Kanata no Astra

I'd like to start by saying that this anime gave me an existential crisis. Demonstrating my unparalleled creativity, my username here on MAL, RyanSpring, is literally just my real life first and last name. So, going into this completely blind, in a world where every female character in anime is Mai, Sakura or Mikasa, I really had a moment when it was revealed that the lead in this anime is named Aries Spring. Do I... have a daughter somewhere? Is this a sign from the anime deities above that I SHOULD have a daughter and that I should name her Aries? Is Aries Spring in fact my MOTHER or grandmother and I've been lied to all my life? These questions will haunt my dreams for the rest of my life, so thanks Astra Lost in Space, and with that strange tangent out of the way let's get to the actual review. I really wasn't expecting to like Astra Lost in Space anywhere near as much as I did. I thought it'd be just another anime in my very large collection that I'd watch, think is fine and move along from without ever giving it much thought after the fact. I'd never seen anyone talk about or hype up this anime, nor have I seen it appear on "best of" lists that everyone seems to love making, so while I immediately concede I may have simply liked this more than most members of the community do, I really was taken aback by how into this I was. First of all, it's beautiful. This anime is only about five years old, and almost every remotely modern anime looks nice, but in this case the color palette really pops off the screen with how bright and vibrant it is. The characters have all sorts of different hair and eye colors, none look remotely alike unless they're supposed to, and the various planets our main cast visit as they attempt to make their way home are equally gorgeous. The fauna, oceans and landscapes found on these fictional planets in many cases make the characters feel like they're on a paradise vacation rather than lost and in a very dire situation, and it's easy to see why. Many of these locations are places I'd love to visit if they were real, and none of them felt too similar to each other, each beautiful both cosmetically and mechanically in their own way. There is a true sense of adventure and wonder in this anime and that really, really elevated it for me. I haven't seen the evocation of that sense of adventure done this well since watching the first season of Made in Abyss a solid four or five years ago. The pacing here is solid, as it's only 12 episodes and it needs to cram a whole lot of adventure in there, and we're more or less off to the races from the word go. Many episodes, particularly early on, end on cliffhangers which absolutely pushed me even further into losing sleep that night and wanting to watch just one more episode. At first, the plot is straightforward enough, but admittedly in the latter stages of the anime it goes pretty far off the rails. I concede that a certain level of suspension of disbelief is required to enjoy this anime, but this is FAR from the most egregious offender I've encountered in that regard, and while I found many plot points perhaps convenient or implausible, none of them ever crossed the line for me into ridiculous, offensively stupid, this could absolutely never happen territory. I really liked that they opted to make the 12th and final episode significantly longer than the others. If for whatever reason 16 or 24 episodes were not greenlit, but they didn't want to rush the ending or leave loose ends, this is absolutely the correct solution and I wish more anime would do this. I'm glad they took their time, addressed the fate of each character from the main cast, of which there are many, and didn't fall victim to the constraints of the short episode count they were working with. My only other nitpicky criticism would be that the anime felt a little preachy at times. There was perhaps just a bit too much of "the power of friendship", "the power of positivity", "we can do anything if we work together", blah blah for my liking, but I was enjoying the show as a whole so much to where I was able to overcome this annoyance. Existential crisis aside, I really liked Astra Lost in Space and think of it very highly. The plot was fine, even if not revolutionary, but the exceptional sense of adventure, strong pacing and gorgeous visuals really came together for me and delivered an experience I'll absolutely remember and continue to recommend for years to come. If you're even vaguely a fan of adventure or space anime, don't miss this one. OBJECTIVE RATING- 8-9 PERSONAL ENJOYMENT RATING- 9

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.

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.

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.

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.

“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

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.

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.

Kanata no Astra is really an underdog anime in that season. Enjoyment 9/10 I really enjoyed watching the anime. The episode 1-4 helps to set the background story of each main character can be boring but once you get through that the story starts to get interesting. I highly recommend this anime to everyone. This anime could easy be a 10 for me if either the music or any character becomes my favourite but it came really close. Story 10/10 I do not know of other anime that involves lost in space + space exploration + conspiracy as it central theme. So I might be biased when I say this genre really caught my attention. Despite being only 12 episodes the anime manages to incorporate various elements like space travel, survival, camaraderie, human cloning, wrap gates, biology into the story. It is not easy to include multiple elements in a story and not be overwhelming. I agree the elements may not have been perfectly integrated but I have to agree that the transition and flow between each element are quite smooth, base on many anime standards. Art & Sound 9/10 I think the Art and music for the OP and ED really suit the theme for exploration, trials and jubilation very well. Most ED is specific to the events that occurred in each episode. The only reason music is not a 10 is because none of them was my favourite music but I think it is a good fit for this anime. Character is 8/10 Probably the lowest in the score. Most of the mains tend to have a similar back story of adoption or single family, that is why a lot of the character reasoning tends to be similar. However, the similarity in thought process helps then to related to each other circumstances. For example, Luca could sympathize with Ulgar middle of the anime that Marco was not a good guy and could very well be involved with Finn death. Finally, maybe because the anime is a short 12 episodes, the growth of 8 MC except Funcia seems to be very quick but there are elements of growth. Some addition plot points like marriage and romance were added as secondary points and did not overshadow the main space and conspiracy theme.

Is it alright to tell a lie for so long that it becomes a fundamental truth all in the name of preserving peace? Kanata no Astra is one of those anime that come along once in a few years. If you need to scratch your space exploration itch after watching Space Battleship Yamato or Interstellar, this will be a great fix. You absolutely should download this as a batch file, clear your afternoon, and binge watch this series without interruptions. There are no spoilers so I'll be extremely brief on each topic. Story___ Science Fiction, Drama, Mystery, Comedy, Romance, History, Psychology, Ethics, and Sociology. I know I am probably missing a few more but these are just some of the concepts the story touches on throughout the adventure. Sure, some situations don't take rocket science to figure out what the solution might be but it is still an enjoyable ride. It's one of those stories that you will remember when all is said and done. Art___ The artwork has been consistant, imaginative, colorful, and inspiring. I am grateful for the work that went into the landscapes, planets, characters and expressiveness of the worlds they traveled through. Emotions were captured marvellously. Sound___ Kanata's VA was spot on. I could listen to him all day. Nobody for once was annoying to listen to in this show and that's rare. The background music does an amazing job at setting the mood without being too distracting. I actually sat through all the OP and ED themes! Pop on some quality headphones and this will be a great theatrical marathon. Character____ Development galore. If you look back at how the cast started in the first episode vs the last, you'll be very satisfied with this section. By far though, the main protagonist is the one to keep your eyes on. Enjoyment____ If you like anything about Interstellar, Yamato, Eureka 7, Xenosaga... YOU WILL ENJOY THE ADVENTURE! It is long and just as there is a beginning, there is a full closure to look forward to. It is the cake that you get to eat too. Just WATCH! OVERALL YoU nEEd tO WatCH tHiS SHoW!!! For Kanata's sake, it has episodes that are 48 mins long. I WISH EVERY ANIME HAD LAST EPISODES THAT WERE 48 MINUTES LONG SO I CAN GET FULL CLOSURE! TwT

Okay I usually dislike reviewing animes, but Kanata no Astra is a special case. If you want a change of pace, story driven, filled with continuous plot twists and some light humor this anime is a great anime! Loved the art, the story, the characters for me personally had a great background story rare to see an anime with only 12 episodes achieve such in-depths to the stories of so many individual characters. I would only suggest and recommend to stop reading to reviews and give the anime a try!! You will seriously enjoy it. A RARE JEWEL OF 2019!!!

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

Story 10/10: The story was extremely original, especially the plot twists; they were not the best overall but were well placed in the climax of each episodes. Art 9/10: Although the original art was good, the animation was simple, as expected of the budget. The landscapes were excellent. Sound 10/10: The OST and the ending were great quality and fit perfectly with each episode and the anime itself. Characters 10/10: Although there were only 12 episodes, they found the way to show a real personality with each character (every character has a cock). The evolution of each individual personality was believable and Kanata was a God. Enjoyment 10/10: Each and every chapter was so enjoyable that I wish it had 24 chapters. The comedy was top notch. Overall 9.9/10: Kanata no Astra is a masterpiece even though the original story made by the author was changed quite a bit before publishing.

This is certainly a masterpiece One of the least seen anime this season that hides several treasures, such as the first being his plot A super interesting plot, space travel but how about everyone being lost in space at a gigantic distance and completely isolated from themselves, the development of the story is impeccable and challenging, as time goes on the story arrests you, the evolution of the The characters are praiseworthy as each one can fit in with a good synergy, I must say that this anime is a "masterpiece" for sure, at first you would not believe how fascinating the story is and how much plot's twist it will have, give this beautiful anime a try, you won't regret it

Hello there. I am rewriting a review since I now have seen all 12 eps. This will be a bit concise since I don't want to spoil people. Conclusion first, if you don't want to read full : Watch it. That's all. I think you can not appreciate this anime as much as me, but at least you will enjoy it. Story : - Physics are all f****d up, which is on some part necessary for a sci-fi story, but some mistakes could have been avoided. Plot has some incoherence if you look into details, but overall it is wonderful : really deep and really well tied up, as well as full of surprises. Art : - 10/10 no problem, animations are good, drawings are good, and art style is extremely diversified (you will understand what I meant while watching). Sound : - OST are fairly good and placed at the right place. Characters : - Really well developed and diversified, importance accorded to each main/second character is balanced through all characters. And that's especially appreciable in 2019, the time of cringy Isekai with a not developed MC surrounded by dozens of empty sidekicks. - Some characters are a bit stereotyped, but that's not really bothering since it is light. Enjoyment : - Really good, from start to end, there is no filler, action and rhythm is varying often, keeping you awake, alternating between tense and relaxing moments. The end is really cool too.

Overcome hardships to see what's beyond. I love that. The story of Astra is another one that's not something novel or outside the box really but does so good as being inside that box per se. We're not breaking any barriers really or going into something wholly new it just excels at being what it set out to be. An adventure of self discovery by these characters. Not just trying to get home but trying to figure out where they fit into the world they know. On top of all the crazy secrets and revelations going on. The last about four episodes has enough things being revealed to fill a full season of me of shows but Astra handled them all very well. The story follows the basic lost in space gimmick of them being sucked lightyears away from home and having to find their way back. Over the course of the story however we learn things aren't as simple as finding a way back. They hell of a way to bind the crew together with a point of commonality. But handled very well. It sounds crazy on its own but within the confines Astra builds it works. The generational lesson is strong too. One of seeing The world with your own eyes like Kanata said to them all. Don't just accept what you're told from those before you, explore and look for yourself. The adaptation itself is very good. Lerche did far better than I thought they would crunching this down into basically fourteen episodes. At nearly fifty manga chapters I figured it would've been botched this way so I'm glad to be wrong. Even with the trimmings they kept the heart and message of the story safe. Put on full display in the extended finale. All of them uniting together and helping each other on their journey. Vowing to uncover the truth of their world for all to see. Peace built on a lie is hollow, people deserve the truth. Even if it's hard and scary you have to face the pain and push through. Astra to me is what a short form shonen can be. A complete journey telling it's story without having to go big and crazy. Had genuine twists and interesting story beats to shack up the usual lost in space story. Some great lessons about living your own life and not being someone your forced to be. Looking at the world for yourself and coming together as a people, reaching out that hand. I just eat it up. Plays to go the heart. 9/10

Kanata no Astra was another one of those anime’s that I wasn’t sure on. I took at shot in the dark with this one- considering, space/mech anime’s were a genre I never really got into, I wasn’t sure how I’d like this. After watching the first episode, a 45 minute one to kick things off, I was hooked. The story was gripping, and always left me excited to see what happened next week. In all honesty, this was in my top five newcomer anime’s for the season. Story: They hit this one out of the park IMO. I never felt bored or complacent, and I definitely didn’t ever find myself thinking the story was predictable. From the students school trip to a distant planet, up to being tossed into space, and their adventures that followed. They always left an episode with a note, that left me thinking about what might happen next episode. Well done on this. Art: The characters were drawn and animated beautifully, and the environments of various planets, and our space were well done and interesting. Every character was vastly different from the next in terms of appearance, and they all had their own quirks, both visually, and characteristically. Sound: The opening was decent- a lot of the time you didn’t get an opening though, because they used the time for the opening to fill you in on the latest cliff hanger you might have had. I think this was a decision, and not an accident, they used that time effectively, considering, there was generally a lot of stuff they needed to cover. Characters: I found myself loving the characters in this, as I described earlier, they each have such vastly different personalities, and backgrounds. Each with their own issues in their pasts, and even a few with their own surprises. Again, they did a fantastic job with character development in this show, and built backgrounds that were lovable, and a lot of times left you feeling for them, in terms of their past. Enjoyment: I LOVED this show. Like I said, I had it in my top five for new comers this season, right behind Vinland, Stone, and Fire Force. It made my Wednesday’s amazing for the last three months, as it was something I always looked forward to watching after work. Overall: 9/10. Easy. This is one that I think flew under a lot of peoples radars, and that’s a shame. I highly recommend it to anyone. Everyone I suggested it to has loved it so far, and I hope that continues to be the case for you all.

==> Spoiler free review <== This is my first time ever taking the time write a review on an anime... Why you might ask? Because i think this anime got the short end of the stick with this season due to it being overshadowed by the "trashy Isekai" of this season. While I don't personally mind them, they pissed me off this season because more people where talking about them than they were talking about Kanata no Astra. Overview: The story of Kanata no Astra is about a group of students who start off not knowing close to anything about each other except that they are all going to a school space trip. After landing on there destination planet, they are met with misfortune and are sent away 4000 light years into outer space. The story's first half is rounded about the talented students survival adventure where they strive to go home, while having a mild mystery vibe going on in the background. The second half of the story takes the mystery bar up high with plot twist after plot twist keeping you engaged in the narrative. What makes Kanata no Astra great is how they handle the plot twists and revelations and explanations of the mysterious elements that don't leave any plot holes in the story and wrap up the story very nicely leaving you very satisfied with the whole story. Art & Animation: 9 Music : 8.5 Story : 9.5 Personal enjoyment: 10 Overall: 10 After around episode 3, I picked up the manga and finished it in 1 sitting, and what helped me enjoy it even more is that it was completed and that i was able to just experience the whole thing in one go. So if you didn't watch Kanata no Astra while it was still ariring than your're in for a treat cuz i think it's even better to binge the whole thing in one go. while it's true that the anime has minor flaws, I'm giving it a 10 to encourage people to give it a go and i assure you that it will be at the very least a very pleasant watch. Thank you for reading! :)

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