Though not as famous as fellow monster-catching franchise Pokémon, Digimon is still a phenomenal franchise that has something for any video game fan. It also has several popular animated shows, including the beloved Digimon Adventure anime that acted as a childhood classic for many fans. The Digimon franchise is still going strong today, especially as Digimon Story: Time Stranger recently debuted.
Digimon is well-known for its extraordinary science fiction elements, especially in how technology and the internet change the lives of its cast. However, there are a good deal of other anime that also deal with similar themes. In fact, some of these shows have even greater legacies than Digimon because of how nuanced the narratives they possess are.
Den-noh Coil Takes Place in a World Changed by Virtual Reality
A Group of Children Race To Solve Their Town’s Mysteries
Like many Digimon anime, Den-noh Coil takes place in a world where everyday lives intertwine with advanced technology. Instead of beasts from the digital world, however, the creatures and virtual reality seen in Den-noh Coil are products of cyber glasses called "Den-noh Megane". With these unique supercomputers, anyone can watch as their worldview is suddenly speckled with AR technology. As Den-noh Megane is so common, people of every city cannot imagine what life would be like without their glasses.
Yuko "Yasako" Okonogi moves from her hometown of Kanazawa City to Daikoku City, where historic temples coexist with the latest Den-noh Megane technology. There, she meets Yuko "Isako" Amasawa as well as her new classmates, all who study the Den-noh space left behind by the powerful cyberspace. Yasako and her friends soon begin to uncover dark truths related to the world the Den-noh Megane have created, turning into a perilous adventure. A hidden game beloved by all ages, Den-noh Coil is a unique science fiction show that any anime fan is sure to enjoy.
.hack//Sign Explores the Connection Between Technology and Escapism
Tsukasa Finds Himself Trapped in The World
Following the chaotic destruction brought about by the computer virus known as Pluto's Kiss, cyberspace changes forever and becomes much more restricted. In the midst of everything, it is discovered that one operating system, Altimit OS, is immune to any virus, including Pluto's Kiss. Years after Pluto's Kiss suddenly emerged, an online game called The World debuts, allowing its players to explore a vast fantasy world. There, protagonist Tsukasa awakens in the game's world, without his memories and without a way to escape.
Whereas Digimon often focuses on battling, .hack//Sign instead moves at a slower pace, giving the show a very atmospheric aura. .hack//Sign not only delves into the connection between technology and humanity, but on how mental health also relates to technology and cyberspace as a whole. Escapism, anxiety and grief are core aspects of the show's narrative, allowing the anime to be praised even today for its thoughtfulness. The anime is also praised for its cast of characters, animation and overall mellow pace, making it unique compared to other video game-based animated shows.
Serial Experiments Lain Was Years Ahead of Its Time
Lain Delves Into the Cyberspace of the Wired
Socially withdrawn except for a few friends and living with an emotionally unavailable family, Lain Iwakura is suddenly introduced to a virtual realm known as the Wired after a classmate's sudden death. The Wired operates similarly to the Internet, though according to her supposedly deceased classmate Chisa Yomoda, she is now able to live on within the Wired. Thus, Lain begins to delve into this new world within cyberspace as she grows more detached from her life in the real world. As time goes on and new threats begin to emerge, Lain's connection with the Wired only grows stronger.
Famed artist Yoshitoshi Abe, known for his anime character designs and original story concept Haibane Renmei, created the iconic character designs as seen in Serial Experiments Lain. With a bleak atmosphere and a haunting soundtrack, these designs only add to the uncanniness of the anime's overall narrative. Lain herself has become even more popular since the show's debut, cementing her character as one of the most popular science fiction anime protagonists today. Her story only grows more haunting as time goes on, to the point where Lain becomes akin to a goddess within the Wired.
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Steins;Gate Is a Highly Influential Time Travel Anime
A Young Scientist Finds a Way To Send Texts Into the Past
A part of the Science Adventure trilogy alongside Robotics;Notes and Chaos;Head, Steins;Gate is easily the most well-known out of the three. Originally only a visual novel, Steins;Gate was later adapted into an anime by White Fox. The anime follows Rintaro Okabe, a young man who is also a self-proclaimed "mad scientist". He and his friends, Itaru "Daru" Hashida and Mayuri Shiina, help him run the "Future Gadget Laboratory" based in his apartment as Rinatro endlessly studies the concept of time travel.
Their studies and encounter with Kurisu Makise, a researcher initially thought to have been deceased, lead them to discover that they have found a way to send messages into the past. With a microwave powered by a cell phone, the team begins to study these text messages, dubbed "D-mails", as well as the concept of sending memories into the past as well. However, when tragedy suddenly strikes Rintaro's group, he must grapple with the consequences of his research and find a way to fix things. Since its animated debut, Steins;Gate remains critically acclaimed for its handling of the complex elements of time travel, its cast of characters and its engaging narrative, making it well-known as one of the best anime ever made.
Astro Boy Is Often Regarded as Tezuka’s Masterpiece
There Are Several Versions of the Classic Narrative
Osamu Tezuka, often called the "Godfather of Manga", remains one of the most influential artists in history. He is known for several incredible works, including the action-packed Kimba the White Lion, the adorably bittersweet Unico, and the amazing medical thriller Black Jack. Out of all of his series, however, the work often regarded as Tezuka's greatest remains Mighty Atom, also known as Astro Boy. This manga has been adapted into several animated series and even inspired Pluto, a legendary manga (and later anime) by famed mangaka Naoki Urasawa.
Astro Boy tells the story of a robot child named Astro (or Atom, depending on the translation), who was made by the genius Dr. Tenma after his son was killed in an accident. However, Astro would later be abandoned by his creator after Dr. Tenma realized he would never grow as a human child would; thankfully, Astro was rescued by the kindhearted Professor Ochanomizu, who became his legal guardian and mentor. It soon becomes apparent that Astro not only has extraordinary powers and combat abilities, but also human emotion and a strong sense of justice. No matter the anime adaptation, Astro's story is both action-packed and incredibly introspective, and will surely have audience members thinking about the relationship between human nature, robotics, and technology as a whole.
- Release Date
- 1999 - 2000-00-00
- Network
- Fuji TV
- Directors
- Hiroyuki Kakudou
- Writers
- Satoru Nishizono, Chiaki J. Konaka, Reiko Yoshida, Akatsuki Yamatoya, Atsushi Maekawa, Hiro Masaki
- Franchise(s)
- Digimon
WHERE TO WATCH
- Studio
- Toei Animation
- Number of Episodes
- 54
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
- MyAnimeList Score
- 7.78
