Though the plot of Sidonia no Kishi is generally your standard space opera, there is one caveat. The latest generation of humans aboard the ship are born asexual, and develop sexual organs as they build relationships with one another. Not only that, the protagonist Tanikaze finds himself in many unique situations: being attracted to an alien taking the form of his former love interest, and playing the father role of a gigantic alien / human hybrid, just to name a couple. What, if anything, do these elements do for the anime as a whole? Are they just glossed over and used as shock value, or do they add value to the story? Might this anime mark a shift in today’s mainstream anime environment?
While it may have been used as shock value in the beginning, the anime kept the "the viewer already knows this" attitude throughout both seasons. This kind of approach towards this detail in the world of Sidonia actually makes sense, since they're supposedly living in a far away future, where anything as initially absurd (like the bear cook) may be possible. It adds value to the whole world-building of Knights of Sidonia, which also succeeds in having its viewers undistracted by these minute details from the main story. – miharusshi9 years ago