Review of A Place Further Than The Universe

A Place Further Than the Universe - An Anime That Deserves the Universe I’ve rewatched it now several times so I can take in everything I may have missed the previous times. Want to know how I know that this series is one of the most impactful I’ve ever watched? I’ve felt the same way I watched it the first time, each time I’ve rewatched it. The exact same emotions, sentiment and lessons learned. Simply put, it’s one of the best executed anime I’ve ever seen. Every minuscule detail is crafted expertly. Every character is so well thought-out and lovable, blessed with deep stories and characteristics. The soundtrackis excellent and matches each scene perfectly. The animation is beautiful. The voice acting is top-tier. Its pacing is on point.

It does what many do to fail: take a seemingly simple premise and raise it to a whole new level. It’s quite simple, really. Four high school girls adventure down to Antarctica in search of something they all individually desire. Some desires are premeditated and crafted, others are impromptu. Regardless, each girl has their reasons for being there, and it’s one of the most inspirational aspects of the series. Despite heavy trials, personal afflictions, and the whole world dismissing their dreams, they never quit.

Few anime have sent me on an emotional rollercoaster quite like this series has: Clannad is another one to come to mind. Equally heartwarming and heartbreaking, it’s quite an experience to watch.

Where it really drew me in is its unapologetic authenticity. Beyond the lofty dreams and desires of the characters lies very compelling interpersonal relationships. They’re so authentic and real, it’s not hard to imagine them in real life. The dialogue, the movement, the emotions and feelings, everything is very real.

Even the adventure itself—the mundane tasks onboard the ship and on Antarctica—is compelling. I, of course, have no idea what a real Antarctica mission is like, but the anime does such a good job creating this environment that I honestly couldn’t tell how far it was from reality.

This is one to remember and revisit for a long, long time. It’s my favorite now, and it may be my favorite ever.