'Chi.: Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite' Unveils Main Staff, Additional Cast, First Promo

by DatRandomDude
Sep 4, 9:27 PM | 11 Comments

The official website for the television anime adaptation of Uoto's Chi.: Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite (Orb: On the Movements of the Earth) manga revealed the main staff, additional cast, and a promotional video. The anime, produced by Madhouse, is scheduled to premiere on October 5 at 11:45 p.m. on NHK and will stream worldwide on Netflix.

Cast
Oczy: Katsuyuki Konishi (Kimetsu no Yaiba)
Badeni: Yuuichi Nakamura (Jujutsu Kaisen)
Jolenta: Saya Hitomi (Uma Musume: Pretty Derby - Shin Jidai no Tobira)

Staff
Director: Kenichi Shimizu (Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu, All Out!!)
Series Composition: Shingo Irie (Shoumetsu Toshi, Ao Ashi script)
Character Design: Masanori Shino (JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken Part 6: Stone Ocean, Black Lagoon)
Music: Kensuke Ushio (Chainsaw Man, Tengoku Daimakyou)
Sound Director: Kisuke Koizumi (Watashi no Shiawase na Kekkon, Summertime Render)

Pop-rock group Sakanaction is performing the opening theme "Kaijuu" and Yorushika (Sousou no Frieren) performs the ending theme "Aporia." Both songs are previewed in the promotional video below.

Uoto began serializing the historical manga in Big Comic Spirits in September 2020 and ended in April 2022. Shogakukan shipped the eighth and final volume in June of the same year.

Seven Seas Entertainment licensed the manga in English in February 2023 and published it in a 2-in-1 omnibus edition. The third omnibus volume was released on August 20.

PV

Source: Comic Natalie

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11 Comments Recent Comments

I'm kinda surprised that Netflix is releasing this, but I guess they're hoping for another Vinland Saga type hit.

Sep 5, 3:53 PM by malvarez1

@ginko29 Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the manga.

My concern is actually more to do with the "feeling" I get from the trailers, not so much the visuals, which look good enough for me.

The trailer gives the impression that the show is more focused on the violent thriller aspect of the premise, with gruesome burnings at the stake and hooded Church assassins (?).

I want to see the psychological, emotional aspect, like what "forbidden" knowledge can do to a person and what they should do with that knowledge. Also, I'm hoping the show covers the actual science and reasoning, because as far as I know, there wasn't an easy proof those days that the Earth does indeed revolve around the Sun. But I worry that the flashy penstrokes and dramatic night skies will be as far as the show is willing to go.

Then again, it's hard to convey these kinds of things in a trailer... I just hope they deliver come Fall season.

Sep 5, 10:34 AM by perseii

@ginko29 Well, I don't expect 100% period following and reconstruction from this manga, if that's what you're meaning. I was just wondering how sensitive this manga is in its religious issues.

Sep 5, 9:36 AM by RobertBobert

@RobertBobert I guess? The characters sure love to muse and debate about their philosophical views.
And heliocentrism. The story is very much about that too.

But I don't think many manga primarily aim at being history books rather than stories...

Sep 5, 9:32 AM by ginko29

@ginko29 So, is it more like Vinland Saga, a historical work that's actually more about philosophy of life than history?

Sep 5, 7:57 AM by RobertBobert

@RobertBobert I only read 6 of the 8 tomes but it's definitely not antireligious.
I wouldn't even say it's anticlerical per se. The story is more about using one's intelligence and reason rather than succumbing to blind faith (which is what the Church asks for in this story so they're mostly the bad guys).
At least, that's what I got out of it.

I read a bit on 15th century Poland and apparently, the reality was not as grim as depicted in Chi. But again, I'm no historian lol

Sep 5, 7:55 AM by ginko29

@ginko29 Is this pure anti-religious work or simply criticism of clericalism?

Sep 5, 3:16 AM by RobertBobert

I've read the first chapters of the manga, and there isn't much space for potential movement, so it's obvious we won't see advanced animated sequences. Especially in the trailer, which never presents the best parts of the show. People shouldn't expect Vinland Saga-level quality, because of similar art style. The thing is that in the ENTIRE Orb there are maybe 2 fights. That's the difference. The staff seems experienced enough, so we'll see in a month how good/bad it actually is.

On the other hand, the quality could definitely be better (as always). Madhouse seems like an overrated mid-tier studio. They can only make one great anime every 4–5 years.

Sep 5, 12:50 AM by 18927

@perseii It's mostly what you said, the setting and the theme. In my opinion, watching the astronomer protagonists fight against the obscurantism orchestrated by the Church makes for a very gripping story. It's a kind of heroes we don't often see in anime.
Chi is very much about how some people (be they scientists or members of the Church) challenge the status quo at great risk for their lives.
The story is ruthless, it feels very real (although I'm no historian so I can't judge that).

But yes, visually speaking, the trailer doesn't look particularly good. I guess we'll have to see how the final product looks.
Honestly, the manga art is... not very good but I found that it doesn't hurt it much.
And "The Fable" airing this season sure showed me that a cheap looking anime can still be a great watch :-D

Sep 5, 12:19 AM by ginko29

I will just wait for the anime to come out. I don't understand why some MAL users are soo obsessed in downplaying this anime and push the agenda that madhouse can't make a good anime unless it's being produced by Fukushi.

As for the anime it's looks really good definitely pop up for rest of the run of the mill session anime. After Vinland Saga S2 I was carving for more historic anime. So this fits right in my alley.

The cast and the staff is stacked. Definitely looking forward to this anime next season along with Re Zero S3, Uzumaki, Blue Box, Dandadan, Natsume and the book of friends S7 and soo on. Damn next season is stacked complete opposite of Summer 2024 season lol.

Sep 4, 11:50 PM by ZXEAN

Very interested in the historical setting and the theme of science vs. religious dogma, but something about the trailers so far just leaves me unimpressed and worried.

To the people that are hyped for this: what's got you hyped? Do you just like the look of it and the subject matter? Have you read the manga? What do you like about the manga?

Sep 4, 9:48 PM by perseii