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Though on the surface they seem to have next to nothing in common, I couldnt help but think of Rogue One and Andor while watching Orb: On the Movements of the Earth, the latest anime by Hunter x Hunter and Frieren: Beyond Journeys End studio Madhouse. Specifically, it was Luthens speech in Andor when he says, I burn my life to make a sunrise that I know Ill never see, that kept coming to mind. Though one is set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away and the other in a fictionalized version of 15th century Poland, you could swap the Death Star plans in that one hallway scene in Rogue One for an even vaguer and more abstract concept the theory of heliocentrism and you get at the core of this poignant, emotionally devastating, thought-provoking, inspirational anime.Orb: On the Movements of the Earth is based on the manga of the same name by Uoto. It takes place at a time when knowledge is dangerous, and the Churchs Inquisition hunts down and punishes anyone daring to question the dogma. Unfortunately for young prodigy Rafal, his whole life changes when he is struck by a single question what if the Earth moves? Determined to find out more, Rafal becomes part of a struggle for knowledge and wonder, and one in a long line of characters who become obsessed with the idea of heliocentrism.This is one of the best anime of the year, an adult story reminiscent of Vinland Saga with great dialogue and philosophical speeches worthy of a Mike Flanagan joint. The show features exquisite animation that pays as much attention to subtle facial expressions and body movements as it does to action scenes. The facial expressions in particular sell how life-changing the moment the characters are bit by the heliocentrism bug is, or the sheer terror when they realize the Inquisitors are on their tail. Unsurprisingly, it is the night sky backgrounds that steal the show, with impeccable attention to detail in the visuals for the celestial objects that capture the imagination and curiosity of the characters.What makes Orb: On the Movements of the Earth a truly special show, however, is its lack of a protagonist. We meet several people who drive the story forward, but the show has a revolving door of characters that enter and exit the story regularly. Though the story spans decades, we dont follow one character or even a group of characters dedicating long periods of time to the idea of heliocentrism, developing it as it shapes their lives across several years. Instead, the focus is on how every individual pushes knowledge forward a little bit before the next person picks up the pieces and carries on with the work. Sure, not every character and their circumstance and relationship with heliocentrism hits equally as hard, but the overall narrative is all the more gripping because of it, as it paints a picture of the highs and (mostly) lows of the road to heliocentrism.More importantly, Orb is about humanitys capacity for wonder, and how inevitable and resilient curiosity is. Some characters are introduced to heliocentrism by being told about it, others stumble upon it through their own observations of the cosmos, and some are simply struck by a question of why the stars behave the way they do. It doesnt matter how much information is suppressed or how many people are tortured, hung, or burnt at the stake by the Inquisition ideas cant be killed. Blurring the lines between fiction and reality, Orb plays with audiences knowledge of history in interesting ways, presenting a version of events that shines a light on the faceless people whose names are erased by history, whose contributions dont make it to the books but who nevertheless pushed progress forward and contributed to great advancements.History is not a straight line, and a wrong answer is not a meaningless one. Every right step can be followed by a wrong one, but even those help push for progress. These are key ideas the way Orb presents its narrative, and to how effective it is at making a story about people trying to learn more about the nature of our world into one of the most thrilling anime in years, one full of unpredictable twists and memorable characters all connected through an idea one on of the movements of the Earth.Orb: On the Movements of the Earth is now streaming on Netflix.
