Review of A Place Further Than The Universe

This is not only the best anime of Winter 2018, which already imo was a really strong season, but it's one of my favorite anime series ever now. This series is not only an argument for the best things anime can do as a medium, but a full refutation of the idea that "cute girls doing cute things" is somehow a lesser form of the medium. This series is as inspiring, as heart-wrenching, as memorable, and as affecting as any of the most beloved anime series, and the team behind it deserve true kudos for indeed going on their own Impossible Journey and risking somuch on an original series. Truly amazing and inspiring.

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Story: The journey the four main characters undergo is nothing short of epic. I truly pity those who did not get the chance to follow this series week by week and instead will watch it all at once, because it is breathtaking how far in thirteen episodes these girls go. I immediately thought of K-On when watching this series because the premise is similar except you can replace "playing at the Budokan" with "making it to Antarctica." Each one of the four has very, very different reasons for going and are quite unique in their own ways too, just like K-On. If you've seen that series, you will then expect that the Sora Yori girls' journey is more about their friendship and less about the end goal. And yet, what is truly brilliant is that the series seems to acknowledge that, and there is such incredible emotional payoff from the events of the story as a result. If there is any flaw in the story, it's only that 13 episodes feels like slightly too few to appreciate the series' resolution, but even then the creators brilliantly manage the time they have and balance individual character development, the final goal, spending time with the full cast, and celebrating the girls' friendship absolutely perfectly. 9/10

Art: The backgrounds and the scenery alone elevate this series' art to top-tier status. From the natural scenery, to the skylines of international cities, to the girls' hometown, to Shinjuku, to the grandeur of human scientific accomplishment, there is love and effort oozing out of every shot. It is nearly overwhelming how gorgeous the settings are, yet of course it complements the grand tone and scale of the adventure. You want to see the world after watching this series, just like these girls did. And yet it is the faces of the characters that I love the most - every one of them is full of joy, of hope, of anxiety, of weariness, of sadness, and ultimately pride in what they have accomplished. 10/10

Sound: While it doesn't stick out as much as the visuals, the sound and especially the soundtrack are absolutely incredible in their own right. The ED in particular brings tears to my eyes every time, because it balances the bittersweet and the joyous tone of the series so well. The sounds of the landscapes also stand out because at certain points they are also overwhelming as much as the visuals. 9/10

Character: Once again the comparison to K-On is unavoidable and yet somehow this series found a way to surpass that cast in how incredible these four main girls are. They all start with a ton of charm yet ample flaws, and yet at the end they themselves show through both word and action how much they have matured and grown. Mari is the same silly, ever-hopeful girl as she started but she becomes both fearless and compassionate for everyone, especially her best friends. Yuzu is still sweet and kind but has opened up and gained a confidence and even a sassy side as she truly trusts her new best friends. Hinata is still easy-going, energetic, and hard-working but no longer feels the need to hide her problems and emotions from everyone else. And Shirase, my favorite of the four and truly one of Kana Hanazawa's best roles yet, has grown the most. She is no longer stuck in a constant emotional limbo and bottled-up anger she starts with and feels familiar to many people including me, but she reaches her goal and looks forward to the hope of her and everyone else's future, not the past. She has moved beyond only caring about her own pain and fear to go out of her way to help and support her friends completely, the way they do for her. Even the side characters are all wonderful, and they are also changed by how infectious the four's tenacity and openness to the new and unfamiliar. 10/10

Enjoyment: The winter season always has a lot of shows about cute girls and daily-life-based stories compared to the rest of the year, but while many of those other series specialize in humor or emotion, Sora Yori somehow perfectly manages to handle both. Even more importantly, I don't think I've ever watched an anime as inspiring to convince the viewer to take the step of changing their lives as much as this. Gurren Lagann may be a strange comparison, but both of these series fundamentally seek to empower the audience in very different ways. For all of the grand speeches and epic action, I felt more inspired to seize the day and step outside my comfort zone thanks to this series. They do this by grounding very familar problems and characters and then showing *and* telling about how they overcome their fears and anxieties. It's absolutely wonderful. As cliche as it is, I laughed, I cried, and I loved every minute of this show. 10/10

Overall: I truly hope word of mouth makes this show recognized more because this show is criminally underwatched and underappreciated. I don't know how much more you can say than whether we get more or this series or not (to be honest I kind of hope not because it's wrapped up so well), this show is an instant classic. I can truly say that I would recommend this series to *anyone* and *everyone.* 10/10