Orb: On the Movements of the Earth (2025)
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Orb: On the Movements of the Earth Review
Orb: On the Movements of the Earth is a historical drama anime series that premiered in 2024. It’s a slow and overlong, but effective and sophisticated show.
Set in 15th-century Europe, the series follows the dangerous journeys of scholars who risk their lives to pursue research on the forbidden heliocentric theory. It’s very rare to find any show, not just an animated one, that is set in an earlier time period and is about science. This is why I have huge respect for this one that actually delved deeper into this very interesting time period and the evolution of science.
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The heliocentric theory was truly a groundbreaking idea that fundamentally changed humanity’s understanding of our place in the universe. It’s a rich subject for deeper exploration in a television series, which the creators utilized properly. The end result is a sophisticated drama that is particularly effective in depicting the role of religion in this development and how dangerous Christianity was to science back in the day.
On the Movements of the Earth is at its best when tackling religion versus science and how crucial science is to humanity. It features incredible writing and especially strong dialogue with numerous discussions and arguments that were riveting to follow.
But it is at its worst when it’s just repeating itself and when it is focusing on the supporting players that aren’t as interesting as the main ones. I would have personally chosen a fully historical take on this story, but they did tackle the real story, though with the original characters instead of real historical figures. This led to this odd mix that didn’t fully work.
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I found the characters to be properly developed and a couple of them even got superb, quite emotional arcs. But the movie has too many characters and at 25 episodes it felt a bit too long and drawn out. I was bored during its second half, which was an issue for what was supposed to a sort of a thriller.
Overall, Orb: On the Movements of the Earth is a very good show that isn’t great due to its sluggish pacing, too many episodes and a problematic structure, but the dialogue is superb, most of the characters were solidly developed, and the overall storyline is rich, sophisticated and emotionally powerful. It’s a flawed, but unique anime series that is definitely worth seeing.
Worst Episodes: Freedom and Tonight’s Sky.
Best Episodes: I Believe in Heliocentrism and Question.
