Planetes

Simply the GOAT
I loved it
It's a short manga, but an excellent one
IT IS DIFFERENT FROM THE ANIME (the anime is good, but I prefer the manga, though not by much)

Story:
A story about a man who cleans trash? It can't be that good.
Yes, it can, and it is.
Anyone who enjoys space or sci-fi should read it.

Art Style:
The art style is fantastic and beautiful.

Characters:
The characters are unique and complement each other well.
They feel very human, and the story itself is deeply human, exploring humanity's egoism.

Opinion:
Makoto is the GOAT, and this manga is simply his best work—seriously underrated.
Vinland Saga is good, BUT this is even better!
The way it handles themes of love, death, life, and father-son relationships is just incredible.

"I learned that I couldn't stop loving people."

Since the dawn of humanity, the sky has endlessly fascinated us. Whether it's primitive cavemen in crude dwellings or enthusiastic children gazing through telescopes, mouths agape, humans have always been captivated by the cosmos. We fear the unknown but are inexplicably drawn to the vastness of space—a vastness that makes us feel insignificant yet beckons us to reach out.

Planetes captures that involuntary gasp, that inevitable sigh when we confront infinity. It highlights how trivial our earthly concerns are in the grand scheme. Yet, within this humbling realization lies a path to finding meaning and rediscovering ourselves. Planetes embodies and celebrates this emotion.

Exploring the emptiness of space demands an all-consuming passion, one that forsakes other emotions, thoughts, bonds, and people. It requires unwavering resolve and belief that the answers justify the sacrifice. But is it worth offering our souls? Planetes explores this question through its deeply human, meticulously crafted characters. Each character has their own motivations, aspirations, and struggles. Watching them fall, reflect, understand themselves better, and evolve individually and collectively is profoundly moving and inspiring. This character-driven story, with its simple yet well-written plot, creates a precious, fragile, and emotionally resonant experience. Despite its depiction of cold, lifeless space, it is ultimately a tale with a warm heart.

While appreciating space's beauty and importance, Planetes doesn't shy away from critiquing excessive worship, stripping away unnecessary romanticism for a balanced perspective. The artwork is exceptional—the sci-fi elements are detailed, landscapes are gorgeous, and characters' expressions are clear. The futuristic setting shows extensive research, lending credibility—a hallmark of great sci-fi. The mangaka seamlessly blends humor, seriousness, and poignancy with impressive writing and art that reinforce each panel.

I highly recommend reading Planetes; it will not disappoint.

Story - The mangaka has crafted an excellent sci-fi manga. They built the world so meticulously that readers are effortlessly immersed in it. The spaceships, the characters, and the concepts all show that the author invested considerable time researching to make everything logical yet fantastically fictional. It feels like we're actually traveling through space, which is incredible. Who hasn't dreamed of exploring space at least once? Everyone has thought about it during their childhood. This manga helps us fulfill our little wishes. 8.5/10

Art - The artwork is outstanding, reflecting the mangaka's dedication to learning about space to create this amazing manga. From the backgrounds to the spaceships and characters, everything is beautifully detailed. 8.5/10

Characters - The characters are what I love most about this manga. It doesn't focus solely on one character; everyone has their own problems, stories, and development. Every time, we can learn valuable lessons from them. 9/10

Enjoyment - Literally, everyone will enjoy this manga because who wouldn't be curious about space or want to travel there? The main reason I adore it so much is that each character feels genuinely alive. They share their struggles with us, which often mirror common and challenging issues. Questions like: What is our purpose? Why do we do what we do? Should I prioritize work over other things? How can I let go of the past? Is it strange if someone's art looks childish just because they don't conform to societal norms of "adult" art? 9/10

If you're interested in these themes or find them intriguing, then you should read this masterpiece.

I stumbled upon Planetes by chance at the library, and with a space explorer on its cover, I couldn't resist diving in. The back cover's premise immediately hooked me, revealing a series rich in world-building, captivating characters, and delightful art.

While I would have been content for Planetes to be solely about space, it ultimately focuses on people in space, necessitating intriguing characters. Our main characters are simple yet powerful, while many side characters serve as episodic catalysts for the main cast. Hachimaki (or Hachirota, Hoshino-san, or just Hachi) struck a chord with his unwavering dedication to outer space and determination to fulfill his dreams. His drive is fueled by the hope of saving enough money to buy his own spaceship and experience true freedom—a yearning we can all relate to. A significant part of the conflict revolves around how much of his humanity he sacrifices for his goals. To keep the story engaging, other characters influence him, leading to a drastic personality change halfway through, culminating in a softer, more resolved character by the end.

The rest of our debris-collecting crew—Fee, Yuri, and Tanabe—receive nearly equal screen time, except for poor Yuri, who fades into the background after the beginning. Fee embodies the struggle between childhood aspirations and adult resignation. Her personal life becomes more central to the plot in the second half. Tanabe’s belief in love and sometimes clueless demeanor provide a perfect counterpoint to Hachi’s irreverent attitude. The numerous side characters offer lessons and messages about different aspects of life, enriching both Hachi’s journey and the audience’s understanding. All characters have families, meet new colleagues, and encounter others that challenge their worldview.

The overarching plot captivated me, especially for those excited by human expansion into space. The hints of hard science suggest the author’s deep knowledge, making it clear this is someone who thinks about space as much as I do—or probably more. The crew’s job is to prevent Kessler Syndrome, where excessive debris destroys spacecraft, creating a vicious cycle that could trap Earth’s orbit with dangerous scrap. With such high stakes, the story effectively portrays humanity’s future hanging in the balance.

Yukimura-sensei explores various themes related to the human condition. From the start, he addresses life and death in space and humanity’s relationship with Earth. Through various characters, we see how they cope with their dreams, make sacrifices, interact with authority, and find themselves alienated from a larger picture. Ultimately, love drives everything home, forming the foundation of all character relationships and struggles.

Planetes has a somewhat unique narrative structure. While largely following Hachi’s journey, Yukimura isn’t afraid to shift focus to other characters. Around the midpoint, there’s a distinct shift, spending considerable time with previously sidelined characters, but it all ties back to Hachi’s development by the end.

As Yukimura-sensei’s debut work, his art style evolves throughout the series. It begins realistically but shifts towards more cartoonish facial features, enhancing expressiveness without clashing with the detailed scenery and vehicles. The mechanical artwork is impeccable, maintaining a realistic, plausible feel for 2070.

This is one of the most cinematic comics I’ve ever read. The panel composition, sound effects, and dialogue create a living, moving piece. Every view of space emphasizes its vastness compared to our insignificance. The plentiful color pages further enhance Yukimura’s art.

Walking away from this series, I felt fully satisfied despite a somewhat low-energy climax. Planetes uses powerful character stories to tell a larger story about the future, and I recommend it to anyone interested in sci-fi, actual science, outer space, or well-written slice-of-life manga—in space.

Overall: 9.5

Planetes by Makoto Yukimura is an often overlooked manga in my opinion. Despite being from the same creator as Vinland Saga, it tends to be overshadowed by its more famous counterpart. However, Planetes showcases Yukimura's talents just as impressively as Vinland Saga. The artwork is stunning, the characters are vivid and realistic, and it's clear that extensive thought and research were invested in crafting the setting. When it comes to Sci-Fi and Fantasy, world-building is crucial. Planetes boasts some of the finest world-building I've encountered in a Sci-Fi series. It feels like a plausible glimpse into our near future.

Story

The storyline itself isn't the main focus here, which is typical for slice-of-life narratives. Instead, character development drives this manga. We follow Hachimaki as the primary protagonist, but also delve into the lives of his fellow crew members. Each character's journey offers valuable life lessons, culminating in a beautifully woven tale.

Characters

Makoto Yukimura excels at creating brilliant and believable characters, and Planetes is no exception. Every character is dynamic, unique, and wonderfully human. Their diverse personalities contribute to an engaging group dynamic. Readers are bound to find at least one character they can relate to.

P.S. Hachimaki's character arc closely mirrors Thorfinn's in Vinland Saga. This suggests that the core narrative holds personal significance for Yukimura.

Art

The artistry is nothing short of remarkable. Yukimura's skill shines through in his depictions of people and fluid action scenes. Given that this is a space-based sci-fi story, the technology must be depicted accurately, and Yukimura does not disappoint. He even includes detailed explanations to demonstrate scientific accuracy. As always, Yukimura delivers impressively.

Yukimura Makoto's Planetes is often praised as a space odyssey grounded by its human elements. While this may be true, the manga falls short of greatness due to an overemphasis on "Moments" without adequate buildup, highlighting a pattern in Makoto's work—a fear of subtlety, particularly in character development and progression.

Hachimaki, the lead protagonist, embodies the archetypal shounen hero: loud, brash, and myopic. This archetype doesn't necessarily inhibit a manga's quality—One Piece’s Monkey D. Luffy exemplifies this—but Planetes struggles because it relies heavily on character changes for compelling storytelling. Unlike One Piece, where the setting evolves while characters remain relatively static, Planetes depends on character growth but fails to execute it smoothly.

Hachimaki's arc begins with him being content as a space garbage collector, but after a near-death experience, he becomes determined to become a true astronaut by joining a mission to Jupiter. His journey involves various crises and realizations about his relationships and humanity's interconnectedness. However, Makoto's execution undercuts Hachimaki's progression. For instance, Chapter 5, where Hachimaki undergoes testing for deep-space disorder, showcases poor execution. His initial confidence crumbles into frustration and anger when he can't handle the sensory deprivation chamber, leading to exaggerated reactions that feel forced and unearned.

Following this chapter, Hachimaki enters a brooding phase, distancing himself from friends. Physically, he trains hard for the Jupiter mission, but his character lacks the necessary depth to make this transition believable. Makoto rushes Hachimaki's character development, quickly regressing him from angry youth to calm adult without sufficient nuance. This contrasts sharply with Takehiko Inoue's Vagabond, where Musashi Miyamoto's transformation from a hotheaded duelist to a philosopher-warrior unfolds with patience and poise over hundreds of chapters.

The brevity of Planetes (26 chapters) versus the expansive Vagabond (over 300 chapters) partly explains the difference in character depth. Even shorter manga like Solanin or Pluto achieve greater nuance within similar lengths. Planetes' focus on Moments—beautiful panels encapsulating awe-inspiring scenes—becomes its saving grace but also its downfall. These Moments lack context and significance due to rushed storytelling, making them feel forced rather than earned.

Makoto's research on space travel is impressive, lending realism to the setting despite the characters feeling less authentic. The detailed depiction of interplanetary flight, E.V.A. equipment, and futuristic society provides a breath of optimistic fresh air amid dystopian narratives. However, relying less on caricature and more on nuanced character progression could elevate Planetes to match masterpieces like Vagabond. Despite its shortcomings, Planetes offers valuable ideas worth evolving and improving upon, especially in terms of characters.

Well, when I first glanced at Planetes, I wondered what kind of sci-fi narrative could be crafted within just four volumes. The slice-of-life approach took me by surprise as I noticed it in the second volume. That's unique, isn't it? There's nothing quite like a sci-fi backdrop to delve into the nuances of human nature. Sci-fi is fundamentally about humanity, about humans playing God, about a Second Creation, an extension of our species.

In this instance, space itself. The true heart of Planetes revolves around its people. Yet, the information and depiction of how technology operates in space felt remarkably accurate, reflecting the author's deep understanding. After all, it's a science fiction setting, right? Establishing the atmosphere is crucial, especially since many reflections are rooted in themes of solitude, infinity, and aspirations.

All characters in the manga, whether supporting or main, had a purpose for their existence. They symbolized emotions, thoughts, dreams, and pains. While reading, I'd often pause and ponder, "What was the author aiming to convey here? How does this relate to my reality? And if it doesn't, how can I grasp the feelings of this character?" Such questions frequently arose whenever I encountered something truly absorbing. It has to be a good read. And Planetes is genuinely, profoundly excellent.

The characters of Planetes exude charisma in an unconventional way. They aren't cool or flashy; they're... human. Reading their stories and delving into their minds always made me smile unconsciously. These individuals seemed so endearing, the type of people I'd love to converse with for hours. Despite not sharing the same reality, I felt incredibly close to them. My favorite was likely the serene and light-hearted Yuri, with his wandering and melancholic existence, but everyone left a mark on me somehow. They stand out among the characters I usually appreciate. Their distinct perspectives on life and their development were inspiring and beautiful. You could reflect alongside them: "What would I do?" Fee and Hachi were particularly special cases. In the end, even the bratty Tanabe earned my affection. Each one evolved significantly, especially Hachi, due to his profound shift in outlook on life.

Beyond human psychology, other themes shine brightly in Planetes. Human-nature relations, war, terrorism, social nonconformity. Simply and powerfully, the manga interweaves these themes with its characters, bringing out the best in both. The realism in Planetes is outstanding, greatly enhanced by Yukimura's exceptional art. The character designs captivated me, and the backgrounds were simply amazing. This is where Yukimura's style truly excels.

To me, this manga conveys that humanity possesses an essence. Within it, there's hatred, ignorance, greed. But two constants are love and willpower. We evolve because of our qualities and flaws, embodying our true form. What we inherently are. And while humanity endlessly strives to reach further into outer space, we mustn't forget that we are also part of the Universe. Thus, beyond exploring the outer cosmos, we should never neglect our inner universe.

Short Spoiler-Free Review

Planetes is a manga that had been on my reading list for an exceptionally long time. It shares the same author as Vinland Saga, one of my favorite manga, but it didn't evoke the same feelings in me as his other work did.

The story had some intriguing elements and, in my opinion, reached its peak during the second half of the manga. However, there were still many instances where I found myself utterly bored. The characters were well-developed with sufficient depth, and the artwork was quite good too.

Nevertheless, I didn't enjoy Planetes as much as others seem to have, as it left me feeling tired more often than not.

Overall, it's a decent manga. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, but I do encourage you to read the first few chapters and decide for yourself if it's worth your time.

I adored these volumes so much that I penned a review specifically to place on one of the manga shelves at my workplace. It went something like this:

Planetes is an enthralling, vividly illustrated work of sci-fi realism that, at its core, serves as a love letter to humanity in space.

The narrative centers around the crew of the spaceship 'Toy Box,' a debris-collecting vessel navigating the dark and cluttered expanse of space. We are introduced to a vast world teeming with various mysteries and conspiracies, terrorists and dreamers, where space has become an integral part of daily life. We follow Commander Fee, Yuri, Ai, and Hachirota as they grapple with the challenges of their environment alongside their personal struggles.

Planetes is an undeniable treasure and classic that left me in awe of the characters' lovability and the relatability of their personalities. It's remarkable how a series centered on the isolation of space can be brimming with warmth and radiance, leaving you hopeful for the future. Each character harbors doubts and faces tragedies—Yuri, for instance, dedicates his life to clearing debris after a cluster struck a spaceship, killing his wife—yet unity and love prevail, even over the most despairing and resolute dreamers. I particularly enjoyed the philosophical discussions Yukimura raises throughout, especially the difficulty of accepting one's dreams if it means leaving family behind.

Overall, the most pressing question I had while reading Planetes was whether I would finish believing humanity could truly find a place in space. Though I haven't reached a definitive conclusion, I believe Planetes ultimately gives us hope, which I think is the most crucial lesson here. I loved this series immensely, and my thoughts are all over the place.

Perhaps propelled by the allure of the vast unknown, or perhaps driven by the desire to break free from Earth's gravitational pull, or maybe even spurred on by the quest to find a fellow lonely traveler out there... I can't pinpoint the exact reason, but somewhere deep in our history, a human gazing at the night sky probably thought, "I want to go up there."

"Planetes" is a Seinen Manga by Makoto Yukimura, published from 1999 to 2004. His other work, "Vinland Saga," has been ongoing since 2005. It's remarkable how his dedication and research efforts shine through, offering a futuristic yet plausible perspective on space exploration. The manga spans a wide array of themes, from work-life balance and environmental issues to love and philosophy, all woven together through the lens of space exploration with its episodic storytelling that follows each character's journey and their unique views towards space.

One of the standout features of "Planetes" is its mature characters. Neither overly idealistic nor too grounded, it humanizes everyone—both the good and the bad, the intelligent and the foolish, the tough and the naive. They have intriguing stories to share, and the manga excels at drawing you into their mindset, letting you experience their perspectives. Some interactions are simply delightful to watch.

The artwork in "Planetes" is genuinely breathtaking. I particularly enjoyed the wide shots that highlight our insignificance compared to the infinite void and the close-ups that magnify a character's mental state. The infrastructure, including debris, space shuttles, and even everyday Earth items, is meticulously illustrated. Character expressions are also well-drawn. It’s truly impressive.

In recent times, space settings in Anime/Manga have become rare. Perhaps due to the immense popularity of Gundam in earlier days, space settings grew stale. Among the few recent works set in space, "The Orbital Children" stands out, but the setting doesn’t quite blend with the story. In contrast, "Planetes" utilizes the space setting effectively, not just as a backdrop but as a medium to explore profound concepts.

"Planetes" offers a mature and philosophical exploration of space and space exploration, brought to life with breathtaking art and a richly developed cast of characters.

In the latter part of the 21st century, humanity has established colonies on the Moon and Mars, with Jupiter being the next frontier. This mission stirs up controversy from various quarters: dubious government officials, terrorist organizations, and our protagonists who simply wish to perform their duties.

Planetes is a stunning slice-of-life narrative that uses outer space as its backdrop to delve into human nature. The series explores a broad spectrum of existential questions, ranging from love to what it means to truly "grow up." It raises profound inquiries about whether humans have the right to venture into outer space or if colonizing other planets constitutes an intrusion.

The storytelling in Planetes is episodic, frequently leaping across several months or years within each chapter. In the first half, most chapters are brief, self-contained stories. It seems like Yakimura is still trying to determine the direction he wants for the series, making this portion somewhat weaker. However, once the narrative focuses on the Jupiter mission, the series markedly improves, becoming so engrossing that readers won't want it to end. Despite concluding at a fitting point, I wished it had lasted longer.

We follow the characters over several years, and this progression is evident. Each character confronts their insecurities and immaturity, ultimately gaining a clearer sense of identity. Our species is but a speck in the vast universe, and distancing oneself from Earth's petty issues fosters genuine introspection about what truly matters.