Chi: Chikyū no Undō ni Tsuite is a manga series written and illustrated by Uoto. You may know it better by its English name Orb: On the Movements of the Earth. It was first serialized in Shogakukan’s seinen manga magazine in September 2020. They released the eighth and final volume in June 2022.
Orb: On the Movements of the Earth Anime
In the same month of the final volume release, Madhouse Studios announced that they will be adapting the manga. As of this writing, they have released five episodes. In this article, I will provide my first look and review of the first episode of the anime. Orb: On the Movements of the Earth is airing this Fall 2024 season, and is anticipated by many anime fans, You can check out other Fall 2024 anime here.
Synopsis
In fifteenth-century Europe, heretics are being burned at the stake. Rafal, a brilliant young man, is expected to enter university at an early age and study the era’s most important field, theology. But Rafal values reason above all else, which leads him both to the shocking conclusion that the Earth orbits the Sun, and into the hands of the Inquisition!
A decade later, two members of the Watch Guild, Oczy and Gras, find a hidden chest that details the secrets of the universe that Rafal left behind. Dare they try to change their own stars by selling the texts, or would that only lead to the stake and the fire?
Synopsis from Seven Seas Entertainment
Orb: On the Movements of the Earth Episode 1: Heliocentrism. How About That? Recap
Rafal, a child prodigy, is going to university. He plans to study Theology, however his true passion is Astronomy. His teacher tells him to drop Astronomy and focus all his studies on Theology. His teacher then asks for a favor. He wants Rafal to pick up his scholar friend Hubert.
Rafal finds out he is very mysterious and also likes astronomy like he does. Hubert introduces his theory of Heliocentrism to Rafal. A theory that contradicts all principles will lead to his execution by burning at the stake. Rafal faces blackmail to continue Hubert’s research because his eyesight is deteriorating.
Orb: On the Movements of the Earth Pilot Episode Reaction + Review
Story
The story seems like it will be historical and dark. Something you don’t see very much in anime. This pilot episode introduces the audience to its setting, and begins some world-building. The story takes place in fifteenth-century Europe. This era was switching from the Middle Ages to the Early Renaissance.
Most of the episode has a very serious tone to it, but Rafal adds some comedic moments. From the summary, we know there will be a time skip, so I’m not sure how much the tone of the story will change with the different characters. I also can’t say if these characters will have a huge impact later on, other than their research.
Art & Animation
As mentioned above, the story is dark. To add to that Madhouse decided to make the coloring and art ‘dark’. I like the art style as well, it seems mature for anime. I liked the ending scene with the stars a lot, maybe because it reminded me of that scene in Bakemonogatari.
Should You Watch it / Will I Keep Watching?
I think that I will keep watching. I haven’t watched an anime weekly in years, so I’ll most likely add it to my ‘To-Watch List’ and wait for it to finish airing all episodes first. If Orb: On the Movements of the Earth‘s serious tone fits your preference you should keep watching as well. If you’re into science and all that stuff this is a great anime to watch. As I mentioned, there are five episodes out right now.
If you’re looking for something to finish in one sitting, check out this article on scary anime to watch this halloween. You can also check out this article of the best anime of Summer 2024.
