In this week of Anime Spotlight, we will feature one of 2019’s greatest anime series. Let me introduce you to Astra Lost In Space (Kanata no Astra). A lot of otakus who already seen this anime may call it the Hidden gem of 2019.
It was released in 2016 as a SciFi manga for Shounen Jump+. The manga series ended a year later with 5 volumes in total. Astra Lost In Space is a hidden gem, and I’m not talking just the manga. Additionally, this series is from the author of Sket Dance, Kenta Shinohara. Thanks to that you may see a lot of similarities when it comes to art and story progression. The whole manga may not be popular but it did win the prize of the 12th Manga Tashiou award.
Synopsis
In the year 2063, space travel is feasible and commercially available. As the cheerful Aries Spring arrives at the spaceport to attend a camp on the distant planet McPa, her purse is suddenly snatched by a reckless thief. Luckily, the athletic Kanata Hoshijima is able to retrieve it for her, and Aries soon discovers that he is among the group of teenagers who will be traveling with her on the excursion as team B-5.
Upon arriving at their campsite, the group’s trip takes a turn for the worse when a strange sphere of black light sucks them into the vast reaches of outer space. Stranded with seemingly no hope, they find an abandoned ship nearby that provides them with the means to return home. However, they soon discover that they are not as close to their campsite as they initially thought, but are in fact thousands of light-years away from home.
With this realization, the nine members must cautiously manage their resources, maintain their strength, and unite as one to conquer the darkness of space together. While the reason behind their trip’s sudden obstruction remains unknown, they nevertheless embark on the treacherous voyage back home aboard their new ship, the Astra.
(Source: MyAnimeList)
Review
Do you love space anime but you’re sick of those mechas flying around and shooting each other? Don’t worry, we got you. Kanata no Astra is a Sci-fi shonen set in space but don’t let the shonen genre stop you from watching this. It may be a shonen but if you know the author, Kenta Shinohara, then be prepared for an amazing plot-driven series!
The animation is also top-notch. Studio Lerche never disappoints when it comes to animating good series like Kanata, with its beautiful colors, and amazing animation movements. Also, the first episode of the anime is 1-hour long. It made a strong impression to showcase the whole premise of the anime.
If you know Kenta you may know him as the guy who makes mind-blowing plot twists. Be prepared, because with the strong first episode hyping you up, you need to get ready for the upcoming mind-blowing plot twists of Kenta. The anime will not let you sleep unless you finish it all! The story is kinda unique for an anime since there’s only a few anime series set in space with no mechas.
The characters may be normal for a shonen genre but their character stories and development made the anime even better! Each of the characters has a different personality. Said personalities bring the whole show together, with their unique and interesting backstories.
And if you are wondering if Kanata no Astra is a must-watch, it is! It may be underrated but it can be on par with other best anime series from 2019. It may not be the best animation-wise, but when it comes to the story it Kanata no Astra is on par with those two!
You don’t need a flashy talent. Just help others out. That should be enough.
Kanata Hoshijima, Kanata no Astra
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© Kenta Shinohara / Shueisha / Astra Production Committee Beyond
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