25 Best Anime Series on Netflix Right Now (2020)

24. Aldnoah.Zero

Seasons: 2

Rating: TV-14

Languages: Japanese with English subtitles; English dubbed

In its review of the first season, Kotaku called Aldnoah.Zero “a dark twist on Gundam”. For those keeping score at home, Gundam is the seminal mecha (giant robot) anime, which has effectively run in some way, shape, or form since 1979. Since Aldnoah.Zero also happens to have mecha used in warfare, the comparisons to Gundam are inevitable.

To briefly summarize, Aldnoah.Zero takes place in an alternate history. In this world’s 1972, astronauts discovered an alien gate connecting the moon and Mars. As a result, the red planet was colonized early. War eventually broke out between Earth and Mars, though, at the start of the series, they’re currently in a tense holding position. One very major event — the assassination of a Martian princess — sets everything aflame once again.

As Netflix’s own reviews will tell you, Aldnoah.Zero starts fairly well but starts to peter out in the middle before coming to a very unsatisfying ending.