I like watching slice of life anime, most notably the laid-back ones with no drama in them or backstory of any kind (which clearly isnt the case for A Place Further Than The Universe).
I watched the first episode of this anime around the end of January, this year. Didn't think much about it, and set it aside. Fast forward 2 months later and I picked it up again, it wasn't just better than I expected, it turned out to be one of my favorites.
Now, most people reading this probably have already watched this anime (otherwise you'd just get spoiled), but I'll give you a refresh of the story
We start off with Tamaki Mari, a second year high school student, determined to do something and not let her youth go to waste, she wants to go somewhere where she hasn't been...
Of course she first goes to the beach. She makes the preparations to do so, skips school and.... Oh she's back at class. Looks like she just couldn't get herself to skip school.
Fast forward a bit and we arrive at the point Tamaki Mari (or Kimari) meets a girl called Antarctica by the school, her actual name? Kobuchizawa Shirase.
Shirase is a girl who unfortunately lost her mother (Kobuchizawa Takako) at a young age due to unfortunate circumstances in an Antarctic expedition, due to this Shirase has a resolve to go to Antarctica.
Shirase often explains to people how and why she wants and will go to Antarctica, she often gets ridiculed, hence the nickname "Antarctica" by the school.
Eventually the rest were pulled in, Miyake Hinata, and Yuzuki Shirashi (who was instrumental to why they were even able to go to Antarctica) were pulled into the trip.
Despite the odds, they manage to set out on a journey to Antarctica, the place further than the universe. And the rest is history
Why I like and love this show
For why I love this show, it's kinda hard to explain.
Lets start with the concept of wanting to go somewhere they've never been, wanting to do something they've never done, wanting to accomplish something without backing down, its a feeling I can relate to (and I'm sure others can as well).
Setting out on something as big as an Antarctic expedition is ambitious, but this goes to show, with the right conditions and motivation (and friends on your side), no matter how big a goal can be, it will be possible. Even going to the place further than the universe.
Another big thing this show was good in my eyes, is how friendship between the characters developed. I mean they just met and somehow they're already on a journey together. But, somewhere along the way, they all decided they were best friends, I mean. They never said "hey we're best friends now alright?". They just kinda developed through them spending time with each other.
That may not seem much at most, but if you've watched the anime, you get what I mean. If you don't, that means you haven't watched it, which leads me to my next point.
Certainly, it's a good slice-of life anime. It has a good combination of drama and comedy. The desire of accomplishing something you've never done before, the friendships the characters developed in the journey, the bonds and memories between them. It's something that you could see as weird and absurd at first, maybe even childish, but your perception will change if you just give this a try for a few episodes.
Now for anyone reading this that have not watched this anime, I recommend this HIGHLY. I think it's an anime that everyone can love.
That concludes my first review on AniList. Hoped it wasn't too bad of a read considering this is my first time writing a review here, looking forward to make more of these.
