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Episode 18 – Orb: On the Movements of the Earth Find help us

Draka may not care for the concept of fate, but it certainly has her number. When Schmidt’s men arrive in the nick of time to save her from the bishop, what else can you call that but destiny? The answer, naturally, is that it’s a coincidence, which isn’t exactly narratively satisfying. To reiterate one of my points from last week, coincidence is a real and world-shattering force. Stars had to align, literally and figuratively, to get humanity to the point where we could understand how the solar system works.

This episode gives us a lot to chew on regarding how organized religion intersects with class and personal beliefs. For instance, the bishop’s original plan to sell Draka is a perfect example of how people can bend religious teachings to suit their desires, however blatantly sinful or selfish they are. To the bishop, the Church is primarily a political tool for maintaining his power. It creates a hierarchy with him near the top echelon. Conversely, it doesn’t matter how long it’s been since Draka’s tribe has converted. They aren’t held in equal regard because that’s not the Church’s function. It doesn’t create equals.

To the bishop’s credit, however, he recognizes Draka’s intelligence when she answers his questions. Again, his motivations are selfish—he knows the value of an outside perspective in these unprecedented times—but he displays more acumen than a simple bigot. He’s also quicker to engage with her than Schmidt is. Schmidt is a thinking man, but he’s also violent. When Draka presents him with a complicated situation, his instinct is to solve it with his sword. That, in turn, prompts Draka to burn the book to save her life. This is an important reminder, echoing Badeni’s burning of his own literature. While knowledge may be powerful, it’s not invincible. It can be manipulated or destroyed, and that has consequences.

Meanwhile, it’s difficult to feel sorry for Draka’s uncle. He betrayed his only kin and got his just desserts in the crossfire. His conviction to survive at any cost ironically cost him his own life. There is, however, an important lesson here for Draka. Her uncle’s magic spell didn’t save him, and that means her conviction may not necessarily be her salvation. I don’t think she’s picked up on that fact yet.

One thing she has picked up from her uncle, however, is his atheism. Her lack of belief stumps the usually loquacious Schmidt. It’s a funny moment, but it exposes the cracks that can form in any kind of resistance movement. A unifying motivation, e.g. opposition to the Church’s oppressive hegemony, does not breed uniform ideologies. If anything, that perspective is backward, and it’s more common to have many different ideologies arrive at the same conclusion, especially when their foe is as inescapable as the Church. The Protestant Reformation, which Orb refers to by name this week, is one of the best examples of this phenomenon, considering Christianity’s many subsequent sects and fractures. However, you could argue that this was the point of the reformation. It wasn’t about replacing Catholicism; it was about creating the possibility for alternatives that would allow a more personal connection to one’s beliefs. And that includes nonbelievers like Draka.

Schmidt’s ensuing debate with Draka is revealing. He’s a far cry from the science-minded protagonists of the prior arcs. He most closely resembles Oczy as we first met him, if Oczy’s misanthropy bred zealotry instead of fear. Ironically, Schmidt decries logic and reason, as his own beliefs and motivations are rooted in reasons he is all too willing to convey to a stranger. He has thought about his distrust of humanity a lot, and he has some salient points. Technology, for all the good it has provided, has also done incredible harm to the natural world that Schmidt treasures. When he bathes in the morning sun, it’s an earnest and admirable gesture. We should feel the same. Every dawn is a miracle. That said, I’m confident that Schmidt would not get vaccinated, so we are not obliged to fully hand it to him.

Draka, on the other hand, cements herself as this arc’s champion of science. In a literal sense, she’s the current bearer of heliocentrism’s tenets. She also believes in humanity’s ability to progress and evolve. While she’s not free of her own bouts of irrationality, i.e. her hatred of the morning sun, she doesn’t bequeath her judgment to the chaotic forces of a coin toss like Schmidt does. Her prior anticipation of the printing press is fulfilled when Schmidt describes it to her. She instantly knows exactly what that machine can do and its implications for humanity. Schmidt words it well: the liberation of information.

I doubt that Schmidt came up with that phrasing himself, however. He’s a strong soldier for the Heretic Liberation Front but he’s not a soldier for heliocentrism and the overall cause of public education. I think he’s parroting the movement’s leader, who is, of course, Jolenta. It’s good to see her again! I can’t wait to see her sit down with Draka. It’d be appropriate to have two women open the final door to the scientific revolution. Society places them on a lower rung just due to their gender, but science, reason, and education are, in an ideal world, tools humanity can use to dismantle those prejudices.

I know I haven’t talked about the adaptation as a work of anime this week, but you shouldn’t perceive that as a slight. Orb is consistently good at translating its story to the screen. It’s not exceptional. It’s good. The ideas, characters, and themes continue to surprise and engage me with each episode. Therefore, that’s where my mind tends to gravitate when I write these reviews. They’re less of an assessment and more of a dialogue I’m having with the show. When I feel compelled to do that, it’s one of the highest compliments I can give. Orb is really something special.

Rating:




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.

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