Following a night of stargazing as children, newfound friends Mira and Ao make a promise to discover an asteroid together. Although parting ways after this brief childhood encounter, the two reunite upon attending high school and joining the Earth Sciences Club – a combination of the former Geology Club and Astronomy Club. Although the two halves of the club appear diametrically opposed considering one side is more fascinated with the earth beneath their feet and the other with the sky above, they need to find a way to make things work so they can come up with club activities and attract new members. All the while, Mira and Ao have not forgotten their childhood promise, and as they grow closer as friends, they become more determined than ever to discover an asteroid.
If you’re looking for a moe slice of life focused on club activities and enjoying your hobbies among friends, it’s hard to go wrong with something like Asteroid in Love. The premise and narrative hurdles of the story are simple (I mean, as simple as having a lifelong dream to discover an asteroid can be anyway) and the series is full of textbook anime slice of life activities like onsen visits, school trips and a school culture festival, peppered with geology and astrology factoids. The characters visit an onsen and talk about the mineral composition and how hot springs are created, discuss the difference between fossils and pseudo fossils after searching for stones by the river, and visit geological museums and space centres as part of club trips. It’s not pushing the envelope for a slice of life anime, but Asteroid in Love offers earth sciences themed fun and a cosy exploration of hobbies and friendship wrapped up in an entertaining moe package.
While the core focus of Asteroid in Love is Mira and Ao’s friendship and their childhood promise permeates the overall narrative, the rest of the club members have an important role to play as well as they seek to create a cohesive club. The President and Vice-president of the Earth Sciences Club, nicknamed Monroe and Sakura respectively, represent the two different interests of the now fused Astronomy Club and Geology Club. While the merger of the two clubs into the Earth Sciences Club is not without tension and at times it can be difficult to create a cohesive club identity, the two leaders and their club members are able to find ways to come together and appreciate each other’s interests and hobbies. As Mira and Ao’s goal of discovering an asteroid is no easy task, Asteroid in Love smartly makes this the supporting plot while focusing on group activities, friendships, and the efforts to keep the Earth Sciences Club afloat to keep the narrative rolling.
If you’re looking for something sweet and brimming with optimism and passion for earth sciences, Asteroid in Love will give you the experience you’re looking for. It’s not overly ambitious, but it gets the job done and captures the warm feeling of hanging with a group of friends and sharing your hobbies together.
A review copy was provided by Madman Entertainment to the author for the purpose of this review.