Planetes

WOH is a similar series in many ways. You have the same nice pace, a great focus on human relationships and a similar topic. It covers the same matter from a different perspective. A must see if you like PLANETES.

If you like Planetes, you're a fan of serious character-driven science fiction that's firmly based on real science. In that case, you'll love Wings of the Honneamise.

In WoH, the world is still young and daring to reach for the stars. Most people see space as some crazy dream. In PLANETES, the world has conquered space and Earth is soon to become the loser's refuge. Both shows are very amiable social sci-fi, with earthy, everyday characters you can easily identify with.

Though Planetes is slightly ahead of Honneamise in the space race, both deal with early struggles of space travel, against a world in social and economic upheaval. If that wasn't reason enough to watch the other one, they also feature central female characters that exhibit the same kind of wide-eyed idealism despite the cynicism and corruption around them.

both of these shows thank NASA in the credits for their help and it shows. if you like one for the realistic way they portray space flight i think you will like the other for that same reason. both are drama based too, though Wings of Honneamise is a bit more realistic.

Both Planetes and The Wings of Honneamise are about scientific progress, the evolution of human society, and the eruptions this causes in the personal lives of the individuals (i.e. astronauts) caught in the middle. Like Planetes, Wings of Honneamise also takes an almost slice-of-life approach at first, then develops the overarching story later. Moreover, they simply feel very similar due to their detailed world building and their powerful focus on key characters' developments. Honestly, if you liked one, the other is a perfect follow-up. Note, though, that Planetes is a series whilst The Wings of Honneamise is only a two-hour movie.

Patlabor, like Planetes, is serious Science Fiction. There isn't much of this about. It's not silly, it's not childish, and it's not about huge explosions or robot battles. Actually, the movies are probably closer in tone to Planetes itself, but the series has a lot in common too. Plus, half the characters in Planetes are rip-offs of the characters in Patlabor.

Patlabor and Planetes both fall into similar categories. They're both "mundane" SF shows (the tech development is realistic-no aliens/outright breaking the laws of physics here). Both shows are more concerned with the characters, and how those characters react to potential technological developments than with the tech developments themselves. They both deal with realistic poilitical/ social issues (terrorism, inequality) in a serious manner. They're both clearly intended for fans of serious SF.

I'm hard pressed to think of two shows that are as analogous to each other as Patlabor.  Which is quite a feat when one thinks about it, like having Two Mona Lisas in the museum next to each other.  Many of the characters are direct analogs, such as Tanabe for Izumi and Shinohara for Hajimake.  Both are hard science fiction, with drama and character development with sprinklings of action. 

Somehow the character development in both of these feels the same to me. In addition, I really love both of these series... some might find them to be slow, but I think both have a very persistent main character who won't give up, and a generally good feeling.

Twin Spica and Planetes are both hard sci-fi shows about space that focus on the characters rather than on their scientific elements. In both of these shows the science is used to create a well developed word background so that the show can focus on the characters and how they develop instead of having to develop the world they live in.

There is a sense of hope and destiny involved in space travel. Taking that leap into space requires some form of deep commitment to a dream of Humanity's destiny in space.

In Planetes, the first rush of human expansion into space is ebbing, and the tawdry underside of living in space is beginning to show itself (space trash, slums on the Moon, etc.).

In Twin Spica, the hazards of space travel are tragically apparent from the beginning of the story. Yet the protagonists of both series will not budge from their dreams - they're going up and out, and they know it. If you've ever wanted to ride a space shuttle, both these animes are likely to strike a chord in you.