>>1 The funny thing is that according to MAL tags, the number of non-sequel full-length anime with the sci-fi tag released in the last 6 years is more than double the number that came out in the 80's. So we actually get a lot more sf anime than before. The way I see it, some of the big differences are that nowadays sf anime tend to be much less present in the discourse, they have way shorter episode counts (I mean we just got a single-cour Gundam), and they aren't really considered at the vanguard of any otaku trend. IMO there are also just fewer good ones nowadays, and even fewer great ones. Contemporary sf anime also tend to be much less focused on space as a concept or setting. That said, there have been 3 new sf anime with space settings over the last 4 months, so they are absolutely still present.
There is a distinct sf light novel scene that you can wade into. People like Gegen Kusano (check out his Last and First Idol). This interview with the Uresekai Picnic author about Yuri is how I first became aware of this subscene. https://teletype.in/@kati_lilian/SJA8KwjjN
The funny thing is that according to MAL tags, the number of non-sequel full-length anime with the sci-fi tag released in the last 6 years is more than double the number that came out in the 80's. So we actually get a lot more sf anime than before. The way I see it, some of the big differences are that nowadays sf anime tend to be much less present in the discourse, they have way shorter episode counts (I mean we just got a single-cour Gundam), and they aren't really considered at the vanguard of any otaku trend. IMO there are also just fewer good ones nowadays, and even fewer great ones. Contemporary sf anime also tend to be much less focused on space as a concept or setting. That said, there have been 3 new sf anime with space settings over the last 4 months, so they are absolutely still present.
There is a distinct sf light novel scene that you can wade into. People like Gegen Kusano (check out his Last and First Idol).
This interview with the Uresekai Picnic author about Yuri is how I first became aware of this subscene.
https://teletype.in/@kati_lilian/SJA8KwjjN