Review of A Place Further Than The Universe

There are a lot of anime that can warm your heart or make you cry. It is exceedingly rare for an anime to truly be inspiring. And yet, that's the first word that comes to mind when I look back on A Place Further than the Universe: Inspiring. While I'm not planning a trip to Antarctica IRL any time soon, I came away from this show hoping to capture the spirit and gusto that our 4 heroines have and apply it to my own life and relationships. Let's break it down: The Story: Fantastic! At first glance, it's another case of cute girls doing cute things.Don't expect jaw dropping plot twists or death defying odds. The story here is simple and straightforward. The general structure of "let's go on an Antarctic expedition" provides a perfectly serviceable vehicle for where this series really shines: delivering a fantastic set of characters and their arcs. Speaking of...

The Characters: Characters are where this series really stands out. All 4 of our girls are pretty great. In my opinion, our "main" character Kimari is, unfortunately, the least interesting of the bunch, but I like her well enough. The rest of the main four and the supporting cast are fantastic, especially Shirase (has probably the deepest character arc of the show) and Hinata (just the best). Over the course of the series, each of the girls - and you, the audience - learn more about what drives each of the others to leave home and family behind. They grow closer, look out for one another, and build beautiful bonds of friendship. Watching the girls grow and their relationships unfold is truly touching. Seriously, this series is "Squad Goals: the Anime."

The Art and Sound: Madhouse did a pretty good job! It's not the latest and greatest in animation quality, but the story doesn't really need it. The animation style does a good job of conveying the characters' emotions and delivers some very pretty scenes. There are some eye-catching landscapes, backgrounds, and lighting effects as well. The sound and soundtrack are really good. Not only is the ED super catchy, there are some great insert songs as well!

All in all, this series is one that I will never forget. It's not revolutionary, it's not groundbreaking. It's a high school coming-of-age story with cute anime girls, after all. But it's got a heart of gold. It's a show that leaves you with a longing to make your own adventure, to go do something you didn't even know you wanted to do yet, and find treasured friends along the way.

I'll leave y'all with some lines from this show that perfectly capture its spirit. It's out of context, so not REALLY a spoiler, but you can stop reading here if you're worried about that sort of thing:

"When you go on a journey, there are things you learn for the first time. That this scenery is indispensable. That people change, the world changes, even when you're not looking. That there's no such thing as a 'nothing' day. That your house has its own smell. If you want to learn those things, you've got to get moving. Then just keep moving until you see something you've never seen before. No matter how far you go, the world is so big... you'll definitely find something new. It's a little scary, but I know you can do it. Because... people who feel the same way will find you right away."