(Slight spoilers ahead, but nothing major)

Right of the bat, I'll say I didn't expect to enjoy this show as much as I did. Unexpectedly, some of the themes it explores have the potential to hit pretty hard, while the whole purpose of the show feels like it's showing you the beauty of adventure, to urge you to be brave in pursing more for your life. It's easy to think it'll be another "cute" anime, or a "slice of life" with different character archetypes, however upon watching it, there's something about the premise and first episode that hints at a much grander vision.

A Place Further Than the Universe presents the story of four girls who take it upon themselves to do something amazing with their youth by venturing to Antarctica. This anime feels alive with purpose, allowing you to relate to the huge adventure these girls go on. Each of the leads have a motivation for coming to Antarctica, and each have brokenness and trials that they work through during the series. There's emotional moments, comedic moments, cute moments - and due to the pacing and beat of the story, none of these drag on or get tedious. Every episode adds something interesting to the story or character dynamics, there's conflict and challenges that need to be overcome, and the last episodes (as a result) have a great payoff.

I've never been so emotionally connected to a cast of characters, and yet not be able to remember their names by the end of the series. This could be a fault of the show, yet at the same time it surprises me that each character's personality was able to carry them through the show, and whenever any of the main cast were mentioned, I was still able to identify who they were talking about fairly easily; I was still able to tear up when these girls had their character moments. So in that regard, I believe it's a result of good storytelling that each character felt unique, consistent, and had depth.

Even the music is utilized so well here, with the dramatic and emotional beats landing at perfect moments. The OP is grand and captivating, and I've had its beautiful ED stuck in my thoughts since starting the anime. It's not a matter of being something new and different, rather a case of taking the simple and perfecting it. And this applies to the whole anime rather than just the music.

The tale of going on a grand adventure is not new to storytelling, but the journey present in A Place Further Than the Universe is engaging and realistic. You empathize with the characters' progression, and each one stands on their own throughout the story; there's hardly any filler in what is a memorable and streamlined plot; the music finds a place in your heart while further enhancing the emotions of the series; and finally, you finish the story not only feeling like you went on a journey with the characters, but also that like them, you want to go on another one yourself.