Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
OrigamistToo
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 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 sourceYuuritard
I will never forgive Netflix for promoting dandamid over this masterpiece. It has the best protagonist I’ve ever seen. Despite his lack of screen time for a devastating reason (too good to spoil btw), but that doesn’t make him any less of a protagonist, and in fact made him a much grander one than any other character. I can also argue that this show has the best dialogue, philosophy, protagonist, prologue, and any other category. It’s a shame that overrated action slop get more attention over actual masterpieces, this anime somehow didn’t win any awards when it should’ve been number 1.
Read at the sourceSupersonic_Pain
I really wanted to give this show a good score but the last few episodes brought it down on a drastic scale.
I think it really had something the first ~3/4ths. It managed to take something that sounds really dry and bland (a show set in fifteenth century Poland about fucking heliocentrism?) and they make it gripping and exciting. The heliocentrism is even tied into revelations and a cultural uprising against the church, a sign that living on Earth isn't just a dumping ground that humans need to be saved from, it's a place worth living on in its own right.
And I thought that was a beautiful message and watching multiple generations fight and struggle to keep the theory of heliocentrism alive was fucking incredible. It was at a 9/10 territory for a significant amount of the story.
You get…
Read at the sourcePixelB
Before I talk about this show, I want to talk a little about concepts. After all, this anime is all about the development of the concept of heliocentrism. Concepts, simply put, are ways that the human mind interprets the world. For example, what comes to mind when I say "car"? You probably picture wheels, windows, an engine, and so on. You inherently know what a wheel is and what it’s made of. You may not be able to describe the intricate mechanics of how a car actually works, but you have a solid concept of what a car is.
Ideally, the car in your mind matches reality, but because we all have gaps in knowledge and imperfect memory, it’s ultimately more abstract. A concrete example would be a modern GPS system. Something like Google Maps represents the real-world layout of roads in a simpl…
Read at the sourceelumizu
Orb: On the Movements of the Earth builds its narrative around one of the most dangerous ideas in human history, which is the possibility that Earth is not the center of the universe. The series frames knowledge itself as a dangerous force capable of destabilizing authority, faith, and the structure of society. The setting resembles late medieval Europe, where religious institutions dominate intellectual life and enforce a rigid geocentric worldview. Official doctrine claims that Earth sits immovable at the center of creation. Whilst, the heavens revolve in perfect harmony around it. Questioning this belief is treated not as intellectual disagreement but as heresy punishable by execution. From the earliest episodes, the series establishes an atmosphere of suffocating control. Suspicion hau…
Read at the sourceXamir1
The description of the show seemed a little boring to me, but I gave it a try anyway and was actually blown away. Leave it to anime to make proving heliocentrism into an interesting story. There are interesting plot twists, interesting characters, and interesting dialogue. At many points the anime is thought-provoking and you can see the intentionality of the writing. There were some really great moments in this anime that were captivating and kept me watching even between the action and high points.
However, one of the things that made the anime interesting became its downfall later in the anime. Since the story takes place over a long period of time and has different character arcs, some issues with pacing started to show, especially towards the anticlimactic ending where certain decisi…
Read at the sourceKentsuukie
A phenomenal show whose ending misses the point.
This show stands out so well among all anime, it has an interesting format and an even more unique story telling method. It's also backed by amazing visuals, music, and writing, with insanely powerful, moving, and thought-provoking scenes across the entire show. You might think it's a boring series about people basically doing research, but that's not the point— Orb, while dense in scholarly content, is all about how the characters strive to achieve truth, with each one of them fueled by different ideologies and convictions which are so deeply compelling.
While it was also about if they would succeed, it was more about how they would go about it and why they want to in the first place— which the ending misses entirely.
The ending is compl…
Read at the sourceseikanaru
It has been 20 days since I finished Orb, and as it has haunted my mind every day since, I decided to write this review. I really wish this series would get more appreciation outside Japan because I never thought an anime could make me feel so hollow yet so alive.
Objectively, I would give it 9/10. No, this is not a Potocki joke.
I absolutely love the characters, soundtrack, voice acting, and many more. Still, there are indeed moments where I feel the execution is less engaging and starts to fall off-- but it soon bounces back with a very impactful scene. It's a bit of a slowburn. I feel like the latter part of the story is the weakest, too, like many reviews may have mentioned, but it's like... An 8 with the other parts at 10. The animation sometimes looks stiff, even when the character…
Read at the sourceCentrasGriz
Orb: On the Movements of the Earth is one of the most thought-provoking and visually gripping shows I’ve seen in a long time. Set in a reimagined medieval Europe, it weaves together the tension between religion and science, between blind faith and dangerous curiosity. It’s a story where the simple act of thinking differently could cost you your life and honestly, that alone made it stand out from everything else airing at the time.
The series doesn’t follow one protagonist but several, across multiple timelines, all connected by one idea: the pursuit of truth. Specifically, the heliocentric theory that the sun, not the Earth, is the center of the universe. Every episode hums with quiet dread. You watch people wrestle with fear, conviction, and the weight of systems designed to crush disse…
Read at the sourcexera_yoo
This anime, isn't just an anime. For me it's a masterpiece.
Even tho it is a fiction, there are historical elements in it. The reason why I recommend this anime is bcs the philosophy behind is very deep (the interpretation will depend on each perception). I love the plot and the characters. Even, Orb: On The Movements of The Earth has 4 main characters in it. It shows that the burden of civilization that must be changed cannot be done by just one person.
Orb: On The Movements of The Earth tells about the dark ages where people adhered to geocentrism, and in this story the church under a bishop condemned heliocentrism.
But, in a world where those who are lost by doubt, there must be people who realize the truth with their intelligent brains. It starts with Rafal, a bright student at ch…
Read at the sourcejRad522
Anime is rarely "timely." It is difficult for a medium that is generally interested in over-the-top action, supernatural and sci-fi antics, or easily digested slice of life experiences to have anything specific and necessary to say about the times in which we are living. This isn't a problem; in fact a huge part of the reason why we come to the medium is to escape a reality that is often equal parts boring and traumatic, but it makes the occasional show that breaks that mold and directly addresses the reality of our modern world stand out from the crowd. The fact that this show is set in the dark past of the 13 and 1400s makes this achievement all the more incredible, while also ringing alarm bells about the darkness that is threatening to overtake us in the year 2025. The show is Orb: On…
Read at the sourceGamiKhan
Weird, I had it as a 10 for the first 24 episodes, but here I am ending it and I doesnt feel like it deserves anything more than a 7.
I really enjoyed the show at the start, it felt like an anime of a story similar to Lazarillo de tormes, a classical spanish book, an autobiography set around that time aswell, which is weird cause it ended up having a story just like that inside the anime itself, I was excited to see where it was heading but then it goes nowhere.
The show was supposed to be about small stories that are connected by the movement of the earth, the idea was that it would ultimately end up to the discovery itself, even if this is fiction.
In a more simple term it was a story about a little spark in a random town making a big fire and revolutionazing the world, but hardly fee…
Read at the sourceADyingVine
It had been nearly ten years since my passion for astronomy faded, but this anime reignited that spark in a way I never expected. Chi.: Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite is more than just a historical series—it’s a tribute to the pursuit of knowledge, the struggle against ignorance, and the courage of those who dare to challenge the status quo.
From the very first episode, the story gripped me with its depth and rawness. This is a narrative that doesn’t sugarcoat reality or shy away from the consequences of questioning established beliefs. The dialogues are simply outstanding—thought-provoking, powerful, and filled with meaning. Every conversation not only pushes the plot forward but also raises philosophical questions that linger long after the episode ends.
I’ll admit, the animation is nothin…
Read at the sourcesilverdemon44
This anime is one of the unique shows that I have ever watched. It gives you one hell of a ride until before the end. I have read many people praising the ending, but it was not my cup of tea. It felt random and way too sudden to call it a proper ending. It was not satisfying for me in any manner.
Art - 10
The art in this show is perfect, Probably one of the best art and visuals I have seen in any anime, but it focuses on a lot of dark scenes.
Sound - 10
The soundtracks, songs and sound overall were pretty solid. I have no complaints in this regard.
Characters - 10
Character development is superb, especially that for one of the antagonists. That is all that can be said without revealing too much. The protagonist(s) also have good character development.
Story - 6
Lots of philosophica…
Read at the sourceWorm_Death
I want to try and condense my thoughts as much as possible, because as a passionate nerd of science, there's a lot to nitpick.
I can appreciate Orb existing, and I think with the current climate, it's more relevant than ever. However, to those of us who get behind the messaging of this anime, there is nothing to be gained. I agree and enjoy what the show is trying to say a lot. I love science and the joy of collaboration through centuries, the pursuit of knowledge, and the ability to question the status quo.
Despite how much I agree with those statements, this anime feels like the equivalent of someone talking your ear off about something you know too much about and absolutely don't need to be told. That's my main issue with this anime; it's not entertaining. There are no characters; th…
Read at the sourceLunaLov
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." -Sir Isaac Newton
Definitely a good watch if you have any appreciation for the history of science, astronomy, philosophy, and academic thought processes.
Orb on the Movements of Earth is a serious-toned and reflective anime, set in a scenario based on medieval Poland, in which a young boy named Rafal suddenly has his views on cosmology and religion turned upside down upon discovering the existence of the Heliocentric theory through a heretic scholar. From this point onward, we witness the challenges of researching, writing, publishing, and propagating Heliocentrism in times of religious persecution.
Above all, the anime is an homage to human knowledge and curiosity, where a scientific theory and people's will to pass…
Read at the sourceMarinate1016
I knew from episode 1 that Orb would be anime of the year. Literally within 10 minutes I’d seen enough to make that claim, and 6 months later I stand by it. Simply put it’s one of the greatest historical anime of all time. Fans of Vinland Saga will see many similarities in the sort of heartbreaking and brutal stories this series has with the historical backdrop of the heliocentric movement in 15th century Poland. The storytelling method of having multiple protagonists allowed us to see how people from drastically different walks of life can be united by their pursuit of knowledge and scientific advancement. This is what I like to call “employed eats” that is, shows that people with limited time due to work and school have to come home and wind down with after a long day at work or class. I…
Read at the sourceKANLen09
Orb: On the Movements of the Earth - Damn, does NHK know what shows to show on its network that not only bring in heaps of Japanese citizens, but also people globally as well, going n-for-nth or historical drama shows that just keep you coming back for more and don't waste your precious time?
If you don't know what I mean, do you remember shows like last Spring - Summer's Karasu wa Aruji wo Erabanai a.k.a Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master, and especially famed mangakas' series from Yasuhisa Hara's Kingdom to Yoshitoki Oima's Fumetsu no Anata e a.k.a To Your Eternity? Yes, all of these series aired on Japan's premier broadcasting station NHK, and anime showcased at the TV network, for the past few years or so (not counting its sister station NHK Educational that's branded fo…
Read at the sourceMcsuper
Innovation is a beautiful thing. Revolutionary ideas that come so gradually in the world’s history are what has shaped the world as we know it. The amount of freedom that people have gained throughout history is not to be underestimated, and in Orb: On the Movements of the Earth, we got a look at a world that sorely lacked autonomy for the people. The clergy, stopping all thoughts that did not align with their beliefs, so they could remain in absolute power over the people, teaching them that there is only one way the world works.
However, humans, at their core, are hungry for knowledge, hungry to make something of their lives. Who wouldn’t want to be the one to discover the next big theory, or to be the one to uncover the truth behind something that people believed in for their entire li…
Read at the source