Review of A Place Further Than The Universe

What started off with an extremely strong start fizzled out towards the tail end. Just like how Shirase lost her goal and direction after reaching Antarctica, so did the anime. The plot is paced well, even if a little generic. The characters each have their own backstories, yet none of them are ever fully fleshed out. While supposedly the protagonist, Mari's character is relegated to be comedic relief for the most part. Shirase is the typical "one-goal" obsessed character. Hinata is the character with a dark, traumatic past that doesn't get fully resolved. Yuzuki ends up lacking any meaningful depth in regards to her aspirations otherthan wanting to make friends.

This anime feels like it could have been condensed into a 1.5 to 2 hour movie, and reduced a lot of the exposition. The soundtrack is nothing memorable.

While these critiques may sound harsh, Sora yori mo Tooi Basho is a fun, enjoyable anime that provides a refreshing feel of youth. Sora yori mo Tooi does not raise the bar or change the game for anime, but then again, that's not what it's trying to do. You aren't missing anything crucial by not watching it, but you might as well if you have a few hours to spare.

Overall, it's worth watching once, but probably not a second time.