Review of A Place Further Than The Universe

Right now, I am a college Sophomore, soon to be a Junior in just a few months. I've always felt like I'm living a good life, I dedicated myself to band for 4 years in high school, I hang out with my friends every weekend, and in general I thought I was fulfilled. Here, heading into my future, I still have no clue what I want to do with my life. With nothing resembling a concrete goal, no particular passion for anything other than games and anime, and having picked a major simply so that I can have classes for the next semester, I can'thelp but wonder: Did I actually waste my youth, and am I still doing it now? I don't have any goal, and haven't done anything to lead me towards one, so I'm paranoid. I did so many things that made me feel happy, and that kept me going, but did I actually do anything of worth, anything that will really stick with me, and shape me? Was I a waste of space? These are some of the thoughts have plagued me for the last few years, and ultimately, I still don't know what to do despite my desperation to make a move and just do "something" to move forward. This struggle is the idea that drives A Place Further than the Universe, and the main reason why it resonates so intensely.

A Place Further than the Universe, or YoriMoi, follows Tamaki Mari (Kimari), who is me, a person heading off to her future with no goals, no accomplishments, and who feels like someone who has wasted her youth. After meeting Shirase Kobuchizawa, someone who has incredible conviction about the seemingly crazy goal of going to Antarctica, Kimari gets a wake-up call and decides to follow Shirase, whose crazy ambition might be exactly what she needs to finally make her youth move. Along the way, the two meet the spunky yet mature Hinata Miyake, and the lonely idol Yuzuki Shiraishi, and head to Antarctica in an attempt to find themselves and move past the things that have been holding them back.

The very first thing we see in the show is an image of a young girl pouring water into a well made of sand. The water bursts through the wall, and the girl is fascinated by the wild gushing that comes with the water's newfound freedom outside the comfort of the well's walls. This metaphor consistently comes up in the series, and its the perfect description of one of the shows central ideas: moving out of your comfort zone. Kimari is afraid to leave her comfort zone, always right on the edge of doing something she wants to but backing out at the last second. This is the norm for people, a fear holding us back from doing what we really want. It makes us afraid to make a move, and makes us fear for others who dare to attempt what seems impossible, thus we convince them, and ourselves, that it's better to be safe than sorry. Weather its Shirase's classmates calling her insane for attempting this absurd trek and trying to dissuade her, or Kimari's friend Megu trying to scare her from the trip, feeling left behind as her friend moves on without her, much of this shows internal conflict revolves around this idea, and many of its most cathartic moments revolve around being rewarded for taking a big risk and proving your doubters wrong.

Those moments of catharsis are a part of the shows structure. Each episode starts with some comedy and character interactions, slowly introduces the dramatic idea of the episode, develops the characters as things unfold, and ends on an emotional moment with a fittingly emotional insert song. This could have easily led to this series being formulaic and disjointed, but YoriMoi employs excellent pacing and continuity to make everything feel organic despite that structure. Every event leads into the next logically, and it never lingers for too long or goes by too quickly to leave an impact. Throwaway lines in one episode become very important 5 or 6 episodes later, and in general there is a lot of excellent foreshadowing that helps everything lead organically into the next thing, helping to create a sense of forward motion and continuity; which is noteworthy considering the shows themes. This means that while I can predict the emotional beats of each episode, they aren't dulled because the execution allows me to get sucked into the conflicts of each episode, and the foreshadowing means that nothing is contrived or pulled out of thin air.

Another part of that organic pacing is in what each episode chooses to focus on. While technically, each episode is about just one or two characters, YoriMoi never puts anyone to the sideline, allowing each character to interact with every conflict and flesh out their dynamics. While each episode focuses on one person, each is really "about" everyone. Those conflicts need to carry weight, and with a cast of endearing, relatable, and human characters who are complex, multi-faceted, and break from any potential archetypes, its very easy for each conflict to leave an impact. I've already touched on Kimari, who's journey to discover herself and do something she can be proud of was intensely relatable to me. She goes beyond just a typical, weird genki girl. She is paranoid about having wasted her youth, a conflict that has been haunting her for a long time, as shown by how Megu seems to know exactly what she is going to say about this issue when she brings it up. Kimari hates herself for feeling like a waste of space; someone who won't amount to anything worthwhile because she's too much of a coward to try. She has her quirks; she's airheaded and brash, she's emotional and wears her heart on her sleeve, she's caring and exceedingly dedicated when she really puts her mind to something, etc. But ultimately, she's a person who is afraid that she has failed to grow up properly, and that she has no time left to do so, which terrifies her more than anything. I should also mention how much I love that we see Kimari's family interactions more than once, as it fleshes her out just a bit more, and as a group, the Tamaki family feels like a real family with their own strange quirks, but who ultimately love and support each other in their endeavors.

Each of the other characters is equally fleshed out and nuanced. Hinata is energetic and fun, but she is confident, smart, and mature, often acting as a mother figure for the other characters. All of this hides a past that has shaped her into becoming someone who doesn't want to be pitied, who doesn't like to rely on others, and who wants to run away from the stresses of life. She doesn't like to be mean but she also isn't sure if people can be genuine with her, and so she hides her stress and can lash out sometimes. She constantly supports others as much as possible with her surprising wisdom, but refuses to accept support herself when she really needs it for fear of being betrayed. Yuzuki is someone who I share numerous experiences with almost exactly. As an idol and actress, she hasn't been able to form any meaningful relationships with people, and those who try always do it for the bragging rights of being friends with a celebrity. This made her close herself off to people entering her life, and left her ignorant of the strange, intangible nuances of developing a friendship, and what it means to be friends. While I am not an idol, I have been similarly betrayed by my friends in the past, including a person who only hung out with me because he was able to steal things from me that he couldn't afford. And she isn't even a typical idol, as she actually dislikes all the girly-girl stuff and is surprisingly self-deprecating, often using her catchphrase of "I could just die right now" whenever she gets annoyed.

What I like about these girls is the smaller things. While the larger story beats are exceptionally well executed, they work because of how real their dynamics as friends feels. Many anime have their characters be nice to each other constantly, and while that can work for a CGDCT show, YoriMoi, despite its insane premise and cutesy character designs, is a grounded drama, and likewise it has grounded character dynamics. I've always said that while good friends are often nice to each other, best friends take every opportunity possible to dunk on each other while always being there for each other emotionally, and that's exactly what these characters do. Little moments like Kimari and Hinata mocking Yuzuki for her catchphrase, or each of them attempting to hold back laughter when Kimari gets sunburned and when they discover the secrets of her bangs, or the slow realization that someone said something really dumb late at night and calling them out on it once it sinks in, or responding to someone asking about what you're doing with "self-loathing." These are things that real teenagers do and say, and it does wonders in making them feel like living, fleshed-out people who are truly good friends. Director Atsuko Ishizuka said in an interview that she based the girls dynamic on her own friendships back in high school, and it really shows. Jukki Hanada also brings his impeccable talent for writing the realistic dialogue and charming character interactions that also made series like Sound Euphonium, Chuunibyou, K-On, and Love Live come to life, and his talent on this series matches and exceeds his best work.

Even with all of the roasts and dunks, these girls are always there for each other, and that's another thing we can take from the show. Friends are there to help and inspire each other, and many conflicts in the series are solved when characters realize how important they are to each other, and how they can help each other in their own ways. Be it Yuzuki coming on the journey to understand how friendship works, Shirase stepping up for Hinata and teaching her that its OK to rely on others and to rudely kick toxic people out of your life, or Shirase realizing what her priorities for the trip are and how this ultimately helps her, this show emphasizes the importance of close bonds, how we form them, and how intangible yet valuable they are to helping us grow as people. A fun twist in the final episode really drives all of this home in a clever way. But the series also covers how friends can be well-meaning but still ultimately hurt us even in their attempts to support us, such as with Megu trying to prevent Kimari from going on the trip (though she has a more selfish motivation for this as well), or Hinata's relationship with Shirase over the course of Hinata's arc. It's a much more nuanced and interesting take on friendship than I've seen in most anime. The nature of friendship is a strange thing, and this series digs deeper than most into the idea of friendship, just as much as the importance of friendship.

This brings me to Shirase Kobuchizawa and the rest of the Antarctic expedition team, who I have avoided talking about up to this point. She really deserves her own section for her important role in the story, and the impact that she has on the other characters, and on me. While most characters represent that comfort zone, and overcoming it, Shirase is their inspiration to do so; a person who doesn't care about what others think and inspires people to take action. She's crazy, and that's a good thing, but she's also empathetic and human, as her goal is driven by her need to find closure with her mother, who was supposedly lost on an Antarctic expedition three years earlier. Like the others, she is not really an archetype, as her mature confidence is counter-balanced by her unique thought-process and planning, eccentric shyness, and general apathy towards anyone she isn't close to. Her not caring about what others think often causes her to say whatever is on her mind even if it means being rude, but the show treats this as a good thing, as not being honest with yourself and others is often one cause of our stagnation, as shown in her role in Hinata's arc, among other places. Her relationship with Gin, the leader of the expedition and close friend of her mother, is one of the most compelling parts of the show. The two are very similar, and Shirase's hesitance to trust her because of how she sort-of blames her for the death of her mother rings true to life. Shirase coming to find that closure, and realizing what this trip means for her is emotionally draining, leading to the series most powerful moments. Overall, the characters feel fleshed out and human, with realistic complexity, relatable rapport, and endearing yet empathetic personalities.

I may make it sound heavy, but YoriMoi is also exceptionally funny at times. Much of this is due to the relatable character interactions and voice acting, but the series unique directorial flare also plays a role, and is definitely worth mentioning. One thing YoriMoi will often do is use signs in the background to accentuate comedic beats. For example, when Kimari finds the million yen that leads her to Shirase, her shock is timed with a sign behind her that reads "you could win 1 million yen," and in context its a fun detail that adds to the humor of the moment. There are lots of similar moments throughout that make it more fun. The series also carries a lot of unique variety in how it portrays character interactions, as well as some creative visual presentation, such as when Kimari and her sister are watching their mom closely to see if she's in a good mood, and the scene is directed like a really well-done horror film. Those are just a few moments that made me laugh out loud. It's true that this series made me tear up every episode, and cry more than once, but its also a fun time with some goofy teenagers as they find themselves and become friends.

On the technical side, YoriMoi is excellent. Atsuko Ishizuka is known for her luscious detail and overwhelming pastel colors, as seen in shows like No Game No Life and The Pet Girl of Sakurasou. YoriMoi keeps all of the detail, but makes the colors less bright to fit the grounded tone. There are tons of details everywhere, from Kimari's messy room, to the gorgeous landscapes of Antarctica itself. The character designs are fantastic, not unrealistic or idealized, but still very expressive and at times extremely cute. Their personalities are sold not just through the writing, but through how they move and where they choose to place themselves. For example, Yuzuki is often behind the other three and further away when walking around, at least until they get to Antarctica and she's gotten more comfortable with them. With detailed character acting, its easy to get a sense of what each character is feeling and thinking if you pay attention, and it rewards you with call-backs and foreshadowing. The soundtrack is a strong showing, not really standing out while watching but enhancing the show subtly. Having gone back and listened to the OST, each track brought me back to a specific moment or feeling in the show, and that to me is the mark of a good OST, much more so than weather the music is a good listen on its own. There are a few insert songs for the emotional climaxes of each episode sung by the characters respective voice actors, and they are the true stars of the music, making each emotional moment feel that much more powerful (the ED in particular is a perfect fit for the show and is what I feel best represents the emotions it conveys). Speaking of the voice acting, its some of the best I've heard, which isn't too surprising considering the top-tier talent put on the show, but even for a seiyuu as incredible as Kana Hanazawa, her work as Shirase is a standout, and the same goes for Inori Minase, Yuka Iguchi, and Saori Hayami, as well as the side characters.

Overall, A Place Further than the Universe is a masterpiece. It succeeds heavily in every category, and its failings are so minor that they are essentially non-issues. Its characters feel like real people who are complex, multi-faceted, and endearing, and who truly change over the course of this journey. Its conflicts are relevant, relatable, and executed organically despite the structure actively working against that, and the series most emotional moments have not just made me cry a waterfall, but in some cases outright broken me. If you want to laugh hard and cry even harder, this is the show for you. It's a thrilling adventure, a charming slice of life, and a powerful drama all rolled up into one incredible package, backed by technical achievements that are just a tad below the best of the best. Though I didn't talk about it here, the series cinematography, editing, and shot composition is absolutely top tier, and helps to make every moment carry weight. Most importantly though, this series resonates. Having watched this show, I feel like I have the confidence to try and find something to do, to not make me feel like I've been wasting my life, to cut off anyone who is toxic, to truly appreciate and love the people in my life, and to get away from my comfort zone, and with it, my stagnation. While I don't think this show is for everyone, as no show is for everyone, it seems that I am far from the only person with whom this work has resonated with deeply, and if any of what I talked about piques your curiosity, or even if it doesn't, take a trip out of your comfort zone and watch one of the best dramas, and shows in general, the medium has to offer.