Ranked #310

Voices of a Distant Star

Another hidden gem gets reviewed.

I randomly picked this DVD up at Blockbuster's Anime section and expected nothing much from it and 25 minutes later I was ...... !!!!!! The next day I told 10 people about this movie. That's how much it *got* to me.

Hoshi no Koe ~The Voices of a Distant Star~, is essentially a story of a long distance love and mail messages between a boy and girl. The movie is really short, but in that time you discover that the two of them are friends, the girl is sent out with space forces, but they "text" each other. As time passes (on earth) the boy will age quicker than the girl who is millions of light years away.

If you've ever been separated from a loved one by time or distance, this movie will resonate very strongly with you. Prepare the Kleenex. You won't really cry because the movie is sad, you'll cry because of ... sheer longing and wishing and other emotions, please watch the movie and you'll understand what I mean. It's a Masterpiece.

The movie's sheer ability to pack that much emotional punch into a 25 minutes ~ now THAT is story-writing talent. It totally disproves the myth that movies have to be long to have good character development.

What is even more amazing is this entire anime was done by 1 man with 1 Apple Mac. He and his wife provided the voice acting for both characters. The man is Makoto Shinkai. I made a vow to follow his career. Since Hoshi No Koe his career has taken off, he is the talent behind "The Place Promised in Our Early Days" and "Byousoku 5 centimeter". This guy is so good that I'll buy every anime he makes because I know it will be good.

Please watch, highly recommended.

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An absolutely beautiful masterpeice in all but a few regards.

Voices of a distant star tells the tale of two lovers, seperated by time and space whos only connection is through txt messages which arrive at exponentially increasing delays, to the point where a message is sent wishing happy 24th birthday, from a 15 year old me.

Voices of a distant star is the end result of getting a perfect love story, trimming off all the excess fat, and shrinking it down to 25 minutes of raw emotion.

This was a very hard anime to rate, if you were to take this 25 minutes and compare it to the same length of time in any other anime, Voices of a distant start would win hands down, but because its so short when it came to the end, I was just wishing it would continue for even just another 20 minutes. It left me feeling satisifed but not quite furfilled.

I can see what 'they' tried to do with this anime, purify and distill it, and in that regard it was pulled off flawlessly. The one problem I have is I feel that the characters drew the short end of the stick and at times, the storyline felt quite rushed.

The art style in this anime is just so beautiful it really does justice to the storyline, although the storyline feels like it could have been developed a little more, Voices of a distant star has some absolutely amazingly breathtaking scenes that I never thought I could learn to apprechiate within 25 minutes.

Voices of a distant star is the perfect example of how even within 25 minutes, something beautiful can occur, but because of this it left me wanting more which is why I give it a 9, altough with an added 20 minutes it could have easily been a 10.

A truly rememorable anime and one that I highly recommend. read more

One of the shortest anime out there, Voices of a Distant Star is also in my most humble opinion, one of the best I've ever come across. Following the story of two young friends, they are suddenly divided by the reaches of space. Their contact with each other becomes limited to text messaging. Soon the messages take days to reach, then months, and eventually years. The work that put the now-well-known Makoto Shinkai on the map, this bittersweet tale is one not to be missed.

Voices of a Distant Star is a story that packs more emotion into its entire 25 minute run than an average series will in 25 episodes. The progression of the narrative leads to more hopeless outcomes with every passing moment, yet it never loses the one small ray of hope it offers. A short story in nature, it does it's best not to muddle things up much with lesser details, though the sci-fi setting is a little tough to swallow. Still, Voices keeps things as simple as possible by focusing heavily on main characters Mikako and Noboru throughout the anime's run.

The cast, compromised entirely of Mikako and Noboru, tell the story through their own personal feelings and inner conflicts. This not only makes the story a little deeper, but it fleshes out the two much more than just two kids who realize their love for one another too late. Their personal feelings reflect an internal symphony of emotion beyond the care that characters in situations like these are handled with. They never come across as superficial or phony. This is pure human drama anyone can all relate with to some degree.

Another thing that's bound to surprise is that this entire anime was animated on Makoto Shinkai's PC, proving that ANYONE can make an anime if he or she really wants to. The result actually looks rather professional as well. It's surrealistic in the robot scenes and alien worlds, but the more dramatic scenes are heavily bound in reality. Shinkai's attention to detail shines as much as it does today and his careful crafting gives the anime a solid look, yet delicate feel.

The soundtrack was composed by TENMON, who is now better known for his work with ef ~ a tale of memories. It is heavily piano-laden and that's not a bad thing. The melodies are fragile and beautiful, and the final piece "Through the Years and Far Away" never fails to bring me to tears as the first notes are played.

As I said before, Voices of a Distant Star is one of the best anime I have ever seen to this day. It's short, universal in its message, well-written and well-styled. The only thing that keeps it from being perfect is that there is nothing in this world that is perfect. But please, watch it. It's only 25 minutes long so you have no excuse!

Overall I give Voices of a Distant Star a well-deserved 10 out of 10. read more

Modern technology on Earth has made it so that people can have contact, no matter the distance, the matter the place. Speaking to someone you love, for example, has now just become a matter of turning your computer on or picking up the phone or putting a pen to paper. But in Voices of a Distant Star, technology can only do so much to keep two young people together.

The story is a bittersweet, moving, heart-breaking tale of a young girl who heads a space expedition. She sends back-and-forth text messages to a boy she loves on Earth, and every day he checks his phone to see if she has messaged home. As she travels light years into space, time and distance become an obstacle: her messages eventually start to take Earth years to reach him. And the wonderful, aching thing about it is that he still checks his phone, every day, waiting for her words.

With an amazing story like that, the art and animation could have been rubbish, and I would still think this anime was astounding. But fortunately, the art was quite good. There's use of both 2D and 3D. I did notice that there was a certain "unfinished" look about the characters, but I suppose this was the style of the animator. The backgrounds are breathtaking. Lighting, especially, was paid close attention to, something most other anime tend to ignore. The 3D animation was also great. Overall, I had to say, it was a beautiful anime.

The sound was great as well. There's a lot of emotional compositions that will really tug at your heart, and there are some well-placed silences. I think anime forgets sometimes that the absence of sound is important as well, and it is well employed in this OAV.

The characters were great even with their simple presentation. It's a short anime, but they are fleshed out. I can honestly say that these two young people go through a myriad of emotion, from heartbreak to hope, and they are both unique individuals. Certainly more mature about their situation than one would expect from teenagers. But that's a good thing--so many people underestimate the power of understatement.

I loved this anime. It was simply a beauty.

Voices of a Distant Star, albeit short, is an incredible anime about the melancholy of longing and waiting and hoping to see someone you love more than time and space can tell. I definitely recommend. read more

A calassic war time love story. Being seperated from a love one to go fight can be a depressing thing to deal with. The farther she traveled into space the longer it took for her loved one to recieve a text message, until it took almost 8 years for him to recieve a message. He also had to deal with the fact of not knowing if she is alive or dead and when he is going to get another message, with the obvious doubt in the back of his head that he wont ever recieve one. A very well plotted story and the animation was great and on point. 9/10 stars read more

With such a short OVA, you can't really expect much out of this... was what I thought first. Watching the first 5 minutes of the OVA, I realized that this was much more than a regular OVA.

Story (10/10): Given that it was a short OVA, to be able to fit an entire storyline behind a 30 minute sequence shows the ingenuity of director Shinkai Makoto and his ability amaze. With drama and romance put together, you really cannot go wrong with this. This story really puts you in the driver's seat, and makes you experience what the main character really goes through.

Art (8/10): With such a rating, most people would find that quite a low score for such an anime. But, to warn any potential watchers, Shinkai Makoto made this within a short period of time, and although released in 2002, the animation quality and artwork resembles that of previous years. To be honest, there were many times where I cringed at the sight of the characters, as the square, block-like heads seemed to stick out of the screen. Unless you are not picky with animation quality, then by all means, watch this anime.

Sound (10/10): Throughout the entire OVA, every small step, or climbing of a staircase was very smooth and shown very well. Accurate sounds with explosions, rainfall, etc. really created a life-like experience. With this type of drama, an insert song truly brings out the dramatic sequence of an anime, and Shinkai Makoto truly has picked out a fantastic one.

Character (9/10): The only problem I had with the characters was their very monotonous voice. Very direct, and very computer like, they weren't regular conversation-like speeches. But, because of the storyline, I actually found that this fit in rather well, although it was somewhat dull at times. But overall, the characters were well articulated, and represented by their actions.

Enjoyment (10/10): If you aren't looking for a long anime, go ahead and pick this out from a blockbuster. This 30 minute OVA will give you the reason to reach forthe box of tissues, and sit there for another 30 minutes after the OVA is done. Well, not exactly 30 minutes, but the way the director made this OVA keeps you on the edge of your seat even after the OVA is over.

Overall (9/10): Anyone who hasn't watched this should truly pick up a copy of this and watch it right away. You cannot go wrong with Hoshi no Koe, and at 30 minutes long, it won't take up too much time out of your day.
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Story - 10/10
A long distance relationship - literally. The only means for 2 lovers to communicate are through cellphone text messages. Love transcends space and time in this tearjerking OVA. It truly sent me into a tizzy.

Art - 10/10
The traditional and lush 3D animation is absolutely award-worthy. It's more beautiful than some GONZO pieces I've seen recently. The landscapes, sea, planets, stars and all that, are just breathtaking and stunning.

Sound - 8/10
The music was alright. I can't really say anything beyond that to be brutally honest. It just didn't work for me. It might work for you, I don't know. It just didn't for me.

Character - 8/10
Only 2 prominent characters - Noboru, the male lead and Mikako, the female lead. You'll like one, hate the other. You'll like both or hate both. By the end though, you'll like them anyways I'm sure. I know I did.

Enjoyment - 10/10
I have to say, given its only 30 minutes long -- it felt longer. I enjoyed it down to the last drop. It was truly awe-inspiring. Makoto Shinkai

Overall, I'd give Voices of a Distant Star a very well-worth it - 9/10! read more

Voices of a Distant Star, short... but sweet. As a one off OVA by acclaimed director Shinkai Makoto it comes with a rather impressive pedigree, but I feel like it never really got moving. The story tells of a young boy and girl who are separated by an intergalactic war. Sounds excellent, but it never really gives you a sense of why they are fighting or even who they are fighting. If the story was more fleshed out and placed in a movie format I feel that this would have been a real winner. It isn't bad as it is, but it could have been a lot more.

The animation and art direction are where Voices of a Distant Star really stand apart. In every scene the smallest details are animated perfectly and realistically. The CG mechs are very well done, especially considering this was produced six years ago. The backdrops and the sky in particular are always top notch and very well drawn. Top marks all round. The character models were a little goofy looking, but it wasn't enough to bother me to any extent.

The music and sounds really give a sense of distance. It's an odd way of describing it, but the music really gives scale to the battles and makes you feel like something epic is taking place. If I had a complaint about the sounds it would be the voice acting. It wasn't poorly done, but it could have been better. When the girl was getting emotional and crying, I just wasn't feeling it.

The characters, Mikato and Noboru, are the only characters in the story. As it is only a one episode OVA there isn't a chance to see any back story or flesh out the story any way. In the time provided it was mostly focused on their desire to be together and how much they loved each other. They have no personality at all and are very one dimensional. Get over it.

I was expecting a lot better out of this OVA, but it is a nice quick watch none the less. As a movie I think this would have been much better and would be placed up with other top notch movies. As it is though there isn't enough time to get a sense of what is going on or even care. Still worth watching though. read more

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Story
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“And ever has it been known that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.”
-Khalil Gibran

The sheets of rain curtained onto the barren streets, while a single boy runs for shelter into a bus stop. He looked skinnier than usual, as the white fabric clung to his pale flesh and the shadows plastered to his features. Sliding onto the bench, he slipped out his cellphone, fiddling with it for a bit before the screen came chirping to life. The beep ricocheted through his heart like a jolt of electricity, bringing his attention to the email he received. He had waited a year to see her name typed, “From: Mikako”.

Voices of a Distant Star doesn’t have ambitions to be some theatrical space opera or intergalactic epic of Star Wars-like proportions. It’s a romantic heart dressed in a science-fiction dress, trimmed with mecha and aliens that seek to destroy all of mankind. Exciting isn’t it? But we all know love is about personality, not the looks. Through the smokescreen of whirring missiles and the winding tentacles of Tassarian battleships lies a tale of two star-crossed lovers torn apart by deep-space combat.

Makoto Shinkai debut effort sets the motif that threads together his future work, two lovers sundered by the realities of society, its framework and how love’s pale fingers can stretch to the limitless boundaries of remoteness. It’s a microscopic mirror into the mind of Shinkai, who develops these themes in much greater depth in 5 Centimeters per Second and The Place Promised in Our Early Days, but the sense of separation between these particular characters feels the most immense, caulked by vacuum of the heavens. His two actors, Mikako and Nobura, are middle school students that fancy spending high school together, trading dreams of Kendo club and buying ice cream at the local convenience store. These daytime reveries shatter when Mikako reveals she will be a pilot, helming a mech to combat a threat to humanity.

The narrative hinges on the emails exchanged by the two friends, as the dividing light-years cause their messages to take longer and longer to deliver. Minutes and hours quickly precipitate into months and years. As the breadth of day grow, Mikako’s gloom and isolation become palpable as she flounders in her heartache. Her outcast from the account of earthly time is distressing to watch, frozen in her fifteen-year-old frame as Noboru ages across an eternity. The exchanges delicately nurture the climax, Nobura receiving a wandering text many years later, as the layers of melancholy and rejection sweep over the viewer. It’s bittersweet, but that’s how I take my chocolate.

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Animation
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The frames of Voices from a Distant Star are torn from the pages of a sketchbook. Frayed lines crisscross one another, actualized into shape by a wash of pastel watercolors. It’s breathtaking, yet curiously unassuming, asking the audience to focus on the interaction of the characters instead of the hushed hallows of ‘Random Japanse Suburb 1’.

The placid humdrum of the town is broken up by hyper technological CGI sequences involving giant robots, deviant aliens, and a mobiles of heavenly bodies. The sections seem obtrusive, jarring even, compared to the tranquil hues of earth. Reason being, the 3D sections are of amateur quality, textures are grainy and the rendering is poorly aliased, caked up in overembellished lighting effects. The animation is comparatively clunky, as the steel clad titans stumble through each scene. My homesickness quickly dissipated when the camera traveled back to the dulcet foyers of ‘Random Japanese Suburb 1’.

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Sound
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A companionless piano is kept by a metronome’s heartache, as its solitary steps pave an upsetting chant. The instrument stands on it’s feeble as it’s chord echo Mikako’s alienation and Noburo’s fortitude. It’s the glue that holds together the collages Shinkai assembles with his imagery and dialogue, which at times falls flat. Shinkai and his fiancé in the original did the voices of the leads, and professional seiyuu were employed for the mass distributed version. In either, Mikako’s voice is a monotone murmur, absent of any sort of emotional inflection till the very end. Noburo suffers from a similar affliction, but atleast his voice is audible. Like the Animation, the sound and music stands on uneven footing, faltering from time to time.

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Characters
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Both protagonists don’t have much bulk to them, reflected by their flip-book style of artwork. Most of what we know comes from the events that unfold within the twenty-three minutes, back story ignored. Most of the character development is driven by the communication between the two students and how it fuels their catharsis in the final moments. I couldn’t ask for more from a short film, and was surprised at the magnitude of effect their romance had on me.

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Overall
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I’ve had these feelings before, sitting at the airport as my girlfriend kissed me on the apple of cheek instead of saying goodbye. I thought about how the Rockies, the desert, the Great Plains, and Wisconsin separated us. My heart pelted against my chest as I as the final few seconds wound down from the Quicktime counter. Voices of a Distant Star is a powerful work of art and a stunning display of storytelling which I highly recommend.
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Story: A boy named Noboru and girl named Mikako engage in a boring conversation, go on a bike ride, and see a spaceship. Within five minutes of the movie, years have passed, and the girl is now piloting a robot in outer space. From that point on, she sends text messages to Noboru, who is still on Earth. Yes, that's right, text messages. Apparently, cell phones are capable of receiving signals from fucking Jupiter. I know this story takes place in the future, and technology has been greatly advanced, but imagine all the time and money that would be necessary for this to be possible. Would any company really pursue such an expensive and time-consuming project just so people on earth and the few people in deep space could exchange text messages that would take years to reach their destinations? If they did, they would go bankrupt. And isn't much of what these people explore uncharted territory? Again, how are they able to receive signals? It makes no sense. Some might say this is a powerful story about true love and dedication; I say it's a waste of twenty-five minutes. If you really care for someone, you choose them over your work. (Even if your job is to fly around in a gundam and fight aliens.) The story is flawed; however, the emotion seems very genuine. I feel that the writer cared about his work. If you're willing to overlook the enormous plot holes, I'd say give it a go. Otherwise, 5 Centimeters Per Second, which is another Makoto Shinka film, is similar in story, and its plot actually makes sense. If you're in the mood for something to baww at, I would recommend it. read more