Planetes is a riveting, beautifully depicted piece of sci-fi realism that is, at its heart, a love letter to humanity in space.
Focusing on the crew of spaceship 'Toy Box,' a debris-collecting vehicle roaming the dark and cluttered space skies, we are introduced to a vast world filled with all sorts of mysteries and conspiracies, terrorists and dreamers in a world where space is a part of everyday life. We follow Commander Fee, Yuri, Ai and Hachirota as they deal with the qualms of being in such an environment, along with their own personal issues.
Planetes is an undeniable treasure and classic which had me in awe at the loveability of the characters and the relatability of each of their personalities. It's a significant thing when a series focused on the loneliness of space is filled with enough warmth and radiance to leave you with nothing but hope for the future. Each character has their share of doubts and tragedy--Yuri, for example, has dedicated his life to cleaning debris after the cluster of which impacted a spaceship and killed his wife--yet unity and love once again triumphs, even over the most hopeless and determined dreamers. I especially enjoyed the philosophical debates Yukimura raises throughout, particularly the difficulty of accepting ones dreams even if such a thing means leaving family behind.
Overall the most pertinent question I had while reading Planetes was whether or not I would finish it believing humanity could truly find a place in space. While I still haven't come to a complete conclusion, I think Planetes above all gives us hope, which I think is the most important lesson to be learnt here. I loved this series a lot and my thoughts are everywhere.
