Anime Lovers

Orb: On the Movements of the Earth episode 5 was another moment of playing pass-the-torch. Backed by exquisite dialogue and gut-punching emotion, Orb delivered yet another stellar episode worthy of being in the top 10 of the next weekly poll.

The Torch Has Been Passed

Despite the first 18 minutes of this episode being entirely in the dark, part of me thinks it was kind of the point rather than it simply just being nighttime and seeing the stars. Instead of trying to see if the art was good, or if any facial expressions were well animated, my attention solely focused on the dialogue taking place—a pillar of this anime.

Gras and Oczy were undoubtedly a weird pairing, and I still favor Rafal to the two of them. But their story doesn’t go without merit. In just two episodes, I grew attached to Gras. A man who lost all hope and then found it in the stars whereas Oczy, a kid with nothing but hope, completely lost it in the same place to the point he wouldn’t even do something as simply looking up.

The dramatic contrast between the two characters is what made them so interesting in the first place. Right when we thought Oczy might snap from losing his mind, he tries everything he could to save Gras, showing that he still longs for a life of hope in this world. It’s just unfortunate that Gras’ fate had to be the event that lifted Oczy’s head up just a little bit so he could see a star—which ended up becoming Badeni.

What I loved about the final bridge scene is that Gras, despite during the daytime, died while looking up at the sky and Oczy. It was almost as if Oczy’s eyes were the last stars he saw before falling to his death. I know that Gras said he was passing the torch, but it felt more like his flame went out and he had one last chance to spark a new one in Oczy. It also felt symbolic in a way. With the bridge collapsing, Oczy couldn’t run back to where he was. There was only one way to go—up the vine and onward past the bridge.

Look Deeper Into The Writing

I always thought that Gras was going to be the next one to go after he was introduced for many reasons. The first was that his entire family was dead. The second one was he was nowhere to be found in the opening. But the third one was a little more hidden in this episode.

At one point, they reached a bridge that had already been destroyed, leaving them to find another way. In this scene, Oczy tosses the necklace that was passed down from Rafal, leaving Gras to be the one to pick it up. At first, I thought the bridge collapsing was a lame way to die until I realized that’s what was going to happen from the beginning.

Every character that has worn that necklace has met a terrible end in one way or another. Hubert talked about how the second count of heresy was to be burned, which he did. Rafal was his student, who met the same fate. Gras came across a torn-down stone bridge, which ultimately caused his death.

But had Gras not carried the necklace, he wouldn’t have been able to give Oczy that last-second spark about carrying on the will of those before them. It’s little things like that with Orb that I have fallen in love with. This is how a story with carefully woven details into the fabric of its plot should be told.

Incoming New Favorite Character

Badeni is already the type of character I can tell I’m going to love. Since Hubert, there hasn’t been something that has that fighter mentality in them. Rafal was undoubtedly brave, especially for his age. But Badeni just looks and acts like the type of person who won’t simply roll over because you tell him to.

Oczy and Badeni are going to be a weird pairing at first. Gras was a really sympathetic and kind-hearted man to the end while Badeni comes across with cold bravado. Of course, I could be completely wrong, but given that we see Oczy and Badeni together in the opening, I’m sure what we’re gearing up to witness is going to be fantastic, just as this series has proven from the very beginning.

Orb: On The Movements of the Earth Episode 5 Wrap-Up

While this episode may not have been one for the visuals as previous episodes, the storyboard from Junichi Sakata and episode direction by Masato Miyoshi (episode 3) both shined when it mattered the most in this episode. There wasn’t much astronomy talk and that’s a good thing considering that Gras and Oczy couldn’t understand the contents of the chest. It was just two men with two different outlooks on the world and two different fates.

Episode 5 rating: 8.5/10
Episode 4 rating: 8.5/10
Episode 3 rating: 10/10
Episode 2 rating: 9.5/10
Episode 1 rating: 10/10

If you enjoyed episode 5 of Orb: On the Movements of the Earth then be sure to vote for it in our weekly poll! Episode 6 of Orb: On the Movements of the Earth will be released on Saturday, November 2. Netflix is streaming Orb: On the Movements of the Earth worldwide with English subtitles.

Screenshots via Netflix
©️ Uoto / Shogakukan / Orb: On the Movements of the Earth