_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Banana’s as hammers, deadly bonding exercises, and enough tears to melt the polar icecaps, A Place Further Than the Universe has a lot to say. A girl’s trip across the globe to come to terms with a dead family member to lighthearted banter in a tent as the wind whips against the fabric. Smiles that drip emotion, and the concept of having friends. The reaction of leaving a friend behind, and the feeling of melancholy as you stare into the night sky. If life’s a bitch, you better do what you can to woo her.
Universe is a series about friendship. The writers make that clear almost immediately and that bus does not stop rolling until the credits do. Every episode focuses specifically on different kinds of relate-able problems a group of newly bonded people may go through. From clashing personalities to tepidness to forcing one another to evolve in some way. It is a friendship of good, as Aristotle would say. The friendships that bloom here are oriented around each person bringing out the best qualities from one another as well as teaching each other new ways of being good people. This stems from equal ethical grounds.
If you know anything about my reviews then you would probably know that stories about friendships are incredible near and dear to me. I relate to them more than just about any other narrative archetype, and thankfully this show does it very well, even if it does hit a few icebergs along the way. There are endearing characters mixed in with some genuinely subtle developments that occasionally get lapsed by hammy insert songs that do nothing but detract from the overall emotions that are trying to be presented. While subtlety in character expression is in spades, there is virtually no subtlety to be had in character emotion. Specifically, characters introducing their emotions to people. Tears flow like angry waves crashing against the shores of unsuspecting viewers. You either buy it or you don’t. Or, like me, you are in an awkward place in the middle fidgeting uncomfortably as one scene lasts just slightly long enough to become something I would call saccharine and melodramatic. Universe doesn’t hold back, and when the writers rev up the emotional ballistae get ready for the armoured defences of your heart to either crumble like sandcastles, or, in some cases, become calcified from the constant barrage.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
[Presentation, Art, and Music]
What can I say? It’s good. Actually, scratch that, it’s pretty damn great. Specifically, the animation. I was never a huge Madhouse fan as I felt like they lack a cohesive style I can attach myself to, but man-o-man are there moments here of solid presentation that stick with you. The animation is solid throughout with a distinct style that I slowly fell in love with as the series progressed. Now I wouldn’t call the directing exceptional, I will, however, call it solid. Atsuko Ishuzika gets two big thumbs up from me, especially since she as responsible for No Game No Life which I, well, hated. She rebounded like a warmed-up squash ball and hit me right in the pecker with some imaginative sequences that brought new life to my cynical, shrivelled soul.
Now don’t expect shot composition that you haven’t seen before because this anime is very much like the other dramas that you’ll see in that regard. We get the usual flair of profile shots with tears rolling down cheeks and the classic oh-so-lovely low-angles that these kinds of series seem to latch onto like a baby to a tit. While those dramatic elements aren’t shining, the editing for comedy does. To my surprise, this series is quite funny and not in the endearing “oh it’s cute” kind of funny, but rather the hearty belly-laugh-on-occasion kind of funny. That can be chocked up to solid animation, editing, and a clear care for comedic timing that is just impossible to find in some anime.
There is quite a bit of CG work here and I will gladly say that it isn’t bad at all. Some of the ship shots are pretty great and give me an immediate Titanic vibe. The cars can look a bit synthetic but thankfully they aren’t prevalent throughout the majority of the series. Some of the shots looking over the landscape look spectacular as well, and there is a very interesting realism to the close-up shots on objects.
The music is no slouch, either. It’s far from that lanky kid that wants so badly to play dodgeball with you but ends up getting his ribs shattered by a good throw from Rex, the muscular kid failing Algebra. The opening, which is animated spectacularly, also features a decent pop track, although I can’t help but feel as though it blends in with the other anime songs of its ilk. The background tracks during this series are strong, though. Universe seems to really love its insert songs because these few tracks are almost played on repeat from episode to episode, but more on that later. Overall, the music here is solid, especially the catchy ED which I found myself watching constantly because the series can’t help but include a post credit scene.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
[Story, Characters, and Cute Girls Doing Surprisingly Serious Things]
Want a way to get your stomach pumped? Take a few bottles of Smirnoff, grab a shot class, plop down at your desk and begin scrolling through the reviews of this series. For every sentence that reads vaguely like “I’m not usually a fan of Slice of Life/Cute girls doing cute things shows but…” take a shot. Don’t blame me if you can’t stand up after a few minutes.
A Place Further Than the Universe isn’t a slice of life show. More importantly, it’d be hard to even call it a “Cute girls doing cute things” … show. Which is a dumb label to begin with, but so be it. This is because it is very clearly a drama. These aren’t girls doing cute things. Well, sometimes they are, but the majority of the series we get a stream of drama mixed in with growing relationships which results in endearing character dialogue. Almost every single scene within this series is focused on building up conflict and eventually resolving that conflict. Even the scenes that feel somewhat pointless and only there to either be comedic or just cute, these cuts often end up becoming useful to understanding the characters. That’s kind of why the CGDCT label is so stupid. A good series knows how to implement every scene well enough that it grows your attachment to the characters involved and ultimately doesn’t just come off as a cynical cash grab to lonely boys who want to feel attached to cutesy female archetypes.
Let me break it down, though. Kimari, our protagonist, is a peppy girl who regrets not really doing anything with her life. Especially as she begins rounding out her years in high school. She wants to do something memorable. By crazy circumstance, she runs into Shirase, a taller, emotional, yet reserved girl who is saving money to go to the Antarctic because that is where her mother died three years ago. She clearly has some unresolved issues regarding her mother’s passing and I think that it is handled with care, nuance, and beyond all else, realism. Then we begin running into the other two girls that join them. The utterly impossible-not-to-love Hinata, who is energetic, short, and not attending school. For reasons I won’t spoil, she gets the most subtle and well-delivered arc in the series. Lastly, we have their “in” for Antarctica, Yuzuki, who is a child actress that has an unfortunately rigorous schedule preventing her from making friends or acclimating to high school life.
Through these circumstances they band together and decide to go to Antarctica. Every character’s motivation is exposited within the first four episodes. We understand why they are doing what they are doing. From then on, we get very specific looks at each character’s experiences. Not only on the trip, but on their journey as people. We learn more about those motivations and what drives them. This is good, blunt, and focused characterization that I don’t get to see enough of in anime. As I said, Hinata specifically gets an incredible subtle arc that culminates in immense satisfaction due to the subtlety of its introduction early on in the series. Universe is presented through the eyes of Kimari, however, she is not the main protagonist. That honor goes to Shirase, which is understandable since her arc is not only the most emotionally resonant as a concept, but it is ultimately why they are going to the Antarctic of all places.
There is also some clever subversion with archetypes going on within the series as well. The generic “cutesy” girl, Yuzuki, almost instantly reveals her hatred that kind of aesthetic. The reserved one has explosive emotions and attachments. The overly-excitable one, Hinata, is actually the wisest and, hilariously, dishes out some of the most memorable quotes in the entire series.
The first aspect you’ll notice, I think, about the characters is that the voice acting here is spectacular. It took me a bit to realize just how decked the voice cast is and this show uses them so well. Every voice actress seems attached to her role and it creates for engaging performances. This continues to the secondary’s that they meet along the way, especially Shirase’s mother’s friends who become big players later on in the series. Gin, the deceased mother’s best friend, is a highlight and her arc is not only devastating to people who have lost dear friends, but her subdued performance is a perfect contrast to the occasionally childish emotions experienced by the main four girls.
Universe, as I’ve mentioned, really loves its insert songs. This is where we run into the biggest issue with the series and something I could easily see turning people off. Every episode ends on an emotional stinger. Every. Episode. That means that even when it can feel somewhat unnecessary, we get blaring Japanese vocals shoved down our throats like hotdogs at a state fair. We gluttonously devour these inserts, whether we want to or not. Unfortunately, I’m one of those people who felt consistently turned off by just how cloying a lot of these moments felt and when the series actually did build up to a bombastic emotional eruption, my receptors, if you will, were already dulled from the previous episodes where those moments didn’t feel earned or even necessary.
We go from a scene of them running around and seeing waves getting this huge, saccharine insert song to that same damn song being used for a truly powerful stinger at the end of, let’s say, episode twelve which will leave many unprepared viewers utterly bawling their eyes out. I don’t get why they chose to do this. These emotional stingers need to be used sparingly. Not every episode. The writers seemed to have prioritized quantity over quality when it comes to emotional moments and it occasionally makes for a numbing experience when you watch these girls start crying in each other’s arms over the most random, senseless shit. I get that they are young and emotional, but damn, relax.
This show has some pulpy elements because of this infatuation with the saccharine. You either like it or you don’t. I could usually sit through these moments because I developed a frightening, almost immediate attachment to these characters, but if you don’t then these scenes might honestly break the series for you. I’m happy to say that not a single one them is weak as a character in any way. We get so many loveable and relate-able character moments from the cast. The melodrama can be obnoxious, but it is far from unbearable on most occasions.
The series ends on a decently high note. As in, it’s very saccharine and feel-good, even if there is some bitter-sweetness to the departure. We, as viewers, are assured these girls will stay in contact and there is even a fun little tease at the end for possibly more adventures. I know for sure that I’ll be on the lookout for more of these girls.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
[Finding the Sky]
Yeah, so the series is great. A Place Further Than the Universe is corny and saccharine but it gets you so latched onto these four girls that you just don’t want to let go. I was almost immediately with them on the journey, right there on the train, plane, boat, and snow. While the focus on cloying emotions can often feel forced or even pandering, when the series wants to nail the climax it really, really nails the climax. If you view yourself as someone who cries often over television then you should watch this series with some napkins. Later on, especially, there are some surprisingly powerful moments that pick-axed their way to even the coldest hearts such as my own.
If you’ve read my reviews then you’d know that I’m a huge sucker for friendship stories. They always seem to resonate with me more than romance or revenge or any other kind of narrative archetype. Friendships seem so close in the least artificial way possible. To create a true connection between people, especially one that doesn’t rely on a sexual attraction takes a kind of nuance in the writing that so many writers simply can’t produce. When it’s done well, like here, you feel a kindred connection with them because friendship is so notoriously vague and hard to define as a concept. It’s just a connection. Mutual benefits. Loving being together. Learning from one another. While Universe’s outlook is undoubtedly expressive, for some it may even be overly expressive to the point where it becomes unbelievable. For me, personally, who’s experienced and continues to experience these kinds of bonds grow, I became fully engrossed within the narrative.
Pair that together with writing that ranges from good to exceptional and presentation that I can only say surprised me in how engaging it was, I think we have a series that is worth remembering. I call it like I see it. This is easily one of the better anime I’ve seen and clearly had so much passion behind it. I can see myself thinking about the series and raising the grade simply due to missing having these characters on screen. It wasn’t just the dynamic elements of having four people bounce off one another that was solid, or the fact that there was some pretty great character animation, it was the depth to which these characters are written which is truly surprising. They aren’t just a summation of traits, but rather a summation of experiences we saw, which makes their growth so much more endearing than it has any right to be.
A Place Further Than the Universe delivers what I can only call good character drama. Something rare in anime. Sure, there are a bunch of cute girls doing cute things sometimes, and sometimes doing funny things, and sometimes doing sad things, and hell, sometimes even doing nothing. Ain’t that just life? None of it struck me as cynical or corporate. I’ll leave off this already long review with my favorite quote from my favorite character, Hinata. It encapsulates the tone and ideals of this series perfectly.
“If you can still turn back, it’s not really a journey. When you hit the point of no return, that’s the moment it becomes a journey.”
