IMHO, probably the best written manga/anime series of the century... *^^*

[LeilaniOtter]

"Astra Lost in Space", created by Kenta Shinohara (who had already made a name for himself with the "Sket Dance" manga serialized through Shonen Jump (a manga mobile app)) features a crew of intrepid high school student astronauts heading off to a nearby planet for a retreat. But before they can enjoy the outing, a strange interstellar force catapults the crew back into the deepest regions of outer space. While they manage to get rescued thanks to an abandoned freighter ship, being lost in space is really only the start of their troubles.

What begins as a dire situation and a fight for survival as they visit one planet after another, segues into a desperate battle amongst themselves, as there's a terrible secret connection to all of them, and one of their own stands ready to destroy them all.

I LOVED the writing in this so much. Every chapter ends with a cliffhanger and a reason to keep reading and watching. The characters are very diverse, if not cookie-cutter from the usual anime/manga tropes, making them each likeable and relatable in some way, and each of them have specific talents that prove useful in the right circumstances..

I grew up watching the original series "Lost in Space", and I can tell that the creator was very much inspired by it. Like the series, the characters also visit other planets for some reason or another, usually to continue their survival on board the ship. But it's the plot that really shines. Each chapter provides new clues, each cliffhanger asks questions that can't be answered until the next. and we're kept guessing about this sinister secret connection they share until the very end.

I'm glad this was just a one-and-done also, because the ending left me happy if not pining for a sequel.

If you're into complex mysteries and slow-burn and wicked plot development inside the constant theater of interplanetary travel, this is definitely one to check out. ?

9.5/10

 

[VertisGuguChalimoth]

Loved the anime, always wanted something similar to watch..

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Cool.

 

[Empress_Omnii]

Hmm... but what is the best manga prior to this century? That's got to be interesting, right?

 

[LeilaniOtter]

Loved the anime, always wanted something similar to watch..

I miss it.
I found myself actually going back through it 2-3 times to see what clues I missed, or what character was acting strangely and at what times.
When an anime makes me want to do that, you know it's genius work.
And they did a great job of hiding that horrible secret until the end, I thought.

Hmm... but what is the best manga prior to this century? That's got to be interesting, right?

Cowboy Bebop? ? I mean, was there really anything better? Was there anything we dreamed harder for a second season?
Was there anything we panned worse when it tried to go live-action? ?

 

[Empress_Omnii]

Cowboy Bebop? ? I mean, was there really anything better? Was there anything we dreamed harder for a second season?
Was there anything we panned worse when it tried to go live-action? ?

And then what was the best manga the century prior to that?

 

[LeilaniOtter]

And then what was the best manga the century prior to that?

Well, for influence, I would get behind One Piece, Sailor Moon and DragonBall Z. These literally reshaped the vision we had of manga, to me. it paved the roads for the acts to follow. The styles shaped the 1990s.

 

[Empress_Omnii]

Well, for influence, I would get behind One Piece, Sailor Moon and DragonBall Z. These literally reshaped the vision we had of manga, to me. it paved the roads for the acts to follow. The styles shaped the 1990s.

No, I was asking for your opinion on the best of the 19th century (1801-1900), not the 20th (1901-2000)

Those manga are far to recent.

 

[LeilaniOtter]

No, I was asking for your opinion on the best of the 19th century (1801-1900), not the 20th (1901-2000)

Those manga are far to recent.

Oh, is manga that old...?
I know some comics were put out in the 1800s but I wasn't aware Japanese comics had followed suit back then.

 

[Empress_Omnii]

Oh, is manga that old...?
I know some comics were put out in the 1800s but I wasn't aware Japanese comics had followed suit back then.

Well it is supposed to come from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga which is somewhwre from the 12th and 13th centuries.

But the term manga came into use (based on Wikipedia, I'm not doing real research) during the 18th century. So there must be some things that were at the time, know as manga.

 

[LeilaniOtter]

Well it is supposed to come from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga which is somewhwre from the 12th and 13th centuries.

But the term manga came into use (based on Wikipedia, I'm not doing real research) during the 18th century. So there must be some things that were at the time, know as manga.

Definitely going to look into this more.
I love history and research. I'll see what I can find out and share it. *^^*
Thank you so much.

 

[LeilaniOtter]

So, since I love history so much, I thought I'd give you some idea where manga came from and how it evolved, as briefly as possible.
Manga, according to many historians, does indeed have its beginnings in the classic 12th century scrolls as @Empress_Omnii pointed out above. But it's the style to really think about - anthropomorphic creatures depicted as being playful and in harmony together. That was what fascinated me a lot, because in these times also, you saw a lot of artwork (I practically live at the local art museum here) that showed yokai and other ghostly figures as half-human, half-creatures also. And of course, lots of dragons.

As the dynasties came and went, you saw the art take on darker tones, with battle scenes, demons, monsters, and all-around chaos, which I think makes sense for the turbulent centuries that followed. Then you started to see the art shift again around the 1600s and 1700s, where the female character was brought more to the forefront. This was highly apparent in the multitude of ama divers and ocean and beach settings, which is fascinating to me because of the way women were treated at the time. They were subservient and as disposable as a used pair of shoes. To see how the are matured into depicting them as heroes, really speaks to the inner, unseen feminism that artists were afraid to show.

The entire history is here and definitely check it out, because I liked reading how the manga style not only evolved - but the stories and characters and settings as well. And it all really started with one little girl with great big eyes. *^^*

History of manga - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[istryj]

To call your version of a manga a timeless masterpiece is always a matter of taste. After all, we choose what we like the most. But works of Japanese culture have a way of surprising us.

 

[LeilaniOtter]

To call your version of a manga a timeless masterpiece is always a matter of taste. After all, we choose what we like the most. But works of Japanese culture have a way of surprising us.

Again, I'm looking at the writing more than anything. That's also a matter of taste but when you've grown up since the late 60s watching anime as far back as Kimba the White Lion, and Speed Racer, you tend to be able to spot the best. *^^*