I was so scared before but now that I have a hand to hold on to space suddenly looks much more beautiful to me Aries Spring Chapter 1 Kanata no Astra is a scifi series that has a lot of interesting ideas that are difficult to summarise without spoiling the narrative that constantly twists and turns. The characters are interesting although at times they can feel a little bit flat especially those who find themselves being less central to the main plot. Those who fall to the back become more clichd with their personalities being reduced to one or two basic characteristics and while this can make remembering them easier it also makes them feel less important. Even the more regular characters also find themselves falling victim to these aspects of their personalities but the plot bolsters them. Shinohara creates a narrative that has a lot of threads with each leading to satisfying answers especially when earlier events are shown to be of importance. This makes the overall narrative a satisfying read despite a few issues which will be focused on later. The art style is also good for the genre and while some of the planet designs can feel empty it can be seen as echoing the main themes of Kanata no Astra. However it is a shame that the landscapes arent utilised more. One of the biggest issues with the series is the relatively short chapter count for the type of story it is trying to tell. Establishing the scifi narrative with unfamiliar mechanics and characters is done well with the lostinspace plot allowing for a more gentle introduction. To create a fully functioning world in such a short space of time is definitely a strength of this series. However this can also lead to a few expositionheavy scenes later on in the story which can be a little stilted. This isnt helped by the number of plot twists and revelations that happen so closely together. Some are handled well but others can fall flat making Kanata no Astra a rather inconsistent read at times. Part of the reason some fail is that there is very little time for the reader to comprehend a revelation before another is being made. This also causes the emotional impact to be lost. If given more time then I am sure that most of the plot twists would have worked better than they do. By the time these flaws become apparent however the story is wellestablished and have less bearing on whether the series as a whole is enjoyable. Overall Kanata no Astra is an interesting scifi story that is an enjoyable read that rises above its flaws to deliver an intriguing story that asks some very interesting questions about how far humanity could go to survive. 400https://64.media.tumblr.com/645a75b6d37163c66719c2fc93afe417/b2d02ef121e8748c25/s1280x1920/91214404c817e194a192455e34aa26d982ebe456.jpg