Orb: On the Movements of the Earth episode 5 is another moment of passing the torch. Backed by subtle dialogue and strong emotions, Orb delivered another excellent episode worthy of entering the top 10 of the next weekly poll.
The Torch Has Been Passed
Regardless, the first 18 minutes of this episode are completely spent in darkness, part of me thinks that's a problem rather than simply being nighttime and seeing the stars. Instead of trying to see whether the visuals were good or whether any of the facial expressions were animated well, my attention was solely focused on the dialogue taking place—a mainstay of this anime.
Gras and Occy are definitely an odd pairing, and I still prefer Rafal over the two of them. But their story is not without value. In just two episodes, I've become more attached to Gras. A man lost all hope and then found it in the stars while Oczy, a child with nothing but hope, completely lost hope in that very place to the point that he didn't even Can't do anything just look up.
The dramatic contrast between the two characters is what made them so interesting in the first place. Just when we think Oczy can escape his insanity, he tries everything to save Gras, showing that he still longs for a hopeful life in this world. Unfortunately it was Gras's fate to lift Oczy's head a little so he could see a star—the star that eventually became Badeni.
What I loved about the final bridge scene was that Gras, even though it was during the day, died looking up at the sky and Occy. It seemed that Oczy's eyes were the last star he saw before falling and dying. I know that Gras said he was passing the torch, but it looks like his flame has gone out and he has one last chance to light a new torch in Occy. It's also symbolic in a way. When the bridge collapsed, Occy could not run back to the old place. There is only one way: climb the vine and continue across the bridge.
Look deeper into the text
I always thought that Gras would be the next to go after he was introduced for many reasons. First, his entire family died. The second thing is that he is nowhere to be found in the opening credits. But the third thing is a little more hidden in this episode.
At one point, they reached a bridge that was destroyed, forcing them to find another way. In this scene, Occy throws away the necklace passed down by Rafal, leaving Gras the one to pick it up. At first, I thought the bridge collapse was a lame way to die until I realized that's what was going to happen in the first place.
Every character who wears that necklace meets a terrible end in one way or another. Hubert talked about how the second heresy was burned and he did so. Rafal was his student, who suffered the same fate. Gras crosses a stone bridge that is destroyed and ultimately leads to his death.
But if Gras hadn't brought the necklace, he wouldn't have been able to give Oczy the last-second spark of continuing the work of the will of his predecessors. I fell in love with little things like that with Orb. This is how to tell a story with details carefully woven into the fabric of its plot.
New favorite character coming soon
Badeni was already the type of character I could tell I would love. Since Hubert, there hasn't been anything with a fighting mentality in them. Rafal is certainly brave, especially at his age. But Badeni looks and acts like the type of guy who wouldn't roll over because you told him to.
Occy and Badeni were initially going to be an odd couple. Gras comes across as a truly sympathetic and kind man in the end while Badeni comes across as cold and brave. Of course, I could be completely wrong, but since we see Oczy and Badeni together in the opening credits, I'm sure that what we're about to witness will be amazing, just like this series has been Prove it right from the start.
Orb: On the Movement of Earth Summary Volume 5
While this episode may not be as visual as previous episodes, Junichi Sakata's storyboards and Masato Miyoshi's direction of the episodes (episode 3) both shine when it matters most in this episode. There wasn't much talk about astronomy and that was a good thing because Gras and Occy couldn't understand the chest's contents. It's just two men with two different views of the world and two different destinies.
Episode 5 ranking: 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.
Screenshot via Netflix
©️ Uoto/Shogakukan/Production Committee “The Sphere: About the Movement of the Earth”