Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
chumchummaru
I have to admit that this anime impressed me. When it was first announced, I watched it out of curiosity to see what it was about and was surprised that there was torture, but only when I watched it did I understand what it was really about.
A beautiful demonstration of how the church actually works (or once worked), that it is just a pretense that does not hold back and will do anything to subjugate you.
What surprised me was the setting of the story in the Polish environment in the Middle Ages when there were two types of theories about the universe, one claims that the earth is the center of the universe, i.e. geocentrism, and the other that it revolves around the sun, i.e. heliocentrism. And we have a view from both sides, both from the side of researchers who are trying to find the tr…
Read at the sourceOqh
Orb: On the Movements of the Earth.
The story here is about humans, discovery, and all those existential questions man has always asked himself and will keep asking until he finds an answer... searching for the truth.
A different kind of anime, where characters flow across many historical periods. This whole thing feels like a treaty on taboos that up until that point were branded as heresy and an overly obsessive adoration for God.
The dialogues are plenty and interesting, totally stealing the show; the characters are smart and cultured, and there’s a continuous pursuit and search for cosmology, completely turning upside down concepts that for the depicted era were rigid and unquestionable.
Anyway, Orb is something that enlightens the viewer, putting so many primordial questions right on…
Read at the sourceOrigamistToo
If we put it briefly, ORB is a story by a Japanese author about brilliant martyrs from 15th century Eastern Europe, striving to uncover the grand "Truth" that will change everything.
Pros:
Decent visuals: The starry sky shots are truly well-drawn, and the battle scenes, while often unrealistic, are dynamic and engaging. Madhouse definitely earns its paycheck here.
A complete story that stays faithful to the source material: You won’t need to dig into the manga to figure out what the author meant; everything is wrapped up within the anime.
If you approach the series as a comedy, the first half turns out to be quite lively, even though the humor often feels like Hollywood's stereotypical take on the Inquisition and the Middle Ages, where characters do all sorts of silly things while main…
Read at the sourceEnshourT_
Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered why we know what we know now?
Centuries ago, someone asked the same question. They looked at the stars, challenged everything they had been taught, and paid a price most of us can barely imagine. They would never live to see their ideas accepted. They would never know their names would be forgotten. Yet they kept searching anyway.
Why do human beings seek the truth, even when the truth offers no reward? Because this world is conveniently imperfect. If every mystery had already been solved, there would be nothing left to discover. If every answer were handed to us, human curiosity would have no purpose.
Because sometimes, the greatest act of hope isn't finding the answer. It's believing the question is worth asking.
- STORY: CURIOSIT…
Read at the sourceMarsRed22
This show has some strong moments.
There are at leas one or two surprising moments in the story, it is tried to make characters important and interesting.
A lot of character traits that I have not seen in other anime.
Also this Anime has at least a few scenes regarding torture and sometimes it is only partly censored.
The anime is daring, but falls short on so many other parts that I can't truly enjoy it.
Most important thing is: This anime is a lot of talk.
Characters standing around and talking with each other for several episodes, like in a stage play without any action happening.
It could have been okay, there are some anime like this and they can work - unfortunately, here it was too much.
Also with the first few episodes the anime leads you into a completely different direction, loo…
Read at the sourceSephy95
Orb presents itself as a historical anime about astronomers in 15th century Europe, but it is actually a hypothetical, "alternate history" type of story.
The vast majority of characters are fictional predecessors to Copernicus. At the same time, it uses real life people like Albert Brudzewski as side characters and name drops a whole bunch of others, like Peter Abelard, Heraclides Ponticus, Ibn asch-Schatir and so forth.
The role of the Catholic church stands out especially. In this anime, the church is blatantly evil and inquisitors relentlessly pursue and butcher astronomers for even just attempting to research the heliocentric model. It is true that real-life inquisitions were horrible, but as far as I know they hardly ever pursued astronomers like this. How do you think did astronomer…
Read at the sourcesick2001
“Is man merely a mistake of God? Or is God merely a mistake of man?”
There are questions that man will never be able to answer.
Doubting, even the imposed axioms, often serves to restart studies from the very beginning, recalculating a principle from scratch to establish a new truth. Especially when it contradicts religious dogmas, this truth passes through sacrifices, abjurations, and denials before being accepted in its irrefutability, because “it is in bewilderment that ethics reside” and “secrets are much more frightening when they are discovered.”
It is no coincidence that often, precisely those minority positions considered subversive have become the benchmarks over time.
Relying exclusively on our five senses, and taking what we perceive on a sensory level at face value, the Earth…
Read at the sourcemeowmeow12
The writing in this anime is top notch. Having watched with no spoilers and just a general summary of the premise, I wasn't that eager to watch it tbh. But what the anime does excellently is the character work. Each episode develops characters in a way that makes them complex and gives the audience a deep understanding of who they are and why they do the things they do within the context of the show. For the writing alone, this is worth watching, as compared to many other drama animes I found the writing in this to be top notch.
In addition, the story is grounded in the real world and the theme of the search for truth really resonated with me. This anime shows why critical thinking is so important and how important mankind's search for knowledge is. It's a specific moment in history that…
Read at the sourceChoccybean
This anime is something unique, I’ve never seen anything like it in my life and I’ve watched a lot of animes and also tons of western shows. It’s inspiring in a way that no show ever was to me, it made me want to seek knowledge. One of the many messages of this anime is to always seek the truth about the beauty of the natural world and to stay curious, which is something that brought back a spark in me to continue studying subjects I used to love as a child, such as physics, chemistry, and mathematics. This anime unironically helped motivate me to take my academics more seriously, not for the sake of getting better grades, but to better understand the beauty around me and notice beauty I hadn’t noticed before.
Read at the sourceSTIFLAUN
His message isn't about proving the centrality of the Sun and astronomy, but rather about suppressed truths and inherited desires, about the fact that what we experience today as obvious truths were enigmas that could cost lives in the pursuit of them, about the fact that we only arrive at this knowledge through suffering, about the fact that our world was shaped by blood and pain.
🇧🇷
Sua mensagem não gira em torno de provar a centralidade do Sol e da astronomia, mas sim sobre as verdades suprimidas e as vontades herdadas, sobre o fato de que o que vivemos hoje como obviedades eram enigmas que poderiam custar a vida na busca por elas, sobre o fato de que só chegamos a esse conhecimento por meio do sofrimento, sobre o fato de que nosso mundo foi moldado pelo sangue e pelas dores
Read at the sourceCapnWoah
There is a level of profundity to Orb that few other anime can match. Where so many anime extol basic--though, admittedly, often enjoyable--principles like "fight for your friends" or "defeat the evildoer", the characters of Orb fight for ideals like freedom of thought, the triumph of Reason over Faith, and even the dissolution of oppressive class structures. Philosophy is not quoted in a superficial way; the morals and beliefs of the characters are the primary forces guiding their actions, and a wonderfully wide range of philosophical beliefs are represented in this way. Orb portrays the struggle of Reason throughout history in a way I did not believe was possible for anime, with every character representing something meaningful and beautiful in the struggle against orthodoxy. I am so imp…
Read at the sourcedarkphil35
An anthological historical fiction narrative about the rise of heliocentrism as a theory of the universe in an era of geocentrism enforced by a tyrannical religious authority. A fairly slow, contemplative, low-budget show. It's not visually striking or flashy, and there are long, long segments of characters talking at the camera, but steeping in the thoughts and beliefs of the setting invites a new perspective on what we might believe in the modern day to be obviously wrong or misguided. I liked it a lot.
A myriad of characters pursue the theory for their own reasons - beauty, theology, greatness, freedom, greed, and oftentimes, out of some whim of obligation, or trust, or hope. Generations of people over time pass along the thread of progress, declaring that protecting inherited knowledge…
Read at the sourceOlorin666
There are not many historical anime, and even fewer that tell the story of Western civilization. And in general, in recent years, it is difficult to find an adult serious story in the anime industry without elements of fantasy or comedy. Anime reveals to us a completely fresh and unique topic, the study of heliocentrism. The story immerses us in the Middle Ages, when the church and the Inquisition brutally hunted people who were engaged in science. The world is on the verge of a real scientific revolution that will change the history of our civilization. The main characters risk their lives to make it happen. The plot captivates from the first seconds. It's an adult, cruel story. A mix of fiction and true history. The structure is very interesting, there will be no main protagonist, there…
Read at the sourceChaphe
This whole anime feels like a love letter and a reflection of humanity itself. While showing humanity's errors, it feels like this show also heightens its strengths. It's inspirational and emotional but also tragic. One of the few animes that took a tear out of me without really being a "sad anime". Also a really well done and interesting setting, taking place in 15th's century Poland, which I feel like there aren't many anime with similar settings.
The characters are beautifully presented and executed. It's actually surprising how many really cool characters can be introduced and concluded in such a short span of episodes, but still taking the time to let them breathe and show them properly. Each one has its own determination, points of views and life styles. Their discussions and conves…
Read at the sourceSpeed3108
Wow, Just Wow
Orb, by far is the best Anime which I have watched so far which overall has elevated my respect for the subculture of anime as a whole, The premise of the show which might be seen the beliefs of geocentrism and heliocentrism at the first glance is just used as a medium to explain and explore the human interactions, sacrifices, human experiences and convictions which drive our actions.
How bold-ness to rebel, the fight for one's own beliefs, not letting one's thoughts getting subjugated or relegated but instead being heard, if not by their minds and mouths, then the minds and the mouths of those who would eventually come after them. These themes are more prevalent now, in the modern world then they ever were before, right from episode one you can get hooked with the very inte…
Read at the sourceman_rredd
A true masterpiece. It showcases the stubborn resilience of humans to go towards the truth to find the real answers of the universe. It represents the concept of how the nature itself teaches us everything and our planet is already a paradise that one cannot contemplate.
This anime truly was eye-opening and inspiring. The struggle and sacrifices that had to be made to prove the Heliocentrism model of the earth even when everyone was against those pursuing such research to the extend of getting them killed by labelling them as heretic for what seemed a forbidden science of astronomy during the 15th century.
The fact that curiosity was considered a sin and digging too deep while doing research would land one in trouble showed the harsh nature that researchers, scientists and astronomers…
Read at the sourceOtaku_Senpai
I do feel this might be one of the most under-rated shows of recent times. That's because this anime is a masterpiece. If you were to make a list of top ten anime of the decade, I think will be on it.
Why am I so hyped about the show? This show has one of the best told stories in all of anime. The story was told in such a way things kept happening that I wasn't expecting. I could predict nothing. This is a deeply moving show that had me tearing up but it was done so masterfully. They didn't use melodramatic music or contagious sobbing in the show to evoke emotion in me. They moved me with dialogues, characters expressions and their resolve. When a character dies show doesn't spend any time on it. You don't get scenes of funerals or their friends or family members grieving so that they can…
Read at the sourceKamiiyorii
This anime is slower, dialogue-heavy, and deeply philosophical.
For the right audience, it becomes unforgettable.
"Chi. Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite" is not just about heliocentrism or historical conflict. It is about the pursuit of truth - and the cost of that pursuit. It treats ideas with sincerity and respect. Nothing feels like empty drama; everything feels deliberate.
Very few anime dare to center their entire narrative around ideas the way "Chi. Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite" does.
What makes this series stand out so strongly is its philosophical depth.
The characters embody different ways of thinking, different responses to fear, faith, doubt, and conviction.
That is what makes the character dynamics so remarkable. Everyone feels distinct, believing in something different. Watching t…
Read at the sourceUzumaki_D_Lufffy
I've always wondered what happen to your convictions, your desires, your curiosities and your wish to reach a little more further, after you die. It has been told to be multiple times by The Will of Fire and The Will of D. The answer always has been plain and simple. It's either they end with you or you simply pass them on. But how can you trust something so deer and so important that you'd give your life away for it, to someone else?? (Orb tells you the exact way) But again, what other choice do you have?? You have to either bet on someone else to carry on the legacy you started or come at peace with the fact that it ends with you. And to be very honest, the later one is very hard.
After maybe Ousama Rankings and Vinland Saga, this Anime is something that'll stay with me. I'm sure I won't…
Read at the sourceMaki1234
All in all, Orb: On the Movements of the Earth is a great anime, but the ending slightly weakens the overall experience. The series is very different, creative, and brave in how it presents its ideas. The final episodes aim for an even bolder, more experimental approach, almost like the author is directly speaking to the audience. While that’s an interesting idea on paper, it doesn’t land as strongly as the emotional conclusion the story was building toward.
For me, ending the series around episode 23, with a stronger emotional payoff, would have worked better and pushed the show closer to perfection. Despite that, Orb remains a very strong and brilliant anime.
Score: 8.5/10
Read at the source
