Welcome to Anime Rants with Mono (7Mononoke). We’ll start today with a recap of Orb‘s third episode, which is now available on Netflix, depending on your region. After I go over the main plot points, I’ll write my personal thoughts. This episode was a big deal.

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Episode Recap

Episode Rating: 8/10

Rafal may be a child genius, but even he slips up sometimes. After hiding his official research in the casket on the mountain, he tried to burn the rough notes he left at home. But since he didn’t make sure they thoroughly burned, one sheet of paper survived and was found by Potocki. At first, all Potocki did was correct some of the math on Rafal’s page and return it to him – but that wasn’t the end of the affair.

Nowak visited Potocki, already strongly suspecting Rafal of carrying on Hubert’s work. He intimidated Potocki and made it clear that if he didn’t turn in heretics under his roof, he would be named a heretic himself. And for Potocki, this would be his second and final strike. He would be executed. On the other hand, if Potocki turned in his adoptive son as a heretic, he would have the chance to recant. He could even avoid torture by behaving at his trial. Caving into the pressure, Potocki betrayed his son.

Rafal was given the chance to recant at his trial. Nowak even informed him that he could still go to university to study theology if he behaved. On the day of the trial, it seemed at first like Rafal was going to recant. However, when presented with the university admission form, he tore it in half and refused to renounce the truth. Instead he announced that he believed in heliocentrism. Nowak was shocked because Rafal seemed like a rational boy. Surely he didn’t think this was the right answer?

Rafal explained that this was the wrong answer for the security of his future. But echoing Hubert’s words, he said, “A wrong answer isn’t a meaningless one.” He also told Nowak that the truth was infectious and that by refusing to burn his hidden research, he allowed his knowledge to potentially inspire others. Despite Nowak’s attempts to intimidate and condemn the boy, Rafal stayed perfectly calm the whole time, batting away threats about hell in the afterlife.

Rafal also managed to make Nowak completely panic with his last power-move. You see, Rafal was allowed to drink wine as a boon on the eve before torture. He mixed poison and poppy-seed into his wine in order to end his own life and avoid being tortured by Nowak. At first, Nowak thought Rafal had poisoned him, and it was satisfying to see him freaking out for a few seconds.

After he was sure he wasn’t poisoned, Nowak still couldn’t completely calm down. The insanity, impudence, and courage of the boy in front of him was disconcerting. In the end, Nowak left Rafal alone to die in peace. He passed away painlessly, falling asleep from the poppy-seed opium and then succumbing to poison. Rafal’s body was burned the next day. He died a martyr for the truth. And while I’m not sure if I would have done the same, I respect that choice.

From here, Rafal will obviously not be the main character anymore. The narrative skips ahead ten years to where two young men find the stone case containing Rafal’s research materials. That wraps up the recap of events, but I have a few more things to say.

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Episode Response/Notes

WAIT, WHAT?! RAFAL DIED?! HE FUCKING DIED!!!

I’m heartbroken. Rafal was such a good character. How dare this anime play with my innocent and trusting heart? The opening and ending songs are also designed in such a way to make audiences think Rafal will be the main character. I’m hoping we still get to see a lot of him in flashbacks, but I’m not sure if that will be the case.

I generally like it when a show subverts my expectations in a major way. Sometimes, that can help make a show more popular. However, I’m worried that this particular move will make audiences lose interest in Orb. It’s already a more obscure choice for the Fall season, and until this past weekend, it wasn’t available anywhere in the USA legally. Now it’s accessible, but the anime killed off its promising young protagonist in the third episode. That seems like a recipe for loss of initial audience.

I hope I’m wrong. Regardless of whether this dooms the anime’s general reception, I will keep watching. Yes, I’m still sad about Rafal’s death. But I also loved the time we had with this colorful and intelligent character. If the next group of characters are as well-written as Hubert and Rafal, I have nothing to worry about. I’m sure this anime will still entertain me with its historical setting and poignant themes (such as humanity’s indominable curiosity, and the courage of heretics).

Speaking of enjoying this anime, like I mentioned, it was satisfying to see Nowak freaking out. I think he’s a well-written character so far, but it’s only natural to root against such a cruel antagonist. The reference to poppy-seed was also nice to see because I’ve always been interested in the history of drugs, especially those that originally came from plants (like opium). In addition, the music in this episode was perfect, and the moonlight scenes in Rafal’s prison cell were gorgeous.

All of that was great, but my favorite part of this episode was when Rafal described the nature of truth. The line delivery from Maaya Sakamoto was outstanding. This is the quote that I will leave you all with for today:

“The thing you all oppose isn’t me. Nor is it heretics. It’s part imagination and part curiosity. In short, it’s truth itself. It spreads like an epidemic. Not even the host can control it. It’s not the sort of harmless thing that can be tamed by an organization.”
~Rafal (Orb: On the Movements of the Earth, Episode 3)

~Thanks for Reading~

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