A Place Further than the Universe

Ever heard of A Place Further than the Universe? Yea me neither. I just saw a glimpse of it on Netflix. After enjoying Yuru Camp I wanted to watch more simple soothing anime and I was intrigued by it. Keeping a “low” expectation of a simple, light, comedic, moe type of anime, I got struck by how different this anime is. Like, what is this? It was like slapping me in the face as a person who’s bored and just stays home for 2 years. Aight, the first episode gave me the impression of, "Alright this is not the anime I was expecting" despite it having a plot.But the second episode… Damn it hits me differently. I have never had these kinds of goosebumps when watching anime before.

TV or movie animes like Your Name, A Silent Voice, or Your Lie in April gave me the impression that these plots are amazing to follow as a spectator, a watcher. The unexpected turn of events, the moral message they gave, the sadness the character feels; these are feelings I can sympathize with. But Yorimoi gave me a different point of view. It is as if I was in the anime, as if I was part of the plot, trying to solve their problems like I was really there. I can deeply feel what the character is feeling because we share similar problems, even until now.

I experienced many different feelings while watching this anime. It was just so enjoyable. Maybe it’s just because I became aware that there are people that feel this pain despite them being anime characters. They portray the kind of problems other anime do not, especially issues regarding friendships and self-encouragement. Each character has their own personality and problems which I can relate to almost all of them really well. Well actually I had (or am I having) all of those girls' personalities in me (the negative one of course). Watching each of them facing their fears and dislikes touched me unlike any other anime I have ever watched.

Want to know the cherry on top? The soundtrack. The insert songs. This anime sucker punched me in the gut when the insert song came up. Listening to it again always makes me emotional. Not emotional towards the characters, but towards myself.

Alright for those wondering what kind of story this anime has to offer, Yorimoi tells us a story about 4 school girls trying to get to Antarctica. Yes, it is an adventure anime. Why would they want to go there? How can school girls even get into Antarctica in the first place? Those are the kind of questions that you should answer yourself by watching it. Oh, yea there are actually 5 girls. The 5th is kind of mysterious and gives the plot, plot. This 5th girl may actually be my favorite thanks to her interesting friendship nature. The interesting thing is it really is an adventure anime. The story focuses more on how they can get to Antarctica rather than cute girls doing cute things. For 13 episodes, more than half of them aren’t even set in Antarctica. Yes, from the synopsis alone, it doesn’t sound stand out from the rest of the adventure anime, but it’s just a really fun ride. Maybe I’m saying this because it exceeded my expectations.

You might be wondering “Alright, so that’s it? Just because You can relate to the anime you like that much?”. Well, yes, but no. The thing is what comes after the relatable stuff. That is how I changed. “So, this anime changed you?” Well, no, but this anime drives me to change. “What kind of change?” you may ask. The cowardly nature within me started to fade bit by bit. The way it leads me to indirectly solve their problems, also teaches me how to face my own. And guess what? It worked. This anime motivated me to move, start, and face reality. I started taking challenges without overthinking it. I started doing new things outside my comfort zone. I started talking to people. I started to move my body and exercise every day. I started to be courageous when I’m alone. I started exploring things around me. This anime drove me to start. The 2 years of isolation caused by my shyness, lack of courage, and even the pandemic made me too comfortable in my comfort zone, and I strove to break it slowly. This led to my life-changing moment. You may be wondering, “What if you’re tired of what you’re doing right now? Tired with the changes you're making right now?” This sounds weird but, I think back to why I started by listening to their insert songs.

Recap time. This anime is about the adventures of 4 girls going to Antarctica. What’s interesting about it? The challenges they face, the way they face those challenges, their strikingly different personalities, their friendship. One of the best things that this anime gives, how they define friendship. Lastly, I would like to ponder on how I can progressively keep changing after watching this anime. It may be a good idea for a later essay. In a nutshell, A Place Further than the Universe or Sora Yori mo Tooi Basho is a great anime; currently the best for me. This is not really a review; I’m just expressing my love for this anime.