Some sci-fi films have more of a gritty outlook on what a technologically advanced society may hold, and others have a more lighthearted take, depicting a bright future full of possibilities. But whether the future looks bright or dystopic, full of hopeful, imaginative concepts or the advanced scientific technology creating disastrous consequences, these sci-fi anime movies are sure to keep you on your cyborg toes (do cyborgs have toes?)

Whatever the outlook, sci-fi tends to bring deep speculation about the world around us and the possibilities the future can hold, for better or for worse. The social commentary of this particular genre lends to a platform like no other that allows us to reflect not just on future possibilities of society, technology, and the advancement of science as a whole, but the core of human nature itself. And so, with sci-fi anime films being especially unique, the possibilities seem even more endless and imaginative with these picks!

In the technologically advanced near-future, humans have become capable of melding their bodies with machines. Major Motoko Kusanagi of Niihama City’s Public Security force, Section 9, is a police officer with her own cyborg capabilities. While protecting the city by investigating cyber crimes, she becomes more involved in one complicated case in particular more than she’d imagined. While trying to track down a mysterious cyborg hacker known as the “Puppet Master”, Motoko not only begins to question what it means to be truly human in a world where the lines between man and machine blur, but begins to question her own being as a “ghost” in a highly advanced mechanical shell. And the one who may hold the answers may be none other than her target himself.