OMG! THEY ARE CLONES?
YunHua has the same voice as her mother. Zack is a spitting image of his father (less sociopathic, though), Kanata’s father implied that he is clone. After Zack concludes that they are all clones, vessels for their originals to live forever, the anime stops pretending that there might be another hypothesis that is true. It is treated as the awful truth and carries on the plot. Aries is probably not a clone, but that doesn’t take away the fact that they were sent out to space to die so that their ‘parents’ wouldn’t go to jail. Finding the Arc was just an awfully huge struck of luck. Now, their only salvation lies in returning home and fulfilling their ‘revenge’: to get the people who raised them as cattle arrested.
The second part has the crew getting in terms with the truth. They now know the reason behind their parents’ reactions and they can move on. Truth is the only true liberator.
Yet, we had another twist that was even weirder than the clone plot. I really can’t remember if they have ever mentioned the name Earth. Planet Astra? What is going on here?
Poor Aries: That poor girl was dragged into something more sinister than just an assassination plot. And her poor mother tried everything to get her back. I am sure we haven’t seen the last of her.
We are Family: Kanata is a great leader. In a moment of distress, he takes a desperate situation and turns it on its head. The crew is their own people. They have their distinct personalities. They may be clones but they were raised as individuals. And now, through this unexpected space adventure, they have made a new family that can provide all the love they were not given as children. This is their ship. This is their crew. This is their family.
Earth?: Blue Oceans, White Clouds, Green Lands. I guess Earth is not the only planet that is blue and green.
Healthy Body: Ancient Greeks believed that a healthy body is a prerequisite for a healthy mind. In this episode, Kanata wants to train his body so he can be strong both mentaly and physically when he pursues his dream of becoming a spaceship captain. In many science fiction stories about spaceships, the captain is thought to be the paragon of physical and mental prowess, reinforcing the notion that we are nothing but a biological machine that relies on a natural chemical balance.
Survival Tip No.2: Getting up will let you stand up.
The Ride: Luca is the philosopher of the episode. Worrying about things out of our control can only raise our anxiety levels. Those you enjoy the ride are always the winners. The past and the future are illusions. There is only the present and we can live one moment at a time.
Genetics: Genetics is on the forefront of modern scientific exploration for many reasons. As we learn more about how we are made and how our cells react to our environment, we learn more about how this machine we call human works. Behavioural genetics argues that our character is more influenced by our environment than our genes. Quitterie and Funi may be identical clones, but they have been raised under different circumstances. They are different persons.
For revenge! And for a proper conclusion that will unveil the whole truth and will see the real perpetrators behind bars. Justice is not always served, but I hope that in this anime it will.
Did you like Episode 9 of Astra Lost in Space? Don’t forget to check the rest of our Summer 2019 reviews. The anime is also part of our weekly anime previews.
The summer anime season is over. We had a few refreshing titles that kept us company through the hot months, but fall is bringing so many new titles and a few sequels we’ve been waiting for a long time.
