Anime

Alex, I think "The Legend of Galactic Heroes" might be something you'd enjoy, unlike some other things. It's a pseudo-historical, pseudo-documentary about humans in the future. It's not tied to Japan, and most of the characters are of European descent. It features wars, revolutions, conspiracies, cunning plans, epic battles, trash, humor, and debauchery, but with a focus on realism and historical accuracy. I didn't like it because of its wannabe-documentary style, and I generally expect different things from space fantasy, but it might be a plus for you. Moreover, the plot is genuinely interesting, the setting is reasonably decent (again, I don't usually like that, but it might be a good thing for you), and the characters are decent.