When four high school girls decide to make unforgivable memories by doing something truly remarkable
Based off an original piece of work Sora Yori Moi Tooi Basho which is also known by its English title A Place Further Than The Universe is an adventure-themed anime that makes use of an interesting premise and a theme that all teenagers and indeed any human would experience at least once in their lives. This is a desire to explore new things and experience new events and make the most out of the youth that they have when they are still in high school. With this as the main question, the anime then asks you this. How far would you go if you want to do something that is truly remarkable that has not been done by any other high school kids your age before and would be an amazing memory that you never forget. How about joining an expedition to Antarctica with the friends that you just met and made. The first episode of the series I felt was rather slow but helped establish a solid foundation for the series as a whole and as the series progressed it become one of the many enjoyable series that aired this anime season and ensuring that I will watch it to the very end.
Taking place in the modern setting the overall story for Sora Yori Moi Tooi Basho is centred on a fictional Japanese civilian-led expedition to Antarctica and allows us to get a glimpse into the world of civilian-led research expeditions that depart for the furthest reaches of the planet to explore new lands and find new discoveries that would be useful to humanity. While the expedition itself was one that was well regarded by the government in the past limited gains and past tragedies have subsequently caused them to lose both funding and public support. But despite that, a human being’s desire to explore new lands, make new discoveries and prove to others that with enough hard work and motivation one can do even the impossible is a powerful motivation one that can be used to forge deep bonds and friendship and make even the most impossible task possible.
The overall story for the series follows the life of four high school girls that while total strangers at first gradually bonded over their shared desire to make their school life memorable and break out of the safety net that their life in Japan has given them by doing something extraordinary that will prove to not just their friends and family but also themselves that they too are capable of doing something truly amazing if they work together with friends. These four girls include the cheerful and innocent Mari Tamaki, the cool but unexpectedly shy Shirase Kobuchizawa, the hardworking and enthusiastic Hinata Miyake and the popular but unexpectedly fragile actress Yuzuki Shiraishi.
Mari
Mari Tamaki voiced by veteran seiyuu Inori Minase of Re Zero and Re Creators fame is one of the main characters of the series and is the main protagonist of the series. A high school sophomore Mari from initial appearances was a girl that while positive and go lucky was someone that was unremarkable whether in academic ability or in aspirations something that she herself knows very well. Despite her go lucky and somewhat klutzy behaviour Mari was also someone that was cheerful, easy going and friendly and had an innocent nature that reminded me of a child. This innocent and naive nature of hers, however, I felt only served to add charm to her character when compared to the other girls she joins. Reinforcing this is her ability to show pride at the most trivial of things an aspect that I felt matched her perfectly. At the beginning of the series Mari like most girls her age expressed a desire to do something memorable that will make her school life less boring yet at the same time also felt constrained by the rules and pressure that both society and her friends and family would impose on her. This within Mari created a sense of worry that her youth would run out on her without her doing anything memorable. It is with this mindset that Mari had a fortunate encounter with a mysterious girl that had an envelope full of money that would put Mari on a path where she can finally achieve her dream.
While noticeably wary and hesitant about the expedition, in the beginning, Mari also at the start of the series faced a fear of trying new things as in the past this has only resulted in her failing them thus creating a belief that every time she tries something new she would fail it. From the onset, this is a trait of her’s that Mari can be seen to hate and something that she aspires to conquer. As a result of her desire to overcome this fear of failing Mari though hesitant about the expedition decided to join it determined to prove to herself that she too can break free of this fear that was holding her back. While hesitant at the beginning of the series as Mari gets to both understand the reason for the expedition as well as the personal reasons that motivated Shirase, Hinata and Yuzuki this hesitation gradually disappeared as Mari came to realise how much fun it will be to able to go to somewhere where few people have been before and experience it with friends that both share your passion and goal of wanting to break free of the constraints that held back your life and in the process making a memorable memory out of it. While somewhat clumsy and naive at first as the series goes on it can be seen that Mari is also someone that’s very intuitive at times and able to sense it when someone is hiding something from her. This when combined with her impressive imagination allows her to come up with many different scenarios that she uses to both try to figure out what’s bothering someone and try to solve the problem after she found it often to hilarious results. This shows the fact that deep-down Mari is someone that cares deeply about her friends and would do her best to help them get through the problems that are bothering them. Within the series it can be seen that Mari has the important role of being the joker of the cast a role that she serves with great distinction given her innocent and excitable nature and the over the top reactions that she makes when she finds something that she hasn’t seen before that always ends up putting a smile on not just the face of the cast but also on mine as well. The character of Mari I felt was a well designed and developed character that had the important role of acting as the glue that kept the team together while maintaining the positive atmosphere that was unique to her a role that I felt she managed to accomplish flawlessly. I felt that her seiyuu Inori Minase really did a fantastic job at her portrayal of the character of Mari Tamaki.
Yuzuki
Yuzuki Shiraishi voiced by veteran seiyuu singer Saori Hayami of Yamada and the Seven witches and Eden of the East fame is one of the main characters of the series and is one of Mari’s fellow expedition members. A high school freshman and a former child actress Yuzuki is a calm, polite and quiet girl by nature that comes from a high-class background that Mari could only dream about. A perceptive, caring and responsible person by nature Yuzuki, unlike Mari, projected a sense of calmness and responsibility that was well suited for a high school student which contrasted well with her relationship with Mari. Initially, Yuzuki while polite and courteous was noted to be someone that was somewhat distant from people even by the standards of being an actress and while not unapproachable was noted to have very few friends or people that she can talk to and rely on, unlike the standard high school girl. As a result of this it can be seen that while Yuzuki loves being an actress and the enjoyment that comes from that she also feels that being one is also causing a wall to develop between her personal and professional lives that are preventing her from making bonds with others and form friendships with them something that is integral to high school life and youth in general. This act of not wanting to limit the chance of making new friends when she is in school was what ultimately caused Yuzuki to seek out Shirase and the others and what ultimately causes her to find and achieve the goal that she had wanted to achieve for so long which was to meet and make new friends.
While initially nervous and hesitant about interacting with Mari and the cast due to her inexperience in making new friends as the series progresses Yuzuki gradually overcomes this and starts to enjoy the experience of being able to talk freely with others about the problems that they are facing without having to hide anything. This nervousness is also used by Mari and the others to poke fun at her which often makes Yuzuki embarrassed a fact that I find really cute. As a result of being able to forge bonds with others and for the first time establish bonds of friendships with others Yuzuki’s personality begins to change becoming more positive and cheerful while also acting as the responsible member of the team that keeps the more excitable members like Mari and Hina reined in while making logical and firm decisions. As a professionally trained actress Yuzuki is noted to be an elegant, composed and calm person on camera and in this capacity she serves as the main host for the tv program that she’s part of and in this she often partners with Shirase whose acting ability is the polar opposite to her something that is used for comical effort in the series and something that I really enjoyed seeing. Arguably Yuzuki’s most prominent trait is her struggle to form lasting friendships something that has been lacking in her life as a result of the clash between her professional career as an actress and her personal life as a high school student. This problem of her’s was seen to be something that constantly worried her enough in that she developed an insecurity to her friends to the point of wanting to draft a contract for it something that was both funny but also pointed to the pain and insecurity that had been developed as a result of her two lives clashing. This clash I felt was an interesting problem as it related well with the series main theme of wanting to break out of your shell that was constraining you by doing something that you never had the opportunity to do before and in Yuzuki’s case this was the forging of genuine bonds of friendship with people that share your passions while undertaking an unexpected journey that will test their friendship. I felt that Yuzuki as a character was well designed and developed and that her seiyuu Saori Hayami really did a fantastic job of portraying the character of Yuzuki.
Shirase
Shirase Kobuchizawa voiced by veteran seiyuu singer Kana Hanazawa of Psycho pass and the Irregular at magic high school fame is one of the main characters of the series and one of Mari’s fellow expedition members. A third-year high school student Shirase from initial appearances was a quiet, determined and hardworking girl that was also calm, composed and intelligent. From the beginning it can be seen that Shirase despite being a upperclassman was someone that had very few friends that she can rely on due largely to the fact that her sole obsession rather than being to go to college or find a job which will be the main issues that run through the minds of seniors is instead a desire to go to Antarctica a most unusual obsession indeed. As a result of the ridicule that she has received from her classmates Shirase, in the beginning, was very much a loner that still persevered in her goal to find a way to join the expedition that shows off her stubborn nature. Despite her stubborn and unapproachable nature, it can be seen that Shirase was not unsociable and indeed she was someone that while wary of making friends was someone that was friendly and kind and caring towards those that she considers friends a fact best shown when she helps Mari find a job.
As the series goes on and as she gradually starts to open up to Mari and the others Shirase’s personality gradually starts to change. At the beginning of the series Shirase’s sole focus lay in joining the expedition to fulfil her personal goal and while not completely pushing away friendships and friends from her it was seen that she was someone that placed her goal and desires ahead of the wishes of others even if they were friends that she had made and bonded with. However as the series progresses and as she establishes a stronger bond with her friends this clashes with her desire to join the expedition as she begins to feel that joining it by herself will serve no purpose as she will just be lonely as she obeys all the rules and regulations by herself rather than have fun doing so with the friends that she has made. Because of this realization, Shirase was able to both see the value of friendships while at the same time finally realising how selfish and stubborn she was that caused her to make so many mistakes. While noted early on to be a cool and mature girl for someone her age as the series went on it can be seen rather surprisingly that Shirase is someone that while cool and composed on the surface was actually someone that was unexpectedly shy around people a trait that I felt was both surprising and endearing about her and seeing Shirase swap between a super confident self and a super timid self was just hilarious. Like every member of the cast Shirase was one that worried greatly about the expedition but at the same time, she also resented greatly all the detractors that had doubted her goals from the beginning which made her somewhat boastful when she was working with people that doubted her. As a result of this, it can be seen that she really enjoyed rubbing in the fact that despite their doubts that she and the expedition were both able to launch successfully with the best instance of this being the reaction she made when they finally arrived at their destination. This scene I felt was a great example of Shirase letting out the pent-up frustration that she had held in her and along with her friends and other expedition members and show to the doubters that as long as your bonds are strong and that you work hard you can achieve anything.
The most prominent part of Shirase’s character was without a doubt her views on both her mother as well as on her fascination with Antarctica as well as her relationship with the leader of the expedition Gin. In the beginning, Shirase while determined to join the expedition was noted to have some doubts about the expedition and was at a loss as to why her mother was so crazy about it and was seen to view both her mother and Gin in a rather negative light. However, as a result of finally finding the truth of her mother’s obsession Shirase’s opinion changed and she becomes determined to find the thing that had captivated her mother and the expedition members that much becoming determined to see the expedition to the end. This is best seen in the speech that she gave to them as part of their intro to the expedition members. The character of Shirase I felt was a well designed and developed character that like Yuzuki before her was someone that wrestled with a personal problem that had been with them since they were children. The development of Shirase from someone that was lonely and determined to see through things to the end to someone that learned to trust others and overcome problems whether personal or not together I felt was well done. Kana Hanazawa I felt did a fantastic job of portraying the character of Shirase.
Hinata
Hinata Miyake voiced by veteran seiyuu singer Yuka Iguchi of Kancolle and Owari no Seraph fame is one of the main characters of the series and is one of Mari’s fellow expedition members. A sophomore that no longer attends school Hinata is a positive, kind, cheerful and energetic girl that’s relatively mature for someone her age. An intelligent, perceptive and mature person Hinata on initial appearance is someone that can be seen to be a far-sighted person and while not attending high school anymore wastes no time in prepping for her next stage in life which is college a step that is integral to achieving her dream. In this, it can be seen that Hinata is someone that dislikes wasting time and at the same time someone that dislikes being tied down by something. As a result of her perception skills, Hinata is able to easily see beyond the reasons that people give her such as when she clued in on the true reason why Mari wanted to work at the store. While positive and cheerful Hinata is also someone that’s also friendly and helpful and considerate to others and allowing her to easily forge friendships with others. In line with this is two of Hina’s prominent traits which is her ability to seemingly come up with an endless number of nicknames for people as well as her talent for playacting people’s inner thoughts both traits of which I really enjoyed seeing. As a result of both her maturity and fast thinking nature, Hinata is someone that can let strong emotions roll over her while at the same time being intelligent enough to come up with ideas or solutions on the fly. As a result of her maturity, Hinata is often when used with Yuzuki the first person to rein in Mari’s desire to do crazy things though often she often partakes in them as well. Without a doubt Hinata’s most prominent trait is aside from creating nicknames and playacting is her ability to come up with situational relevant quotes that whether through luck or not always end up being appropriate for the situation that the girls find themselves in. While partly to inspire others these quotes many of which are original ones that were created by her are used to inspire herself a concept that I find to be most interesting.
As the series goes on it can be seen that beneath Hinata’s cheerful and positive nature Hinata is someone that doesn’t like to rely on others and tries to get by life without bothering others showing her determination to be self-sufficient. In line with this Hinata is also willing to make the hard decisions that the others are unable to make out of her desire to spare the pain that they may feel by shouldering the pain herself showing how considerate she is to her friends. In line with this is Hinata’s determined attempts to keep others from finding out that someone is bothering her by deflecting inquiries from them via the use of humour and her positive attitude. This attitude of hers gradually disappears as the series goes on as she realises that by placing distance between her friends and making the hard decisions by herself was rather than sparing them from feeling sadness and protecting them was instead having the opposite effect of making them worry more about her. As a result, Hinata gradually realised that keeping things from them and trying to go at it alone was a bad thing and that it will be much better if they were able to discuss the problems that they were having together as friends. The character of Hinata I felt was an interesting one that while positive and independent on the surface was someone that hadn’t known the real bonds and strong points that true friendships bring and watching her gradually realise that she doesn’t need to go it alone anymore as she starts to trust her friends more I felt was heartwarming. I felt that her seiyuu Yuka Iguchi really did a fantastic job of portraying the character of Hinata.
AMV
In terms of animation I thought that the series did a very good job at showcasing the various settings that the girls visit on their journey to join the expedition and while each stop was brief for them I thought that the series did a great job at not just showing the various countries that the cast visit but also in the locales that they visit as well. The character designs for each of the characters I thought was also well done and matched well with their personalities. The animation for the series main vehicle which was the icebreaker as it ploughed through both the raging seas as well as the thick ice that littered the seas of their destination I thought was also well done especially the act of literally crushing the ice by landing upon it to smash it. The scenery of Antarctica that was shown in the series while certainly full of ice also featured a surprising variety of terrain that actually surprised me as much as it did for the cast. In terms of music, the OST that was used by the series I thought was pretty well done as it did a great job at indicating the moods and feelings of the main cast as they encounter different situations as they progress on their journey. The opening and ending themes for the series which was The Girls are Alright by Saya and Koko Kara Koko Kara which was sung by the main cast seiyuu’s of Inori Minase, Kana Hanazawa, Saori Hayami and Yuka Iguchi I felt also reinforced this feeling as the opening was able to convey to me a feeling that I'm about to depart on an extraordinary adventure with the girls while the ending had the effect of reminding me that I was doing so with friends that share my passion and goals for it. The voice acting for the series overall, I felt was excellent and I thought that each cast member did an excellent job of portraying their assigned characters. In particular, I thought that Inori Minase, Kana Hanazawa, Saori Hayami and Yuka Iguchi all did a fantastic job of portraying their respective characters. Additionally, while I didn’t mention them in the review I thought that Mamiko Noto, Yoko Hikasa, and Hisako Kanemoto also did a great job at voicing the important support characters of Gin Toudou, Kanae Maekawa, and Megumi Takahashi respectively.
Overall conclusion
In overall Sora Yori Moi, Tooi Basho was an anime that I really enjoyed watching and I thought that its main strong points were its interesting premise, story, well designed and developed characters, animation and strong voice acting and music. The main premise of the series naturally is the expedition that the main characters embark on and while the premise of having four high school girls join an expedition to the frozen wastes of Antarctica may sound something that’s impossible it is, in fact, this act of perceived impossibility that acts as force that draws viewers to watch this series. One of the main themes of the series is the desire to make one’s high school life memorable so that one can look back at their times when they graduate and smile at the fun memories that they made back then. This desire to make your school life memorable resonated well with the desire to explore new lands and do something that few have ever done before because as human beings we all feel a desire to both explore areas that we haven’t been to before as well as try things that we haven’t done before. As human beings the one fear that we all share is not the fear of the unknown but the fear of failure and all too often this fear is what stops us from wanting to make memorable memories by doing something that’s outside of our comfort zone. Within the series I thought that this theme was handled pretty well as though each girl had their own doubts about the expedition in the beginning each was able to overcome these doubts that had stayed their movement and as a result not only were able to achieve their goal but also in the process break out of the shells that they had been hiding behind and experience the world for themselves and prove to themselves and their friends that anything is possible if you have the will. In line with the theme of wanting to make your school life memorable is the other main theme of friendship and the forging of bonds between them as they overcome the various challenges that they encounter as they embark on this once of a lifetime expedition. While each of the girls before their meeting had never met each other before all four of them after meeting each other and understanding each other swiftly bonded over their shared desire to both break out of their shells and a desire to do something that is memorable to them. Though each girls surface personality was positive and cheerful in the case of Mari, Yuzuki and Hinata and silent and isolated in the case of Shirase beneath this they hid many doubts and problems that were unique to each girl. As they embarked on the expedition the girls as the series goes on not only overcome the many challenges that the expedition threw at them but also learned that breaking out of one’s shell also meant that they should be able to tell their friends the worries and problems that they were causing them pain so that they can work together to solve them. The problems and issues that each character is beset with I felt was something that series did well in as they matched well with the personalities of the characters. In this I thought that the series did a great job at showing that by working together with your friends and learning to understand them and bond with them that no problem is impossible to solve and best shown in the strong character chemistry that formed between the girls as they learned to bond and laugh together while working together to deal with anything that comes their way. Overall Sora Yori Moi Tooi Basho was an anime that focused on the simple but important concepts of wanting to make happy memories by doing something that is truly unique with friends that you have bonded with after overcoming many challenges that have come your way and was one that I really enjoyed seeing as it reminded me that nothing in this world is more important than having friends for no human being is truly alone.
As a final score, I can say with confidence that Sora Yori Moi Tooi Basho easily deserves a final score of 10/10.
