This Title With 8.4 on IMDb Is the Best Sci-Fi Anime of 2025 Everyone's Sleeping On

Isekai and shonen are good, but sometimes you really want to see a title with a well-thought-out plot and deep meaning.

This is exactly what you get with Orb: On the Movements of the Earth – one of the most unique titles of the last few years. There are no fairy-tale creatures or superpowers – just conversations between the most learned minds of the Middle Ages.

What Is Orb: On the Movements of the Earth About?

The anime takes us back to a time when conversations about the celestial bodies had to be very careful so as not to say anything “wrong.”

We will follow the adventures of young Rafal, who met the scientist Hubert and discovered a passion for astronomy, although others predicted a brilliant theological future for him.

Now he will have to hide so that his interest in alternative theories of the origin of the world will not be discovered by the Inquisitors, who carefully monitor that everyone adheres to the dogmas of the Church.

Orb: On the Movements of the Earth Has a Unique Narrative Structure

Rafal has to hide his work even from his father and gradually extracts the knowledge he is interested in from Hubert. The main character's story is gripping from the very first frames – what will happen to the young man in the future?

Will he carry his passion through the years, be filled with hatred for religious ideas, or lead a hermit's life as a scientist?

The main character in Orb: On the Movements of the Earth changes over the course of the story, and more than once. This is one of the most controversial, yet original and compelling plot devices in the title.

Many viewers would have liked to see more of Rafal's adventures, but each of his successors will face their own problems in continuing his path.

Although the Title Is Mostly about Talking, It Will Hook You From the First Minute

Existential conversations take up most of the screen time, rarely interrupted by dynamic scenes.

The title does a great job of conveying the fact that the characters still have a lot to explore about this world: even if they have read hundreds of times more books than the average modern person, they still have to work hard to explain things that are obvious to us today.

While all of this may sound obvious from the outside, modern projects rarely give viewers the experience of watching long, meaningful conversations.

What Did Viewers Think of Orb: On the Movements of the Earth?

Orb: On the Movements of the Earth already has a small following of fans who missed thoughtful and philosophical titles. Redditor Open_Inspector_7863 wrote:

“Not a single bad character, not a single poorly explored theme and not a single redundant uninteresting conversation. This anime encapsulates the difficulty and hardship of believing in your path but questioning your actions.”

• Orb: On the Movements of the Earth has a score of 8.4/10 on IMDb.

Where to Watch Orb: On the Movements of the Earth?

Orb: On the Movements of the Earth is available to stream on Netflix.