Sorry Dandadan Fans, This Is the Best New Anime of 2024

Dandadan has taken the anime community by storm. Viewers are obsessed with Momo and Okarun’s friendship as the pair search for the latter’s missing testicles. Fans watched three seconds of the first episode, immediately declared the new series “peak,” and labeled it as the best new anime of 2024. But (hot take incoming), what if it isn’t? Dandadan is an amazing series that deserves all the acclaim it receives. But another new anime has sneakily won the “peak” label.

Everyone knows an anime that is life-changing but sorely under-loved by the community. Many of these tend to be a decade or two old, as viewers are eager to keep up with modern releases. But this vastly underappreciated anime is still airing, so now’s the perfect time to get on board and discover Orb: On the Movements of the Earth.

Orb: On the Movements of the Earth Needs More Love

The anime in question is the newly released Orb: On the Movements of the Earth. The show is released weekly on Netflix but is having its thunder stolen by Dandadan, which is also in the middle of its debut season. As Okarun’s testicles steal the limelight, Orb has received shockingly little public attention. So far, ten episodes have been released, but there are already enough heartbreaking moments to make Dandadan‘s seventh episode look like an Iyashikei.

Orb: On the Movements of the Earth is based on the manga of the same name by Uoto. The completed manga is relatively new, having been published in the weekly seinen magazine Weekly Big Comic Spirits between 2020 and 2022. The series is set in a fictionalized 15th-century Poland, or “P Kingdom,” where religious beliefs dictate everyday life, and any scientific experiments that could threaten the word of God are deemed heretical.

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The show follows Rafal, a child prodigy who is obsessed with astronomy. But his father is a devout “C religion” believer who urges Rafal to study theology and the word of God at university. When Rafal meets a “renounced” heretic, his world is turned upside down after being introduced to the blasphemous theory that the Earth revolves around the sun. Anyone who spreads such knowledge is tortured and burned alive. Rafal tries to ignore the theory, but his scientific curiosity can’t let it go. With the inquisitors breathing down his back, Rafal makes the life-threatening decision to carry on studying heliocentrism, regardless of the consequences.

Thematic connotations of Orb: On the Movements of the Earth bear a striking resemblance to the current social climate. While Rafal fights for truth and science when it could cost him his life, the modern world has somehow reverted backward, with some believing the Earth is flat, among other wild conspiracy theories. Orb doesn’t just exemplify the importance of science; it connotes and exposes the forces that constantly act against truth.

Orb: On the Movements of the Earth Is a Stunning Tear-Jerker

Inside its grandiose themes of space, our planet, and the very nature of our existence lies a human story about Rafal’s shifting dynamics within his town. His father is the head of the local school and is incredibly proud of his son being accepted to university to study theology. But, after Rafal’s discovery, he changes his mind and wants to follow his passion to study astronomy. This creates a rift between the two, not just because of societal expectations but also because of his father’s devotion to the C religion.

Orb: On the Movements of the Earth is animated by Madhouse (Hunter x Hunter & Monster). The series has often been compared to Vinland Saga, partly due to its European setting and period but also the beautifully realistic style of its animation. The series lacks the brutal action of Makoto Yukimura’s Vinland Saga, but clear stylistic and tonal parallels exist. That being said, Orb isn’t completely devoid of violence. The mercenary inquisitor Nowak uses brutal torture methods to uncover heretics. What’s worse is he’s completely numb to the brutality, like many of the Vikings in Vinland Saga.

Orb: On the Movements of the Earth is nearing the halfway mark on Season 1’s release on Netflix. Ten episodes are currently available to stream. New episodes will be released weekly on Saturdays. Season 1 of Orb: on the Movements of the Earth will run for 25 episodes. Even if you’re just looking for something to fill the void between Dandadan‘s weekly episodes, try Orb: On the Movements of the Earth. You won’t be disappointed.