April 25, 2024
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Author: Zoe Crombie.
Kimari is a high school student teetering on the edge of experience who wants to live while she’s young but needs the right push to make it happen. This extra encouragement comes from classmate Shirase, who believes her mother, a missing Antarctic explorer, is still waiting for her in the South Pole, making her an ostracist among her peers. Together with the friends they make along the way, the two embark on a fun-filled expedition to the farthest reaches of the Earth to find Shirase’s missing mother and capture the adventure they’ve always wanted.
Although when considering female anime creators the main name that comes to mind is Naoko Yamada silent voice In addition to the famous and prolific writer and director Mari Okada, the voice behind numerous hit series, there are many more women in the industry who deserve attention. Atsuko Ishizuka, a filmmaker who has been floating around the underground since the early 2000s, is finally gaining more recognition as a renowned animator at Madhouse studio over the past decade. Here, she began to take charge of more of her own projects. You may have come across some of these, most notably There is no life without gamesa popular Different world The play tells the story of two closed-door players who quickly enter a fantasy world.
Her other major series, Farther than the universe It’s also about leaving behind the norm in favor of a spectacular adventure. Our bubbly protagonist Kimari has lots of energy but lacks focus and drive, as evidenced by her lamentation that she never “did anything” in her youth and hopes to change that before leaving high school for good. Things change when she meets Shirase, a girl so obsessed with reaching the southernmost point of the earth that she’s nicknamed “Antarctica” and bullied by her classmates. Since this is an anime, luckily, with the help of Kimari and the new friends they make along the way, she’s able to begin her journey; it’s a clichéd premise, but one that feels relatable thanks to the show’s more novel elements. It feels sincere.
In fact, the premise of the series is that it stands apart from similar lifestyle adventure games that use similar characters and nearly identical dynamics. With its uniquely optimistic protagonist, serious and focused brunette, and energetic tomboy girl, there are certain similarities to KyoAni TV series, e.g. Good morning! and countless other series centered around high school girls. But what makes these familiar genres work here is the sense of progression that comes with the series’ conceit—with each episode, the gang gets closer to the promise of Antarctica, and potentially uncovering the story behind Shirase’s mother’s disappearance Mystery. This prevents the show from stagnating and adds real tension as they explore, test, and develop their friendship, while giving viewers new, beautifully rendered settings to absorb, whether in the heart of Tokyo or the tundra itself.
Another element that helps add flesh to the traditional bones of this anime is the high energy and exaggeration put into the animation, which perfectly captures the feeling of unbridled youth that is a theme throughout the story. The show’s most memorable moments lie in their camerawork and dynamic editing, with a particular highlight being the chase scene in episode two that leaves you as breathless as the characters in it. This energy is also present in representations – their default values Cute Expressions are often replaced with stronger smiles, frowns and laughs, occupying a sort of middle ground between gentler performances, e.g. Tamago Market and more quirky series such as daily. These moments complement the show’s healthy sense of humor surrounding its own absurdity, but also introduce a visual silliness that’s surprisingly effective in the show’s more heartfelt moments.
It’s easy to see why Farther than the universe A fan favorite – with lovable characters, rich animation, and a sense of adventure, there’s a lot to love here, even for those who aren’t big fans of high school anime. For fans of shows like this There is no life without games As well as the fact that its movie makes no reference to Ishizuka’s other work, it’s a no-brainer that’s equally effective in depicting a genuine adventure (without relying so much on fan service to keep the audience’s attention).
Zoe Crombie is an associate lecturer and PhD candidate at Lancaster University, working at Studio Ghibli. Farther than the universe Distributed in the UK by Anime Limited.
