The year is Universal Century 0087, and mankind has yet to be liberated from Earth's gravity. Seven years since the end of the One Year War, tensions between the Earth Federation and the space colonies continue on the rise. The police actions of the Titans, the Federation's military arm in space, fuel anti-Earth sentiment throughout the colonies and give rise to the Anti-Earth Union Group. Kamille Bidan, a young spacenoid from Space Colony Noa, soon finds himself in the middle of this armed conflict and behind the cockpit of the Titans newest weapon: the Gundam Mk-II.
In the year 2075, humanity has spread to the stars, along with their technology, colonies, and... waste? At such great speeds in orbit, even a tiny bolt can cause a tragic disaster. Enter the team of the half division. Their job? To gather the garbage and debris that circles the Earth, in order to keep space safe. From broken-down satellites to bolts and nails, there's nothing that the underpaid and underappreciated staff can't salvage. Join Hachimaki, Tanabe, Fee, and the rest of the gang as they risk their lives to keep space clean, and keep their wallets... empty.
On the surface this might seem like a bizarre recommendation; Planetes is a show geared towards hard science and workplace relationships while Zeta Gundam is a mecha action series. However the political conundrums between Earth and space and terrorist organisations that evolve in both shows are strikingly similar, Planetes even uses a crisis that seems almost intentionally inspired by an event in Zeta Gundam. Admittedly Planetes is by far the superior show but Zeta Gundam isn't half-bad at all and well worth watching. If you're a Gundam fan and think Planetes sounds boring, it really isn't - you're sure to find it a lot of fun too!