Kanata no Astra

Worth a watch. I won't expound upon that much, as others have described before in beautiful detail why the writing and dynamic between these characters is so noteworthy. It's a bit of a slow burn, but I highly recommend you stick with it. It's a wonderful story of friendship and overcoming adversity that will at times make you want to run through a brick wall.

Every person in this show is unique in some fantastic way, and they all have completely different (yet believable) personalities. Some are a bit cliche, but what you might think in the first few episodes is some stereotypical anime archetype, ... eventually is fleshed out.

Highly bingeable (for those who aren't watching week to week). I highly recommend this show.

Going by my score of 9 you can tell I definitely highly recommend it however at first when I started watching the characters and story made me believe it to be a somewhat cliche adventure story with weak characters. However it takes time to develop characters and eventually dives off into numerous twists that were well set up and foreshadowed. It's a very highly enjoyable show and definitely the most fulfilling ending I've seen in quite a bit.

The story of being lost in space could be said to be like any other adventure story like exploring an abyss for instance, however luckily instead of focusing ... on just the adventure aspects, Kanata no Astra focuses on characters and progression while still maintaining the sense of adventure and wonder. This plus again I can't stress enough how much I appreciate the ending, make for a great tale of adventure and fulfillment.

The art style is very good and there were absolutely no issues with it, if I were to be asked if it was memorable artwise I'd have to say no but it definitely is great art without a doubt.

The sound is also great and fitting, the soundtrack feels spacey and the voice acting is fitting especially as you get to know the characters.

The characters begin seeming like caricatures but evolve into their own selves with well developed backstories and motives. The characterization is very well done.

Enjoyment is definitely very high as this is the most fulfilling show I've seen in awhile, overall I highly recommend it!

This show has laughs, mystery and a lot of heart.

Astra probably isn't the best show set about people lost in space, but I do give it a giant A+ for effort when it comes to keeping me invested in the overall plot and mystery.

The show follows a group of teens (and an elementary schooler) who get lost in space after a wormhole shows up on their field trip to another planet.

Storywise I think this is where the anime most strongly stands, it has a bit of an episodic format to start off, but in the second half the episodes race (at a ... good speed) toward the conclusion, where not a single plot thread is left unanswered (the conclusion for this anime makes it seem like their ending off a 100+ episode series, and has a better conclusion than some of those anime).

I think the first few episodes take a bit to get on their feet, (the episodic format of planet to planet and each characters tragic backstory not particularly interesting when you don't know the group) but where this anime really finds its footing is not in the space drama but in the mystery aspect that grows throughout. Where reveal after reveal takes your mind on a magic course, and you're second-guessing parts of earlier episodes, and wondering where each small hint leads as you theorize different elements.

Art is typical but never distracting--artistically it's told with a letterbox 16:9 format, they sometimes break away from (like when showing space, which I found quite fascinating). Sound has some good tracks, but nothing stands out; often the opening is left behind to use that extra minute of screentime to parade more information in.

Character-wise they all start out very generic tropes; the nice one, the nerd, the jock leader, the princess, the dark edgy one, etc-- except surprisingly they actually grow out of their tropes.
An example is most of the characters don't appreciate Kanata (the leader, who proclaims to be captain) in the beginning, however, it involves to everyone having gained a respect for him after he recuses Aries in the first episode, and he's the heart that brings the team together. He evolves from they typical someone who "must save everyone" to having a reason for having this attitude than being a shounen protagonist-- and a reason to realize he's most suited to be the captain in the group, which is why he takes on the role.

Most of the main cast grow out of their tropes as the series goes on, and in the last episode, there wasn't a single one of them I didn't like (whereas in the first episode I had much doubt about a few). Each character breaks away from what you presume them to be in at the start, truly giving the series an edge, and making me invested in what will happen.

Honestly, this was a really fun series for the 12 episodes they had (the first and last of those episodes are 40 minutes, so really it's like 14 episodes!)

I came in expecting a bland space team adventure, but in the end, I got to experience an unravelling (well paid off) mystery, and a conclusion that's written better than most 12 episodes series (and most anime in general) ever get.

Almost one hour long and a wide screen aspect ratio, those were my first impressions of the first episode of this anime. Astra in Space caught my attention from the info of its source material than anything else. A well received shounen oriented sci-fi adventure, and not only that, but it’s also short being only 5 volumes long. With a story that short it seemed that Astra had something that it wanted to accomplish. However as the episodes ticked by i failed to see what it was trying to do with its story or why it was considered good. Sure it is enjoyable, but that’s ... really it.

Astra takes place in a futuristic world where kids being sent to another planet as a school trip is seen as a no big deal. With an ensemble cast of highschoolers and one child heading to one of these planets. And just like in the synopsis, they all get mysteriously sent somewhere else and have to survive getting back home.
The writing for Astra is kind of a mixed bag, the best way I can describe it is that it all sounds good on paper, but what’s presented falls a bit short. The idea of being stranded in space is a good idea, but in reality it seems like it’s more of a detour. The characters have a road map of how to get home, and just need to planet hop a few times for supplies. The show also knows how to use planting and pay off very well for both within and episode and for later on down the road. However the pay-off are sometimes underwhelming or even nonsensical. I feel like a lot of that can be attributed to the tone of the show. Astra has a rather happy-go-lucky attitude through and through. I mean, I don't want it to be grim-dark, and it does have some undertones and angst thrown about. However when the show has kids facing the daunting expanse of space, hostile alien planets, and even conflicts amongst themselves it never has the feeling that something bad is going to happen to them. No matter how much peril the characters face none of it feels perilous.
There are also some plot twists, but just like before it only seems good on paper. They don’t really add or re-contextualize anything. They do kind of drop hints early on but like most of their pay-offs it’s rather underwhelming.
The characters are rather decent personality wise. At their introductions in the first episode they all fall into a stereotypical category. While it is done purposefully in order to develop them as characters, it’s pretty predictable how they will develop from their very first interactions with other characters. From the mean older sister coming to love her younger sister, the shy girl trying to be less useless, or the angsty teen being understandably angsty. Of course these are the more basic examples but it more or less holds true for every character. What is a little less satisfying is how compartmentalized many of them are. With a total of 9 people on the ship and the show being 12(13) episodes long only so much focus can be put onto each character. This leads to some characters only being partially fleshed out and then put aside and never having much relevance later on unless it is necessary to the plot.

Finally the production or more precisely why it decided to use the aspect ratio that it did. Astra predominantly uses a wide aspect ratio. For a few other instances it goes to a more full screen aspect ratio. Usually something like is used as a motif or hint to the viewer. But what does it mean for Astra? From the first episode it seemed that it would be a contrast between the spaceship and space. With the spaceship being widescreen giving it a feeling of being cramped due to the lack of vertical space. With the full screen being attributed to space itself as the screen expands more the same way the universe expands. However since they rarely leave the ship there’s not much more to it. It could have been used for the more open spaces of planets or breathable planets that allow them to take off their helmets, but it’s not. Instead it is used rather flippantly, for the few rare times it is actually used. it’s rather confusing why they used it in the first place. Everything else about the shows looks and sounds are decent albeit par for the course , it’s just that one thing that came off as weird.

I really wanted to like this show but many things about it worked against its favor. Maybe there was some essence from the source material that didn’t properly transition into the adaptation, now that would be a rather shame… Funny enough after finishing the anime I was reminded of another anime called Uninhabited Planet Survive, now that’s an anime about kids lost in space.

Per aspera ad astra, through hardships to the stars, a very good adaptation to the anime, Kanata no Astra or Astra Lost in Space.

So:

Story

Pros: Basically what you have here was a Japanize version of "Lost in Space" where a group of youngsters, whom were supposed to go camping in some planet called McPa, but as the title suggest they found themselves getting suck into a wormhole and found themselves floating in space, but by some luck they found what looks like an abandon ship, from there their adventure to going home starts and their journey of self discovery as they struggle ... to know each other and help one another becomes the focal point of this anime/ manga story plot.

Cons: Though minimal ,you won't find any death flags around here.

Verdict 8/10

Art

Pros: There was still the usual eyecandy uniform and swimsuit service.

Cons: Don't expect to see any panchira and Quinttrie's boob flash.

Verdict 4/10

Sound

Pros: Good ending theme.

Cons: Nothing in paticular.

Verdict 7/10


Character

Pros: Thought there were suppose to be 9 of them, later on 10 with the addition of Polina , it was basically Kanato who carries everything around here, basically he was like a version of Captain Kirk , who doesn't take things stting down, which basically earns him the respect of his crew.

Cons: While Kanata was portrayed as the sensible and mature one among the group , it was kinda unfortunate that the rest were portrayed as immature and with some life issues.

Verdict 6/10

Enjoyment

Pros: The fact that this was set in the future, basically make me see this as some new to the table, but then gain I could be wrong, then gain for this to have a clean ending was something to me worthwhile.

Cons: Nothing in particular.

Verdict 8/10

Overall

Verdict 9/10

It was worth watching, it has a clean ending, you might say it was the best 12 episode anime you've ever watch.

This anime is a masterpiece. I have always liked Space exploration anime but this adds a layer of mystery. Not to mention, the characters are great. They each have their own personal backstories making it very enjoyable.

I honestly can't wait for more episodes. I am also saddened that it's only 12 episodes but most masterpieces are like that

The story is quite unique but simple. There are no complicated plot points like a lot of space/sci-fi anime making it enjoyable to anybody


Without spoiling it, the cast are a group of kids on a school trip to SPACE and get teleported away by some mysterious ball. They ... somehow manage to find a spaceship (Another mystery) and now are planning to return home. The only issue is that they know that there must be someone who planned and need to find out who it is before they try to kill them again




TLDR, I recommend the heck out of this

One thing I've recently noticed about myself is that I am not a big fan of Sci-Fi (even though my favorite anime is Sci-Fi), but I am a big fan of some sub genres of that genre, and mecha is not one of them. Astra Lost In Space is one of the Sci-Fi shows that I loved and am glad to have caught up on when I missed its weekly episodes.

The story is simple as the title says, a bunch of people are lost in space. Their main goal is to get back to their planet. Along the journey, lots of revelations take place. The ... characters learn the whys, hows, and the whats of all this journey. Why did they get lost? Who are they? Is there a link between them? Each additional plot point will have your mind bobbling at its intelligence and how well it is prepared. Sometimes you'll even think to yourself, "How could I have missed that detail?". It's built up in a way that is very accessible to any audience, yet still hides a lot of secrets behind its obvious plot.

The characters are also very lovable. We have a large cast of characters, each with their own stories to tell, personalities to show, lives to experience. Each character adds something to the show. While Kanata may seem like your usual shounen MC, his determination and sacrifices are just mind-blowing. I usually dislike characters with no depth, but he's really an influential figure to have in the show which keeps the crew going. The other casts are all very dynamic and remarkable and add a lot to the anime, making it really fun and quirky.

The art design is also very smooth, characters look really good, colors are vibrant and full of life, and it all flows smoothly. Black borders cover the frame of episodes most of the time but it was never really an issue. Sound design is also pretty good, though I don't have anything remarkable about it in mind.

Overall, Astra Lost In Space is one of the few shows I have enjoyed so much in a long time. It carries info dump that doesn't overload your brain, so if you feel exhausted, instead of going for a boring ecchi to reload yourself, have a taste of a space anime that is made very accessible, yet at the same time, is a genius craft.

Kanata no Astra is pure garbage, but it's the garbage everyone talks about.

The way the show started, I was thinking this was going to be something of "Star Trek the Anime", which in a way that's how the first half of the show was supposed to turn out. Eventually, as with all bad sci-fi shows, it turns out into this weird primordial soup of just too many different sci-fi concepts. It tried too hard and honestly just fell really flat on its face. The writing is boring, art is static and not even Japanese voice acting could save this show.

Story - 3
Prepare yourself for a ... cringefest of the most idiotic characters spouting the cheesiest lines about teamwork and friendship. I actually feel embarassed that I had to listen to it more than how the VA's must have felt reading it. I think from a conceptual perspective, the story wasn't too bad, but the execution (mainly the dialogue) was just pitiful. You could have actually hired a highschooler to write the script for you and it would have turned out better.

Art - 1
If you're someone with a brain, you might notice how incredibly static and non-moving everything is in the show. If you're thinking that's bad, it's actually worse, because not only is everything static, everything looks like it's made out of MS Paint and the animators just fill-colored every scene. Actually even saying that would be too kind for this show because someone who used fill-color would actually have time to put things like proper shading and good color tones to at least make things look decent. I wouldn't be surprised if you told me this was drawn by amateurs, in fact I would be more surprised if it wasn't the case.

Sound - 4
I wasn't really paying attention to the music that well but nothing really stood out to me as a good theme or even remotely exciting. At the very least it has music so I guess it's better than nothing...

Character - 3
The characters are generic and bland. Essentially every character is some literary plot device to be used and thrown away. That's all characters are in this show, overused napkins to cover up the messy plot the writers of this show came up with. And unfortunately they don't even do a good job of cleaning up, the show still turns out to be a steaming hot pile of stinking trash.

Enjoyment - 5
The story is a child's creation of a teenage highschool drama set in space. The art is a lazy attempt to pass off half-worked drawings as decent animation. The characters are plot devices which have no other purpose in the show aside from existing to continue the story. Everything is just so wrong that it's a miracle this even exists.

But as weird as it sounds the show being this bad is probably the one thing it has going for it. Kanata no Astra is like that one fat kid everyone can bully or make fun of. People love talking trash, and I'm no exception. It's that show that people can discuss and criticize with others and oddly enough, you can because it's one of the more popular anime airing this season. And I guess it's because despite being terrible, it does have unique parts of its story which are cliche, but not too common in relation to other airing anime. Being the only one of its genre airing also gives it an edge in popularity strangely enough.

In the end I guess even a show as terrible as Kanata no Astra is preferred over watching an overgeneric isekai.

Overall - 4
Would not recommend, EVER! But if they ever make a sequel, I hope it's as bad as the first one!

This show's premise is simple: a group of high school kids were involved in a summer camp gone wrong when they found themselves thousands of light-years away from home. Estranged with one another, they have to trust work each other and cooperate in order to survive against all odds.

Despite its futuristic sci-fi setting, this show is ultimately a coming-of-age story, whose narrative revolves around an ensemble cast of dynamic and flawed characters, and I think they told the story magnificently. One thing that this series does well is subverting tropes. Yes, the characters may seem cliche at first, but as the show goes on, you ... will understand that there's more to them than meets the eye. The character development they showed throughout the series was top-notch, giving this show a unique charm that only a few great coming-of-age stories possess. For a single-cour series to effectively juggle this ensemble cast with ease is nothing short of impressive.

Like all shows, nothing is perfect, and Astra Lost In Space certainly isn't. From quick expositions and lack of plot details (not plot holes nor contradictions) to ethical and philosophical discussions, the science fiction aspect of the show was handled in a mediocre way, but not neccesarily bad it makes the whole show unwatchable. Thus, I would argue that this show overall caters to a much younger demographic who would turn a blind eye to the show's "unrealistic" take on space travel. However, this doesn't take away the show's charm at all. Nope. Not in a billion light-years. This series knew it wasn't going to be a highly realistic science fiction literary piece. That's why you should never judge a coming-of-age story with a sci-fi setting using the criteria for judging a hard science fiction piece.

Few anime series have the gall to tell a brilliant, short closed narrative with a consistently good narrative from the very start to the very end. Astra Lost In Space or Kanata no Astra, is a very good coming-of-age story with a very meaningful character development. The quality of this show always make up for this flaws. This is a show that does a few mistakes as possible, and if you're already getting attached to the characters, don't worry. It will pay off beautifully at the end.

SCORE FROM OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS: 8.5/10
SCORE FROM PERSONAL ENJOYMENT: 10/10 WOULD HIGHLY RECCOMMEND!

A very refreshing anime. This is the only anime I consider underrated (I have watched over 150 anime). Truly a masterpiece.

Story 10/10
No filler episode, good pacing and no beating around the bush. The direction where the series headed is very clear cut, it is about survival while stranded in outer space.
Although the story is simple and easy to understand, the plot-twist is really mind blowing.

Art 9/10
Art is pretty good, nothing much to say.

Sound 9/10
... Sound is also pretty good, the ending theme always hits me at the end of each episode especially the final episode.

Character 10/10
Despite having 9 main characters, all of them are well-written (in depth) and all 9 of them are equally important in the series. I love the interaction between the characters. All of them has their own screen time interacting with the other characters and getting to know their back story.

Enjoyment 10/10
When I started this series I wasn't expecting myself to get hooked and binge-watch the whole series in 2 days. Each episode ends with a cliffhanger. I was always amazed at the plot-twist, there is literally plot-twist inside another plot-twist which is really jaw dropping.

Overall 10/10
I have only rated 6 anime 10/10 (AoT, Steins;Gate, Gotoubun no Hanayome, NGNL, Spirited Away). Astra Lost in Space is one of it. Will definitely rewatch this series again and recommend it to others

One of the best sci-fi anime like Steins;Gate out there. It's really a masterpiece.

Really a work of art. Thanks Kenta Shinohara for creating such a great story. Looking forward for more great stories in the future.


Story: 10/10 Great story, great twists, great ending.

Sound: 10/10 Perfect sound and music sync, gives the proper mood

Art: 9/10 Could be a little better but not a problem cause the story is great.
...
Character: 9/10 Good character development, but could be much more but only 12 episodes so......

Overall: 10/10 Great anime. It's a must watch. I hope this will go on top 50 ranking on MAL in no time!


Guys please watch this anime and I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

This is just good PERIOD WATCH ITT YOUR MISSING OUTT.... Okay i dont wanna overhype y'all but for me its a masterpiece and its so underrated MAKE SURE TO FINISH ITT at few episode its kinda boring you know im just expecting a slice of life anime but it turns out its nott and its so mind blowing its kinda confusing at times but it good. kanata no astra is kinda like among us cause there were loss in space and there's an imposter among them its pretty interesting to watch and your question will slowly get answered while your watching it

This show is a wild, emotional, and enjoyable rollercoaster ride from start to finish. The story and mystery will captivate you into the deep ends of space and by the end, the show will be one of the best Sci-Fi/Space/Mystery anime you'll ever watch. A modern masterpiece with excellent writing and story with memorable and relatable characters. Huge props the whole cast & production; directing, soundtrack, and voice acting are great too. The Kanata no Astra manga won the Best Manga Award of 2019 in Japan and it really deserves all the accolades it got including this anime adaptation that certainly gives it justice.

How to start it? You wanting to see the anime now, go, see! Worth every minute, will be very well enjoyed, will be an anime that will enter your list of most amazing anime you have ever seen in your life.

Let's get to the summary of the thing (pretty fast):
Anime is a survival in space, with a lot of humor and a tense drama and a slow but very funny romance.

Review: Don't read if you haven't seen it.
The anime starts off funny, With the meeting of all the characters for the beginning of the trip, there you may not like some, ... or many. The journey goes smoothly to the planet they should be, but when the plot really begins, everyone gets sucked into a wormhole and ends up in space, by divine grace a ship was abandoned in the space near where they were thrown. After the recovery of all the members they analyze the events and start the trip home, a jump from planet to planet to Astra.
The characters gain their highlights during the trips and we find out about their life and we understand and liking the characters in the meantime, humor and mystery come together right now, the drama is very well calculated and at the right time of things, author and director worked very well here.
In the end we found that everything was connected from the beginning of the whole plot, the points connect very well, make total sense in everything that was pointed out, a hit of the direction and the writer, the twists that happen are amazing and each end of episode you get crazier to know exactly what will happen in the end.
The end was at the right point, no more and no less, right. The plots close, all are presented in their future 7 years later and their dreams told while traveling are revealed. The final romance ends beautifully, just missing a kiss and such, but I will not complain about it.
In the end, each part was worth, was very good and enters the list of the best, really worth every week of waiting.


Como começar isso? Você que está querendo ver o anime agora, vai, veja! Vale cada minuto, vai ser muito bem aproveitado, vai ser um anime que vai entrar na sua lista de animes mais incríveis que você já viu na vida.

Vamos para o resumo da coisa (bem rápido):
O anime é uma sobrevivência no espaço, com muito humor e um drama tenso e um romance bem lento, mas muito engraçado.

Analise: não leia se não tiver visto.
O anime começa engraçado, com o encontro de todos os personagens para o inicio da viagem, dali você pode não gostar de alguns, ou muitos. A viagem vai tranquila até o planeta que eles deveriam ficar, mas ai que começa a trama realmente, todos são sugados para um buraco de minhoca e vão parar no espaço, por graça divina uma nave foi abandonada no espaço próximo de onde eles foram jogados. Após a recuperação de todos os membros eles analisam os acontecimentos e começam a viagem para casa, um pulo de planeta para planeta até Astra.
Os personagens vão ganhando seus destaques durante as viagens e vamos descobrindo sobre a vida de cada um deles e vamos entendendo e gostando dos personagens nesse meio tempo, humor e mistério vão combinando bem nesse momento, o drama é muito bem calculado e no tempo certo das coisas, autor e diretor trabalharam muito bem aqui.
No fim descobrimos que tudo estava ligado desde o começo de toda a trama, os pontos se ligam muito bem, fazem sentido total em tudo que foi apontado, um acerto da direção e do escritor, as reviravoltas que acontecem são incríveis e a cada fim de episódio você fica mais louco para saber exatamente o que vai acontecer no fim.
O fim foi no ponto certo, nem mais e nem menos, certo. As tramas se fecham, todos são apresentados em seu futuro 7 anos depois e seus sonhos contados durante a viagem são revelados. O romance final acaba de forma linda, só faltou um beijo e tal, mas não vou reclamar disso.
No fim, cada parte valeu, foi muito bom e entra para a lista dos melhores, realmente valeu cada semana de espera.

“Space, the final frontier, this is the voyage of the highschool Enterprise. Their continuing mission, to return back to their home. To seek out new planets and maintain their supplies. To boldly return from where no man has returned before.”

Sit back, relax and make sure to keep log recordings of each day as I present to you the anime review for Astra Lost in Space. Lets begin shall we?


Story: 7.5/10

Our story begins with our main cast of characters looking forward to spending one week camping on an extraterrestrial planet. However, when they land on the planet to begin their camping a mysterious ... sphere appears in front of them and without knowing what it is, they approach the sphere. But the sphere starts sucking them in and they get sent to a different part of space. Thankfully, there is an abandoned ship nearby they use to prevent getting drifted away into outer space. With their goal set to return back home, they set a plan of hopping between planets, maintaining their supplies and to return home, all while discovering the reason why they were sent into outer space.

Imagine Star Trek meets the 2013 theatrical film Gravity. Given the situation they are in, it would make sense that they would enjoy exploring these new planets and checking out the wildlife while also gaining supplies. But they also got to be cautious because this is uncharted territory and they are stranded in space. The show justifies balancing the two due to the nature and experience of our main cast and all they want to do is explore the planet they have never seen. Wouldn’t you? But it also gets fairly predictable at times where the main cast lands on the planet, explores it, gets some supplies but some unknown factor happens that jeopardises the cast and they must work together to survive. Thankfully, this doesn’t happen all of the time and we do get some surprises that keeps the viewer hooked and add some unpredictable elements to it.

Where this show does shine though is its mystery elements. It gives you questions early to make you theorise as you are watching the show as to why are these things happening. Why was there a mysterious sphere there? Why was a ship conveniently at the place they got transported? Why only our main cast was sent to another part of space? It makes you think as to why things are the way they are. The show also does a good job of delivering bomb shells that throw a wrench into your thought pattern. It makes the unpredictability factor of this show a really good hook that makes you want to watch the next episode. At times though, some plot elements that were dropped made the answers pretty f**king obvious, but it makes up for it by making the execution of revealing those answers well laid out and still left and impact on the rest of the story. So even though I was right, it still kept me hooked because of how well those answers were delivered. However, a couple of the reveals left me puzzled as why these things happened when they could have done this to change it, or explained it with more care when it gets revealed. The only explanation I got that these were plot holes that a mystery shouldn’t have. And could have easily been avoided but didn’t for the sake of the plot. It wasn’t a massive glare and didn’t affect the main mysteries but they were noticeable when you think about it.


Characters: 8.5/10

The way our main cast evolves in this series gives some extra depth to them despite them starting out as rather stereotypical characters. From Quitterie being a stuck up b**ch, Ulgar being the loner type or Charce being a pretty boy. They all have their stereotypical personalities we have seen from other shows. But they start to grow as they realise their situation and we learn that there is more than meets the eye for some of the characters. Some of them still retain their stereotypical personalities throughout the show but they expand on it to give them this depth that makes the characters enjoyable to watch.

Their rather innocent sense of wonder when exploring these worlds could agitate people as they are not being cautious enough. But lets not forget, they are teenagers that got thrusted into this situation. They aren’t trained astronauts sent to explore uncharted worlds, they are trying to get back home. They are exploring these worlds because they haven’t seen ecosystems this close up and are trying to gather supplies. Without this innocence, then the worlds wouldn’t seem as interesting or something you would want to explore without someone being in shock and awe.


Animation: 8/10

I don’t know why the show went for a 16:9 picture for most of the series but it did. Other than that, the show does look really good. It’s more colourful than I was expecting as the worlds look rather vibrant, even ones that don’t have a lot of life on them and the cinematography in this show is well done as well; always angling at the right time to get the best effect. Some cgi is used in this series but it isn’t glaring and sometimes used to good effect. This is especially true in episode 1 where they are stranded in space and you see Aries drifting in space, helpless and is unable to do anything. That is good use of cgi there.


Sound: 7.5/10

The show’s ost is pretty varied with various tracks to match the situation and add to the atmosphere. It is good but get overshadowed because the two notable soundtracks from this series that are REALLY good. The first one to talk about is played during episode four and is sung by one of the main characters, Yunhua. This one stands out because of the context that this behind this song such a timid girl has such a beautiful voice. The second one is perhaps the most notable one and plays whenever there is some kind of revelation or tense moment happens and you hear this sci-fi horror soundtrack with a heartbeat like beat and then the sudden use of foreboding instrumentals to make the scene more nerve racking than it should be. It’s an excellent tone setting soundtrack that is without a doubt the highlight of the ost of this series.

The opening and ending sequence in this series is rarely used in this series as the show would just rather get on with the story. Whenever they do show the opening and ending though, they are rather solid. The opening "Star*frost" by nonoc is a character showroom kind of opening where it just wants you to show who is the main cast of this series and not much else. The song is nice and upbeat as well so there is little to complain here.

The ending sequence "Glow at the Velocity of Light" by Riko Azuna is solid as well. It mainly a slideshow of the characters having their pictures taken during their time on the ship or on the planet. What I like about it most though is that instead of using the same pictures, they are updated every time so when the ending is played, we see some of the things we didn’t see on display. It’s a nice reminder that the characters are trying to have a good time as well as trying to get back home.


Conclusion:

Astra Lost in Space remains one of my favourite anime this season for several reasons. Its mysteries, its characters, the sense of wonder and exploration, its cinematography and the ost all combine for a rather enjoyable experience. While it does trip up at times in its story, the way the show overcomes it and I can still enjoy it means that some of the story elements really do work in this series. It is a shame that this show didn’t get more attention than it deserved because it is, in my opinion, one of the highlight anime this season that I would easily recommend to watch.


My Personal enjoyment: 9.5/10


Overall score: 8.2/10 Recommendation: Watch it

Kanata no ASTRA is, I think, like a proverbial overachiever underdog (especially of its specific season): one that nobody really expects to shine in any way, but everyone can come to like very easily, and then time and time again it surprises people with one thing or another. It's not perfect, but it does everything it sets out to do very well, and then sprinkles it with several extras. It's sci-fi, but it's more fiction than science; and while it does a good job of skirting several serious issues on several occasions, it never really goes deep into any of it. Personally, I think all ... of these characteristics are perfectly fine, as it really doesn't feel like something that was intended to be "mature entertainment". Indeed, if anything, this is sci-fi for - well, perhaps not for kids, but younger teens for sure, those who want a somewhat typical space adventure with a bit of Robinson Crusoe / Star Trek Voyager splashed into it.

Voyager actually seemed like a great parallel at the beginning, as being flung into a far, unknown part of space is definitely something that holds infinite possibilities for an immense amount of content. Ie. a series based on that could run for several seasons. I really couldn't imagine how a story like this could end in 12 episodes, especially when the main cast grew on me pretty fast, despite their initial bland impression. Much like how there's a common feat they all share, which might make them feel "all the same", they're all equally loveable as well. But that doesn't make them boring: they also each have their own story and background, which are perhaps not overly unique but definitely more than enough to make them their own distinct selves - this opens up doors to being relatable. I'm pretty sure everyone can find at least one thing in at least one of these kids that they can personally relate to, setting and circumstances notwithstanding, whether that's a weird quirk or a past trauma.

Which is pretty much what makes ASTRA great and greatly enjoyable. Despite the silly jokes and quirks, despite the sometimes questionable science, despite some potential plot inconsistencies, despite some really ridiculous details, despite the abrupt shifts in tone from very heavy and dark into outright moronic and vice versa - it manages to realise its core concept: it's a camp experience (turned space adventure). A bunch of random kids who don't really have anything to do with each other, apart from being in the same group, growing up as they go through hurdles and fights, share tears and laughter, as they discover space in a fight for their survival - and, in parallel, discover the shared secret of their existence, which they also find themselves having to fight for. Personally, I've never had much of a great camp experience myself as a kid, and yet this anime managed to put some rose-tinted glasses on me and give me fond thoughts of reminiscence. If that's not spectacular enough, it's still a great space adventure with quite a lot of plot twists to even make for a rather consistent suspense.

As a sidenote, something we shouldn't pass by without mentioning: I think the biggest takeaway from this entire anime is the fact that you cannot tell a good story well enough in just 12 episodes, which seems to have been such a default for almost every series for years. It's way too restrictive, especially with a greater cast; it doesn't leave enough time for proper characterisation or dramatisation; and if you even factor in the openings and endings and previews and fanservice, it's clear that it's actually detrimental. Look at how ASTRA handled it: the first and last episodes are double length, effectively making it 14 episodes; both the OP and the ED were skipped several times, because even that extra one and a half or three minutes mean that much more time for fleshing things out - or when not skipped, they actually provided additional material for the episode in the form of extra shots or "photographs" of scenes we didn't get to see; there was one episode that provided some fanservice in a mostly organic, well integrated way; and I'm not even sure previews were a thing at all. Now, with all this, there still remained quite a few events that were glossed over way too quickly. There still were details that didn't make sense because they were poorly set up (if they were set up at all). There still were plot points that felt like miniature black holes - which just don't feel right, however appropriate black holes might be for the genre. As great as ASTRA is, with these in mind, it's also a very good case against the 12-episode standard, exactly because the smaller glitches are that much more noticeable in something that's overall rather high quality.

No Spoilers, simple and short review:

Story:
A refreshing mix of sci-fi and rom-com.
The story was well-developed and kept me intrigued the entire way through.
The story is very integrated with the characters themselves, so character development plays a big role which was a refreshing experience since newer, big-name anime series kind of forget about it or drop it all together.

Art:
The art is pretty simple but the creativity with each world was a fun experience.
Nothing spectacular. Character design was good, meshing with their stereotypical character arch-types. Honestly, most of the flashbacks probably had the best artistic direction.
...
Sound:
The sound track fit the bill but wasn't a masterpiece.
Nothing really that memorable stood out.
I'd remember if it did.
I remember liking the OP/ED a lot since I didn't skip them most of the time.

Character:
The true stars of this series was the story and characters which is what carried it for me. The backstories of each character made them feel truly believable and gave the view a solid sense of empathy and compassion towards each of their backing plots and personality quirks.

Enjoyment:
Enjoyed it a lot. I don't write reviews for every anime. Only the ones I care enough to voice opinions about meaning the time spent on it gave me some good value.

Overall:
More than watchable. Watch it.
It's a good series. Not the best you'll ever see... but definitely worth the time.

(ENG vers.)
It seemed to be fun, but the story is very drawn out and boring, and the first episode is the one that suffers most from this, mainly because it is almost 50 minutes long. Basically, throughout this enormous length, the only relevant events are found near the end, while the rest of the episode is just tedious to watch. Furthermore, the work lacks satisfactory animation and charismatic characters.

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(PT-BR vers.)
Parecia ser divertido, mas a história é muito arrastada e maçante, e o primeiro episódio é o que mais sofre disso, principalmente por ter quase 50 minutos de duração. Basicamente, em toda essa enorme duração, os ... únicos acontecimentos relevantes se encontram perto do final, enquanto o resto do episódio é só tedioso de assistir. Além disso, a obra carece de uma animação satisfatória e de personagens carismáticos.

I usually drop shows that I don’t like. Although this time it was different – I felt obliged to finish this. I love sci-fi. And at first episode this anime left very good impression, so deep down while watching this series I hoped: perhaps, perhaps I was wrong and this anime actually is good. And this is what I realized..

This anime could have been a masterpiece. Had it followed its sci-fi survival route. Instead, we got some teenage soap drama with idiots in space kind of comedy(?) series that couldn’t decide what it was. That really hit on my nerves. In more ways than one. ... I think people who enjoy sci-fi and good writing will dislike this anime.

How can something have such an amazing setting but be ruined by terrible cast/writing?
I guess it’s simple:
1. Add pointless characters.
2. Put them in illogical situations where it’s impossible survive, but they do.
3. Make story boring by making all the problems solvable within half episode (let me remind you they are travelling in vast space and trying to survive on unknown planets).
4. Fanservice (no need to explain this, but in a nutshell you add nice visuals and body parts to cover up the lack of plot)

The explanations below may contain SPOILERS. It is needed to reason my opinion:

- POINTLESS CHARACTERS -
The characters I did (kind of) like at first were Kanata, Aries, the biology boy, and perhaps that snipe-shooter boy, the genius and transgender. All the other characters pissed me off. Why were they there? Especially the character whose entire story arc revolved around singing and some stupid drama with her mother. I don’t even bother remembering her name. How is this related to space travel in any way? Just go sing in your local bar or something, I don’t care about you. Don’t be useless. Later she becomes pretty and useless. What an upgrade.

Then the blond chick Quitterie whose name is the only good thing about her: she Quits thinking and wants to Quit all the time. And whines all the time. She is the only person with legit medical background but somehow DOES NOT BELIEVE IN CLONING. I think she is the least person who needs any explanation of what cloning means, but for some reason it was mainly explained to her.
And in the end she becomes a FASHION MODEL so who the hell cares about her medical background anymore.
These small inconsistencies in story is what made me pissed off the most, therefore this character is broken.

I didn’t even care about the parents in this story. Their only purpose is to be bad and I get it. Whatever. Later it turns out that there was something more to them. But that was written so out of blue that I don’t care. Whatever.
And I forgot the small girl because she was just there for the plot sake but nothing more to her that I would care about. I might be heartless, but the writing made me so.

Later I realized that I didn’t care much about the transgender and sniper boy either. In addition, Kanata is stupid (jumps everywhere and loses limbs for the sake of arguments) and the genius boy is there for the plot convenience and some comic sketches with Quitterie. Perhaps the only character I did like was Aries, and that may have been because she had good first impression and some nice quotes. Spoiler warning: In the end she gets dumped by Kanata because even though they are married Kanata freaking travels away on his spaceship. And the biology boy was ruined by the reveal that he was a king’s clone, making him a drama king for the last couple episodes and some commercial hog at the end of the series. In the last episode seems like it is super convenient for him to just do whatever, even kill himself (I mean if you travel to space you always have to keep that in mind that you might). Who cares about the consistency of the world and nation building anyway? People with brains might, but it’s not needed in this show.

- FANSERVICE -
That beach episode was terrible. I don’t ever forgive them for my disappointment.

- ILLOGICAL SITUATIONS -
Of all the planets they go to, only one (in episode 7) proved to be dangerous enough to make the story interesting and realistic. But they failed that!
MAKE STORY BORING -> Lo and behold they find an identical ship on the same planet not too far away and can fix all their issues with few steps! Yay!

Some more notes:
Adding an additional member was at first disappointment for me. I kind of hoped that this is survival show and we are losing members, not gaining them but nonetheless the added character actually made this anime better (for few episodes). She was the only person we could relate to, so having this small mind game of Earth/Astra was pretty good. But the issue swiftly went over to clone soap opera so that’s was about it.

- THE ONLY GOOD THINGS -
The mentality. That in hard times you have to stay together and stay positive. But in the end everything was just so convenient for them, I don’t feel like cheering at all.
Also, visuals were good. But story is more important than visuals.

- END NOTE -
This anime is overrated due to its very good first impression. In the end, this series became a very bad show. Somewhat watchable, but very bad. Being bad is not always a negative thing. At least it’s not average, I will not forget this show. But I will remember it as a show that could have been so much more if it had better writing.

While I enjoyed the show and was drawn to it by the interesting idea of space exploration at the begaining, it quickly lost it's appeal for. What keep me drawn in was the character interatactions and character development. The story was not amazing and had plot holes, but it was fair and alright if you don't think about it too much. There were a few cringe parts that annoyed me in the middle of the show, but the ending felt very wholesome and nice for me. Paired with the nice likeable characters and good art + sounds, I'm giving it a 8 overall. I would ... of given it a 7 if isn't for the complete feel the ending give me. I would of given it much highier if the journey was longer allowing deeper character development and more interesting interactions to happen. And, if the story was more better telled and explained other than just somewhat of in the form of a information dump. Some characters, especially 2 in my mind would of really enjoyed more development in their character to make them feel less like just an tag along in the team for me.

Edit: After thinking about it more, I changed my mind and decided to increase my review from 8 to 9