Astra Lost in Space has finally begun. While comedy elements were prominent early on, the story suddenly took a serious turn. Astra Lost in Space is a completed series originally serialized in Shonen Jump+. Its story, which incorporates excellent foreshadowing, gained popularity and earned it third place in the "This Manga is Amazing! 2019" Men's Edition. We'll introduce and discuss Episode 1 of the anime without spoiling anything.
Synopsis of Episode 1
The story begins when Aries, a student at Cared High School, departs for a planetary camp. Eight randomly selected classmates and their group's assigned accompaniment, Funicia, make up a total of ten people who are taken to the planet Macpa for their training. Their teacher leaves them there, but a mysterious black sphere suddenly appears before them. The nine students are then thrown into space by the black sphere. The students take refuge in a spaceship that just so happens to be floating nearby. However, Aries is still wandering in space due to a malfunctioning thruster. Kanata then heads back into space to rescue her. Together, they successfully rescue Aries. On the spaceship, Zack, who has an IQ of 200 and a spaceship pilot's license, informs them that they are 5,012 light years away. While Zack believes it will be difficult to reach home, he deduces that they can change their world by traveling to multiple planets and securing food as they go. Kanata is selected as captain, the ship is named Astra, and the journey home begins.
Anime Episode 1: Per Aspera Ad Astra
The spaceship they boarded was named the Astra after a motto they found: Per Aspera Ad Astra. Zack explains that aspera means difficulty, and astra means stars. "Overcome difficulties and return home." This proverb is based on the Latin phrase Non est ad astra mollis e terris via. (The journey from earth to heaven is not easy.) Kanata then asks if the word meant "star" in the old language. Does it have a different meaning today?
Anime Episode 1: 5,012 Light Years
In this story, the distance from their destination to the planet Makupa is 9 light years, or about 4 hours. Their current location is said to be 5,012 light years away, which is about a four-month journey. A light year is the distance light travels in one year, which is approximately 9,460 billion kilometers. That's 5,012 times that distance, so it's incredibly far away. For comparison, the distance between Earth and the Moon is approximately 384,400 km. It takes light 1.3 seconds to get there. In terms of planets in the solar system, the distance between the sun and Neptune is about 4.5 billion kilometers. When you think about it, the solar system seems surprisingly small. It's incredibly far away, after all.
Anime Episode 1: A.D. 2063
The story is set in the year 2063. The term "Gregorian calendar" is used. The Gregorian calendar is a way of counting years that begins with the year of Christ's birth (actually around the fourth year after his birth). In science fiction, using the Gregorian calendar year inevitably places the story in a world unfamiliar to us, so stories often use unusual nomenclature. However, this work deliberately uses the Gregorian calendar year. Moreover, it's set in the year 2063, and it seems to use fairly advanced science and technology. While Showa-era works often predict the future in a rather anachronistic way, this work began serialization in 2016. It feels a bit strange.
Anime Episode 1: A Brief Character Introduction
Let me briefly introduce the characters. Captain Kanata Hoshijima excels at track and field, but his ultimate dream is to go into space. After losing her mentor in an accident at a young age, Aries Spring aspires to become a space explorer. She claims her special skill is remembering things after meeting them just once, but she's also a bit clumsy. Her eyes are different colors. Zack Walker is a genius with an IQ of 200. She said she wants to be a scientist. Kitri and Funicia Raffaelli are sisters, but they don't seem to be particularly close. Luca Esposito is good at making things. Charles Lacroix is good at biology. Yun-Fa Lu is very timid and reserved. Ulger Zweig seems to treasure his belongings.
Anime Episode 1: Conclusion
Actually, there are a lot of plot twists in Episode 1. I'm currently reading this series, and it's incredibly interesting. Anyway, I'm already looking forward to Episode 2.
