Planetes (2003)

Planetes (Anime News Network Encyclopedia page)
2003-2004
26 episodes
Directed by Goro Taniguchi

Planetes takes place in 2075, in the space around the Earth, a large space-station as well as the Earth and Lunar surfaces. Debris from abandoned satellites and other space-junk poses a threat to space travel, so debris-haulers are employed to collect and dispose of debris on intersecting orbits with stations and planned flights. The story follows new recruit to the Debris-section, Ai Tanabe, and the colourful characters she meets there.

It should be noted that Planetes follows a recent trend in anime where there isn’t any core story arc, a trend which I heartily encourage. Towards the end of the series there is a bit of an event that spans multiple episodes and reaches into high drama, but for the most part, Planetes, like the other anime in the trend, focuses instead on the characters and their everyday lives as we watch them grow, learn and change through their experiences.

One of the things I love about the show is it’s semi-realistic take on the future. There are no flying cars or faster-than-light drives here, furthermore like the seminal Firefly, there is no sound in space. The most futuristic part of the series would be the integrated systems in the space-suits and the control computers in the space-station, other than that, people wear ordinary clothing and get around in the ordinary ways. Also noticeable in all of the zero-gravity environments are the numerous rails bolted to almost every surface for holding onto and latching feet. It’s these practical touches that help build a very real, liveable and tangible world.

Ai Tanabe is perhaps your typical main anime character, in that she is somewhat naive but ultimately good natured and always enthusiastic to do the right thing. She is perhaps the innocence that is introduced into a very mixed cast of characters whose lives have all had their fair share of heartache in the past. In a way she gives them all life and hope, and this is also a theme that is common in anime, but I never tire of seeing it. Of-course, Planetes isn’t as delicate and subtle as something like Haibane Renmei in the way it portrays love and support, but it’s still magnificent in the way it shows the emotional interactions between the characters, and no matter how different they are, they come together as a family with great warmth.

Of-course, one factor predisposes me to absolutely falling in love with Tanabe, and that’s because she’s voiced by Yukino Satsuki who most will know as Kaname from Full Metal Panic and Mutsumi from Love Hina. Satsuki is one of the liveliest seiyuu in the industry and as with Kaname, really brings Tanabe to life both with her energetic yelling and her quiet, unsure mumbles. She fits perfectly in the combination of comedic and serious tones that the show sails through.

The art-style of Planetes is different to say the least, I get the feeling that Yuriko Chiba was going for a more western look for almost all of the cast which to be honest is just as refreshing as the space theme. Don’t get me wrong, I’m just as much a fan of the cute rounded style of productions like Mahoraba, the very angular, manga-like designs of Marimite and everything in-between which are very Japanese, but it’s good to see designers trying something different once in a while. Some of the side-characters look a bit strange, but they have hardly any screen-time, and overall the main characters look great, especially the ship’s captain Fee, whose smoking antics are hilarious. Ship designs are also practical, even ugly, which is fantastic – no sleek space-fighters here, and the space-stations are all designed on real-world principals already in practice.

Towards the middle and end of the series, there is a little bit of subtext regarding the political situation of Earth and her space-faring colonies. Again, while it’s not the socio-political stuff to the scale of Stand Alone Complex, in particular 2nd gig, it’s still thought-provoking and very interesting. Essentially only the rich nations are benefiting from space-exploration and the resources they reap from it, constantly widening the gap between rich and poor countries. It isn’t explored in great detail, but covered just enough to be relevant to the main characters as a fixture of their world.

Planetes is another great series that ultimately uses an abstract example to explore deep human emotions. In space our characters challenge themselves, each-other, experience the growing bonds of friendship and deal with grief and loss. They struggle to accept themselves in the face of their tested abilities and shattered illusions, and all yearn for happiness and completeness. Every episode is a joy to watch, full of comedy and poignant moments in equal measure, the final conclusion being a wonderful reward for the time invested. The dramatic story-arc at the end of the series may seem a bit much for some, but it is brief and quickly turns back to the series’ strengths in its characters, and all points towards one of the most deftly executed and sweetest endings.