6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Top 10 anime series that predicted the future right
Anime has long served as a mirror for our hopes, fears, and wildest technological dreams. While many futuristic storylines lean into fantasy, some shows have astonishingly predicted real-world developments decades before they became mainstream.
From wearable tech to AI-driven cars and virtual idols, these series imagined a future that turned out to be eerily accurate. Whether intentionally prophetic or coincidentally brilliant, these anime offer more than entertainment. They offer glimpses into the world we live in today.
10 anime series that foresaw the future, according to CBR
Cowboy Bebop
In the 1998 episode 'Speak Like a Child,' a package arrives at the Bebop via drone, a concept that seemed like pure sci-fi at the time. Fast forward to today, and drone deliveries are an emerging reality, especially in logistics and e-commerce.
Cowboy Bebop also imagined a world of gig-economy bounty hunters and digitized culture, making its predictions even more impressive.
Ghost in the Shell
This iconic cyberpunk series delved deep into cybercrime, AI consciousness, and body augmentation. Major Kusanagi and her team tackled crimes involving hacked minds and digital espionage, concepts that mirror today's cybersecurity threats. With real-world tech now dabbling in neural implants and AI surveillance, Ghost in the Shell feels less like fiction and more like a warning.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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Chobits
Aired in 2002, Chobits presented a society where humanoid computers called Persocoms serve as personal companions. Though today's androids lack human-like emotions, Japan and other countries are actively developing AI-driven robots that offer companionship, customer service, and elder care. Chii's journey eerily parallels modern ethical debates around artificial intimacy and robot consciousness.
Neo-Human Casshern
Back in the 1970s, this series envisioned a robot uprising and introduced Friender, a shape-shifting robot dog.
While we haven't built dog-bots that turn into tanks yet, companies like Boston Dynamics have created eerily lifelike robotic canines now used in defense and search operations. Casshern's vision of animal-like AI is closer than ever.
Serial Experiments Lain
Released in 1998, this psychological sci-fi drama predicted how deeply the internet would alter human identity. The 'Wired' network in Lain resembles the modern-day internet, and the way people construct alternate personas online echoes today's social media behavior.
It was ahead of its time in examining digital detachment and psychological dependence on tech.
Sailor Moon
Sailor Mercury's 'Super Computer,' introduced in the early '90s, looked like a clamshell laptop with real-time analytics capabilities. Fast forward to today, and her device resembles modern smartphones or high-end tablets. The idea of instant data analysis, facial recognition, and wearable tech was pure fantasy then but it's everyday reality now.
Megazone 23
Released in 1985, this OVA featured Eve, a virtual idol controlled by a secret AI system. Before Hatsune Miku or K-pop holograms, Megazone 23 explored how digital celebrities could influence the public. With today's virtual influencers and AI-generated pop stars, this anime was uncannily prescient.
éX-Driver
Set in a future where all cars are AI-controlled, this early-2000s anime revolved around 'éX-Drivers' who took the wheel when tech failed.
In the real world, self-driving cars are being tested on public roads, and the series' questions about overreliance on automation feel more relevant than ever.
Dragon Ball Z
The scouter, a wearable device used to read opponents' power levels, first appeared in DBZ in the late '80s. Decades later, Google Glass and augmented reality headsets look remarkably similar. While scouters were made for battle, modern AR tech aims to enhance real-world data access in education, medicine, and industry.
.hack//Sign
This 2002 series imagined players trapped inside a full-dive virtual MMORPG. Today's VR games may not go that far, but with headsets like Meta Quest and immersive platforms growing in popularity, .hack//Sign predicted the rise of virtual gaming worlds and the blurred line between reality and simulation.
