Planetes, Book 2

Customer Reviews:

Stellar manga.......2006-05-15

Oh wow. What can I say about a book where the climax is a hug?

It's really not as cutesy as it sounds. In the midst of a "John Woo moment" - bullets whizzing, karate kicks flying, grenades exploding - Hachimaki reaches a moment of truth. If he shoots a friend turned terrorist, he will lose every last shred of humanity he posseses. And yet his old friend now violently opposes all that Hachimaki holds dear: the exploration of space and its explotation for the betterment of mankind. To kill him will mean accepting the vast emptiness of space into himself, and still Hachimaki pulls the trigger . . .

Until the new girl, Tanabe, steps in between him and his victim to hug him and kiss him. It's a simple, compassionate act that does far more than words could, and it brings the chaos of the scene to a screeching, tender halt. It's as though everyone has been under the influence of something otherworldly until Tanabe steps up and asserts her humanity. Meanwhile, Hachimaki is prevented from taking that last, irrevocable step into the abyss - if only for a time.

Love, love, love this series. First volume was better overall, but this one has brilliant moments. Doesn't pull any punches either - in the end, Hachimaki is still pursuing his dreams of space, no matter what the cost . . .

IM GOING TO JUPITER! I HOPE!.......2005-07-06

The first manned mission to Jupiter is planned to take place in 2078, three years from now. Hachimaki has decided to be on that mission so he has started training, because he has to compete against hundreds of thousands of applicants. Hachi figures that he can become famous and rich by going on the mission, allowing him to buy his own ship and go where he wants to go. He might even have a little edge because the designer of the Von Braun (the Jupiter craft) wants Hachi's father to pilot it. Another new character, Tanabe, is introduced as the replacement for Hachi on the debris ship. She's as green as all get-out, and if Hachi doesn't end up hating her, he just might love her. On top of all this, the Space Defense League, a radical space environmental group has begun targeting the candidates for the Jupiter mission.

I enjoy the realism of the story and the art in Planetes. You don't have people pulling out Pokemon cards to do battle. While it is a little light-hearted at times, the real focus of this manga is on man's proclivity to go beyond this world. To explore frontiers, but the danger is, that like Hachi's father, you sometimes forget about human attachments because one begins to love space more than people. Planetes can be a little heavy-handed with its message at times but it makes up for it with grit and passion. Good book.

If you liked this I would recommend the anime version. I would also recommend the Mars series by Kim Stanley Robinson, a series of novels about the colonization of Mars which has a similar if more complicated palet than Planetes.

A realistic manga.......2004-03-21

This is the second installation of Planetes. The story continues with it's humanistic plot and gives readers a fresh change from the likes of other mind-bending, hard to follow manga plots. I just hope amazon.com will continue to give us more of this great series.

Average customer rating:

Starts strong, goes out with a whimper
Absolutely outstanding "realistic" manga sci-fi
PICK UP YOUR TRASH MAN!
2074 - Mankind is spreading out into space...
The first real HARD sci-fi manga I've found

Planetes, Book 1
Makoto Yukimura
Manufacturer: TokyoPop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1591822629

Customer Reviews:

Starts strong, goes out with a whimper.......2006-07-05

I'd overall give this a 3.5 stars...
And this short review is more for the whole 5-manga series and not just for the first volume, but if you are thinking of geting the first one, you might want to know what you are in for.
I agree with what several of the others have said in Planetes' favor. The characters are interesting, the "realistic sci-fi" aspect is quite good, and the overall direction or plot pull the reader in.
This lasts through the first two or three books. The last two seemed to me at least to lose the pulse of the earlier volumes. Maybe it is the case that all manga/anime must devolve into "emo," but that doesn't mean I have to like it. I appreciated the psychological aspects to the storytelling, and their importance to the tale's overall theme...but, well, Planetes emphasized this to excess. What began as a complicated human story ended up as a facile lesson. I wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone, so I won't disclose any more of the conclusion (if it could be called that).
Great first book, great 2nd, and maybe 3rd...weaker 4th and a disappointing 5th (or 4.part 2...as it is called)

Absolutely outstanding "realistic" manga sci-fi.......2006-05-15

Planetes almost defies description, but it's nominally about a space debris clean-up crew in the near future who work ceaselessly at clearing away all the now-useless junk we've launched into orbit. It has all the stillness and mystery of 2001: A Space Odyssey, without the detachment and tension. The characters deal with real-life issues of loss, inadequacy and loneliness against the vast backdrop of limitless space, and without bringing out a stick to beat the moral into us, Planetes proves that companionship and purpose make us whole and give meaning to life. Can you tell I love this series? I want to run out and buy all the books. Then I found out there is an anime series, too - released on DVD here in America, with subtitles! I'm giddy with anticipation.

PICK UP YOUR TRASH MAN!.......2005-06-18

The year is 2074AD and the human race is primed to explore the solar system. There are bases on the moon and preparations are underway to send an expedition to Jupiter. 23 year-old Hachimaki has always talked about owning his own ship and becoming a famous astronaut. But somehow, over the years that dream has given way to reality. Hachimaki is an astronaut, from a certain point of view. He has gotten a job as a debris collector, a job which entails removing space garbage caused by all the satellites and assorted junk that mankind has left in orbit around the Earth. Space debris probably doesn't sound that dangerous, but just ask his colleague, Yuri, who lost his wife because of a piece of space junk, how serious it can be. The other crewmember of their operation is the pilot, Fee, a single mom who lets the guys do all the dangerous work.

The first volume of Planetes is really a character study. There's Yuri, who must deal with the haunting presence of his dead wife. Yachimaki must ponder whether what he is doing is conducive to his goals in life, especially when he returns home to a little brother who sees him as a loser. And then there's Fee, who is just looking for a place to smoke a cigarette, even if the radical environmental group "Space Defense Fighters" is targeting smoking areas on the lunar base.

Planetes is a manga that features more realism than most which is reflected in the story and the art. It's good science fiction with a does of humor and a cast that is instantly likeable. Highly reccomended.

2074 - Mankind is spreading out into space..........2005-03-28

There are space stations, cities on the moon and a huge demand for more resources. And whereever man goes he takes his trash with him. Disused satellites, fuel tanks and other space junk makes it dangerous just moving about in orbit. The young Hachimaki works as a orbital garbage man but he has bigger plans in mind. He wants his own spaceship.
The manga is realistic, using real science, but never shoving it into our face - the characters and their stories are always the most important point. Great hard science fiction set in a near future that seems just around the corner.

The first real HARD sci-fi manga I've found.......2004-05-21

This book is amazing for a number of reasons. First, it is unique among space manga in being rather realistic: The physics works, for the most part, and the technology and social arrangements seem to stem logically from the current situation.

Book Description

After an excruciating selection process, Hachimaki is accepted into the Mars Development Project, his lifelong dream. However, feelings of elation are soon sucked up by a black hole of despair as he comes to grips with the fact that he will be leaving everything he holds dear behind. This realization forces Hachimaki to contemplate the meaning of his existence and the nature of his life in space.

Average customer rating:

A must read
ARRIVAL AT JUPITER
COLONEL SANDERS MANIPULATES SPACE
Good conclusion to a fine story

Planetes, Vol. 4: Part 2
Makoto Yukimura
Manufacturer: TokyoPop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1595324674

Book Description

*A Sci-Fi drama that explores the boundaries of human relationships *"Compelling and realistic... recommended for all collections and especially for teen and adult fans of Alita and Cowboy Bebop." -Library Journal *"As hard science fiction, and as human drama, Planetes is a manga at the peak." -Scott Green, Aint-It-Cool-News.com *"Planetes Vol. 1...got me first interested in science-fiction at a young age. Planetes is not one that you want to miss. I absolutely cannot wait for the next volumes of Yukimura's masterpiece." -Greg McElhatton, iCOMICS.com

Fee decides to spend more time with her family and questions whether she'll ever return to space. 500 million miles away, Hachimaki is at the threshold of a new era for mankind as the crew of the Von Braun finally reach Jupiter. Back on Earth, the engineer of the Jupiter Mission, Weiner Locksmith, becomes haunted by the deaths of all those who lost their lives in pursuit of his vision.

Customer Reviews:

A must read.......2006-02-18

I aint good with words so here it is in just a few of them. A must read for any lover of sci-fi. Light hearted but not childish in nature. Mature but a good read for younger readers. Good near future sci-fi.

ARRIVAL AT JUPITER.......2005-08-22

This last installment of Planetes sets Hachimaki, who I had thought was the main character of the series, up as more of a backstory, much as in Part I. The most important part of this volume concerns the character of Fee as she comes to terms with her lack of parenting skills when it comes to her young son. Her character is further fleshed out as she remembers events from her childhood about an uncle who was falsely accused in the disappearance of a little girl simply because of his odd character. Werner Locksmith, the creator of the Van Braun ship is already moving on to other projects, already trying to recruit the brighest minds to begin work on a Saturn expedition. And while all this is going on, Hachimaki and crew finally reach Jupiter, but who is going to write the speech that needs to be delivered back to Earth, a speech that will inspire everyone to continue exploring the stars? Why Hachi or course!

Part II of Volume 4 made up for the immaturity of execution and plot in Part I. The story of Fee's uncle was touching, even though it reminded me of The Green Mile and Man Without A Face at times. We really got down into the belly of Fee's character and it was a great experience. It did seem a tad unrealistic that Tanabe was going to wait 7 years for Hachi to make it back. I doubt either of them will be the same people after that length of time. I thought that too little time was spent on the Jupiter mission and that Planetes needs more volumes to fully tell the story. I do feel that this series was a step above most manga in terms of plot, character, art, and depth. You should check it out.

COLONEL SANDERS MANIPULATES SPACE.......2005-08-11

Volume 4 of Planetes has been divided into two parts for some reason. Perhaps in order to bring characters that were once mainly in the background of Hachi's quest to go to Jupiter. Strangely enough, he is absent from this volume except in flashbacks. After a US transport is destroyed by an orbital mine controlled by the Republic Country, factions in both governments are itching to go to war. The problem is that any war conducted in space risks Kessler's Syndrome, in which so much debris accumulates in Earth's atmosphere that leaving the atmosphere becomes an impossible task. With the background of impending war, the story focuses mainly on Fee, and the decisions she makes on whether to intervene in the conflict or not. Along the way, her and Tanabe make friends with a weirdo named Baron who sports an Elvis pompadour and claims that he is an alien observer. In a more touching storyline, Dr. Locksmith, the designer of the Von Braun Jupiter exploration ship, meets with the loved ones of the scientists that died in the development of his dream. And in a homage to Kentucky Fried Chicken, a US Army Space Intelligence Officer named Col. Sanders tries to convince Fee to take his side against the coming space conflict.

The writing in the first part of Volume 4 seemed a little lacking in the maturity department, especially in the scenes where Fee is kicked in the butt by her young son and we see just how pitiful her home life is. I do not know of any parent that would allow their kid to kick them and not respond. Of course it's all a message about rebelling against the system and all that but I just didn't get it. The Baron storyline tried but failed to achieve humorous results. And what is the whole Col. Sanders thing? It was just weird. Again, the pages about Dr. Locksmith were well done but did not make up for the juvenalia of the others.

Good conclusion to a fine story.......2005-02-12

The small epic of planetary exploration comes to a close after only five volumes. It is difficult to say much about events and developments without giving away the story. Let it suffice to say the final volume continues the character-driven plotlines, is intelligent, well-written, poignant and logical. Drawings are well and carefully done, clear and more free of ambiguity and difficulty of comprehension than in most manga.

A supplemental section gives some of the backstory of the Planetes world, including some scientific speculation and timelines. I look forward to the next work from Makoto Yukimura, and hope to someday see the anime adaptation of this fine graphic novel.

Average customer rating:

La Planete DES Singes
BOULLE
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Average customer rating:

Fantastic Science Fiction Novel
WOW!
A Fantastic Read
A Great Read
A Worthwhile Mirror!

La Planete DES Singes
Pierre Boulle
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 2266118285

Amazon.com

If you've seen the progressively cheesier Planet of the Apes movies of 1968-1973, you may be shocked to learn the first movie was adapted from an intelligent, ironic, and literate novel. You'll be less surprised when you learn the original novel Planet of the Apes was written by Pierre Boulle, author of The Bridge over the River Kwai.

In the novel Planet of the Apes, the three Frenchmen making the first interstellar journey discover a remarkably Earth-like world orbiting Betelgeuse--Earth-like, with one crucial difference: The humans are dumb beasts, and the apes are intelligent. Captured during a terrifying manhunt, locked in a cage, and ignorant of the simian language, Ulysse Merou struggles to convince the apes that he possesses intelligence and reason. But if he proves he is not an animal, he may seal his own doom.

Like the first movie, the novel Planet of the Apes has a twist ending, but a twist of a different--yet equally shocking--sort. --Cynthia Ward

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic Science Fiction Novel.......2007-09-13

I am a kid, and many who read the reviews for this book are most likely adults and will probably skip this review. Hear me out! This book is an extraordinary leap in science fiction even for a book written this long ago. The plot is great, and the book is filled with suspense and mystery that keeps you glued to your seat, turning page after page after page after page... Anyway, I highly reccommend this book to all science fiction lovers and those who simply like a good, interesting book. However, with this book's great plot and wonderful page-turning excitement, there is a surprise ending that's not much like the original film. Read the book and find out!

WOW!.......2007-04-30

I simply cannot find the words worth of this book. I really appreciated the original film version, not being in a situation to read the book, but when I did, I was blown out of the room! Layers upon layers of social and philossophical statements really delighted me, and were layed in such a form that would not stand in a way of lightness of reading. Brilliant!

A Fantastic Read.......2007-03-26

It begins when three humans from earth land on a distant planet called Soror which revolves around the star Betelguese. They find it to be inhabited by a race of apes with human mental capabilities and by humans that have no intellect. They are captured by the apes and Ulysse is put in a cage and treated like an animal. He eventually proves his ability to reason to some of the apes. But he is in great danger of being killed, so he is forced to flee the planet. He returns to earth where discovers the unimaginable.

A Great Read.......2007-03-23

I picked up this book and read it in a few hours. It was surprisingly good, complete with moral and ethical implications thrown in. It was interesting the way the book made me examine my own views towards regular unintelligent apes by seeing how intelligent apes in the book treated unitelligent humans. While I was annoyed by a couple minor aspects of the plot, I have no real complaints, and I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good example of science fiction.

A Worthwhile Mirror!.......2006-11-06

Sadly, this imaginative book has been overshadowed by the movies and TV series. Overall, this is a solidly written sci-fi novel. It starts with a couple finding Mr. Merou's manuscript in a bottle. Fine, a cliched begining. But, the pace soon picks up. In 2500 professor Antelle and doctor Levain set off on a spaceship journey. They reach their destination to an earthlike planet. They run into mute humans and than the sky figuratively falls. They are captured by talking Apes-military class, who rule the planet with Chimpanzees-middle class, Orangutans-ruling class who live as 20th century humans. This reverse world is riveting for it holds a mirror to the reader of how awful humans can be. Merou wins some simians over, but he is a threat to the established order. Finally, Merou flees and returns to earth, where he gets a jolting surprise. Despite, some oversimplifications the action and premise are very compelling.

Alimentation mondiale 2050: Bien nourrir les hommes sans degrader la planete : colloque organise sous l'egide des associations Animation, memoire, international ... francais, realites internationales

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Alimentation mondiale 2050: Bien nourrir les hommes sans degrader la planete : colloque organise sous l'egide des associations Animation, memoire, international ... francais, realites internationales

Manufacturer: Harmattan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: 273848168X

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Aquablue, tome 2 : Planète bleue
Cailleteau , and Vatine
Manufacturer: Delcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 284055920X

Astrologie sacrée et symbolisme initiatique : Les signes et les planètes

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Astrologie sacrée et symbolisme initiatique : Les signes et les planètes
Charles-Rafaël Payeur
Manufacturer: Aigle
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2921222302

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Aventures sur la planète Knos
Confiant Raphaël
Manufacturer: Editions Dapper
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2906067393

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