Planetarian: Chiisana Hoshi no Yume

Planetarian: The Reverie of a Little Planet Review (NO SPOILERS) If you know about some of my favorite anime series of all time, you'll more than likely know that I am a HUGE fan of Key. Key is a company that makes visual novels that are centered around ripping your heart right out of your chest and tearing it to shreds, while burning it to crisp right after beating it into the ground. In other words, they're good at making you cry. I've been a fan of Key for a LONG time. I discovered them by accident and I am forever grateful for it. My first Key anime was Air, a show that is very dear to my heart. I then proceeded to watch their other works. First Air, then Angel Beats, then Clannad, and then Kanon. Every single one of these is a masterpiece and is legendary for its masterful storytelling and absolutely perfect visuals. Ever since finishing those shows, I would check the Key Wikipedia article, to see when the other Key Visual novels got an anime adaptation. A few years later, a new Key anime released, called Little Busters. And it definitely lived up to the legacy that the shows before it had created. And just a few weeks ago, a new Key anime called Rewrite has begun airing. Needless to say, I was extremely excited to see it. But there was one Key visual novel that I didn't think would ever get an anime adaptation, simply because of how different it is from all the rest. And that is Planetarian. I actually didn't know that this show had even gotten confirmed to become an anime, until the day of Episode 1's release. When I finally heard the news, I flipped out. I was SO excited! But because I absolutely adore these Key shows, I waited until the anime had finished, before watching it. Thankfully, Planetarian is only 5 episodes long, so it wasn't a very long wait. I just watched all 5 in one sitting and just like all the Key animes before it, Planetarian has left me in complete awe, amazement, and sadness. So like I said, this anime is only 5 episodes long. Making it the shortest Key anime. Considering the type of show that it is, 5 episodes is plenty of time to tell its story. I could totally see them adding to it, and expanding the universe even a LITTLE bit. Not as in a sequel, but if they had added some elements into the story right from the get go, they could've easily made this a 12-13 episode anime. I know they could've done it, considering how masterful Key stories always tend to be. But I am still 100% satisfied with what I got. Now, the animation for the first 3 Key animes were done by the lord and savior of anime, Kyoto Animation. However, after Clannad, Key has been jumping from company to company, when adapting their future visual novels into anime series. Angel Beats was animated by P.A. Works, Little Busters was done by J.C. Staff, Rewrite was animated by 8-Bit, and Planetarian was animated by David Production, whose other works include Soul Eater, Code Geass, Black Butler, and Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. This is actually my first time seeing any of David Production's work, believe it or not. And what a wonderful show to start with. Planetarian was beautiful, to say the least. If there's something I can promise you with every Key anime, its beautiful animation. For the most part, it's just really above average. But there are some instances where they just knock it out of the park, as Key tends to do. Honestly, there were several times where I went rewound parts or paused the episode, just so I can look at the scenery, in all its details. Congratulations, David Production. You've won me over in just one show. Another thing I can always promise you with every Key anime is that it'll have phenomenal music. Absolutely beautiful tracks that add so much to the scenes that they're in. There's no other way of putting it. Planetarian's soundtrack is just as wonderful as all the rest. The only complaint I could come up with is that there's actually no opening theme to this show. Since it's technically not a full fledged anime series, being only 5 episodes, I guess they didn't think it was deserving of one? The show does have an ending theme, though. Unfortunately, the ending theme is drawn in a less detailed, chili art style. It's ok, and the song is alright, but I definitely would've loved to see a full blown opening for this show. Especially considering the openings for other Key shows are some of the best openings in anime history. Like I said before, this show is VERY different from other Key visual novels. This is actually the only one that doesn't take place in a high school setting. I'd elaborate more on what the show IS about, but I think it'd be best to discover it on your own. I will say that because of the type of show that it is, there is a very small amount of main characters. Or rather, there's a very small amount of characters, period. When deciding whether to watch this show in sub or dub, the first episode is all you'll need to watch, in order to review every character's voice in the show. Speaking of the sub vs dub debate, which one do I prefer? Well to be perfectly honest, one thing that Key animes don't have a very great reputation for are its english dubs. Personally, I'm actually a fan of the english dub of Air and Angel Beats. But for Clannad, Kanon, and Little Busters, I can't say I'm a fan. Planetarian was given the red carpet treatment by Funimation, as soon as it was released. The first english dubbed episode is already released for you to check out. Like I said, that'll be all you'll need to watch, to decide which dub you like more. This one sounded alright, and I can honestly recommend watching the english version simply so you can look at the visuals for longer periods of time. Here's hoping that the rest of the english episodes can do the show justice, when they release. But for now, all I can promise you that the Japanese version did its job perfectly. I was a bit hesitant to give this show as much praise as I wanted to, at first. It's only 5 episodes long, so does it really deserve to be held in such high regard as one of the best anime that I've seen? Honestly... yes. Yes it does. Even if it was only 5 episodes, I enjoyed this show just as much as any other Key anime I've seen. I even liked it more than Kanon, which is 26 episodes! This show has the perfect music and animation that Key is always known for having. The characters are very likable and you'll love just seeing them interact with one another. I especially love characters that don't really mix well together, but wound up together simply because of the current circumstance. The small moments where things are happy, even if it's just a general conversation, they always manage to make you smile. And just like every other Key anime, it'll manage to slam a meteor of sadness, plummeting right down into your soul. Only 5 episodes? That's all the time they needed, to leave their mark. There's not much else I can say, really. It's a Key anime. Key is and always will be legendary, and held in the highest regard as one of the greatest storytellers of all time. Planetarian: The Reverie of a Little Planet gets a 10/10

When i saw this anime was announced i knew that there was going to be something special. The story is very flushed out despite it being short and the art is really beautiful, breathtaking and sometimes awe inspiring but im getting too ahead of myself. I loved the way that sound was used to add meaning to not only the anime itself but also too particular scenes like for example the sound of footsteps to certain music scores adding depth and meaning to the scene that its used in. Character development is really good because it not only steadily paced but it also makes us the viewer like these characters and actually care about them and in particularly one but you will have to watch it first. Despite it being 5 episodes long i actually quite enjoyed the "mini series" as i would call it and i would recommend it to anyone who has just a few minutes out of their day or if just looking for something to finish in some days.

Have you ever wondered how the world could be like after the third world war? Would it look like a total wasteland? Would the people still live together? How would they ensure their survival? And do they even have hope left? All these questions and more are addressed by Planetarian: Chiisana Hoshi no Yume, one of the best Key adaptations to the current day. The story is set in a dystopian future after a nuclear world war, where the towns are lonely places and people have to collect everything in those places, that could further ensure their survival. Many dangers still lurk around after the war, that could lead to a quick death instead of more resources. In this setting, the main character "Junker" comes to one of the abandoned cities which are still pestered by post-war issues. After dealing with one of them, he meets a robot, Yumemi Hoshino, in an (again) abandoned planetarium. This robot is against all expectations not hostile, but one of the last remaining supporters of humanity. While being ticked off by her initial cheerful behavior, the protagonist slowly accepts her as being an individual and not just additional luggage. Not only that, but through her special show, he slowly finds another meaning in life besides simply surviving and wants to give his newly attained hope to other people as well. Talking about Yumemi, she appears to be broken because she stutters the same sentence every time the protagonist doesn't care or know an answer. She also can't comprehend the changes in the environment after the war, thus being completely oblivious to the outer world and just having the planetarium as last. But she also has some background story as to why she is broken or probably not as broken as one could think and a pretty logical reason which could in some cases apply to humans as well. So this anime features a good deal of the hope-despair theme in a dystopian future, how it could look like and what post-war damages it could contain, and the further meaning of life other than simply survival. Planetarian: Chiisana Hoshi no Yume is an excellent adaptation of the VN and grasped my attention every second I watched it. Perhaps some aspects could have been better explained, but it left me satisfied and is a story worth to remember whenever someone thinks about a possible world war, which might happen in the far (or not so far) future. It captured the theme well enough to be a realistic possibility. Despite this anime being very good, it has also some small issues like the pacing which becomes a bit inconsistent during episode 2 and 3. Besides from that, it was consistent and didn't have any particular swings in episode 1, 4 and 5. Furthermore, it's kept pretty simple, which could make it an issue for some people, but that is also the beauty of this short series. It doesn't rely on fancy stuff to support it and trying to sugarcoat the world, it features only this particular small story around two people (well, one robot and one human) and how their interaction ultimately ends up changing each other. The world building is also kept to a bare minimum. The art and animation looks very beautiful and adds to the sad atmosphere of the anime, while the music makes it downright depressing. Although the ending is not on the same level as the other OST in the anime, the music left a positive impression on me and added to the anime instead of being an issue for me. The voice acting was also good and didn't lower my enjoyment.

I have only recently become acquainted with Keys works through their anime adaptations, I knew of them clearly (who hasn’t heard of Clannad?) but never really watched nor played anything by them. That changed with Planetarian, a 5 episode series based on one of Keys Visual Novels. Does the run time bring too many hurdles or slump mid way? The plot is as described above and in more detail than the anime itself surprisingly. I like the setup here, a dystopian-esque world with as much mystery as anything. Unlike one point I will get onto later I kind of like that there was no detailed background into how the world got this way, there was a brief explanation by the Junker but that was it. It adds to the gloominess of the setting. There are only two characters here with a few shown in flashback. Yumemi is the one with which we feel the most for. A robot built and designed to help people and to show off their attraction: the planetarium. Having been in what is effectively slumber for so long she doesn’t take in what has happened to this world. Every day she goes to the doors to attempt to attract customers. This goes further as well as she calls for help, apologises to the Junker for being unable to get that assistance, asking him how his day was, what he does, what he will do. It is heart breaking to see her act like this seemingly oblivious to the fate of the outside world with her optimism that those who created her will come back for her. The Junker on the other hand is what you’d call a gentleman. He is very savvy, knows full well how to survive in this world. He eventually offers to help her desire to show him this presentation and before he knows it begins to care for Yumemi as he sees her as more than a simple robot. It is common to see feelings like these in shows with robots but the execution here is what makes it stand out from the crowd and make it absorbing. We know he has suffered in this world but Yumemi offers him a glimmer of hope and respite from that world. It is truly heart warming as their relationship grows. Whilst the relationship is strong here I wasn’t as emotionally invested in the series as I could have been, sure I was sad at the end but nothing more. I put it down to not knowing much, if anything about this unnamed Junker. We had Yumemis side which was engaging and sad but not the other half and this was what I felt was lacking here. An episode or two more to give a bit more on him would have elevated this series to the heights it so nearly reached. Its strange as we are shown he is not a means to an ends, that there may be something about him but it is never explored. Another issue I did have with this was that the warning signs were all too obvious what kind of ending this was going to end with. You could tell that with every piece of knowledge we gained on Yumemi it was leading to this ending. It felt too obvious and along with the above lessened the impact of the finale somewhat. Visually the show has some really, really beautiful moments and when set against the depressing, gloomy world outside the planetarium these shine through much stronger. That gloomy world though is what you’ll mostly see throughout the 5 episodes. With the incessant rain, abandoned and decaying buildings we’ve become accustomed to in post apocalyptic lands it works well. Sure it’s not particularly pleasant on the eye but it isn’t supposed to be, this world is bleak and tough for everyone who lives, the planetarium provides not only small respite but also us, the viewers. The scene when Yumemi is showing the Junker the actual presentation is wonderful full of incredible detail and bright, vivid colours. It takes you into their world for that moment, away from dystopian real world. Its impact is so much stronger because of this, the slow build up to it and the stop start nature of getting it to finally run. It is quite educational in the sense that it goes through some of the constellations in detail whilst providing some back-story with how they came to be. I found this fascinating and coupled with the visuals was really immersive. I have always wondered who teaches people about constellations and such as it was never touched upon in my schools but here it gave me something informative and actually made me want to know more about the stars because this has shown me that they can be stunning. The animation for the most part is par for the course. There are a couple of action scenes that look good but otherwise there isn’t that much that is impressive. It kind of doesn’t need to be either as the setting, what happens and the characters are going at a relaxed pace, there is nothing hectic here to animate, nothing excessive and that is fine. For a 5 episode series it has surprising impact on you. It leaves out too much for my liking though and it harms the series because of it. A couple of minor flaws aside though it does not stop the series from shining. I thoroughly recommend watching this. It draws you in for those 5 episodes and doesn’t let go.

This is a perfect example of all the worst things that Studio Key does. The story has a long boring build up, with little bits of intrigue splashed in that never lead anywhere. The ending is a typical Key ending that tries to tug on the heartstring in the cheapest ways possible. Not only does the ending come off as a complete non sequitur (that is a fancy word for asspull), but the ending also undercuts the whole message of the show. The characters are not too bad, but not very interesting either. The design of the girl is servicable as cute moe girl and the guy looks like every anime dude ever. He is the typical asshole character that softens up and she is the typical naive clumsy girl. The characters have quirks, they have backstories, but it never really goes deeper than "he is grumpy", "she is naive". These are character traits, but never really add up to full fledged characters. The animation is nicely done though, and the little details make some shots really stand out. There isn't all that much to talk about in the sound department. Most scenes have either no music or generic soft piano music playing. There is some variation, but it all sounds a bit too generic to stand out in any meaningful way. The voice acting is nothing special, the monotone voice of the robot girl can become a bit grinding, because you will be listening to it a whole bunch, almost uninterrupted. Overall this looks nice, but the story is just a cheap excuse to deliver people some "feels". If you are someone sensitive to that sort of stories, I highly recommend this anime. Just realize that this is the pulp of sad emotional stories. If you are someone looking for a good story, with an interesting premise, good character development and a satisfying ending, that takes you serious as a intelligent human being, I would skip this one.

"I pray that you will never forget this starry sky." --Yumemi Hoshino One of the first works that visual novel titan Visual Art's/Key ever published, Planetarian is near-universally loved for its brief and yet evocative story of a broken planetarium inhabited by an adorable android and discovered by a cynical junk-collector. These two are all alone in a post-apocalyptic world covered in eternal rain. It's a story that you can finish in an afternoon, but will stick with you well beyond its running time. 12 years have passed since its release, and it finally gets an anime adaptation. This is one of two Key works getting an anime this season (Rewrite), and although Rewrite is far from finished at the time of the review, Planetarian destroys it in its level of faithful adaptation and raw quality. For the uninitiated, this short story is gorgeous and impactful. For those familiar with the source material, this is an opportunity to see the characters and events animated with the level of quality reserved for movies. In the spots where it takes liberties with the source material, it does so in a favorable direction, giving the Junker some much-needed depth and accentuating Yumemi's adorable lack of common sense. The music is largely pulled from the VN. It's gorgeous, as is most Key music, and punctuates the scenes marvelously. Keiko Suzuki returns to voice Yumemi Hoshino, the aforementioned robotic planetarium employee, and Daisuke Ono puts together a gritty performance as the previously-unvoiced and nameless "Junker". The sound effects and voice acting in the climactic finale are on point throughout, bringing the entire performance to a grand conclusion that will leave you pining to see more. And wouldn't you know it, there's a movie continuation coming out in September 2016. My only issue with this adaptation is that it took so long to come out, and admittedly the brief run time leaves little time for the audience to connect with the characters on the level needed to maximize the emotional impact of its dramatic conclusion. For that reason, it doesn't quite leave its mark the way most Key works do, but it's still worth your time if the premise intrigues you. If you're a diehard Planetarian or Key fan, you owe it to yourself to see what a great job David Production have done with this beloved work. Until next time, please go visit your local planetarium. And try not to cry.

Planetarian is a Japanese post-apocalyptic visual novel developed by Key, whose previous works also include Kanon and Air. It was released over the Internet on November 29, 2004 for Windows PCs, and is rated for all ages. The game was later ported to the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable, as well as to mobile devices. Key defines Planetarian as a ‘kinetic novel’, since its gameplay offers no choices or alternate endings: the player proceeds through the story solely by reading. In 2016 the visual novel receives an anime (which adapts the main game’s story) and a movie adaption. The author describes Planetarian: Chiisana Hoshi no Yume as ‘A certain woman's story’ and Planetarian: Hoshi no Hito as ‘A certain man's story’. Hoshino Yumemi is the robot working at a shopping mall. She was created by a group of scientists to advertise the planetarium she was working in, as well as to help customers. One day, however, the humanity shows its true color and the world we know no longer exists. Humans still exist, though, but it will take you awhile to find even one. Anyways, the poor robot still fulfills her duties, but does it rarely, since electricity is quite a big rarity. However, this dead city still has many valuables and because of that, The Junker chooses this city. Running away from the robots that still protect the city, he finds himself in the planetarium, where Hoshino Yumemi works. At first, he regards her as a threat, but after some time he reconsiders his attitude towards her and even stays to help her repair the projector. It is quite a task to give a good description of the story-line of this anime without giving away spoilers. But I must say that it is surprisingly well-written; you are given all the information you need. It has never been annoying and it surely will not be boring, since there are just… TOO MANY DISTURBING THINGS about it. Animation wise, it does its magic well. The world of Planetarian is very dark and gloomy and the animation perfectly depicts the emptiness of the dead city. The anime also has some good character designs and pays attention to many small details. Sound wise, the ED song ‘Twinkle Starlight’ by Sayaka Sasaki fits the theme of the series well. The background sounds and the music fit each scene, too. Most of the time you will hear The Junker’s monologues, who is voiced by Ono Daisuke, by the way. Do I even need to add anything? Character wise, there are two main characters: The Junker and Yumemi Hoshino. Yumemi is a robot who was designed to look like a teenage girl. She is programmed to be helpful to the customers visiting the shopping mall and the planetarium. The Junker is the protagonist and also the narrator of the series. He wanders into the dead city trying to find some valuables and food. There, in the dead city, he meets a robot. He is living a very difficult life and because of that he has quite a problematic personality. However, as the series progresses, he undergoes some awesome character development. Before finishing my review, I would like to explain one thing. You should only evaluate Planetarian after finishing BOTH the movie and the ONA. Without its continuation, the OVA is average. However, after finishing the movie, you will have a good understanding of what Planetarian really is. Planetarian is a great sci-fi series, which depicts a situation that might also happen with the world we live in; there is a probability that it might happen. Aside from the realism, the anime offers a very dark story with some great drama, which is never forced, or overused. All in all, this title deserves 8/10. The only problem that I have with it is that it becomes boring sometimes; Key’s fans you are ready, though. That said, Planetarianit is still a very unique picture with a grain of realism. If you like the anime, do check the vn!

When I first found out about this anime I was shocked. If you guys don't know, this anime was adapted from a visual novel of which I read long, long ago at least a year or two old. Both being really similar, but not exactly alike. It's a great plot, the characters are well made, background, and for being such a short story I'm impressed at how good it is, truly. That being said, I have two things I would like to say. The first, is that I hope they come out with a sequel, the plot has a great foundation for it to expand into an actual, full-sized anime. The second, is that I'm a little disappointed on how they adapted the anime, its good, but the major difference in the visual novel compared to the anime just left me slack-jawed. If you want to know what it is, you should go play the visual novel. (Don't worry its short.) I personally, after watching the anime, like the VN better. Its a tad bit more detailed, but hey, that's because its the original. Anyways, all in all. The anime was great I give it an 8/10.

First Review So...I found about this anime when I just looked for more anime to put in my "watch later" list. I saw that it was only 5 episodes long so I decided to watch it. I thought there was no harm there. But there was. As soon as I finished watching it it left me emotional. It was only 5 episodes long too but of course it was because of the robot AKA Hoshino Yumemi. The surprising part of this anime was that it went from happy or at least peaceful to completely dramatic in like 1 episode. The story was good for a 5 episode anime and it was worth the watch (Some action too) There was some character developing if not a little. But I still loved the characters and even the MC. All in all if you like the "guy meets robot" types of anime then watch it. You won't regret it (I hope)

Gone. There is no sadder word in the English language than "gone". What was present is here no longer, and can never be brought back. It's a word laced with tragedy, and is synonymous with the sands of time and inevitability. And if there is any one word that I'd associate with Planetarian: Chiisana Hoshi no Yume (Planetarian: The Reverie of a Little Planet), it is "gone". Planetarian takes place on a post apocalyptic Earth, 30 years after a failed Space Colonization Project has failed and a deadly rain continuously falls upon the few humans who are left alive. But the meat of what makes up Planetarian is not the setting, it's everything else. From the moment the Space Colonization Project is introduced, it's very clear that Planetarian has its heads in the clouds. More specifically, it's seemingly in a constant state of gazing up at the stars like the giant projector Jena that the character Yumemi Hoshino operates. Yumemi Hoshino is one of our main characters, along with Kuzuya, a junker. While Kuzuya is where our story begins and ends, it's his experience with Yumemi that defines Chiisana Hoshi no Yume. Yumemi represents everything that Planetarian is at its core: optimistic, pessimistic, realistic, stubborn, air-headed, and another tragedy at the hands of time. What I mean by that is that Yumemi was left behind by her creators when the bombs fell, left to attend to the Planetarium by herself. But what makes this situation tragic is that she cannot grasp that the world has basically ended. She continuously welcomes the rare person that walks by and tries accessing databases that have long since cease functioning. She's somewhat air-headed if you discount the fact that her programming prevents her from moving on. She's a relic of the past and represents what is "gone" when an entire society comes to and end. When Kazuya comes across her, he initially assumes that she's just another relic of the past that only serves to annoy him and remind of what humanity lost. But in rummaging among what was left behind, Kazuya finds something inside of this lost robot. The relationship that develops between Kazuya and Yumemi not only improves them as both humans and robots respectively, but also serves as a metaphor for one of the underlying messages of the show: technology (robots) was meant to benefit mankind, even if it can also doom it (the very bombs and security robots that occupy the streets and try to kill survivors). Yumemi frequently states that "I am a little broken", which is a pretty fitting statement for the dualistic message of optimism and pessimism the show employs: we as humans are flawed and imperfect by nature, but we're capable of overcoming that and growing from any mishaps we create. Life goes on and time stops for no one, not man nor machine. As far as visual novel adaptations go, I'm usually not a fan. However, Planetarian: Chiisana Hoshi no Yume is a fantastic exception. Studio David did an excellent job here, from the very solid animation to the heartfelt and incredibly atmospheric score. While there are a lot of cliche and even sappy moments in the writing and the character designs could certainly use some work, Planetarian is a great show that absolutely deserves a watch. Planetarian: Chiisana Hoshi no Yume gets an 8/10.

Planetarian is a short, minimalistic, pleasant little movie much in line with the previous works of Key. If you've enjoyed their other productions you'll likely enjoy this too. There's a limit to how attached you can get to a character in an hour and a half, so the length, while obviously by design, does have its drawbacks. Nevertheless, while I wasn't absolutely heartbroken by the sad ending of this anime I was emotionally touched more than not at all. I think this could have made for a fine 12 episode anime series, but as a significantly shorter movie I was still pleased with what we got. The music was often pretty, but there wasn't that one spectacular piece that really stole the show and commanded my attention. The voice acting from the two leads (in English) felt solid and believable and they clearly contrasted each other as intended. Recommended to fans of Key and to those who view anime as an art form. Shounen fans, action junkies, horror/gore people, not so much. OBJECTIVE RATING- 7-7.5 PERSONAL ENJOYMENT RATING- 7.5-8

I found the game version some time ago on steam and was probably the first contender for the "things to give feels". After reading the summary and some Steam reviews it started to sound interesting but I didn't buy the game. Couple years after I finally watched this anime and it was different than I expected but because I misunderstood the plot summary. Story was nice and simple and well-fitted for the unusual 5 episodes long visual novel (or "series" as I would say). Plot was simple at first but at least for me it started to create small questions I would have had an answer to, like how was Hoshino's life during those years before meeting Kuzuya or why he decided to stay there in the first place. There were some CGI scenes to make the art look even more pretty, but half of them were completely unnecessary and could have used for something else instead. Music was pretty silent at first but in some scenes it really started to play and sounded good. Also, the sound effects were loud and kinda awesome at times. Characters were nice and somewhat classical: overly talkative and positive person and slightly more silent and even grumpy one. Mixing two extremities usually brings interesting situations and interactions with one another. Their relationship with each other can get predictable, however. Enjoyment was surprisingly nice because seeing this being ONA kinda got me worried about its quality as an anime in general but luckily, for me at least, it didn't. It would have great amount of material for finding all the mistakes, the big and the small ones, though. Part of me says that the series was too short that "I would have wanted to see what happens next" but the last scene kinda tells the viewer how it would end up afterwards. Overall this was kinda nice and short anime to watch and I might look forward to get the game as well, if it comes on sale. The 5 episodes still had plenty of content in them and can get you to seek out more information of what's happening or have happened. Perhaps the game could tell some more then. Have to admit that Hoshino is adorable for being a robot.

Constructing an immersive fictional world is no easy task. It doesn't matter wheater it's a fantasy or a dystopia that's being constructed. Worldbuilding will always be bounded by the same difficulties. For instance, sci-fi may spend its time cultivating the latest gadgets to please our curious minds. Doing so is more than acceptable. After all, maintaining what makes fiction intriguing is key to storytelling. But if it were to waste time with its exposition, it'll waver in an attempt to locate the essence which it was trying to portray. Which reveals a factor in bad worldbuilding; the tendency to cautiously avoid the dreaded influence of The Real World. Ironically enough, a balance between, say, exhilarating magic and reality must be maintained. Said magic just seems conspicuous if no interweavings of the latter are placed. A break from reality can't be deemed as such until the imaginability of fiction shows a hint of creative reality within itself. It's what allows us to confidently cling onto the suspension of disbelief and connect to that enthralling ride beyond our dreams. The anime adaption of the original Key visual novel, Planetarian: Chiisana Hoshi no Yume, just so happens to be building its own worlds. Being abundant in demolished buildings, skies being engulfed by darkness, and a sheer lack of inhabiting humans, the setting which it's trying to emulate should be evident. The post-apocalyptic setting, a goldmine of a setting for dramatic characterization and thought-provoking themes. Such a premise should come off as striking when put alongside its Key predecessors. The dismal atmosphere shatters any chances of there being anything remotely like childhood promises or magical orbs. Planetarian is only comprised of deteriorated roads, all which lead to a single, abandoned planetarium that awaits for no one. But the setting alone isn't the only eye-catching difference. Planetarian narrates its entire story in just the duration of five episodes, an unconventional length for most modern anime. With how grandiose and insightful narratives of its setting can get, combined with the notorious reputation its predecessors have, Planetarian has some burdening exceptions to dispel. Its terse length, in this case, seems to add more fuel to the fire. In particular, it arouses worries relating to pacing and all the storytelling factors dependent on it. On the first inspection, these worries definitely manifest their influence on the narrative. Characters are devoid of complexity in favor of more simple outlines. Similarly, the world they struggle in is never provided with an insightful background. In most cases, attributes that can alarm a red flag. Fortunately, the directing in Planetarian acknowledges that its length binds it with these limitations. To achieve coherency, said limitations attempt to optimize themselves within the context of the story. And boy does Planetarian execute this well. By being largely consistent and subdue in its presentation, depth is created by framing the narrative with the developed realization of it being within an apocalypse. All done despite the trigger of such scenario being inexplicable at best. For Planetarian, crafting the scenario at its most basic level is what allows ambiguity to sweep in. A trait which is most intriguing for a post-apocalypse, wherein mysterious elements surrounding the world are likely to induce engrossment. Now, utilizing minimal exposition, if any at all, may sound a tad bit too convenient. It conveys slight vibes of the minimalism just being a perfunctory excuse to accommodate for the minimal length. However, once such ambiguity is used as less an aspect "for enjoyment" and more an integration of the narrative, it's anything but. Planetarian's storytelling is constantly dependent on the value of its ambiguity being built upon by its two characters. With these two characters, Planetarian is in no need of an omnipotent narrator to guide its viewer on what's going on. Instead, it makes sure to characterize these two characters enough so that their actions alone exemplify worldbuilding. Arguably, this approach to worldbuilding could be considered disfavorable. Focusing on the meticulous details of the apocalypse could have made for a more sophisticated story. But that would have taken away the more personal engrossment which one feels when they partake with a story's characters. The naturality of the two characters' dynamics furthers the compelling nature of their interactions with their world. All while creating a subtextual observation of the implicit themes which their surroundings contain. Planetarian's use of characterization as worldbuilding is made clear in just the introductory episode. Particularly, it's done so by having them set the stage of their world towards the audience. The human protagonist of the story, for instance, happens to be portraying the status of humanity in his introduction. Although he manages to briefly narrate prior events, his sheer actions alone ameliorates what could have been blank exposition. He's placed as being seen frantically running away from inexplicable robots. The appearance of these robots is abrupt enough to raise a few questions, but Planetarian makes sure to move the audience's attention from this. Instead, it focuses on what they're doing and to whom. A clear relationship between the robots and the protagonist is made through displaying them in motion. The protagonist scurrying from the peculiar robots signifies of his abject struggle for survival. A survival which is now his only notion for living. Through his pitiful purpose, the protagonist's is made indicative of him representing an annihilated humanity. A humanity which, in the context of the story, is forcefully overtaken by their instinctive need to survive. His thematic stance is furthered by his lack of a proper name, going instead by the default terminology of "The Junker". Thus, in his mannerisms, The Junker is simple. He's played the rogue survivor archetype straight without unnecessary quirk attachments. Yet, within the apocalyptic narrative, that's all Plantarian needs for a protagonist. Thankfully, with the thematic burden he holds, The Junker isn't just written to be humanity incarnate. It's the contrary that's what allows him to be representative. Because he is autonomous as his own character with his own wills and desires, because he isn't a glorified hero figure, he is able to nuance himself as the greater whole. A rightfully immersive trait to have. As he's tangible to natural change anytime throughout the story, Planetarian makes sure to build on his versatility as a character through the flow of the plot. A particular example of this being utilizing his own notions as a set-up to his confrontation with the other solitary character of the series, Hoshino Yumemi. Being a continuation of his introduction, The Junker is seen escaping in search of habitation. Eventually, he finds so in the form of a planetarium. Navigating it, he shockingly encounters Hoshino Yumemi and juts out his gun onto her. Yet, Hoshino displays no concern. After having characterized The Junker as an apprehensive figure, Hoshino Yumemi's careless serenity in their encounter is a blighting contrast. Essentially, a formulaic aspect most common in Key works that note a female character as the "heroine". She's diligent in her nature, being attentive to any formalities, but all while being ignorant of her circumstances. In the dumbfounded eyes of The Junker, traits which simulate an irritation alongside her feminine demeanor. But she's a robot. A humanoid one designed in the likeness of a girl, but a robot nonetheless. Her moe appearance and occasional mannerisms might suggest otherwise, though. And yet, she's thoroughly consistent as what she's characterized as; a robot. Instances in which she could at any point burst out into one of the dere archetypes are downplayed. So much so that even such instance…

To be honest I was not expecting much from this anime. I am a fan of post-apocalyptic stories and especially human-robot interactions. I didn't realize when starting this that it would be so short, and to be honest that is a big part of why I rate this show so highly. This anime has a very specific story to tell and it does so masterfully. Admittedly, I expected this show to dive into the robot-moe realm and end up more goofy than serious. Thankfully, it landed pretty far from that mark. The anime could be described as an SOL set in a somewhat near-future post-apocalyptia. It centers around the interactions of the two main characters, one human and one machine. There are few supporting characters, and the show does not need any. I think the major strengths of this show and how effective it is have at least some roots in the sparse cast and brief story. The show is very endearing and will most likely leave a lasting impression.

(REVIEW THAT ISN'T AN ESSAY + NO SPOILERS) If you been liking post-apocalyptic settings and sci-fi themes then you'll be probably be liking it. Pretty short watch, but definitely see the movie after watching it, if you enjoyed the show. The movie very much so provides a complete story and closure. Only a few characters, but they are well-written and interact with each other and the world in ways that make sense. Really interesting philosophical themes that be feeling pretty relevant to modern day. Certainly on the darker side story wise, but it can be good vibes with the movie depending on your own interpretation. Loved watching it, rare show that actually got some amount of an emotional reaction out of me. Pretty banger music too.

As Yumemi says the planetarium is a time machine. It takes us back not just to see the stars but to experience a time where people can tell stories, memory banks full of smiles and best wishes, an innocence and ignorance to the plights of now that have never existed in simpler times. The reason why it rains forever in that city is that the audience's tears have soaked through the floor and fourth wall'd into the anime! There is too much praise I can offer Planetarian Chiisana Hoshi no Yume is short, only five episodes. Each of those episodes is filled with emotion and the thoughts of a broken robot in a broken world. The main character being a junker to make ends meet could have done a myriad of awful such as scrapping her or just abandoning the waste of time but instead wastes his food, efforts, and risks his life to help her chase that hopeless dream. There's cute and happiness, plenty of it! However no happy endings ... which can do in the heart of others as it has done mine. That's it! The only complaint that keeps this anime from getting a 10, my selfish ass wants a happy ending... :')

This is my first review on MAL. During the past three months I kept wondering why people seem to have less interest on planetarian anime and finally conclude that: 1st, planetarian is not a good selection for adaptation and 2nd, the way they adapted is not very good. Before I get started reviewing, Let me introduce the VN. It's a kinectic developed by key's novelist Suzumato, the author who also writes the Kotomi's route in clannad and the "Summer Route" in air. It's the fourth project developed by key, and ranked on the 4th place besides the famous clannad, rewrite, and little buster on VNDB. Most importantly, although it's short, it does earn widely praise from both VN readers and non-VN readers like me and generally considered as the gem-star made by key itself. Readers appreciate the inspiration they earned from this novel, and, most critically, the thought. If you read planetarian carefully and interpret different plots, you will surely learn different aspect from this novel and evaluate this novel differently. That's how planetarian VN looks like, a classic and charming novel. However, I do not really expect it to be animated, In other words, planetarian itself does not fit pretty well in the anime industry. First of all, novel and anime are two different methods for loading the information, To read something, reader cares more about the usage of words and what they can learn from those words and those quotes made up by those words in order to judge the novel itself. By contrast, while watching anime, the childish entertainment, people more care about the frequent change of different scene and sufficient actions created by anime characters for acquiring visual satisfactory before they judge and evaluate the story itself, planetarian is good to read, but not good to watch because it is too short and the majority part of this novel is dialogue and monologue, which can not satisfy the visual satisfactory of audience as an anime and lower their impression at the beginning before they get involved into analyze the story and judge them. So, planetarian does have some disadvantages as an anime. How about the adaptation itself? Well, I have to say that it's a very good and straightforward adaptaion. The 3rd episode enable my emotions and drive me to place myself into the story and enjoy the lecture being delivered by Yumei. Those gorgeous legendary and those exploration of mankind for their future development and civilization inheritance does strike me so hard and makes me almost cry. However, the problem is that the adaptation is so straightforward and David Production merely copy from the original source and cut a lot of important monologues. So, VN fans will enjoy the anime. General audience? not really because while they are looking for something fun and frequent change of scene, they fail on discovering it. Plus, the design of Yumei does not fit the world proprietate. She is supposed to be a robot, and a pathetic robot, not the moe girl like general dispissed harem anime, which somehow makes people feel sucks. Additonally, David Production should cut some quotes from Yumei and just briefly introduce Yumei instead of adding tons of "I am sorry", Those apologize works pretty well in the novel because it helps reader know Yumei better. But in anime, nobody really wants to hear those pointless apologize, it just annoy them. Plus, The monologue of junkers in the VN is pretty important because it makes readers to think and dig out the depth, the thought behinds his monologue. however, I rarely find those details in the anime. So, how does planetarian make audience think? A big question. Finally, the ED makes me feel disgust. It ruins all the atmosphere thoroughly, the volume of OST of last episode is too low to encourage audience associate their emotion and compassion with the story itself. Overall, I still enjoy this anime as a fan of original source. However, there are a few critical issues makes me disappointed. Planetarian is like a high-quality and gorgeous status being hidden among the general VNs. It only needs to be engraved a little bit before people can witness the shine of this artifact. Did I witness the shine being glowed? Not really. Another thing I want to complain about is key itself. Starting announcing the adaptation of planetarian is only two months before it is played. I know planetarian is not very hard to be adapted, but if key really wants it to become good and makes audience praise it, why don't they announce planetarian adaptation earlier and give DP more time? As far as I know, planetarian's director really squeeze his time for adapting planetarian. No matter how hard he try, the time is always limited, the quality will not be as good as I expect.

In a post-apocalyptic world in the distant future. The world has gone through a war which left humankind on the brink of death. The protagonist exploring an abandoned city, comes across an planetarium, that is still being attended by a robot. This show was honestly kind of good and enjoyable. Tho the show does not offer too much in terms of action or animation, and the story being somewhat generic and basic, the show makes up with the great conversations between the main character and android and the great emotional and honestly well executed ending. This is honestly a rather solid watch if you enjoy rather solid dialogue between two characeters and if you do plan to give it a watch, please watch this entire season in one sitting, like if it was a movie.

‘Planetarian: Hoshi no Yume’ is a miracle, and is highly recommended to watch, especially for those who like Key’s style. The story is short, but it is affecting. The background setting of this anime is an important factor of its success. Post-apocalyptic world is a wonderful stage to show love and devotion. A tiny ordinary spark will create a surge in luminosity in absolute darkness. The cruel order of nature gives an ascension to the values of qualities of figures in the dooming world. The fantastic plot is the dominating factor of the success of this anime. The story is about desperation and hopefulness. The daily scenes of building up of emotions, the climax of devotion, and the passing on of the Hope, are harmonically compactly brought out in the episodes. The transition of the attitude of the main characters and emergence of their emotions and devotions are miraculously presented in the short 5 episodes. With only 5 episodes, this anime deeply touched the hearts of the audience and granted them the hope to keep going. The animation and action presentation of this anime does not belong to the absolute top class of all anime. But for this anime, whose core is story telling instead of cute characters, the current level of animation and action presentation is enough. _________________________________________________________ |May the SeeD of hope could germinate in the brilliance of the future.| —————————————————————————————————— Plot: 7 of 7 points Animation & Art: 2 of 2 points Fight/ Action scenes: 1 of 1 points Total: 10 of 10 points FULL MARKS

Planetarian is an anime that tells us a small story of how in a post-apocalyptic world, where nothing seems to make sense anymore, there is still a spark of hope. The lead duo is nice to watch interact and although they don't do anything new or special, what they do, they do well. It's about a female robot who informs people about a planetarium and a man, military looking, who is trying to get to a certain place. How the hell do a robot and a man walking around end up interacting? Well, see it. For these reasons, among others, I recommend this anime, which also only has 5 episodes so it lasts almost as long as a movie. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Planetarian es un anime que nos cuenta una pequeña historia de cómo en un mundo post-apocalíptico, donde nada parece tener ya sentido, sigue habiendo una chispa de esperanza. El dúo protagonista es bonito de ver interactuar y aunque no hace nada nuevo o especial, lo que hace, lo hace bien. Trata sobre un robot femenino que informa a la gente sobre un planetario y un hombre, de aspecto militar, que está tratando de llegar a cierto sitio. ¿Cómo demonios un robot y un hombre que andaba por ahí acaban interactuando? Bueno, vedlo. Por estas razones, entre otras, recomiendo este anime que, además, tan solo tiene 5 episodios por lo que dura prácticamente lo que una película.