I first watched this anime two years ago, and now in 2022 I rewatched it which resulted in me giving it the perfect score, so I wanted to provide an updated and detailed review of why I love this show so much since to put it simply; it’s a slice of life masterpiece showing the absolute best this genre has to offer. On the surface this simply may look like a tale of four high school girl travelling to Antarctica, but once I start unravelling the layers of this anime I realised how phenomenal this experience truly was.
The story of the anime is laid out very clearly in the first episode, Mari Tamaki is a high school girl wanting to make the most out of her youth instead of letting days pass uneventfully. One evening on her way back home she runs into a girl who drops a million yen as she's in a rush. That girl's name is Shirase Kobuchizawa and her dream is to visit Antarctica as she is searching for her mum who never returned. At the time Shirase was in middle school and it’s been three years since the event, however Shirase continued to hope for her mother’s return. This dream opens a door for Mari to finally make the most of her youth and go somewhere without a plan as that is something she’s wanted to do during her youth. It’s only the first episode but it’s clear that Shirase is an outcast even being called “Antarctica” as that’s the only thing that’s on her mind. I immediately sympathise with such characters and it was no different here as Mari plays this role as she wants to cheer Shirase on her journey, and in doing so gets invited to join Shirase on her impossible journey to a place further than the universe. This confrontation between the two already showed a glimpse of the fantastic soundtrack that accompanies this anime by introducing us to “Haru ka Tooku” which won’t be the last time we hear this OST either. Here I also sympathise with Mari’s feelings as they are relatable, she is afraid to try out new things since they may not go well which can be a fear relatable to many, and I certainly experienced it myself when I was younger. On that level Mari as a character resonates with me as she has the exact same thought process I used to have in the past, and her desire to put her life into motion by enjoying her youth is another I can relate to.
The following episode demonstrates the stunning animation that is present in this anime as the chase scene was visually stunning as it gives off a genuine happiness vibe as Mari is finally enjoying her youth doing crazy, dumb and unplanned things, but that's what we as humans live for. We need adventures to keep us entertained from time to time to make the most of the short lifespan we have on this planet. The OST that starts playing during the chase is simply beautiful "Sora wo Miagete" as it emphasizes how fundamentally carefree the portrayal of their youth was and I absolutely loved the anime for that. This scene also resonates with me as it encourages me to actually do something proactive with my own life rather than letting days pass meaninglessly so it hits quite close to home for me. In this episode we are introduced to the third MC Hinata Miyake who is a high school girl that dropped out due to an event in the past. It doesn’t take me long to adore Hinata as well as she adds an abundance of positive energy with her friendly and easy going personality.
The following episode introduces the final MC of the show Yuzuki Shiraishi who is a celebrity as she's been a child actor since the age of four so she's had very limited time to play with friends. She herself says she's never had friends and that's something she was determined to acquire. I'm ever so glad Mari hugged her when she was telling of her life up to now, because that's all she really needed at the time; a huge warm embrace which melts my heart. Right here Yuzuki has finally found her first real friends as she broke down when they showed up at her door in the morning asking to go Tokyo together since no one’s ever done that to her before. This scene was pretty emotional already and it was further emphasized with the use of “Haru ka Tooku” which is used again to great effect. With all four girls introduced the main cast is here and now it’s time to set sail for Antarctica!
Next I want to talk about the characters of this anime since the main cast is fantastic. Firstly Megumi Takahashi which the fifth episode focused on. This episode explores Megu's character as it reveals that it’s her that's been hanging onto what she had without taking any steps forward, by simply having Mari by her side. This is why she hated the idea of Mari going to Antarctica so much as it meant Mari would be taking a step forward while leaving Megu behind, and she absolutely hated that. She let all her feelings run loose before Mari departed which was a pretty impactful moment as it revealed what kind of character Megu really was, and this was right after Mari told Megu that's it’s because she's had her by her side the entire time that she's been able to go on with her idle youth up to now. This tearful and emotional exchange was sublime and this may have been the last time Megu saw Mari in case a tragedy struck during her trip, so she didn't want to leave any lingering thoughts or regrets behind. This was truly a stunning finale to the episode which also used a new OST "Mata Ne" when Megu let her feelings out which is a soft, gentle yet bittersweet melody which carries such heavy feelings.
The next character I want to cover would be Yuzu, I’ve touched on her character a bit when she was introduced in the third episode, however the tenth episode shifts focus onto her and the ending to this episode once more reminds me why this anime is a masterpiece, a simple event like celebrating Yuzu's birthday made me overwhelmed with emotion; this simple scene carries tremendous meaning behind it. Throughout this episode Yuzu was still unsure whether she is friends with the other girls even going as far to offer a friendship contract...this broke my heart... Yuzu is so innocent and pure I want to give her a big hug and say it's ok because we're your friends. The climax of this episode having her birthday celebrated is simply sublime; if she really needed an answer to her question then this certainly delivered as it’s the first time her friends celebrated her birthday in seventeen years she’s been alive is it? That is simply mind blowing but it shows what kind of segregated life she's lived up to now. Yuzu is precious and needs protecting. The birthday scene also used "Mata Ne" which only drew even greater emotion out of it. At the end of the day Yuzu is a child celebrity and all she wanted more than anything is to be treated as a normal girl, and have friends which she finally found in Mari, Shirase and Hinata.
The next girl I will cover will be Hinata. Parts of the sixth episode shift focus to her as we learn she hates people being considerate of her which is why she was unable to endure high school and ended up dropping out as she was afraid of finding out people’s real feelings towards herself. Hinata made it clear to Shirase that she shouldn't be considerate to her after her passport mishap but this ended up only deepening their friendship as Shirase's main priority shifted from going to Antarctica to ensuring the entire group get there together. The exchange at the airport between the two was yet another heartwarming moment in this anime which I absolutely adore. Fast-forward to the eleventh episode which reveals Hinata's past and what happened as well as to why she dropped out of club and school. Due to being picked as the runner for a 200m race she became an outcast and her former teammates who came to speak to her after many years (probably to apologize) are the main culprits. We saw Hinata having many conflicted feelings which she kept bottled up not revealing to even her friends, but when the climax approached she broke down as Shirase's speech is the pinnacle of this episode showing her true feelings and how she truly cares for her friend. Once again the feels are no joke and once more "Sora Wo Miagete" plays only emphasizing the beauty of this scene. Bullying is no laughing matter and coming to apologize after many years (many years which may have caused misery to the victim) to make your guilt lighter is a pretty selfish mindset. I’m glad Shirase was able to finally find friends she truly cares for and likewise for Hinata who's finally found her real friends too. Throughout this anime I started to notice that “friendship” is a pretty powerful word carrying a lot of values and meaning and that’s only one of the many reason I absolutely love this anime for.
The next character I want to cover would be Shirase who is the sole reason this journey to Antarctica even happened in the first place. I am not going to beat around the bush and dive straight into the most important scene of the anime. The final few minutes of the twelfth episode are the pinnacle of the entire anime, and this episode nails the climax in tragic fashion. No matter how many times I watch this final scene, no matter how much I can be prepared it will always make me sob. The reality is brutal and painfully sad as Takako really is dead. All the unread emails that Shirase had sent prove that as its three years’ worth of texts totaling over 1100 emails which is an insane number showing how much she really misses her mother. The past three years which Shirase thought she couldn't wake up from her dream had finally dawned on her that it's not a dream and she won't be waking up. This is reality and her mother is gone. The OST "Mata Ne" which plays here is yet again used with perfection as this scene carries monumental value and the meaning behind it is only emphasized further by this stunning yet tearful melody. These final minutes of the episode and climax of this anime really shows the slice of life genre at its absolute best. Its not exactly hard to make me cry but I’m sure even the toughest warriors out there would shed some tears to this conclusion...
Last but certainly not least would be Mari. I already mentioned above how she relates to my younger self and I’m sure I’m not the only one that felt that way out there. She was afraid to take steps forward outside of her comfort zone however this meant her youth was at a standstill. Mari’s decisions and actions throughout this anime are inspirational to me as they showed me what a bright future may lie ahead if I take the opportunities that I am given rather worrying about what ifs and such. Another major reason why this anime hits close to home is the fact I regret my younger years in school as I was a shy introverted kid who didn’t have many friends or social interactions with people hence seeing a stunningly beautiful journey like the one Mari goes on shows me what I have been missing. Exactly same reasoning applies for why slice of life and school are my favorite genres as I can experience in anime what I never had a chance to experience myself personally in my school days. Thanks to Mari’s character the harsh reality dawns on me that I really should make the most of my youth of that there is of it left, as I will never have it back. In that sense Mari is a phenomenally realistic character in my eyes.
With that off my chest it brings me to the conclusion. This is not only a tale about a journey to Antarctica which already in itself is grand, but it’s a journey of four girls who want to live their youth to the fullest. The beautiful part is that they were all strangers just three months ago, but a shared interest brought them ever closer to one another. They experienced happiness, sadness, excitement, fear you name it, but I guarantee they would never regret these past three months for as long as they live. Very few anime resonate with me like this one, and offer life lessons, but if there is one to take away from here then that would be doing something exciting and memorable while you can so you don't regret it later in life when the opportunities cease to exist. If there is an opportunity to enjoy your youth and life then grasp it without hesitation, as this is the show's strongest message and I absolutely love it for that since it resonates so close to home. This is a slice of life masterpiece excelling at teaching a valuable life lesson alongside its fantastic OST, stunning visuals and most of all a lovable cast. You simply cannot go wrong with this one. That is why I strongly believe A Place Further Than the Universe to be one of the greatest anime ever made.
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