DESCRIPTION

CAST

MANGA AdventureSora Yori Mo Tooi Basho

REVIEWS

• 

  planetJane

  100/100
  As multifaceted and perfect as Antarctic ice.

  *All of my reviews contain __spoilers __for the reviewed material. This is your only warning.*

  ---

  *TOKYO, 14,000 KM* _--signpost, seen near the end of the series_

  Let's be clear right from the get-go here. A Place Further Than The Universe is not really about Antarctica per se. It's about Antarctica in the same way that Citizen Kane is about running a newspaper business. Further is more akin to a young adult novel than anything else, an adventure series whose premise straddles a line between the fantastical and the merely unlikely (it is certainly technically possible that a group of highschoolers might someday be sent to Antarctica, but it's not exactly a safe bet, is it?), and indeed the anime's very title is an allusion to the sheer improbability of the task at hand--space seems a more likely destination than the world's final, frozen continent.

  What makes this work is the series' buildup, taking protagonist Kimari's desire to tag along with her friend Shirase to Antarctica from in the beginning more of a mere impulse, to a full on quest by the end of the fourth episode (complete with a sunrise and stirring music). The desire to go to Antarctica specifically may not resonate with many, but the desire to go out and see the world, to escape--even temporarily--from one's everyday hometown life, to go, in the show's own words to "somewhere that isn't here", is damn near universal.

  Near its halfway point, at the end of the fifth episode, is where it becomes clear that Antarctica in this series is a metaphor for growing up and more specifically, for seizing control of one's life, for shaking up one's routine. On the dawn of Kimari's departure, Megumi, Kimari's longtime childhood friend (and recurring second-stringer throughout the first half of the series), tearfully "breaks up" her friendship with Kimari and confesses that she's been spreading rumors and making Kimari's life difficult in a bid to sabotage her trip to frozen frontier. Both characters cry full-on ghibli tears as Megumi comes to the realization that she's been clinging to her friend, and using her as an emotional crutch. The soundtrack swells and Kimari rejects the "break up", forgiving her friend even as the both of them step into a world without each other for the first time since they were kids. It's the third episode in a row to deliver a knockout finale and easily places Further in the upper echelon of anime in its season all on its own.

  This extended metaphor continues throughout the series, and is evident in just how much of the show's runtime is devoted to the girls overcoming the minutiae and mundanities of making the trip to Antarctica. A trip that does not actually begin in earnest until over halfway through the series. This makes a lot of sense if you think about it, reaching your goals is often a hard and furthermore a tedious process, filled with pitfalls and any number of things great and small that could easily go wrong. Further succeeds by not skipping over this. The series' first third is dedicated to the girls simply securing the money and permission to go on the trip in the first place, and the second revolves around their overcoming obstacles on the actual trip--Hinata losing her passport in Singapore, the girls adjusting to life aboard the ship (and enduring a wicked bout of seasickness), and so on.

  Then there is episode 9. Shirase's character is probably the one whose initial motivation ties into this extended metaphor the least, at first at any rate. For most of the series everyone--including the audience--assumes that the main reason Shirase wants to go to Antarctica is the distant hope of finding her mother, who was part of a civilian expedition not unlike (and sharing many crewmembers with) the one she is on during the series' latter half, went missing during an inland expedition, and is presumed dead. This is mostly true, but there's another angle, Shirase's relationship with Gin Toudou, the expeditionary leader, Shirase's late mother's friend, and someone who has known Shirase herself since she was a child. It's established over the course of the series that the two have a very strained relationship, and during the climax of the 9th episode they talk. Shirase blames Toudou for her mother's apparent death and is evidently somewhat in denial about doing so, but more to the point, and tying back into the Antarctica-as-independence theme, Shirase feels that her life stalled after her mother's death (she later compares it, in episode 12, to a dream she feels like she never woke up from). The rhetoric is familiar; every day was the same. Antarctica, again, serves as a means of escape, an end to the endless everyday--the Slice of Life cycle of consequence-free repetition that many lighthearted anime embrace, but in the real world (and here), is a trap. Shirase pours her heart out, and we are met with the immediate visual metaphor of the expedition ship hitting fast ice, and having to ram through it (as well as a brief history lesson about Japan's allotted routes to the frozen continent). The episode ends with our girls--all at once--stepping foot onto the Antarctic snow. A place further than the universe, finally within reach.

  So with all of this said, how does one assess Further Than The Universe in a broad sense? On the whole, and within the context of its medium? Well, here's the thing. When it premiered, Further got unfairly pegged with the non-description that is the "Cute Girls Doing Cute Things" pseudo-genre, and while the term isn't entirely inaccurate here (certainly, the cast is all-female, and they are adorable true enough), it's not even close to the full picture. Further is an adventure series, and furthermore (har har) it is one defined in part by a thematic opposition to the slice of life series that make up the majority of what gets called "CGDCT". Further is, boiled down to its barest essentials, a story about coming of age, about becoming independent, and about breaking away from the societal cycles it is all too easy to get trapped in. Look, for instance, at how little of the show actually takes place in high school despite its main cast all being teenage girls (and how it's unambiguously portrayed as a place of trauma, and a place to escape, for Shirase and Hinata). The series is not entirely unique in this regard, as this kind of anti-Slice of Life genre dates back at least to Sound of The Sky, if not farther. But the key difference between Further and many of those earlier series is twofold. The first is that Further takes place in a setting much more akin to the real world (the events improbable but far from impossible) as opposed to a dystopia or similarly downbeat setting, and the second is related, that Further finds in that opposition, not something disheartening or depressing, but something inspiring. There is nothing antagonistic about Further's relationship to "cozy" slice of life shows, it stands apart from them, and as a result of its ambitions, is something altogether different.

  There is of course more to the show--both in breadth and depth--in the end, it is probably impossible to touch on every single thing that Yoromoi does right. There is so much packed into its thirteen episodes that there is a real temptation to ramble until words lose their meaning about them. It is a story about growing up, independence, friendship, parents. Big ideas, broad things that a lesser anime would sweep aside entirely or carefully pick and choose from. Part of what makes Further so brilliant is how all of this fullness and richness takes not a single thing away from the main arc of the show--Shirase coming to Antarctica, the place where her mother died. An arc that finally reaches a sob-inducing conclusion at the end of the show's penultimate episode, where, in its biggest break from reality (but such a well-earned one), the girls, visiting the camp site where Shirase's mother disappeared near, find two things. One, a frost-encrusted picture of Shirase and her mother. The other, a miraculously still-functioning laptop. Shirase opens the computer, opens her mother's email, and sees messages--over a thousand of them, from Shirase herself to her mother's untouched in years inbox--pouring in. Here, Shirase and the other girls break down crying, and so, it's not unlikely, do you.

  The last episode is probably the one that hews closest to what the term "slice of life" usually conjures, but by that point, it's so well-earned, and so deserved, that it's just more emotional payoff. Even in its victory lap the show captures you, over and over. The scene at the end of the twelfth episode is probably what will set off the most waterworks but for me, the title card at the very end of the series is what sent me tearing up, Further absolutely does not ever lapse, even for a second.

  It is ultimately that very command of emotion, genuinely masterful in its execution, that makes Further so perfect. Its flaws--extant but minor--are so few and nitpicky as to not even be worth mentioning, when every single note of character and plot development is played this well, they simply don't matter.

  If all of us had friends like Shirase's, finding our own personal Antarctica would not be so hard, and it's telling that the series itself seems to wish us that exact thing. After all, at the very end of the last episode, we have this:

  

  The sort of touching farewell that assures you that yes, the people who made this genuinely did pour their whole hearts into it. Somewhat incredibly, Further is director Atsuko Ishizuka's first longform project that is not an adaptation. If this is a work of auteurship, then, we can only hope that the title of the final episode--" We'll Go On Another Journey Someday"--is something of a promise, of more of this--this whole thing--in anime. It's something well worth hoping for.

  

  ---

  And if you liked this review, why not check out some of my others here on Anilist?

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• 

  Darielquinta

  90/100
  All of the characters and elements of A Place Further than the Universe together make it a must watch.

  Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.”

  -Mark Twain

  A Place Further Than the Universe is a masterpiece of an anime. It’s one of the best anime of Winter 2018 because of all the fantastic story, visuals, and character development uncovered throughout the anime.
  Mari Tamaki (known throughout anime as Kimari) is a high school student. She one day finds her old diary that says, “Make the most of your youth.” Feeling saddened that she hasn’t traveled anywhere, she sets off to go to Tokyo, but was too nervous to go. While waiting for the train home, she sees a girl running that drops a small package. Kimari tries but fails to catch up to the girl who had already left. She opens the small package to see one million yen. The next day in school, she asks her childhood friend Megumi Takahashi to help find the girl. Kimari finds the girl in the bathroom crying. The girl is named Shirase Kobuchizawa, a girl who wants to go to Antarctica to see her mother. Kimari decides to join her and go on an adventure to Antarctica.
  Let's get something out of the way, this anime is a very unique one. Four high school girls going to Antarctica is something new/different from what we have now. Really, the only other anime related to this is Pingu in the City.
  If the story was different, it probably wouldn’t be as successful as it got. The story is also somewhat simple to digest.
  The animation looks realistic. Maybe too realistic.

  

  But in all seriousness, the character designs and backgrounds look very good. The animation during the opening and ending is related to the anime as it shows their journey going to Antarctica. After the opening, you see a photo on instagram related to the episode, which looks very cool.

  

  About everything in the anime is based on it’s real life counterpart. Things ranging from the city Tatebayashi, to the area known as Syowa station in antarctica, to Gunma an actual location in the Kanto region. The Japanese Antarctic expedition is also based on real life. There are two versions of the Japanese Antarctic Expedition, one of which is important to the anime, the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition. It took place from 1968 to 1977 and took place in Syowa Station. Syowa Station (also known as Showa Station) is a permanent research station in Antarctica. My first impressions of the anime were positive and overall the first episode was executed well.
  The opening and ending songs are very cute and catchy. There isn’t an issue with the voice acting/music audio in the song thankfully. Lip-syncing is also very well done, which is surprising considering many other anime i’ve have struggled with this. The voice actors portray the characters well, from crying to being overly excited. The anime also contains around 8 songs, most of which I enjoyed.
  Kimari is a high school girl that is shy and nervous (as seen from the first episode), but becomes more open because of the people around her and the experiences she goes through throughout the anime. Although she is shy and reserved she does have one childhood friend (explained later in the review). At many points throughout the anime I found myself thinking she was too stubborn, ultimately however, I decided she was a well rounded main character. Shirase Kobuchizawa is another shy girl that wants to go to Antarctica. She is the daughter of Takako Kobuchizawa, an Antarctic observation crew member. Shirase is bullied by other people because of the outlandish dream/goal she has but in my opinion she's the best mc going along on the journey. She's my favorite main character mainly because she’s the one that started it all and is the reason why they’re all going on this journey.
  Hinata Miyake is the third important member in the journey. She dropped out of high school and works at a convenience store. At first I thought that she was bipolar (I still think it’s a possibility), as seen in the anime, but it could be that she’s just good at fake smiling, which always throws me off. One instance of her mood changing almost too quickly was when she left the building, Shirase follows her and notices that she is screaming and mad. When Hinata goes back inside, she is smiling. She is the least important main character however. The fourth and last main character is Yuzuki Shiraishi, a long running famous actress. She didn’t want to go to Antarctica at first, but convinced. She was different than the other main characters because she never had any real friends (real as in they didn’t care she was popular) so she didn’t know much about friendship. She was a very cool character in the anime. Someone else worth mentioning is Kimaris childhood friend Megumi Takahashi. Although not extremely important to the story she could technically be the antagonist. I didn’t like her because of her attitude towards Kimari’s adventure. All of these characters are good and do a good job hooking you into story.

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• 

  spratty

  100/100
  When you hit the point of no return, that's the moment it becomes a true journey.

  This anime right here really hit home for me. It moved me and made me rethink the way I was living my life. People might consider A Place Further Than the Universe to be a MOE or slice of life anime but it’s not. It is bigger than that. It is an emotional drama full of adventure and excitement.

  Mari Tamaki — or Kimari, as her friends call her — is a high school girl in her second year who feels like her life is lacking excitement and purpose. She wants to make the most of her youth and create significant memories that will stick with her for years to come. Her motive is understandable because, like any other teen in high school, we don’t want to just waste our precious youthful days doing meaningless stuff. When we’re older we want to look back at the good times we had and the adventures we went on. However, Kimari has something holding her back. Fear. Her main issue is that she is afraid of trying new things because she believes that things might not go right or that she will end up regretting her decision later on. I understood where she was coming from because I have had similar thoughts like these when it comes to doing new things.

  Enter Shirase Kobuchizawa. She is known at school as “Antarctica” due to her obsession with wanting to go there. Her mother, Takako Kobuchizawa was a scientist and explorer who went to missing on the Antarctica expedition 3 years prior to the start of the story. Shirase’s mission is to travel to Antarctica in hopes of finding her mother. Everyone thinks it is absurd because she is still a high schooler and is not qualified to travel there. Despite the various setbacks, it does not stop Shirase from continuing to move forward and strive for her goal. Kimari is inspired and moved into taking action by Shirase and decides to join her on her journey to Antarctica. She is tired of her uneventful life and is ready to move forward. Along the way, Kimari and Shirase meet Hinata Miyake — a lively girl who has finished high school early and has nothing but time on her hands — and Yuzuki Shiraishi, a celebrity girl who has had trouble making friends her entire life. They both join them on their journey as well.

  

  The story an interesting and emotional story, filled with excitement and charm. While the end goal is Antarctica, they don’t arrive there easily. They struggle to reach their destination. The problems that the girls and the rest of the expedition crew face are realistic. Every episode is filled with a sense of adventure and it makes you feel as if you’re on the journey with them. The beautiful visuals and soundtrack add to the story, making it even more endearing. The characters are great as well. The girls meet each other in the first 3 episodes, yet it seems as if they have been together for a long time. The chemistry between Kimari, Shirase, Hinata, and Yuzuki is great and feels authentic. They come off as actual high school girls. Each girl gets their own important story arc, developing them further and making them memorable characters which I loved. So many scenes stood out and impacted me. Some scenes had me near tears, and I did end up crying once which is rare for me.

  Similar to Kimari, I want to be adventurous and try new things. But as stated earlier, I have also had doubts and fear of experiencing new things. That and I’m also a procrastinating lazy piece of shit. This anime came at the right time for me. As a current senior in high school, I realized that I only have a few months left before my life changes completely. Soon I won’t have the spare time I have now. Soon I won’t be able to hang out with friends as I do now. Soon my youth will be over. Seeing the determination that Shirase has and Kimari taking initiative into making her dream come true encouraged me to take similar steps.

  A Place Further Than the Universe is not only a story about Antarctica, but also a story about the journey, struggles, and bonds that the girls make on their way to their destination. It’s a story about youth and making the most of it. These things resonated with so many people including me. Antarctica is the conclusion and reaching the destination is like being freed from a cage you’ve been trapped in your entire life. I’m glad I found the anime when it first aired because I feel like watching it weekly is what made me enjoy it even more. This anime is one of my favorites of all time I definitely do believe it deserves the spot of anime of the year. I recommend this anime to everyone, as it might open you to experience new things. It will stick with me for years to come.

  Update: Thursday April 1 2021 6:28 PM EST
  Three years later and the anime still holds a special place in my heart. It truly is one of a kind. I'm so glad my feelings have not changed since then :)

  
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