This anime right here really hit home for me. It moved me and made me rethink the way I was living my life. People might consider A Place Further Than the Universe to be a MOE or slice of life anime but it’s not. It is bigger than that. It is an emotional drama full of adventure and excitement.
Mari Tamaki — or Kimari, as her friends call her — is a high school girl in her second year who feels like her life is lacking excitement and purpose. She wants to make the most of her youth and create significant memories that will stick with her for years to come. Her motive is understandable because, like any other teen in high school, we don’t want to just waste our precious youthful days doing meaningless stuff. When we’re older we want to look back at the good times we had and the adventures we went on. However, Kimari has something holding her back. Fear. Her main issue is that she is afraid of trying new things because she believes that things might not go right or that she will end up regretting her decision later on. I understood where she was coming from because I have had similar thoughts like these when it comes to doing new things.
Enter Shirase Kobuchizawa. She is known at school as “Antarctica” due to her obsession with wanting to go there. Her mother, Takako Kobuchizawa was a scientist and explorer who went to missing on the Antarctica expedition 3 years prior to the start of the story. Shirase’s mission is to travel to Antarctica in hopes of finding her mother. Everyone thinks it is absurd because she is still a high schooler and is not qualified to travel there. Despite the various setbacks, it does not stop Shirase from continuing to move forward and strive for her goal. Kimari is inspired and moved into taking action by Shirase and decides to join her on her journey to Antarctica. She is tired of her uneventful life and is ready to move forward. Along the way, Kimari and Shirase meet Hinata Miyake — a lively girl who has finished high school early and has nothing but time on her hands — and Yuzuki Shiraishi, a celebrity girl who has had trouble making friends her entire life. They both join them on their journey as well.
The story an interesting and emotional story, filled with excitement and charm. While the end goal is Antarctica, they don’t arrive there easily. They struggle to reach their destination. The problems that the girls and the rest of the expedition crew face are realistic. Every episode is filled with a sense of adventure and it makes you feel as if you’re on the journey with them. The beautiful visuals and soundtrack add to the story, making it even more endearing. The characters are great as well. The girls meet each other in the first 3 episodes, yet it seems as if they have been together for a long time. The chemistry between Kimari, Shirase, Hinata, and Yuzuki is great and feels authentic. They come off as actual high school girls. Each girl gets their own important story arc, developing them further and making them memorable characters which I loved. So many scenes stood out and impacted me. Some scenes had me near tears, and I did end up crying once which is rare for me.
Similar to Kimari, I want to be adventurous and try new things. But as stated earlier, I have also had doubts and fear of experiencing new things. That and I’m also a procrastinating lazy piece of shit. This anime came at the right time for me. As a current senior in high school, I realized that I only have a few months left before my life changes completely. Soon I won’t have the spare time I have now. Soon I won’t be able to hang out with friends as I do now. Soon my youth will be over. Seeing the determination that Shirase has and Kimari taking initiative into making her dream come true encouraged me to take similar steps.
A Place Further Than the Universe is not only a story about Antarctica, but also a story about the journey, struggles, and bonds that the girls make on their way to their destination. It’s a story about youth and making the most of it. These things resonated with so many people including me. Antarctica is the conclusion and reaching the destination is like being freed from a cage you’ve been trapped in your entire life. I’m glad I found the anime when it first aired because I feel like watching it weekly is what made me enjoy it even more. This anime is one of my favorites of all time I definitely do believe it deserves the spot of anime of the year. I recommend this anime to everyone, as it might open you to experience new things. It will stick with me for years to come.
Update: Thursday April 1 2021 6:28 PM EST
Three years later and the anime still holds a special place in my heart. It truly is one of a kind. I'm so glad my feelings have not changed since then :)
