Image: Uoto / Shogakukan / “Orb: On the Movements of the Earth” Production Committee
The anime is set to end after 25 episodes.
One of the most underrated anime for the Fall 2024-Winter 2025 season has got to be the historical science drama Orb: On the Movements of the Earth. Based on the manga by Uoto, the anime was first announced in 2022, and began airing on 5 October for a two-cour, half-year run.
Now, the anime is wrapping up with its last episode, Episode 25: “Thaumazein”, set to release on 15 March.
Why is Orb: On the Movements of the Earth so underrated?
Orb: On the Movements of the Earth has been building up a fanbase of dedicated viewers who all cite the series’ greatest strength: character-driven story-telling. The anime is separated into three parts, and follows three characters as they uncover the mystery of the earth’s movement in a 15th century setting.
Now if you’re not an avid history buff, you might think that it’s just another anime with dramatised depictions of history (like Vinland Saga or Kingdom), but don’t let that deter you. The various theories and scientific models featured in the show are incredibly accurate, and opens the floodgates for fans to garner an even wider interest in the science behind the show. The story takes key events in the history of heliocentrism, including executions for heresy, and crafts a compelling fictional drama out of them that will keep viewers at the edge of their seats.
Madhouse delivered with amazing animation, but what really sold the anime to its dedicated viewers are the amazing performances by the voice actors slated in the cast, some of whom have had stellar careers. The cast is as follows:
Part 1:
- Rafal - Maaya Sakamoto
- Nowak - Kenjiro Tsuda
- Hubert - Show Hayami
- Potocki - Koichi Makashima
Part 2:
- Oczy - Katsuyuki Konishi
- Gras - Minoru Shiraishi
- Badeni - Yuichi Nakamura
- Jolenta - Saya Hitomi
- Kolbe - Nobunaga Shimazaki
- Count Piast- Shinya Fukumatsu, Daisuke Namikawa
- Antoni - Satoshi Mikami
Part 3:
- Draka - Miyuri Shimabukuro
- Schmidt - Satoshi Hino
- Dhruv -Tomomichi Nishimura
Final part:
- Albert Brudzewski - Shoya Ishige, Atsumi Tanezaki
The anime is directed by Kenichi Shimizu, written by Shingo Irie, with character designs by Masanori Shino and music by Kensuke Ushio.
Orb’s manga is also well-decorated with various awards and nominations, including winning the 26th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2022, and the 54th Seiun Award in Best Comic Category in 2023. The manga began serialisation in Shogakukan’s Weekly Big Comic Spirits from September 2020 to April 2022. Seven Seas Entertainment has licensed the manga for English publication through a 2-in1 omnibus edition.
Orb: On the Movements of the Earth is currently streaming through Netflix, and if you're wondering if there ever will be a Season 2, don't get your hopes up. Considering that the anime is set to fully adapt the manga, the final episode will mark an end to this amazing piece of historical fiction.
