(Welcome to Ani-time ani-wherea regular column dedicated to helping unwanted to understand and appreciate the world of anime.)

During the many records in this column, I expressed several times how much I admire when anime show moves away from the traditional high school environment and daring to tell a more mature adult story - how The phenomenal psychological thriller "Monster". To be sure, anime is more than anime for action for guys with superpowers in world fantasies. It can also cover piece plays, romances, sitcom, and even a show for people whose work involves collecting debris in space.

Such is the premise for Anime Series 2003-2004 "Planets", which is based on manga with the same name from Makoto Yukimura (who also created the great "Winland Saga"). The play takes place in 2075, a time when space research is common, but is now prevented by debris around Earth, which can cause disasters. At the heart of the series are members of the space debris (part of the giant conglomerate in itself), who spend the days removing the aforementioned remains in order to safely make people enter and leave the atmosphere of our planet.

Initially, the "planets" begins as a drama in the workplace for interpersonal relationships of the space debris. However, it quickly becomes a show to isol space, capitalism in the late stage, the challenges of working for massive corporations that do not care about you and the ways that corporations and governments could use the space trip to profit (similar to them destroyed the surroundings of our domestic planet for their benefit). The result is simply one of the best scientific stories ever.

"The Planets" was directed by Goro Taniguchi 20 years before he used the fantastic "One Piece of Film: Red" and written by Ichiro Okuci, who later continued to write "Devilman Crybaby" and "Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury . "This is to say, the show not only looks astonishing, but also has a great balance of interpersonal drama and high science science concepts.

Indeed, this anime looks fantastic. Fans of detailed mechanical animation in old school should find a very visual mouth for irrigation in "planets", which are filled with analog science of science as hand-drawn spaceships, computers, hundreds of buttons, switches, detailed space suits-and have mentioned how much look good ships? There is something truly unique and satisfactory about the earthy, nasty space design in this show, how realistic and full of weights appear. SUNRISE Studio ("Cowboy Bebo", "Gundam") animated "planets", which has a clear futuristic style of the turn of the century. Hence, the universe of the show is completely deprived of smartphones and instead there are videos of plans all over the place. There are also hand -held gaming devices (although multiplayer requires a game cable) and all still use floppy disks for data storage.

Instead of feeling dating, watching the "planets" in 2025 covers the aesthetics of the series with a completely different meaning. The lack of more "modern" technology makes it clear how insufficiently funded the space debris (to the degree they still use floppy disks in 2075). Similarly, the "planets" is a pretty relative and timely office story that deals with people's drama to be stuck together thousands of miles away from someone else and struggles to find it. As a result, the main characters form messy romantic relationships while an assistant manager constantly attracts them to try to do the right thing (when everything he wants to do is get an increase).

However, not all accidents and gloomy are. We also get an exciting but funny episode for a woman desperately trying to find a smoking place when every smoking room has become the location of a terrorist attack. Think of the "planets" like Gritier, a more earthed cousin of "fired on Mars".

Similar to "for all mankind", The "planets" have a real oice of space despite many dangers. The series shows the effect of long -term radiation exposure in space on veteran astronauts, which often get cancer or have deadly work accidents. And yet, the show is still discussing the incredibly enticing mystery of the last limit and how easy it is to get into space. At the same time, when a character is briefly left behind during the solar flame incident, it causes them to develop a psychological state known as "disruption of space loss", leading to a tinted and attractive story.

Where "for all mankind" is fraught with optimism that the space will eventually lead to solving its problems, the "planets" argues that treating space as just another place for exploitation is, well, is not good. It's an anime series full of deeper comments in general. Take the bureaucracy that torments the main characters and how the part of space debris is constantly unbeaten, ridiculed or threatening to reduce the budget from those who believe its employees are only working. The play also deals with the question of nepotism and depicts hidden companies bordering the convention in Geneneva.

Then there is the comment on the lesson and how those with lower assets, even in the outside space, are constantly exploited. Take the episode that focuses on a group of workers with blue collars captured on the moon as a result of work visa fraud. Meanwhile, space debris staff are unable to climb the ladder despite years of work, so they spend their days buying countless tickets for the lottery in the hope of earning a higher salary. Worse still, there is even an episode that shows that life insurance companies descend on the main characters like locusts, while trying to take advantage of the dangers of their work to build the company's most vulnerable and desperate workers.

It is the political comment on the show that allows the "planets" to shine the most. Although part of this is also present in the original manga, the anime series is strongly expanding to its source of material when it comes to political turmoil around the space debris and its workers. The show has repeatedly claimed that allowing the same corporations and governments that are currently destroying our planet suddenly gaining access to space would not only be a terrible idea, but also worsen things for everyone. This is because space research is expanding the economic gap of the Earth series version, with only the world's first countries reaching space. They then monopolize its resources, preventing someone else from profit.

In the US show's response (at least in the manga; it is more of a United Nations -like organization in the Anime Planets), even producing terrorist threats in order to gain defense agreements in space. It also secretly puts mines in space to deter their enemies to go there.

The policy of the series is best shown in the episode of El Tanika, which focuses on a small South American country facing discrimination and the group of scientists are desperately hoping to make their home player in the game to explore space with space clothing. Unfortunately, the guy who represents the group and makes the deals in space, deporting after attacking El Tanika and starts deporting every citizen outside the ground (including yes, space).

However, however, the show, the "planets" is still based on manga by the author of "Winland Saga", itself is definitely a dark and violent show that still argues for peace at every step. Here, too, the "planets" find hope in smaller gestures of goodwill towards humanity, as well as the small actions that people can do so echo through a group of friends or even a community. In space, everything can look separated alone, but it is all connected in some way.

The "planets" is a show for those who want to see a more intense and earthed download story set in space. It is anime that shows that the miracles of the moon colonize, and Mars is available to humanity, and even Jupiter has become our next limit, all without dismissing the recognition of injustices, inequalities and other disasters waiting to happen at the moment when You will give powerful people approach another area to use them.

Like a drama in the workplace, there are enough characters to like and root the "planets", as well as very small sub -popes that slowly grow to an exciting central narrative. The established and more realistic look and artistic style also makes the show more accessible to those who are new to the medium or are not wild about more exaggerated designs in anime. Finally, by being an adult series, it lacks the kind of juvenile humor and fans service often found in anime aimed at younger viewers. Instead, the "planets" treats their characters as real people, making their dilemmas feel relatively recognizable. It's simply a scientific masterpiece.

Watch this if you want: "For all mankind", "Gravity", "Old Trek: Lower decks"

The "planets" are currently moving to Crunchyroll.