Orb: On The Movements of the Earth Has Been Awesome!

Article at a glance:

• The anime explores the horror of living in a world where religious dogma controls everything, punishing those who pursue logic or science.
• Rafal’s internal conflict between conforming to expectations and his curiosity about astronomy makes him a well-written and intriguing protagonist.
• Stunning visuals, stellar voice acting, and strong animation elevate the experience, making it stand out this season.

Okay, so when I read the premise for this anime, I did not expect it to be this dark. I thought it’d be a “normal” fantasy-style story. But well, Orb: On the Movements of the Earth has surprised me. It is not just about the blood; this anime manages to capture the subtle horror of living in a world where religion is everything. Anyone who tries to pursue any logical thought that contradicts the scriptures, well they are sought out relentlessly by the Church and in the worst case, burnt at the stake in public.

So welcome back to another first impressions article. We are now in the thick of the Fall 2024 season, and I am somewhat overwhelmed with the sheer number of episodes I have to keep up with. Still, today we are talking about Orb: On the Movements of the Earth. So let’s get into it.

What do I think of Orb: On the Movements of the Earth so far?

First off, Rafal is a great main character. He was an orphan but he quickly figured out how “easy” the world is. He acts in a way everyone expects him to behave. And throughout the years, putting up an act like this has made his life easier. Of course, how he “appears” to be is just an act, his true self is a lot more selfish and curious. He loves astronomy, a field of study that is not looked upon fondly. But he still initially chooses to pursue theology in the university because that’s what people “expect” from him.

If it wasn’t clear already, the world of this anime believes that the Earth is at the center of the universe and the other heavenly bodies revolve around it. Anyone who tries to prove otherwise is of course, in the crosshairs of the Church. Rafal kind of picks up on this since he watches stars quite often. But he only realized that it was the Earth that moved after he met Hubert. Well, Hubert passed on his theory of “Heliocentrism” to Rafal and then gets executed covering for him.

And again, I like Rafal’s character. Because he knows that he should just let Hubert’s research go and never look back at it again. But the idea of Heliocentricism makes so much sense to him that he wants to try and prove it. Add this great character writing to the dark setting and pair it with the amazing visuals of the show, and you have something unique. The opening/ending themes, the voice acting and the animations have all also been amazing so far. Hearing Tsuda Kenjiro and Nakata Jouji always makes me happy.

That is all for now!

So yeah, based on the two episodes so far, I’d give Orb: On the Movements of the Earth an easy 9/10 so far. Let me know what you guys think in the comments. I will take my leave here. I am off to play some Genshin. see ya!

Also, check out my thoughts on Blue Box so far here!