Spoiler free
Voices of a Distant Star was created solely by Shinkai Makoto (direction, script, design), on his computer, as a graduating work. One could call this as his real "debut" into the landscape of animation.
I am not lying when I say that this is his most interesting movie from a writing standpoint. Down to earth sci-fi, that is well rooted in reality (and not cringy, like Yakusoku no Basho), with a strong Evangelion influence, giving it a teenage edge through mechas and aliens. Even here we can see his signature style trying to emerge to an impressive height in just the short span of 1500 seconds --- that is in a way, brought down by budget and time constraints. Perhaps the magic of this movie is created by these two factors.
The story as I've previously mentioned, is realistic yet spiced up by Shinkai's worldview and aesthetic. I would also call it very pioneering, covering the obstacles of love, if humanity were to ever become a multi-planetary species.
It's almost Evangelion x 5 Centimeters Per Second.
The eternal problem of love, time and distance is mirrored in Shinkai Makoto's later works, such as Byousoku 5 Centimeters, Kimi no Na Wa and Kotonoha no Niwa.
In a way, Hoshi no Koe is the foreshadowing of his later career.
The main characters, or the only two in the movie, are nothing extraordinary. The girl, Mikako is a more assertive Rei Ayanami and the boy, Noboru is a more mentally stable, and less whiny Shinji.
The artstyle is inconsistent. It is both stunning, (with elements recurring in later movies) and quite ugly at times. Visually this movie is rough, the detailed animation he is known for today is absent in this movie. It is rough, rough, rough, something that got better and better with each new movie of his. The clouds are rough patches, the building feel more robust, the faces look simpler.
The main problem is the character design. Faces look as if they are going to fall apart at any minute. I think this is due to his inexperience, and the aforementioned lack of funds.
But still, this movie is admirable for it's faults too. Is inexperience or imperfectness a fault? Not in my world.
An extra 50 minutes or so with animation on par with his 2019 Weathering with You could catapult this concept into the forefront of Shinkai's artistry.
Watching this is like getting a glimpse into his 2010's movies run. A behind the scenes if you like.
It feels like watching a deserted movie set that was left behind in time, now for almost 20 years. Some parts of the set were copied and made mainstream to certain audiences, while others were left to the maw of time.
Perhaps he felt as if he told everything he wanted with Byousoku 5 Centimeters, and that's why he left Hoshi no Koe alone.
As of yet, the closest you can get to a more fully conceptualized vision of Hoshi no Koe is 5 Centimeters Per Second.
It's crazy how much 'Oomph' the movie packs in it's 25 minutes of runtime. You've done well, Shinkai.
As I am writing this review, I'm left pondering if this piece of media should be remade at all?
Yes, absolutely.