'Are You Lost?' Is Fairly Entertaining and Informative

One of the new anime I picked up at the beginning of the summer season was Are You Lost?.  It’s a short-form series about four high school girls of varying personalities – the reserved Homare Onishima; the merry, sporty Asuka Suzumori; the shy, brainy Mutsu Amatani; and the spoiled rich kid Shion Kujō – whose plane during a school trip crashed into the middle of the ocean.  Miraculously, not only do they survive, but they are also uninjured, and an island is in relatively close proximity of their crash location.  They head toward it, but they soon discover that it’s uninhabited and seemingly situated far from civilization and normal ship routes.  Fortunately, Homare was well-trained in survival by her dad when she was still a small kid.  Thus, for them to survive in that desert island, the girls must rely on Homare’s skills, knowhow, and leadership.

I’m a fan of Bear Grylls’ survival show Man vs. Wild, so much of my enjoyment of Are You Lost? is derived from the different survival tips and lessons that it presented.  But other than the educational factor, this aspect also occasionally serves as the catalyst for comedy.

Like Beart Grylls, Homare holds survival as paramount, and she does whatever’s necessary to bring it about.  Even if what’s required is something disgusting or undignified, she remains unbothered.  She will do it without a second thought and with a straight face.  This constantly shocks and grosses out her companions, especially when they have to take part in it.  And such moments can get really funny.

Are You Lost?, despite the dire elements attached to its setup, is quite lighthearted in tone.  Most notably, the plane crash as a plot point is simply skimmed over.  Certainly, the four of them weren’t the only ones in that plane.  So where are the other passengers?  Most likely dead.  However, dark implications like this are ignored by the narrative.  I can’t remember that plane crash being referenced again beyond the first episode.  In addition, the four girls don’t appear traumatized from being in a plane crash or in grief for their dead peers.  They also don’t become evidently depressed of their situation.  There are discouragements and cryings, yes, but never despair.  This angle is actually what’s challenging my suspension of disbelief the most.  Why are these girls still generally upbeat despite having this terrifying, life-or-death experience?

In the end, I felt that the 12-episode debut season wasn’t necessarily as a worthwhile as I believed it would be when I began with it.  Yes, it’s fairly entertaining and informative.  As a short-form series, it’s pretty undemanding and easy to watch.  And there’s some okay ecchi thrown in for good measure.  But I somehow expected more from it.  I really thought back then that it was going to end up like this overlooked gem of the season (I initially ranked it just behind the season’s “Big Three”) – it’s not.   One wouldn’t really be missing out with much if he decides to pass on it.  Are You Lost? is fine, but unexceptional.