Orb: On the Movements of the Earth is originally a manga that ‘Uoto’ wrote and illustrated. Shogakukan serialized it in Weekly Big Comic Spirit from 2020 to 2022. The manga received an anime adaptation in the Fall 2024 season and the big studio Madhouse produced the adaptation.
Synopsis
In fifteenth-century Europe [in P – Kingdom], 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, the young Oczy and the cynical Gras, find a hidden stone chest that details the secrets of the universe Rafal left behind. Dare they try to change their own stars by selling the heretical texts, or would that only lead to the stake and the fire? (Seven Seas Entertainment)
Spoilers Ahead !!!
Orb: On the Movements of the Earth Anime Review
Orb: On the Movements of the Earth is a journey through history, all about how people thought the world worked.
Why did people believe the geocentric idea for so long? This is the idea that everything revolved around the Earth. Why was it so hard for people back then to accept the heliocentric idea? The theory that we believe in today, where the Earth revolves around the Sun.
Orb: On the Movements of the Earth shows us the power of ideas. How ideas can change the world. How they can make people think in new ways.
The story also shows us the struggle to accept new ideas. How hard it can be to change your mind about something you’ve always believed.
What I Liked
The OP Sequence
The Orb: On the Movements of the Earth OP might be the best OP of the year honestly. Give it a listen below.
I don’t know why but it fits so well with the 15th century setting of the anime.
The Characters
If you have ever watched To Your Eternity, this anime has the same concept with main characters. This story takes place over 50-ish years, and the main characters are swapped out.
Well this is because they are heretics. Who were usually burned at stake for going against church teachings.
Rafal and Hubert are the first main characters we encounter. The latter is the catalyst of the story. Hubert passed down his research of the heliocentric theory to Rafal, a young scholar.
Then some years later Oczy and Gras find their research. Oczy then gets the help of Badeni, a priest, and Jolenta, a genius woman who assists a scholar.
A young child Draka and Schmidt then becomes the main character for a bit. Then the final main character is based on the real life astronomer Albert Brudzewski.
I got really attached to these characters. I kept thinking X was the best, then Y came along, and then they introduced Z.
An interpretation I read somewhere that these characters like Rafal, Oczy, Badeni etc. aren’t the main characters of this show. The main character is the ‘idea’ of heliocentrism, it’s passed down and the characters just so happen to find out about it.
The Story
The story is more than just the movements of the earth. It’s about the movements of the human mind. This anime is not for everyone. It’s slow. It’s quiet and makes you think. But if you’re willing to take the time, it’s worth it.
The ending was great. The author Uoto tied in the real story of Polish Astronomer Albert Brudzewski and Nicolaus Copernicus with his fictitious story and characters.
Should You Watch Orb: On the Movements of the Earth?
Ultimately you should give Orb: On the Movements of the Earth a try. It makes you think about the world, how it works, why people think the way they do.
It’s rare for something like an anime to actually get you thinking about real life. It really did get me thinking about the world. A famous anime YouTuber, Gigguk, made an amazing video on the anime recently. You should check it out on his YouTube Channel.
