Makoto Yukimura is a particularly accomplished and meticulous mangaka known for his seinen manga, most famously Vinland Saga, but his previous acclaimed series was Planetes. While Vinland Saga is a thoroughly researched sword and sandal period epic, Planetes is a similarly humanistic take, but in a grounded science fiction universe for those seeking variety in Yukimura’s works. Thanks to Crunchyroll’s recent confirmation on October 15, 2024, Planetes has joined the Crunchyroll streaming platform for viewers who had previously missed out.
Planetes was not nearly as prominent in North America, amounting more to a beloved cult classic similar to Serial Experiments Lain and Darker Than Black, critically just as well-received as its manga. The series follows the crew of the DS-12 Toy Box and their lives as space debris collectors, including the protagonist, Hachirota Hoshino. Planetes is a compelling and cerebral exploration of humanity told in a concise twenty-six episodes, available to stream on-demand now on Crunchyroll.
Acclaimed Anime Planetes Joins Crunchyroll’s Library
Sunrise Studio’s Adaptation of Vinland Saga Creator’s First Manga
Planetes is the 2003 anime adaptation of Makoto Yukimura’s first ongoing series with Kodansha, predating Vinland Saga by approximately six years, with a chance to get renewed exposure on Crunchyroll. The series is well-received for its deep philosophical themes and insight into the human condition, which is unsurprising given the creator’s later works. But a series about what is essentially trash collection to prevent harm to Earth’s space vessels becomes a poignant examination of politics, finding purpose in one’s work, and the fatally alluring rewards of ambition.
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The Planetes series currently has an admirable 8.25 score on MyAnimeList, with people noting its criminally underrated and multifaceted qualities. The anime has more of a slow burn to its appeal, yet it boasts more romance than the hard science fiction angle might suggest. What’s more fascinating for fans of Makoto Yukimura’s meticulous style is how the Planetes series was created with a more freeform, creatively free approach inspired by A Garbage Problem in Space: Space Debris.
Planetes Is Different Enough to Tie Over Fans Waiting for Vinland Saga Season 3
Similarly Humanistic Yet Exploring Different Qualities
As Makoto Yukimura is prone to exploring more grounded storytelling, much of the focus in Planetes is on its philosophical themes, similar to in Vinland Saga. Unlike Vinland Saga’s focus on its protagonist’s path to redemption through pacifism, Planetes explores the role of the individual in the space age, along with the power dynamics of political entities, and finding importance in one’s role. Given Sunrise’s prominence as the Gundam and Cowboy Bebop studio, its sci-fi chops are more refined than simple spectacle, with Planetes as a critical anime darling hopefully more fans will soon discover.
Source: Crunchyroll, MyAnimeList
Set in 2075, this anime series follows a team tasked with collecting hazardous space debris in Earth’s orbit. As humanity expands its space exploration, the crew faces dangerous challenges, ethical dilemmas, and personal struggles, reflecting the complexities of technology’s impact on human life and the cosmos.
- Cast
- Kazunari Tanaka , Satsuki Yukino , Takehito Koyasu , Ai Orikasa , Tetsuo Goto , Yoshihiro Okada , Shigeru Shibuya , Kumiko Watanabe , Isshin Chiba , Yu Kobayashi , Nobutoshi Canna , Katsumi Toriumi , Maiko Itou , Masayo Kurata , Ryo Kamon , Nobuyuki Hiyama , Tomoyuki Dan
- Character(s)
- Hachirouta Hoshino , Ai Tanabe , Yuri Mihailokov , Fee Carmichael , Arvind Lavie , Philip Myers , Claire Rondo , Bakti , Leonov , Edelgard Rivera , Lucie Ascham , Dorf Azalia , Cheng-shin Kho
- Release Date
- October 4, 2003
- Seasons
- 1
