Right now you can watch Air on streaming — and it goes further with its ideas than most genre entertainment bothers to. The show says what it needs to say in a single season, no filler. With 71 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Tomoko Kawakami anchors it with a performance that grounds the bigger ideas in something human. Put it on tonight and see for yourself.

Air is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. Air treats its concept seriously enough to follow it all the way through. Yukito Kunisaki is on a journey in search of the Winged Maiden who was bound to the sky centuries ago after hearing the old childhood tale from his mother. As Yukito shows his puppet show to people in an attempt to make some money, he finds himself in a small town in which he did not expect to stay very long. However, when he meets an unusual girl named Misuzu, things take a drastic turn as he is invited to stay with her. The human element stays intact thanks to Tomoko Kawakami, who anchors every scene. Air premiered in 2005. What separates Air from lesser genre entertainment is a willingness to let the concept cost the characters something. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Viewers burned by ambitious sci-fi that could not sustain its premise should give Air a chance. If you have already watched Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles, Air is a natural next step. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch if your schedule allows. Tomoko Kawakami grounds the bigger ideas in something human. Once you are in, you will want to talk about it.

Air wrapped up in 2005 — and 1 season is available to watch from start to finish. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro's free voice app makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just say the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.