Anime Review: Planetes

Review PlanetesWritten by WarpshadowRating Excellent

Good hard science fiction is something that is kind of rare in anime Planetes in not only good science fiction but it is also a great story.

Space debris is no ordinary garbage, it can travel several kilometers a second and can puncture the hull of a space ship. By the year 2074 this has become a major problem and companies now have debris hauling departments. Even so it isn't considered glamorous work and departments are usually underfunded. Something like that didn't stop Ai Tanabe from joining Technora's debris hauling section. Her personality and idealistic philosophy of life clash with her coworkers, especially another debris hauler Hachirota Hoshino. Hachirota is a man whose dreams have been trampled by the reality of corporate life.

Anime is a medium that is not usually noted for realism but it is quite prevalent in Planetes. Although I am no science major this is one of those few science fiction shows that tries to adhere to the laws of physics and does so quite well. However one can not build a great show on science and gimmicks alone. Thus it is the numerous and subtle intricacies that make Planetes a great show. In fact the very depth of character and willingness to break from clichés to present rounded characters literally suprised me on several occasions. In the beginning there are a few episodes that look like filler but if you watch the entire show you will see that nothing was in fact wasted as even the most mundane of characters are folded back in to the greater whole of the show. Planetes is a truly rare gem of an anime show and something that I would recommend to anybody.