Planetes
Taking in the trash

// Synopsis: In the year 2075, mankind has advanced to travel and life between the Earth and moon. But the pollution from debris creates an often dangerous hazard. The debris section, which is the on the lowest rung of a worldwide corporation is tasked as space garbage men to keep travel safe.

// Review: An anime about space garbage men sounds exceptionally unremarkably. But thank goodness that is just a plot device to tell stories about these characters and a vehicle for some really interesting themes.

/ The Debris section, or unlovingly labeled Half section, are looked down upon but very necessary like people who mow lawns or clean hotel rooms. They are under staffed with virtually no budget and use an archaic ship called the Toy Box. The anime centers around their newest member Ai who is a plucky if not ideallistic girl, and her mentor Hachimachi who dreams of owning his own ship one day.

/ I had a difficult time with the first season. It's in an episodic format where they recover different sorts of space junk and we learn about these characters. One thing Planetes does really well is in its representation of space life. Different health risks and dangers and even the mundane of space travel and life aboard a station is accurately based on actual science or scientific theory. Unfortunately this doesn't necessarily equate to riveting anime.

/ But the second season takes a more serialized approach. Hachimachi's relationship is progressing with Ai and he also tries out for a crew that is traveling to Jupiter. Meanwhile a terrorist organization against space exploration commits several bold and deadly acts of crime, which the Debris section gets caught up in. Now this did equate to very engrossing anime.

/ While Planetes is about garbage men, its not only about their garbage collecting. There are themes are environmentalism, man's relationship with space, and the evils of greed and capitalism. In an interesting twist, in the future mankind has developed other sources of energy. This means that the oil rich Middle Eastern countries are now obsolete and have become impoverished and war torn. So now these "have nots" have been clawing there way towards viability, and some have resorted to terrorism.

/ The tone changes strikingly between the two seasons. While season one was more light and comedic, season two is extremely dark. Hachimachi becomes disallusioned with humanity and goes through a mostly losing battle with his inner demons. And Ai who has a "love conquers all" perspective has her naivete tested when in a life or death situation.

// Wrap up: If you can get through the first 12 bland episodes, you will be rewarded in season 2 where things turn from campy to surprisingly very dark.

Entertainment rating: 3