Planetarian: Chiisana Hoshi no Yume

After nearly a decade of reading and watching Key's works, and now having finished Planetarian's unlikely adaptation, I think I have come to accept that Key does not appeal much to me anymore. I have aged and moved on since those times, as has the anime industry and its community, and no longer feel all too impressed by what their stories had to offer. At the same time, I recognise that not everybody began watching anime at the same time. Some people have only just gotten into the medium in recent months, and so they may not yet be acquainted with Key's works. For these people, there is still value to be found in Planetarian, for it is actually a surprisingly well-produced, if brief and heavy-handed tale. I cannot feel much of anything towards it, but maybe someone, somewhere, will feel that same fire and emotion I did all those years ago. Planetarian's soundtrack, much like the rest of Key's catalog, is excellent, and the art direction, particularly during the projection scene, does a solid job of creating atmosphere and making time and space truly feel vast, with humanity's greatest achievements flashing before the Junker in the blink of an eye. Hoshino is also, fortunately, not treated as eye-candy or some sort of waifu fantasy, as her mechanical (and somewhat creepy!) eyes make it clear that she is a robot and not a living and breathing human being. She is cute, but she is also a genuine character with purpose in the story. While there are issues to be had with the content of Planetarian, the execution of said content (in the context of an adaptation) is certainly worthy of praise and difficult to fault. It's a very solid production all-around. All one needs to do to understand the difference in quality between a poorly-directed anime and a well-directed one is to compare Planetarian to Rewrite, the other ongoing (and perhaps somewhat abysmal) Key adaptation. Planetarian is leagues better, and is about as good as any fan of the source material could have hoped for, really. But I do not know if that is enough to sway most anime-only viewers. The story is a nice, heart-warming little thing, but there is not much there with regards to depth and meaning. You will watch it, perhaps get a little misty-eyed during its dramatic conclusion, and that is where it ends. You will move on, get on with your day, and find the next thing to watch. A good anime or visual novel-- indeed, even a good story in general-- should have something to say or give to its readers. I am just not confident that this short little tragedy qualifies as that something. Even though the conclusion is a bit more low-key and reserved than other Key works (particularly Angel Beats), it still falls much into the same issue of being too dramatic for its own good. It so desperately wants to make the audience cry, but with scenes such as Hoshino lamenting how she cannot shed tears (and the rain so conveniently falling into her eyes as if she were actually crying), it becomes a bit difficult to take Planetarian's cloying conclusion all too seriously. I loathe the term "forced drama" as it is not a valid criticism, but those who have used it to attack Key works in the past will absolutely find more reason to use it here. I would personally have liked to see a less artificial ending without so many unnecessary theatrics. The potential for a great story is here, with its bleak, post-apocalyptic setting, but Key overthrew and missed the strike zone with Planetarian. It was somewhat disappointing to see the protagonist in the anime being a young-- no more than twenty-five years old-- jaded dude. If Key really wished to drive the emotional punch at the end, with the Junker regaining part of his humanity, it would have been much more powerful were he an older man who has been through and seen a lot of the new world. The anime does not sell me on his character being an emotionally broken and hardened soldier-- he just seems like a bit of an ass most of the time. Planetarian would also have benefited from being a movie instead of an ONA series, as the gaps between episodes (even if it is only as much as clicking on the next episode and sitting through a couple minutes of logos and advertisements) make the experience feel rather disjointed. Planetarian is meant to be a single, continuous story rather than a series marked by chapters and episodes. If you ever have had to pause a movie in the middle of your viewing for hours or days at a time, you will know just how much it ruins the experience and how difficult it makes it to feel much of anything during the climax, what with all the build-up gone and wasted. This is what it has felt like for me to watch Planetarian on a weekly basis. Anyone with the privilege of watching the anime after its airing is highly recommended to do so in one sitting, assuming they want to get something out of it. I may have been more excited with the concept of a Planetarian anime were it not 2016. The decade of the 2000's is a part of the past, and both the anime and visual novel industries have moved on from when Key was in their heyday. They have not released a new story in over five years, and seem more interested in having anime adaptations and remakes produced instead of something fresh and new. So I have to ask: do they intend to be the new Type-Moon, endlessly reliving its glory days and refusing to move on, or do they wish to regain their status and become relevant once again? This is a world where visual novel masterpieces like Sakura no Uta and Full Metal Daemon Muramasa now exist. The industry has surpassed Key, and now Key needs to catch back up before they fade to dust. Will they? Can they? A part of me remains skeptical.

"Planetarian is an one in many futuristic possibilities of our world." Humanity is almost extinct due to some type of biological attack 30 years ago. Out of the people left some are called "Junkers", who scavenge for foods and goods from the destroyed cities to survive. Now one such "Junker" Kuzuya is searching for supplies in one such ruined city called Sarcophagus City, escaping from some bots he enter into an old military facility where he meets a robot who has been on sleep for almost 30 years. The robot Hoshino Yumemi is a companion type robot who used to work in this Planetarian, she as a robot believes the Junker to be his first customer in 30 years and treats him accordingly but the machines being inactive for a long time have damaged so as it turns out Kuzuya somehow is trying to repair the telescope which Hoshino-chan lovingly call "Jena-san". So the anime is pretty much about the conversation between those two. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are 3 new rules of (my) reviewing- First rule- No anime is shit Second rule-No anime is shit Third rule-You don't have to agree with me(even sometimes I don't agree with myself) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It is based on the following parameters-- 1)What is good about it? 2)(Probability of)Whom'll the anime appeal to? 3)Questions that other reviews raised in your head. P.S.-If you don't want to read the whole, read the summary at the end of every question. ====================================== 1)What is good about it? Some anime are made for pure enjoyment, to make us laugh and sometimes to make us cry but some anime offer you something more than enjoyment i.e. a thought. The good stories will always leave a question in your mind to ponder upon. Planetarian is one of them. Like I said in the first line of my review that "Planetarian is an one in many futuristic possibilities of our world." so when we watch things like these we tend to go into retrospect about or ways, s one wise man once said " A Human's worst enemy is he,himself." this kind of possibility even might be inevitable. Plantarian here offers you a perspective research of our developmental achievements. It unravel the condition of the future generation which has been deprived from all the beauty in this world because of us- the present generation who are too greedy to look over the materialism of the world. Like in the movie "Life is Beautiful", Guido tries to keep the war, the hate, the negativity away from his son Joshua so that he could see the real beautiful world that he believed in. It's just that we stick too close to these walls of problems, hatred and egoism which have always been stationary but it is us who can't get away from these walls, it's just that when we are too close to these walls we think of them to be infinite, to be never ending but if you get a little away from it you'll find ways at both its ends to go around it. Music and animation are quite good. Background music especially engross the watchers into the sad theme that the show offers. A beautiful story can be told magnificently like in movie "Avatar" or can be told humbly like in "The Man from the Earth" but it doesn't make one better than the other. The two characters in Planetarian are the model of perspectives of the then world. On one hand a human who is trying to survive, to him his life relies on the next move he makes. His mind will be in constant chaos with singular things whereas there stands a robot who can't comprehend the emotional manifestation of a human in a time like this, her thoughts and capabilities are limited in demand of her tasks. Earlier I talked about how Guido help his son to see the beautiful world through his eyes similarly Hoshino-san does this for Kuzuya unknowingly. She shows his chaotic mind the calmness of the mesmerizing world of stars and ran through him the reasoning of mankind and the beautiful world as it was. The story of the future is told and retold with different characters and different settings but what they all give us is an "ideal", it is there to remind us of the truth we most likely forget. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summary: Offers you a show with a conflicted future from the perceptions of a robot and a man. Music and animation are satisfactory. The story itself will keep you thinking about the situation the characters stand in. It also has a accurate portrayal of the conversations with the robot. It is not much of scenic beauty but it has its moments. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2)(Probability of)Whom'll the anime appeal to? Appealing is quite an uncertain thing, it is sometimes spontaneous and sometimes it takes time but it happens differently for different people. As I have said before that this anime is more about talking, it is a serious and quite a sad but a brave show. So people who are at this particular time looking for action, romcom or any type of romance or comedy you should wait a while before you watch this show. This is a type of show you should go through for once in a while. Some tend to characterize shows but I think one could see most of the shows but it must be seen at the right time with the right state of mind. If you are in a mood for some understanding and attentive listening you should go for it. Note-Third question will be updated after the show is completed. I personally like shows that make me think about the possibilities, that make me glance a peek of the many altering futures that are ever changing with action we take this day, this hour, this minute and this second. It make me realize the vastness of our world but at the same time also reveal that how even a small insignificant action might affect this vastness. Verdict:- Planetarian is no masterpiece but it made me think. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overall Summary- Story-8/10 Art-9/10 Sound-8/10 Character-9/10 ========== ||Overall-8/10|| ========== --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Any questions and criticisms are welcomed.

Based on the visual novel made by Key, a Planetarian adaptation is what fans have been dreamed for years. It’s been far too long but now, it’s a reality. With that out of the way, fans should anticipate and expect this to be a neat clean series that isn’t too short or long to take all in. Taking place in a dystopian world nearly 30 years after the failure of the Space Colonization Program, Planetarian’s storytelling is pretty simple. Humanity is mostly gone and the main protagonist (a Junker, someone who scavenges for useful goods) seeks refuge at an abandoned planetarium. It’s there that he meets a mysterious robot girl named Yumemi Hoshino. And it’s there where the real magic happens. As most Key series go, it starts off somewhat slow paced but introduces our main characters well. There’s only two main characters really – the protagonist Junker and Hoshino. However, their character chemistry is what will attract the audience. From the get-go, Hoshino is curious about Junker because he is what she refers as a “customer”. As such, it’s her job to provide service to him. In truth, Junker really has no reason to stay by her side but chooses to anyway and even help her repair the planetarium’s projector. The way these two characters’ interactions are played out is peculiar but also thought provoking. It really makes you wonder how far the two can connect as they seem to have nothing in common with each other. In the meantime, we get to see more of Junker’s personal insights about the constellation and stars although he makes some rather ironic statements about them too. A good part of the series also comes from the dialogues. Hoshino may be a robot but she doesn’t speak in a mindless tone. Instead, she has more or less of a graceful-like personality that makes you feel at ease. Even for someone like Junker, he seems compelled to learn more about her or at least what she has to offer. This leads our robot girl to explain the essence of the stars, constellations, mankind’s history, and other little bits of intriguing information. It may even feel like a science class with Hoshino being the professor. At the same time, it’s interesting to see how a robot like Hoshino explain more about her own interpretations. She talks about if robots and humans can share a heaven or even if they can have dreams. This provokes Junker to envision his own future about humans. Although in reality, their world’s humanity is nearly extinct and with acid rains falling out of the sky, it’s not a pretty sight. On the technical front, we have David Production handling the production. To my surprise, they did a fairly decent job at crafting the main setting. Of course, I mean this as the dystopia world where we get to see the desolate city like a wasteland. The planetarium itself is designed to look exactly as such with nothing fancy but still stands out between everything. Character design wise, it’s interesting to see how a robot girl like Hoshino can express human-like behavior thanks to her convincing model. The mysterious vibe of the series fills the air especially with the eerie atmosphere and I think the studio portrayed that quite well in the end. The additional complement of quiet soundtrack and melancholic tones adds even more to make it credible. Finally, I have to give some credit for the voice acting. It’s not always easy to step into the shoes of a robotic character but for someone like Hoshino, it feels like her voice is very natural and just right. As a short series (some episodes aren’t even 20 minutes in length), it’s surprisingly effective in storytelling. With just two characters, it connects their dialogue and interactions with compelling chemistry. Meanwhile, the plot is pretty easy to follow with its themes and messages. Now I do have to say that the pacing of the show will feel slow and the audience may be tested of their patience. Furthermore, the series itself really requires an open mind as you try to understand its intentions. But once you get the flow of it, this will be a rewarding experience. One that you won’t forget.

This show takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, like many stories we got the past few years. I'm not usually a fan of the genre, but what got me is that the story set in the atmosphere is quite different compared to what we are used to see : here the survival or wandering parts are not the center, it's all about the encounter between a junker (human) and a robot that has been waiting for years for a customer to come in the "planetarian", it's workplace. Kuzuya, after years of wandering in this dangerous environment, will come to the planetarian and meet yumemi, a robot who is here to take care of the customers. Since it's not an AI, it can't realize the environment is different from what it was 30 years ago, and will treat the junker more or less like an ordinary customer. Kuzuya didn't have social interaction for years, so even if Yumemi is a robot, we can guess he is really pleased by the encounter. In this planetarian he can talk with someone without being suspicious, there we can see him fall asleep without trouble because he feels safe. And here is one the important thing of this story in my opinion, this planetarian is a safe haven in this hostile environment, and how it is set up is truly beautiful to me. For both our main characters, the time they will spend together is a bliss and a heaven in a world of ruins and chaos. Since the anime is magical, I feel like I would be too clumsy describing it anymore, so I will just tell you this to end the review : eventhough this show is quite short, it has more beautiful gems in it (from the unordinary relationship between a human and a robot, to the splendid scene where we see yumemi's presentation) than many other longer shows. I recommend to watch this show in high quality, since the animation and art are great. "I am a starteller"

Character: 10/10 We are met by the two main and really only characters one being a robot named Hoshino and the other a junker named Kuzuya. Hoshino is seemingly oblivious to the condition of the world but in actuality is aware of the "broken" world yet refuses to believe it. She simply accepts it as an error on her part. Then we have Kuzuya who only sees the world as trash with a few salvageable parts scattered around. But what truly makes it is the chemistry (not love) between the two. Hoshino's inability to see the world as broken eventually gets to Kuzuya. She shows him the beautiful sky, an eternal thing that cannot be shaped by war and destruction. She tells him the story of astronomy, mankind's treasure of curiosity. He is able to forget the current state of the world, even with just the sound of her narration. But what really got me, what really stood out, was that at the very end, he did not define himself as a junker, but as a starteller. He threw out his belief of a garbage world full of only scrap and replaced it with the beauty of the stars, a place of vivid imagination and timeless wonder. Story: 8/10 Planetarian is an anime that shows the current state of a now dystopian world. The few humans that are left have deserted their past lives to become junkers (scavengers) who are constantly seeking shelter from both the toxic rain and killer robots. But amidst all the despair and destruction is a planetarium seemly cut off from the rest of the world. While the anime offers a very interesting story, we are simply not given enough detail due to the length. Art: 8/10 This anime had a good style of animation and the few battle scenes were done very well. I also must add that Hoshino was adorable and the view of the stars was magnificent. Sound: 9/10 I really need to give props to this anime when it comes to sound. At the end of episode 4 the machine's sound effect were done amazingly. I found myself replaying it over and over because I was stunned at the quality. Enjoyment: 8/10 At first I thought that only someone like me who actually enjoyed the stars would like this slow paced anime but I had friends enjoy it too. The idea of sanctuary within destruction was so enjoyable throughout this anime. Overall: 9/10 Planetarian offers pretty good art and sound which greatly supports the good story and characters.

It's a good thing Planetarian was only 5 episodes long because I don't think I could have slogged trough 12 episodes of this series. The synopsis spoke of war, a "Sarcophagus City" where "Junkers" would scavenge for lost artifacts, and a glorious planetarium worth repairing to see it's wonders. During the series, we get the littlest snippet of only one of these things. Story: This story is a snooze fest. The main focus of this story is boring and ultimately doesn't pay off at all because of how long it takes to come to ahead. Other scenes, including the series conclusion take what feel like ages to finish and don't nearly reach the emotional payoff it was looking for. Everything feels disjointed, and alot of potential was wasted on these drawn out scenes. I wanted to see more of this city, I wanted backstory on this war, I wanted to see more about Yumemi's creators and what happened to them. I wanted to learn why Kuzuya was a "Junker", and what led him to live this life. I want to know why it's constantly raining. I want to know why there are robots on the street that attack people as they see them. Characters: Seeing as though there are only 2 characters that get significant screentime, It would be very important to develop these characters into people you care about, people you want to see succeed. Unfortunatley, Planetarian woefully misses on this point. The lead character Kuzuya (who's name I had no recollection of whatsoever) is a dull, boring character who's decision making skills are as bizzare as his attitude. In the first episode, he is entirely and thoroughly annoyed by our other lead character, Yumemi. Despite showing utter disdain for Yumemi for the entirety of the episode, he decides to stay and help fix the Planetarium she has been residing in for over 30 years. They develop a "friendship" that feels entirely forced for the sake of giving the viewer something to care about when the series comes to a conclusion. Yumemi gets a pass for me. She is a robot dedicated to assisting customers that come to the the planetarium. She spouts off information as if it were another day, blissfully unaware that there are no people left to come and see her presentation. Her actions and motives make sense, which is enough to make her OK. Art: The art is the best thing about this series. It's clean, has good rain effects, and the Planetarium scene is well done enough, however short it was for the amount of setup it took to get to that point. The character design is effective enough for the setting. Sound: The sound effects were realistic, with special attention to the constant rain during outdoor scenes. The music was serviceable, but not very memorable. The main characters VA work was good. Jill Harris and David Matranga fit their characters well. There wasn't anything that stood out, save for a few lines from that Matranga that impressed me. Planetarian's only saving grace is it's clean art style and decent voice acting. The story and characters are dreadfully executed and extremely forgettable. You'd be better off avoiding this one.

The only thing more confusing than the existence of visual novels is the fucking awful fanbase that tend to be behind the popular ones, who will chastise you to no end for being a filthy casual who didn't play the game if you so much as sneeze on the anime adaptation of their messiah. I mean when a video game to movie adaptation turns out horrible, everyone is united in declaring its poor quality. And when a JRPG to anime adaptation turns out horrible, the fans cry about how it ruined the game and that anyone within a ten-mile radius of their tears should play the damn thing and ignore this tarnish on its legacy. But whenever a visual novel to anime adaptation graces our presence and follows the game's story closely (preferably with decent production), suddenly the fans ignore the obvious faults that come when you remove the player interaction and the casuals hate the company itself for being involved. And I don't understand why. Visual novels are video games as well. They still require player interaction to get through them, and most of them make "you" the main character so that you can sympathize with what's going on by default, even if what's going on is a padded load of balls and the only interaction you're doing is a bunch of mouse clicks. If we concede to the common train of thought that all video game to movie/anime adaptations suck, it should stand to reason that all visual novels going through the same motions will suck too. And the reason why they suck should be obvious. It's because they remove the one powerful link between man and machine that allows us to overlook the fact that XCOM's story at the end of the day is just another man vs. alien conflict in the process of getting adapted. I'm sure the Plastic Memories visual novel will be barrels of fun, much unlike the atrociously awful anime we got, since we're actually playing as Tsubasa in that and thus are able to sympathize with...bwahahaha! Yeah, not happening. Not unless they incorporate Mario Galaxy controls into that thing. So let's focus on the visual novel (technically kinetic novel) anime I'm looking at this time. Planetarian is part of Key's attempt to get their remaining games adapted into anime now that every single one of their major titles has had a chance to shine (most of them, twice), and whilst Rewrite ended up getting the full series treatment from the morons who brought you Grisaia, their much smaller work was handed off to David Productions' non-Jojo team presumably because they were the only major studio around who still has a small team in the first place. The original source material is actually pretty damn short given the original gaming novel could be finished in the same amount time it'd take to get through Fate/Stay Night's prologue, and whilst expanding on it is clearly an option that most anime studios would do in order to get on broadcast TV, I think the recent reaction to Batman: The Killing Joke's adaptation has shown that even legendary (if very old) source material can get really easily ruined when you go that route. So instead, Planetarian gets five episodes (and a movie adaptation of that light novel that I know nothing about and thus can't judge in any way until it comes out) of varying lengths released on the net, and I'm reviewing another summer 2016 anime when the season isn't even halfway done. The plot is focused on a nameless human known as a junker as he tries his best to survive in a post-apocalyptic world of constant rain and robots that will massacre you on sight that has formed as a consequence of humanity's constant hunger for war, depletion of natural resources, and all that other shit Trump denies is a problem in his platform. Whilst exploring a ruined city one day for supplies, he discovers a moe robot girl named Yumemi in a domed planetarium that still has a limited supply of electricity, and despite the world going to shit for more than three decades, Yumemi's programming makes her unable to comprehend that people aren't exactly going to be lining up to join her tour anytime soon and the scientists who made her probably look like they went through the third world war at this point in time. As such, she constantly pesters the one human she's ever going to have contact with, and said human is eventually going to have to cave into her demands because moe is a rare thing in a dying world (unless said dying world is Danganronpa's I mean). I'm sure most of you guys know my problems with visual novel anime by now. In a non-interactive medium, they're just a bunch of disjointed set pieces and an overloaded cast strung together by a tissue-thin plot that's more focused on introducing these elements rather than telling a story with momentum and pacing we can't control. I don't care how likable the characters are or how interesting the world seems to be. I will not accept character-building/world-building on their own terms as acceptable substance, and unfortunately the majority of anime fans seem to have no problem with that, which is a large part of the reason why stuff like Clannad (as well as a lot of anime and live-action shows in general) gets the acclaim that it does, and the business practice gets to stay as a result. As such, I never go into these things with any enthusiasm, resigned to the fact that these writers don't understand their stuff is not made for the non-interactive crowd, and continue lambasting the results on this blog until they learn to take a hint and stop blighting the animu with their presence. Of course, I'm going to have to eat my words a little regarding Planetarian, because it's actually quite good. The phrase "less is more" really helps to define this show's quality. Because of the nature of its release, each episode can be as long or short as it needs to be, ensuring that the pacing will never be a problem whilst detailing each self-contained chapter of the tale about a handsome-looking soldier and his moe robot companion. And whilst the show is very dialogue-driven like all anime based on computer novels, Planetarian actually does a pretty good job of making the dialogue contribute to the story rather than just build it up. Every single conversation between the only two characters in this show actually has interesting things to say regarding finding the last remnants of humanity in a world run by artificial intelligence, as well as defining the limits of what artificial intelligence can actually do given their programming amidst the character-building banter in order to give things a certain amount of weight. You won't find any anime meta-humor or dreary slice-of-life in these moe-infested ruins. You'll just find bleakness and attempts to fight it. The visuals in this show are also pretty impressive. They're not the most expressive things in the world, but given David Production's usual luck with animation quality, I'm surprised they put as much effort into this as they have. The actual projector scene that's apparently supposed to be one of two highlights of the original novel (you know what the other highlight is) is not only beautiful, but it really did a good job of sucking me into another world of lavish emotions and escapist freedom to the point that I could probably write an entire post on that scene alone. I'm not kidding when I say that that one scene serves as one of the few reminders regarding why I prefer animation above all other mediums despite my preference towards the noticeably higher quality construction that goes on in the live-action scene (especially these days). My love is rooted all in the unique forms of expressions the medium is capable of, and before people get smart, I don't mean the "funny" kind that Shonen Jump has popularized. Oh, and thank god that Planetarian never goes for facial gag humor either. I've already punched enough holes in my TV monitor trying to block out the exaggerated faces in Rewrite. I am a bit iffy on Yumemi's clumsiness throughout the show. It can be…

You know... I've never written a review before, and let me preface this review by saying; I am not your average viewer, nor will I be your average reviewer. Having said that, lets begin. This will be very short and very simple. This show made be cry like a little bitch. "Whaaaaat?" You might be saying, and that is fair. I am a 26 year old man. The last time I cried was when my mother died when I was 8. I also happen to be a sucker for romance anime/manga and other mushy stuff, and NOTHING has hit my quite like this in some time. The story is simple, the characters aren't really fleshed out, and the ending left me speechless. So why do I rate this show high? Because it impacted me emotionally. That is how I rate my anime. Watch this if you want a short, but sweet, heartfelt story. If you are into that kind of thing, I dont think you will be disappointed. Mufasa out.

Have you wondered what kind of world it'll be when it's ended? Perhaps, will it be one where we can no longer look up at the sky and gaze at the stars during the night? The anime I'm reviewing started out as a visual novel (a kinetic novel, to be exact) from Key, and I actually played it over a year before the anime adaptation was even announced because I just love Key's works; although it started off as a bit of a disappointment, it gradually got a lot better and left me close to tears in the end. With how short it was, however, I thought it would never get an anime adaptation, and when it was, I thought for a second that it was a joke, since it WAS April Fool's Day. However, it turned out to be real (albeit in the form of an ONA), and luckily, it ended up being enjoyable. Ladies and gentlemen, my review of "Planetarian: The Reverie of a Little Planet", or "Planetarian: Chiisana Hoshi no Yume" in Japanese, awaits you! (To read it, that is.) Planetarian, as it shall hence be referred to, takes place 30 years after the failure of the Space Exploration Project has brought an end to the world as we know it. Some men, known as "junkers", seek resources required to survive in this kind of world. One such junker (or Kuzuya, as I shall be referring him to, since he doesn't really have a name) ends up finding his way into a planetarium and meeting a robot named Yumemi Hoshino. Yumemi, unaware of what has happened to the world, attempts to show him a projection of the stars in order to commemorate the planetarium's 2,500,000th customer (although it's actually less than that), but the projector, Miss Jena, stops working. Albeit reluctantly, Kuzuya decides to stay at the planetarium and fix Miss Jena. From here, a heartwarming story unfolds, and Kuzuya ends up finding beauty in the stars that Yumemi shows him. As with all of Key's other works, this story is one that, at one point or another, will tug at your heart strings and, even if you don't cry, leave you on the edge of doing so. There may be only two characters in Planetarian (or at least only two notable characters), but they both manage to keep this anime's story going. Kuzuya is quite an interesting character; he started out very coldhearted, but considering the conditions of Planetarian's world, I can't say I blame him. The development he gets is quite excellent, too. As for Yumemi, one may see her as an annoying character due to how talkative and oblivious she is, but she's actually a very interesting character, as well. I simply cannot picture this anime without her. The animation, done by David Production.... well, I haven't seen a lot of their anime (other than this and Ben-To, which I've currently only seen two episodes of), but their animation in Planetarian is simply BEAUTIFUL, even for an ONA; it's a good match with the story. The voice acting was great, too; Daisuke Ono and Keiko Suzuki did well in their respective roles as Kuzuya and Yumemi. I noticed that Yumemi's voice was a bit deeper than I remembered hearing her in the visual novel, but since it has been over a decade since the visual novel was released, I don't see it as an issue at all. This anime goes without an opening theme, but since it's an ONA with somewhat-short episodes, I can let that slide. The ending theme, "Twinkle Starlight" by Sayaka Sasaki, is a solid song that I've actually listened to countlessly even before this anime's first episode aired. Overall, Planetarian was a very good anime. I'd recommend this anime for Key fans or fans of heartwarming stories in general. I'm also looking forward to the upcoming movie, "Planetarian: Hoshi no Hito", and I'm sure many other people are, as well; after all, the planetarium awaits our return!

Would you consider yourself that you admired or loved a robot once? Even if that robot has a malfunction or not stable? Out of this world, would you still accept it that robots are robot and cannot feel the same as you. Planetarian: Chiisana Hoshi no Yume was originated in a PSP game and it is a Visual Novel (I think because I have played this in my PSP not long ago. This anime is set in a post-apocalyptic setting. It is said that due to the depletion of natural resources, overpopulation, and the failure of the Space Exploration Project, humanity has virtually eradicated itself through biological and nuclear warfare, turning a once prosperous civilization into complete ruin, cast in darkness and poisoned by constant rain from nuclear fallout. What I can see in the anime. There is a guy (a fugitive) who hides from the military that are mostly robots. There he went to an abandoned building and met a robot girl who is talkative but remained there 30 years ago. This a worth watching anime. A sci-fi and romance anime. Well, it is not a 12 episodes anime (It has only 5 episodes) but I loved it till the end. Don't expect a deep romance but expect a warm relationships between those two characters.

This anime is dreadfully boring and is plagued with plot holes and inconsistencies. The main character, who finds a robotic girl working at a planetarium, finds that she is only able to operate for a few hours a day because the power grid has gone down. Yet robot quadruped tanks, that are abandoned left over dregs from a war that ended 29 years ago, have an unending supply of energy. The robotic girl is in some scenes is totally devoid of human emotion like talking to Microsoft Sam but in other portions is suddenly endowed with profound human emotion and intellect. The post apocalyptic setting is very generic and doesn't add anything new to the genre. The pacing is slow and meandering which is a shame because all that wasted time could have been used to answer the many questions I have. Like how do the junkers exactly sell their goods? Do they trade them for money at the market? Is there money or is it a barter system? Where is the junker market? Where exactly are the survivors of the war if major cities are being bogarted by quadruped robot tanks? Why is the robot girl seemingly the only one that ever existed? Overall this anime is bland and lackluster. I would skip it.

"Are you a Junker ?".... "No... I am a Starteller" This was one of those what if anime for me at first but grew on me after the first episode.. Its always raining and he happens to here about a girl robot in this town from his master and she shows him a world he never saw... It was a good watch even with its 5 episodes its really great and the ending just made me burst into tears... Its defiantly one of those shorts that actually have so much to it that you can't get enough of. Though I do say if you have not watched this yet its very good.. Not too much action, but it does make up for it in so many ways....

Why don't you come to the planetarium? The beautiful twinkling of eternity that will never fade, no matter what. All the stars in the sky await you. Story: Being only 5 episodes long, the story is kept simple. Kuzuya starts out not caring about that ridiculously cute robot at all, but ends up staying in the planetarium anyway, slowly growing fond of her. We all know that feeling, things that shouldn't grow on us (a car, a house or other things) and we have a hard time letting it go. If that "something" is a friendly humanoid robot, it's even easier to understand why Kuzuya can't just leave her as she is. It's a beautiful little story about a man opening up his heart in this heartless world. 9/10 Art: The starry sky in Yumemis projection is simply beautiful, a stark contrast to the outside, which is grey and cold. The planetarium feels like a different world. Yumemis character design is very moe, which of course makes her easy to like and care about. And finally the CG effect of the tank robot is very smooth and well done. 9/10 Sound: The soundtrack is (you guessed it) beautiful and strenghtens the emotions of the scenes. However, the anime is just too short for any of the pieces to become truly memorable. Both voice actors do a good job and the sound effects are pretty good too. 8/10 Characters: If you don't like Yumemi you must have no heart. She's kind of like a helpless child and I really, really, really wanted her to be saved. What I especially liked, was that she behaved like an actual robot. She may understand what emotions are, but she does not have them. Everything she does and says is based on her programming and she does not magically become human. Kuzuya was a relatable guy, who of course does not care about either the stars or the robot at first, which makes sense, after all he is struggling for survival. But by pitying Yumemi and his actual love for stars, that he almost forgot, he becomes more human again, even though he never fully forgets the harsh reality. 10/10 Enjoyment: I loved Planetarian. It felt like a futuristic fairytale and of course it had the Key Feels Seal of Approval. 5 episodes was enough to tell this story, though it may prevent a lasting impact for some. I don't know if I will come back to watch this anime again in the future, but the memories of it will always be fond. 9/10 Overall: 9.0/10

Key, you did it again. You made me cry again in the end of fifth episode. Now, I have no regrets picking up this series. Now let's get back to the review. What do I love from this series? It would be all of them. I mean look at it. Look at the animation. It may not too impressive but it's great enough to make me say that the animation is very good. I mean look at the combat sequences. The fluid movements of the combat robots were great. And Planetarian nailed it with combining those great things with a great character development and music. Planetarian did the character developments smoothly enough to make me want to cry in the end. With only two characters to develop, they dedicated their time to maximize the character developments. They give the feel of hope to the desperate MC with a small help from the robot, Yumemi. Oh yeah, have I said that the MC himself didn't have an official name? Well, I think it's a bit tricky to make it stay like that and Planetarian did it flawlessly by making Yumemi called the MC with Mr. Costumer (Kokyaku-sama in Japanese). That let us to imagine who the MC is freely. Even we could make him as a character came from ourselves. Personally, because I love seeing stars, I could relate my feeling to the MC. I knew these days we could not see stars in the city so I need to go to a very distant place just to look into the beautiful stars that I love so much. The music, well I really wanted to say this. It sounds like one of my country's national songs called "Ibu Pertiwi". When I watched this anime in my home's living room, anyone who came across the living room would say that. Well, I heard that the soundtrack itself adapted from a Japanese folk song. Nevertheless, the song itself made this anime more alive. When I heard the soundtrack, I felt myself sitting on soft green grass beneath the starry stars of the lovely clear skies of night which is perfect when you think that this show is revolving around a planetarium. It gave me the sense to understand the characters more and more. Overall, I would like recommend this series to all of you who loves tears shedding shows. I never regret to pick this one up even it was a little bit late.

I haven't been this emotionally devastated in a KEY anime adaptation ever since Little Busters: Refrain. (There will be SPOILERS in my review) [Story]: (8/10) I decided to give this show a shot when I learned that this was an anime adapted from a KEY VN. I kind of knew what I was getting myself into but at the same time, I had no expectations because for the past few years, KEY anime has been disappointing the hell out of me due to poor handling and how rushed they were. Well did Planetarian disappoint me? The answer is....... No! It did not disappoint me and it's been a while since a KEY anime has made me cry. Hell, this series wasn't even rushed. It was short but it still successfully manage to do what it needs to do, in KEY's style, of course. If you've watched KEY's shows before or even played their VN then you know their style. Spend time with the characters then once you warm up to said characters, the real tragedy comes in and that's where it hurts the most. The story is basically simple. The show takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where the human race are nearly extinct and the remaining people called "Junkers" roams the lands and salvages the remaining goods. One Junker managed to enter a dangerous city called "Sarcophagus City" and he found a pre-war Planeterium where he met a female companion robot. Honestly, the story was really predictable and I knew what direction the show was going to head. Was that necessarily a bad thing? For some, probably yes, but for me, no. This is a KEY anime, after all so I knew how this was going to end but this was still an emotional story for me. What I really loved about the series is learning all about the world before and after the tragedy occurred and watching the chemistry grow between the two characters. Seriously, the latter was just amazing to watch and it reminds me why I love how KEY manages to break your damn heart. ______________________________________________________________ [Art/Animation]: (9/10) For an ONA series, the visuals and character designs looks surprisingly great. The visuals looks beautiful and at the same time, managed to capture that lonely and post-apocalyptic world. The animation was also surprisingly consistent. I used the word "Surprisingly" a lot because ONA's don't have that much budget but this looks like a TV series compressed into 5 episodes. ______________________________________________________________ [Sound]: (8/10) The only OSTs that stood out to me was when Yumemi was presenting the beauty of the stars and space in the Planetarium. The OST fitted so perfectly and it made the presentation look more beautiful. My only complaint with the soundtrack department was that they didn't use any insert songs during Yumemi's death scene. I really wished they used one to maximize the feels. I did like the sound of the rain in the background though. It made the death scene more dramatic and it reminded me of that ending scene from Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. Now the ED theme song. The ED theme song is “Twinkle Starlight” by Sayaka Sasaki. In my opinion, this is one of the best ED's I've heard this season. It's tone sounds calm but with a happy tone. It's like the ED is trying to tell us that Yumemi had a happy life before the apocalypse happened. ______________________________________________________________ [Characters]: (8.5/10) There's only two characters in the series, and a bunch of characters from Yumemi's flashbacks. Yumemi Hoshino is a companion robot that works in the Planetarium. She is a very friendly and helpful robot but at the same time, she's annoying. I didn't mean that in a bad way though because the show is fully aware that she's annoying. Well, she was programmed that way so just like the MC, I found her quite annoying at the first episode but also, just like the MC, I got used to her constant talking. Then there's Kuzuya, the main character of the series. Based on his appearance, he's in his mid 30's and it's very refreshing to see an older mature MC. He's basically a Junker and Yumemi calls him "Mr. Customer" because he never told Yumemi his name. I really love Kuzuya's short but sweet character development. It's one of the main reasons why I was able to sympathize with him when Yumemi "died" at the end. ______________________________________________________________ [Enjoyment]: (8/10) I really enjoyed this short ONA series from the start till the end. I never felt bored and even when they decided to expand the time from 15 mins. to 21 mins. in the 3rd episode, it still felt short. ______________________________________________________________ [VERDICT] I didn't know shit about "Planeterium: The Reverie of a Little Planet" until FUNimation announced their Broadcast Dub Lineup. I was like "Hey, Look! A KEY anime being dubbed by Funi. I might as well give this a shot". I'm glad, I did. The show is short but the story was good and it was very easy to invest myself into the characters. Even though I already knew about Yumemi's fate, being a KEY anime and all, I still cried at the end. Honestly, I just couldn't believe that I cried over a dying robot. The show just did a great job making Yumemi feel more like an innocent human being. If you're a fan of KEY anime stories then this is a must-watch. [OVERALL]: (8.5/10) Pros: +One of the best KEY anime I've seen in a while +Short but emotional and heartwarming story +Watching the chemistry grow between Kuzuya and Yumemi was great. +Amazing Soundtrack during Yumemi's presentations Cons: -

I must say I am impressed. After watching only 5 episodes this anime has done a lot more than most anime I see these days. The story was great, characters were great, and I overall enjoyed it a lot seeing as how I watched through this anime in one sitting. The story was very well done. It showed us how robots are built for one thing and they can't adapt to others unless we program them to do so. The characters were great even though it really only had two characters. One character knew what the world had become while the other was completely lost. She did not know what had happened and was still doing what she was suppose to be doing. Then the guy starts to grow on the girl even though she is a robot and wants her to live. The ending is truly sad, I am impressed this anime could pull off something like that so quickly. I highly recommend you watch this anime. It's only 5 episodes long. There is also a movie set to come out later this summer and I know I will be watching it.

This is the second time that I write a review for an anime, and I am brazilian... So again,I would like to say sorry if I make some mistakes... Before starting the review, I would like to say that this anime is... Underrated... Sound. (6/10) It isn't a bad sound... But it's too simple and I did not enjoyed it... So I think a 6 is a fair rate... Character. (7/10) They are good characters, they have a great development, but a specific character is a bit... "annoying" Yumemi cof cof*, BUT I still like her,I just think they could do a "better Yumemi" BUT, Kuzuya is a very good character, and he has a good personality and good development. Art and Animation. (8,5/10) (Art) (7,5/10) The art is a "normal" art, but, a good art, I like and I think a better art, is the art that differentiates from the other anime... But as I said, it's a good art. (Animation) (9,/10) I am really surprised about the animation of this anime... It is a GREAT animation, and a beautiful animation, I was impressed with the animation... But why I dont rate it a 10/10? I think other animes have a better animation, but just a BIT better... Story. (9/10) This is one of the best parts of the anime, the story, Planetarian is a great and a rich story, but i dont rate it a 10/10 because I think it was too fast... I think one or two more episodes would be better... BUT as i said, is a great story. Enjoyment. (10/10) I enjoyed a lot this anime... I laughed a lot with some Yumemi scenes, I cried, I thinked a lot in very aspects of the anime, so my enjoyment was 10/10. Overall. (9/10) This is almost a masterpiece, I just think the characters could be better, like Yumemi, and I think the pacing of the story was very fast, so I think a 9/10 is fair.

Planetarian is a short and concise story that will most certainly make you cry. To start off, the plot is fairly simple and straightforward without to many complicated details or mysteries; but that is how it should be. The point of the series is to show how people connect with each other, and become attached to one another through simple action and conversation. There are really only two characters in this series, but that only makes this premise all the more visible. You really get to feel, and understand these characters, not only through their interactions with the other, but also in how they behave. While one is hopeful, and optimistic about the future, the other has seen the realities of the new world they live in, and has a much more cynical view of things. Even though they have their differences, each character looks towards the other for guidance and for company. The two characters end up relying on the other for something to hold onto, and something to validate their existence. It isn't until the end that this realization comes to the characters, and is this realization that changes them. This show is certainly a tearjerker, and the impressive use of atmosphere only emphasizes this fact; rain is more than what you think it is.

"Why don't you come to the planetarium? The beautiful twinkling of eternity that will never fade, no matter what. All the stars in the sky are waiting for you." Planetarian has always been a bit of an outsider for a Key work. Unlike the company's most famous visual novels, Planetarian is fairly simplistic and very short. However, that doesn't mean it's bad and it also comes with the advantage of being extremely easy to adapt. While it may have been somewhat overshadowed by Rewrite this season, the difference is that this is actually a good adaptation. The story takes place in a dystopian future world in a seemingly ruined city. Hostile robots guard the streets and all human inhabitants have long since abandoned the place. It is here we find our nameless protagonist: a middle-aged soldier trying to scavenge the city for supplies whilst trying his best to avoid the sentient droids patrolling it. His search eventually leads him to a wrecked planetarium where he's shocked to meet an innocent-looking young girl who welcomes him to the building. At first he thinks she is an enemy, but before long finds out that the girl, called Hoshino Yumemi, is actually a broken robot. Not the kind that aggressively roams the city outside, but rather an old humanoid service robot working for the planetarium, left inside all alone for decades ever since the city was abandoned. And so begins the melancholic story of Planeterian, where a scarred old war dog finally gets a new chance to reflect on his life and find something to give it some meaning rather than just trying to stay alive. The soldier (generally just referred to as "Mr Customer") takes shelter in the planetarium for a while, but Yumemi, being ecstatic over her first customer in ages, is very enthusiastic to show off all the attractions the establishment has to offer. I think it can be pretty easy to get annoyed with her overwhelming in-your-face attitude, but at the same time you have to realize that she is in fact an AI, and as she admits herself, a malfunctioning one at that, and with that taken into account I think she's a fairly realistically portrayed character. She has no idea of what has happened in the outside world, nor is she capable of properly understanding that there is anything wrong with the current situation, despite her awareness of the fact that she hasn't had a customer in years. Her constant cheerful demeanor, unwavering enthusiasm to service her customer, full obedience of anything he tells her, and inability to properly adapt to unexpected events all feel very natural for a robot. But it also works very well due to the enormous contrast Yumemi is to the protagonist. He is tough, cold, stoic, distrusting and very rarely shows any signs of emotion. While not much of it is actually told to the viewers directly, it's clear that he's been through a lot of grim and depressing things over the years. Speaking of which, regarding the whole state of the world itself, very little is actually told. You get a brief explanation of what has happened at one point, but it's not very detailed. However, I don't really think that's detrimental to the show as a whole because it's not really a necessity for what the story is actually about, and sometimes leaving things up to interpretation can actually be a good thing. Despite the dystopian sci-fi premise, I would honestly say Planetarian is more catered to fans of iyashikei anime due its slow-paced and simplistic yet melancholic and reflective narrative themes. Most of the show consists of the duo simply talking with each other inside the planetarium, trying to repair some of the broken equipment, and Yumemi narrating about the stars. Rather than having any deep story in the outside world itself, it instead tries to showcase how a person can be affected by their direct polar opposite when put in such a lonely and desperate environment. It's the kind of show which allows you to simply lean back and reflect on yourself and perhaps make you appreciate what life actually has to offer a little bit more. And then in typical Key fashion, it eventually all culminates in a rather dramatic and emotional climax, though whether that'll actually make you feel anything or not is of course entirely individual. Overall, Planetarian is by no means a masterpiece, but just like how I thought the game was one of the best short visual novels I've played, I'd say the adapted version is also one of the better short anime I've seen. For what is actually nothing more than a 5-episode ONA series, it's hard to find something of equivalent quality to Planetarian.

planetarian ~reverie of a little planet~ was the first visual novel I've ever read and completed fully. That was way back in 2014. I remember loving it to death and always wanted to see a movie adaptation of this, since I didn't really think it'd fit for an anime. And here we are with an...anime adaptation of planetarian. While they did manage to execute this fairly well, I still think a movie version would've been better. Regardless, let's get into the review. I will not be spoiling anything, I'm gonna give my thoughts and nothing else. --STORY AND CHARACTERS-- I'm really surprised to say that David did not seem to cut any corners with the planetarian adaptation. If you've read the VN, the anime is pretty much a one-to-one retelling of the VN. The same emotional story that was in the original translated well in this adaptation in my opinion and overall was executed just as well as in the original VN. For a 5 episode series or roughly a 3 hour visual novel, the story is great. I have nothing to nitpick on, really. Not even the main characters. Normally I would complain about the main male character being the way he is in the anime and VN, however, given the context - it's perfectly understandable. And can I say that Hoshino Yumemi is still one of my favorite robot characters of all time? Because she is. But yeah, the story is short and sweet, easy to get involved and invested in and easily watchable in 1 clear sitting in less than 2 hours. --ART AND SOUND-- I'm personally not a fan of David's animation. In my opinion, the same generic animation issues from their adaptation of Hyperdimension Neptunia still persist in their adaptation of planetarian. And while, yes, their animation works for the most part in this adaptation, since there isn't a lot of action going on throughout the majority of the anime, when it gets to the more "intense" scenes is when I feel that David seems to struggle with, since they don't really look that great. As for the sound - I have NO complaints here. I just love how they reused the beautiful OST from the game rather than making their own remakes, which added a bit of a slight nostalgia trip for me (even though I read the VN 2 years ago) as well as Yumemi's and the main character's voices were done great. While I do wish that they reused the original voices from the VN for Yumemi, I still think that whoever voiced her in this adaptation did a very good job at doing so. --OVERALL-- This is one of the best VN anime adaptations I've seen, personally. Short and sweet without cutting any corners and with pretty much no change in tone or characteristics from the original VN. David Animation - you definitely outdid yourselves with this and honestly - round of applause to you, good sirs. Do I recommend to watch this? Just as with the Visual Novel, my answer is a very solid YES. You really have nothing to lose, the VN is just as short as the anime, so either one will do you great justice. planetarian still remains one of my favorites even after 2 years of being an otaku.