Review of Astra Lost in Space

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 agood 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.