Fifteen years ago, the skilled animator Mitsuo Iso helmed Den-noh Coil, a science fiction tale about children interacting with and exploring the world through augmented reality glasses. It was the first time he was able to show off his incredible storytelling chops, and the show garnered a cult following that excitedly waited for his follow-up. And waited. And waited. And when it seemed like that next project would never come, The Orbital Children was announced. When it finally made its premiere, all those patient fans, myself included, gathered to see if it would live up to its predecessor. Although I can only speak for myself, I found Iso’s sophomore series to be an overall worthy, if somewhat weaker, successor to his first great success.
In Orbital Children, Iso revisits many of Den-noh Coil‘s most prominent themes, particularly the way children interact with technology, and…
