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Before I go into detail, I should mention that Planetes, like Haibane Renmei, is one of those series that starts slow.  A significant portion of it is also episodic in nature rather than having a continuous and suspenseful plot – until about 2/3rds of the way through.  But, like Haibane, when it is good, it is extremely good.  It has definitely earned a spot on my favourites list, and is simply one of the most satisfying anime I’ve seen.

Planetes is a 26 episode series which revolves around the trials and tribulations of the Space Debris unit of the Technora Corporation.  Their job, which is to collect dangerous junk floating around space, doesn’t earn them the highest regard among their peers.  We’re introduced to this eclectic group through the main character, Ai Tanabe, an optimistic young recruit assigned to this section.  Her outlook on life clashes severely with the other Japanese member of the crew, nicknamed Hachimaki, who is a gruff, cycnical young man who nevertheless holds his own dreams and motivations to accomplish big things.  How these two characters develop and affect one another, is a significant aspect of the story.

In fact, one of the definite strengths of Planetes lies in its characters, who are all very likable, believable, interesting people.  Apart from Tanabe and Hachimaki, they are also all of different nationalities, and this an aspect of the series that I really liked.  None of the nationalities are reduced to petty stereotypes, and even side characters are fleshed out and given a chance to have depth.  For example, the managers of the Debris section, American Philippe Myers and Arvind Ravi, from India, are portrayed initially as opportunistic and obnoxious, willing to do anything for a pay raise.  But later on in the series, they are given their moment to shine as much as anyone else.

However, this isn’t a utopian future where all of mankind live happily together, pursuing a common goal of space exploration.  PlanetES portrays a very realistic image of what the future would look like if the problems of today’s world carried on.  There is one episode which revolves around an engineer from a war-torn and poor South American nation.  He tries to sell his concept but isn’t taken seriously by anyone except the Debris section.  There is a satisfying ending to his story, but there is one very poignant scene where he looks down from space at the Earth and says, “Even though you can’t see any borders from here…..”.

While the first half of the series could be described as “slice of life” in the way it tracks the life and missions of the Debris section, the tone becomes much darker and more emotional in the final half, which is where a concrete continuous plot thread develops, and that is where the series really shines.  Both in terms of character development as well as its probing of deeper questions about subjects like inequality and class divisions.  There are some very gripping and painful moments in the final few episodes, and they culminate into one of the most rewarding and satisfying endings I’ve ever seen in an anime.  Despite the science fiction genre and political plot in these last episodes, they really do serve as a backdrop to a personal climax within the characters as they come to terms with their own beliefs, dreams, and motivations.  And because I cared a lot about the characters by this point, I found it very, very moving.  Although the series does explore philosophical issues in a complex world, in the end, it is about the people who must carve a place for themselves in this world.

It is a shame that so many people will inevitably be driven off by the slow beginning of this anime, because by the end, I couldn’t help but feel that Planetes was really something special, something that shouldn’t be overlooked, and it has easily earned itself a place in my favourite anime list.  Speaking as someone who is generally a bit repelled by the science fiction genre, I heartily recommend this to anyone who simply wants to watch a good anime.

Note: The series also has one of my favourite OP sequences , one that just tells the viewer upfront that they are in for something great.