Summary
A lot of popular anime and manga often have protagonists who always save the day - especially in shonen stories where ideals of heroism and friendship take the lead. However, science fiction isn’t always a genre in anime and manga that follow the same trends. With sci-fi stories often exploring ideas and concepts that take humanity’s knowledge and morals to their limits, happy endings aren’t always present for its characters - especially for protagonists who are expected to make bigger and bolder choices for the benefit of themselves and mankind.
For readers and viewers who want an exciting take on sci-fi stories, they might be interested in tales where protagonists don’t necessarily make it in the end. These can be perceived as “more realistic,” as this implies protagonists aren’t always there for a “larger” destiny, making them just as fragile as everyone else. Knowing which protagonists die in their stories also gives these titles a sense of urgency, as this means viewers and readers now have to see if the deaths of these protagonists indeed “make sense” for their plots. Just which sci-fi anime and manga best approach such a conundrum?
Set in the underground city of Lux, protagonist Ichise ofTexhnolyzeis a former fighterwho undergoes “texhnolyzation”using a special material called Raffia to attach prosthetics to his freshly-severed limbs. Unfortunately, his new connection to his doctor involves him in a three-way war for Lux and its Raffia - eventually revealing to Ichise a grand conspiracy involving life aboveground, its inhabitants, and the real nature of Lux.
Despite its sci-fi premise,Texhnolyzebecomes quite the philosophical ride as Ichise gets entangled in the affairs of both the underground and the world above. With self-preservation becoming a significant crux of theTexhnolyzejourney, Ichise’s encounters will test his resolve and determination to live despite hardships happening around him. This becomes a focal point in his eventual demise, as Ichise evokes quite a powerful message in his final appearance.
When friends Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato are hit by a train, they’re surprised to wake up in a room with a big black ball at the center. The ball, which calls itselfGantz, has a simple order: kill the target to live. With advanced body suits and weapons at their disposal, Kei and his new comrades see this as more of a “game” - especially when there’s a leaderboard and a “reward” for someone who gets a certain number of points.
Soon, Kei learns that Gantz is making them hunt aliens, not just random monsters in some virtual reality. Their experience will constantly be tested as aliens they face get much harder to kill, implying a much larger conspiracy along the way. And in trueGantzfashion, fans may never be able to predict how Kei dies… and how his death will impact the progression of the story into crazy territory. While similar toMen in Blackin how it makes everyone hide that aliens live among people,Gantzcranks the gore meter to 11with quite a lot of graphic content.
Any kid who’s encountered a mecha anime likeGundamwill undoubtedly want to be drafted into war if it means piloting an indestructible mecha. The story ofBokuranomakes this true, with a twisted take on the concept. Set around the modern times,Bokuranobegins when 15 children in summer camp form a “contract” with a man named Kokopelli to try “a game” where they use a giant robot to protect Earth from aliens. That evening, two robots do appear on shore, and Kokopelli teaches them how to use the protector mecha named Zearth.
At first,Bokuranohas quite the cool premise - a kid pilots Zearth and fights an awesome-looking enemy mecha. And the kids win, which brings them one step closer to their objective! However,Bokurano’sprotagonists realize that Zearth runs on life force, which means its pilot is killed whenever Zearth fights. Unfortunately, none of them “can’t” not fight, as the world is quite literally at stake.Bokuranois a gripping talewhere the fates of helpless children lie in the balance, making it quite a tragic story.
If there’s an anime that can encapsulate the full exploratory appeal of science fiction into the human ethos, it would beSerial Experiments Lain. Going full blast on the surrealist notion of sci-fi at the time,Serial Experiments Laintells the story of eponymous Lain Iwakurawho discovers the Wired - a virtual realm that represents the full summation of humanity’s communication networks.
This discovery involves the young Lain into a global conspiracy involving megacorporations, a group of hackers, and a constant reexploration of the nature of existence. In the end, Lain makes a bittersweet choice that befits her struggle. That, in the end, the responsibility attached to humanity’s great power doesn’t necessarily share an equivalency with obligation.
Original Network
TV Tokyo, BS Japan, AT-X
When one learns ofZegapainas a traditional sci-fi mecha anime with a philosophical premise, one can’t be blamed for making parallels withNeon GenesisEvangelion. However, while bothZegapainandEvangeliondo tackle existentialist themes,Zegapainapproaches its developing plotwith an interesting delivery that fans are always left wanting more. Set in a high school, protagonist Kyo Sogoru of the swim club meets a new member named Shizuno Misaki… and is surprised he is the only one who can see her.
Not only that, she invites him to swim and drags him into a “new” world where he has to pilot a robot to fight aliens on behalf of an organization called Cerebrum. Despite this rather “generic” premise of Kyo having to “go back” underwater to pilot a mecha and save the day,Zegapainmanages to create layer after layer of mystery enough to bedazzle viewers. Not only that, but its ending will give viewers a headscratcher of a question on the nature of reality and everything it means around them.
1992-1993 (Manga), May 1994-July 1994 (OVA)
Published by
Byakuya Shobo
AlthoughGenocyberhas vastly different approaches to its manga and anime plots, its 5-episode OVA has a more graphic take on the mecha sci-fi anime. Set in the near future where humanity has agreed to form a unified world government, Elaine and her crippled sister Diana are experimented on and “psychically” linked toactivate Genocyber, the “ultimate” biological weaponwith immense strength, regeneration, telekinesis, and pyrokinesis. Throughout the OVA series, Elaine and Diana experience hardships as they try to escape the clutches of their creator, all the while Genocyber has to fight monsters called the Vajra.
The tragic and graphic nature ofGenocybermeans no one is safe from the unfortunate realities of this new future riddled with cybernetics, genetic experimentation, and psychics.Genocybereventually explores themes of hope and despair, where Elaine’s journey throughout life and the afterlife with the seemingly-limitless power of the Genocyber capable of dictating the fate of the whole world.
Origianlly released asa post-apocalyptic visual novel,Planetarian: The Reverie of a Little Planetalso got anime adaptions in 2016. Set in a planetarium, the protagonist is “the junker” who stays with a malfunctioning attendant robot named Yumemi Hoshino as they try to repair the projector of the facility. Originally just a soldier looking for undamaged goods in the ruined city, the junker develops a friendship with the rather optimistic Yumemi.
While more of a condensed story than an overarching narrative,Planetarianis a breath of fresh air among sci-fi stories due to its more personal nature. However, this also makes its ending all the more tragic for viewers who have begun appreciating the friendship the junker and Yumemi got to develop in this rather lonely post-apocalyptic setting.
The premise ofInuyashikibegins rather comically: the elderly Inuyashiki Ichiro is accidentally hit by an extraterrestrial explosion and dies. Thankfully, benevolent aliens inside the alien craft “revive” him, but effectively replace his body with a more powerful mechanical counterpart. When Inuyashiki awakes and realizes his newfound powers, he begins to dedicate his time doing good and, with his body’s new regenerative abilities, cure those with incurable illnesses.
Unfortunately, a teenager named Shishigami Hiro also died in the initial explosion and was given a similar body. However, Hiro begins using his newfound powers for evil,becoming a criminal that Inuyashiki vows to stop. Thus begins a cat-and-mouse chase between the new super-cyborgs, with an unexpected ending that forces both characters to make hard choices.
