Anime like Rocket Girls

Futatsu no Spica

Also known as Twin Spica.

Studio: Group TAC , NHK
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Sci-Fi , Supernatural

When Kamogawa Asumi was just a baby, her mother was grievously injured when a rocket crashed to the ground. Five years later, having been in a coma all the time, Asumi's mother finally dies, and the little girl struggles to come to terms with the death of a mother she barely remembers. In the midst of her turmoil, she meets "Lion-san", a strange figure wearing a lion mask and claiming to be a ghost. Lion-san helps Asumi to bury her mother's ashes, and finally, Asumi reaches her own decision: "When I grow up, I'm going to be a rocket pilot."



Tags: Ghost , Female Protagonist , Astronomy , Seinen , School , Space , Tragedy , Afterlife

Rinne no Lagrange

Also known as Lagrange: The Flower of Rin-ne.

Studio: Production I.G , Bandai Visual , Xebec , Yomiuri TV , Viz Media , flying DOG , Dwango
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Mecha

Madoka Kyouno is an energetic girl who is full of passion. As the proud, and only, member of the Kamogawa Girls' High School Jersey Club, she goes around helping people in need.

Madoka's life is turned upside down when she is suddenly asked by a mysterious girl named Lan to pilot a robot. Motivated by her desire to protect the people and city of Kamogawa, Madoka agrees to pilot the resurrected Vox robot to fight against extraterrestrials that have come to attack Earth.



Tags: Primarily Female Cast , Aliens , School Club , Female Protagonist , Real Robot , CGI , Kuudere , Time Skip , Crossdressing

Tsuki to Laika to Nosferatu

Also known as Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut.

Studio: Arvo Animation , Bandai Namco Arts , Shogakukan , ADK Marketing Solutions , Lantis , Magic Capsule , BS Nippon
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance , Sci-Fi , Supernatural

Set in a fictional world, 10 years after a long war divided the world into two superpowers: the Union of Zirnitra Republics in the east, and the United Kingdom of Arnak in the west. Both of these superpowers now test their ambitions against each other in a space race. In 1960, the Union's Premier Gergiev announces the Mechtat Program, a prestigious plan to launch manned missions into the final frontier. To this end, the Republic establishes the isolated city of Laika 44, where cosmonaut candidates compete for planned manned missions to space, and scientists develop the technology to make it happen, all in an environment of secrecy.

The story centers on Lev Leps, a backup astronaut candidate, and his new companion, the vampire Irina Ruminescu. As part of a daring new Operation Nosferatu, the Mechtat Program will use Irina as a test subject for various conditions expected in space, and ultimately as part of a manned mission, with Lev overseeing Irina's training as a cosmonaut. For reasons of their own, both dream of going into space.



Tags: Space , Vampire , Foreign , Historical , Tsundere , Heterosexual , Politics , War , Military , Aviation , Work , CGI

Stratos 4

Studio: Bandai Visual , Studio Fantasia , Bandai Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Sci-Fi

The Earth has developed a defense system against large meteorites that are on a collision course with it. This protection system is made up of the Comet Blasters based in several space stations as the 1st line of defense, using nuclear warheads launched by spaceships. The 2nd line of defense consists of the Meteor Sweepers launching from ground airbases using hypersonic planes with special missiles to deal with the resulting debris from the blasts. Mikaze is a troubled girl that is a trainee pilot for a Meteor Sweeper team that dreams of becoming a prestigious Comet Blaster pilot. Stratos 4 revolves around Mikaze's and her teammates' challenges to become real pilots, while the Earth faces the threats that come from space.



Tags: Military , Aviation , Work , Space , Aliens , Nudity , Female Protagonist , Primarily Female Cast

Houkago no Pleiades

Also known as Wish Upon the Pleiades.

Studio: Gainax , Showgate , Sentai Filmworks , Subaru
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Mahou Shoujo , Romance , Sci-Fi

Subaru is a young girl who discovers that her best friend Aoi is part of a magical group trying to gather engine fragments so that a little being from Pleiades can return to his home. Subaru considers joining them as she was chosen by the Pleiadian, president of this afterschool club.

Tags: Magic , Female Protagonist , Primarily Female Cast , Space , Astronomy , Henshin , Aliens , School Club , Alternate Universe , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Kuudere , CGI , Primarily Teen Cast , Time Manipulation

Planetes

Also known as Planetes.

Studio: Sunrise , Bandai Visual , Bandai Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance , Sci-Fi , Slice of Life

In the year 2075, mankind has reached a point where journeying between Earth, the moon and the space stations is part of daily life. However, the progression of technology in space has also resulted in the problem of the space debris, which can cause excessive and even catastrophic damage to spacecrafts and equipment. This is the story of Technora's Debris Collecting section, its EVA worker, Hachirota "Hachimaki" Hoshino, and the newcomer to the group, Ai Tanabe.



Tags: Space , Primarily Adult Cast , Work , Philosophy , Seinen , Tragedy , Politics , Terrorism , Heterosexual , Ensemble Cast , Male Protagonist , Tanned Skin , Episodic

Sora yori mo Tooi Basho

Also known as A Place Further Than the Universe.

Studio: MADHOUSE , Media Factory , AT-X , Movic , Sony Music Communications , Crunchyroll
Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Comedy , Drama

Mari Tamaki is in her second year of high school and wants to start something. It's then that she meets Shirase, a girl with few friends who's considered weirdo by the rest of the class and nicknamed "Antarctic" since it's all she ever talks about. Unlike her peers, Mari is moved by Shirase's dedication and decides that even though it's unlikely that high school girls will ever go to Antarctica, she's going to try to go with Shirase.



Tags: Travel , Coming of Age , Primarily Female Cast , Female Protagonist , Outdoor Activities , Foreign , Snowscape , Orphan , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Teen Cast , Tragedy , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Iyashikei , Work , Konbini , Wilderness , Educational , Ships , School , Mahjong

Macross Zero

Also known as Macross Zero.

Studio: Bandai Visual , Satelight
Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama , Mecha , Romance , Sci-Fi

Taking place one year before the Zentraedi arrive on Earth, Macross Zero chronicles the final days of the war between the U.N. Spacy and anti-U.N. factions. After being shot down by the anti-U.N.'s newest fighter plane, ace pilot Shin Kudo finds himself on the remote island of Mayan, where technology is almost non-existent. While Shin stays on the island to heal his wounds, the tranqulity of the island is shattered by a battle that involves the UN's newest fighter - the VF-0.



Tags: Military , Real Robot , Environmental , CGI , Heterosexual , Aliens , Space , Love Triangle , Space Opera , Idol , Nudity

Yoshinaga-sanchi no Gargoyle

Also known as Gargoyle of Yoshinaga House.

Studio: Studio Hibari , Sentai Filmworks , Trinet Entertainment
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Fantasy

Based on the novel by Taguchi Sennendou.

Winning the lottery can completely change a person’s life, as Futaba soon discovers. Instead of amassing an instant fortune, however, she obtains a stone gargoyle who proclaims itself the gatekeeper of the Yoshinaga household.



Tags: Family Life , Magic , Ensemble Cast

Uchuu Kyoudai

Also known as Space Brothers.

Studio: Aniplex , Dentsu , A-1 Pictures , YTV , Sentai Filmworks , Trinity Sound
Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Sci-Fi , Slice of Life

Mutta's life has hit rock bottom. He's been fired, blackballed from his profession and now he's had to move back in with his parents. Meanwhile, his kid brother Hibito has been literally riding a rocket and training to be an astronaut. The same career Mutta once dreamed of. So, is it ever too late to go after your dreams? Through a little coercing and a bit of covert activity, Mutta's family and friends can get his resume on the right desk, but from that point on it will be up to Mutta himself. Does he have what it takes to turn his life around and put his footprint on the moon? The first step on the highway to the stars is always the hardest, and in a job where crash and burn isn't just a euphemism, it will be the biggest risk Mutta's ever taken. But with the best support team ever, maybe he'll find what he needs to rekindle the spark inside him and light the biggest candle of them all!



Tags: Space , Work , Seinen , Primarily Adult Cast , Ensemble Cast , Male Protagonist , Aviation , Astronomy , Tragedy , Educational , Age Gap , Foreign , CGI , Robots , Rescue