Sci-fi anime is where directors throw big ideas at you -- time loops, AI, alternate timelines -- and expect you to just keep up. *Steins;Gate* is the go-to benchmark, mixing otaku humor with surprisingly tight time-travel writing. A lot of it is character drama wrapped in wild concepts, not just mecha and technobabble.
Prefer anime? Best Sci-Fi anime
As the 20th century approaches its end, people all over the world are anxious that the world is changing. And probably not for the better. Kenji Endou is a normal convenience store manager who is just trying to get by. But when he learns that one of his old friends going by the...
Nine years ago, the Empire of Giad declared war on all neighboring countries using an army of autonomous drones known as the Legion. Threatened by the soulless killing machines, the Republic of San Magnolia, home to the silver-haired Alba race, evacuated its citizens inside 85...
"A big brother must always stay ahead of his younger brother. That is my responsibility as the older sibling"—these are the words that have always motivated Mutta Nanba to try his best when it came to his younger brother, Hibito. So naturally, in the summer of 2006 when the...
The Abyss, a hole of unprecedented depth—one young girl and a robot brave its dangers to find the truth. The town of Orth is a special one, as it is built around the edges of the massive Abyss, a wonder which has never been fully explored. Those who venture too far down never...
In a post-apocalyptic world where an environmental disaster led to the eruption of Mt. Fuji and the inundation of Yokohama, the age of humans is in its twilight. Alpha Hatsuseno is an android and the namesake of a small cafe outside Yokohama. As her owner is away on a trip...
Having lasted merely two weeks, World War III has come to an end. Both Accelerator and Hamazura Shiage have returned home to the people they cherish most after overcoming their individual conflicts. The world is at peace and Academy City continues on as normal while the...
1988: It is World War III. Tokyo is decimated by a mysterious black explosion, unmatched in magnitude. 2019: Fast forward 31 years. Neo-Tokyo, hastily built on the ruins of old Tokyo, is a sprawling cityscape of neon extravaganza. It is a fusion of towering skyscrapers and...
During the Edo period, Japan is suddenly invaded by alien creatures known as the Amanto. Despite the samurai's attempts to combat the extraterrestrial menace, the Shogun soon realizes that their efforts are futile and decides to surrender. This marks the beginning of an uneasy...
In the far future, two young military leaders rise above their peers. The invincible genius Reinhard von Lohengramm is matched only by the unbeatable magician Yang Wen-li; though the two share a profound respect for each other, they meet on the battlefield not as comrades but as...
In the distant future, humanity has terraformed Mars into an oceanic planet to suit their needs. Now known as Aqua, the planet serves as a new home for people discontent with living on Manhome—the planet formerly known as Earth. Being a perfect imitation of Manhome's Venice, the...
Famous for his military service in the 39th Asian War, the legendary Swiss robot Montblanc is violently murdered. Humans and robots around the world mourn for the beloved celebrity. Montblanc's popularity only grew in the years following the war, thanks to his dedication to...
In 1999, a meteorite crashed into Antarctica. The impact melted the continental ice mass and drastically raised sea levels, damaging the world's climate and causing the deaths of over half its population. Now in 2015, devastating creatures of unknown origin—referred to as...
From time immemorial to the age of space colonization, there is one legend that has stayed unchanged in every history book—the tale of the immortal bird Phoenix. A being whose blood is said to grant eternal life or wisdom, the radiant figure ensures the continuation of sentient...
The story of Steins;Gate takes place in Akihabara and is about a group of friends who have managed to customize their microwave into a device that can send text messages to the past. As they perform different experiments, an organization named SERN who has been doing their own...
Willem Kmetsch wakes up from his icy slumber as the last surviving Emnetwiht, a race of humans that populated the planet’s surface until they met their untimely demise five centuries ago at the hands of "Beasts." Currently, he lives among the hundred odd floating islands that...
As the students of Class 1-5 introduce themselves at the beginning of their high school careers, the cynical but otherwise fairly ordinary boy known as Kyon sits down, having just finished his piece. However, when the girl sitting behind him stands up to give her speech, the...
Zeon ace pilot, Commander Char Aznable, thought he could foil the Federation's plan to build a mobile suit by attacking their research base on colony Side 7. He was wrong. With a prototype already active, the besieged Federation forces strike back using their new weapon, the...
In the year 2020, Earth's magnetic poles disappeared and humankind was nearly wiped out by cosmic radiation. Within the span of a hundred years, living creatures began to mutate and devour each other while the remaining humans, numbering in the tens of thousands, struggled...
As Christmas Eve approaches Academy City, an array of decorative festivities adorn the streets. While the rest of the city is getting into the merry mood, it seems gloom is all that Touma Kamijou experiences. After suffering from one misfortune after another, he encounters...
Doraemon is cat shaped robot from the future traveling all the way back to the 20th century in order to help Nobi Nobita, a lazy kid with nothing really going for him. Nobi is bad at sports, his grades are terrible, he can't even win a match of rock-paper-scissors. Doraemon has...
As the conflict between Kenji Endo, his childhood friends, and cult leader "Friend" comes to an end, two mysteries remain—Friend's true identity and whether the threat of an "anti-photon bomb" before his death was legitimate. Hoping to find an answer, Kenji, alongside the United...
The year is 2013 in the city of No. 6, the city that embodies the highest ideals of humankind. Shion has been raised here as a high-ranking elite since the age of two, but on the night of his twelfth birthday his fate is turned upside-down when he meets a boy who calls himself...
Despite 80% of its 2.3 million population being students, Academy City is far more advanced than any other nation worldwide. Its residents awaken something akin to a supernatural ability inside them, which is then ranked from Level 0 to 5. Along the lines lies Touma Kamijou, a...
The utopian metropolis of Zalem soars high in the skies, its presence dominating the horizon. Beneath it is the noxious underbelly known as The Scrapyard, where the city stockpiles all of its waste. Living amongst the vast heaps of garbage are humans and cyborgs, surviving by...
"Parasites" are tennis ball sized creatures, whose numbers and origins are unknown. They invade and take over the human mind in order to survive. Shinichi Izumi is a 16-year-old high school student who lives with his parents in a quiet neighborhood. One night, a Parasite invades...
20th Century Boys holds the #1 spot right now with a 8.93 on MAL. As the 20th century approaches its end, people all over the world are anxious that the world is changing.
MyAnimePulse tracks over 3,840 sci-fi manga. This list pulls the 25 highest-rated ones — from finished classics to ongoing series.
New to sci-fi manga? 20th Century Boys, 86: Eighty-Six, and Space Brothers are the easiest recommendations. All three are highly rated and accessible for first-time readers.
