#never thought i'll get a fantasy slice-of-life series this good | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

fategoflatass · 1 year

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final thoughts · fall 2022

since i know there're people who like to read my opinions on the different seasons, here you have my thoughts on this (HOLY SHIT OMG WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON???????????) season.

akiba meido sensou (7.5/10)

so, i never meant to watch this show. i thought it would be just another CGDCT slice of life where maids do their maid stuff, and they have fun... I WASN'T EXPECTING THIS THO. this series is crazy, like, the first ep starts with a maid being shot in the head like ??????? and then ranko (best girl imo) starts shooting this rival maid group along with a cutsie song like ??????????????? i was both confused and charmed. this anime is such a blast, it's filled with twists and turns, random shit that it's bizarre but it also makes so much sense. i can't fully explain it, you need to watch it.

akuyaku reijou nano de last boss wo kattemimashita (4/10)

dear lord the toxicity here is astronomical. the way i was looking for a hamefura replacement and i ended up getting this... i feel scammed. this was meant to be a fantasy romance story, but it ended up being a contest to see who's the most toxic person in the relationship. between throwing someone out of a flying carriage just to see them cry and almost stabbing someone on the crotch because they want to break off their engagement with you... i don't know who's worse. they totally deserve each other.

blue lock (8.5-8/10)

i cannot decide myself on what rating i should give to it. while i do love bllk and think is one of the best sports series i've ever read, 8-bit's adaptation is... interesting. while i did think the first episode was amazing, the visual level just started dropping. some of the hand-drawn animation looks weird, and the cgi sometimes looks like it has been taken from a mobile game. i have mixed feelings with these series; while it's still fun and interesting, it just doesn't kick me as much in the chest as the manga does. if you wanna start bllk, please read the manga first.

bocchi the rock! (6.5/10)

as i said before, i'm not a big fan of CGDCT, and this series is just that. i was into the music part of the series and bocchi's social phobia (which, as someone who went through it, i think it's a pretty good representation), but it's still not my cup of tea. it bores me at times, and i'm the one to blame. it's not bad, it's just not my thing. if you're into this kinda stuff, i fully recommend it.

boku no hero academia 6 (8/10)

NOW THAT IS A GOOD SEASON. this one's adapting one of (if not the) best arcs in the series and hell yeah i'm hyped. in case someone hasn't started it, i won't spoil anything. i'll just tell you to please not worry about the quality: the art, animation and everything in general is being tretaed with so much thought and love. i'm just so happy to see all of them back!

boku no roboco (4/10)

(at this point, i've only watched two eps. my opinion on the series may change) i know the manga is popular, i know it makes a lot of anime references. i wanted to try giving it a chance and oh lord. first, it's difficult to find. second, it isn't even funny. if i'm not dropping it is because the episodes are short and fuck it. but not because you make a shit tone of anime references means that you're gonna be funny.

c danchi (1/10)

chainsaw man (9/10)

i'll just leave this here and go on with my life.

GUYS. GUYS. IT'S FINALLY HERE. BABE'S FINALLY HERE. AND OH LORD SHE'S LOOKING AMAZING. i've been waiting for this series for so long, (since it first got announced like holy fuck the feels). i have the entire part one on my bookshelf and it brings me so much joy (and tears and trauma and—) to finally see it animated. the animation, the art, the music, the voices— everything is just fantastic, perfect even. the op is a banger and each and every ed is just so good (some better than others imo). i'm so happy mappa were the ones that took the project like omg thanks mappa but fr fr. if i'm not giving it a higher note is because i'm afraid that would be my inner fangirl speaking so yeah. my children look perfect, that's enough for me. and fuck those who complain about the cgi istg—

cool doji danshi (7/10)

just a pretty chill slice of life short series about a bunch of dorks trying to survive in the wild. they're all so relatable and idk what to think about it. babe's also pretty absent-minded, so this is pretty comfy to me... is this how #representation feels like? besides that, there's not much to say about it since it's just... that. they exist, and i'm happy they do.

do it yourself!! (5/10)

how many times have i said i don't like CGDCT series? many times, but i still go and watch them. why? because i'm dumb ig. it's just a series about a bunch of girls doing bricolage, that's pretty much it.

fumetsu no anata e 2 (8/10)

second season of "don't get attached to the cast because they're all going to die". at this rate, i think i'm made of stone because i haven't shead a tear in the entire series. i'm also getting use to the show's formula (introduce new character → make you feel attached to them → kill them), so ig that's also why i don't feel that sad anymore? idk, i do feel sad but not that sad yk. anyway, is as good as the first season so you should give it a try.

fuufu ijou, koibito miman. (6.5/10)

i started not liking the series (the male mc was annoying to me and i felt like he would only see the girls by their "personality"), but i ended up getting attached in some sort of way? it's an easy to watch, funny romcom that, even if it's nothing special, will entertain you for the time being.

kage no jitsuryokusha ni naritakute! (5.5/10)

i like the idea, but not the execution. i mean, kinda. it started being a parody of isekai series, but i feel like isekai is slowly but surely eating the show alive. i'm not that interested on the plot and the ecchi scenes and comments are... something. to give you some example: there was this scene where these girls would pose in ways others could check their breasts better and perceive them as bigger than their opponent's. or maybe the many comments they do about the protagonist's dick being a fricking sword????? umm not thank you.

koukyuu no karasu (7/10)

a historical fantasy shoujo series with interesting plot points and a cute romance?? hell yeah, count me in! each and every character is lovable af and trust me when i tell you you'll never get bored. the art is so cute and comfortable (idk how to explain it), and the romance is just... i just want them to date already, am i asking too much? definitely give it a chance.

mairimashita! iruma-kun 3 (8/10)

new iruma season and the first one i'm watching as it's coming out. the children are back and more chaotic than ever in this new arc (the best one yet, from what i heard). i just can't stress enough how this series makes me feel, how comfy it makes me feel. i've connected with the characters in such a way it just makes me smile every time each and every single one of them just appears on the screen. i'm so excited to see who'll win! (no spoilers please)

mob psycho 100 III (8.5/10)

this isn't the last season. no, i refuse to accept it. even though many characters are getting their closures and all this chaos is going on and every wish of them to have a happy life has turned to ash. this is not the end. and that never happened. no. just. leave me alone.

mushikaburi-hime (6/10)

so, they're trying to bring historical shoujos back and while we did get some interesting results (koukuuu no karasu), we also got series like mushikaburi-hime. the series is about a girl who is obssesed with books and a dude that isn't, but because he likes her he's up to deal with that little trait of hers. and... that's pretty much it. the series revolves around their relationship (which sometimes turns a bit toxic due to the male mc). the female mc hasn't progressed in over ten episodes, she won't progress now. if you're interested, there it is. but it's not a series i would recommend.

renai flops (7/10)

i said it before: i love shitshows. this one seemed to be a parody on ecchi, harem series which caught my eye. i mean, the first ep involves the dog scene which is one of the most bizarre scenes i've seen on any romcom. at first, i was gonna watch it for the laughs from how bad it all was, but then the second half happened and it changed my view on the series. from a parody that makes things absurd on purpose to something else. i would recommend anyone who's interested to watch it and please, do not spoil yourself.

shinobi no itokki (4/10)

this show is about a dude who goes to high school and he gets confessed to by a girl he doesn't know. only that it wasn't a confession but a trap, because that girl was a ninja and was trying to kidnap him. but he's able to runaway because he has all these ninja abilities that his mother forced him to learn and never questioned why. and then his mum tell him they're actually ninjas and now he has to go to this ninja school that's literally a high school building in the middle of nowhere like ????? i thought ninjas were discreet???? except no one cares about the school because then someone (don't ask, don't remember) gets betrayed and blames the dude's clan and shit happens and wth is going on????

spy x family part 2 (8.5/10)

part two of this very wholesome but also very fake family! their shenanigans are as crazy as they were in part one, and we got introduced to our queen, fiona. also, the main fake couple are growing closer due to the mission and i think that's pretty cool now get married for real this time.

tensei shitara ken deshita (6/10)

just your average isekai with better than average animation and a wholesome bond between both leads. besides that, i have no much to say about it. i absolutely adore fran and amanda, but the whole idea of fran being op almost from the start is frustrating. i wanna see her grow, but this left me kinda cold.

urusei yatsura (6.5/10)

many people were hyping this show, and i do understand why. after all, it's pretty rough fighting against nostalgia. still, even though the visuals are so cute and the op and ed are pretty good, it just shows the series it's an old one. the comedy falls flat at times along with some characters, although it's still enjoyable. i don't know if i'll keep on watching the second season, but for now i don't feel like dropping it.

uzaki-chan wa asobitai! ω (6/10)

so, uzaki is back. the first season has never been one of my favorites, but i decided to give the second season a try and watch it as it was coming out and... well, it's uzaki. for some of y'all it may be hilarious, but to me it's just fine. it's boring most of the time, although i do like the idea of the mcs dating (please do so for fuck's sake). if you're into this kind of comedy, you should give it a try.

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kirakirabug · 2 months

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Currently airing anime I've started watching and some small thoughts. Because I thought it'd be fun to do, under the read more yayy :3

Astro Note: I've only watched one episode so far but I really like it. The art style is very unique and it has a fun premise with fun characters. I love a good alien girl too. The romance is cute too despite only being teased at the moment, and Terurun is probs my fave character thus far.

Blue Archive the Animation: I've only watched the first episode. I've never played the game but someone I follow on twitter posts about the villains a lot and I think they're fine ASF so I'm just watching to see them. Uhhh but the characters are cute so far, though it's not really the kind of show I watch. I like the pink haired girl, who's surprised???

Girls Band Cry: I mainly started watching because I saw it popping off on twitter and, I want to watch more 3D anime. So far, it's good! The characters are interesting and I do enjoy the CGI animation a lot. I don't have anything else to add but maybe I'll like it more as I watch more episodes.

A Salad Bowl of Eccentrics: Probably my personal favourite so far! Not only is the opening a banger, in fact probably the best one so far but the characters are already so fun and enjoyable. I like the humour and Sara is an absolute cutie pie, I also do enjoy an opposite isekai plot. A.K.A a fantasy character coming to the normal human world and learning to adapt. I can't wait to see where this series goes, I'll definitely be keeping up with it.

Himitsu no AiPri: My first Pretty Series season. Well, I did start watching Kiratto Prichan a long while ago but didn't get very far. From what I can see, having knowledge of the previous seasons would probably be beneficial to the watching but ermmm, whatever. It's cute so far! And it definitely reminds me of Precure, since it's trying to compete with it. I love the character designs and the premise seems interesting, though I don't entirely understand it yet. I might try and start watching the first season in-between as well and work my way up but, no promises!

Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again: I've only watched the first episode, it's a cute little episodic series so far! I don't really have much to add but the Grandma is very cute. And the art style is cute too, but I'll have to watch the second episode to gauge more of an interest. I definitely think it has a great premise though.

Mysterious Disappearances: I'll be honest I completely forgot I downloaded the first episode at all so, I don't really know if I'll continue with this series. The first episode wasn't bad though, it's just not really my series. But, I might as well keep watching it since I've started, maybe I'll come to like it more as I watch it. I think the art style is fun at least! Unlike the others this screencap is not mine because I only screenshot the cat that showed up (it's my mission to screenshot every kitty I see now).

Studio Apartment, Good Lighting, Angel Included: First of all, what a series name. Second of all, I fucking hate Shintaro with every one of my being. Oh, his name is similar to Rentarou now I want him to die even more. Okay, I hate his ass he's one of those boring ass MC's that's really stupid and dense and I can't stand him. So why am I watching this series? Don't be ridiculous, the cute girls of course. I didn't think I'd continue this show but I really like the girls so far, Towa is soooo silly and an idiot I can't help but love her. Noel is also adorable and I didn't see the reveal of who she really was coming. And, I love the design of the purple chunibyou girl so I'm mainly watching to see her debut LOL. The show would be 10 times better without Shintaro, like get rid of him and this show would be way more enjoyable. It's always the ugly ass boring ass men getting in the way. The ending really adds to that point like I would kill for a slice of life with these unusual and mostly nonhuman girls, please.

Whisper Me a Love Song: It's not really my thing, so I don't know if I'll continue it, but it's cute so far. I like the art style and I especially like the side character Kaori, if she shows up more I might continue watching just for her. That's really all I have to say since I've only seen one episode so far.

The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio: Watched the first episode like today and I'll just say it now. If a series has a gyaru I'm gonna watch it, that's the main reason I picked this show up. But, I do think it's pretty good so far! I do enjoy a duo who don't like each other at all and I like that Yasumi is the one annoying Yuuhi. I'm mixed on Yuuhi as a character but, so far I think she's fine, her design reminds me of Uto from 100kano hehe. I'll definitely continue if only to take cute screenshots of Yasumi.

Train to the End of the World: Cute girls alongside a gyaru? Of course I was gonna pick this series up, so far it's pretty good. I'm not one on SciFi mysteries so I'm not entirely in love with it yet, but it seems like an exciting show. The opening song is nice! I think I'll have to watch more to really put my thoughts down, though I'm also just watching a lot of series so brain not work. I can't add anymore images sawry

Jellyfish Can't Swim in the Night: BANGERRRR BANGER OHHH SO GOOD SO GOOOOOOD. A Salad Bowl of Eccentrics appeals to me most because of my personal taste but objectively I think this is the best show. Watching the first episode of this anime gave me the same feeling as when I watched WEP for the first time. And that feeling is phenomenal, I feel so strongly towards this series already and it's only been 2 episodes, I'm really excited to see where the plot goes and how these girls succeed or fail. The animation and direction is just so AUGHAHBEJSNENNSNE I'm running around on all fours you NEED to watch this show you need to watch it NOW!

I'm also of course, still keeping up with Wonderful Precure! Sorry most of these are vague and not good because uhhh too many series is a lot for me I don't know why I'm doing this. For honour and to get up that anime count, I don't know if I'll keep up at this pace. Though I at least know that if I can't keep up with all of them I have a few that I will definitely keep watching regardless. This season is gonna be pretty good I feel.

#kirakirabug talks #thanks for reading my 2 am ramble #i am not feeling so good tbh my head hurts woahhh woajhebhensbd that may read in this posy #like aughh psychic damage

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randowwriter · 2 years

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Hello! I used to be really into anime until I got exposed to some scandalizing stuff. I would like to give it another shot, though. I was wondering if you have some wholesome suggestions? :)

I have two favorites right now, so I guess I'll start there? (I thought I saw a lot of anime until I realized my friends have seen way more than I have.) Akagami No Shirayukihime/Snow White With The Red Hair: the anime is super good! It's a Shoujo that definitely focuses on romance, but the romance is pure and genuine, which is amazing! (I feel like few series ever capture that in romance, but this one does!) I haven't gotten that far into the manga yet, but I highly recommend the anime. (The manga, I hear, gets a little more into politics and stuff like that, which I imagine will be quite fun!) I think forgiveness would count as a strong theme in it, because of an arc in Season Two. (They are short seasons; twelve episodes a piece.) Akatsuki No Yona/Yona Of The Dawn: It is a fantasy, technically a Shoujo too. But though it has a different religion has its base, that I'm guessing as something to do with Shinto Buddhism, based off of the fact that some of the translations for the priests in it, call them Shinto Priests, but I say it can be interpreted pretty easily through a Catholic and Christian lens. :) Also, it has a strong emphasis on relying on God as well as a strong emphasis on forgiveness. It has really strong family and friendship themes, and strong romance too, though since that's a slowburn type, it takes a while. Honestly, I'm a sucker for fantasy, and somehow within the deep, very unique characters that feel real and the fantasy themes, it didn't take long to fall in love with it. It does have wars/politics/other themes, so it does have some harder to read/watch stuff. I'm actually all caught up on the manga, and right now, we just hit two hundred and twenty five chapters! The anime though is only twenty four episodes with three awesome OVAs! :) Also, as someone reminded me of and had me think through, this a strong theme of not judging people before you know them? Some characters are definitely bad right from the get go, but other characters, we have to think about more, like get to know basically. Some of this comes through when villagers make hasty judgements on people that the main characters know or when we have to take our time to get to know a character that's a little tough to want to know at first. My Roommate Is A Cat would be a great anime to start off with. It is a slice of life focusing on a mystery writer who ends up adopting a cat, basically. He's never had pets before, let alone a cat, and is a little at a loss as to how to care for said cat. But it happens at a time when he really needs companionship. It's focused on family and friendship, though warning before the series starts, there is some tragedy, so it has sad parts, but it mostly focuses on the happy things. I watched it, because there's a writer and there's a cat, and found that I really liked it! It's only twelve episodes long and is pretty new. 2020 or perhaps 2019 was when the anime came out. I haven't finished even the first chapter of the manga, which is supposedly ongoing. So, can't answer for that yet. I do recommend that you start with My Roommate Is A Cat since it is shorter and also doesn't touch on near as many heavy themes as the other series do. Ooh, FullMetal Alchemist is great, but it's longer and is a Shounen so there is lots of action and hardships. But I recently heard that Brotherhood (especially) was a prolife anime, and when I thought about it that's definitely true. The value and miracle of human life is a common theme within it. Hopefully, I'll start watching some of the recommendations that people have given me for series. (Thinking back on anime, I grew up with, you've probably seen them, and some I wouldn't recommend now.) But I'm still watching the Fruits Basket reboot, and sometimes it makes me want to go back and reread the manga to verify that some of what I'm seeing is from there? But I learned a lot from Fruits Basket when I was younger, primarily from a mom and her daughter in it. :) So, it's a lovely series to me.

(Come to think of it, I think most of the series, I like, involve forgiveness as a prominent theme. Fruits Basket, FullMetal Alchemist, Yona Of The Dawn, Snow White With The Red Hair, etc...) (An argument could be made about self-forgiveness in My Roommate Is A Cat though, so even that one kind of fits.)

Heads up, there can be pretty emotional stuff in these too. So, there are sad moments and stuff like that in either all of these or most of them.

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doorbloggr · 3 years

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Saturday 22/5/21 - Learning When it is OK to Drop a Series

The way I consume shows and books makes it difficult to keep a constant schedule of entertainment. I am very guilty of binge watching/reading, when I start a series, I will watch up to ten episodes in one sitting well after midnight. Then i sit around for weeks at a time putting off starting the next thing, knowing it too will take all my attention for a few days.

Unfortunately this binge behaviour means that I have often been a poor judge of character when it comes to whether I should finish something. Hey I'm already 10 episodes into this show, might as well watch all 24 episodes. And that has meant I've got a number of series on my Finished Anime List that I sort of feel wasted my time.

Higurashi is moe-horror, a very specific flavour of anime/manga where the characters and themes are cute on the surface but there is abuse, murder and monstrosities when you get even skin deep.

The true catalyst for this epiphany was an anime called Higurashi: When they Cry NEW. I followed up on it after a streamer I watch said the original series was one of their favourite anime. The show is a psychological and physical horror, and as I've discussed in previous blog posts, my domain is usually Slice of Life, so... a far cry from my comfort zone. I told the two friends I get anime reccomendations from that I was watching it and their reaction was very telling of signs I shouldve read.

The friend who suggests me Slice of Life and Isekai/Fantasy anime told me that he would never touch an anime like Higurashi with a ten foot pole. The friend who suggests me Fan Service and Horror anime told me that she tried to watch Higurashi but thought it was pretty dumb and hard to watch.

I continued to watch the show, I was 8 episodes in, and wanted to see if it got better. At 17 episodes, I was questioning again whether I should drop it, but I was almost done, so why not just finish? I regretted that.

This post is not a recommendation against Higurashu by the way, but my opinion is, if you're ok with very visceral gore horror, heavy themes of abuse, and looping stories that only get scarier with each retelling... hey, Higurashi could be for you, but in hindsight, it wasn't for me.

After I finished Higurashi, I caught up on Log Horizon, an anime I am very familiar with and enjoyed a lot.

After watching Higurashi I vowed to myself to only search out anime I know I'll be interested in, or take on suggestions from my friends who know what I like. Since Higurashi I haven't chosen to drop any series, but I also have only watched one Isekai and three Slice of Life's since then, and I thoroughly enjoyed all start to finish. But to safeguard myself against future bad binges, I'm gonna end this post with some advice to myself, and others, on how to ensure your media consumption is enjoyable.

1. Keep records and check for patterns

On my phone I have a Notes file detailing all the anime I've finished. I mostly do this because I have an obsession with documenting my habits and looking back, but it also helps as a way to reflect on what type on anime I have enjoyed in the past.

If you have a record of what you have watched, you can look over the list and find trends. Then you choose new series that have a lot in common with your faves.

I have enjoyed many romance anime, and the one mecha anime I've seen, Guren Lagann, I enjoyed a lot. So when heard that Darling in the Franxx was a mecha anime with romance, I was veryyy interested.

2. Swap stories with friends

On the list I discussed above, about 80% of the anime I've watched were recommendations from friends. It's like a learning AI, but with real people. Friends give you a bunch of anime to watch and you tell them which ones you enjoyed. Then they can get back to you with anime they think you'd enjoy based on past preferences.

Ben-to was an anime I recently watched because a friend told me it's just the type of show I'd enjoy.

My friends have gotten really good at recommending me anime that I enjoy because I've told them when I'm watching a new show and whether I like it or not. Because of my long dry spells, I dont watch a tonne, but I also give my own recommendations back and they've enjoyed my suggestions.

3. Unsure? Four episodes

Ages ago, I was watching a podcast run by 3 streamers called LewdCast and they had a segment where they had an anime bookclub; basically they'd come to each podcast having watched an anime and discuss whether they liked it or not. But having to watch an entire series per week not knowing whether you'd like it is exhausting. So their rule was to watch the first four episodes.

Food Wars was actually a recommendation from LewdCast that I was very hooked into by Episode 4, so I watched the entire series and it is still my fave anime this year.

Episodes 1 and 2 are usually world building and introduction of themes and characters. So dismissing an anime after the first episode isn't giving it a proper chance. But after 4 episodes, the themes have been established, you're introduced to core characters, and you've been given a glimpse of what the flow or hook of the show is. You're at least partway into an arc and you understand how the show will operate overall.

Some people will tell you, "Oh this show is a slow burn, but it gets really good deep into the first season", but the truth is, if you're hating it or not hooked after 4 episodes, it's probably not worth it. If a friend I know tells me, "trust me, you'll enjoy this", then I will probably stick with a show I'm on the fence with more then 4 episodes. But if you sought out a show on your own and you don't know if you'd like it, give it four episodes. If you don't wanna finish it after that, drop it.

#blog #blogpost #anime #manga #higurashi

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redscullyrevival · 5 years

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Kristie’s Favorite Anime of 2018

Here are the (overall) transcripts of my end of the year audio posts covering my favorite anime experiences of 2018. All audio can be located on podbean but tumblr is typically more receptive to the written word and I’m still learning how to do audio levels and editing; it makes sense if people rather read my goofy thoughts!

So starting from the bottom and working our way up to number one, here is my 2nd favorite anime of 2018:

A Place Further than the Universe

Directed by Atsuko Ishizuka

From Madhouse studios

Ohhh, my babies. My beautiful daughters!

A Place Further than the Universe is... I don't want to say an unusual show because feel-good anime is a dime a dozen. What's special, I suppose, about A Place Further than the Universe is how drastically it accomplishes being a feel-good series filled with positive affirmations along side being a uniquely and specifically displaced story within it's universally understandable emotionality.

Ugh, god I hated that sentence. OKAY.

Yes, there is what is known as the iyashikei, healing (at this point) genre, which are shows that often times focus on being relaxing slice-of-life series that often times take place within magical worlds where the fantastical is treated as mundane but wondrous - but that's not what Further than the Universe is doing and I'll try my damnedest to explain what I think it is doing and why, but no promises...

A high schooler named Shirase has been saving up a ton of money to travel to Antarctica, which is where her mother disappeared three years ago. Adults and peers a like find her tenacity oddly unpleasant... but when she meets and is helped by the indecisive Mari the two band together to try and make Shirase's completely bonkers dream a reality. They are joined by two other girls, Hinata and Yuzuki, and all four begin a self initiated journey towards engaging, controlling, and nurturing their own lives.

High school girls going on a trip to the Antarctic is quiet the concept, what's impressive is that the series pulls it off - the girl's individual motivations and the struggle they go through to accomplish their goals is grounded and feels earned and believable even within the obvious fantasy and convenient plotting of it all.

A Place Further than the Universe is incredibly intimate. This is a series that, good god, does not hold back in digging deep into the cozy but horrifyingly vulnerable space of storytelling where there is no problem larger than the characters; it's all relative conflict. Which for some viewers is never gonna be of that much interest or draw no matter how well crafted (and this show is supremely well crafted) a story that makes - if there isn't some larger conflict that hangs above characters rather than being trapped within them some people have a hard time paying attention or connecting. And that's fair.

I am not one of those people. I eat this stuff up, I'm more than fine with scaling my ability to engage, to care, down to if someone clips their nails or not! There is nothing so insignificant I can't be lead, when skillfully lead, to emotionally invest in. That's an ability I have, and that's something this show is very, very good at tapping into and pulling out of even it's more reluctant or critical viewership.

The wacky Antarctica bent is the balance to the individualized conflicts each girl faces as well as being the series entire thematic thesis, it's there in the name; "A Place Further than the Universe."

When discussing this kind of relative stake storytelling with my wonderful friend @sonnetscrewdriver she has said that stories like this one are often times about highlighting how every person's life is in essence it's own world, that what may seem trivial or insignificant from the outside can be magnified and brought forth within story telling to be given immense power and significance. And in doing so, in having an individual high school girl's hopes and insecurities broadcasted to be so thoroughly understood and felt by an audience is truly breath taking. And this series does this not just once but four times.

Each and every single one of us may as well be as far as Antarctica, further than the universe, from the person right next to us. From the people we live with, from the people we know as our friends and our family. And we would be without effort, without intentional effort, to not be alone. To be understood. To have friends and to feel accomplishment, to succeed, and be decisive; so much of those things are never completely given.

And that's the bare bones of this series. That's the end of the day take away: Feeling fulfilled, feeling cared for, and loved, and connected is work. It's hard. And even in a group, even on a trip of a lifetime, there will be moments where you're not okay. Even in a wider scope of accomplishing what people said you couldn't, even when you are doing what you set out to do, each of us a world and what matters to us, what we love and what hurts us, is all to the wider universe insignificant. So don't measure by the universe. Don't measure your feelings or your experiences from the outside.

That's a lot to get from a 13 episode anime series isn't it? Fuck yeah it is, but that's why I love it. I'm ten times more preachy than A Place Further than the Universe actually is and not nearly as concise or eloquent (I like hearing the sound of my own voice too much) - but please, if you take anything away from this mess today, I hope it's the knowledge art isn't always about pushing you back or knocking you down, it can be more like a strong embrace; and that's this show. A Place Further than the Universe will make you cry, absolutely, don't get me wrong, but it won't be a Banana Fish way. It's not hurtful, it's cleansing. It's... comforting.

Which brings us around to closing the circle on this series: A Place Further than the Universe doesn't position that the distance between people needs to be merged, that we need to destroy our barriers. We need that distance. We can't wear the lives of others (well, stories come close, but...)

This is an incredibly well made and directed series about four girls who go on an adventure and find themselves and each other, but what's striking to me is how A Place Further than the Universe so concisely expresses that our trails and efforts to reach a new place, to reach out for someone, is no more a comfort then our ability to recognize the ways in which we are apart. Our distances can be a comfort too. We just have to learn how to measure ourselves with ourselves.

#A Place Further than the Universe #Sora Yori Mo Toi Basho #Kristie’s Favorite Anime of 2018 #anime

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