Kara Dennison
May 11, 2024 
Looking for something sweet and funny to add to your anime watchlist this season? It’s gotta be Astro Note! This original anime project created by film company Shochiku is a unique blend of lovely art, cute romance, and over-the-top silliness. And there are lots of reasons why you should give it a try.
Today, we’re giving you the lowdown on this story of intergalactic romance, lost treasure, and modern Japanese life. Jump on this series before the season ends!
An Impressive Cast and Crew
The team behind Astro Note is enough to recommend it on its own. The story is penned by Kimiko Ueno—known for her work on Space Dandy, The Royal Tutor, and the anime adaptation of Delicious in Dungeon. Chief director Shinji Takamatsu has worked on multiple Gundam series, as well as six of Sunrise’s brave series. And if the art looks familiar, that could be down to original character designer Eisaku Kubonouchi… who also worked on Carole and Tuesday.
You can hear the show’s clout, too! Maaya Uchida (Katarina Claes of My Next Life as a Villainess) and Soma Saito (William in Moriarty the Patriot) play romantic leads Mira and Takumi, but there are many more familiar voices. Keep an ear out for Lelouch voice actor Jun Fukuyama as the becaped Shion Ginger, and Kujira (the voice of Orochimaru in Naruto) as a certain meddling old lady.
Retro Rom-Com Vibes
One episode in, you’ll notice that Astro Note feels like the most 80s Rumiko Takahashi thing short of an 80s manga by Rumiko Takahashi. Heck, it’s a bit like a mash-up of Urusei Yatsura and Maison Ikkoku. Takumi moves into boarding house and falls in love with Mira, its lovely young landlady. But he overhears that she’s a widow. Sounds familiar, right? But in this case, he actually overhears that she’s a Wido – an alien from the planet Wid!
Everything from the overarching story to the door-slamming comedy to the music cues add to this retro rom-com feel. Keep your ears out of an Urusei Yatsura-esque music cue whenever an alien spy invades Astro Lodge!
A Truly Good Story
Of course, even the prettiest animation and best cast don’t matter if the story isn’t good. But Astro Note absolutely has a solid story. As mentioned, Mira is an alien from Planet Wid: to be specific, their princess. But in order to take the throne, she must find a key that’s been left somewhere on Earth. And it’s believed to be somewhere in Astro Lodge. Meanwhile, she must keep her secret from Takumi and the other boarders, which is rough when Takumi is carrying a serious torch for her.
As the series progresses, both the comedy and the drama increase. Takumi believes the aforementioned Shion (also a Wido) to be a wealthy English entrepreneur who’s also courting Mira. Meanwhile, Mira and her doglike retainer Naosuke discover that the Lodge’s former owner may also have been a Wido… and may have had more secrets of his own!
Astro Note is currently streaming on Crunchyroll!
Meet more of this season’s out-of-this-world anime heroines!
