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"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." -Sir Isaac Newton

Definitely a good watch if you have any appreciation for the history of science, astronomy, philosophy, and academic thought processes.

Orb on the Movements of Earth is a serious-toned and reflective anime, set in a scenario based on medieval Poland, in which a young boy named Rafal suddenly has his views on cosmology and religion turned upside down upon discovering the existence of the Heliocentric theory through a heretic scholar. From this point onward, we witness the challenges of researching, writing, publishing, and propagating Heliocentrism in times of religious persecution.

Above ... all, the anime is an homage to human knowledge and curiosity, where a scientific theory and people's will to pass it forward serve as the true protagonists of the show rather than a specific character. It beautifully represents how, even when all seems lost and impossible, a small spark of thought can be enough to keep humanity's thirst for knowledge and progress alive despite every kind of adversity.

Though it may seem like your usual "religion bad, science good" story at a surface level, it goes much deeper than that, exploring the nuances of different perspectives on life, scientific studies, and religious beliefs through each character.

Not only that, but it is also an amazing and tense inquisition drama. It is, by the way, a good example of the famous three-episode rule, as it takes an unexpected turn considered by many to be one of the best episodes of the show. In fact, even if serious, dialogue-heavy episodes aren't your cup of tea, I guarantee that the tension caused by the Heliocentric theory being studied in such a setting, along with the plot twists throughout the anime, will surely get you hooked.

The opening and ending are beyond awesome, not only with genius musical performances from Sakanaction and Yorushika, but with each episode, the OP and ED visuals change and/or gain more and more meaning.

In terms of animation, it could be a little better. The characters' movements are a bit stiff at times, and some may find the night scenes overly dark. However, the anime's art style (which is miraculously good compared to the manga's art) truly shines in the night sky shots, which are mesmerizing for both the characters and the viewers.

Overall, it is a truly one-of-a-kind show with high-quality writing. I would definitely recommend it to both anime fans and those who have never watched one before!

I'd say I understand if one says they didn't like Sonny Boy, as the target audience may not be your average anime fan, so I'd give anyone this heads up before watching it: don't try to face it as an usual anime, but rather as a work of art as a whole. If this experimental vibe is not your cup of tea, maybe you could skip this one, however if you're willing to face this wild ride I couldn't recommend it more (although I think it would be nice for everyone to experience the feelings this anime has to offer at least once in their ... lifetime).

Sonny Boy is an experimental psychological anime, in which 30+ middle school students for some reason get transported into different dimensions along with their school building, which some of the students are now capable of using superpowers, and different "This Worlds" also have different aspects and rules in them. The story then explores this new kind of society formed by these teens, as they try to find out why that happened, and how to get home, going though each of the characters personal psychological complexities, motivations to live on, and different searches for answers in existence itself.

Watching this anime might make you curious at first, after all, neither you nor the characters know what's going on and how to get home. Eventually, as you go though the episodes (it's a powerful yet short story with only 12 20-or-so-minute episodes), curiosity turns into acceptance, the sense of time and existence lose their meaning, you're then left with a lot to think about, and a feeling so strange (in a good way) you might stare at your blank screen for a good 5 minutes after it's finished.

Besides the exceptional writing, the characters are super well developed, with more than satisfactionary conclusions to them. The animation style is super unique and beautifully done, with stunning backgrounds and saturated colors, creating an almost mystical and surreal atmosphere. The soundtrack is also very curious: the anime has no opening theme and theres almost no background music, except for when there NEEDS to be, and in those times the tracks are mostly indie rock style songs, fitting perfectly in the scenes they're in, complementing the vibe so well. An overall masterpiece.