Commentary:Three "beauties" depicted in "Orb: On the Movements of the Earth" - A baton of connected "knowledge"

The TV anime "Orb: On the Movements of the Earth (Chi: Chikyu no Undo ni Tsuite)" is based on a manga by Uoto, which was also selected as the Manga Grand Prize winner of the 26th Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize. The original manga was serialized in "Weekly Big Comic Spirits" (Shogakukan) from 2020 to 2022, and gained popularity as a unique manga depicting people risking their lives to study the heretical theory of heliocentrism in 15th century Europe. The TV anime will start broadcasting on NHK General TV in October 2024, and many viewers are fascinated by the way the main characters live their lives as they attempt to prove the heliocentrism. The work depicts various "beauties", as symbolized by フベルト's words in the first chapter, "This world created by God is surely the most beautiful of all." Looking back on the first season from the perspective of three "beauties."

◇New “knowledge”: The “beauty” of the heliocentric theory

"Chi." is set in the Kingdom of P, where the C Church holds power, and the people believe in the geocentric theory that the Earth is the center of the universe, while those who disagree with this theory are persecuted as heretics. The first chapter of the anime ends with the death of Rafal, a child prodigy who was allowed to skip a grade and go to college, and the second chapter ends with the deaths of substitute fighter Okuji and monk Badeni. They attempted to prove the heliocentric theory, but their research was discovered by the church's inquisitor Novak and they died halfway through.

Although they knew it was heresy, Rafal, Okjii, and Badeni were fascinated by the heliocentric theory because they found the theory that planets such as the Earth move in a circular motion around the Sun to be "beautiful."Rafal chose to commit suicide, going against his teachings, saying, "I will preserve this emotion even if it means giving my life," while Badeni was so shocked when he learned about the heliocentric theory that he vomited. Having been taught that "the night sky is beautiful because we look up from the polluted, bottom-of-the-barrel Earth," Okjii, who had been taught that "the night sky is beautiful because we look up from the polluted, bottom-of-the-barrel Earth," met Badeni and Jorenta, and witnessed their "knowledge," even going so far as to say that he "believed" in the heretical heliocentric theory.

In "Chi.", the characters are fascinated by the beauty of the heliocentric theory and pursue new "knowledge," and are portrayed in a strong and beautiful manner.

◇The “beauty” of words

The reason why "Chi." attracts so many people is largely due to the power of the characters' words. The words of those who pursue the heliocentric theory, such as "But that could also be called 'love,'" "Move the world," and "This world is too attractive to be called the worst," are simple yet powerful. In a previous interview with the original author, Uoto, he said of the characters' lines, "They're almost all contrarian."

"By taking the opposite stance to commonly held values, and then taking the opposite stance once more, you can come back to something simple. If you just say something simple at the beginning, it doesn't carry weight, and it doesn't carry persuasive power. For example, we are in a situation where we wonder what someone is thinking when they say, 'Love is important,' so to give it weight, first have someone say, 'Love is not important,' and then go back to, 'Love is important,' and you can think, 'I knew it, isn't it?'" he explained. In this day and age where words can no longer be trusted, he said, "I want to be persuasive."

Producer Oka Tsunenari of Madhouse, the company producing the anime, also values ​​the power of the words in the original work, and devised a production style that allows viewers to "focus on the dialogue," saying, "In scenes with important lines, we don't move the characters much and use longer cuts to emphasize the lines."

◇The beauty of the starry sky

On social media, it has been said that the anime "Chi." is best viewed in a darkened room. This is partly because there are many night scenes and the screen is generally dark, but more than anything, this is because the beautifully rendered starry sky can be seen better.

Producer Oka says that the starry sky is "one of the main roles," and that both the original work and the anime are based on "actual starry skies." For the scenes where Uoto decided the date and drew the starry sky, planetarium software was used in the anime to ensure that the starry sky was drawn on the same date as in the original work. In "Chi.", the starry sky is beautiful not only in scenes where celestial bodies are observed, but also in scenes of casual conversation and even in scenes where characters die.

"Chi." depicts various kinds of "beauty" and appeals that "the world is beautiful." However, "Chi." also has a cruel side. In an interview, Uoto said, "I wanted to create a work that blends together the 'Chi' of the earth, the 'Chi' of blood, and the 'Chi' of intellect." The story unfolds with the blood of people seeking the "knowledge" of the heliocentric theory, making it unbearable to watch. Still, it is precisely because the baton of "knowledge" is passed on from Rafal to Oxy and his friends, and from Oxy and his friends to the next generation that it is so fascinating. It will be interesting to see what kind of "beauty" will be depicted in the second season.