With the recent release of the One Piece movie One Piece Film: Red this August, it has become the franchise's highest-grossing movie so far. An important part of the movie and the series, in general, is its setting, which plays a huge role in both the visuals of the show and the plot itself. Unlike a few other animes, One Piece's setting is especially unique, which makes it even more special.
Other shows, like Sound of the Sky and Legend of the Galactic Heroes, share this trait. They take typical ideas and put a spin on them, adding beautiful imagery, backstory, and countless details from politics to dinner culture, creating an entirely new universe. Users on Reddit love discussing some of their favorite anime worlds that are creative and different from the others.
Aria The Animation
Aria is a short anime set in the city of Neo Venezia on the planet Aqua, which used to be Mars. The city is similar to Venice in that gondolas are used as the main mode of transportation.
Neo-Venezia not only plays an important role in the anime itself, but it's also incredibly interesting on its own. Redditor Gamerunglued says it is "such a unique setting with rich culture, fascinating history and lore." The creators of the show beautifully developed this city to make it both futuristic and still reminiscent of today's world.
Sora No Woto
Sora no Woto or Sound of the Sky is set in a post-apocalyptic world. Although this is not the first with this kind of setting, the way the show has developed it is truly unique. This anime shares a slice of life of a military platoon in the city of Seize, which is inspired by Cuenca, Spain (via Crunchyroll).
The world is "filled with mysteries, history, and culture", as Redditor illtima says. As viewers watch the show, they also learn other little details, including important locations around the city, daily routines of the soldiers, and common culture.
Toaru Majutsu No Index
Toaru Majutsu no Index, also known as A Certain Magical Index, is an anime series with movies as well. They all take place in Academy City, Japan, a walled city with advanced technology. The city is essentially one very large school filled with many student residents who have various supernatural abilities.
Redditor JBHUTT09 says "The Toaru universe is possibly the best fictional universe I've ever seen". Watchers love that the world is not so different from real life, but has many cooler aspects like magic, making it a place where fans like Shippoyasha "would love to attend."
Legend Of The Galactic Heroes
Legend of the Galactic Heroes is an older, but still iconic anime. It takes place in the future, around the late 36th century, during a never-ending war between two interstellar superpowers. As viewers watch the show, they learn more about the world itself as well as the political state of the entire galaxy.
Redditor fuzzyjustin says the anime had "a really great setting with numerous key locations of varying characteristics", and then subsequently lists some of their favorites, including Odin and Phezzan. The world has just so many kinds of planets and political systems that fans loved exploring.
One Piece
One Piece is a hugely popular and long-running anime series. It takes place mainly all on the water in a world split into four main seas based on the four cardinal directions with only a few islands. One Piece mostly focuses on the Grand Line, a dangerous and unpredictable ocean route that is extremely difficult to sail across.
Reddit user tyroan describes it as "a superb world that offers near endless possibilities", saying it is their "favourite world in anime". Many watchers agree, and the show's 20 seasons are just further evidence of how much creators can get out of the world.
Junketsu No Maria
Junketsu no Maria, also known as Maria the Virgin Witch, is a short anime series that takes place in medieval France during the Hundred Years' War era.
What makes this anime different from others is the fact that it's set in a less popular and uncommon historical time period in comparison to the more typical choices, like futuristic cities, schools, or Japan itself. Even exelion says it's a "rather unique choice for place and time". The anime is both historical and incorporates fantasy elements like magic and real angels to keep watchers interested.
Muv Luv Alternative
Muv Luv Alternative is an adaptation of the novels based on the video games. It is set in a world that is fighting a war against an invasive alien species using humanoid machines. Most of the show takes place at a military base in Yokohama.
What makes this show different from similar ones is its "huge alternate history timeline that gives the story depth", as Just_A_Djoker describes. The main character uses his knowledge of the future to prevent it from happening, which gives the show's setting another dimension separate from the present.
Humanity Has Declined
From afar, Humanity Has Declined seems like a very typical post-apocalyptic anime with a failing human civilization. But, at just the first episode, it's evident that it's anything but. This anime is full of pastel colors, cute designs, and has this dream-like quality to it with eccentric characters like tiny fairies who love candy and talking bread that make the whole show seem like a hallucination.
Redditor EPLWA_Is_Relevant describes it as "apocalyptic ruins swept under a rug of light pastel colors." What fans love about the anime is how it can touch upon dark themes using a unique colorful setting as a contrast.
Pokémon
The Pokémon franchise is one of the most popular animes widely known for its huge variety of Pokémon creatures. But, the Pokémon World planet is also massive in and of itself, with many kinds of regions where humans live alongside Pokémon and catch them with Poké balls to use in battles.
Redditor Farobi keeps it simple, saying "it's big" and "i just wanna live in it", and many other fans agree. This anime's setting is unique for its sheer scope of possibilities available in its world, so much so that creators of the series are continuing to make content today.
Nagi No Asukara
Nagi no Asukara, also known as A Lull in the Sea, is an anime that takes place in a world where humans live on both land and sea. Those who live on the ocean floor have a layer on their skin as protection to breathe underwater.
Redditor Laxaria thinks "the whole idea of people living underwater and all the amusing idiosyncrasies that come with it" makes the show fascinating. The underwater world has beautiful buildings incorporated with various marine wildlife and a sky of the sea, which makes for eye-catching scenes and backgrounds.