Planetarian: Chiisana Hoshi no Yume

"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.

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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)
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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.
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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.

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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.
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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.

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Overall Summary-
Story-8/10
Art-9/10
Sound-8/10
Character-9/10
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||Overall-8/10||
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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.

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 a bit repetitive, and I have a hard time picturing that a robot can actually trip as often as she can. Also, there's no real reason for her to be moe in the first place other than because of fan appeal. I understand she can't be a female version of Bender because her character is supposed to be a hopeful counterpoint to the Junker's entire lifestyle, but there's a difference between being a clueless saint and being a clumsy fool. Yes, believe it or not, those aren't synonyms for each other. I know, I'm shocked too.

Also, this is a Key anime, so of course the story ends in tragedy. And before people question me further, I'm referring to the perma-death tragedy that can't be resetted because magic doesn't actually exist in this universe unless you count the circumstances the writer contrives to get us to that conclusion. Without wishing to spoil anything, let's just say that the penultimate episode sets up so many death flags that it outnumbers the number of flags you'd usually have to trigger to get on a certain visual novel girl's route, and you can apply the "Thanks Obama" meme to the incident that causes events to spiral out of control. Murphy's Law actually rears its ugly head several times throughout the series so at least it's consistent on that front, but if the early episodes have that rule attacking the characters with a slap, the later episodes have it attack with a submachine gun.

I can't say I felt much tragedy in that final episode personally, and not just because I saw it coming a mile away. I don't know if it was the direction's fault or the fact that I never found Yumemi all that interesting a character, but all I could do when "that" event occurred was nod my head whilst thinking "is it me, or is the music kinda happy? And boy, this scene is kinda long." There wasn't anything wrong with it on a writing standpoint per say and I get what the production team was going for in terms of when and when not to play the music, but it felt like they were holding back too much on the feels (which is ironic, I know), trying so hard to convince me that everything was going to be okay that I ended up buying it completely. I guess there's only so much potential in tears you can wring out of your premise when it involves a happy go-lucky robot and a nameless soldier whose head we don't get into too much. Or maybe I only feel for tragedies when it involves lovers, which our two leads were definitely not.

At the end of the day though, I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed Planetarian. It's not exactly a mind-blower in terms of post-apocalyptic drama and stories regarding AI, but it's solid as a rock in all the important ways to the point that it feels fresh enough, and it serves well as a champion in regards to how to fight the format limits that plague most anime - particularly the broadcast ones - let alone as how to make a video game to anime adaptation that feels natural even if the end goal is to make fanboys cream their "Key coffee"-patterned pajamas. I know a lot of people haven't actually watched this show for reasons that I'm not quite sure of, so if you're one of them and you're mildly curious, give it a shot. I mean the whole package is only about a hundred minutes long. By the time you're finished with it, your younger cousin that you're trying to convert to anime-ism still won't be done with The Boy and the Beast.

Planetarian: Chiisana Hoshi no Yume (Planetarian: The Reverie of a Little Planet) is based on the Kinectic Novel/Visual Novel of the same name by Key. It is the shortest VN in their library of works which includes such greats as Clannad, Kanon, Little Busters, Angel Beats and Rewrite.

Now the main difference of this anime that most people will probably notice right away is that it consists of a story that has only two characters.

As a huge fan of Key’s storytelling and someone who has watched every anime based on their VNs, I was excited when it was announced that Planetarian was being made into an ... anime.

So how does this adaption by David Production measure up? Here are my thoughts on this ONA series…

Story

It’s thirty years after the collapse of the Space Colonization Program. Humanity is nearly extinct from the deadly rain that falls on the Earth. Men known as “Junkers” scavenge goods and artifacts from the ruins of civilization. One day a “Junker” decides to enter the dangerous ruins called Sarcophagus City, in the middle of this broken down city he stumbles into Flowercrest Department Store with a planetarium on the roof. It is here that he meets Yumemi Hoshino, the attendant robot who is awakened once a year for 168 hours when the stores back up power activates. To her he is the first customer she has had in thirty years and greets him with a smile and attempts to do the job she was created for by showing him the stars. The projector turns out to be broken and annoyed with her constant chatter, the Junker agrees to repair it so she can show him her presentation.

Characters

This story consists of two characters “The Junker” and “Yumemi Hoshino”, though we do meet other characters through flashbacks they are never really there in the current day. Both characters were animated and voiced well which makes them relatable and likable.

Yumemi is a robot who was designed to look like a teenage to early 20’s female, she was programmed to be an attentive, friendly and helpful to the customers visiting the store and planetarium. Due to this programming she is very talkative and is filled with a wealth of knowledge about the surrounding areas of the store. She calls the Junker “Mr. Customer” throughout the story as he never gives her his name.

The Junker is a man that appears to be in his mid 20’s to early 30’s that is living the life of a scavenger to survive this dystopian world that he lives in. He seems to have a rough personality and gets annoyed very easily by Yumemi’s programming. Later on he seems to develop a fondness for her and doesn’t want to leave her behind in the empty and lonely city.

Voice Acting and Animation

The original voice actors from the game and drama CDs are used in the anime. Daisuke Ono once again gives a touching and heartfelt performance to his character (The Junker) and makes him easily relatable and gives him a great range of emotion. Keiko Suzuki once again makes Yumemi sound so alive and human. The range of depth in her emotional ending speech hits you just as hard in the anime as it did in the game.

For a studio who hasn’t done a huge amount of anime, they did a great job with the animation and character design. The dystopian and broken down world looks amazingly real and the planetarium is nothing fancy, but gives you the sense of being in one. The character design is also done well as Yumemi’s actions are so human-like that it shows how advanced her robot design was when she was created.

Sound/OST

The ED song used was “Twinkle Starlight” by Sayaka Sasaki which is beautiful and fits the theme of this series well. The background sounds and the music fit each scene well and draws you in. The presentation at the planetarium is a prime example of this, I actually felt like I was there myself watching the presentation.

Overall Enjoyment

Planetarian is a story that will touch you from the beginning to the end. The flashbacks from when the world was alive to the current state of the world will make you feel like you are there along with the characters. The chemistry between the two characters is what sets this story apart from other anime based on VNs. Yumemi’s inability to see the world as Junker does it what gives the story heart, and what lets him take a break from the real world and forget his troubles.

My Personal Thoughts

As someone who played the Kinectic Novel on Steam, I knew what the story was about from the beginning to the end. I also knew how it would play out and even with that knowledge, I was hooked from the first episode. Even though the the game had a lot of emotion and a great story, seeing it played out in an anime adaption was amazing. Every episode touched me and I shed as many tears watching this is a did reading it in the game. The characters gave so much life to the story that it seemed like I had only played the game yesterday and not two years ago. I was skeptical about how the animation would be handled at first as I was unfamiliar with the work of David Production, since I have only seen one other anime by them at that was Hyperdimension Neptunia which is also based on a video game. My skepticism was short lived as from the very first episode, I could see how much work went into adapting this into an anime. I was in awe at how well every scene looked, and at how well the character animation was done. Everything felt so alive!

My only complaint about the whole series was at the end, the song that was played in the game when Yumemi is giving her final speech was missing and I think that they should have used the song “Perfect Human” while that scene played out. I still cried my eyes out, but I felt something was missing and after viewing the last episode again with that song playing during that scene I knew what it was.

If you like touching stories, this is a must watch series!Overall I gave this a 9/10! I also recommend checking out the Kinetic Novel on Steam.

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.

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

So i´ve been stumbling upon a little anime wich almost got ignored by me but THANK GOD that i have checked this one out. Planetarian: Chiisana Hoshi no Yume is a anime adaption of a little visual novel wich steam recommended me. Solely because i read all this positive feedback i threw an eye onto the anime.

First off, the story. I couldn´t really decide wether it should be a score of eight or nine but i decided myself for the worse. Not because something negative came in my mind but rather because i figured i shouldn´t let myself be blinded by the first impressions, as ... it only has four of presumably twelve episodes yet.

The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world with humanity being on the verge of extinction and robots hunting the remaining survivors. It isn´t something impressively new but it´s not overused too, making it a relatively original storysetting. The story itself revolves less around the world but more on the two main characters, or rather solely around those. Though it may not sound like much it is in fact really interesting and the way it progresses you really want to go on watching, but sadly there is just one episode per week.

And secondly, the art. I gave nine points on this one because i really liked the artstyle. But that surely isn´t enough to justify such a good score, is it? Well on one side there is the coloring of the whole anime, its surroundings and the characters. Everything is perfectly fitting, the world is grey and colorless, the main character really looks like he has a hard time but then comes Hoshino Yumemi, the second main character. You can tell on the first sight that there is a contradiction. While everything is rather grey she really shines with colors wich are outstanding in the scenery. On the other side however is the way everything is drawn. The surroundings, the ground, the walls. every object looks like it actually is old and abandoned but then again there comes Hoshino, designed totally frilly with a lot details and decorations at her and completely clean and pure. It becomes obvious that she is supposed to be highlighted and focused on.

The sound was actually not that outstanding but still fitting to every minute of the anime. May it be the music or the effects or the voices, everything fits together. The man, annoyed and cold, Hoshino, always apologetic and friendly. Overall very well done but nothing to win a reward for.

Ahhhh, the characters, while there are only three in total (as of today) only the two main characters are introduced properly. But since there just the two characters to take care of, they really are getting a personality wich become clear gradually. The man firstly taking no interest in the AI Hoshino but later becomes affected to her, though a love interest is not implicated. It was really interesting to see how they cope with eachother and slowly getting along.

Now my favourite Part : My personal enjoyment. I was honestly surprised how well absolutely everything fits together. But also how well emotions and feelings are delivered directly to the viewer. If you follow the happening a dark mood comes up, sort of implicating what will happen. And considering how the game ended it will cause me and surely many others a waterfall from the eyes onto their keyboards while crying about the sadness wich is going on. Even the four episodes almost made me cry a little bit because it is not really displayed directly but it simply is so damn sad if you think about what is going on. Though the single aspects of this anime are not perfect, everything is pasted together just perfectly creating an awesome result.

What is there left to say about this anime? I don´t really know. If you like what i described or want to make your own opinion i highly suggest you to watch this anime. However if it sounds too sad for you then i guess you watch it too? I can´t recommend this anime enough, though it is certainly not for everybody´s taste.

"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....

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 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.

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.
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[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.
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[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.
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[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.
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[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.
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[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:
-

"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.

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.

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.

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