Review of Astra Lost in Space
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. Thecharacters 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.