Sora no Method (Celestial Method)

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Alternative Titles

Japanese: 天体のメソッド

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Information

Type: TV

Episodes: 13

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Oct 5, 2014 to Dec 28, 2014

Premiered: Fall 2014

Broadcast: Sundays at 22:30 (JST)

Producers: Bandai Visual, Sotsu, Lantis, Showgate, Good Smile Company, Infinite

Licensors: Sentai Filmworks

Studios: Studio 3Hz

Source: Original

Genres: Drama, Fantasy

Theme: School

Duration: 24 min. per ep.

Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older

Statistics

Score: 6.77¹ (scored by 35,058 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #5368²

² based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #1962

Members: 108,428

Favorites: 329

Available At

Official Site

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AniDB

ANN

Synopsis

A group of friends—Nonoka Komiya, Koharu Shiihara, Shione Togawa, and twins Yuzuki and Souta Mizusaka—once attempted to summon a flying saucer to grant their wishes. After thinking that they failed, they called it a day. However, soon afterward, Nonoka abruptly moved out of Kiriya City, breaking the bond of their circle. Little did the group know, they were successful and the saucer has been floating in the sky since then, waiting to fulfill its purpose.

Seven years later, Nonoka returns to Kiriya, all but forgetting everything regarding her life there. She meets Noel, a little girl wearing strange clothes, and through her, Nonoka begins to remember the past and the friends she left behind. From there, she strives to reforge her severed relationship with the others as she uncovers the mysteries connecting Noel, the saucer, and the wishes they once cherished together.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Related Anime

Adaptation:	Sora no Method
Side story:	Sora no Method: Aru Shoujo no Kyuujitsu★
Other:	Sora no Method: Mou Hitotsu no Negai

More characters

Characters & Voice Actors

Noel

Main

Minase, Inori
Japanese

Komiya, Nonoka

Main

Natsukawa, Shiina
Japanese

Togawa, Shione

Main

Komatsu, Mikako
Japanese

Mizusaka, Yuzuki

Main

Toyosaki, Aki
Japanese

Mizusaka, Souta

Main

Ishikawa, Kaito
Japanese

Shiihara, Koharu

Main

Yoshimura, Haruka
Japanese

Komiya, Shuuichi

Supporting

Tsuchida, Hiroshi
Japanese

Komiya, Kaori

Supporting

Kayano, Ai
Japanese

Shiihara, Mother

Supporting

Satou, Rina
Japanese

Mizusaka, Mother

Supporting

Endou, Aya
Japanese

More staff

Staff

Nagatani, Takayuki

Producer

Yoshie, Terushige

Producer

Nakaji, Ryousuke

Producer

Nakajima, Yasuhiro

Producer

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Opening Theme

"Stargazer" by Larval Stage Planning

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Ending Theme

	1: "Hoshikuzu no Interlude (星屑のインターリュード)" by fhána (eps 1-6, 8-10, 12-13)
	2: "Hoshi no Kakera (ホシノカケラ)" by fhána (eps 7)
	3: "Sora no Method (天体のメソッド)" by fhána (eps 11)

Reviews

Jun 4, 2015

Triple_R

Recommended

Sora no Method leaves an intensely illuminating image in the mind, reflective of the deep and abiding memories of its lead character, Nonoka. Sora no Method's visual splendor is like the prettiest fireworks in the sky, lighting up faces and hearts for both its characters and the show's viewers. This is one anime show that is both beautiful to behold, as well as beautiful in its emotionally resonant treatment of friendship, hope, family, and struggle against the corrosive effect that the passage of time can have on all three.

However, as strong as Sora no Method's heart and artistry is, its story can tease and ... bewilder at times, even though it is not particularly complicated. I would recommend this anime to anyone who is a fan of Key-related anime works, as well as to fans of the AnoHana anime, but I do want to prepare you for some of the show's weaknesses.

The story often has an air of magically mesmerizing mystery about it. At its best, it can prove enchanting and engrossing. But at its worst, it can leave you raising eyebrows over the actions and choices of its characters.

I found the characters to be very likeable, and well-actualized, but there are at times a questionable inconsistency to them. Their choices and emotional attachments sometimes fail to come across well, and it's often only later and in retrospect that they start to make more sense. So this is an anime that demands a certain type of patience. Not in a basic pacing sense, as I didn't find the plot overly fast or slow, but rather when it comes to how you approach the characters.

The characters develop gradually, meticulously, and sometimes in a "2 steps forward, 1 step back" sort of way. At times, they can be exasperating, and this can undermine the effectiveness and sense of flow to the story.

Nonetheless, the central characters all have a strong sense of agency to them, and it is easy to get caught up in their wondrously whimsical wavering and movement. Noel is of consistent chipper cheer, leaving her name a very fitting one given the well-known holiday that also bears that name. And so she serves as an anchor that keeps the Sora no Method ship sailing straight through the torrential storms of the other character's emotional typhoons and crashing waves.

The high-spirited yet also high-strung Yuzuki often amuses, and the relationship between her and her brother is one of the more realistic sibling relationships I've seen in anime in recent years.

Shione provides an edge and sharpness to the show that helps provide a good balance to its syrupy saccharine sentimental aims. She can exasperate or even infuriate in her worst moments, but those moments are probably essential in giving the otherwise straightforward story the momentum it needs.

Koharu is the pleasant poised peacemaker, who's generally gentle touch is supported well by a touch of iron within. She has her moments of weakness, to be sure, but her softness speaks soundly of a good and reliable friend.

Then there is Nonoka, who's dauntless determination infuses the show with a swiftly sprinting synergy of powerful and vibrant character relationship dynamics. Nonoka is a well-balanced lead character that I found very easy to like and cheer on.

And it is because of exquisite emotional engagement, that I feel comfortable in giving this show a very good rating in spite of its narrative weaknesses. If you're looking for a thrilling or thought-provoking show, then this might not be the best show for you. But if you're looking for something strongly spirited, an aspirational adventure that slowly grows under the glimmering lights of a saucer above, then this is one show that I think you will heartily enjoy.

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Dec 28, 2014

MangakaNotlora

Mixed Feelings

When a giant saucer appears in the sky above a small town, what sort of events would you expect to follow?
Sora no Method poses this question, and then follows with the most mundane answer it could have gone with: a slice of life drama that spends about five minutes of the whole series actually talking about the saucer, despite it being the source of many troubles the characters face. The fact that someone thought it would be a good idea to through in such a large supernatural element and then treat it like it was nothing worth acknowledge subsequently succeeded in creating a very ... frustrating chain of events.

From the same anime industry that brought you enormous headed children with trouble making friends (looking at you, Haganai), this season, this same industry introduced more enormous headed children with trouble making friends.
The story does begin in a grabbing way; our main protagonist, Nonoka, is on her way to her new home with her father. This is obviously a basic scenario, but once Nonoka's car passes through a tunnel and into her new life, attention is drawn to the great glaring object in the sky.

And it all goes down hill from there.

After throwing the saucer into the plot, rather than choosing a story line to make Sora no Method unique from other anime, the main focus of the show becomes how badly Nonoka wants to make friends. She doesn't seem to give much of a damn about this thing that's hanging over the town constantly, but she will relentlessly bother another girl until she engages in conversation.
Most of the episodes out of the thirteen are back and forth nonsense consisting of 'will they be friends or won't they', only briefly mentioning the anime's unique, floating characteristic when its convenient to make the 'will they, won't they' business continues with petty argument.
It's terrible to admit, but most of the episodes in Sora no Method could probably be skipped over, as it's mostly the same mundanity--Nonoka goes somewhere, tries to make friends with someone, it doesn't work until she applies willpower, it suddenly works, on to the next potential friend.

Nonoka may also be a problem here, as I've noticed one of the downfalls of many anime for me is an irritating main character, and to me, Nonoka is incredible irritating. It isn't her voice or her appearance, but the fact that she blindly assumes she can change everyone's opinion of her if she bothers them enough times. In fact, Nonoka pushes for all the other characters to change and accept her, when she does nothing to change herself. Nonoka experiences no character development and remains presently the likable moe factor, remaining the same desperate from episode one to episode thirteen.
There are times where she would even blatantly prevent other characters from interacting with the saucer, which was perhaps the most frustrating part of her personality--physically watching her prevent any developments outside of her personal relationships nearly warranted a drop of the series halfway through.
If the main goal of Nonoka was to make her cute and charismatic, that base was already covered by part of her supporting cast, Noel, who exhibited a much rounder version of whatever Nonoka was trying to supply. I believe other characters like Noel were made more likable because they weren't trying too hard or forcing their personality onto one another. Where the protagonist failed, the supporting cast strongly marched onward in the shadows.

Being an anime new this year, as expected, the art and sound were cleanly done, and most of Sora no Method's soundtrack was very relaxing. Toward the very end of the series, there was a strange change in art style that startled me, but it may have worked to leave somewhat of an impact. That is to say, it was startling, but it wasn't bad. I especially liked the color palettes used.

In the end, I suppose Sora no Method is a simple case of a plot in the hands of the wrong genre, where there are many exciting and innovative paths to choose in response to the saucer, but none of them were taken. As a drama in its own genre, the show was still a bit indecisive and wishy washy, though with so many other anime out there it isn't right to set expectations to high.

As a final warning, I believe the personality of the main character takes high tolerance to watch, and if tolerated, she is compensated for by the characters that surround her. Why the title focuses on the sky is something of a mystery, because no one else seems concerned with it at all. That aspect may take high tolerance as well.

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Jan 3, 2015

BanjoTheBear

Not Recommended

(This has been adapted from my reddit thread)

When a person first starts out in the world, the only connections he or she makes are between the immediate family. The mom feeds, the dad protects, and the siblings watch over the new addition to the house. But at a certain point, new bonds must be made, not within the household but within society itself. These new, usually different people that are met more often than not become "friends." A friend is a confidant, a buddy, a guy or girl with which things are less serious and more fun. Sadly, even if such friends are found, they ...

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Poll: Sora no Method Episode 13 Discussion ( 1 2 3 ) Stark700 - Dec 28, 2014	116 replies	by SlammyHammy »» Nov 2, 2023 6:38 PM
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Sora no Method

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Noel

Komiya, Nonoka

Togawa, Shione

Mizusaka, Yuzuki

Mizusaka, Souta

Shiihara, Koharu

Komiya, Shuuichi

Komiya, Kaori

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Mizusaka, Mother

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