role Albert sort of replaced in the anime).
It's well worth a watch though, just for the visuals alone:
also has one of the most badass ending theme ever (starts at 1:42)
Hakugei: Legend of the Moby Dick.
There's also Diebuster, which has one of my favorite scenes from an anime which is where someone throws Jupiter at a giant alien.
And to give you an idea of the tone for this series, here's a pic of one of the characters.
There's also Diebuster, which has one of my favorite scenes from an anime which is where someone throws Jupiter at a giant alien.
And to give you an idea of the tone for this series, here's a pic of one of the characters.
Oi now, I recommended Frontier in my large recommendation section above... It's (in my opinion) the easiest Macross to watch... okay... I suppose Plus is also a pretty easy and good watch... but still, Macross: Frontier is still a Macross recommendation.Kalezian said:
But hell I can do a Macross Watching Guide just like I did with Gundam...
Macross
- Super Dimensional Fortress Macross: The original and one of the most influential anime series's of all time. While it is quite good it is also very, very dated but yes, it is most definitely Space Opera in possibly the truest sense of the word. You can also watch it as Robotech: The Macross Saga, as there are very few differences (other than the complete do-over of the soundtrack) between the two.
- Macross: Do You Remember Love, the Movie Version of the original SDF Macross, gorgeously animated, strangely plotted and weirdly gory... though I can't help but say "Yes Watch It" because of how pretty the animation is.
- Macross Plus: Top Gun on a Colony World with Transforming Robots if you want a quick sum up. Available as both a 4 Volume OVA Series or as a compilation movie, both have moments worth watching to be sure. Superb animation and, if you pick up the English Version, main character Isamu Alva Dyson is voiced by Walter White himself Bryan Cranston.
- Macross 7: Macross 7 is a literal "Space Rock Opera" where the heroes fight Soul Stealing Aliens by making them orgasm using rock and roll. Yup... this series is weird but occasionally has some overblown, hotblooded fun... it also has some above average J-Rock and gorgeous character designs.
- Macross Zero: A prequel to the original SDF Macross... it's... very strange... but does have some kickass dog fights none the less. Probably the least Space Opera Macross as the whole thing takes place on Earth.
- Macross: Frontier: Already recommended above but if you want some more... it's about the Deep Space Colony Ship The Macross Frontier and their conflict with a mysterious insectoid alien race known as The Vajra seen through the eyes of Alto Saotome, a former Kabuki Prodigy turned Pilot, Ranka Lee, a young wannabe singer and Sheryl Nome, a Galactic Superstar. It's full of space battles, comedy, melodrama, love triangles and some pretty decent plot along the way. Like I said before, easily the most accessible Macross Series there is.
And for the outliers...
- Macross 2: A "non-canon" entry of 6 OVA Episodes, this series is a little weak in that it's a rehash of the main themes and developments of the original Macross Series, just with a new set of antagonists, The Marduk. The upside of this series is that the Mecha Action is fast, furious and well animated.
- Robotech: The famous North American Compilation and Re-Cut of SDF Macross and two unrelated Anime Series's, Super Dimensional Cavalry Southern Cross and Genesis Climber MOSPEADA into one giant "Super Series" known as Robotech. Macross is left pretty much intact except for a few added scenes that tie it into the greater mythology, Southern Cross is improved (though still hard to watch) through its inclusion and MOSPEADA is a solid closer for the meta-storyline. It's also got a lot of eighties cheese and some questionable voice acting decisions, but it's got some solid nostalgia value.
I second Heroic Age. It's a truly exceptional anime. It apparently has its roots in some kind of ancient Greek mythological tale which they turned into a mesmerizing space opera. The story is intriguing and leaves you guessing at every turn but the characters are really well-written as well. The story is complex but not needlessly convoluted and it moves at a steady pace but without ever making the viewer feel lost. Its really, really good.
Yea after Cowboy Bebop and Outlaw Star OP should definitely check out Gundam Wing for the complete toonami space opera blend.Risingblade said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a7clqqbHZI
Because I do not wish to directly respond to Talaris for their recommendation, for fear that I will personally attack them and then get a strike, I would like to say in my own post:
1. I am a Gundam fan
2. SEED is the reason I can't get a lot of people into it, because that's the only series they tried
It had a good backstory that uses elements from other series, lots of potential, moral problems, then...
Well it gets so bad that it's quite common in the fandom to refer to the main character as Jesus.
My recommendation for a start would be Gundam 00. First series in HD, presents Gundam's message well by showing the characters from all sides, including even the civilians. Didn't need to interest generated from upgrading Gundams to keep it up through each season. Although quite a few people thought the second season was bad in comparison, I didn't.
My alternative recommendations would be Unicorn (if it was finished), or trying some of the OVA series. They're beautifully animated and short, but still awesome. I would suggested Stardust Memory, 08th Ms Team, or War in the Pocket. 08th is probably the most real Gundam gets, and Gundam practically invented the real robot genre. And War in the Pocket really works well to show the other side of war, highlighting the lives of the people who usually play the antagonists.
1. I am a Gundam fan
2. SEED is the reason I can't get a lot of people into it, because that's the only series they tried
It had a good backstory that uses elements from other series, lots of potential, moral problems, then...
Well it gets so bad that it's quite common in the fandom to refer to the main character as Jesus.
My recommendation for a start would be Gundam 00. First series in HD, presents Gundam's message well by showing the characters from all sides, including even the civilians. Didn't need to interest generated from upgrading Gundams to keep it up through each season. Although quite a few people thought the second season was bad in comparison, I didn't.
My alternative recommendations would be Unicorn (if it was finished), or trying some of the OVA series. They're beautifully animated and short, but still awesome. I would suggested Stardust Memory, 08th Ms Team, or War in the Pocket. 08th is probably the most real Gundam gets, and Gundam practically invented the real robot genre. And War in the Pocket really works well to show the other side of war, highlighting the lives of the people who usually play the antagonists.
Starship Operators.
About a group of inexperienced cadets on a state-of-the-art flagship that decide to wage a one ship rebellion after their planet got conquered by a superpower and the original crew abandons ship. The shows big premise is that to fund their operations they strike a deal with a galactic media network to broadcast their adventures as a reality tv show (at the same time also providing an in-universe explanation for the high amount of girls on the ships bridge and the mild fanservice - better ratings). It's not really all that action-packed since they went with a more realistic approach to space combat with battle being fought over vast distances in slow, tactical affairs that are more akin to Star Trek than Star Wars.
About a group of inexperienced cadets on a state-of-the-art flagship that decide to wage a one ship rebellion after their planet got conquered by a superpower and the original crew abandons ship. The shows big premise is that to fund their operations they strike a deal with a galactic media network to broadcast their adventures as a reality tv show (at the same time also providing an in-universe explanation for the high amount of girls on the ships bridge and the mild fanservice - better ratings). It's not really all that action-packed since they went with a more realistic approach to space combat with battle being fought over vast distances in slow, tactical affairs that are more akin to Star Trek than Star Wars.
Man I completely forgot about 8th MS Team in my overview... thanks for bringing it up... though it's not very "Space Opera-ey" as the definition goes as none of it takes place in Space... still, it's pretty awesome and covers everything great about Gundam in a concise and well put together set of episodes.Palademon said:
Couple'a one-shots no-one has mentioned yet....
My standard disclaimer...I'm OLD..these are older titles....
Voices of a Distant Star (Note that this one is *really* depressing, remove all sharp objects from room before watching..)
They Were 11
Not really space "opera" because it's episodic comedy but I found Galaxy Angel very enjoyable.
I love Macross, but I don't think it's what the OP is really looking for....
My standard disclaimer...I'm OLD..these are older titles....
Voices of a Distant Star (Note that this one is *really* depressing, remove all sharp objects from room before watching..)
They Were 11
Not really space "opera" because it's episodic comedy but I found Galaxy Angel very enjoyable.
I love Macross, but I don't think it's what the OP is really looking for....