Summary
With only the open ocean and the salty spray to guide their characters' fates, a ship is the ideal setting for an anime series or movie. Depending on the exact type of vessel, including the time period, those ships may even be traveling between planets or across the astral plane, as opposed to across a body of water.
Characters inanime set on shipsinclude strict military leaders, intrepid explorers, and unruly pirates, which presents even more fun and interesting possibilities for an animated story at sea. These versatile shows include comedy, drama, and everything in between, but they all share a love for sea travel, ships, and that distinctive maritime aesthetic.
Updated on June 14, 2025, by Kristy Ambrose:The live-action Netflix adaptation of One Piece is still one of the top shows on the streaming service, and a second season is in the works. 7Seeds also got a second season, and other nautical-themed anime like Azur Lane and Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko have been popular in recent years. Magical Girl, isekai, shoujo, and virtually every other anime genre look great with a ship in the background or as part of the setting. Add to these concepts that a ship can also be in space or underwater, and a whole new range of possibilities opens up.
18Odin: Photon Sailer Starlight
MyAnimeList Score: 5.9
Odin: Photon Sailer Starlightis just as dramatic as the epic nature of the title implies, and its alternative title,Odin: Starlight Mutiny, is just as dramatic. This movie dates from 1985 and retains a solid fan base despite its age. It’s not exactly anime with warships; it’s more like an anime cruise.
The space schooner Starlight is on her maiden voyage, an interstellar test flight with a green crew and an unknown destination. They intercept a damaged ship that carries a lone survivor. The crew wants to investigate her story further, but the officers want to follow their orders and return to Earth. A mutiny follows, and the crew travels deep into space todiscover the secret of Odin.
Based on the popular mobile game,Azur Lanetells a simple story about girls at war with one another, except the girls are also anthropomorphic ships. The animation and music are good throughout, so much so thatthe music is arguably one of the strongest pointsin the series.
Each character has designs, weapons, and personalities that set them apart from one another in meaningful ways, and if their character designs are a bit surreal, they’re still well-conceived and beautifully rendered. The show strikes a good balance between action and drama, and there are plenty of anime warships and fighting, but the bloodshed of the main characters is kept to a minimum.
This anime series is an adaptation of a video game, which makes sense considering the rather unusual premise. The title can be translated as “Fleet Collection” or “Fleet Girls Collection,” which partly describes the main characters: girls who can transform into warships. They train to fight a force known only as the Abyssal Fleet, which threatens to wipe out human life.
The plot is developed beyond that, putting the girls' power into their clothing and the ability to embody the spirits of naval vessels, also known as kanmusu.For example, the main character, Fubuki, is a destroyer that dates from World War One.
For fans of isekai,the survivalist genre, or shows likeLost, the plot of7Seedsis reminiscent of all three. The first episode starts with an idyllic vision of the present world, with everyone leading a normal life. But then, the main character wakes up on a life raft after some kind of cataclysm that remains a mystery for the time being.
The last thing that Natsu Iwashimizu remembers is lying in bed in her room, but suddenly, she finds herself floating on the open sea with a few other survivors. There are six others, making a group of seven, and eventually, they find what looks like a wild and unsettled island. Even after leaving the raft, they construct an offshore platform because the jungle is so dangerous.
14Hikawa Maru Monogatari
MyAnimeList Score: N/A
Jiro is a child growing up on a ship called the Hikawa Maru. The life of the child and that of the ship sometimes run parallel to one another in this anime film.Hikawa Maru Monogatariexplores the Japanese perspective of World War I and II, but its real focus is on the history of the Hikawa Maru itself, diving into every detail of its 85-year existence. Though sometimes uneven, the animation is gorgeous.
The anime isn’t afraid to take a nuanced stance on complex topics, which is appropriate given how much the wars factor into its plot and themes.After losing his mother, Jiro becomes infatuated with the Hikawa Maru, a luxury cruise liner, eventually landing a job on the ship itself and setting sail. The film shifts perspectives and times whenever convenient, which givesHikawa Maru Monogataria different rhythm than most anime.
13Blue Submarine No. 6
MyAnime List Score: 7.0
This post-apocalyptic vision of an earthin the future that’s covered in water is known asAo no 6-gouin Japan. It wasn’t war or pollution that caused the planet to flood, however, but the actions of an evil scientist named Zorndyke in a sinister attempt to take over the world.
The human beings that haven’t been killed by natural disasters or animal-hybrid monsters fight back from their submarines in this battleship anime. The story focuses on one of the subs and the characters on it as they attempt to derail Zorndyke’s plan and reclaim the earth. It’s not exactly a realistic premise, but anime isn’t the place to go for realism anyway.
12Mars Daybreak
MyAnimeList Score: 7.1
The concept of a futuristic Mars covered in water seems to be a running theme in ship-based anime, andMars Daybreakis another example. Humans inhabit massive ships on the surface that are more like floating cities than boats, but this isn’t a utopian vision. Life in the big cities is a constant fight against poverty and violence. Piracy is common among the struggling lower classes, which is where the main character, Gram, and his companions live.
Pirates on Mars have become so troublesome that the government of Earth has senta group of mecha called the Round Bucklers, along with their team of pilots, to bring them to justice. Through a few unfortunate circumstances, Gram ends up on the side of the pirates and finds he has a taste for adventure on the high seas.
11High School Fleet
MyAnimeList Score: 7.2
High School Fleetfollows Akeno Misaki, newly enrolled at Yokosuka Girls' Marine High School,seeking to become a Blue Mermaid. Akeno and her class set off aboard theHarekazedestroyer, only for an incident to lead the girls to be accused of mutiny.
Akeno must then try to do the honorable thing, which is to lead her crewmates in sailing theHarekaze,discover the truth behind the incident, and avoid capture while doing it. With a healthy dose ofGirls und Panzer"girls operating military equipment" flavor along with high-stakes naval battles,High School Fleethas a lot to recommend.
10Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko
Based on the 2014 novel by Kanako Nishi,Fortune Favors Lady Nikukois about Nikuko and Kikuko, a mother and daughter who live on a fishing boat. Nikuko is doing her best to raise her daughter Kikuko despite the challenges she has faced as a mother. The major selling point ofFortune Favors Lady Nikuko,which is also known by the Japanese name ofGyokou no Nikuko-chan,is its wholesomeness.
For viewers looking for a cozy break from darker or more tense anime, this series is a welcome respite. The watercolor style is the perfect match for its content, andthe food seen throughout the anime looks genuinely delicious, which is quite an accomplishment. Unfortunately, its attitude towards Nikuko, her weight, and her eating habits isn’t exactly enlightened, turning her weight into a running gag.
This anime adapts the novels of Jules Verne as most of its inspiration, especially the adventures of Captain Nemo as told in20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. The setting is an alternate version of history in which technology hastaken more of a Steampunk turn.
The main character is Jean, an inventor from France, and when he meets Nadia he also gets mixed up with a gang of jewel thieves who are trying to steal her pendant, a mysterious gem called Blue Water. They are rescued by Nemo and the crew of the Nautilus, where they fight against the forces of Neo-Atlantis and continue to search for the Secret of Blue Water.
