That was weird. I was watching Kanata no Astra as usual and all of a sudden, a song started playing right at the start of the episode. With animation. And there was one at the end, too! Go figure, a week before the end KnA gives us a rare OP/Ed double bill – though I suppose the very reason for that is that we’re a week from the end. If this show follows its usual pattern there probably isn’t going to be time for either next week, so maybe this comeback is also a farewell appearance.
There is some good news on that score, however. As was the premiere, the finale of Kanata no Astra is going to be a double-episode. In fact it’s listed as an hour episode (which would technically be closer to a triple), though I don’t know if that included commercial time. In any event that’s a relief because there’s a lot to tidy up yet, and it represents such a logical, common sense model for series’ whose episode count is just a little too low that you wonder why you don’t see it more often.
As for this week’s episode, as usual it gave us a lot to chew on. While there isn’t really any such thing as a breather ep with Kanata no Astra, the final third or so of the story is just jam-packed. We bounce relentlessly from cliffhanger to revelation to cliffhanger (and back) and somehow, Shinohara manages to make them all fit together. This is a series I would heartily recommend you rewatch if time permits, because if you do you’ll be struck by how much you missed the first time around.
With two honking loose ends carrying over from last week, it was a simple matter of practicality for Kanata no Astra to focus on only one of them this time, and Charce was the more pressing matter based on how Episode #10 ended. Literally backed into a corner, he comes clean with this story: he’s a clone of the current king, Noah (played by the always superb Hirata Hiroaki). He claims to have improvised his earlier tale, and if he did he was wise to sprinkle considerable truth into it for credulity’s sake. But the nut of it that he was raised as a future vessel for the king, and eventually given the task of dying with his fellow clones once the laws were changed.
The Seira-Aries twist was rather neatly executed, as most of them in this series are. There’s an awful lot of the nature vs. nurture question at the heart of this story, and even if it’s “officially” on the 50-50 bandwagon I think it’s pretty clear KnA leans towards the “nurture” side. It’s not as though Aries’ original was anything but a good and kind person, and the eidetic memory and heterochromia carried over, but personality-wise the princess and the commoner could hardly be more different. That doesn’t make Charce love her any less. It does sort of make him her father though, genetically speaking, which casts his joke from Episode 5 in a different light (remember what I said about of a repeat viewing).
Then we have our Star Wars moment, and everything comes full circle (again). One thing I love about Kanata is that he’s utterly consistent. He has a worldview and a set of principles he tries to live by, and for better or worse he always does his best to stick to them. He’s 100% a “no one left behind” style of captain, and while one could perhaps argue that he’s been too forgiving first with Ulgar and now Charce, it’s not as though Kanata really has any choice – this is just who he is. And that’s the sort of captain I’d want if I were in a situation like these kids are in.
As I said, there’s quite a lot left to wrap up here (the whole Earth/Astra family-size can of worms that was opened last week remained completely untouched). With 22 minutes I’d be very worried – with twice that and maybe more, I’m confident the anime can deliver the manga ending without any cuts. It’s gotten almost every decision right so far, so I go into the finale with justified high expectations. It’s been a hell of an adventure, but it ain’t over yet.
DP
September 13, 2019 at 12:17 amI feel embarrassed that it seems like I only comment here when I disagree with you, but wow, do I disagree about this show! Please don’t take it personally, as I’m always happy when people take pleasure in any work of art, but I just need to vent my feelings someplace.
I think Astra is just a sloppy, dreadful mess! The characters – especially Kanata (our selfless hero!) – are nothing but cardboard cutouts, though more importantly, it’s the plotting that’s patently absurd. The whole thing just seems to be designed to deliver ridiculous cliffhangers at the end of every episode/chapter, piling on one unlikely and haphazard circumstance after another.
A law banning clones is passed so a bunch of famous people decide they need to kill their illegal clones…by sending them to a space camp of death?? Where there’s an assassin among them who’s a clone of the king, as well as a princess clone who’s technically the assassin clone’s daughter?! Oh, and they’re all from some sort of alternate-universe Earth, because…well, I have no idea other than it allowed for another twist at the end of an episode!
Holy moly, could the plotting be MORE overwrought or ridiculous?!
Anime is well-suited to produce science-fiction/space operas, and it is responsible for some really spectacular ones like Crest/Banner of the Stars, reliant on fantastic character development and dialogue – and NOT endless pile-ups of dimwitted plot twists. This show started with real promise, but man has it turned into a hackneyed mess.
Again, I want to apologize for being so negative about a show you clearly like a lot, but I just had to get this off my chest! I recognize my opinion on Astra is very much a minority one.
Stöt
September 13, 2019 at 12:27 amI mean, you have a point. Was I fed that information from the start, I would’ve recoiled.
Yann
September 13, 2019 at 12:32 amThat plot doesn’t actually seem far fetched to me… Once the law passes, all the clients of the “mad scientist” need to get rid of the clones and one of them is the school principal so that gives them an easy way to clean up their mess. What’s so crazy about it?
As far as clones, we’ve already made animal ones…
The alternate earth situation hasn’t been explained yet so it seems unfair to judge before the twist us explained.
I don’t see it.
Then again, it’s by far my favorite show this season so… 😀
Guardian Enzo
September 13, 2019 at 7:30 amTastes vary, what can I say? Clear 2nd best summer show for me. Though I admit the competition is thin.
Stöt
September 13, 2019 at 12:25 amAm I the only one who felt they struck a somewhat false note this episode? I didn’t find Charce’s moral dilemma very believable. I think self-preservation is much stronger than just following orders from some king that doesn’t care the least about you. But even if it was in Charce’s case, he was so wildly inconsistent about it. Suicide mission and die in a pretty horrific way, or stay alive and (possibly) be killed in some other way. The options seem pretty clear to me. In a nutshell: I don’t know of a single suicide attack where the attacker had no other motivation than “some dude that doesn’t care about me said I should do it”. Usually it’s for family, for honor, for religion, for justice. Meh.
Because of that, Kanata’s noble sacrifice fell sort-of flat for me. And being teased with images from some scenario (a few episodes back) that never existed, with an Aries double whose life story never was (and was never the same age as Aries) was a bit jarring. It was sort of funny to see the head-globe contraption conspiracy theory being neatly mentioned and wrapped up in an off-hand “they were dumb decorative things, all along”.
Guardian Enzo
September 13, 2019 at 7:32 amCharce was brainwashed literally from birth to believe this was his noble destiny. I think it reflects a disregard for history to dismiss the potential for illogical behavior that can come from that scenario.
elianthos
September 13, 2019 at 8:05 amP.S. to what Enzo said: he also felt guilty/responsible for Seira’s death… his own death would have been his atonement. But by the power combined of finding Aries and the power of nakama… and now as an addendum he owes Kanata to become his right-hand man. Literally. Which while unplanned and gruesome plays quite nicely into his intense sense of honour and obligation. Might as well lock your loyalty to something and someone actually worth it. Kanata and the merry brigade has got him for good now.
elianthos
September 13, 2019 at 8:12 amAm so proud of my space babies and their family of choice bonds ;3; and bonus points to Emma for Anime Mama/Good Parenting award too.
Good job Astra anime, good job <3 and yay for triple final episode next week.