What are we watching: Planetes
What’s it about: In 2075, space travel is no longer just a dream, but an everyday reality for mankind. Advancements in science and technology have led to the colonization of the moon, the commercialization of outer space, and the formation of large space corporations. Ai Tanabe, an upbeat woman whose interests lie in the cosmos, joins Technora Corporation as a member of their Debris Section, a department dedicated to the removal of dangerous space junk between the orbits of the Earth and Moon.
However, Ai soon discovers how unappreciated her job is. As the laughingstock of Technora, the Debris Section is severely understaffed, poorly funded, and is forced to use a dilapidated spaceship nicknamed the "Toy Box" for debris retrieval. Undeterred, Ai perseveres and gradually becomes acquainted with the strange personalities that make up the Debris Section's staff, such as the bumbling but good-natured chief clerk Philippe Myers; the mysterious and tight-lipped temp worker Edelgard Rivera; and the hotheaded and passionate Hachirouta Hoshino, who longs for a spaceship to call his own.
Planetes is an unconventional sci-fi series that portrays the vastness of space as a backdrop for the personal lives of ordinary people—people who may have been born on Earth, but whose hopes and dreams lie amongst the stars.
Studio: Sunrise
Director: Taniguchi, Gorou
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DakRYsUIiIE
Where can I watch it: https://twist.moe/a/planetes/1 , https://thepiratebay.org/description.php?id=10060322
Spoilers beyond the current episode are :haram: . Please use the spoiler tag if you would like to discuss past the current episode. Everything in this episode and before are fair game.
2004 may have been early for criticizing the gig economy but it's actually kind of late when it comes to contrasting the lifestyle differences between freeters and salarymen. Sorry to link to the wikipedia articles on the topics which have a very odd individualist slant on the phenomena and completely lack a capitalist critique on the subject. Needless to say, capital in Japan is abandoning the salaryman model of employment for the freeter model because it is easier to exploit a precarious worker and there's no expectation of an expense account for afterwork drinks on the part of managers and workers.
That makes sense. I know very little about Japan so thanks for the insight!
Seems like workers' rights are being eroded everywhere, not just America.