In Space No One Can Hear You Clean - Planetes Simulwatch (Episode 26 - Finale)

Episode 2

This was an excellent episode. Having Hachi be the focus was really good and it was really sad to watch him come to the realisation that his dreams were worthless if they're unobtainable. Especially as he watches others moving up through their careers.

I also really liked how the first part of the epsiode spent time showing us what life of like on the space station. The mischief, the cliques, the hierarchies. Similar to how the space suits seem so functional it all made the station seem like a real place.

The ways Ai's training was then incorporated into Hachis story and s mirror of his past was also a great piece of writing and did some double duty of making her much more likeable as well.
 
Episode 2 - First Timer
Again loved this episode and was nice to having focus on Hachi and seeing what his reason into going space was. Plus the reality of it with such a low paying job.Loved his interaction of his friend,who got a promotion .Hachi training Ai was brilliantly done plus the interaction between Ai and Hachi was was rather good with her trying to cheer him up as well. Emotions were really well done throughout.

Loved how he saved the day(wow that was close! So intense) and even showing that work does have some benefits. Music is nice and the OP is pretty awesome! Really looking to see how the character relationships develop as this is fascinating!
 
Episode 2
First time viewer

This was definitely an improvement for me on episode 1, but I find it rare to really enjoy a show after just 1 episode, I see the first 2-3 episodes usually as introductory, interested to see where they take episode 3.

Beyond what we see in space it's obvious that there is some geo-political shenanigans back on earth itself.

It's good to have a dream Hachi don't ever give it up totally, even though it may seem impossible.
 
Neil.T said:
I wish I could offer similar praise to @WMD and @BlazinWolf for episode 2, but unfortunately not a single thing is clicking for me so far with Planetes. 😬

I'll post again if that changes.
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I'm finding myself a little indifferent to what is going on at the moment really, but I will try a bit longer because I don't think it's terrible or anything.

I miss Land of the Lustrous still, that was such a good watch!
 
Lordhippos said:
I'm finding myself a little indifferent to what is going on at the moment really
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I'm having exactly the same problem, dude. I'm not invested in any of the characters, so I'm not particularly caring what happens to them so far.

Quite frankly I'm struggling to see what will change my mind about them, but then I was a bit slow getting into Land of the Lustrous as well, so... I'll aim to live in hope.
 
Damn it, I wish I was able to watch and give my thoughts as well, since for me Planetes’ greatest STRENGTH was its characters, but I can’t really recall whether I felt that right from the get-go or not. It reminded me at the time very much of Patlabor on TV in that sense.
 
ayase said:
It reminded me at the time very much of Patlabor on TV in that sense.
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I've never seen the Patlabor TV run, only the initial OVA series and the first two films. I can't say I ever gelled with the characters, as much as I'd have preferred to.
 
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Episodes 1&2 - first time viewer

What an intriguing, if not prescient, & pragmatic premise. I'm certainly enjoying this hard sci-fi series and the space-suits, with their controls and functionality, have been a particular highlight to watch. One thing that elevates a space sci fi for me is not depicting sound effects like thrusters etc in the vacuum of space, and if I'm not mistaken that's the case here with the sound heard by characters in space being that conducted through the suits only (but I may be wrong, will pay closer attention to check this).

Light-hearted intro to the characters with the new recruit fitting the rookie role with, I'm assuming, the potential to grow & mature from air-headed to competent whilst hopefully losing the sanctimonious naivety through the course of the series. Likewise the comedy at the start I suspect will be replaced with serious drama as the series goes on (a feat the anime medium often excels at so I'm very hopeful!). I'm looking forward to seeing the depths of these characters. This is certainly implied by the credits in relation to Hachi, with him growing up chasing his dreams only to be stagnant in the lowest rung debris section (reminded of the IT crowd with the condescension these guys have to put up with), with episode 2 very nicely showing his dilemma three years on around perhaps dreaming too big. Also liked the mini-lessons with the opening credits and reminiscent of the technological progress shown in Star Trek Enterprise's opening credits. So far this series is certainly ticking the right sci-fi and drama boxes for me.

D1tchd1gger said:
The year is 2068, so they seemed have picked a decent year as space passenger flight is only now getting closer to reality now over 20 years after the first chapter came out. The cleaning of space junk is also coming close to being a thing, but later than passenger flights, let's hope that the accident doesn't also come true!
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Very nicely summarised and I liked this, presumably, calculated attempt at a realistic timeline unlike some sci-fi institutions (I'm looking at you Blade Runner).
WMD said:
Surely personality tests would have stopped someone like her ever becoming a debris astronaut?
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Haha maybe this is also a realistic depiction with corporations cutting corners & just making do with whatever/whomever they can get to do a hash job. I shuddered when I once heard experts on safety, etc. giving talks with NASA's launches as an example & the outstandingly crazy & insane corners they cut to meet targets and demands. But in this case I suspect the Ai is being set up this way to demonstrate her growth into a mature adult with realistic expectations (also very much seeing Hachi in this light currently).
D1tchd1gger said:
I think it's just to show how nieve and idealist she is....Hachi seems to be the complete opposite, he had a clear dream, but the 3 years working in the debris section has turned him into much more of a pragmatist.
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Yeah I'm on the same page and with Hachi it will be interesting to see how he adjusts his ambitions to reality (I'd be disappointed if he miraculously shonen-ed his way into his own space ship or won the lottery...).
Lordhippos said:
It's good to have a dream Hachi don't ever give it up totally, even though it may seem impossible.
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Aha the Team Gurren spirit lives on!! (BTW interesting reversal here with most here not having seen this series as opposed to the last simulwatch heh). It's an interesting one to ponder as a pursuit in life is essential, but not so simple that it's done to soon, leaving one aimless, nor one so unattainable as to leave one despondent.
Neil.T said:
Quite frankly I'm struggling to see what will change my mind about them, but then I was a bit slow getting into Land of the Lustrous as well, so... I'll aim to live in hope.
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You never know dude, Lustrous was epic, I loved that show and if I remember correctly you did in the end as well, so hopefully this may be the same.
ayase said:
Damn it, I wish I was able to watch and give my thoughts as well, since for me Planetes’ greatest STRENGTH was its characters
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This is music to my ears and probably the most important aspect to anything I watch these days. Now I am truly psyched!
 
Neil.T said:
I've never seen the Patlabor TV run, only the initial OVA series and the first two films. I can't say I ever gelled with the characters, as much as I'd have preferred to.
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While I do love the OVAs for their tightness and quality, I feel like the TV version of Patlabor really gave a lot more room to explore the characters and their relationships in greater depth. It’s the high benchmark for me of quality character writing because they all feel very real, and I certainly remember feeling by the end of Planetes that it was up there alongside it.

Apologies for the tangent, I’ll let you get back to the simulwatch now.
 
Episode 3
The first half of this episode was great but like the first episode the second half was whiny blegh.

When the show is focused on the day to day of their lives on the space station its so good. The various views on will writing and the incessant insurance salesmen was really well done.

Ai acting like a brat in space and, even worse, her whiny ass getting her way was infuriating. I was totally with Hachi on this. The guy asked to buried in space. End of. Ai having a tantrum because it's not the choice she would make was awful. I was starting to come round to her last episode but now I hate her again.
 
Episode 3:
I enjoyed the episode mostly especially with t how hilarious the insurance guys hunting down everyone,that was pure gold .
Ai on the other hand I’m not sure quite what to think of her at time‘s she’s pretty good especially in the previous episode but this one she came across as fairly annoying and preachy.But it’s only episode 3 and I wonder if her character will develop.
Still interested to see how it goes!
 
Episode 3
First time viewer

Still can't really say it's caught my attention yet, I will see how episode 4 is tomorrow.

I did also like the insurance sales people pitches, captive audience if you will. Ai has shown herself to be fairly idealistic at least twice now, once with the plaque, and once with the coffin. You'd think for being in space there would need to be some form of order/discipline, nope, apparently it's a free for all!
 
Episode 3
"Space is too big to face all alone"
Not too much to say here, so I'll roll in the manga talk as well.
The insurance stuff had some funny moments (best one being the little moment of Hachi turning over the porno when he thought the woman was coming on to him, LOL), but also was a bit annoying in parts and was completely anime original. All the talk of wills and legacy did lead quite nicely into the second half, which is from the manga, but again the shift in tone from the wackiness to the serious stuff is a little odd.
I can't remember how I felt first time seeing this bit or even when I read it in the manga, but she does come off as annoying, but again has a point in that it returned back to Earth which should have been impossible.
I think they're trying really (too) hard to say "hey you know these two characters are really the very opposite of each other, but you know what they say "opposites attract"" and both Hatchi's friend and Ai's friends point out that they do talk a lot about the other one!
 
Episode 3

The comedic take on the lowered life-expectancy space occupations yet again showed the pragmatic & boring aspects this series smartly and bravely highlights. But it somewhat took away from the seriousness of the matter I felt, though this was nonetheless touched on by the predicament of a youthful rookie baffled at writing their will, the ever frightening vastness of space whilst working in the field with a literal lifeline mooring and the example of one left alone in space having effectively forsaken his family for the job (or perhaps true love heh). Personally I'd have preferred the episode if the balance of comedy and drama had been a bit more on the drama/philosophising side with a sprinkling of comedy to lighten the mood.

Ai has definitely taken up the position of naive, irritating & blindly idealistic high-schooler with minimal life experience to temper her. The issue is that she is actually currently toxic in forcing her views on others. As @WMD previously mentioned, it's only in this fictional universe that she hasn't been sent home packing/imprisoned for significant insubordination...I do hope she starts maturing soon, as her sanctimony is getting difficult to stomach. I did like how her friend picked up on her nagging of Hachi being a reflection of her currently subconscious interest in him.

An okay episode on balance with interesting concepts I hope are revisited later with more seriousness.
 
Episode 3
I loved the insurance agents trying to sell their contracts, and Hachi with his slow magazine turn. The line about the DEADline for last will and testament made me chuckle (even if it wasn't suppose to), and Hachi doing a drawing for his will. I would probably do the same. Every time I see the CGI space station, I always think it's pretty good and holds up.
 
Epiosde 4

Company politics and nepotism!

Maybe the show knew Ai was insufferable because this episode they give the team a real villian to go up against so they can all really together and get on the same page for once.

The sleazy slimy daddy's rich boy was a great love to hate character. Basically completely irredeemable. Using him to showcase the corporate structure and how powerless the team really is was well done. Obviously Hachi is having none of it. The guy is basically his antithesis. In many ways the episode is completely predictable. It was always going to end with Ai giving a big speech but finally we are on her side and she and Hachi finally start to respect each other.

And the poor office woman who seems to do all the actual work while the chief and manager run around like frightened lambs. A role so thankless I dont even know her name!

All in all I enjoyed this epsiode and it was nice to finally have the team be unified.
 
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