Netflix's "Pluto" is wonderful

I used to think I like anime, but I don't. I like _cyberpunk_ anime; that's a very specific thing.

The few that I've watched tend to have common characteristics:

Nihilism

Strange premises that are unexplained and which you just have to accept

Really convoluted plots that require pages of fan explanations to parse

A heavy reliance on mysticism to plug plot holes

My favorites are End of Evangelion, Texchnolyze, and Ergo Proxy. Serial Experiment Lain was cool too, but I spent most of my time just enjoying the atmosphere without having a clue what was happening.

I went into Netflix's Pluto expecting more of the same. What I got instead was:

Poignant moments

Great atmosphere

A setting that was easy to understand and fully explained

A plot that started out quasi-mystical, which became deeply human by the end

A coherent, comprehensive conclusion

I was pleasantly surprised. I think it's terrific, and it now tops my list of cyberpunky/sci-fi anime. I'm happy it showed up on Netflix when it did; I don't think I would have heard about it otherwise.