Planetes Anime Legends [DVD]

This is one of the easiest 5 stars Iv'e ever given. And I say this knowing full well that this anime will be burned into my mind for many years to come.

I was very hesitant about buying this series partly because alot of reveiwers had given it good write ups, and in the past Ive found myself dissapointed by series that just don't live up to the hype. The main reason Ive put this one of for so long though... is that when I hear the words Anime, Space and Drama put together I just think... oh dear this is gonna be a boring chore to watch.

So imagine my surprise when I put on the first episode and found myself completely mesmerized by it!
I find it difficult to know where to start with this one... because there are just so many elements that go into making this show so good. So I think I'll begin by giving you a rough idea of what to expect from each episode.

You follow the crew of the small space ship Toolbox as they travel through space clearing it of debris. For the most part each episode tells a kind of stand alone story. The stories are increadably varied, some are quite slow paced and lean towards character development of the crew as you find out why each of them decided to come out to space to do the job they do, and it really is facinating to discover bits about each of these extreamly likeable characters. Some episodes (especially the later episodes) can become quite action packed as the crew deal with some very dangerous situations.

For the most part though this is a heavily character driven anime and it works well being just that. The various members of the crew are all instantly likeable and its clear that they all have a decent amount of emotional baggage to haul around with them as they go about completing their various jobs. The way the characters interact and the way each of their personalitys seem to complement/ conflict with eachother makes for some great veiwing. By the end of the first disc you'll probably find yourself well and truely attached to each of the characters and if you're anything like me you will have picked some favourites aswell.

This show does a splendid job of mixing light hearted, sometimes quite wacky humor with some increadably emotional and at times heartbreaking moments of serious plot. The way the show handles both sides of this is simply perfect. The sad moments really can tug on your heart strings and I really was moved by some of the diologue and music featured in this anime. You genuinly do care about what happens to these characters, their relationships, thier dreams and to a certain extent their mission.
On the flip side the funny moments really can make you smile (I laughed out loud here and there) and the show really can lift your mood when it wants to.

The animation is great. Not the best I've seen by a long shot but in all honesty... it doesnt need to be. The character designs and the whole vision of space that this anime creates is all the beauty you could ever hope for from any show.

One thing I often moan about towards the end of a review is the ending of any given anime. Alot of series have gone so far only to fall at this last hurdle by screwing up the final episodes. I'm pleased to say Planetes breaks this tradition with what is now one of my favourite anime conclusions of all time.

So esentially what you have here is 26 episodes of consistantly brilliant anime. It mixes a fair few genres over this 26 episode run and does so flawlessly. It will toy with your emotions and leave you wishing it would never end, this series dwarfs anything else I've reviewed this year by a long shot. It belongs in any anime fans collection.
If you dont think this anime looks like your kind of thing, give it a go anyway... thats what I did. And I'm so glad I decided to.

Thankyou for reading.

I've owned this on dvd since it was first released in America several years ago, and it's still one of my favourite animé.

If you're looking for a sci-fi series where the spacecraft fly like fighter jets, then this isn't for you. This is "real-science" fiction. All the science you see is either being developed (like fusion reactors) or are being examined for practical applications.

Just to let you know, death and danger is one of the main themes that runs throughout this series. Explosions, terrorist plots even cancer - an ever present factor when you have no natural protection from solar radiation. But there is a lot of humour, friendship and even love.

While the hardware would seem to be the main emphasis, it's the characters and their interactions that really makes this a superb watch. My wife doesn't normally watch sci-fi (well she does, but grudgingly...) but she enjoys this one. No imperial battleships, no aliens or alien invasion. Just a fantastic set of stories that are woven together.

There are some interesting facts about this series, covered in a Japanese extra that wasn't released with the US release.
1: The space station design data is based on actual JASA information: The diameter and spin required to generate a gravitational effect, the size of the solar panels required, oxygen use, etc.
2: Momentum and inertial forces are accurate for all the spacecraft, etc.
3: Kessler syndrome was proposed by ex-NASA Orbital Debris Section head, Donald J. Kessler. Latest reports show that Kessler syndrome is close to actually happening.

Finally, I'd just like to say "buy this." It's a lot cheaper than when I bought it, and it is a brilliant series. While you're at it, try to get the manga. That has a few more fantastical instances, but is otherwise still a good read.

The first few episodes are odd as many of the characters have some really irritating character traits that would on the face of it preclude them from any jobs in space, but stick with it as the story ark comes together the whole thing becomes rather compelling viewing.
Nice to see a practical Sci Fi series based on plausible technologies for once.