Pluto didn’t really meet my expectations, even though I still think it’s a solid anime. At first I didn’t even have high expectations, because Pluto isn’t talked about as much as Monster or 20th Century Boys, even though it’s from the same creator. But the first episode was very strong, so I raised my expectations a lot and kept watching thinking the story would eventually top that opening.

The problem is that, for me, it never truly did. Episode 6 was probably the highest peak of the story for me, but even that didn’t feel that much higher than what I felt in episode 1. So when I finished the series, my feeling was basically: it was worth watching, but it was just one more anime to add to my list. Not something life-changing, not something that stays in your head for weeks. I wasn’t disappointed in the sense of having a bad time, I just felt like I spent most of the build-up waiting for the moment where everything would hit hard, and that moment never really arrived.

The story is mysterious and the mystery is unrolled in a good way. I don’t think the outcome was predictable, and I think the series does a good job revealing things step by step. But when everything is finally revealed, it didn’t shock me. It didn’t give me that feeling of “wow” that some mystery stories can give, like Dark on Netflix for example. It was good, but not mind-blowing.

One thing I really respect about Pluto is the themes. It explores morality, war, hatred, trauma, identity, and the idea of what makes someone human in a way that many anime don’t even try to do. This is one of the reasons why I like works from this creator. Compared to many anime that stay on the surface and keep repeating the same basic themes, Pluto actually tries to go deeper. Even something popular like My Hero Academia, for example, often stays too safe and too surface-level in comparison. Pluto is definitely above the average anime when it comes to themes.

The pacing was also good for what the story wanted to do. It had build-up, it had outcomes, and even though it’s a short series, it didn’t feel small or rushed. If anything, it felt complete. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners felt much more rushed in comparison even though they have a similar episode count. Also, I used to dislike long build-ups, and during Pluto I did have a bit of that feeling sometimes, but after rewatching Monster I started appreciating build-ups more, so I don’t want to criticize Pluto for being slow. The pacing wasn’t the issue for me. The issue was the lack of a conclusion that feels very impactful.

Character-wise, I didn’t connect that much emotionally. I feel like the philosophy and development of the characters could have been pushed further and executed better. The characters I liked the most were Gesicht and Epsilon. Gesicht is easily the one that stood out the most and felt like the best written by far. I also liked North No. 2 a lot, but he was there for only one episode. The moment I got closest to being emotional was North No. 2’s death in episode 1. The other robots had their moments too, but they didn’t really resonate with me that much, so overall I felt more like an observer.

Production-wise, I have no criticism. Animation, soundtrack, atmosphere, direction, everything was very well done. Pluto looks and sounds exactly how it should. My criticism is not about quality or presentation, it’s about the story not hitting as hard as I expected it to.

I can see Pluto being the type of anime that might feel better on a rewatch. If I watched it again, I wouldn’t be waiting for the conclusion or the big reveal, I would just focus on the journey. So maybe it would increase in my consideration. But realistically, I don’t think I will rewatch it.

In the end, I do think people can enjoy Pluto, and I can recommend it as a solid and well-made anime with strong themes. But for me, after having watched longer series with incredible writing and peaks that truly hit hard, like Attack on Titan, Vinland Saga, Death Note, Hunter x Hunter, and especially Monster, Pluto can’t really be near them. It feels almost “flawless” in a technical sense, but it didn’t leave a strong impact on me personally.