Planetes Vol. 2 is automatically at something of a disadvantage. Vol. 1 was one of the most terrific things I’ve ever read, and I think it’s natural to wonder if subsequent chapters can hold up.
Vol. 2 almost manages it. It’s still the most thoughtful, humane science fiction I’ve ever seen. It’s still stunningly rendered by creator Makoto Yukimura. Yukimura still writes stories with elegance and depth.
But there’s something here that doesn’t work, specifically the character of Tanabe, a new recruit to the crew of interstellar garbage haulers.
Let me explain where I’m coming from. I think, in general, Yukimura has a tremendous facility with characterization. With a minimum of exposition, readers can learn a great deal about the cast of Planetes – their ambitions, their philosophies, their backgrounds, what drives them or holds them back.
Take the example of Hachimaki’s irascible father, Goro, a legendary pilot. It only takes a few short, comic sketches to delineate his nature, circumstances, and belief system. Then, there’s Dr. Locksmith, the driving force behind the pending mission to Jupiter. His chilling response to a lethal accident paints a surprisingly layered picture of a complex and powerful figure. Or Hakimu, one of Hachimaki’s rivals for a spot on the crew of the Jupiter mission, who makes an immediate and mysterious impression.
Then, there’s Tanabe. We know little of her background prior to joining the garbage crew, though there’s no difficulty in picking up on her belief system, because she espouses it constantly. The problem, as I see it, is that we don’t know how her perspective evolved or what past circumstances made her who she is. Without that foundation, she’s little more than a Jiminy Cricket, offering unsolicited moral advice to Hachimaki. She’s more of a mouthpiece than a character.
That’s a problem, because she’s central to the driving character arc of the volume. Hachimaki, in pursuing a spot on the Jupiter mission, is becoming increasingly harsh, almost ruthless. Yukimura paints Hachimaki’s ambition as being at war with his humanity, and it’s a fascinating internal conflict.
Tanabe is on humanity’s side, arguing strenuously in favor of love and compassion. She isn’t wrong, but she barely knows Hachimaki to be able to judge him, and readers barely know her. Consequently, the arguments seem hollow. Tanabe could just as easily be reading her spiel from a self-help manual, and it’s easy to identify with Hachimaki’s annoyance. And with other characters presenting different sides of the argument much more organically, Tanabe often seems superfluous.
Still, the evolution of Hachimaki’s world view is fascinating to watch. It’s shaped alternately by events, observation, and interaction with the people around him. In the process, Yukimura creates a fascinating palate of coexisting philosophies. Why do people go into space? Why do they risk their lives? Why do they decide to come back? The answers are all deeply personal, making for rich storytelling.
Another wonderful aspect of Planetes is the scale of its science fiction. It doesn’t demand a great deal of suspension of disbelief from its readers, choosing instead to logically extrapolate human progress into outer space from where we are now. It’s easy enough to imagine space exploration reaching this point some 70 years in the future. That level of believability allows the manga to focus on character, which is almost always its greatest strength.