This show is amazing to watch, but kind of a bear to write about.
I’m having a problem with Planet With, but I guess it’s a good sort of problem to have. I’m loving the experience, but when these episodes are ending I’m finding the prospect of writing a review to be pretty daunting. More than anything I want to rewatch the eps a second time (which is what I did with the first two) because there’s just so much to absorb here. Funnily enough it makes me ponder what the experience of blogging Spirit Circle might be like, if they ever adapted it, and looking back on that series I suspect I would feel exactly the same way.
Oh, well – that’s Mizukami, and it’s why I adore his writing. There are so many slices of this story that could carry the series on their own, but he packs so much into his narratives that you only get to see them as part of the larger whole. Those pieces are starting to slide together, elegantly as they always seem to in a Mizukami series. In very matter of fact fashion we learn that Souya is in fact a “Siriusian” – a native of a world destroyed by the dragon power that Ryuuzouji (though Shirashi is the one pulling the strings if you ask me) and Golden Paladin are using to (as they see it) defend the Earth.
Ryuuzouji clearly has some serious firepower, melting away an entire hillside with his “Thor’s Hammer” before Sensei’s spaceship (which looks, fittingly, like a giant Sensei) arrives and swallows the Souyabot. It’s a mutual standing down for now, as Souya has spent his powers and Ryuuzouji has no desire to take on the monstrosity before him. In his dreams, Souya (in addition to being cock-teased with a bucket of chicken) overhears Sensei with His Excellency (the unmistakable Wakamoto Norio), a conversation that’s seemingly fraught with significance on multiple levels.
What we can take away from this is that Sensei and His Excellency are both “Kigurumians” (Mizukami, you scamp) and that Sensei took Souya under his care after the destruction of Sirius, for which he blames himself. This seems to be a zero sum game for the Kigurumians – once a species reaches a certain point they’re either sealed (which means their evolution ceases) or eventually destroyed by their lust for power. Sensei wants to save the Earth without sealing it, Souya wants to be an avenger for his lost planet, and Excellency (and the Sealing Faction) believe that what Sensei wants is a lost cause. It’s quite a mess.
Against this backdrop, Mizukami totally switches gears and revels in a phenomenally charming sequence of school life scenes, prompted by a TV interview where Nozo-san (heh) – who’s mistaken for a middle-schooler, just like Souya-kun – notes how worried she is about him (“I wonder if he ever found the bathroom?”). Souya’s return to school soon enough finds him invited to visit – and eventually join – the Occult Research Club. Why their greeting is “Run-yah!” I have no idea, but this is a blast – especially after the arrival its wacky president and Nezuya “Judgment” (Sugawara Shinsuke).
We know Nezuya of course, and Souya looks naggingly familiar to him – but neither boy can place the other. Nezuya is actually a graduate, apparently, who’s a hard-core occult otaku and regularly stops by to borrow books he can carry around and (he imagines) look cool with. He’s charmingly goofy and Souya seems rather touched that Nezuya immediately considers him a friend – something, one imagines, Souya hasn’t had many of. When he gets home to vegetarian curry, Souya apologizes to Sensei and Ginko for his actions during the last skirmish – and Sensei offers him the option of sticking around on Earth. But is it really a good idea to form emotional bonds to a planet that’s probably about to be destroyed?
All that takes a back seat, though, when another of Nebula’s iconic curiosities shows up. And this time around it’s a truly creepy as fuck one, a bunch of grinning upside-down babies (with doggy diapers). I agree with Souya here, Mokele-mbembe is cuter. This time around it’s Nezuya who finds the weak point, but Haru is desperate to avenge Miu’s defeat and redeem herself after her failure to protect her friend, and follows him. We know what she sees inside, and her parting message is “No one is scared of you” – suggesting, perhaps, that her personal bugaboo is the fear that everyone is afraid of her because she’s big, knows judo and does scary things. But apart from a very brief glimpse we’ve no idea of what Nezuya saw in there (or why) – and Haru’s rash actions seem to have placed him in real trouble.
What can I say, for me at least this story is a fascinating tangle of possibilities. I’m beginning to see these messengers from Nebula as a kind of Rorschach test for humanity – I don’t think their bizarre appearance or misspelled catch phrases are coincidental, but designed to test human reactions in some way. They seem to reveal the innermost fear of whoever enters them and offer reassurance, but to what end? Even as questions are answered, new ones arise – and despite great clarity about what’s happening at any given moment, the premise as a whole is filled with mystery. That’s Planet With, the best series of the season, and it’s the quintessential Mizukami Satoshi experience.
Jindujun93
July 23, 2018 at 4:54 amSo I’m finally in unfamiliar territory as well with this episode, and once more I had a blast with it. Before I delve a little into the episode itself however, there’s one thing I want to mention that I forgot last week – man, is the sound design in Planet With great so far. Like, yeah. In terms of visuals the CGI is a little unfortunate. But when it comes to the sound effects etc? Top notch up until now. (Also, it kind of pleases me to see how the first two episode reviews actually brought on quite a few comments – nice to see Mizukami being appreciated here.)
One thing I considered to be pretty noteworthy in the manga is how Mizukami depicted Grand Paladin’s boss – in the “Destruction it is, then” scene, his eyes were very much drawn like Mudo from Sengoku Youko, which just seals the whole dragon comparison even more.
Last week it was Takezo who had his chance to shine, and now Nezuya – I already love this goofball as well, though I wonder what exactly brought on the whole “exiting unconcious” thing. It’s either that he couldn’t face the illusion like the other three did, or alternatively it’s because he was still caught up in it while Haru smashed it. Or maybe even both, or something different altogether.
Seeing Miu and Haru interact in the illusion genuinely did make me smile, though. Those two definitely work well together, even if that Miu was just an illusion.
Finally… any anime gets even better by including Norio Wakamoto. Any anime. Makes me wonder whether he’s going to bark just like how Sensei doesn’t really speak otherwise.
Guardian Enzo
July 23, 2018 at 5:55 amThere is that theory that all of Mizukami’s multiverses are linked together, so I suppose there’s no reason it shouldn’t apply to Planet With as well.
leongsh
July 23, 2018 at 5:45 amWatching this episode made a lot of things click for me about this show/series so far. The raison d’être seems to me to be that it wants to and succeeds in out-anime-ing (if such a word exists) anime.
Guardian Enzo
July 23, 2018 at 5:56 amTo an extent, I can see that. But the funny thing is that one could say the same thing about, say, Lucifer & Biscuit Hammer – and that never even became an anime. I think it may be more that Mizukami is the essence of what really good anime aspire to be, and mediocre anime is like Mizukami 80% watered-down.
Rui Carvalho
July 23, 2018 at 2:50 pmEverytime Ryuuzouji enters the scene, I can’t help but think he’s Genjurou’s (from Symphogear) evil twin. Showing he packs incredible power helps, too. Of course we’re not sure who is actually evil here just yet.
Rita
July 23, 2018 at 4:30 pmI do appreciate that the boss of Paladin has a face that screams ‘evil boss’ but aside from being the antagonist and a bit too gung ho about destroying the protagonist, he actually seems like a pretty decent boss. He treats his subordinates well so far, makes Torai aware that he’s still welcome even without his powers, and is suitably frustrated at his eccentric father. I expect the other shoe to drop, but the contrast is pretty fun as is.
I do think the whole illusions are the most interesting still. It seems the ‘revelation’ at the end of each, where it sort of echoes what seems to be the inner wish of the individual, always happens after said individual accepts reality over the illusion of their own accord. It makes me wonder how the ‘sealing’ the Sealing faction is trying to use works.
I’m also interested in the line where Sensei mentions that the kigurumians (mizukami pls) were a race that chose the evolution of love and that’s seemingly what the pacficist faction hopes earthlings will choose as well.
DauntingOverlord
July 24, 2018 at 1:18 amMan, so now we know why Souya’s gotta *beef* with the others;. The chance meating with Nezuya was enjoyable, and that cliffhanger made me hunger for more. So much seems to be at steak, and yet I’m just here wondering what would happen if Souya got to eat that chicken.
Guardian Enzo
July 24, 2018 at 1:19 amGo to your room.
Rita
July 24, 2018 at 1:53 pmThat was a cascade of puns mizukami would’ve been proud of
Stöt
July 24, 2018 at 3:32 pmSo… I can see that there’s lots going on in each scene. In the background and mentioned in passing and many puzzle pieces to keep you intrigued… or at least puzzled. But for me, it fundamentally lacks story. I don’t understand the MC, and the people he’s close to and I don’t particularly enjoy the story happening in foreground: The daily adventures of this kid who shouldn’t eat meat. In 2.7 episodes, it simply failed to interest me. Too much beating around the bush and too many puzzle pieces. I’m sure the writer is loving himself for how s/he packed each scene with so much foreboding and hints and detail that will all make sense (SO much sense!) later. ugh, idk, it’s like watching HxH without Gon, or Steins Gate without Okabe Rintarou. The latter might be the better analogy. Would I have watched more than two Steins Gate episodes without Okabe? Probably not