#Sora yori mo Tōi Basho

[bo1908]

Hinata Miyake

[radfemandreadaly]

Sora Yorimo Tōi Basho (宇宙よりも遠い場所 Un lugar más lejano que el espacio 2018)

[grac3nocturne]

Every few day, since the anime first started, I am thinking again about a place further than the universe/Sora yori mo Tōi Bas, and how this anime touched me... This was so good, i want to expereince it again like its the first time!!!

[reidwagner6]

Blog Post: "A Place Further Than the Universe" – A Journey Beyond Boundaries

"A Place Further Than the Universe" (Sora yori mo Tōi Basho) is an exceptional anime that seamlessly blends personal development, adventure, and friendship. It follows four high school females as they begin on an ambitious trek to Antarctica, propelled by their individual motives and shared desire for an extraordinary experience.

Addressing Issues in Japan and Globally

The anime addresses several pertinent issues in Japan and on a global scale. In Japan, the pressure on young people to conform to societal expectations and follow conventional paths is a prevalent theme. The protagonists' decision to break away from their routines and chase a seemingly impossible dream highlights the courage required to defy societal norms. This resonates globally as well, as many young people face similar pressures to adhere to traditional life trajectories.

Furthermore, the show explores issues of mourning and loss. Shirase Kobuchizawa's desire to locate her missing mother in Antarctica highlights the common issue of coping with grief and the extent people will go to seek closure. This concept is globally relatable, crossing cultural boundaries and eliciting empathy from viewers around the world.

Personal Reflection

Relating the anime to my own life, I find the concepts of pushing out of one's comfort zone and chasing unorthodox ambitions to be really relevant. Like the protagonists, I've been in situations where society standards seemed to mandate a specific course, but my desire to explore and experience something extraordinary drove me to take chances. The show's depiction of close and supportive friendships reflects my own experiences of relying on friends during difficult times, emphasizing the value of companionship and reciprocal reinforcement.

Connections to Assigned Readings

While I have not yet watched the lecture video, I am able to make preliminary parallels between "A Place Further Than the Universe" and LaMarre's talk of animation compositing. The anime's breathtaking visuals and exquisite attention to detail bring the journey to life, highlighting the animation's created nature. This is consistent with LaMarre's remark about how anime frequently calls attention to its architecture, which increases our appreciation for the medium.

Furthermore, the anime's narrative structure and character development are related to themes discussed in many studies on storytelling and character arcs. The ladies' growth and changing dynamics throughout their voyage demonstrate well-crafted character development, which is a prevalent theme in narrative analysis.

Final Thoughts

"A Place Further Than the Universe" is more than just an adventure narrative; it's a profound investigation of personal growth, friendship, and the bravery to pursue one's aspirations over overwhelming obstacles. It addresses both local and global issues, draws on personal experiences, and connects to larger themes in animation and narrative. As I continue to investigate these topics, this blog will serve as a useful chronicle of reflections, assisting in the construction of my final essay.

[dielfs]

( ꈍᴗꈍ) 🍰🍢🍜

[remedialreviews]

A really pleasant little series full of charming characters, innocent humour, and just enough heart. Engaging, lots of fun, and genuine.

[kaalavg]

A Place Further than the Universe

Sora Yorimo Tōi Basho

(13ep)

[chromatiquetexture]

[animevsirl]

A place further than the universe (宇宙よりも遠い場所- Sora Yori Mo Tōi Basho)

Episode 11

“Unlike Hinata, I’m a real jerk, so I’ll say it outright. You can’t live your lives in this halfway state forever! You hurt someone and made them suffer! Now you get to live with that! That’s what you get for hurting someone! That’s what you get for hurting my friend! You think you can come crawling back now? Piss off!”

[shintorikhazumi]

Khaz’s Manga/Manhwa/Anime Recommendation Corner #1

I’ve been thinking about this for weeks. I’ve been going through finals and just couldn’t get to my fanfic chapters because my mind is incapable of writing plot atm. Hopefully my sem ends next week and I can devote myself to updates. For now, I’m gonna be doing this thing from time to time. So I read A LOT. Whether it be hard-bound books, e-books, fanfic or manga/manhwa. And am an otaku so... So, if you’re like me, and searching for some stuff to get into or pass the time with, lemme recommend you:

 1. one yuri title manga/anime, 2. a manga/manhwa that is either slice of life, villainess+reincarnation, sport, or whatever, and 3. an anime that may have flown by your radar! I’ll try not to spoil too much! Might not even give a decent synopsis haha!

1. YURI RECOMMENDATION:

Even If It Was Just Once, I Regret It /Ichido Dake Demo, Koukai Shitemasu (manga)

One of the yuri stories I am most invested in as of the moment. I love the plot, the art, the story flow. It is GORGEOUS. Basically, OL turned NEET (becoz of harassment, if i remember right) can’t pay off her rent debt is offered a compromise by her gorgeous younger landlady to pay through “favors”. It does start that way, but please. Stay. It ends up being favors like cooking and cleaning, and doing nice things and living with her landlady, all the while both are exploring their own feelings. (okay, there are still cuddling, head pats, hand hold favors too)  The nonsexual intimacy is amazingly portrayed. Actually wait... how to explain. They explore an erotic/sexual intimacy OUTSIDE the actual act of doing ‘it’. 

This has a chapter that’s basically why the “hand-holding is lewd” schtick exists. It was hot. Hotter than A LOT of doujins out there.

2. RANDOM GENRE MANHWA/MANGA

Ohayou toka oyasumi toka/Good-Morning's and Good-Night's

This is a gorgeous slice-of-life that will tug at your heart strings. It’s a family-centric manga of a man, finally free of his crappy parents and past, getting his sisters from another mother that he knew nothing about dumped on him cause his dad and their mom are just that irresponsible. Here, his view and definition of family will be explored, and together with his sister, they will discover what it truly means to have a ‘home’ and a ‘family’. It’s heart-wrenching and heart-warming. My fav character is the eldest sister, Hotaka. The pain and sacrifice she’s been through, acting as a mother instead to her younger sisters, not knowing how to be a child. The twins are growing up with no parents, but their super responsible and amazing siblings, and really, they can see and appreciate the sacrifices. It’s just so beautiful and warm. Really. Give this one a read.

3. ANIME YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE SEEN YET

A Place Further than the Universe/Sora yori mo Tōi Basho

I don’t even know where to start with this one. I had nothing else to watch at that time, I was looking for a past-time. This. Changed my life. It may feel a bit slow at the start, plot wise. It’s about these 4 high school girls going on an expedition to Antarctica, each with their own motives. The 2 i was most invested in was the one searching for her mother who had long since been missing in Antarctica, and the other searching for something special in her life. She felt like she hadn’t accomplished anything, like she was living such a mundane life. That is what initially caught me. The emotional climax, the stages of grief, got me tearing up. I would recommend this anime.

[bo1908]

Yuzuki Shiraishi

[fullmetalneverland]

Underrated anime series recommendation list

1. B: The Beginning (2018)

Nr. of episodes: 12

Genre: Psychological thriller, Thriller

2. Children of the Whales (2018)

Japanese name: Kujira no Kora wa Sajō ni Utau (クジラの子らは砂上に歌う)

Nr. of episodes: 12

Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction

3. A.I.C.O Incarnation (2018)

Japanese name: A.I.C.O.：化身?

Nr. of episodes: 12

Genre: Science Fiction, Cyberpunk

4. Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan (2018)

Japanese name: Hisone to Masotan (ひそねとまそたん)

Nr. of episodes: 12

Genre: Aerial warfare

5. No. 6 (2011)

Nr. of episodes: 11

Genre: Yaoi, Science Fiction, Dystopia

6. A Place Further than the Universe (2018)

Japanese name: Sora yori mo Tōi Basho (宇宙よりも遠い場所)

Nr. of episodes: 12

Genre: Adventure

7. Astra lost in Space (2019)

Japanese name: Kanata no Astra(彼方のアストラ)

Nr. of episodes: 12

Genre: Science fiction

8. Sarazanmai (2019)

Japanese name: さらざんまい

Nr. of episodes: 11

Genre: Youth Novel, Fantasy, Magical Realism

[deliciouscrunchyroll]

A Place Further Than The Universe

Sora yori mo Tōi Basho ! Okay. Don’t quote me on that, because at the end of the day, I’m just an idiot from the US. BUT DO QUOTE ME when I say that A Place Further Than The Universe (shortened hereafter as just “place”) isn't just a slice of life, it’s the entire life pie, the whole pizza, as the kids say.

Top ten anime I’ve ever watched. And as we all know, I’ve watched, like, 27. Allow me to just fucking GUSH about: P LAC E

so, obviously, I’ll be talking about major plot points and Place is /relatively/ new so here’s my obligatory SPOILS mention.

S P O I L S Below & a spoil-free TL;DR at the end

Okay, cool. Now that it’s just me and you down here, let me say, wow, I typically hate shows like this, I don’t give a single eff what a 16 year old girl is doing with her life. I barely cared about what I was doing with my own. I prefer tender hearted gang violence, like in 91 Days but the characters have wormed their way into my heart with power of sincerity and friendship.

Truthfully, I almost skipped past this one but my husband and anime watching partner @mackfrost said “no, it’s cute” 

Place follows four young girls who are all, I think, 15-16ish. The show starts with Kimari, who feels she has misspent her youth doing normal boring things, awakening to this realization with a nonzero amount of squealing. Kimari goes to school with Shirase, the local #WeirdGirl, who is somewhat austere and has no friends. Everyone calls her “Antarctica” because she wants to go to Antarctica, and not randomly, like how when I was little I said “Mom, let’s go to Nebraska” and she said “fucking, why?” 

Shirase’s mother was part of a civilian expedition and never came back. This poor girl has been working day and night and going to school and saved up like $10,000 to go see her mom, who she is lowkey-in-denial about being dead.

The girls meet THIRD GIRL, Hinata Miyake, who uses humor as form of defense. Superficially, Hinata makes a lot of jokes, makes light of a lot things making her a good foil to very-serious-Shirase and Kimari, who, bless her, is very sweet but kind of an idiot. Of course, as with everyone’s humor, there is some real anger and hurt lurking beneath that of course means she has trouble getting close and some anger issues.

Fourthly, we have disillusioned child actress Yuzuki Shiraishi who is to busy being a child actress at her mother’s behest to ever make real friends. Honestly, Yuzuki was not my favorite, and I didn't find her very compelling, but she does say things like:

And honestly? Me too, girl.

The show captures a lot of wonder, and a lot of sadness, both of which are set against this backdrop of friendship, and what it’s like to make friends, and what boundaries of friendship are. I haven’t found a lot of high school anime to be super relatable due to lack of meaningful character development, or inauthentic reactions, or, y’know, school-girl panty shots.

That’s not the case here. You watch them get to know each other on this adventure and watch as the show weighs scenes themes that can feel very ‘everyday’ against the alien wonder of seeing the northern lights, or being in Antarctica, or even being in a different country. The girls go to Singapore, and Fremantle, and the awe of simply being somewhere new is captured perfectly. 

The show culminates with them finding Shirase’s (deceased) mother’s laptop. she opens it and, 1 by 1, receives all the emails she sent to her mother, montage-d with scenes of the girls watching the Northern Lights from a boat on their way home, and it feels like sighing out a breath you didn't know you were holding. I definitely cried. ALSO the song at the beginning of the show is good AF, and called, I think “The Girls Are Alright” and honestly, after about 6 episodes in, every time I saw the words “The Girls Are Alright” pop up in opening scene, I teared up a bit, because they are.

The girls are alright.

TL;DR: 10 the fuck out of 10. Cute and authentic slice of life packed up in a totally manageable 13-episode box with a baller soundtrack.Would watch again after I’m done with rest of B-Z of Crunchyroll.

[rectoversottt]

Sora yori mo Tōi Basho, dir. Atsuko Ishizuka, 2018

[animevsirl]

A place further than the universe (宇宙よりも遠い場所- Sora Yori Mo Tōi Basho)

Episode 8

“That’s not true. We always had a choice. But we chose to be here. We chose this ourselves!”

[bo1908]

Shirase Kobuchizawa