Planetes, one of the most elusive anime of the past 30 years, is finally streaming on Crunchyroll
For anime fans of a certain age, Planets is one of the holy grails of science fiction animation. Produced in 2003 by Sunrise (Cowboy Bebop, Mobile suit Gundam), directed by Gorō Taniguchi (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion), and based on the manga of the same name by Makoto Yukimura (Vinland saga), the 26-episode series about working-class space junk salvagers has until now been elusive for North American fans looking for a legal way to watch it.
Crunchyroll announced this on Tuesday Planets had been added to the service’s streaming library. Additionally, the streamer also announced that it will release the anime on Blu-ray on November 5. This is not only the first Blu-ray release of the anime in North America, but also the first home video release of Planets in the US since the complete DVD collection of the anime was released by Bandai Entertainment in 2006. Pre-orders for the Blu-ray are available at Crunchyroll’s store.
Set in the year 2075, the anime series takes place in a future where humanity has finally begun colonizing space. There is just one big problem: space debris left behind from the launch of satellites and space stations, which can endanger not only other spacecraft, but also human lives. To prevent catastrophe, companies like the Technora Corporation deploy space salvagers to intercept the debris left in Earth’s atmosphere. Planets is about space recovery crew member Hachirota “Hachimaki” Hoshino, who not-so-secretly dreams of owning his own spaceship and traveling the stars.
The anime show has been praised by fans and critics alike for its grounded, plausible approach to futuristic storytelling and world-building. Similar to Cowboy Bebop, Planets is a sci-fi story about an ensemble of working-class people living relatively ordinary lives in an extraordinary sci-fi world and working together to overcome the daily challenges of their jobs. If that sounds like something you’re into, you won’t regret giving the series a shot.
Planets is available to stream on Crunchyroll and will be released on Blu-ray on November 5.