summary
- Super Dimension Fortress Macross is a deep saga of space exploration and romance that marks a turning point in animated science fiction.
- Cowboy Bebop tells a doomed love story across an alien world with jazzy action and personal characters.
- Captain Harlock's Space Pirates is a roguelike space adventure with nostalgia and classic sci-fi elements.
Not to be confused with romance and relationships, planetary romance is a subgenre of science fiction that focuses on long journeys, the discovery of new worlds, or the daily lives of humans or aliens. It is also about the adventure of visiting and discovering new and wonderful worlds. Anime series Focus on this type of story is rare, but here are some great examples for those looking to check out an example of this genre.

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These eight planetary romance anime series are among those that every sci-fi fan should watch at least once. From an all-time classic that epitomizes planetary romance to one of the most infamous sci-fi animated franchises ever made.
8 Macro castle with extraordinary dimensions
Father of genre and mother of idols
Macross (also known as Robotech) represents the best of the planetary romance genre with a deep emphasis on the romance department. A saga between generations of humans entering the golden age of space exploration and leaving Earth to conquer the galaxy. On their journey, they will discover many allies, enemies and the secret of technology that they have repurposed to become a galactic civilization.

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A love letter to the sci-fi classics created by Akira Inoue and Hiroshi Iwata and written by the legendary Kenichi Matsuzaki. The series not only represents a before and after in the history of sci-fi anime (and in Japanese animation in general), but also creates one of the most iconic icons of Japanese pop culture: The Idols. To this day, the character of Lin Min Mei is considered the mother of all idols in anime culture and, along with Rick Hunter, the romantic space avatars in animation.
7 Cowboy bebop
A doomed love story across alien worlds
A legend among fans of the neo-noir genre and action westerns. Cowboy bebop A doomed love story of a man, his past love, and the woman who tries to convince him to let go. All in all, the adventure of Spike Spiegel and the Bebop crew is a planetary romance, with high doses of drama, tragedy and action.
Over the course of 26 thrilling episodes, the series tells the story of how a former mobster turned bounty hunter travels through beautiful (and dangerous) worlds chasing fugitives and trying to make a living. Each character's personal stories, their motivations, and their darkest secrets are told to the rhythm of jazz. Unfortunately, the series is very short, but that's exactly the appeal of it because the story comes full circle without the need for endless extensions.
6 Captain Harlock of the Space Pirates
In an age where humanity has stagnated, space exploration is the highest form of rebellion.
Also known as The Adventures of Captain Harlock (or simply Captain Harlock), the series depicts a future in which humanity has abandoned all ambitions for galactic expansion and instead turned to debauchery, driving society into a dystopia. Hypercapitalism leads to stagnation. In this era where nothing new comes without a price tag, a few men decide to take their spaceships and take to the stars in search of the unknown. This act of rebellion against the establishment becomes behavior for governments, who decide to label these intrepid individuals as “space pirates”.
Aboard his loyal ship the Arcadia, Harlock and his crew traverse the deep voids of the solar system in search of answers, while a boy stolen from his father swears revenge against a mysterious race called the Amazons who are planning to invade Earth. take . All in all, this anime series is an old fashioned planetary romance with heavy doses of nostalgia and classic sci-fi. A timeless masterpiece that science fiction anime fans should not miss.
5 rogue star
A classic fantasy treasure hunt story, set in space
For those who know how 90s anime works between comedy and drama, rogue star It is more or less similar the killers Planetary romance sci-fi anime. Not only does it have a similar style, but it also approaches serious events with a calm and positive spirit. It's about a group of misfits who roam the stars (and planets) in their mercenary spaceship in search of the fabled galactic line of Dragon Lee, a place said to be rich in treasure and resources.
If fans found “Treasure Planet” appealing, then this series has all the good aspects of the movie (and more). Told from a gray moral point of view, without many twists and turns, the series is a 26-episode epic. A gem from when anime was short and explosive and could be watched while sitting down.
4 Legend of the Galactic Heroes
A powerful and heartbreaking planetary romance
Humanity has spread to the far reaches of the Milky Way galaxy and has made everything in its wake terrestrial and created wonderful worlds that are filled to the brim with beauty and danger. Two opposing forces fight for control of all human-made civilizations: one is the Galactic Empire, and the other is the Alliance of Free Planets, which is made up of a branch of humanity's best who have managed to escape by going to the ends of the galaxy. .
In an environment where galactic war is inevitable, heroes rise, new alliances are formed, and even a cult emerges that calls for all the lost lambs born of humanity to return to their origins. A series with many words that cannot be summed up in a few words and must be watched by every science fiction anime fan.
3 Knights of Sidonia
The last bastion of humanity is defended by Mecha pilots
Knights of Sidonia
- Publication date
- April 11, 2014
- Main genre
- Animation
- Seasons
- 2
Cydonia no Kishi It is a wonderful animated series about space travel. It is deeply rooted in post-macro culture and is recognized as its rightful heir. However, many also believe that it has its own identity due to the plot's links to transhumanism and biopunk. In this 24-part saga, we follow a mech pilot born from the lowlands of Sidonia: a society built from the remains of planet Earth after it was destroyed by a mysterious alien race.
In a society that has evolved beyond the barriers of gender, love, and even romance, the conflict against Gaona sparks a sudden change among the inhabitants of this planetary ship. Just like Macross, we see a true planetary romance and a story of survival against an impossible enemy: extinction.
2 Astra: Lost in Space
The story of returning home, from the unknown regions of space
A group of talented young students are trapped in an abandoned spaceship and wander through an unknown region of space. They must do whatever it takes to get back home and survive the perilous journey through the strange and dangerous worlds.
A planetary romance that combines the best of Macross with a lot of iconic science fiction. Secrets to discover, the vastness and solitude of open space, a dangerous saboteur who endangers the crew, and many twists and turns in this exciting adventure among the stars.
1 Wander
In a dystopian future, men and women must learn to co-exist again
Vandread has been infamous for several reasons: when it was published, it proposed a unisex society in which men lived with men and married each other, while women married women and did the same; they did The only way to have a baby was through parthenogenesis, and this was so rare that seeing a human baby was something completely baffling. When a low-level mechanic from the slums tries to steal a war robot, he ends up in the middle of a space battle between the crew members of an attack ship from the rival planet Mejere.
Little does she know that her foolish act will set in motion a chain of events that will bring men and women back together after centuries, revealing a dark secret about the original colonists who had a very good reason to separate men from it. The women of this polar planet romance is pretty good (narratively speaking), but it was too avant-garde for the time it came out. These days, he is disliked because of the special topics he deals with and because of the excessive service of his fans. Therefore, it has both followers and detractors: you either love it or you hate it.

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