Every once in a while, a show comes around that moves you so profoundly that you aren't exactly sure what kind of feelings you actually have for it ending. Sadness that it's over, or, happiness that you got to witness the journey such amazing characters went on? It's a journey of laughs, tears, smiling and crying, but most importantly, of immense growth and maturity. We've all wanted to go on such a journey ourselves, and for those of us that never got the chance, maybe there's a show that makes us want to get off our butts and just GO somewhere. What place? A Place Further Than the Universe.
A Place Further than the Universe is a 13-episode anime produced by Madhouse--known for their excellent animation and lack of a No Game No Life season two announcement--and was directed by Atsuko Ishizuka and written by Jukki Hanada. It follows the adventures of four young women as they embark on an adventure to "a place further than the universe" AKA Antarctica, inspired by one of them having a burning desire to go to Antarctica.
However, their journey is not all about going to Antarctica. We aren't headed to the great country of ice from the get-go, and that's where we really get to know the girls so that we're better connected to them by the time the series really gets underway.
From the very beginning, the show has incredibly pacing in terms of its narrative and its characters. We meet Kimari and Shirase first and get glimpses at who they really are as characters, while there are some fast shots of Hinata and no mention of Yuzuki. The show allows us to meet and get to know our two most important characters first and slide into their shoes and daily lives so we can better understand what they're going through and what could possibly inspire them to go to Antarctica.
We see the girls develop over time, in fact, we see it with each passing episode, but it's vital that we get to know them as best we can in the early episodes, and this series does so both visually as well as through dialogue. We see Kimari struggling internally and externally with what to do about her decision and her inability to just get up and do what she wants to.
It was also an interesting decision to make Kimari our main entrance into this world since, while she is arguably the one we follow the most, the story winds up leaving her hands and being most about Shirase in a very powerful way. Still, though, it isn't as if Kimari and Shirase are the ones that hog all the attention. Hinata and Yuzuki are arguably more fun characters to watch on screen for either their hijinks or their own personal ways of coping with things.
Before I get into the four girls individually, I just want to say how marvelous this show is about how real these girls are. Sure there are some overdramatic parts to them that maybe just come off strange for a Western-viewer not understanding Japanese culture, but besides that, each one of them has at least one moment where they try to handle a situation in a way that made me think, "Yup. I would've done the EXACT same thing." And it isn't as if things are resolved in a convenient, unrealistic way. Characters have to either deal with consequences or, as the main theme of the show suggests, just move forward and continue on, because that's all we can really do.
Alright, let's talk about the true strength of the show: the four main characters, Kimari, Shirase, Hinata, and Yuzuki.
Kimari is the first girl we meet and, as I said, is our gateway into this world. It's an interesting choice because it seems at first she's nothing more than that typical anime girl who just wants to see the world, but it's far more than that. She wants to because she has this existential fear of missing out on her most important formative years, and doesn't want to look back on her life and realize she never went anywhere or did anything. That's actually an incredibly profound and relatable character trait, and it comes to really empower her character moving forward. She may be the most aloof of the four, but, again, she's supposed to be as our gateway character into this world.
But she's more than just that. Kimari has complex relationships with all of the core cast members and some of the supporting cast members. She has a desire to understand and help everyone, but the show brilliantly allows her to realize that maybe that isn't possible and sometimes the best thing a friend can do is show support in the only way she knows so that both sides are freaked out at what's going on. Kimari's innocence about everything, too, is incredibly charming and allows for a lot of funny moments throughout the series.
Shirase is easily the most complex and interesting character of the show. The reason she wants to go to Antarctica is that it was the last place her mother was known to be (her mother being on an expedition there, not being there just because) and she wants to find her. As such, there's a lot of suppressed emotions and thoughts that can bubble up over the course of the series, and it makes for incredible drama and character development for Shirase. She was so determined to go to Antarctica alone and do everything alone, but she really opens up with the help of the four girls and some of the other expedition members at her side.
Shirase also wins over most of the other characters in the way that she shows her compassion for everyone else. She has a harsh way of dealing with things, at times, but it all comes from the heart and the director does an excellent way of making sure we know this. Shirase arguably undergoes the most development of the series, too, which is saying something for a show about such an incredible cast of characters. It's really tough to get into Shirase's character arc without getting into spoilers, but I will say that when it comes time for her to kind of hijack the main thrust of the story, it makes for some incredibly emotional moments that will require you to watch this show with a tissue box at hand. Not even joking here, the last three episodes had me in tears, and it was amazing.
Hinata may go down as the character that nobody really remembers, but, she was my best girl. I absolutely loved her from the get-go! She's probably the one that most people are going to be able to relate to given her circumstance at the start of the story and then based on what she does throughout the story. While everyone else has their own set of problems, like Kimari being stuck in school, Shirase trying to find her mom, and then Yuzuki being a celebrity, Hinata is just a retail worker who wants to do something bigger and better than everyone else, if just once. The things she does are so human and real that at times you forget this girl isn't real.
Hinata is also the outright funniest of the group; Kimari and Shirase can be quite hilarious in what they unintentionally do, but Hinata will actually go and make jokes to keep the group upbeat. Her role is essential to serve as the thing that keeps the group from getting incredibly depressed or downtrodden at times; she serves as a good foil for Kimari in that regard, since Kimari is susceptible to extreme emotions at times, so Hinata is there to try and cover them up, and will instead hide her emotions behind a smile, either too afraid or not willing to let others see her be weak.
That is something that a lot of people try to do, and the way the show addresses it gets straight to the point and straight to the heart of it. Hinata is my favorite not because she's the goofiest or anything like that, but because I found myself linking with her more than anyone else and each time she was on screen I had a little smile on my face. She was the biggest underdog of the group, the one who really had little reason to be there, but she trucked on through and always did her best to fit in and find a way to be useful. It was very moving, so by the time her character arc reaches its peak, I was completely invested and was getting as emotional as she was through it all.
Yuzuki is easily the most charming of the entire group and that's actually in keeping with her character. She's a child actor and one that is coming to grips with what the system actually is and realizes that she's little more than a money-making pawn for the companies. It's devastating when we see how other people treat her as little more than an opportunity to get likes online or to be known as a friend of a celebrity. I wasn't all that fond of her when she was first introduced, but that changed over the course of that exact same episode she was brought in; actually, it was the end of that episode where I first found myself tearing up over the show.
Yuzuki's arc might be the cheesiest, but it's also, in terms of the story, world, and characters, the one that makes the most sense. She has no idea what friendship really is, so the fact that it's being thrown in her face all at once is a shock to her. She has the most subtle moments of anyone in the series, and they build up in a major way, coming together in such charming, yet effective, ways.
I could probably go on and on about each girl and their true character development, but that would require spoilers and this is a show I do NOT want to spoil. Sure, I think that the journey to the eventual finish line is worth it all the way, but I'm also one that thinks it best for people to experience something as fresh as possible so they aren't marred with expectations about what's coming up or not.
So, I keep saying that this show has so many feels and it's all emotional and all that, but, it's also super funny. Like, gut-busting funny. The writing for this show is absolutely excellent, and the animation complements it brilliantly. Every joke comes in at just the right pace, with perfect timing and effect. It never lingers too long, because there's often too much going on for them to linger on something. We either have a new place to be, or someone to check in with.
This show is neither light and fluffy nor is it super dramatic or anything like that. Yes, it takes major elements from both of those departments, but it never leans on one or the other without reason. When it wants to get serious, it does, but that's because the narrative demands it; and when it's time to get some fluff involved, it's because the story or situation needs it. There are some moments where they do come together in a great blend, like the now-famous running scene from Episode 2.
If you're curious about what the show is like at all, I think that one scene perfectly captures it. It has everything, from the great character beats, the breath-taking animation, and the music that just brings up all of the feels ever.
Ah, yes, the music: yeah, it's kind of perfect. It's placed at all the right times and never overstays its welcome. I can't think of a single moment where an insert song was played and I didn't suddenly get an onslaught of emotions, be it joy or sadness. Even just the regular background soundtrack is great, providing excellent mood music for various settings or moments. Everyone will remember the insert songs, but that's probably because they play at the major moments for each episode that requires it.
I also really love the opening, from the theme song to the visuals on display. It captures the spirit of the show perfectly and gives us little glimpses into the lives of our crew in Antarctica. The ending theme and visuals are good, but, I usually skipped over it.
Overall, A Place Further than the Universe is nothing short of breathtaking and was an amazing breath of fresh air in a time where anime felt like it was getting a little stagnant and overdramatic. This is an anime for anyone, and I mean that literally. Never watched anime before? Give this show a shot. Sure, it has some of those "cute girl anime" symptoms that will turn a lot of people away, but the show just happens to have cute girls doing the same things that other anime girls do, but these girls both do it that much better and do it with way more impact.
It's difficult to get me teary-eyed, or straight up tearing up, at anything, be it a movie or TV show. I was in straight up tears by the end of at least five of the thirteen episodes, and it was because of how well the show managed to pull off its strong beats and getting to see these characters I'd fallen in love with either reach new heights or just watching them dwell with their own internal emotions, finally letting them out for the world to see.
It's an absolutely beautiful show that anyone can enjoy, and I think anyone can relate to. If you're on the fence about it, please give it a look. If you're curious about getting into anime, let this be the first one you watch. Do not miss out on this show.
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