Orb: On the Movements of the Earth – Episodes 1-2

Content Warning: Graphic Torture, Burning at the Stake

What’s it about? A child prodigy destined for more is blackmailed into taking on the heretical teachings of the Earth and Sun amidst the Inquisition, which is hungry for heretical souls to burn for God above.

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Historical fiction anime have a soft spot in my heart, nestled right next to historical fantasy. While I tend toward the latter for comfort reads, I like the former for more grounded series that make me think about the mundane aspects of life. It’s important to know the figures that shaped history, the shoulders we are supported by, the hands that push us forward into a progressive world. But I also wonder about people on my level: what hobbies did people have? What did people do while tending sheep? What foods did someone like or dislike? What was someone’s favorite dye to color cloth with?

Enter Orb: On the Movements of the Earth, a historical fiction series that transports viewers to the 1400s during the Inquisition, and into the life of Rafal, a young child prodigy who’s destined for university and a life of comfort if he sticks to his ethos of reason over emotionality. But will he be able to do that? Is life that simple?

Well, you’ll have to read on to find out, now won’t you?

Episode 1, “Heliocentrism. How about that?” places viewers in the hearth of the Kingdom of P, circa sometime in the early 15th century. This is a time starkly different from 2024: the world is scaffolded into cruel levels of classism, and the impoverished haunt the streets with little relief. In the midst of this, we follow Rafal, a child prodigy who picks up his teacher’s work after the man is burned at the stake for crimes of heresy. The brutality is very real, gruesome in its mirroring of historical detail, down to Rafal’s own harsh beginnings.

Yet before his teacher perishes, we see that Rafal is set  to go to university, to live a life of relative ease due to his strict belief of living life as rationally as possible. That is, of course, difficult when Rafal has an active interest in astrology, a study that butts directly up against God and the proselytizing of religion in his world. We even see, first hand, the potential consequences for straying when Rafal’s teacher Hubert turns heel and blackmails him into entering the proverbial gaol, which may soon turn into Rafal’s undoing. 

Orb is striking from the first moment: while it’s historical fiction it’s very much so not historical fantasy. Everything is grounded in a world that feels much like our own, down to the harsh conditions and strife of the Inquisition era. This also extends to the music, which features an array of instruments that can only be described as Bardcore meets plucky harpsichord or…well, sounds from that era of instrumentation. It’s quite atmospheric, increasing our immersion into Rafal’s day to day existence and the often emotional, often evocative world he embodies.

I think an easy comparison, though a somewhat misplaced one, would be to compare this series to Fullmetal Alchemist. FMA is very famous and both it and Orb deal in science, though latter is definitely fiction. But I find a much better comparison to be A Bride’s Story. Much like that series’ real-world conflict with Russia, Orb feels like the bloodshed won’t end with Rafal’s teacher, yet there’s an optimism tucked in here, whether that’s because we modern viewers know Rafal’s theory will one day prevail or because of the simultaneous knowledge of how the larger battle between science and dogma wages on in a modern era. I think it’s a combination of both that draws you into the stories that will be told both in Orb. It’s probably also my own experiences with the C Religion (three guesses which one that is) and its entanglement with science in 2024. All of that, plus the kind of uncanny art, makes this a really introspective watch.

Orb is not going to be an easy series: I suspect that Rafal and those who follow him will face strife and adversity. But there’s something here that’s got me captured, something in my heart that won’t let go. It’s easy to find yourself enthralled with watching this story unfold: easier still to want to see it through to its likely bittersweet end. And I do think bittersweet will be the nicest situation: I suspect Rafal will experience torture due to Hubert’s blackmailing and his own astrological curiosity, torture that will likely push him to his limits before this series resolves.

One thing I do want to caution is that even though this is just the premiere, there’s some pretty gruesome moments. We open on a torture scene featuring nails and we see someone being burned at the stake. These moments feel emblematic of many more to come as this show delves into a horror born from human desire and disgust. I definitely think that this element is something to keep in mind going ahead. I’d also probably liken it to Vinland Saga in terms of intensity, though I’ll admit I don’t have much experience with that series.

What I do know for sure is that I’m going to keep a close eye on Orb. I want to see this story through to the very end. I want to spend Saturdays reflecting on each episode. I encourage you to join me if you’re interested in this premiere and the series at large: I think Orb is going to leave a solid mark on the Fall 2024 season.

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