"Things are only impossible until they're not." -- Captain Jean-Luc Picard

I always had a great fascination towards space and everything that lay beyond our tiny piece of dirt, in the vastness of this unimaginable universe, and naturally, that reflected on things that I watched, read and listened. that also happens to be anime, and this specific anime I’ll talk about here was something of a personal touching experience to me, but before I delve on the show I want to comment a bit more on the things outside of the show that made it more impactful to me.

My father worked as an IT specialist at the Observatory next town over. so he always spent his time he could showing me there and teaching me a lot about space and its wonders, what the astronauts who worked at the ISS did to better our world and what we could achieve in that final frontier, where no man has gone before.

this show was precisely what I wanted to see, well not quite, but it certainly showed the promise of what lies ahead in the endless possibilities of space and how even the minutiae was important for that. Our titular garbage men (and women) working to make sure space is secure for other spacecraft. Also, the way it posits on the nature of the relationship between men and space was something else which fascinated me. Bringing me nostalgia of those old days where I watched Captain Picard tell the crew of the Enterprise to engage to the next wondrous encounter with the mysterious vastness of space.

I saw myself a lot in Tanabe, her passion for space and energetic attitude brought what the show needed to contrast with the other characters. Being a shining example of goodness and humanity even in place where such sentimentalities aren’t recognized as useful, countering the cynicism that seems to initially be a part of the routine of the other debris section members. It was important to have her functioning as a viewpoint character that we, as the audience, could experience the looming future Planetes pictures for man. Ai Tanabe is your uber-idealistic individual whose naivety is noticeably visible and lack of experience helps serve her role as the audience surrogate character. Her teacher, and foil, is none other than rash and brash hachimaki. Who, despite sharing her passion for space is sceptical and believes her naiveness. A man who dreams of owning his own spaceships so he could freely navigate space. As it progresses, both of them come to experience a variety of events that helps them learn about themselves, their limitations and their goals on the debris section team and beyond.

With these two characters on the helm of the show, we sail the sea of stars (and space trash) that makes up this universe.
The story focus on the lives of the debris section team of the ISPV 7 space station, right as Tanabe transferred to work there, a rag tag team of seemingly unorganized and awkward people. Here I would like to notice how much of the narrative structure of the episodes reminds me of star trek, starting by introducing a moral dilemma the crew (usually) resolve by the end of it, making the audience reflect upon what the show introduced to them. I see the same here in planetes, each episode building up to a question to the audience, sometimes answered or left open to reflection.

However, you cannot have a space show without its crew and ship and that is where the rest of the cast comes to shine. I won’t go down into the details of every character who plays a role in the story, I feel that some of it should be experienced on your own. The crew of our flagship, the toy box, is comprised of 3 EVA (extra-vehicular-activity) members. Two of which are our main characters, and the enigmatic and dour Yuri Mikhalkov. At first a mysterious figure, we come to learn more about Yuri later on in the series, where his drive for working on something as demeaning as space debris collection comes from and how that plays into his personality and relationship with the other cast members and space itself. A lovable dork with some scars left from bitter memories. And the commander and pilot of the mighty toy box, Fee Carmichael. One boisterous woman with an even more tempestuous attitude than hachimaki, she can be quite crass and rude towards others, however she is the guidance and unifying force of the team, perhaps it’s a side effect of her being a mother. Despite her rude exterior, she has a soft side to her that she shows from time to times. These four make up the team responsible for debris cleaning, big or small, their roles and interactions helped define Planetes and everything the show stood for.

Planetes isn’t only about the characters, it is a story of human ingenuity and perseverance. In a harsh and cruel emptiness of space, humanity ekes out their survival, risking their lives everyday braving the cosmos. In this mad ambition to seek out new resources, new planetes and perhaps even new life. this is not a sci-fi where the there is a convenient super alloy that allows them to safely navigate space, micro meteorites and debris are a real threat they all go through, alongside the harmful radiation and lack of gravity. Yet despite all these hurdles humanity still wants to go on. With different ambitions in mind, but the goal is the same, that which lies beyond our cradle, the earth.

Essentially, I believe anyone who watches planetes has something to gain from watching it, be it as simplistic as enjoyment or provocative events, which occur on the show, mirroring many of our own. Truly, an experience that is worth to share with everyone, and if you love space as much as I do, something you will never forget.
in memoriam of my beloved father Chandler, who is my guiding star.

"There is a way out of every box, a solution to every puzzle; it's just a matter of finding it." -- Captain Jean-Luc Picard