Review of A Place Further Than The Universe

Watching an episode of this anime felt like I was being hugged by a loved one and told everything was going to be alright. Though the story takes place at a modern day, it clearly understands what adventure and fantasy are all about more than the vast majority of fantasy/adventure anime and it shows at every single moment of these girls' trip. They really make Antartica seem like a whimsical land that only exists in your imagination. And even then, I wouldn't say that it was this show's greatest strength. I'd even come so far as to say that it works as a great background to whatit is really all about, which is tackling universal topics of friendship, loss, moving on and taking risks in a thoughtful and deep, yet uplifting manner.
You may see these themes in your average anime every now and then but not with the intensity and care to detail that Sora yori mo Tooi Basho has to offer. MadHouse really went to town on this story's aspect, and it their effort and experience pays off so much in the massive amount of passion passed on by just about every scene and the spot-on soundtrack. I went in expecting to see a boring slice-of-life show, but on ice and ended up learning some life lessons and tearing up several times from the adventures of this little quartet of highschoolers, so there's no other score I can give it other than a straight 10.