Every day, the news, and in particular, the political happenings in the US, covers our TV screens, mobile devices, or are the main subject at the water cooler. While anime is often seen as a work of fiction, many series explore real-life political issues. Although some political anime do not go so far as to discuss the US president, they do cover some heavy political themes. So, here’s a list of anime with a political theme.
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
Code Geass focuses on three dominant factions: the Holy Britannian Empire, the Chinese Federation, and the European Union. These three parties are at a perpetual tension with one another, always defending their territories and seeking to take more from their opponents. The goal of the main character, Lelouch, is to free the countries from under Britannian rule by causing political instability and encouraging radical extremism.
Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex
The story of Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex centers around a large corporation withholding an inexpensive vaccine from the public. The hacker, Laughing Man, learns about this injustice and abducts one of the owners of the organization involved in an attempt to force him to reveal the truth on live television. As a result, several copycats have started committing similar crimes. It is up to Public Security Section 9 to solve these crimes and find out who is the Laughing Man.
Legend of the Galactic Heroes
Set in the distant future, Legend of the Galactic Heroes tells the story of an interstellar war going on within the Milky Way galaxy. For almost two centuries, two mighty powers have been in constant battle with each other: the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance. Within the Galactic Empire, an ambitious military genius, Reinhard von Lohengramm, is rising to power. While in the Free Planets Alliance, aspiring historian, Yang Wen-li rises through the military ranks to become an admiral. These two military prodigies and the supporting cast deal with complicated political systems, plot strategies, and grueling battles.
Mobile Suit Gundam series
The Gundam series focuses on political battles and debates on important ethical and political issues. These are often framed on the show as a dispute between the hero and the villain over the course of a battle, as they try to convince each other of their causes.
The Twelve Kingdoms
One day, a mysterious man approaches Youka Nakajima and swears allegiance to her. But, before she can react, a giant monster bird appears and starts attacking Youko and her schoolmates. After defeating the demon-like beast, the strange man takes Youko to Twelve Kingdoms along with two of her classmates. This vast and complex new world resembles the ancient civilizations of China. Youko’s journey to become Queen Kei is filled with hardship as various governments, monsters, and even villagers show their dislike. As a result, government corruption is the primary theme of the series.