'Kanata no Astra' tells the story of a group of high school students who find themselves stranded in space, desperately trying to get back home. Along their travels onboard the derelict spaceship Astra, they need to overcome various challenges, becoming a closely-knit group of friends in the process.
Honestly, I'm a bit on the fence with regards to the show. For an adult audience it oftentimes is far too simplistic and childish, but for young teenagers, it likely hits the perfect spot between honest suspense and cheerful humour. That 'Astra' firmly belongs in the genre of SciFi is perhaps its greatest boon: while many of the plot points have been done before in various works of science fiction over the past decades, the lack of childfriendly SciFi will let them appear refreshingly original for a younger audience.
Nevertheless, there are many things the show does very well, but also quite a few points where it runs itself into the ground.
The cast, for example, experiences genuine character growth; however, they are initially so absolutely stereotypical that it's honestly annoying.
Similarly, the story hits many excellent plot points and has quite a few twists and turns that I did not see coming. Unfortunately, at other points it is utterly foreseeable or makes use of some of the worst dei-ex-machina that I have ever witnessed.
It is, though, a very childfriendly show, which is excellent in my books. There is no absurd violence, no romance farther than hand-holding, and no fan service (discounting the beach episode, but even Avatar: the Last Airbender had one of those).
The production value of the show is pretty good; the English localisation (both the voice acting and the onscreen texts) are excellent.
If you have never seen SciFi other than perhaps Star Wars before, you'll possibly find 'Astra' a refreshingly unique tale. If you'd like to introduce SciFi to young teens, this show is for you. Otherwise, your mileage may vary.
Honestly, I'm a bit on the fence with regards to the show. For an adult audience it oftentimes is far too simplistic and childish, but for young teenagers, it likely hits the perfect spot between honest suspense and cheerful humour. That 'Astra' firmly belongs in the genre of SciFi is perhaps its greatest boon: while many of the plot points have been done before in various works of science fiction over the past decades, the lack of childfriendly SciFi will let them appear refreshingly original for a younger audience.
Nevertheless, there are many things the show does very well, but also quite a few points where it runs itself into the ground.
The cast, for example, experiences genuine character growth; however, they are initially so absolutely stereotypical that it's honestly annoying.
Similarly, the story hits many excellent plot points and has quite a few twists and turns that I did not see coming. Unfortunately, at other points it is utterly foreseeable or makes use of some of the worst dei-ex-machina that I have ever witnessed.
It is, though, a very childfriendly show, which is excellent in my books. There is no absurd violence, no romance farther than hand-holding, and no fan service (discounting the beach episode, but even Avatar: the Last Airbender had one of those).
The production value of the show is pretty good; the English localisation (both the voice acting and the onscreen texts) are excellent.
If you have never seen SciFi other than perhaps Star Wars before, you'll possibly find 'Astra' a refreshingly unique tale. If you'd like to introduce SciFi to young teens, this show is for you. Otherwise, your mileage may vary.