This review is for A Place Further than the Universe, or Sora yori mo Tooi Basho.
Summary:
A Place Further than the Universe tells the story of high school students who join on a trip to a secluded land: Antarctica. The story has wonderful characters that all grow and learn from their experiences. I recommend this series to anyone interested in a lighthearted adventure with some deep themes.
Story: 8/10
The plot of A Place Further than the Universe tells the adventure of four high school students as they prepare for an adventure on a trip to Antarctica, all with their own motives and goals. The story is generally lighthearted with some exploration of growing up, grief, and friendship. To avoid spoilers, I will add that some scenes are quite emotionally impactful, particularly when exploring grief and loss. The pacing of the show is appropriate, though the beginning is a little slow, and some melodrama does detract from the deeper undertones. Overall, the story balances the characters with a meaningful plot, appropriate themes, and some humor.
Art: 7/10
The art is pretty, especially when depicting the nature. The outline style for the characters grew on me by the end of the show, though it initially detracted from my focus. Also, some still frames of characters look unnatural, but the art in fitting and appropriate, nonetheless.
Sound: 8/10
The music is average, though the voice acting is excellent and the opening and ending theme are very catchy. As of May 2024, the only language available is Japanese, and it is very well done. These voice actresses did a phenomenal job depicting teenagers (unlike a lot of anime with random voice actors using raspy voices), for which I am boosting the score for this category.
Characters: 9/10
The characters are the highlight of the show. Each character has her own background and uniqueness that makes them feel realistic and not simply a generic trope. They all grow individually and together, as people. Mari, Hinata, Shirase, and Yuzuki feel like real teenagers trying to find themselves in the real world. They interact well together, and this adds to the overall storytelling. I also enjoy their character designs, as they represent their internal character and help to differentiate them, even when wearing the same snow attire. The greatest part about these characters is that they actually make decisions, rather than solely being victims of the plot. In doing so, the characters mature, which helps to explore the themes without cramming the viewer with exposition (as many anime do).
Enjoyment: 8/10
A Place Further Than the Universe is not the typical genre I watch in my free time, but it was it was worth it. I recommend this to anyone looking for a slice of life anime that also tackles some important themes like growing up and grief.
Overall: 8.0
