 Planets, written by Makoto Yukimura and released from 1999 to 2004, running for 26 chapters on the Morning Weekly Magazine in Japan. It tells the story of the crew of the DS-12 toy box of the Space Debris section, its purpose to prevent debris collision with satellites, space stations, and the spacecraft that orbit the Earth and Moon. The toy box is manned by Hachirota Hachimaki Hoshino, Fii Carmichael, and Yudi Mihairokov, a group that is often looked down upon because of the occupation. Debris collection isn't exactly the most glamorous of jobs, with our main crew having to work hard to prove their worth. Hachi, as he is known by his crewmates, is our lead character. He is loud and brash. He has a dream to own a spaceship one day and take part in the next phase of exploration. But the lack of money and working on a dead-end job makes him question whether that dream is obtainable or not. Fii is the ace American pilot of the toy box. Some would argue she's just as loud as our main character, but always meaning well. Fii is quite the heavy smoker, always looking for places to smoke, but coming up short. As many of the rooms inside the space stations are always having problems facilitating smokers for the strain it puts on its life support systems. Yudi, the Russian member of the team, a wholesome, cool, calm and collected man that usually access the voice of reason in the toy box. Years before the events of the manga, he and his wife were in a low-orbit craft that suffered an accident, as a small piece of debris struck the vessel at high velocity, causing the plane to depressurize. Many died as a result, including his wife who was never found. The incident has caused Yudi to work as a debris collector. Space takes place in the near future, and one of the striking features of this manga is Yuki Mura's meticulous attention to detail. The idea of debris in space is not a new one. Our planet has been surrounded by our man-made trash for many years now, and it only increases with the passage of time. The manga is steeped in history of spaceflight and rocketry, and all the agencies and organizations involved, including NASA and JAXA, to even fictionalized groups standing against space exploration. Concepts like weightlessness, space illnesses, and even noiseless ships are some of the few details that make this series engage in the realism of space travel. A somewhat episodic series, the core of the story is centered around the toy box crew, and they're dealing with debris. However, as you keep reading, you realize there's a much greater sense of world-building. This is a global story, with themes of politics, philosophy and environmental issues involved. Not only have we made a mess of our orbit, but now we have expanded towards the moon and beyond. One of the main plots of the story, however, is the upcoming debut of the Vaughn Brown, a fusion-powered ship designated to orbit Jupiter for the first time. Our main character, Hachi, sees this as the perfect opportunity to fulfill his desire for exploration and is working to make it to the ship's crew. But the creation of the ship brings about controversy to the inhabitants of Earth. We see this as the exploitation of space and its resources, while abandoning the many crises on Earth. As a result, the Space Defense Front is formed, a terrorist organization looking to forcibly address humanitarian and environmental issues, things like famine and other socioeconomic problems that continue to divide us. Each chapter reveals other details about this possible future. A veteran astronaut suffering from decompression sickness, injuries and rehabilitations in space, terrorism in lunar bases, the effects of the Kessler Syndrome, natural events such as solar flares and how they can impact a mission and its crew, the commercialization of space, the differences between a child being born on the moon and being born on Earth. I could go on with the many topics of this manga. Clearly, Makoto Yukimura did his homework. This is as real as you can possibly get with just a dash of the fantastical. Honestly, I could very well see all of these things happening in the near future. Ultimately, planets is a story of an underdog crew and their exploits. But it is also the story of the human spirit, our tenacity, an ability to rise above for the betterment of mankind. It also doesn't shy away from tackling heavy subjects, presenting both sides of the argument of our relationship with space and planet Earth. How do we progress forward with exploration while knowing of all the suffering and mistreatment occurring to the less fortunate? The Space Defense Front wishes to stop humans in space, but our main characters disagree and argue that humanity should keep pushing forward, seeing it as a necessity for our understanding of the cosmos, while other organizations see this progress as beneficial in an economical sense. I personally appreciated that, just like in real life, no one has the definitive solution. You have many sides to the arguments, and sometimes they all clash with an undesired result. Another topic explored with the creation of the Von Braun ship and the mission to orbit Jupiter is existential dread. Hachimaki has been through a lot, and towards the middle of the story, he has decided to participate and join the Jupiter mission at all costs. Regardless of sacrifices he be forced to make, some experiences that happen midway in the book bring about an angst for the character, as was described online as a metaphysical realization. Personally, we can't look at the vastness of space without reflecting on our own spirituality and relationship with the universe, and as Hachi goes through all of this, we explore his psyche and PTSD. Is it an obsession to branch out into the unknown, forgetting about his friends and loved ones, his place on Earth, and potentially settling down to live a normal life? At what point do we feed that obsession in the name of progress? A wrench is thrown into his plans, however, when a fourth toy box member is introduced, Aitannabe, a bright and earnest young girl that brings love and empathy to those around her, affecting our hot-headed protagonist on the way. There are many layers and stories to be analyzed within planets, the role of government and global militaries, as space expansion becomes a thing. At one point in the story, a thread of war looms over everyone's head, and you see the media and the powers that be manipulate events and the sensationalism of over-creating heroes and how it affects the health of individuals who do not consent to being treated as such. One hopes that in the future we can overcome these things, we can come together as one species, ignoring the greed and monetary gain for the wealthy, instead deepening our understanding of the universe and improving the lives of the many. Aside from Hachi's quest to explore, we are also presented with more grounded stories that reflect current real-world issues. I think the benefit of having a global series like this is that you're able to examine subjects such as racism, or even the divisions between nations, people, and classes. As I prepare to make this video, I remind you that this is Makoto Yukimura's first published work, and my goodness, what a first story to start with. A series set in space with a narrative all about our doubts, fears, aspirations, and resilience. A character study on humanity through the eyes of an average man that rises to the challenge to be something greater, while also learning about who he is and his impact on the people around him, his colleagues, loved ones, and even the random passerby. There is a sense of satisfaction as you read about these characters and story, how they change with the mundane events of daily life, how they evolve in the face of adversity. The characters don't feel frozen or static in representation. At first, what might seem like tropes and insignificant plot points actually contribute for their personal growth. The story beats flow organically and reach a satisfying conclusion that will pull at your heartstrings, making you care about the lives of the Toy Box crew. Another thing worth mentioning is the art in this series. Fantastic vistas and panoramas of space, the earth, and the moon, contrasted by a pretty diverse cast of characters, as well as all the machinery, spacecraft, and tools really do bring this story to life. Sure, the character designs can be a little rough around the edges, but their personalities shine through, making it quite the memorable space drama. Space is a beautiful, yet deadly frontier we are constantly aiming to master, and I have no doubt we will one day. Some might say these last words in these types of videos can get a little hokey, but looking back at reading this manga, Planets reminds me to not abandon the less fortunate, to work together for the good of us all. And just like the characters in the series, faced with the vastness of space, I remind it that satisfaction comes from what we already have, and not the endless pursuit of it. Thank you everybody for watching this video, it truly does mean a whole lot. Thank you to all the subscribers, all the people that like this content, and want to see more. I truly do appreciate it. If you have read Planets, let me know what you thought of the series down below in the comment section, and if you haven't, what are some of your favorite space themed manga that you think I should check out? That's it for now, thank you everybody, God bless, stay safe out there, I will catch all of you on our next video.