Orb: On the Movements of the Earth

Episode 24

Albert is confused, and so am I. This is an intentionally disorienting penultimate chapter of Orb, with its uncertain historicity, fuzzy flashbacks, and dueling perspectives on the philosophy and morality of scientific progress. At the same time, though, this is business as usual. These questions have been at the center of each arc. Questions, in general, are Orb's beating thematic heart, whether they've been the rebellious scientific inquiries aimed at the truth or the religious Inquisition white-knuckling society's reins. This isn't the kind of story to leave us with a tidy bow wrapped around everything. However, Orb ends next week and I have a feeling it will leave us lingering with the nagging uncertainty that fueled each of our protagonists.

We get the presumably final update to the OP, and there's a lot I want to praise. I'm a huge fan of openings that foreshadow their anime's conclusion, and I also love those that evolve as their show progresses. Orb's OP does both, and it does them beautifully. You can see it for yourself in this comparison video, which lets you soak in the finer details and hidden connections, like the lines Rafal draws between the stars of Sagittarius. I could honestly spend this whole review breaking down the significance of each difference, but I'll try to hold back. Just bear with me for one paragraph.

In this last iteration, the disappearance of the black-and-white sketches from the introductory section instantly assaults my emotions. It seems to confirm that these characters truly have been lost to history. They do, however, appear in a new montage later in the OP, so their legacy isn't completely erased. Note, too, that the appearance of an adult Rafal finally bore fruit this week. We've also been seeing the back of Albert's head since episode 16. Neat! Albert, though, stands apart from the other protagonists. In the first shot, while Rafal, Oczy, and Draka look up, Albert's eyes are slightly more focused ahead, staring straight at the viewer, and his face turns negative when the title card pops up. Perhaps, for the first time, we're looking at a reflection. Most significantly, in the last shot, when the orb necklace disappears from Rafal's closed fist, it instantly reappears in Albert's open one. Whether he likes it or not, Albert inherits the totality of everything that sphere represents.

The Albert we meet isn't eager to accept that responsibility. Despite the baker's prodding, Albert refuses to matriculate into university. He's smart, but he has personal hangups holding him back. This, of course, is familiar territory resembling Oczy's initial timidness. Curiously, though, it's not appealing to Greek wisdom that gets Albert to open up about his past as a bright-eyed child, but the nosiness of a faceless priest. Orb again proves that we cannot completely disentangle religion from science.

Incidentally, Albert's incredulity at the confessional is accurate. While the Sacrament of Reconciliation is much older, those big wooden booths didn't come into practice until the 16th century, so this unnamed priest is about a century ahead of his time. Symbolically, it's another reminder that the Church isn't stagnant either. Its beliefs and practices change with the times. The priest also invokes an innovative line of thinking by inviting Albert to engage in a less formal and more conversational style of Confession. This more closely resembles a therapy session than a sacrament. Most importantly, it's clearly a conversation that Albert needs. As he recalls his childhood, we receive a clearer picture of the reason behind his current indecisiveness. He's caught between two extremes.

His father represents a conservative and utilitarian line of thinking. To him, knowledge and education are only as valuable as their ability to benefit individuals and the world directly. He's the kind of person who wants school curricula to cut the fat and tailor themselves to career preparation. He's not wholly wrong. There are benefits to streamlining education to be more reproducible and widely available. A better society has to be built from the ground up. More gravely, though, he tells Albert to doubt. Doubt is a pessimistic yet essential tool in any scientist's toolbox. It's only through doubting that any truth can be garnered.

On the opposite side is Rafal, who encourages Albert to learn for the sake of learning and tells him to believe. He symbolizes the more liberal side of science—the kind of can-do, full-steam-ahead thinking that trusts all progress to be good progress in the end. This attitude, while dangerous, is also important to have. Studying the heavens invokes an undeniable flavor of spirituality, and Rafal gives us a useful word for it: thaumazein. While the term is new to Orb's vocabulary, it retroactively applies to the passion for heliocentrism we've seen throughout the previous arcs. Thaumazein has been the fuel burning many people in its wake and keeping that rebellious fire alive.

The big question is what side Albert will choose. When we consider this question, we have to consider who Albert is. By telling the priest that his hometown is Brudzewo, he confirms for us that he's Albert Brudzewski, a historical astronomer who lectured and influenced a young Copernicus in our real 15th century Poland. If it wasn't already clear last week, we know where we are now. What, then, is Rafal doing here alive and grown up? Is he a reincarnation? Is he a different Rafal? Did he fake his death? Did he attune himself to the harmonics of the solar system and teleport from his world into ours?

While it's certainly possible to come up with mechanical rationales for Rafal's appearance this week, I don't think it's the most productive way to look at this final act of Orb. Rather, I believe Rafal's presence should provoke us to look at the situation thematically and symbolically. Albert may be Albert Brudzewski, but more importantly, he's one of us. He's a person from the real world caught at a crossroads. Do we obey our father and keep our heads down as we progress in slow but sure ways, or do we heed the words of our cool teacher who sits backward in his chair and inspires us to dream big, consequences be damned? Tellingly, Albert views both figures as having a sinister edge. He fears both, and he listens to both. He doubts, and he believes. We'll find out next week what decision he'll make, if any. I can't imagine it will be an easy one. However, there's only one path that takes him to Copernicus, and we all know which one that is.

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Orb: On the Movements of the Earth is currently streaming on Netflix.

Steve is on Bluesky now, and he's okay with that. He is busy pondering the orb. You can also catch him chatting about trash and treasure alike on This Week in Anime.