Kanata no Astra

I love shows about outer space (that's what got me intrigued to check this one out). Simply put this show is probably one of my favorite animes right now and it's a total shame that (as of writing this) it only has 6 reviews.

To summarize without any spoilers - a group of high school kids take a field trip to another planet and end up getting lost in space.

That is a very, very simplified version of this show. As you get deeper into it there are many complex elements that arrive leading to questions that vary from political to semi philosophical. There is hardly any violence in this show, but the adventure itself is a wonder to watch and the character building is among some of the best I've seen for only having 12 episodes.

This was such a refreshing show in the sci-fi genre that I want to buy the manga just to have it (and I don't own any manga!)

Just watch this show and enjoy the adventure.

*NO SPOILERS* I struggled a bit with episodes 1-3, as the mystery was not addressed yet (only subtly), but the real science-fiction element kept me interested. There were too many sub-plots which did not add up to the sci-fi overtones of the premise. BUT I WAS WRONG - each of the elements were answered, and in a logical way.

Overall, I was impressed with the writing. It DID deliver on the premise, and it kept the pacing, mystery, and character development. Great job crew!

I would RECCOMEND this mini-series. It was wrapped up nicely. Do not expect a second season, this was a complete telling of the story, and it was done well.

There's plenty of its kind out there, but the characters keep it much more interesting than it had a right to be. As the story progresses, more and more focus is shifted away from the survival and towards drama, world-building, and politics. Good balance between serious parts and comedic relief, maintaining a generally upbeat tone without damaging its other qualities. Is helped by the fact that it has a very specific story to tell, and executes it as well as anyone could hope to, without sequel-baiting or filler; it is compact and to the point. Making the first and last episodes double length was a great idea, because the foreword and afterword are both lengthy and necessary, but they would have ruined the pacing if they were their own episodes. Visuals are nice and the 3DCG doesn't get in your face too much, and characters are distinguishable through more than just their hair colours, although they can be a bit too tropey at times. Nevertheless, it plays its tropes straight and unironically as a love song to sci-fi fans, so don't expect a ton of realism. Unfortunately, there was nothing in it that truly wowed me, so while it is a great and enjoyable watch, it isn't a timeless work of art or something.

I don't think anyone can predict this story. It might seem that it's going in a certain direction but just wait and watch. This is top-notch writing with a story that connects every single plot point it establishes. Nothing here is senseless. Everything is part of the puzzle. The characters can be a bit cringey at times but the mystery and adventure keeps it going.

This one is pretty damn good i would like to see more of these lets watch the upcoming episodes