Kanata no Astra – Astra Lost in Space – Review – Episode 3

I’m really glad this is the third episode so that I can decide if I’m going to continue to watch the series to the season finale.

This episode was called, “Wilderness” and although I’m naming this episode 3, it’s billed as episode 2 even though last week showed a double episode which we reviewed. It was also quite a bit different from last weeks show.  This seemed to be geared to a different audience from last week, a younger one.  There was more rights of passage drama and less innovative story-line.

The show opened with the crew anticipating the arrival to the planet Vilavurs.  The ship lands and the crew disembark to stock up on water and food for the next part of their trip home.

They are quickly struck by the lush vegetation and almost knocked over by a swooping dinosaur it gives them all a bit of a shock.

Kanata orders the team to spilt into three groups to forage.

But while some of the team are ok to take orders, others, especially the pretty, bitchy one, Quitterie Raffaeli, are not.  There is some discussion and drama and eventually after a lot of fuss, Quitterie runs off on her own.  The rest of the team look for her and we learn that she has been a spoiled brat all her life because her parents didn’t take care of her.  She spent her childhood ordering servants around.  Her sister, Funicia Raffaeli is actually an adopted daughter of one of her estranged mothers friends.

So what!?  Another spoiled brat, with a doting sister, ho hum.

The group suddenly find that the big dimensional ball thing (that caused them to be transported 5000 light years from home) has appeared again but this time, they manage to outrun it.

Apparently they are able to escape because Aires has a photography memory and could remember the direction they needed to escape.  I knew she would have a use!

Funicia meanwhile has wondered off onto an sort of grassy platform that raises to a huge height at night.  She is essentially trapped.  Kanata can see a way to rescue her by jumping of a high rack face onto nearby platforms and hopping over to her.  He demonstrates his amazing athletic skills and manages to get to her just before she is eaten by a large flying Tur-Gon.

In the end, everyone is re-united, some of the crew cry because they have been silly to other members of the crew.  A dead Tur-gon is recovered as food for the next 20 days and everyone lives happily until the next episode.

I really don’t want to explain much more of the story because frankly, it seems too patronising.  I was grinding my teeth watching this because I knew I needed to do a review and although the show is marvellously produced, well voice acted and has great characters that are developing at a nice pace, it’s written for 12 year old children and it really really shows.  There is nothing for us older kids here!

I’d rate this an excellent 9.2 if I was 12 years old.  Alas, I’m not and although the production, direction, voice acting, characterisation etc, were really good, this just wasn’t interesting enough to hold my attention.  It’s clearly aimed at young teens and for them, it’s truly awesome. 

It therefore only rates a 6.7 out of 10.  I wont be reviewing any more episodes from this series.

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The story, characters pictures and everything else to do with the show are ©Shinohara Kenta/Shueisha, ASTRA LOST IN SPACE COMMITTEE Licensed by Funimation® Productions, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.