How long has it been since we’ve seen the OP, anyway?

There’s no question this was a watershed event – chapter, episode, whatever – for Kanata no Astra.  It undeniably changed the way I looked at the series when I read it in the manga, and while I had my issues with some elements here, on the whole that change was definitely for the better.  By this time the series had already proved it could be funny and charming, and the cast loveable – but this is where it became clear that it could dig a little deeper than that, too (and not for the last time).

The first thing I want to make clear it this – when I said that Luca was my favorite character, that was true before he was forced into revealing the truth about himself.  I loved Luca not because of what he was, but who he was – and the great thing, once the truth came out that person just made that much more sense.  All the things that make Luca who he is are that much more endearing when you consider his circumstances, and he’s that much more admirable.

While (as noted above) I have some problems with this episode on the whole – they involve Ulgar’s role in it – I think both Shinohara Kenta and Luca himself handled this development about as well as it could possibly be handled.  It’s a tricky reveal given thr current social climate and the prominence of “anti-SJW” hatemongers in both Japanese and Western anime fandom.  Honestly I couldn’t ask for anything more from either the writer or the character – Shinohara dropped this bomb without attempting to defuse it with lame humor (until after, and it wasn’t lame) or judging Luca or his shocked companions.  It was presented as a fact, plain and simple – nothing anyone should make too big a deal out of.

As for Luca himself – and for the record, Luca identifies as a boy and as such will continue to be referred to as “he” in these pages – I echo the above.  What I loved about Luca from the beginning was his fierce individualism, sense of humor and openness towards everyone – and knowing what we now know, I admire him that much more for it.  He’s far more at peace with a very complicated personal situation that anyone could expect of him, I think.  If he hates his father he doesn’t let it run his life (as Ulgar does), and he’s chosen to face life with acceptance both of himself and others.  Yeah, this kid is OK in my book.

Now, as to Ulgar, that’s where it gets problematic for me.  I never suspected he might be the enemy – the hints were way too broad.  But there’s not nearly enough attention paid to how seriously fucked up it is that he wants to kill an innocent kid for the crimes of his father.  And let’s be clear, these are suspected crimes – Ulgar doesn’t even know with certainty that he’s right to blame Marco for his brother’s death.  This is wrong, people.  Even if you stipulate to vigilantism being acceptable (which I don’t, as a rule) Luca didn’t do anything wrong.  And to want to kill him to make his father sad makes Ulgar a very twisted (and dangerous) person in my book.

Given all that, then, the others (led by Kanata) forgive Ulgar way too quickly.  This is surely awkward (above and beyond the Luca issue, which he hilariously leverages to his own amusement now that the truth is out there) – these kids have to live together and probably can’t survive unless each of them does their share.  But the redemption comes way too quickly and easily, even allowing for the unusual circumstance of the tsunami. This is obviously a huge moment for Kanata specifically, who knows all about having someone sacrifice themselves in a similar situation.  Kudos to him on the rescue, but he should never have given Ulgar back the gun.

Be that as it may, survival takes precedence and everyone does survive.  At that point it only makes sense to leave Arispade and move on, and life quickly returns to a slightly-altered routine on the Astra.  But Quiterrie’s matchmaking between Charce and Aries causes Aries to come to a realization – despite his having states he took biology as she did, she has no memory of him before their trip.  And Aries, in case you forgot (which would certainly be ironic) has a photographic memory.  Ulgar’s backstory has planted seeds in Kanata’s mind, possible connections that the castaways may share – but this revelation about Charce is certainly a wild card…