I found Planetes by chance at the library, and [it] being a manga with a space man on the cover, I had no choice but to crack it open. I was immediately hooked by the premise as described by the back cover, and What I discovered was a series rich with world building, captivating characters, and a delightful art.

As much as I would have been happy for Planetes to be a story just about space, it is ultimately a story about people in space, which necessitates interesting characters. Our main characters are simple yet powerful, while many side characters are used as episodic catalysts for the main cast. I found Hachimaki (Or Hachirota, or Hoshino-san, or just Hachi) remarkably relatable with his steadfast dedication to outer space, and determination to do whatever it takes to fulfill his dreams. His drive is all in hopes of one day saving enough money to buy his own spaceship and experience true freedom, and who doesn't yearn for that feeling? Part of the main conflict is how much of his humanity he is willing to subdue in pursuit of his goals. Of course, it would be a boring story if Hachi remained the same throughout, and so other characters are used to influence him and shift his thinking. Around half way he undergoes a pretty drastic change in personality, and lands at a nice, soft spot by the end of the story.

The rest of our main cast of debris-collectors--Fee, Yuri, and Tanabe--receive nearly equal screen time (Page time?), except for poor Yuri. He's never focused on much after the beginning of the story. Fee illustrates the struggle between childlike aspirations and resignation to adulthood. The story takes time to focus more on her personal life and how her actions play into the main plot in the second half. Tanabe's belief in the power of love and sometimes clueless demeanor creates a perfect counterpoint to Hachi's irreverent attitude. The plethora of side characters serve as avenues to preset Hachi and the audience alike with lessons and messages about different aspects of life. All of the characters have families, they meet new coworkers and colleagues, an encounter numerous others that challenge the way they think about the world.

The overarching plot is one of significant intrigue to me, and ought be to anyone excited by the prospect of humans expanding into outer space. The hints of hard science contained within can allow one to infer the real knowledge of the author. This is someone who thinks about space as much as I do (Probably more). The purpose of our crew's job is to help prevent the onset of Kessler Syndrome, wherein excessive debris begins to destroy other spacecraft, starting a vicious cycle that ends with Earth's orbit too densely packed with dangerous scrap for any ship to pass through. With this as our setup, the stakes are effectively humanity's entire future, because failure to prevent a Kessler disaster will confine terrestrial humans to the Earth, and sever spacenoids from it.

Yukimura-sensei explores numerous themes related to the human condition. From the beginning he tackles life and death in space, and humanity's relationship with the Earth. Through various characters we're shown how these people cope with their dreams and the sacrifices they make for them, how they interact with authority or rebel against it, and find themselves alienated from a larger picture. The one that drives everything home, however, is love. All of the character relationships and struggles are built on an unconditional love and appreciation for mankind.

Planetes does showcase a somewhat peculiar narrative structure. While it largely follows the endeavors of Hachi, Yukimura is never afraid to divert your attention to another character for a time. Around the midpoint there is a distinct shift, after which a bulk of the remainder is spent with characters who had been pushed out of focus for a while, but in the end it all ties back to Hachi's adventures and development as an individual.

As it was his debut work, Yukimura-sensei grew into his art style throughout the series. It begins with more realistic people, but by the end the characters have developed more enlarged, cartoony facial features. This shift tends to make the characters more expressive and emotive, but fortunately doesn't contrast with the consistently rigid and detailed scenery and vehicles. The mechanical artwork, I must say, is impeccable. The story framework and art alike don't stretch the imagination by any large amount. Everything feels real, and plausible for the year 2070 (Provided corporations actually gain the sense to develop resources in space).

This is one of the most cinematic comics I've ever read. The panel composition combined with the sound effects and extra bits of dialogue crammed into exchanges give the impression of a living, moving piece. Every view of space or celestial bodies is well framed to showcase its vastness compared to our insignificant stature. There are plentiful color pages, and Yukimura's art is only enhanced by the extra dimension of detail.

Walking away from this series, I was fully satisfied despite a somewhat low energy climax. Planetes uses its powerful character stories to tell a larger story about the future, and I would recommend Planetes to anybody with an interest in sci-fi, actual science, outer space, or well written slice of life manga. In space.