A Place Further Than The Universe
CGDCT, or cute girls doing cute things, is a genre that has gained immense popularity over the years thanks to titles like Hibike Euphonium, Yuru Camp, and Bocchi the Rock. Back then, the genre was defined by K-On and Girls und Panzer. K-On’ was one of the titles that put the genre out there for people to enjoy and creators to experiment with. We've had many CGDCT titles over the years, some good, some great. But nothing has been similar to ‘A Place Further Than The Universe.’
This somewhat underrated title from 2018 got lost in the past, and that just baffles my mind. Everything from the animation to the characters to the raw ambition the anime features is just out of this world. It's an anime original, and shows like that are always more challenging to be done ‘right.’ Today, we're here to look back at ‘A Place Further Than The Universe’ and introduce you to the series so you can pick it up `in case you haven't already! With that being said, let’s dive right in!
A Journey Fueled by Dreams
Who doesn't like dreaming? We've all got a lot of things we want to achieve in our lives. But one thing's sure: we can relate to Mari Tamaki here. The fear and anxiety of the unknown or the 'unreachable' always serve as the ‘brakes’ or limiters that prevent us from going all out to get what we want. But another way we and life can relate to Mari Tamaki is that you must get yourself out there, stand, and run out of your comfort zone to reach that point you've always dreamt about. But in this case, Shirase Kobuchizawa is there to ensure Mari's drive becomes fully manifested, and the two are ready to make their way to the far reaches of Earth itself. Going to Antarctica isn't on everyone's bucket list. Still, these four girls, each with unique quirks and personalities, are ready to face it together, getting through the trials and tribulations as one team of four best friends!
The anime is inspiring in many ways, and combined with some cute girls being adorable 24/7, you get the perfect treat. One thing I like about the series is how well-paced it is. It moves at the perfect pace—not so slow that we get bored with the "slow progression" or so fast that there are plot holes that are not filled until the very end. Not to mention that the series has only 13 episodes under its belt, and for that, I'd like to give props to the anime. We don't see that happening nowadays, do we?
Wholesome set of Personalities
As I mentioned earlier, the characters breathe life into the series. The character department is undoubtedly one of the strongest points of the series, and with every girl being different from the other inside out, it's just the perfect CGDCT team one could ever ask for. Maki Tamaki is the most well-rounded, given that she has the ideal mix of almost every quirk that defines the other three characters. But I've heard how people are fans of Hinata Miyake and Yuzuki Shiraishi, characters who are basically two sides of a coin and nothing like each other.
Honestly, it's hard to pick favorites among the four since every other character has her moment, and you'll find yourself shifting your focus from one character to another even while you're watching the same episode. The side characters are likable, too, and the way these characters stay together and develop this bond while progressing toward the final destination makes this journey worthwhile and one that we won't be able to forget for a while to come.
One Hell of a Roster
One thing that will catch you off guard is how stacked of a roster this anime production team has. Seriously, you're bound to be amazed; given an anime series by a team, this stacked can't be forgotten that easily, right? So Jukki Hanada, the man behind some of your favorite anime series like ‘Hibike Euphonium,’ ‘The Dangers in My Heart,’ and ‘Steins;Gate 0’ is here to make it known that writing a great story from scratch, even when it's one that's supposed to spark ambition and desire in others, is a walk in the park for this guy. We've also got Takahiro Yoshimatsu, the man behind some of the best character designs you've seen from anime with series like ‘Overlord,’ ‘Hunter X Hunter,' and 'Trigun,' to name a few.
Moreover, the studio behind ‘A Place Further Than The Universe’ is ‘Madhouse,’ the only studio still standing and holding its ground to bring some great anime titles to life. I mean, just look at how they turned around this season's ‘Orb: On the Movements of the Earth’ and last year's ‘Frieren.’ No one would've seen that or this coming, so it's safe to say that the studio is becoming one that's bound to surprise you from literally out of nowhere. Let's hope Madhouse keeps up the excellent work. It's genuinely one of the best anime studios if you ask me.
Great Soundtrack
The score for the anime is just great. It fits the show's theme well, adding much more to its charm. Not to mention how the opening gets you up and going and features a melody that's so catchy that you can't help but sing along while it's playing on your screen. It has to be one of the catchiest anime songs of recent years. You all will have to agree with me on that for sure! There are also many soundtracks bound to make you fall in love with the music department in a heartbeat. I still remember how I used to listen to the OST album back in the day because it was just that good. I haven’t done that in a while, but after thinking back and reflecting on the anime, I’ve realized that just now. I need to get back to listening to the music once again.
At this point, ‘A Place Further Than The Universe’ shouldn’t be a series that needs any introduction. Sadly, despite being one of the best anime series we’ve gotten from the second half of the last decade, it's a slightly underrated series. What’s worse is how people have all the love in the world for series like ‘Bocchi the Rock’ and ‘Yuru Camp’ but aren’t willing to do a bit of research and discover this series, which is a lot better than those series. Plus, it’s also a short watch and wraps itself up pretty well, making you binge it in one go without thinking of anything else, given the anime makes it hard for you to have something on your mind since it’s just so enthralling most of the time.
For the rating, I’d easily give it an 8.7. I think it’s a beautiful anime, and there weren’t a lot of areas that I felt needed any sort of work. I don’t know. It fills me with many questions since new original anime titles these days just miss the mark almost every time. Why can’t we return to making these outstanding anime original titles? I love them since you don’t know what will happen, unlike the other manga or light novel adaptations with fan bases that are all armed and ready to ruin your feed with spoilers you never signed up for. So, if you haven’t already done so, watch this series now. ‘A Place Further Than The Universe’ is a beautiful watch, and you can’t miss it no matter what. Especially if you’re a fan of the CGDCT genre, you just can’t miss out on this one since it’s one of the best that we’ve seen in this genre, not only in recent times but also in looking at the history of the genre as a whole. So, what are you waiting for? Go watch or rewatch it since it could use much more love!
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