Planet With Episode 3 Review: Avenger 1

After 3 episodes, Planet With has established most of its characters and the plot of what seems to be an intergalactic dogfight between two alien species who have very different opinions on how to suppress a violent but interesting humankind.

Japanese Title: 復讐者・1

Plot

Soya has finally declared himself an avenger. Yet, it’s a shame we didn’t get the chance to learn more about his past, his home planet (Sirius) and why Sirius and Earth are so closely connected. We are also left in the dark when it comes to the ‘dragon’ that destroyed his home planet and the Armors that took part in that invasion. It’s nice to have unanswered questions, but at this point, there are too many to follow.

We met the Sealer side of the aliens, who are, quite conveniently, dogs. The one that talked to that cat, who might or might not be Sensei (who can tell if they all look the same), referred to the dog as the Sealer of Fastidious White, and the cat was identified as the Pacifist of Chaotic Black.

The next one to lose her powers will probably be Kumashiro (white bear) who had a sudden change of heart after her little one lost to Soya in the last episode. The quote during her battle with the upside-down babies revealed her own weakness which was shattered with the illusion she had to fight:

‘Nobody’s afraid of you’

Oh well, certainly not Soya, who, by the way, befriended one of the Paladins who is a member of the occult club that he joined, after being pestered by Takamagahara. If they grow their relationship, it will make for an interesting fight!

Episode Highlights

Cat Warp: This is the most ridiculous spaceship design I have ever seen. And that’s amazing. I huge cat that has cats for a crew and its mouth is a direct wormhole between that place and their apartment. Handy.

Cinema: Probably some kind of subconscious link to another dimension, Soya was able to hear the two representatives of the opposing alien factions talk in Japanese and see their plans on a simple board. Poor Soya missed his opportunity to eat that delicious fried chicken. I’m so curious to see what will happen when he finally takes a bite of meat.

Quote of the Episode: ‘I wonder; did he make it to the bathroom?’ says a worried Takanagahara to the cameras.

Monster of the Week: Judging from the appearance of the not-so-menacing cotton candies the aliens use as weapons and from the dog and cat visage of the aliens, that they are probably taking the form of things familiar to our eyes. Hands, upside-down babies, misspelled words. Maybe they are just trying too hard.

Themes & Trivia

Mokele-mbembe: One of the most famous monsters besides Neli, Mokele-mbembe is a water creature in Congo river basin folklore. It has been reported many times by explorers and cryptozoologists who describe the creature as some kind of dinosaur, closer to a Brontosaurus.

Reversi: I’ve always known the game as Othello, probably because Mattel, the toy company, has marketed the game under that name. It is a strategy board game for 2 players that’s played on an 8×8 board. Unlike chess and more like Shogi and Go, the board has just one color. The game has 64 cyclical pawns that are white on one side and black on the other. The two players take turns in placing these pawns on the board with their assigned color up. Whenever a straight line of disks is surrounded in both sides by enemy pawns, they are turned to that player’s color.

Sirius: Sirius is a binary star system whose brightest sun is the brightest in the Earth’s night sky. It is twice as bright as Canopus, the next brightest star.

Occult: Most of us have seen an anime that uses the term for school clubs who explore paranormal phenomena. It comes from the Latin term occultus which means ‘knowledge of the hidden.’ It is mostly referred to scholars and enthusiasts who have a ‘knowledge of the paranormal’ instead of what is usually referred to science as the ‘knowledge of the measurable.’ In the sixteenth century, it usually referred to astrology, alchemy, and natural magic. Today, it encloses anything that can’t be categorized in science or religion, like ufology or parapsychology.

Comments

This is certainly not a Super Robot anime. It’s not even very much concerned with its robot armors, the reason they exist, or their powers. This is more a science fiction story about feline and canine aliens than it is a mecha anime about robots. And that’s ok, as long as they keep it that way and they don’t try to change its focus halfway through. Soya is out for revenge and that’s going to be the heart of the narrative.

Get us to Meow Speed!

Sirius? Earth? Invaders? Dragon? Planet With has shared enough secrets to keep us occupied for the rest of the series. And the most important question of them all… Why is Soya unable to eat meat?

Did you like Episode 3 of Planet With? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to check the rest of our Summer 2018 reviews.