Chi. Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite チ。―地球の運動について―

2024 fall | Episodes: 25 | Score: 8.7 (63152)

Updated every Saturdays at 23:45 | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Producers:Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions | Shogakukan | NHK Enterprises | SKY Perfect Pictures

Streaming: Netflix

Synopsis

Twelve-year-old prodigy Rafal believes in living rationally, so as to earn praise and respect from society while not being led astray by his emotions. To this end, he publicly states his intention to study theology—the academic field held in highest regard in early 15th century Poland. However, an encounter with a mysterious man upends Rafal's life, sparking an illogical desire to instead pursue his passion for astronomy. Rafal is determined to prove the beauty and rationality of heliocentrism—the theory that the Earth revolves around the Sun. This belief is considered heretical by the powerful Church, which promotes geocentrism—the Sun revolving around the Earth—as the sole truth of the universe. Those whose beliefs do not align with the will of the Church suffer unfathomably gruesome consequences. In pursuit of evidence for a heliocentric model of the universe, Rafal grapples with obtaining precise calculations and building empirical theories. His greatest challenge, however, lies in conducting this research discreetly—lest he wish to meet the same fate as other heretics. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Voice Actors

Nakamura, Yuuichi

Ishige, Shouya

Tanezaki, Atsumi

Shimabukuro, Miyuri

Hitomi, Saya

Yukinari, Toa

Tsuda, Kenjirou

Konishi, Katsuyuki

Sakamoto, Maaya

Hino, Satoshi

News

Reviews

Followkata
04/16/2025, 04:36 PM
10/10. The first masterpiece score i've ever given out in anime. This anime blew me away. I've always looked at anime as a medium that breaks barriers of entertainment that can only be broken in the medium of anime. Vivid colors, over the top action, ethically wrong jokes, morally wrong stereotypes, are a few things to me is what makes anime entertaining. Making ubelievable works of unrealisitc fiction very cool is anime in a nutshell in my opinion. This is what anime excels at. Chi is different. There aren't any stereotypes, there are no jokes, there is no comicrelief, there are no harems, there is no big boobed woman, there is no fan service, there is no over powered protaganist and in fact there is no main character. There are no odd looking children nor adults. The story takes an ultra serious tone in everything it does and this tone does not break for a single second which in my opinion over 25 episodes is quite insane in the medium of anime. However it pulls it off effortlessly. I believe this was a risk but it was worth it. The first truly original anime of this season and probably the last 5 years. It takes an idea that almost everyone in the world knows and tells the story in breathtaking fashion. I've read other reviews that say that everyone knows that the earth revolves around the sun and to repeat this is just boring. However those people obviously missed the point. Chi could have been made with any idea that was considered blaphemy in the middle ages. That is not what this story is about. The story is about how ideas that were condemned by religion, genuine science based theories and how it took generations of persecution, tortue, brutality, wars, and deaths for a single idea to become common knowledge. People were burned on a stick and tortured to death because of the simplest ideas in which we consider common knowledge these days. Chi tells the story about how these ideas became to be and the pursuit of truth and science in the times when these ideas were considered heretical. People hung onto hope and curiosity and prevailed. This is a story that usually would be made into a movie and never before Chi would I have ever thought it would be a good idea for an anime. Chi is a work of fiction, it is an anime not to be compared with historical accuracy. There are a few historical figures but this is not what the story is about. Anyone who brings up historical accuracy has also missed the point as i said earlier this is a work of fiction and the story is about how it took generations to overcome persecution of knowledge that we take for granted. People died for these ideas. In this context Chi is historically accurate. Many people died and were tortured for ideas that went against religion. Chi is not your typical anime. You will not be blown away from the action, the soundtrack, the characters, the colors, the animation nor anything typical of anime in this day and age. The message, the story, the realistic approach, the idea and the way it was told through many peoples eyes without any protaganist is simply genuis. There is no anime to compare this too and this is why i give it the 10 score.
ArturiaP3ndrag0n
04/06/2025, 05:31 AM
This show is an absolute experience. A perfect example of the 3 episode rule at play. Give it a watch yourself, 3 eps. If it appeals you then you are in for a truly phenomenal experience. If not, no problems but those 3 episode encapsulate what the show will be like. As per my rubric: 10/10 Artistic and Enjoyment factor: 2/2 This is absolutely artistic and novel in how it tackles the troubled history of Heliocentrism, no spoilers here but this isn't a pure historic re-enactment. Dramatization is used extremely well to serve the purpose of the narrative. Furthermore, its extremely enjoyable both in the intellectual, dramatic and visualsense. Overarching themes and Recommendation: 2/2 I absolutely recommend this to absolutely everyone. This touches on the core themes of what it means to be Human as well as our pursuit of Knowledge and the Truth. I recommend this to everyone and their aunt. Furthermore it builds to something truly phenomenal. You can watch this over and over and over again and appreciate all the many many subtle details over and over. Narrative Consistency: 2/2 Absolutely utter perfection. At any moment in the entire story you can stop to ask "What is happening", "Why are we doing this and why is this happening?", "Where are we headed?", "When is this happening in the story?" and "How are we going to resolve this?". Literally every single plot thread is beautifully well connected, the entire caste of characters too are all incredibly well developed and distinct with their own 'convictions' that drives them extremely well. Emotional Moments: 2/2 You need atleast 3 to get the full 2 points, and I have lost count. Already 2-3 in the first 3 episodes. This is truly full of emotional moments that inspire so many emotions in you. It is.. beautiful. Emotional Moments are classified as any specific moment in the story that sticks with you long after the series is finished. It can espouse Joy, Anger, Grief, Awe and even Immense Contemplation. Examples: Operation Arclight in Steins;Gate. United States of Smash in BNHA. FMAB's ending. Vinland Saga S1's ending. Fate Unlimited Blade Works Final Battle. Fate Zero, the Grail Paradox. Bias: 2/2 If an anime achieves 8/10 its as good as perfect within the objective criterion. For Bias, I have 4 categories, full points if atleast 3 of the 4 are met. 1 point if any one of the 4 is satisfied. For something to have all 4 is truly something phenomenal so Ill just call that a Star... Rather fittingly, this Anime is one of them. 1 = Power System Whether its Science or Magic, the means by which the plot is resolved can be described as the Power System at play. Having a well explained, sound and consistent power system is my bias. I am aware not every anime has this (a slice of life anime has no use for this) but the mechanics of Time in Steins;Gate or the Law of Equal Exchange in FMAB are perfect examples of a Power System. Best explained as a Magic System as per Brandon Sandersons 3 Laws of Magic. In this case, its rather obvious. Heliocentrism as a Cosmological Truth and the imperfections of the Geocentric model. 2 = Historical Inspiration As it says. Taking inspiration from real world history, the history of mankind, is something I greatly adore and appreciate in my anime. This anime is of course taking massive inspiration from the history of Heliocentrism and how it developed in Poland in the Early Renaissance Era. 3 = Music and Sound Design By no means I am a sound expert, this is why its a bias. If the Music meaning OP , ED and/or OST is something that 'clicks' then obviously one will enjoy that series a Ton More. The greatest example I have is Re;Creators. The anime with its first half was fairly okay. But the OP, ED and OST composed by the legendary Hiroyuki Sawano and his infamous SAWANO DROP had me utterly hooked and consequently carried me through the series just enough for the climatic bits to utterly hook me in. This anime's OP is so god damn influential. This is truly "NANDO DEMO"-core. WE BOUTTA MOVE THE EARTH WITH THIS ONE 4 = Theme of Kingship OR Theme of Strength I wont get into Kingship, as this anime is more relevant with the theme of strength. Specifically the Strength of ones "Convictions" and beliefs, enough to even brave the threat of 'Hell'. That spark is explored in a great many. At its core. It was the Human desire for Knowledge Whether because it's beautiful Whether it's rational Whether its to give hope Whether it's Freedom Whether it's Natural Whether it's profitable Whether it's purpose Whether.. it is Thaumazein Each of it. Backed by a conviction. The desire to know. 10/10 with a Star.
Siaksx
04/03/2025, 08:04 AM
Since this anime deserves much more attention than it has gotten, I really don't even know where to start this review. Not only fanfare but appropriate critical attention—essays, discourse, thorough examination. Still, here we are—just me—with this urgent need to share some thoughts in the space I have. Watching Chi: Chalkyuu no Undou ni Tsuite seemed less like consuming an anime and more like reading a piece of literary fiction from the first episode. Though naturally the screen held me in place, the story moves with such purpose that I found myself longing I could flick through the frames like pages in a book. The story, the interwoventhemes, the painstaking character arcs—all of which felt carefully chosen to pull you deeper and deeper, until you were totally absorbed, emotionally and intellectually. And for that, I really am grateful. Something animated has not made me feel this much, this intensely for a very long time. What struck me most was the central concept: the birth and resilience of an idea. It's a theme that resonates with me far beyond this series. Inception, one of my favorite movies, brilliantly said, "An idea is like a virus. Resilient. Highly contagious. The smallest seed of an idea can grow. It can grow to define or destroy you". This anime embodies that truth. It illustrates how a single thought—quiet, fragile, almost imperceptible at first—can take root. And once it does, it refuses to be extinguished. It grows, evolves, and slowly begins to reshape the world around it. Ideas are seen as both divine and deadly across history and most definitely inside this narrative. And reasonably so. They subvert authority. They sabotage systems. They call for truth. Although I'm not a historian, I will let those more suited handle the scholarly study; what I respect is how Chi combines artistic vision with historical realism. The creators expose the dual nature of almost everything: labor, religion, money, human relationships. The series demonstrates how belief in an idea may lead to persecution—and how that same belief, in the hands of another, might inspire violence, silence, or resistance. Still haunting me in the series is the first death. It was startling. Though they don't, there is a cruel hope the character would come back. Just as actual individuals do not. The anime reminds us, with devastating clarity, that we are fleeting—tiny dots in the vast, ever-moving arc of human history. And yet ideas linger even as we disappear. They still remain. They become louder, more unquestionably stronger. This series is, quite simply, beautiful from the poetic opening sequence and dramatic soundtrack to the amazing starlit sky and visceral, blood-soaked fights. Every bit of artistic detail is intentional. Every emotional pulse performs as expected. I wholeheartedly recommend Chi: Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite. Not only as a piece of entertainment but also as a work of art challenging us to consider what goes on following our deaths and what is worth dying for.
Darkfiend47
04/01/2025, 08:00 AM
SPOILER-FREE REVIEW. Orb is a beautiful show. Every year we have sleeper hits which're usually unconventional in nature. We've had Odd Taxi, Pluto etc in the past and now we have this. These days too many anime rely on animation and visual spectacle with very little depth so it's refreshing to see a show with good old writing. It has a very unique concept with a steller execution. The genius of this show is seen right from it's title. Chi means orb but it also means Truth, Blood, Terror, Earth, Violence, Intellect and Sacrifice which are vital themes and describes the entire show in a nutshell.It's a historical fiction which revolves around the concept of Heliocentrism at a time when it was considered blasphemous. On a surface level you'd think it's just about that but it's an extremely metaphorical show in every way. It uses Heliocentrism as a vehicle to show it's themes. Sticking to your beliefs, the unfairness of society, the corruption of authority, the chain of history, search for truth are some of themes that it goes into through out the show. The show doesn't provide an answer for these yet invites the audience to think for themselves. I'll now dive deeper. It mostly features people talking yet it's so engaging. Here comes the biggest strength of this show, the writing. Written by Shingo Irie (Golden Kamuy, Log Horizon). It's so god damn poetic, like how it interweaves something as monumental as the stars into the lives of ordinary people. It's a great example of a high quality script as it is so tightly written. It can very much be called as thriller as there some really suffocating moments with very bold writing. It's a dark show that's unhinged as it doesn't shy away from Violence and Misery. It makes good use of the times it is set to tell an engaging narrative. It's a cerebral, thought provoking show which balances philosophy and science. I really loved the pacing. One would expect to be bored with such a dialogue driven show, yet it moves you. The episodes flew by in a flash. A huge credit has to be given to director Kenichi Shimizu who surprisingly also directed Parasyte. The dialogue scenes feel natural, accompanied by great storyboarding. The dialogue in itself is great. There is lot of symbolism and literary devices in general which gives elevates the show. The characters are simply excellent. Without spoiling too much, the MC goes through an interesting phase which is very fresh to see. Each character is well rounded and contributes in the overall narrative. They're often very flawed individuals who try to seek meaning in their lives and worlds. Their character arcs are incredible as they develop naturally in such a short time. A great example of all of these is Nowak. He's a bastard of a man, an unstoppable force against the MC. He basically symbolizes the brutality of the church in the name of god and good. Voiced by Kenjiro Tsuda (who also voices Kento (JJK), Kishibe (CSM), Ogata (Golden Kamuy), you know, all the psychopaths). He casually gives one of his best performances. You can feel the bloodlust in his voice. Speaking of voice acting, it's amazing. Unlike your regular shounen anime, they sound very natural, bringing realism to the world. Not just Kenjiro but it also features some other high profile VA's like Maaya Sakamoto (Shinobu (Monogatari series), Echidna (Re Zero)), Yuuichi Nakamura (Gojo (JJK)) in never before seen roles which is intresting. The animation is a mixed bag. Initially I noticed that the characters go off model quite a lot. The animation of the backgrounds like the night sky is consistently amazing. I've seen many complain that dark scenes at night are too dark, however I didn't have much problems with that. Surprisingly the action scenes are great. They're very fluid and grounded. The artstyle is great too. The OST is just beautiful. Composed by Kensuke Ushio (A Silent Voice, CSM, Devilman Crybaby). His music is unorthodox, dream-like with emphasis on Pianos and synths which is perfect for this series. It feels grand and epic like the story it's going for. The Op is spectacular. Sakanaction casually drops one of their best songs, Kaiju which perfectly encapsulated the feelings of the entire show. Sakanaction is a very popular band which has been around for a long time with songs like Shin Takarajima, Identity (DOUSHITEE~~). Aporia and Hebi (Snake) by N-Buna a.k.a Yorushika is melancholic and somber yet helps you relax after all the depression. Now for some negatives. The ending. It is quite confusing to say the least. The biggest one being the introduction of a certain character. It felt kinda unnecessary which confuses the audience instead. They do not go for a conventional ending, which can feel underwhelming for some. It's something that requires you dig deep into several forums for the answers as it's very vague. One could think of the last couple of eps like a Epilogue which it is. It is important to note that it's a historical fiction. It's actually hilarious when people point out historical flaws, linking them to our own world when it wasn't meant to be. Also it's a steady paced, dialogue driven show so if you're just looking for some action, this is not for you. Overall I feel like it's a already classic. I would recommend you to watch it if you want something unique and mature which will move your world. SIMILAR SHOWS: To your eternity comes to mind as it is also emotional yet philosopical. Also due a obvious reason you'd know if you've seen both. Vinland Saga is another show with similar vibes, tone and art. They both bend history and fiction. A Seinen to their cores delivering philosophical stories. They also feature the idea of going against the times and norms very effectively. Rating: Visuals: 3.5/5 OST: 5/5 Story: 5/5 Characters: 5/5 Enjoyment: 4.5/5 Overall: 4/5 or 9/10
xera_yoo
03/27/2025, 10:45 PM
This anime, isn't just an anime. For me it's a masterpiece. Even tho it is a fiction, there are historical elements in it. The reason why I recommend this anime is bcs the philosophy behind is very deep (the interpretation will depend on each perception). I love the plot and the characters. Even, Orb: On The Movements of The Earth has 4 main characters in it. It shows that the burden of civilization that must be changed cannot be done by just one person. Orb: On The Movements of The Earth tells about the dark ages where people adhered to geocentrism, and in this storythe church under a bishop condemned heliocentrism. But, in a world where those who are lost by doubt, there must be people who realize the truth with their intelligent brains. It starts with Rafal, a bright student at church, thinking whether he should study theology or astronomy when he'll enter university at a very young age. But he ended up in tragic death. However he's a smart teenager that open minded about world. All of that continued with great determination to the next people. From this anime too, we can see that knowledge is not at odds with religion. Religion always includes knowledge and is open to it. Don't expect too much, this anime is not like action anime that'll always amaze you with the fictional power of the characters. There are no heroes who help many people in this anime. They are people who are opposed by the larger community, and feared by the common people. But this anime is a historical anime that will spur the audience to reflect more deeply about universe. By just looking at the sky, they will get the truth. Even for those of us who are sometimes arrogant about our abilities, when we look up at the sky, we will realize how great the universe is.So that we'll realize, we are nothing more than a small creature wandering and looking for a way to reach our goal. From this anime, I understand that history is not just about recording the detailed time of an event. But history is actually a lesson for us to think more openly and wisely in life. My review about the elements. Chara development: 10/10 Plot: 10/10 Music: 8/10 Animation: 9/10 Characters: 9,5/10 Opening: 10/10 Thank you for reading to the end, I hope it helps.
Amandakristanti
03/25/2025, 02:56 AM
In my opinion, this anime is truly a peak anime. This anime is really too good absolute cinema destroying my expectations as a viewer. I love how this anime at the end of the story conveys that 'humans don't need to choose one doubt or believe, i will continue to doubt when I 'go forward' and continue to believe when i go ackwards'' these two things will always It's within humans. every dialogue uttered by these anime characters really has weight, really has a really really good narrative. When i complete watches this anime this anime really stimulate my thought about science, philosophy, history, and also aboutreligion, one of the moments I haven't felt when watching anime for a long time. and the story aspect of the anime is really incredible, there is no need to doubt it, i like how the creator who made this story can make many viewers really confused because the ending is left open to everyone. Sorry if my review is a little stiff because I used translate to write this
jRad522
03/22/2025, 10:11 AM
Anime is rarely "timely." It is difficult for a medium that is generally interested in over-the-top action, supernatural and sci-fi antics, or easily digested slice of life experiences to have anything specific and necessary to say about the times in which we are living. This isn't a problem; in fact a huge part of the reason why we come to the medium is to escape a reality that is often equal parts boring and traumatic, but it makes the occasional show that breaks that mold and directly addresses the reality of our modern world stand out from the crowd. The fact that this show isset in the dark past of the 13 and 1400s makes this achievement all the more incredible, while also ringing alarm bells about the darkness that is threatening to overtake us in the year 2025. The show is Orb: On the Movements of the Earth, and the fates that befall these characters in their search for truth and freedom could very well be our own fates if we don't listen to the warning that this show is so desperately trying to give to us. In the most literal of senses, Orb is simply the story of a series of gifted scholars and intellectuals who seek to determine the makeup of the cosmos in a time of anti-intellectual persecution that defined anything that fell outside the accepted doctrine of the Church as inherently blasphemous and evil. Our protagonists, one by one, discover truths about the planets and their relationship to the Earth and the Sun, and one by one are faced with the consequences of pursuing Truth in a world that has decided that Truth is an enemy of Faith. Their individual stories are beautiful, inspiring, and heartbreaking, but it is not any one of their individual stories that makes this show such a gut-wrenching and important piece of media. It is the sum total of their contributions to the search for Truth, the way that no one of them alone can defeat the suppressive forces that seek to destroy them, and most importantly the way that those forces may destroy an individual but can never destroy that individual's work or ability to inspire the next generation of thinkers that makes this show a necessary watch. We are currently, throughout the modern world, facing a wave of repressive, conservative, right-wing evil that is seeking to return us to the state of cowering ignorance that the world is languishing in at the beginning of Orb. Intellectuals and other people whose existences are offensive to the most venal, fearful, hate-mongering of rich, white "Christians" are being subjected to incarceration, violence, disenfranchisement, and state-sanctioned murder at the hands of people who are not capable of critical or independent thought. Just like the story of Orb, many of us who seek to live freely will be lost during these times, but just like the story of Orb, the people who are seeking to destroy us will ultimately fail. They may silence vast numbers of us, they may destroy many of our lives, but they can never and will never break us. No matter how many of us they intimidate, disappear, or kill, we will always persist, just like the characters in Orb. We are curious like Rafal, earnest like Oczy, subversive like Jolenta, pragmatic like Draka, and gifted like Albert, and, just like them, some of us may fall but what we stand for never will. Orb is the story of the inevitable triumph of what is true and good in the face of seemingly insurmountably evil. Just like them, we will prevail. Watch this show. It is grim, but in grim times we need to be realistic about what we face and how we win.
JettGroove
03/20/2025, 03:31 PM
I've been living for almost 30 years and it is difficult to surprise me with anything in the mass media, but “Orb: On the Movements of the Earth” managed to do this in every possible way. The only anime that combines and explores themes of science, history, philosophy and religion in the unique setting of medieval Europe. Orb is incredibly inspiring in the search for the truth about our universe, it gives hope that our civilization will get through future challenges and preserve humanity despite any level of possible severity and cruelty. Story revolves around the opposition between heliocentrism and geocentrism in 15th century, perfect forpeople who are mesmerized by the elegant beauty of outer space. It’s hard to explain originality of the narrative without going into the spoilers, but what can be said is that author takes an interesting approach, showing how hard it was to retain knowledge and pass it on back in the days. Speaking of historicity, Orb is not 100% precise and embellishes the events so anime can be more entertaining, for example, one of the characters has a “pear of anguish” in his arsenal, which most likely has been invented only in the early modern period (circa 1600), long after the events of the Orb. Viewer must understand that historical tag doesn't lock work of art into the confines of documentary and at the same moment does not prevent it from showing genuine facts that can be verified. What I like even more is the characters and the diversity of their convictions, views on faith in God and the meaning of life. Agnosticism, theism, atheism, deism – you can find representation of almost all popular beliefs here. It’s easy to connect with anyone from the main cast, even antagonistic Nowak can evoke empathy, there is no absolute good or evil. Uoto has a talent for reconciling contradictions, he can write a balanced personality with emotions and rationality rolled into one. Moreover, through these characters he accurately shows what consequences blind faith or reckless pursuit for knowledge can lead to. Art and animation are magnificent, while quite static dialogue scenes dominate, when it comes to action Madhouse delivers detailed and fluid visuals. Swordplay looks gorgeous, stargazing shots are breathtaking and creative work with visual symbolism is mind-blowing, especially in the openings. Though, I can't help but notice that in the last two episodes the quality of detalization in some frames has dropped. As for the music, it perfectly complements what is happening on the screen, if cosmos could sing, it would sound exactly like Kensuke Ushio’s OST. While opening theme by Sakanaction is already become iconic, I am a little bit sad that Amazarashi’s “Cassiopeia keiryuujo” wasn’t used at all, in spite of the fact that it could have been a first-rate ending theme a cut above “Aporia” and “Hebi”. The way Orb ends is extremely satisfying, makes you doubt and plants the seed of “Thaumazein” in your heart, forcing to analyze everything you saw in the anime and awakening the desire to research. It may seem confusing to some, but in reality you just need to be attentive and not overcomplicate things. Lastly, it will be realized that the sun occupies the middle of the universe [modern astronomy does not distinguish any center of the universe, which again proves that we should not stop doubting]. All these facts are disclosed to us by the principle governing the order in which the planets follow one another, and by the harmony of the entire universe, if only we look at the matter, as the saying goes, with both eyes. (C) Nicolaus Copernicus. On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, Book 1, Chapter 9.
RABBO___
03/17/2025, 10:07 PM
Orb: On the Movements of the Earth Rating - 9.6/10 Narrative - 10/10 | Character Dev. - 10/10 Scriptwriting - 10/10 | Art Direction - 9/10 Emotional Impact - 9/10 | Voice Acting - 10/10 Pacing - 9/10 | Originality & Creativity - 10/10 Themes & Message - 10/10 | Worldbuilding - 9/10 Orb is a tale of triumph, hope and perseverance.A crumbling of antiquated, self serving ideals and beliefs. A story of faith not to god but to the earth and the universe itself. Delving deeper; trusting in the future you will not inherit, no matter what the cost may be. A seeking of truth. Was a fantastic series from beginning to end. Have never watched an anime like it. The character writing was excellent and impactful, creating moments of thought-provoking dialogue and monologue; questioning morality, faith and mental fortitude. The characters all play an important role good or bad and it feels like one singular cohesive piece of storytelling. The determination shown throughout the show is awe-inspiring and makes you ponder your own passions in life. Narratively the show is one big passing of the torch. The characters thirst for knowledge and purpose, seeking illumination through actions whether selfless or selfish. It shines a light on the imperfect nature of this world and the human psyche. Frivolousness turns to an aching desire for direction and meaning. The show treats it’s subject matter and theming with adamance, respect and reverence over the course of its runtime. Never straying away from treating the viewer to open ended questions, causing you to mentally contemplate the ideas and beliefs on screen. Orb is truly a modern masterpiece, and a platinum standard for storytelling, the likes of which I doubt we will see again. I’ll leave it with a couple of quotes: ‘A wrong answer is not a meaningless one’ "Only a 12 year old would dare to move the world" “How do you define freedom?” Reply: “The ability to ask that” Thank you for reading. 🌍 🌎 ✨ 🌅
Chuy_diazz
03/17/2025, 11:33 AM
Orb on the Movement of the Earth was beautiful. What this anime did was similar to Nadia Comaneci's performance at the '76 Olympics. A routine that impressed everyone, and all you can do is give it a 10. Every movement was designed to connect with the past, present, and future of the story. The anime begins with Rafal, a fictional character, and continues with Albert Brudzewski, who would become Nicolaus Copernicus's teacher. Connecting the story of the anime with real history, you could say the second season of the anime is in our history books. Orb's story has it all: drama, emotion, action, regret, tears, but aboveall, it does a great job of making you remember all those who sacrificed themselves for the truth and making you follow the nature of the human race by being curious and looking to the future. Many people say Orb is a story about the church, religion, and the Inquisition. But Orb doesn't fall into telling a story from a place of victimhood; it doesn't try to say "we are the good guys and the church is the bad guys." It tries to go beyond religion and seeks to exalt faith. It's not a faith in a particular God, it's a faith in whatever allows us to keep moving forward. It could be a God, money, or even knowledge; what matters is not what you believe in, but how your beliefs motivate your actions. Protagonists, villains, and supporting characters—none of them are unnecessary; they all have their reason for being, contribute something to the plot, and then leave. They all had a role in the story, and when that role was fulfilled, they were immortalized through a memorable death. Honorable mention goes to Nowak, who was the one who accompanied us the most on this journey, and his entire story arc begins, develops, and concludes masterfully. Nowak was more than a villain; he was an inquisitor, a former mercenary. He was cruel, but he was also a believer, a hard-working man, but above all, he was a good father. Orb, for me, transcends the "it's a good anime, I recommend it." It's a feeling. Orb communicates so many things that the message I understood is very different from what you might understand. That's precisely what makes it so rich, because the anime itself tells us that one cannot make a great change independently; that it's better to share the knowledge you have and learn new things to strengthen your knowledge and ideas. By doing this, it invites people to actively seek to share their feelings, ideas, and points of view with the community. This way, you can transform your initial opinion of the anime into something richer and more complex. There could be bad things, maybe there are, but even in that, you need that feedback exercise because maybe what seems good to me seems bad to you, and vice versa. Beyond seeking a discussion, it's about generating a debate to build a truth about the anime. Analyzing every angle through the eyes of many people. Orb is an anime that reminds us that, aside from being a personal hobby, there's a community we can talk to and uncover the truth behind what we consider "our truth." Orb, I will never forget you and I will always carry a part of you with me.
ADyingVine
03/16/2025, 02:00 PM
It had been nearly ten years since my passion for astronomy faded, but this anime reignited that spark in a way I never expected. Chi.: Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite is more than just a historical series—it’s a tribute to the pursuit of knowledge, the struggle against ignorance, and the courage of those who dare to challenge the status quo. From the very first episode, the story gripped me with its depth and rawness. This is a narrative that doesn’t sugarcoat reality or shy away from the consequences of questioning established beliefs. The dialogues are simply outstanding—thought-provoking, powerful, and filled with meaning. Every conversation not onlypushes the plot forward but also raises philosophical questions that linger long after the episode ends. I’ll admit, the animation is nothing groundbreaking—it’s solid but not flashy. But does that even matter? When a story is this compelling, when the characters are so well-written, and when the direction is this masterful at building tension, the visuals become secondary. In fact, this anime proves that what truly makes a show great isn’t a massive budget or ultra-detailed animation, but its ability to convey emotions and ideas in a meaningful way. For me, Chi. isn’t just one of the best anime of today—it’s a must-watch for anyone who loves knowledge, science, and history. It reminded me why I was once so fascinated by astronomy and how simply asking questions can change the world. If you haven’t watched it yet, I highly recommend it. This is one of those rare series that doesn’t just entertain—it leaves a lasting impact.
Hikky_is_batman
03/16/2025, 03:45 AM
Maybe a too weak ending. But for 23 episodes, it was comfortably the anime of the year. Like vinland the real protagonist of the story, it is not the characters, but the era in which they are living. While in vinland the protagonist is violence, in orb the protagonist is society itself that blocked any progress with its inertia. Many think that this anime represents the clash between religion and science, but in reality it is the representation of how many ideas that do not conform to the status quo of things have difficulty breaking the barrier of what is considered normal and obvious. It is the masterpieceof madhouse, which after frieren, is experiencing a second youth. It is an anime that will also benefit the anime industry in general, which in recent seasons, was proposing beautiful seasons certainly for a younger audience, but which were disappointing for old and quite bald users like me.
LunaLov
03/15/2025, 10:01 PM
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." -Sir Isaac Newton Definitely a good watch if you have any appreciation for the history of science, astronomy, philosophy, and academic thought processes. Orb on the Movements of Earth is a serious-toned and reflective anime, set in a scenario based on medieval Poland, in which a young boy named Rafal suddenly has his views on cosmology and religion turned upside down upon discovering the existence of the Heliocentric theory through a heretic scholar. From this point onward, we witness the challenges of researching, writing, publishing, and propagating Heliocentrism in times of religious persecution. Aboveall, the anime is an homage to human knowledge and curiosity, where a scientific theory and people's will to pass it forward serve as the true protagonists of the show rather than a specific character. It beautifully represents how, even when all seems lost and impossible, a small spark of thought can be enough to keep humanity's thirst for knowledge and progress alive despite every kind of adversity. Though it may seem like your usual "religion bad, science good" story at a surface level, it goes much deeper than that, exploring the nuances of different perspectives on life, scientific studies, and religious beliefs through each character. Not only that, but it is also an amazing and tense inquisition drama. It is, by the way, a good example of the famous three-episode rule, as it takes an unexpected turn considered by many to be one of the best episodes of the show. In fact, even if serious, dialogue-heavy episodes aren't your cup of tea, I guarantee that the tension caused by the Heliocentric theory being studied in such a setting, along with the plot twists throughout the anime, will surely get you hooked. The opening and ending are beyond awesome, not only with genius musical performances from Sakanaction and Yorushika, but with each episode, the OP and ED visuals change and/or gain more and more meaning. In terms of animation, it could be a little better. The characters' movements are a bit stiff at times, and some may find the night scenes overly dark. However, the anime's art style (which is miraculously good compared to the manga's art) truly shines in the night sky shots, which are mesmerizing for both the characters and the viewers. Overall, it is a truly one-of-a-kind show with high-quality writing. I would definitely recommend it to both anime fans and those who have never watched one before!
StevenLin0626
03/15/2025, 07:20 PM
Now the anime has officially finished airing, I can now confidently say that this show is absolute peak. 25 episodes and it does not drop the ball a single time. Orb: On The Movements of the Earth is one of the greatest written story I've ever witnessed in any media. Before watching this I was doubting that if this heliocentrism and astrology concept would be too pretentious and boring, but it ended up being one of the most inspiring, life-changing experience. Orb is a show with a very unique premise and an absolutely masterful execution. It perfectly captures the idea of truth, belief, aspiration, faith, andlife that ultimately culminated to shape what the world is right now. There are countless mind-blowing and unpredictable lines and moments in this show that just left me in complete awe, that challenged me to continue moving forward and spark my imagination. It's a show with no magic, no crazy powers, no plot armor, yet manages to be the most tension and beauty any anime has ever let me experienced. Every single character, from Rafal, Nowak, Oczy and Badeni, Jolenta, Rafal and Schmitt, and Albert are some of the best characters I have seen, and they go through such incredible character development in such a short time that 80% of shows can't even do in seasons. The music in this show is incredible. Kensuke Ushio's OST was I think the biggest deal breaker for why I think the anime was able to match or even surpass the already incredible manga. And I think this is my new personal favorite OP and ED combinations in anime. "Kaiju" is such a beautifully crafted work of art, and the two Yorushika songs "Aporia" and "Hebi" are masterpieces as well (The thing that got me to watch this show was because Yorushika did the ED and Yorushika is my favourite musical artist). I was a bit confused by the ending at first, but after watching it a few more times I gotta give huge props to the author for having the courage to write such a unique ending. I think the ending nailed the entire premise of the show perfectly, to never stop questioning and believing, never stop pursuing for truth, and it truly goes full circle back to the beginning, rounding off the story perfectly. 90% absolute cinema, 10% of the profit goes to Potocki. Overall score: 9.5/10
TabibitoKino
03/15/2025, 12:52 PM
Chi: Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite uses astronomy to explore human nature, specifically curiosity and inspiration. Due to human nature, curiosity and inspiration often conflict with faith, just like all other dualities in nature. At the beginning, Chi introduces a conflict between people who have strict faith and those who balance both faith and curiosity. In this first arc, I initially thought Chi was only about nihilism or something similar, but it surprised me. Chi’s point isn’t about who has faith or not. Instead, it presents all possible perspectives within its story. You’ll meet a character who believes in Plato’s ideas, and later, you’ll see the perspectiveof a character who has no faith, and so on. Chi doesn’t focus on what the characters believe; it focuses on curiosity, which drives them forward in life. All the dualities in this anime take you on a beautiful journey. The weakest aspect of this anime is the connection between arcs, as there are fluctuations in its pacing. After every climax, the story dramatically slows down. However, this doesn’t last long—after one or two episodes, it regains your interest with a new arc. Another topic I want to mention is the soundtrack. Chi has an incredible soundtrack, and the most important thing is that you’ll truly enjoy it while watching. The art style is fine—not particularly impressive, but still decent. Overall, I really enjoyed watching this anime, and I recommend it. 8/10
rasterman7
03/15/2025, 10:01 AM
In this day and age we have been accustomed to an industry of anime and media in general that is filled to the brim by very similar concepts. Genres of series that are so oversaturated at this point that they all look pretty much the same and the ones who stand out either carry a lot of budget behind them or delve into parody territory. With this in mind, how does a series like this manage to break that mold and leave us something not only great to be watched but to be remembered? Let's review Orb: On the movements of the Earth. From the titlealone and the setting one can safely see that the approach it's taking is ambitious. Centering a series around an astronomy theory like heliocentrism in the 15th century considering what we know about how prominent religion was at the time is certainly novel. On paper it should work and be enticing so long as the execution and the story carry it out of the boredom realm. As a result, the series takes that into account and sets up a package that is not only exciting to watch week after week but leaves you with a lot to ponder about. Indeed, the subject matter in this case is not only astronomy but philosophy and religion as well since it asks about not only cosmology but the beauty of the world in its different interpretation. Different ideas and questions get thrown around here and there from people with different backgrounds and beliefs, leaving us with clashes and discussions very rich to analyze. They also connect in a series of twists and a characterizing unpredictability certainly to be praised in an era that much like centuries ago people thought there wasn't anything else new to be discovered. In fact, there is something to say about a 2 cour non mystery series which up until the last episodes keeps you on the edge of your seat and wondering how it is going to continue and wrap up. In that regard, there is something to say about the anime as an adaptation. Each character, each detail and symbol presented throughout each episode, the sombering yet majestic feeling you get after listening to the folk and classical tracks chosen for the soundtrack and both the opening and ending sequences all follow a theme. They complement the original material really well, enhancing it in my opinion to its maximum expression. Hence, it makes the viewer go back, look for details they might have missed and connect the dots into a satisfying and thought provoking narrative to be praised. All in all, my hope as a person of science considering the bleak political, economical and social climate in general is that this serves as an inspiration. Maybe not from the astronomy perspective but from the belief, the pursuit of knowledge and the willingness to take a step forward towards the future. Thaumazeim.
Marinate1016
03/15/2025, 08:28 AM
I knew from episode 1 that Orb would be anime of the year. Literally within 10 minutes I’d seen enough to make that claim, and 6 months later I stand by it. Simply put it’s one of the greatest historical anime of all time. Fans of Vinland Saga will see many similarities in the sort of heartbreaking and brutal stories this series has with the historical backdrop of the heliocentric movement in 15th century Poland. The storytelling method of having multiple protagonists allowed us to see how people from drastically different walks of life can be united by their pursuit of knowledge and scientific advancement.This is what I like to call “employed eats” that is, shows that people with limited time due to work and school have to come home and wind down with after a long day at work or class. If you have limited time or don’t get to watch seasonal anime often, PLEASE watch this show. There is genuinely not a single bad episode and every single one will keep you on your toes. As someone who grew up loving astronomy and watching discovery, science, Nat geo and history channels and much more, an anime about astronomy and how the heliocentric model came to be accepted as the scientific standard for the solar system was so intriguing to me. I went into this totally blind, sort of expected it to play out like Arte from a few years ago, but man I could not have been happier to underestimate a show. The first 3 episodes are some of the best storytelling I’ve ever seen and the series only builds on that, continuing to get better and better and not being afraid to kill off beloved characters. It’s not done in a gratuitous way like some series *cough cough JJK*, but meaningful sacrifices that are done to help advance the mission and show that you might kill people, but you can’t kill ideas. Trying to squash things often leads to them getting bigger and I really enjoyed seeing how the embers of an idea can lead to the flame of revolution. As I mentioned before, the author’s willingness to kill off characters made the show so much more fun to watch because the sort of asspulls you have in other anime aren’t there. There’s no superpowers. No one is coming to save your favourite characters. This is life. Good people die and it can seem like injustice is prevailing for a long time. Equally impressive is the author’s ability to consistently write such loveable characters whose deaths bring you to tears. There’s not a single character in this story who’s poorly written. Everything is so diligently and carefully planned. Orb in general has a very mature writing style. It’s one of those anime you could easily forget is an anime because of how down to earth it is. None of the exaggerated facial expressions, fanservice, cringe dialogue. Just a genuinely enthralling story that’ll leave you craving the next episode. Production wise Orb is very solid. The OP is easily one of the best of the year and I loved how they updated it to reflect the new protagonists every few episodes. The animation is very good and in the few big fights in the show, it looks amazing. Orb is not a show that relies on technical ability though, the story and characters are the draw so this is only a plus. Seeing people face impossible odds and refuse to compromise on their values in the face of oppression and persecution is a powerful lesson we can all stand to learn something from. I could go on and on about this show, honestly just watch it. If you’re tired of all the seasonal fanservice isekai slop and want a couple of mature shows you can watch after work, Orb needs to be in that list. It’s thought provoking, emotional and brilliantly written. Easily my anime of the year barring some miracle in the next few seasons. Orb gets 10 planets out of 10.
KANLen09
03/15/2025, 08:16 AM
Orb: On the Movements of the Earth - Damn, does NHK know what shows to show on its network that not only bring in heaps of Japanese citizens, but also people globally as well, going n-for-nth or historical drama shows that just keep you coming back for more and don't waste your precious time? If you don't know what I mean, do you remember shows like last Spring - Summer's Karasu wa Aruji wo Erabanai a.k.a Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master, and especially famed mangakas' series from Yasuhisa Hara's Kingdom to Yoshitoki Oima's Fumetsu no Anata e a.k.a To Your Eternity? Yes, allof these series aired on Japan's premier broadcasting station NHK, and anime showcased at the TV network, for the past few years or so (not counting its sister station NHK Educational that's branded for children), has been pumping out banger after banger shows with reputations that precede their fame. And in the most recent of times, there comes yet another contender to follow this highly regarded trend: mangaka Uoto's Chi. Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite a.k.a Orb: On the Movements of the Earth, which since its inception has gone on to be nominated many times and even won prestigious awards in the form of the Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize in 2022, and the Seiun Award in the Best Comic category the year after. No doubt then, the anime must have a talented staff well equipped enough to handle a well-regarded and highly prized work such as this. TL;DR, I have 2 words for you: Philosophy and Madhouse (as in both literally and the studio itself). Let's cover the Philosophy section first, and to get a head start on the overall context of Chi a.k.a Orb, I'd like you to always keep this question in mind behind one of the Earth's most rebutted debates since the dawn of mankind: Can religion and science co-exist? "From religion comes a man’s purpose; from science, his power to achieve it. Sometimes people ask if religion and science are not opposed to one another. They are in the sense that the thumb and fingers of my hands are opposed to one another. It is an opposition by means of which anything can be grasped." - William H. Bragg, British physicist The precedence for just about any experiment, more or less proving that the concept exists, is something that, while pretty much prevalent in today's society, while opinions are open to enable endless discussions between people and the like, is not so the case when you look at how humanity has come forth within the past few centuries. Most especially, within the last rites of the 15th Century's Late Middle Age, just right at the turn of that century into the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery, where the author's series is based upon: a fictional "P Kingdom (of Poland)" where the "C(atholic) religion" reigns supreme, ousting almost every other radical "terrorist" thinking that is outside of the spectrum of what is suitable to the masses of its time, being a mostly authoritarian system where even the bright minds can be gathered but can't make fascist remarks depicting anything outside of Catholicism itself. This, of course, poses a cardinal sin that labels anyone a heretic and subjects them to fearmongering from the Church through its Inquisitors, capable of persecuting just about anyone who defies all sense of the man-made religion and its orthodoxy (that the Earth has seen through many generations of popes come and gone, and people still respect the religion, which opposes the very core of Jesus Christ and the works of Christianity). While you may not know that Uoto's series is a literate reference to the now-famous Greek Renaissance polymath Nicolaus Copernicus's De revolutionibus orbium coelestium a.k.a On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, which attempts to circumvent the well-known knowledge of fellow astronomer Claudius Ptolemy's geocentric system (which is where the heliocentric model is derived from as an alternative), the author's retelling of that story through fictional characters is what sets the precedence for the art of heliocentrism to exist in a world where the geocentric system has been widely accepted by astronomers at the time. Yes, you could argue that the story is simplicity at its best, seeing generations of people experimenting with the likes of "black magic" (a reference to the night sky and the revolving of the Earth), only to be labelled as martyrs for their work being chased down by the same authoritarian system that they would quote as "blind beliefs" to the cause, but its profound overall statement (which can be referenced to the Bible) that "faith is the opposite of fear," the aforementioned question of religion and science's co-existence...blurs the line even more. "Science and religion are not at odds. Science is simply too young to understand. Whether or not you believe in God, you must believe this: when we as a species abandon our trust in a power greater than us, we abandon our sense of accountability. Faiths, all faiths, are admonitions that there is something we cannot understand, something to which we are accountable. With faith we are accountable to each other, to ourselves, and to a higher truth. Religion is flawed, but only because man is flawed. Science tells me God must exist. My mind tells me I will never understand God. And my heart tells me I am not meant to." - Dan Brown, author of Angels & Demons To pay the price for challenging beliefs and visions and dreams that exist and are/have yet to be discovered, this is one of Uoto's strengths when it comes to the depiction of how far humanity will go to prove why and what they believe in has a right to exist within the laws of the Earth, much more than the God that is prevalent in the world. Just like Christianity with the Apostles' Creed, science itself has no backers, which opens up the possibilities of people assessing the Earth and its unnoticed profound wonders, which is represented in the series through generations of ordinary people (like you and I) seeing how the world runs and finding an intrigue in why theories existed way before but were not further capitalized as such (since people didn't know better back then). And within the 3 parts of the series itself, we see the spearheaders "heretics" of Hubert and (which is passed down onto) Rafal, Oczy, and Badeni, as well as Jolenta and Draka, thereby culminating to link up with actual documented history with famous mathematician Albert Brudzewski (which improved upon Nicolaus Copernicus's theories about astronomy in the late 15th Century to his publishings that would redefine how we see the cosmos today). As unremarkable as they are, Lao Tzu's quote of "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step", as well as Confucius's quote of "It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop," perfectly sums up the generations of the forerunners who were all in for martyrdom believing in the faith that not just moves them, but the universe as well. Again, it's simplicity that wins out in the end, and for a story that transcends centuries of liberal knowledge, that to face persecution in the form of torture and ideological fascism, these characters play a huge part according to their available research and resources at the time, proving that their science, as much as religion whitewashes the cynicism about heliocentrism, is proven wrong as the Dawn of the Age progresses to the modern day. And none of this is possible without the most defining character of all: Nowak. Like Vinland Saga's main antagonist Askeladd, Nowak's outward appearance is strong and carries his life conviction of his loyalty to the Church and its orthodoxy. However, internally, he who lacks a specific ideology is blind to the ways of the world when it comes to progress, always wanting to stay in his comfort zone that Catholicism will not perish even when he passes on. Sadly, from the very start, he's blindsided when the 12-year-old blonde-haired intelligent kid comes to him and proclaims about the greatness of heliocentrism and the depth that it could create newborn scientific research that spawns the Movement on the Earth, enough to trigger him into a lifetime's worth of being a serial killer for those who oppose the Church. With experience telling him that anybody in relation to this dissident, unorthodox/heterodox thinking is a liability, it sets off a flurry of events that would see him chase every single man and woman down to give them the deathly torture of their lives, only for karma to come back to realize that the religious hollow of his life's belief is but a shadow of its former self (which history has shown of the progress through the age of the Reformation in 16th Century Europe, challenging the beliefs of Catholicism and marking the beginning of Protestantism a.k.a salvation in Christianity based on faith in Jesus Christ as opposed to good works). What a Madhouse of chronological events. Truly, religion and science REALLY cannot co-exist...but is this by any means the end of the story? I tell you, absolutely NOT. "Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality. When we recognize our place in an immensity of light-years and in the passage of ages, when we grasp the intricacy, beauty, and subtlety of life, then that soaring feeling, that sense of elation and humility combined, is surely spiritual. So are our emotions in the presence of great art or music or literature, or acts of exemplary selfless courage such as those of Mohandas Gandhi or Martin Luther King, Jr. The notion that science and spirituality are somehow mutually exclusive does a disservice to both." - Carl Sagan, American astrophysicist To experience the cosmos, the stars, and the planets with all your heart is a surreal journey that many have taken its path, and few succeeded with theories that span centuries, showcasing that the cosmos truly is a far-flung space of exploration that even more is the glory of its own beauty. And from the director that brought you Fall 2014's Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu a.k.a Parasyte: The Maxim, Kenichi Shimizu, may have spent time at Madhouse doing all the major staff roles (storyboarding, key animation, animation/episode director) except being series director (if you count out Fall 2016's All Out!!). Since then, Chi a.k.a Orb is a return of the veteran maestro after 10 years of being dormant to give us a show that indeed, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. What magnificence that the studio has undergone such a massive and radical change, that the once revered Madhouse has finally found its own Renaissance era delivering quality shows that hearken to the hearts of old anime fans who've lived to see its glory days in the 2010s. From Sousou no Frieren a.k.a Frieren: Beyond Journey's End last Fall to yet another Fall show of this series, the word "boundary" is no limit to how far Madhouse respects the works they not only adapt but also get down to the heart of the matter to deliver experiences that you rarely would find, at least for a passion project of this magnitude. From the essences of the gorgeous night sky to the violence and gore that depicts death incarnate, this show has it all and is fiercely unapologetic in depicting the uncensored rawness of life (which you can't say for 99% of shows nowadays that choose to go the safe route and disrespect their source materials in the name of censorship). If you have someone like Kensuke Ushio orchestrating the music for your series, be glad and thankful that everything this man touches turns into absolute solid gold. This man is a prime example of how anime OSTs should be done, and more than in his works for prior series like Dandadan and Chainsaw Man, he understands the importance of musicality in the right places and moments and has consistently pumped out great OSTs over the years, where his quality outshines the quantities of series that he's responsible for. Chi. a.k.a Orb may only have one OP song throughout its 2-cour, 6-month run, but believe me when I say that Sakanaction's OP song is one of, if not the best OP songs I've heard for 2024 alone. To their credit, "Kaiju" may be the Hokkaido rock band's first Anisong, and for a band that has consistently reached Oricon's Top 10 charts in Japan since 2006, for the songs that they have performed in the past that have never failed to generate their huge fanbases, it truly is a record that's noteworthy of their popularity. Funnily enough, with the resurgence of the band in the 2020s, their 2019-released song "Wasurerarenai no" was being used as a surprise/jump cut reveal at the end of various posts or general references to anime music style, where the most prominent post suggested that "regardless of how an anime show ends or a character dies, there is usually an upbeat final theme song in the style of this band." And you can tell that "Kaiju" was made with this sense in mind, right down to the visuals of the anime-cut song, which sees all characters being involved with heliocentrism and the extent of the outcome that goes with them. It's this attention to intricate detail that makes a song both visually and musically metaphoric, and it's just outstanding on every degree. Pair this with the 2 ED songs from Yorushika (which need I say that they're great to begin with), and you'll have a masterpiece OST on your hands. "There is a fundamental difference between religion, which is based on authority, and science, which is based on observation and reason. Science will win because it works. I believe the universe is governed by the laws of science. The laws may have been decreed by God, but God does not intervene to break the laws. When you look at the vast size of the universe and how insignificant and accidental human life is in it, the existence of a God seems most implausible." - Physicist Stephen Hawking I cannot, simply CANNOT, understate how, on the face of the Earth, Netflix has licensed other shows (like Sakamoto Days) alongside Orb, but the former is getting all the attention while the latter is just there in the anime catalogue of shows, just being yet another stickler show in the race of many to be added into the streaming platform's library. Even here on MAL, Chi. Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite a.k.a Orb: On the Movements of the Earth is already on the brink of underrated shows due to its complex but simple story of historical philosophy, mixed in with the realism of life that you just will not find anywhere else. Be it a loose interpretation of European history that Orb is written as such, it's still primarily fiction at the end of the day that still focuses on the actual conception of heliocentrism and its themes. I ten billion percent will guarantee that the show is ABSOLUTELY worth your time, even if history is not your thing at all. As God exists in this world, so shall your ability to dream dreams and change the world, because the world revolves around us. And the Copernican heliocentrism that has now spanned centuries towards modernization is pretty much alive today. So go and experiment, because the world is your oyster, as science and religion, while incompatible with each other, are the reasons behind the existence of life and the vast universe.
Mcsuper
03/15/2025, 08:15 AM
Innovation is a beautiful thing. Revolutionary ideas that come so gradually in the world’s history are what has shaped the world as we know it. The amount of freedom that people have gained throughout history is not to be underestimated, and in Orb: On the Movements of the Earth, we got a look at a world that sorely lacked autonomy for the people. The clergy, stopping all thoughts that did not align with their beliefs, so they could remain in absolute power over the people, teaching them that there is only one way the world works. However, humans, at their core, are hungry for knowledge, hungryto make something of their lives. Who wouldn’t want to be the one to discover the next big theory, or to be the one to uncover the truth behind something that people believed in for their entire lives? For years upon years, people believed in Ptolemy’s model where Earth was at the centre of the universe. Then came Copernicus, who proposed the first mathematical model that the Earth revolved around the Sun. These were seen as the revolutionary models of astronomy. There certainly is a belief that in the 16th and 17th centuries, people were persecuted and killed for pursuing heliocentrism. However, as the author of Orb mentioned in an interview, “there was oppression, but in actual history, it seems that the Copernican theory was not persecuted to that extent.” The author found this misunderstanding interesting, and thus, he decided to make this the core theme of the manga. By presenting a misperception as a core concept, while this series includes some scientific themes around astronomy, it never pretends to be reflecting the real world at all. In the end, this is historical fiction. It is more a depiction of human nature than anything else, especially the yearning of people who want to “move the Earth”. It shows the process of a radical idea that gets passed through generations, and the repercussions there were for studying what was considered as heretical back in early 15th Century Poland. This setting represented a time where most people believed in the same things, and people who showed any type of rebellious behaviour would be subject to severe punishment. Yet, a select few people pushed through. The feeling when someone learns something potentially world-defining is unparalleled. It can be in the best of ways, such as the joy and bewilderment of learning something new, but this anime shows a bit of both the good and the painful regarding the learning of new information. When someone dedicates their whole life to scholarship, to research, and then having their life’s work shattered in an instant, that can be hard to accept. *Orb* does a great job in showing these critical moments of life, as well as showing how people responded to the fluidity of science. Furthermore, the opposing forces of the researcher and the clergy really made me consider whether or not there was a concrete protagonist or antagonist in this story. The anime frames it in a way that is easier to digest, with the viewer following the researcher’s perspective most of the time, but a deeper look revealed the complexities of the powers that exist in the established setting. What made this anime stand out to me was just how consistent it was in its themes. It was a no-nonsense look into a world where people were persecuted for researching heretical subjects. People are slain without mercy, tortured to a breaking point, and emotionally manipulated, through savage imagery. At no point does this anime go back on its established theme of being in an unforgiving world where one mistake could cost someone their lives. No plot armour, no easy way out, no loopholes. For that reason, it was all the more inspiring and respectable to see multiple characters push through with their research and stay firm on their beliefs, even when it means an impending death. Another reason for the success of this anime was the effort from the staff members. I wanted to talk about the voice acting in particular, and props to everyone who voiced a character in this anime. In particular, I wanted to highlight Kenjirou Tsuda’s performance as Nowak, which was by far one of the best performances I have heard. He is very quickly becoming one of my favourite voice actors, and his performances as antagonists are some of his best work. It is truly amazing how a voice actor can command one’s attention, and draw the viewer into being unnerved every time the character opens his mouth. To make it even better, Tsuda was also a big fan of the manga, and introduced it in a voice acting interview almost three years ago, stating that he would love to voice Nowak. When you have that level of commitment and love for something, the work that gets put in will only get better. Excellent choice of casting here. The one shortcoming I think this anime had was the visuals, but more importantly, some of the lighting. In some scenes, what was going on was virtually impossible to see due to the dark lighting. Yes, a lot of the anime takes place at nighttime, but I should not have to max out my screen brightness and squint to see what was going on. As for the animation, it was very serviceable. Here is where the “Poland Saga” comparison comes into play, because *Orb* and *Vinland Saga* have similar gritty character designs and never looked very flashy in terms of the animation. It is from Studio Madhouse, but this is definitely not nearly on the same level as say, Frieren. That said, the background art and especially the music by Kensuke Ushio, one of my favourite anime composers, more than made up for what was lacking in the visual department. Brilliant atmosphere all around. Another thing I found unique was that we got to see multiple viewpoints of people learning the heliocentric theory, from a kid’s perspective, as well as young men and women. They all came from different backgrounds, yet they all converged to get to know how the world moves. They each have their own motivations, beliefs, and mindsets toward research and just life in general. The relationships between the characters build at a nice pace, and a lot of them had me thoroughly invested into how they would interact with the vast world of astronomy. Back when I was scrolling through the seasonal chart before this anime started airing, picking which anime I would watch, I saw this anime, *Orb*, and from word of mouth, as well as looking at the synopsis and trailers, I thought it would be like a history lesson, or a historical fiction that was based on a real setting. I thought it would simply be educational, but it was so much more than that. The Japanese title of this anime, *Chi*, has multiple meanings, and the author also said in the interview I referenced earlier that “besides the "earth" in the title, there is also the clash of intelligence and violence, leading to the spill of "blood." I wanted to give the Japanese character "chi" various meanings.” The word “chi” is also a play on the word “knowledge”, so therefore, this anime’s themes revolved around “The Chi of the Earth, the Chi of Blood, and the Chi of Knowledge”. There is action, there is bloodshed, and there is certainly knowledge to be shared, and all in all, it was virtually a perfect package of an anime. Overall, this was an anime unlike anything I have ever seen, with how it tackles human nature, and how it dealt with the historical backdrop of geocentrism versus heliocentrism. Will it have the staying power to get more popular outside the niche audience it had for most of its run, or will it become the next modern classic? Only time will tell if the anime could truly move the Earth, but it certainly moved me.
Tkit
03/15/2025, 08:00 AM
The best argument for watching this anime is the fact that there is nothing even close to being like it. At the first glance this may look like one of those stories about science persevering over zealous fanatics and faith, which is of course stupid and for dumb people, but upon closer inspection Orb is thankfully much more than such a shallow tale of perseverance. The real goal of Orb is to gather on your screen a collection of people with distinctly different opinions and show you how they clash and influence each other, if you are bored by long winded debates this isn't theshow for you. Now that you know what to expect to be good let me quickly pivot to the things you wouldn't expect to be good here, but is. Anime quite obviously has a limited budget, Madhouse won't put into Orb the same amount of resources as it might into Friren. With that in mind it is surprising to discover how beautiful this show is. Night sky is like a painting, occasionally an inspiring scene will hit you and throughout the anime there are wonderful highlights of high quality animation. The rare action that happens in Orb always look great. On the other hand if you pay attention you will notice cut corners, I particularly despised the awfully generic architecture. It is somewhat shocking how well this show can look, but don't go in expecting constant quality. As for the sound, score is quite good, it hit when it had to, but its not an ost that will stick with you. Voice acting on the other hand was great. Everyone felt distinct and the acting in the climactic moments was great. Now returning to the soul of Orb, the story. Show is theoretically about astronomy, but in reality said topic is just a vehicle for the ambitious amount of ideas author wanted to explore. I won't be summarizing those topics here, instead I will tell you why they are impressive and why you should watch Orb. Said topics can be divided into two camps, perseverance and worldview. Perseverance here isn't your typical anime struggle of a young teenager in his fight against a bad guy, here you will witness several generations of people united in their fight against censorship. People who for the sake of inspiration, hope, ambition and love decide to sacrifice everything to become a stepping stone toward saving an idea from destruction or even making this idea widely available. Here is the first reason why the cast is big and diverse. You see a web of characters as a collection of efforts, some against said idea many with different opinions on how it should be used, all contributing towards the history of just one idea, it is some beautiful stuff. Worldview is a vide word, which is appropriate, as Orb decides to spend a ton of time on a big range of concepts from multiple angles. The main themes are centered around religion, society and moral convictions. I find it honestly fascinating how in depth religion is explored in this work, to the point where sometimes even theology is a big part of discussion. It's so rare to have a respectful and thoughtful coverage of said topic from so many angles. Every type of person needed takes part in the topic from zealous, scholarly and cynical believer to an atheist and religious Ted Kaczynski. That's just religion, and I didn't even mention every perspective that is involved in this topic. Here is the second reason why the cast is big and diverse. Because a large part of Orb is a series of debates, which to be sincere needs a lot of opinions to be represented. Beside those reasons its not like those characters are bad. What is impressive is the fact that so many of them were so good, had a real arc and were great to watch. Despite this incredible complexity Orb isn't perfect and has two flaws that annoyed me. Starting with the minor one. For the sake of those debates characters sometimes feel quite unrealistic. Some of the points made are with the knowledge of the our times, which is a wild prediction from characters perspective, which they take for granted. Those characters will immediately understand the weight of new inventions or the developing events, I wouldn't mind if it happened only few times, but it is a constant for this show. Some of the opinions held also feel like a stretch. To get an athiest for those discussions someone's uncle just says 'there is no evidence God exist' a very modern statement which I wouldn't buy living in a fifteenth century. Now for the big problem. Anime dangerously meanders about whether it wants to be a somewhat historical fiction, or just fiction. As a Pole, stupidity of Orb was quite easy to spot. Show apparently takes place in Poland, but it might have just as well take place in the country of Zantrum or any other made up place. There is nothing culturally Polish about this Poland, even in the background. Apparently Poland was notorious for the Polish inquisition, had a nomadic tribe settle in Poland and convert to christianity and had an astetic of a medival isekai country with awful looking ahistorical costumes/armor. If this lack of detail was only in relation to Poland and in a less intellectual show it wouldn't have mattered, but here it is actively harmful. We have all of those discussions why church has to reform and maybe stop burning heretics for heliocentrism while ignoring the fact that: a) witch hunts on such a scale stopped a long time before the time of this anime and b) they were mostly in western europe while Poland was known for its religious tolerance To show how ridiculous this anime is let's look at Copernicus. A famous heliocentric astronomer living in those times in Poland was a candidate for a bishop, printed his works whitout problems and dedicated his famous 'On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres' to a pope. Show happens during reformation when Copernicus lived, but has its dates changed to before he is born. So it's fiction you might say, but then why have real events, such as reformation and real places like Poland? Anime actively discredits itself and puts no effort in history, but still attempts being historical. So why it is harmful? The historical phrases thrown around to an ignorant ear make this anime seem historical and after convincing a viewer that it is it spread a big load of misinformation about history and makes my country look like a land of saveges. It is so tragic that such an ambitious story was only interested in the phonetic aesthetics of Polish language and nothing else. To summarize this show is an impressive and beautiful debate room surrounded by historical fallacies. Be aware of the fact that it's full of fiction and you will be able to safely listen about many facinating topics, while witnessing a unique, generational story.

Chi. Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite チ。―地球の運動について―

2024 fall | Episodes: 25 | Score: 8.7 (63152)

Updated every Saturdays at 23:45 | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Producers:Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions | Shogakukan | NHK Enterprises | SKY Perfect Pictures

Streaming: Netflix

Synopsis

Voice Actors

Nakamura, Yuuichi

Ishige, Shouya

Tanezaki, Atsumi

Shimabukuro, Miyuri

Hitomi, Saya

Yukinari, Toa

Tsuda, Kenjirou

Konishi, Katsuyuki

Sakamoto, Maaya

Hino, Satoshi

News

Reviews

Followkata
04/16/2025, 04:36 PM
10/10. The first masterpiece score i've ever given out in anime. This anime blew me away. I've always looked at anime as a medium that breaks barriers of entertainment that can only be broken in the medium of anime. Vivid colors, over the top action, ethically wrong jokes, morally wrong stereotypes, are a few things to me is what makes anime entertaining. Making ubelievable works of unrealisitc fiction very cool is anime in a nutshell in my opinion. This is what anime excels at. Chi is different. There aren't any stereotypes, there are no jokes, there is no comicrelief, there are no harems, there is no big boobed woman, there is no fan service, there is no over powered protaganist and in fact there is no main character. There are no odd looking children nor adults. The story takes an ultra serious tone in everything it does and this tone does not break for a single second which in my opinion over 25 episodes is quite insane in the medium of anime. However it pulls it off effortlessly. I believe this was a risk but it was worth it. The first truly original anime of this season and probably the last 5 years. It takes an idea that almost everyone in the world knows and tells the story in breathtaking fashion. I've read other reviews that say that everyone knows that the earth revolves around the sun and to repeat this is just boring. However those people obviously missed the point. Chi could have been made with any idea that was considered blaphemy in the middle ages. That is not what this story is about. The story is about how ideas that were condemned by religion, genuine science based theories and how it took generations of persecution, tortue, brutality, wars, and deaths for a single idea to become common knowledge. People were burned on a stick and tortured to death because of the simplest ideas in which we consider common knowledge these days. Chi tells the story about how these ideas became to be and the pursuit of truth and science in the times when these ideas were considered heretical. People hung onto hope and curiosity and prevailed. This is a story that usually would be made into a movie and never before Chi would I have ever thought it would be a good idea for an anime. Chi is a work of fiction, it is an anime not to be compared with historical accuracy. There are a few historical figures but this is not what the story is about. Anyone who brings up historical accuracy has also missed the point as i said earlier this is a work of fiction and the story is about how it took generations to overcome persecution of knowledge that we take for granted. People died for these ideas. In this context Chi is historically accurate. Many people died and were tortured for ideas that went against religion. Chi is not your typical anime. You will not be blown away from the action, the soundtrack, the characters, the colors, the animation nor anything typical of anime in this day and age. The message, the story, the realistic approach, the idea and the way it was told through many peoples eyes without any protaganist is simply genuis. There is no anime to compare this too and this is why i give it the 10 score.
ArturiaP3ndrag0n
04/06/2025, 05:31 AM
This show is an absolute experience. A perfect example of the 3 episode rule at play. Give it a watch yourself, 3 eps. If it appeals you then you are in for a truly phenomenal experience. If not, no problems but those 3 episode encapsulate what the show will be like. As per my rubric: 10/10 Artistic and Enjoyment factor: 2/2 This is absolutely artistic and novel in how it tackles the troubled history of Heliocentrism, no spoilers here but this isn't a pure historic re-enactment. Dramatization is used extremely well to serve the purpose of the narrative. Furthermore, its extremely enjoyable both in the intellectual, dramatic and visualsense. Overarching themes and Recommendation: 2/2 I absolutely recommend this to absolutely everyone. This touches on the core themes of what it means to be Human as well as our pursuit of Knowledge and the Truth. I recommend this to everyone and their aunt. Furthermore it builds to something truly phenomenal. You can watch this over and over and over again and appreciate all the many many subtle details over and over. Narrative Consistency: 2/2 Absolutely utter perfection. At any moment in the entire story you can stop to ask "What is happening", "Why are we doing this and why is this happening?", "Where are we headed?", "When is this happening in the story?" and "How are we going to resolve this?". Literally every single plot thread is beautifully well connected, the entire caste of characters too are all incredibly well developed and distinct with their own 'convictions' that drives them extremely well. Emotional Moments: 2/2 You need atleast 3 to get the full 2 points, and I have lost count. Already 2-3 in the first 3 episodes. This is truly full of emotional moments that inspire so many emotions in you. It is.. beautiful. Emotional Moments are classified as any specific moment in the story that sticks with you long after the series is finished. It can espouse Joy, Anger, Grief, Awe and even Immense Contemplation. Examples: Operation Arclight in Steins;Gate. United States of Smash in BNHA. FMAB's ending. Vinland Saga S1's ending. Fate Unlimited Blade Works Final Battle. Fate Zero, the Grail Paradox. Bias: 2/2 If an anime achieves 8/10 its as good as perfect within the objective criterion. For Bias, I have 4 categories, full points if atleast 3 of the 4 are met. 1 point if any one of the 4 is satisfied. For something to have all 4 is truly something phenomenal so Ill just call that a Star... Rather fittingly, this Anime is one of them. 1 = Power System Whether its Science or Magic, the means by which the plot is resolved can be described as the Power System at play. Having a well explained, sound and consistent power system is my bias. I am aware not every anime has this (a slice of life anime has no use for this) but the mechanics of Time in Steins;Gate or the Law of Equal Exchange in FMAB are perfect examples of a Power System. Best explained as a Magic System as per Brandon Sandersons 3 Laws of Magic. In this case, its rather obvious. Heliocentrism as a Cosmological Truth and the imperfections of the Geocentric model. 2 = Historical Inspiration As it says. Taking inspiration from real world history, the history of mankind, is something I greatly adore and appreciate in my anime. This anime is of course taking massive inspiration from the history of Heliocentrism and how it developed in Poland in the Early Renaissance Era. 3 = Music and Sound Design By no means I am a sound expert, this is why its a bias. If the Music meaning OP , ED and/or OST is something that 'clicks' then obviously one will enjoy that series a Ton More. The greatest example I have is Re;Creators. The anime with its first half was fairly okay. But the OP, ED and OST composed by the legendary Hiroyuki Sawano and his infamous SAWANO DROP had me utterly hooked and consequently carried me through the series just enough for the climatic bits to utterly hook me in. This anime's OP is so god damn influential. This is truly "NANDO DEMO"-core. WE BOUTTA MOVE THE EARTH WITH THIS ONE 4 = Theme of Kingship OR Theme of Strength I wont get into Kingship, as this anime is more relevant with the theme of strength. Specifically the Strength of ones "Convictions" and beliefs, enough to even brave the threat of 'Hell'. That spark is explored in a great many. At its core. It was the Human desire for Knowledge Whether because it's beautiful Whether it's rational Whether its to give hope Whether it's Freedom Whether it's Natural Whether it's profitable Whether it's purpose Whether.. it is Thaumazein Each of it. Backed by a conviction. The desire to know. 10/10 with a Star.
Siaksx
04/03/2025, 08:04 AM
Since this anime deserves much more attention than it has gotten, I really don't even know where to start this review. Not only fanfare but appropriate critical attention—essays, discourse, thorough examination. Still, here we are—just me—with this urgent need to share some thoughts in the space I have. Watching Chi: Chalkyuu no Undou ni Tsuite seemed less like consuming an anime and more like reading a piece of literary fiction from the first episode. Though naturally the screen held me in place, the story moves with such purpose that I found myself longing I could flick through the frames like pages in a book. The story, the interwoventhemes, the painstaking character arcs—all of which felt carefully chosen to pull you deeper and deeper, until you were totally absorbed, emotionally and intellectually. And for that, I really am grateful. Something animated has not made me feel this much, this intensely for a very long time. What struck me most was the central concept: the birth and resilience of an idea. It's a theme that resonates with me far beyond this series. Inception, one of my favorite movies, brilliantly said, "An idea is like a virus. Resilient. Highly contagious. The smallest seed of an idea can grow. It can grow to define or destroy you". This anime embodies that truth. It illustrates how a single thought—quiet, fragile, almost imperceptible at first—can take root. And once it does, it refuses to be extinguished. It grows, evolves, and slowly begins to reshape the world around it. Ideas are seen as both divine and deadly across history and most definitely inside this narrative. And reasonably so. They subvert authority. They sabotage systems. They call for truth. Although I'm not a historian, I will let those more suited handle the scholarly study; what I respect is how Chi combines artistic vision with historical realism. The creators expose the dual nature of almost everything: labor, religion, money, human relationships. The series demonstrates how belief in an idea may lead to persecution—and how that same belief, in the hands of another, might inspire violence, silence, or resistance. Still haunting me in the series is the first death. It was startling. Though they don't, there is a cruel hope the character would come back. Just as actual individuals do not. The anime reminds us, with devastating clarity, that we are fleeting—tiny dots in the vast, ever-moving arc of human history. And yet ideas linger even as we disappear. They still remain. They become louder, more unquestionably stronger. This series is, quite simply, beautiful from the poetic opening sequence and dramatic soundtrack to the amazing starlit sky and visceral, blood-soaked fights. Every bit of artistic detail is intentional. Every emotional pulse performs as expected. I wholeheartedly recommend Chi: Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite. Not only as a piece of entertainment but also as a work of art challenging us to consider what goes on following our deaths and what is worth dying for.
Darkfiend47
04/01/2025, 08:00 AM
SPOILER-FREE REVIEW. Orb is a beautiful show. Every year we have sleeper hits which're usually unconventional in nature. We've had Odd Taxi, Pluto etc in the past and now we have this. These days too many anime rely on animation and visual spectacle with very little depth so it's refreshing to see a show with good old writing. It has a very unique concept with a steller execution. The genius of this show is seen right from it's title. Chi means orb but it also means Truth, Blood, Terror, Earth, Violence, Intellect and Sacrifice which are vital themes and describes the entire show in a nutshell.It's a historical fiction which revolves around the concept of Heliocentrism at a time when it was considered blasphemous. On a surface level you'd think it's just about that but it's an extremely metaphorical show in every way. It uses Heliocentrism as a vehicle to show it's themes. Sticking to your beliefs, the unfairness of society, the corruption of authority, the chain of history, search for truth are some of themes that it goes into through out the show. The show doesn't provide an answer for these yet invites the audience to think for themselves. I'll now dive deeper. It mostly features people talking yet it's so engaging. Here comes the biggest strength of this show, the writing. Written by Shingo Irie (Golden Kamuy, Log Horizon). It's so god damn poetic, like how it interweaves something as monumental as the stars into the lives of ordinary people. It's a great example of a high quality script as it is so tightly written. It can very much be called as thriller as there some really suffocating moments with very bold writing. It's a dark show that's unhinged as it doesn't shy away from Violence and Misery. It makes good use of the times it is set to tell an engaging narrative. It's a cerebral, thought provoking show which balances philosophy and science. I really loved the pacing. One would expect to be bored with such a dialogue driven show, yet it moves you. The episodes flew by in a flash. A huge credit has to be given to director Kenichi Shimizu who surprisingly also directed Parasyte. The dialogue scenes feel natural, accompanied by great storyboarding. The dialogue in itself is great. There is lot of symbolism and literary devices in general which gives elevates the show. The characters are simply excellent. Without spoiling too much, the MC goes through an interesting phase which is very fresh to see. Each character is well rounded and contributes in the overall narrative. They're often very flawed individuals who try to seek meaning in their lives and worlds. Their character arcs are incredible as they develop naturally in such a short time. A great example of all of these is Nowak. He's a bastard of a man, an unstoppable force against the MC. He basically symbolizes the brutality of the church in the name of god and good. Voiced by Kenjiro Tsuda (who also voices Kento (JJK), Kishibe (CSM), Ogata (Golden Kamuy), you know, all the psychopaths). He casually gives one of his best performances. You can feel the bloodlust in his voice. Speaking of voice acting, it's amazing. Unlike your regular shounen anime, they sound very natural, bringing realism to the world. Not just Kenjiro but it also features some other high profile VA's like Maaya Sakamoto (Shinobu (Monogatari series), Echidna (Re Zero)), Yuuichi Nakamura (Gojo (JJK)) in never before seen roles which is intresting. The animation is a mixed bag. Initially I noticed that the characters go off model quite a lot. The animation of the backgrounds like the night sky is consistently amazing. I've seen many complain that dark scenes at night are too dark, however I didn't have much problems with that. Surprisingly the action scenes are great. They're very fluid and grounded. The artstyle is great too. The OST is just beautiful. Composed by Kensuke Ushio (A Silent Voice, CSM, Devilman Crybaby). His music is unorthodox, dream-like with emphasis on Pianos and synths which is perfect for this series. It feels grand and epic like the story it's going for. The Op is spectacular. Sakanaction casually drops one of their best songs, Kaiju which perfectly encapsulated the feelings of the entire show. Sakanaction is a very popular band which has been around for a long time with songs like Shin Takarajima, Identity (DOUSHITEE~~). Aporia and Hebi (Snake) by N-Buna a.k.a Yorushika is melancholic and somber yet helps you relax after all the depression. Now for some negatives. The ending. It is quite confusing to say the least. The biggest one being the introduction of a certain character. It felt kinda unnecessary which confuses the audience instead. They do not go for a conventional ending, which can feel underwhelming for some. It's something that requires you dig deep into several forums for the answers as it's very vague. One could think of the last couple of eps like a Epilogue which it is. It is important to note that it's a historical fiction. It's actually hilarious when people point out historical flaws, linking them to our own world when it wasn't meant to be. Also it's a steady paced, dialogue driven show so if you're just looking for some action, this is not for you. Overall I feel like it's a already classic. I would recommend you to watch it if you want something unique and mature which will move your world. SIMILAR SHOWS: To your eternity comes to mind as it is also emotional yet philosopical. Also due a obvious reason you'd know if you've seen both. Vinland Saga is another show with similar vibes, tone and art. They both bend history and fiction. A Seinen to their cores delivering philosophical stories. They also feature the idea of going against the times and norms very effectively. Rating: Visuals: 3.5/5 OST: 5/5 Story: 5/5 Characters: 5/5 Enjoyment: 4.5/5 Overall: 4/5 or 9/10
xera_yoo
03/27/2025, 10:45 PM
This anime, isn't just an anime. For me it's a masterpiece. Even tho it is a fiction, there are historical elements in it. The reason why I recommend this anime is bcs the philosophy behind is very deep (the interpretation will depend on each perception). I love the plot and the characters. Even, Orb: On The Movements of The Earth has 4 main characters in it. It shows that the burden of civilization that must be changed cannot be done by just one person. Orb: On The Movements of The Earth tells about the dark ages where people adhered to geocentrism, and in this storythe church under a bishop condemned heliocentrism. But, in a world where those who are lost by doubt, there must be people who realize the truth with their intelligent brains. It starts with Rafal, a bright student at church, thinking whether he should study theology or astronomy when he'll enter university at a very young age. But he ended up in tragic death. However he's a smart teenager that open minded about world. All of that continued with great determination to the next people. From this anime too, we can see that knowledge is not at odds with religion. Religion always includes knowledge and is open to it. Don't expect too much, this anime is not like action anime that'll always amaze you with the fictional power of the characters. There are no heroes who help many people in this anime. They are people who are opposed by the larger community, and feared by the common people. But this anime is a historical anime that will spur the audience to reflect more deeply about universe. By just looking at the sky, they will get the truth. Even for those of us who are sometimes arrogant about our abilities, when we look up at the sky, we will realize how great the universe is.So that we'll realize, we are nothing more than a small creature wandering and looking for a way to reach our goal. From this anime, I understand that history is not just about recording the detailed time of an event. But history is actually a lesson for us to think more openly and wisely in life. My review about the elements. Chara development: 10/10 Plot: 10/10 Music: 8/10 Animation: 9/10 Characters: 9,5/10 Opening: 10/10 Thank you for reading to the end, I hope it helps.
Amandakristanti
03/25/2025, 02:56 AM
In my opinion, this anime is truly a peak anime. This anime is really too good absolute cinema destroying my expectations as a viewer. I love how this anime at the end of the story conveys that 'humans don't need to choose one doubt or believe, i will continue to doubt when I 'go forward' and continue to believe when i go ackwards'' these two things will always It's within humans. every dialogue uttered by these anime characters really has weight, really has a really really good narrative. When i complete watches this anime this anime really stimulate my thought about science, philosophy, history, and also aboutreligion, one of the moments I haven't felt when watching anime for a long time. and the story aspect of the anime is really incredible, there is no need to doubt it, i like how the creator who made this story can make many viewers really confused because the ending is left open to everyone. Sorry if my review is a little stiff because I used translate to write this
jRad522
03/22/2025, 10:11 AM
Anime is rarely "timely." It is difficult for a medium that is generally interested in over-the-top action, supernatural and sci-fi antics, or easily digested slice of life experiences to have anything specific and necessary to say about the times in which we are living. This isn't a problem; in fact a huge part of the reason why we come to the medium is to escape a reality that is often equal parts boring and traumatic, but it makes the occasional show that breaks that mold and directly addresses the reality of our modern world stand out from the crowd. The fact that this show isset in the dark past of the 13 and 1400s makes this achievement all the more incredible, while also ringing alarm bells about the darkness that is threatening to overtake us in the year 2025. The show is Orb: On the Movements of the Earth, and the fates that befall these characters in their search for truth and freedom could very well be our own fates if we don't listen to the warning that this show is so desperately trying to give to us. In the most literal of senses, Orb is simply the story of a series of gifted scholars and intellectuals who seek to determine the makeup of the cosmos in a time of anti-intellectual persecution that defined anything that fell outside the accepted doctrine of the Church as inherently blasphemous and evil. Our protagonists, one by one, discover truths about the planets and their relationship to the Earth and the Sun, and one by one are faced with the consequences of pursuing Truth in a world that has decided that Truth is an enemy of Faith. Their individual stories are beautiful, inspiring, and heartbreaking, but it is not any one of their individual stories that makes this show such a gut-wrenching and important piece of media. It is the sum total of their contributions to the search for Truth, the way that no one of them alone can defeat the suppressive forces that seek to destroy them, and most importantly the way that those forces may destroy an individual but can never destroy that individual's work or ability to inspire the next generation of thinkers that makes this show a necessary watch. We are currently, throughout the modern world, facing a wave of repressive, conservative, right-wing evil that is seeking to return us to the state of cowering ignorance that the world is languishing in at the beginning of Orb. Intellectuals and other people whose existences are offensive to the most venal, fearful, hate-mongering of rich, white "Christians" are being subjected to incarceration, violence, disenfranchisement, and state-sanctioned murder at the hands of people who are not capable of critical or independent thought. Just like the story of Orb, many of us who seek to live freely will be lost during these times, but just like the story of Orb, the people who are seeking to destroy us will ultimately fail. They may silence vast numbers of us, they may destroy many of our lives, but they can never and will never break us. No matter how many of us they intimidate, disappear, or kill, we will always persist, just like the characters in Orb. We are curious like Rafal, earnest like Oczy, subversive like Jolenta, pragmatic like Draka, and gifted like Albert, and, just like them, some of us may fall but what we stand for never will. Orb is the story of the inevitable triumph of what is true and good in the face of seemingly insurmountably evil. Just like them, we will prevail. Watch this show. It is grim, but in grim times we need to be realistic about what we face and how we win.
JettGroove
03/20/2025, 03:31 PM
I've been living for almost 30 years and it is difficult to surprise me with anything in the mass media, but “Orb: On the Movements of the Earth” managed to do this in every possible way. The only anime that combines and explores themes of science, history, philosophy and religion in the unique setting of medieval Europe. Orb is incredibly inspiring in the search for the truth about our universe, it gives hope that our civilization will get through future challenges and preserve humanity despite any level of possible severity and cruelty. Story revolves around the opposition between heliocentrism and geocentrism in 15th century, perfect forpeople who are mesmerized by the elegant beauty of outer space. It’s hard to explain originality of the narrative without going into the spoilers, but what can be said is that author takes an interesting approach, showing how hard it was to retain knowledge and pass it on back in the days. Speaking of historicity, Orb is not 100% precise and embellishes the events so anime can be more entertaining, for example, one of the characters has a “pear of anguish” in his arsenal, which most likely has been invented only in the early modern period (circa 1600), long after the events of the Orb. Viewer must understand that historical tag doesn't lock work of art into the confines of documentary and at the same moment does not prevent it from showing genuine facts that can be verified. What I like even more is the characters and the diversity of their convictions, views on faith in God and the meaning of life. Agnosticism, theism, atheism, deism – you can find representation of almost all popular beliefs here. It’s easy to connect with anyone from the main cast, even antagonistic Nowak can evoke empathy, there is no absolute good or evil. Uoto has a talent for reconciling contradictions, he can write a balanced personality with emotions and rationality rolled into one. Moreover, through these characters he accurately shows what consequences blind faith or reckless pursuit for knowledge can lead to. Art and animation are magnificent, while quite static dialogue scenes dominate, when it comes to action Madhouse delivers detailed and fluid visuals. Swordplay looks gorgeous, stargazing shots are breathtaking and creative work with visual symbolism is mind-blowing, especially in the openings. Though, I can't help but notice that in the last two episodes the quality of detalization in some frames has dropped. As for the music, it perfectly complements what is happening on the screen, if cosmos could sing, it would sound exactly like Kensuke Ushio’s OST. While opening theme by Sakanaction is already become iconic, I am a little bit sad that Amazarashi’s “Cassiopeia keiryuujo” wasn’t used at all, in spite of the fact that it could have been a first-rate ending theme a cut above “Aporia” and “Hebi”. The way Orb ends is extremely satisfying, makes you doubt and plants the seed of “Thaumazein” in your heart, forcing to analyze everything you saw in the anime and awakening the desire to research. It may seem confusing to some, but in reality you just need to be attentive and not overcomplicate things. Lastly, it will be realized that the sun occupies the middle of the universe [modern astronomy does not distinguish any center of the universe, which again proves that we should not stop doubting]. All these facts are disclosed to us by the principle governing the order in which the planets follow one another, and by the harmony of the entire universe, if only we look at the matter, as the saying goes, with both eyes. (C) Nicolaus Copernicus. On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, Book 1, Chapter 9.
RABBO___
03/17/2025, 10:07 PM
Orb: On the Movements of the Earth Rating - 9.6/10 Narrative - 10/10 | Character Dev. - 10/10 Scriptwriting - 10/10 | Art Direction - 9/10 Emotional Impact - 9/10 | Voice Acting - 10/10 Pacing - 9/10 | Originality & Creativity - 10/10 Themes & Message - 10/10 | Worldbuilding - 9/10 Orb is a tale of triumph, hope and perseverance.A crumbling of antiquated, self serving ideals and beliefs. A story of faith not to god but to the earth and the universe itself. Delving deeper; trusting in the future you will not inherit, no matter what the cost may be. A seeking of truth. Was a fantastic series from beginning to end. Have never watched an anime like it. The character writing was excellent and impactful, creating moments of thought-provoking dialogue and monologue; questioning morality, faith and mental fortitude. The characters all play an important role good or bad and it feels like one singular cohesive piece of storytelling. The determination shown throughout the show is awe-inspiring and makes you ponder your own passions in life. Narratively the show is one big passing of the torch. The characters thirst for knowledge and purpose, seeking illumination through actions whether selfless or selfish. It shines a light on the imperfect nature of this world and the human psyche. Frivolousness turns to an aching desire for direction and meaning. The show treats it’s subject matter and theming with adamance, respect and reverence over the course of its runtime. Never straying away from treating the viewer to open ended questions, causing you to mentally contemplate the ideas and beliefs on screen. Orb is truly a modern masterpiece, and a platinum standard for storytelling, the likes of which I doubt we will see again. I’ll leave it with a couple of quotes: ‘A wrong answer is not a meaningless one’ "Only a 12 year old would dare to move the world" “How do you define freedom?” Reply: “The ability to ask that” Thank you for reading. 🌍 🌎 ✨ 🌅
Chuy_diazz
03/17/2025, 11:33 AM
Orb on the Movement of the Earth was beautiful. What this anime did was similar to Nadia Comaneci's performance at the '76 Olympics. A routine that impressed everyone, and all you can do is give it a 10. Every movement was designed to connect with the past, present, and future of the story. The anime begins with Rafal, a fictional character, and continues with Albert Brudzewski, who would become Nicolaus Copernicus's teacher. Connecting the story of the anime with real history, you could say the second season of the anime is in our history books. Orb's story has it all: drama, emotion, action, regret, tears, but aboveall, it does a great job of making you remember all those who sacrificed themselves for the truth and making you follow the nature of the human race by being curious and looking to the future. Many people say Orb is a story about the church, religion, and the Inquisition. But Orb doesn't fall into telling a story from a place of victimhood; it doesn't try to say "we are the good guys and the church is the bad guys." It tries to go beyond religion and seeks to exalt faith. It's not a faith in a particular God, it's a faith in whatever allows us to keep moving forward. It could be a God, money, or even knowledge; what matters is not what you believe in, but how your beliefs motivate your actions. Protagonists, villains, and supporting characters—none of them are unnecessary; they all have their reason for being, contribute something to the plot, and then leave. They all had a role in the story, and when that role was fulfilled, they were immortalized through a memorable death. Honorable mention goes to Nowak, who was the one who accompanied us the most on this journey, and his entire story arc begins, develops, and concludes masterfully. Nowak was more than a villain; he was an inquisitor, a former mercenary. He was cruel, but he was also a believer, a hard-working man, but above all, he was a good father. Orb, for me, transcends the "it's a good anime, I recommend it." It's a feeling. Orb communicates so many things that the message I understood is very different from what you might understand. That's precisely what makes it so rich, because the anime itself tells us that one cannot make a great change independently; that it's better to share the knowledge you have and learn new things to strengthen your knowledge and ideas. By doing this, it invites people to actively seek to share their feelings, ideas, and points of view with the community. This way, you can transform your initial opinion of the anime into something richer and more complex. There could be bad things, maybe there are, but even in that, you need that feedback exercise because maybe what seems good to me seems bad to you, and vice versa. Beyond seeking a discussion, it's about generating a debate to build a truth about the anime. Analyzing every angle through the eyes of many people. Orb is an anime that reminds us that, aside from being a personal hobby, there's a community we can talk to and uncover the truth behind what we consider "our truth." Orb, I will never forget you and I will always carry a part of you with me.
ADyingVine
03/16/2025, 02:00 PM
It had been nearly ten years since my passion for astronomy faded, but this anime reignited that spark in a way I never expected. Chi.: Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite is more than just a historical series—it’s a tribute to the pursuit of knowledge, the struggle against ignorance, and the courage of those who dare to challenge the status quo. From the very first episode, the story gripped me with its depth and rawness. This is a narrative that doesn’t sugarcoat reality or shy away from the consequences of questioning established beliefs. The dialogues are simply outstanding—thought-provoking, powerful, and filled with meaning. Every conversation not onlypushes the plot forward but also raises philosophical questions that linger long after the episode ends. I’ll admit, the animation is nothing groundbreaking—it’s solid but not flashy. But does that even matter? When a story is this compelling, when the characters are so well-written, and when the direction is this masterful at building tension, the visuals become secondary. In fact, this anime proves that what truly makes a show great isn’t a massive budget or ultra-detailed animation, but its ability to convey emotions and ideas in a meaningful way. For me, Chi. isn’t just one of the best anime of today—it’s a must-watch for anyone who loves knowledge, science, and history. It reminded me why I was once so fascinated by astronomy and how simply asking questions can change the world. If you haven’t watched it yet, I highly recommend it. This is one of those rare series that doesn’t just entertain—it leaves a lasting impact.
Hikky_is_batman
03/16/2025, 03:45 AM
Maybe a too weak ending. But for 23 episodes, it was comfortably the anime of the year. Like vinland the real protagonist of the story, it is not the characters, but the era in which they are living. While in vinland the protagonist is violence, in orb the protagonist is society itself that blocked any progress with its inertia. Many think that this anime represents the clash between religion and science, but in reality it is the representation of how many ideas that do not conform to the status quo of things have difficulty breaking the barrier of what is considered normal and obvious. It is the masterpieceof madhouse, which after frieren, is experiencing a second youth. It is an anime that will also benefit the anime industry in general, which in recent seasons, was proposing beautiful seasons certainly for a younger audience, but which were disappointing for old and quite bald users like me.
LunaLov
03/15/2025, 10:01 PM
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." -Sir Isaac Newton Definitely a good watch if you have any appreciation for the history of science, astronomy, philosophy, and academic thought processes. Orb on the Movements of Earth is a serious-toned and reflective anime, set in a scenario based on medieval Poland, in which a young boy named Rafal suddenly has his views on cosmology and religion turned upside down upon discovering the existence of the Heliocentric theory through a heretic scholar. From this point onward, we witness the challenges of researching, writing, publishing, and propagating Heliocentrism in times of religious persecution. Aboveall, the anime is an homage to human knowledge and curiosity, where a scientific theory and people's will to pass it forward serve as the true protagonists of the show rather than a specific character. It beautifully represents how, even when all seems lost and impossible, a small spark of thought can be enough to keep humanity's thirst for knowledge and progress alive despite every kind of adversity. Though it may seem like your usual "religion bad, science good" story at a surface level, it goes much deeper than that, exploring the nuances of different perspectives on life, scientific studies, and religious beliefs through each character. Not only that, but it is also an amazing and tense inquisition drama. It is, by the way, a good example of the famous three-episode rule, as it takes an unexpected turn considered by many to be one of the best episodes of the show. In fact, even if serious, dialogue-heavy episodes aren't your cup of tea, I guarantee that the tension caused by the Heliocentric theory being studied in such a setting, along with the plot twists throughout the anime, will surely get you hooked. The opening and ending are beyond awesome, not only with genius musical performances from Sakanaction and Yorushika, but with each episode, the OP and ED visuals change and/or gain more and more meaning. In terms of animation, it could be a little better. The characters' movements are a bit stiff at times, and some may find the night scenes overly dark. However, the anime's art style (which is miraculously good compared to the manga's art) truly shines in the night sky shots, which are mesmerizing for both the characters and the viewers. Overall, it is a truly one-of-a-kind show with high-quality writing. I would definitely recommend it to both anime fans and those who have never watched one before!
StevenLin0626
03/15/2025, 07:20 PM
Now the anime has officially finished airing, I can now confidently say that this show is absolute peak. 25 episodes and it does not drop the ball a single time. Orb: On The Movements of the Earth is one of the greatest written story I've ever witnessed in any media. Before watching this I was doubting that if this heliocentrism and astrology concept would be too pretentious and boring, but it ended up being one of the most inspiring, life-changing experience. Orb is a show with a very unique premise and an absolutely masterful execution. It perfectly captures the idea of truth, belief, aspiration, faith, andlife that ultimately culminated to shape what the world is right now. There are countless mind-blowing and unpredictable lines and moments in this show that just left me in complete awe, that challenged me to continue moving forward and spark my imagination. It's a show with no magic, no crazy powers, no plot armor, yet manages to be the most tension and beauty any anime has ever let me experienced. Every single character, from Rafal, Nowak, Oczy and Badeni, Jolenta, Rafal and Schmitt, and Albert are some of the best characters I have seen, and they go through such incredible character development in such a short time that 80% of shows can't even do in seasons. The music in this show is incredible. Kensuke Ushio's OST was I think the biggest deal breaker for why I think the anime was able to match or even surpass the already incredible manga. And I think this is my new personal favorite OP and ED combinations in anime. "Kaiju" is such a beautifully crafted work of art, and the two Yorushika songs "Aporia" and "Hebi" are masterpieces as well (The thing that got me to watch this show was because Yorushika did the ED and Yorushika is my favourite musical artist). I was a bit confused by the ending at first, but after watching it a few more times I gotta give huge props to the author for having the courage to write such a unique ending. I think the ending nailed the entire premise of the show perfectly, to never stop questioning and believing, never stop pursuing for truth, and it truly goes full circle back to the beginning, rounding off the story perfectly. 90% absolute cinema, 10% of the profit goes to Potocki. Overall score: 9.5/10
TabibitoKino
03/15/2025, 12:52 PM
Chi: Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite uses astronomy to explore human nature, specifically curiosity and inspiration. Due to human nature, curiosity and inspiration often conflict with faith, just like all other dualities in nature. At the beginning, Chi introduces a conflict between people who have strict faith and those who balance both faith and curiosity. In this first arc, I initially thought Chi was only about nihilism or something similar, but it surprised me. Chi’s point isn’t about who has faith or not. Instead, it presents all possible perspectives within its story. You’ll meet a character who believes in Plato’s ideas, and later, you’ll see the perspectiveof a character who has no faith, and so on. Chi doesn’t focus on what the characters believe; it focuses on curiosity, which drives them forward in life. All the dualities in this anime take you on a beautiful journey. The weakest aspect of this anime is the connection between arcs, as there are fluctuations in its pacing. After every climax, the story dramatically slows down. However, this doesn’t last long—after one or two episodes, it regains your interest with a new arc. Another topic I want to mention is the soundtrack. Chi has an incredible soundtrack, and the most important thing is that you’ll truly enjoy it while watching. The art style is fine—not particularly impressive, but still decent. Overall, I really enjoyed watching this anime, and I recommend it. 8/10
rasterman7
03/15/2025, 10:01 AM
In this day and age we have been accustomed to an industry of anime and media in general that is filled to the brim by very similar concepts. Genres of series that are so oversaturated at this point that they all look pretty much the same and the ones who stand out either carry a lot of budget behind them or delve into parody territory. With this in mind, how does a series like this manage to break that mold and leave us something not only great to be watched but to be remembered? Let's review Orb: On the movements of the Earth. From the titlealone and the setting one can safely see that the approach it's taking is ambitious. Centering a series around an astronomy theory like heliocentrism in the 15th century considering what we know about how prominent religion was at the time is certainly novel. On paper it should work and be enticing so long as the execution and the story carry it out of the boredom realm. As a result, the series takes that into account and sets up a package that is not only exciting to watch week after week but leaves you with a lot to ponder about. Indeed, the subject matter in this case is not only astronomy but philosophy and religion as well since it asks about not only cosmology but the beauty of the world in its different interpretation. Different ideas and questions get thrown around here and there from people with different backgrounds and beliefs, leaving us with clashes and discussions very rich to analyze. They also connect in a series of twists and a characterizing unpredictability certainly to be praised in an era that much like centuries ago people thought there wasn't anything else new to be discovered. In fact, there is something to say about a 2 cour non mystery series which up until the last episodes keeps you on the edge of your seat and wondering how it is going to continue and wrap up. In that regard, there is something to say about the anime as an adaptation. Each character, each detail and symbol presented throughout each episode, the sombering yet majestic feeling you get after listening to the folk and classical tracks chosen for the soundtrack and both the opening and ending sequences all follow a theme. They complement the original material really well, enhancing it in my opinion to its maximum expression. Hence, it makes the viewer go back, look for details they might have missed and connect the dots into a satisfying and thought provoking narrative to be praised. All in all, my hope as a person of science considering the bleak political, economical and social climate in general is that this serves as an inspiration. Maybe not from the astronomy perspective but from the belief, the pursuit of knowledge and the willingness to take a step forward towards the future. Thaumazeim.
Marinate1016
03/15/2025, 08:28 AM
I knew from episode 1 that Orb would be anime of the year. Literally within 10 minutes I’d seen enough to make that claim, and 6 months later I stand by it. Simply put it’s one of the greatest historical anime of all time. Fans of Vinland Saga will see many similarities in the sort of heartbreaking and brutal stories this series has with the historical backdrop of the heliocentric movement in 15th century Poland. The storytelling method of having multiple protagonists allowed us to see how people from drastically different walks of life can be united by their pursuit of knowledge and scientific advancement.This is what I like to call “employed eats” that is, shows that people with limited time due to work and school have to come home and wind down with after a long day at work or class. If you have limited time or don’t get to watch seasonal anime often, PLEASE watch this show. There is genuinely not a single bad episode and every single one will keep you on your toes. As someone who grew up loving astronomy and watching discovery, science, Nat geo and history channels and much more, an anime about astronomy and how the heliocentric model came to be accepted as the scientific standard for the solar system was so intriguing to me. I went into this totally blind, sort of expected it to play out like Arte from a few years ago, but man I could not have been happier to underestimate a show. The first 3 episodes are some of the best storytelling I’ve ever seen and the series only builds on that, continuing to get better and better and not being afraid to kill off beloved characters. It’s not done in a gratuitous way like some series *cough cough JJK*, but meaningful sacrifices that are done to help advance the mission and show that you might kill people, but you can’t kill ideas. Trying to squash things often leads to them getting bigger and I really enjoyed seeing how the embers of an idea can lead to the flame of revolution. As I mentioned before, the author’s willingness to kill off characters made the show so much more fun to watch because the sort of asspulls you have in other anime aren’t there. There’s no superpowers. No one is coming to save your favourite characters. This is life. Good people die and it can seem like injustice is prevailing for a long time. Equally impressive is the author’s ability to consistently write such loveable characters whose deaths bring you to tears. There’s not a single character in this story who’s poorly written. Everything is so diligently and carefully planned. Orb in general has a very mature writing style. It’s one of those anime you could easily forget is an anime because of how down to earth it is. None of the exaggerated facial expressions, fanservice, cringe dialogue. Just a genuinely enthralling story that’ll leave you craving the next episode. Production wise Orb is very solid. The OP is easily one of the best of the year and I loved how they updated it to reflect the new protagonists every few episodes. The animation is very good and in the few big fights in the show, it looks amazing. Orb is not a show that relies on technical ability though, the story and characters are the draw so this is only a plus. Seeing people face impossible odds and refuse to compromise on their values in the face of oppression and persecution is a powerful lesson we can all stand to learn something from. I could go on and on about this show, honestly just watch it. If you’re tired of all the seasonal fanservice isekai slop and want a couple of mature shows you can watch after work, Orb needs to be in that list. It’s thought provoking, emotional and brilliantly written. Easily my anime of the year barring some miracle in the next few seasons. Orb gets 10 planets out of 10.
KANLen09
03/15/2025, 08:16 AM
Orb: On the Movements of the Earth - Damn, does NHK know what shows to show on its network that not only bring in heaps of Japanese citizens, but also people globally as well, going n-for-nth or historical drama shows that just keep you coming back for more and don't waste your precious time? If you don't know what I mean, do you remember shows like last Spring - Summer's Karasu wa Aruji wo Erabanai a.k.a Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master, and especially famed mangakas' series from Yasuhisa Hara's Kingdom to Yoshitoki Oima's Fumetsu no Anata e a.k.a To Your Eternity? Yes, allof these series aired on Japan's premier broadcasting station NHK, and anime showcased at the TV network, for the past few years or so (not counting its sister station NHK Educational that's branded for children), has been pumping out banger after banger shows with reputations that precede their fame. And in the most recent of times, there comes yet another contender to follow this highly regarded trend: mangaka Uoto's Chi. Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite a.k.a Orb: On the Movements of the Earth, which since its inception has gone on to be nominated many times and even won prestigious awards in the form of the Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize in 2022, and the Seiun Award in the Best Comic category the year after. No doubt then, the anime must have a talented staff well equipped enough to handle a well-regarded and highly prized work such as this. TL;DR, I have 2 words for you: Philosophy and Madhouse (as in both literally and the studio itself). Let's cover the Philosophy section first, and to get a head start on the overall context of Chi a.k.a Orb, I'd like you to always keep this question in mind behind one of the Earth's most rebutted debates since the dawn of mankind: Can religion and science co-exist? "From religion comes a man’s purpose; from science, his power to achieve it. Sometimes people ask if religion and science are not opposed to one another. They are in the sense that the thumb and fingers of my hands are opposed to one another. It is an opposition by means of which anything can be grasped." - William H. Bragg, British physicist The precedence for just about any experiment, more or less proving that the concept exists, is something that, while pretty much prevalent in today's society, while opinions are open to enable endless discussions between people and the like, is not so the case when you look at how humanity has come forth within the past few centuries. Most especially, within the last rites of the 15th Century's Late Middle Age, just right at the turn of that century into the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery, where the author's series is based upon: a fictional "P Kingdom (of Poland)" where the "C(atholic) religion" reigns supreme, ousting almost every other radical "terrorist" thinking that is outside of the spectrum of what is suitable to the masses of its time, being a mostly authoritarian system where even the bright minds can be gathered but can't make fascist remarks depicting anything outside of Catholicism itself. This, of course, poses a cardinal sin that labels anyone a heretic and subjects them to fearmongering from the Church through its Inquisitors, capable of persecuting just about anyone who defies all sense of the man-made religion and its orthodoxy (that the Earth has seen through many generations of popes come and gone, and people still respect the religion, which opposes the very core of Jesus Christ and the works of Christianity). While you may not know that Uoto's series is a literate reference to the now-famous Greek Renaissance polymath Nicolaus Copernicus's De revolutionibus orbium coelestium a.k.a On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, which attempts to circumvent the well-known knowledge of fellow astronomer Claudius Ptolemy's geocentric system (which is where the heliocentric model is derived from as an alternative), the author's retelling of that story through fictional characters is what sets the precedence for the art of heliocentrism to exist in a world where the geocentric system has been widely accepted by astronomers at the time. Yes, you could argue that the story is simplicity at its best, seeing generations of people experimenting with the likes of "black magic" (a reference to the night sky and the revolving of the Earth), only to be labelled as martyrs for their work being chased down by the same authoritarian system that they would quote as "blind beliefs" to the cause, but its profound overall statement (which can be referenced to the Bible) that "faith is the opposite of fear," the aforementioned question of religion and science's co-existence...blurs the line even more. "Science and religion are not at odds. Science is simply too young to understand. Whether or not you believe in God, you must believe this: when we as a species abandon our trust in a power greater than us, we abandon our sense of accountability. Faiths, all faiths, are admonitions that there is something we cannot understand, something to which we are accountable. With faith we are accountable to each other, to ourselves, and to a higher truth. Religion is flawed, but only because man is flawed. Science tells me God must exist. My mind tells me I will never understand God. And my heart tells me I am not meant to." - Dan Brown, author of Angels & Demons To pay the price for challenging beliefs and visions and dreams that exist and are/have yet to be discovered, this is one of Uoto's strengths when it comes to the depiction of how far humanity will go to prove why and what they believe in has a right to exist within the laws of the Earth, much more than the God that is prevalent in the world. Just like Christianity with the Apostles' Creed, science itself has no backers, which opens up the possibilities of people assessing the Earth and its unnoticed profound wonders, which is represented in the series through generations of ordinary people (like you and I) seeing how the world runs and finding an intrigue in why theories existed way before but were not further capitalized as such (since people didn't know better back then). And within the 3 parts of the series itself, we see the spearheaders "heretics" of Hubert and (which is passed down onto) Rafal, Oczy, and Badeni, as well as Jolenta and Draka, thereby culminating to link up with actual documented history with famous mathematician Albert Brudzewski (which improved upon Nicolaus Copernicus's theories about astronomy in the late 15th Century to his publishings that would redefine how we see the cosmos today). As unremarkable as they are, Lao Tzu's quote of "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step", as well as Confucius's quote of "It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop," perfectly sums up the generations of the forerunners who were all in for martyrdom believing in the faith that not just moves them, but the universe as well. Again, it's simplicity that wins out in the end, and for a story that transcends centuries of liberal knowledge, that to face persecution in the form of torture and ideological fascism, these characters play a huge part according to their available research and resources at the time, proving that their science, as much as religion whitewashes the cynicism about heliocentrism, is proven wrong as the Dawn of the Age progresses to the modern day. And none of this is possible without the most defining character of all: Nowak. Like Vinland Saga's main antagonist Askeladd, Nowak's outward appearance is strong and carries his life conviction of his loyalty to the Church and its orthodoxy. However, internally, he who lacks a specific ideology is blind to the ways of the world when it comes to progress, always wanting to stay in his comfort zone that Catholicism will not perish even when he passes on. Sadly, from the very start, he's blindsided when the 12-year-old blonde-haired intelligent kid comes to him and proclaims about the greatness of heliocentrism and the depth that it could create newborn scientific research that spawns the Movement on the Earth, enough to trigger him into a lifetime's worth of being a serial killer for those who oppose the Church. With experience telling him that anybody in relation to this dissident, unorthodox/heterodox thinking is a liability, it sets off a flurry of events that would see him chase every single man and woman down to give them the deathly torture of their lives, only for karma to come back to realize that the religious hollow of his life's belief is but a shadow of its former self (which history has shown of the progress through the age of the Reformation in 16th Century Europe, challenging the beliefs of Catholicism and marking the beginning of Protestantism a.k.a salvation in Christianity based on faith in Jesus Christ as opposed to good works). What a Madhouse of chronological events. Truly, religion and science REALLY cannot co-exist...but is this by any means the end of the story? I tell you, absolutely NOT. "Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality. When we recognize our place in an immensity of light-years and in the passage of ages, when we grasp the intricacy, beauty, and subtlety of life, then that soaring feeling, that sense of elation and humility combined, is surely spiritual. So are our emotions in the presence of great art or music or literature, or acts of exemplary selfless courage such as those of Mohandas Gandhi or Martin Luther King, Jr. The notion that science and spirituality are somehow mutually exclusive does a disservice to both." - Carl Sagan, American astrophysicist To experience the cosmos, the stars, and the planets with all your heart is a surreal journey that many have taken its path, and few succeeded with theories that span centuries, showcasing that the cosmos truly is a far-flung space of exploration that even more is the glory of its own beauty. And from the director that brought you Fall 2014's Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu a.k.a Parasyte: The Maxim, Kenichi Shimizu, may have spent time at Madhouse doing all the major staff roles (storyboarding, key animation, animation/episode director) except being series director (if you count out Fall 2016's All Out!!). Since then, Chi a.k.a Orb is a return of the veteran maestro after 10 years of being dormant to give us a show that indeed, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. What magnificence that the studio has undergone such a massive and radical change, that the once revered Madhouse has finally found its own Renaissance era delivering quality shows that hearken to the hearts of old anime fans who've lived to see its glory days in the 2010s. From Sousou no Frieren a.k.a Frieren: Beyond Journey's End last Fall to yet another Fall show of this series, the word "boundary" is no limit to how far Madhouse respects the works they not only adapt but also get down to the heart of the matter to deliver experiences that you rarely would find, at least for a passion project of this magnitude. From the essences of the gorgeous night sky to the violence and gore that depicts death incarnate, this show has it all and is fiercely unapologetic in depicting the uncensored rawness of life (which you can't say for 99% of shows nowadays that choose to go the safe route and disrespect their source materials in the name of censorship). If you have someone like Kensuke Ushio orchestrating the music for your series, be glad and thankful that everything this man touches turns into absolute solid gold. This man is a prime example of how anime OSTs should be done, and more than in his works for prior series like Dandadan and Chainsaw Man, he understands the importance of musicality in the right places and moments and has consistently pumped out great OSTs over the years, where his quality outshines the quantities of series that he's responsible for. Chi. a.k.a Orb may only have one OP song throughout its 2-cour, 6-month run, but believe me when I say that Sakanaction's OP song is one of, if not the best OP songs I've heard for 2024 alone. To their credit, "Kaiju" may be the Hokkaido rock band's first Anisong, and for a band that has consistently reached Oricon's Top 10 charts in Japan since 2006, for the songs that they have performed in the past that have never failed to generate their huge fanbases, it truly is a record that's noteworthy of their popularity. Funnily enough, with the resurgence of the band in the 2020s, their 2019-released song "Wasurerarenai no" was being used as a surprise/jump cut reveal at the end of various posts or general references to anime music style, where the most prominent post suggested that "regardless of how an anime show ends or a character dies, there is usually an upbeat final theme song in the style of this band." And you can tell that "Kaiju" was made with this sense in mind, right down to the visuals of the anime-cut song, which sees all characters being involved with heliocentrism and the extent of the outcome that goes with them. It's this attention to intricate detail that makes a song both visually and musically metaphoric, and it's just outstanding on every degree. Pair this with the 2 ED songs from Yorushika (which need I say that they're great to begin with), and you'll have a masterpiece OST on your hands. "There is a fundamental difference between religion, which is based on authority, and science, which is based on observation and reason. Science will win because it works. I believe the universe is governed by the laws of science. The laws may have been decreed by God, but God does not intervene to break the laws. When you look at the vast size of the universe and how insignificant and accidental human life is in it, the existence of a God seems most implausible." - Physicist Stephen Hawking I cannot, simply CANNOT, understate how, on the face of the Earth, Netflix has licensed other shows (like Sakamoto Days) alongside Orb, but the former is getting all the attention while the latter is just there in the anime catalogue of shows, just being yet another stickler show in the race of many to be added into the streaming platform's library. Even here on MAL, Chi. Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite a.k.a Orb: On the Movements of the Earth is already on the brink of underrated shows due to its complex but simple story of historical philosophy, mixed in with the realism of life that you just will not find anywhere else. Be it a loose interpretation of European history that Orb is written as such, it's still primarily fiction at the end of the day that still focuses on the actual conception of heliocentrism and its themes. I ten billion percent will guarantee that the show is ABSOLUTELY worth your time, even if history is not your thing at all. As God exists in this world, so shall your ability to dream dreams and change the world, because the world revolves around us. And the Copernican heliocentrism that has now spanned centuries towards modernization is pretty much alive today. So go and experiment, because the world is your oyster, as science and religion, while incompatible with each other, are the reasons behind the existence of life and the vast universe.
Mcsuper
03/15/2025, 08:15 AM
Innovation is a beautiful thing. Revolutionary ideas that come so gradually in the world’s history are what has shaped the world as we know it. The amount of freedom that people have gained throughout history is not to be underestimated, and in Orb: On the Movements of the Earth, we got a look at a world that sorely lacked autonomy for the people. The clergy, stopping all thoughts that did not align with their beliefs, so they could remain in absolute power over the people, teaching them that there is only one way the world works. However, humans, at their core, are hungry for knowledge, hungryto make something of their lives. Who wouldn’t want to be the one to discover the next big theory, or to be the one to uncover the truth behind something that people believed in for their entire lives? For years upon years, people believed in Ptolemy’s model where Earth was at the centre of the universe. Then came Copernicus, who proposed the first mathematical model that the Earth revolved around the Sun. These were seen as the revolutionary models of astronomy. There certainly is a belief that in the 16th and 17th centuries, people were persecuted and killed for pursuing heliocentrism. However, as the author of Orb mentioned in an interview, “there was oppression, but in actual history, it seems that the Copernican theory was not persecuted to that extent.” The author found this misunderstanding interesting, and thus, he decided to make this the core theme of the manga. By presenting a misperception as a core concept, while this series includes some scientific themes around astronomy, it never pretends to be reflecting the real world at all. In the end, this is historical fiction. It is more a depiction of human nature than anything else, especially the yearning of people who want to “move the Earth”. It shows the process of a radical idea that gets passed through generations, and the repercussions there were for studying what was considered as heretical back in early 15th Century Poland. This setting represented a time where most people believed in the same things, and people who showed any type of rebellious behaviour would be subject to severe punishment. Yet, a select few people pushed through. The feeling when someone learns something potentially world-defining is unparalleled. It can be in the best of ways, such as the joy and bewilderment of learning something new, but this anime shows a bit of both the good and the painful regarding the learning of new information. When someone dedicates their whole life to scholarship, to research, and then having their life’s work shattered in an instant, that can be hard to accept. *Orb* does a great job in showing these critical moments of life, as well as showing how people responded to the fluidity of science. Furthermore, the opposing forces of the researcher and the clergy really made me consider whether or not there was a concrete protagonist or antagonist in this story. The anime frames it in a way that is easier to digest, with the viewer following the researcher’s perspective most of the time, but a deeper look revealed the complexities of the powers that exist in the established setting. What made this anime stand out to me was just how consistent it was in its themes. It was a no-nonsense look into a world where people were persecuted for researching heretical subjects. People are slain without mercy, tortured to a breaking point, and emotionally manipulated, through savage imagery. At no point does this anime go back on its established theme of being in an unforgiving world where one mistake could cost someone their lives. No plot armour, no easy way out, no loopholes. For that reason, it was all the more inspiring and respectable to see multiple characters push through with their research and stay firm on their beliefs, even when it means an impending death. Another reason for the success of this anime was the effort from the staff members. I wanted to talk about the voice acting in particular, and props to everyone who voiced a character in this anime. In particular, I wanted to highlight Kenjirou Tsuda’s performance as Nowak, which was by far one of the best performances I have heard. He is very quickly becoming one of my favourite voice actors, and his performances as antagonists are some of his best work. It is truly amazing how a voice actor can command one’s attention, and draw the viewer into being unnerved every time the character opens his mouth. To make it even better, Tsuda was also a big fan of the manga, and introduced it in a voice acting interview almost three years ago, stating that he would love to voice Nowak. When you have that level of commitment and love for something, the work that gets put in will only get better. Excellent choice of casting here. The one shortcoming I think this anime had was the visuals, but more importantly, some of the lighting. In some scenes, what was going on was virtually impossible to see due to the dark lighting. Yes, a lot of the anime takes place at nighttime, but I should not have to max out my screen brightness and squint to see what was going on. As for the animation, it was very serviceable. Here is where the “Poland Saga” comparison comes into play, because *Orb* and *Vinland Saga* have similar gritty character designs and never looked very flashy in terms of the animation. It is from Studio Madhouse, but this is definitely not nearly on the same level as say, Frieren. That said, the background art and especially the music by Kensuke Ushio, one of my favourite anime composers, more than made up for what was lacking in the visual department. Brilliant atmosphere all around. Another thing I found unique was that we got to see multiple viewpoints of people learning the heliocentric theory, from a kid’s perspective, as well as young men and women. They all came from different backgrounds, yet they all converged to get to know how the world moves. They each have their own motivations, beliefs, and mindsets toward research and just life in general. The relationships between the characters build at a nice pace, and a lot of them had me thoroughly invested into how they would interact with the vast world of astronomy. Back when I was scrolling through the seasonal chart before this anime started airing, picking which anime I would watch, I saw this anime, *Orb*, and from word of mouth, as well as looking at the synopsis and trailers, I thought it would be like a history lesson, or a historical fiction that was based on a real setting. I thought it would simply be educational, but it was so much more than that. The Japanese title of this anime, *Chi*, has multiple meanings, and the author also said in the interview I referenced earlier that “besides the "earth" in the title, there is also the clash of intelligence and violence, leading to the spill of "blood." I wanted to give the Japanese character "chi" various meanings.” The word “chi” is also a play on the word “knowledge”, so therefore, this anime’s themes revolved around “The Chi of the Earth, the Chi of Blood, and the Chi of Knowledge”. There is action, there is bloodshed, and there is certainly knowledge to be shared, and all in all, it was virtually a perfect package of an anime. Overall, this was an anime unlike anything I have ever seen, with how it tackles human nature, and how it dealt with the historical backdrop of geocentrism versus heliocentrism. Will it have the staying power to get more popular outside the niche audience it had for most of its run, or will it become the next modern classic? Only time will tell if the anime could truly move the Earth, but it certainly moved me.
Tkit
03/15/2025, 08:00 AM
The best argument for watching this anime is the fact that there is nothing even close to being like it. At the first glance this may look like one of those stories about science persevering over zealous fanatics and faith, which is of course stupid and for dumb people, but upon closer inspection Orb is thankfully much more than such a shallow tale of perseverance. The real goal of Orb is to gather on your screen a collection of people with distinctly different opinions and show you how they clash and influence each other, if you are bored by long winded debates this isn't theshow for you. Now that you know what to expect to be good let me quickly pivot to the things you wouldn't expect to be good here, but is. Anime quite obviously has a limited budget, Madhouse won't put into Orb the same amount of resources as it might into Friren. With that in mind it is surprising to discover how beautiful this show is. Night sky is like a painting, occasionally an inspiring scene will hit you and throughout the anime there are wonderful highlights of high quality animation. The rare action that happens in Orb always look great. On the other hand if you pay attention you will notice cut corners, I particularly despised the awfully generic architecture. It is somewhat shocking how well this show can look, but don't go in expecting constant quality. As for the sound, score is quite good, it hit when it had to, but its not an ost that will stick with you. Voice acting on the other hand was great. Everyone felt distinct and the acting in the climactic moments was great. Now returning to the soul of Orb, the story. Show is theoretically about astronomy, but in reality said topic is just a vehicle for the ambitious amount of ideas author wanted to explore. I won't be summarizing those topics here, instead I will tell you why they are impressive and why you should watch Orb. Said topics can be divided into two camps, perseverance and worldview. Perseverance here isn't your typical anime struggle of a young teenager in his fight against a bad guy, here you will witness several generations of people united in their fight against censorship. People who for the sake of inspiration, hope, ambition and love decide to sacrifice everything to become a stepping stone toward saving an idea from destruction or even making this idea widely available. Here is the first reason why the cast is big and diverse. You see a web of characters as a collection of efforts, some against said idea many with different opinions on how it should be used, all contributing towards the history of just one idea, it is some beautiful stuff. Worldview is a vide word, which is appropriate, as Orb decides to spend a ton of time on a big range of concepts from multiple angles. The main themes are centered around religion, society and moral convictions. I find it honestly fascinating how in depth religion is explored in this work, to the point where sometimes even theology is a big part of discussion. It's so rare to have a respectful and thoughtful coverage of said topic from so many angles. Every type of person needed takes part in the topic from zealous, scholarly and cynical believer to an atheist and religious Ted Kaczynski. That's just religion, and I didn't even mention every perspective that is involved in this topic. Here is the second reason why the cast is big and diverse. Because a large part of Orb is a series of debates, which to be sincere needs a lot of opinions to be represented. Beside those reasons its not like those characters are bad. What is impressive is the fact that so many of them were so good, had a real arc and were great to watch. Despite this incredible complexity Orb isn't perfect and has two flaws that annoyed me. Starting with the minor one. For the sake of those debates characters sometimes feel quite unrealistic. Some of the points made are with the knowledge of the our times, which is a wild prediction from characters perspective, which they take for granted. Those characters will immediately understand the weight of new inventions or the developing events, I wouldn't mind if it happened only few times, but it is a constant for this show. Some of the opinions held also feel like a stretch. To get an athiest for those discussions someone's uncle just says 'there is no evidence God exist' a very modern statement which I wouldn't buy living in a fifteenth century. Now for the big problem. Anime dangerously meanders about whether it wants to be a somewhat historical fiction, or just fiction. As a Pole, stupidity of Orb was quite easy to spot. Show apparently takes place in Poland, but it might have just as well take place in the country of Zantrum or any other made up place. There is nothing culturally Polish about this Poland, even in the background. Apparently Poland was notorious for the Polish inquisition, had a nomadic tribe settle in Poland and convert to christianity and had an astetic of a medival isekai country with awful looking ahistorical costumes/armor. If this lack of detail was only in relation to Poland and in a less intellectual show it wouldn't have mattered, but here it is actively harmful. We have all of those discussions why church has to reform and maybe stop burning heretics for heliocentrism while ignoring the fact that: a) witch hunts on such a scale stopped a long time before the time of this anime and b) they were mostly in western europe while Poland was known for its religious tolerance To show how ridiculous this anime is let's look at Copernicus. A famous heliocentric astronomer living in those times in Poland was a candidate for a bishop, printed his works whitout problems and dedicated his famous 'On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres' to a pope. Show happens during reformation when Copernicus lived, but has its dates changed to before he is born. So it's fiction you might say, but then why have real events, such as reformation and real places like Poland? Anime actively discredits itself and puts no effort in history, but still attempts being historical. So why it is harmful? The historical phrases thrown around to an ignorant ear make this anime seem historical and after convincing a viewer that it is it spread a big load of misinformation about history and makes my country look like a land of saveges. It is so tragic that such an ambitious story was only interested in the phonetic aesthetics of Polish language and nothing else. To summarize this show is an impressive and beautiful debate room surrounded by historical fallacies. Be aware of the fact that it's full of fiction and you will be able to safely listen about many facinating topics, while witnessing a unique, generational story.

Chi. Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite チ。―地球の運動について―

Fall 2024 Simulcast List [Update 10/7]

Fall 2024 Preview

'Chi.: Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite' Unveils Main Staff, Additional Cast, First Promo

'Chi.: Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite' Reveals Main Cast, Teaser Promo, Fall 2024 Premiere

Manga 'Chi.: Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite' Gets Anime

Chi. Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite チ。―地球の運動について―

Fall 2024 Simulcast List [Update 10/7]

Fall 2024 Preview

'Chi.: Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite' Unveils Main Staff, Additional Cast, First Promo

'Chi.: Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite' Reveals Main Cast, Teaser Promo, Fall 2024 Premiere

Manga 'Chi.: Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite' Gets Anime