Orb: On the Movements of the Earth

About a year ago, I came across the manga Orb: On the Movements of Earth at my local library. When I saw that it had been made into an anime that was available on Netflix, I immediately added it to my watchlist.

Orb follows the lives of several young people who dare to upset the social order of 15th-century Poland by espousing a new theory: heliocentrism.

As one person is accused of heresy, another picks up the chain of astronomical insight and the discovery that the earth revolves around the sun. The tension is high throughout the series--will the current protagonist be able to escape the Inquisition?

An Inquisitor and his daughter are also drawn into the drama in interesting ways. I can't say more here without spoiling the series.

I'll be blunt: Orb is not for kids. It's pretty violent in a lot of places. The Inquisition is shown torturing and killing people accused of heresy. That said, older teens would probably be able to handle the series.

My Two Cents

It's been a while since I was as absorbed in an anime as this. Even characters who only appear for a few episodes are so well fleshed-out that you're invested in what happens to them. And every single character matters, even if it's only as a link in the chain carrying the work of astronomy forward. In a time where world leaders are forsaking truth in pursuit of political and economic gain, when hate is allowed to creep back out of the shadows, it can be inspiring to watch people who are willing to die for the sake of the truth.

My only complaint is with the night scenes: they're too dark. It's hard to see what's happening. I know that before electric lights, that level of darkness was common, but this really is a case in which it would be OK to sacrifice realism just a bit in favor of the viewer being able to see.