A Place Further Than the Universe

Just started today on Crunchyroll, a group of high school girls attempt to travel to Antartica.

Haven't had a chance to see it yet (It went up at 1:00 eastern and I'm at work) but I figured I'd go ahead and start the conversation on it. Has anyone else watched it yet?

edited 2nd Jan '18 12:04:50 PM by ScrewySqrl

First episode was pretty good. Not sure about the art style, but the writing and direction is solid

it is extremely My Thing so far and I'm hoping it acquires a decent fanbase as the season rolls on. I'd hate for it to be left in the dust. Anyone wanna get started on a page? I don't really remember how anymore.

edited 2nd Jan '18 11:15:02 PM by Bep

Just finished the first episode, and I'm liking it so far! I'm not sure why none of the synopses mention that they have an actual reason for going, and it's not just that the author ran out of other places for Cute Girls to do Cute Things in.

We will never run out of places for girls to do cute things in! At least not until just before the inevitable heat death of the universe. (If we get the Big Crunch or the Big Rip, then it's an unqualifed never).

But yeah, watched the episode. Looks good so far. While there's obviously some set up still to be done, I do hope that we don't take too long to get to Antarctica. Or at least set out.

Basically, a normal high-school girl Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life (Mari Tamaki) has a fated encounter with another girl (Shirase Kobuchizawa) looking for her Missing Mom who apparently disappeared in Earth's last frontier—the Antarctic. Shirase wants to go on an expedition to find out how and why her mom disappeared. Mari eventually jumps at the call and goes with Shirase.

Probably a few more tropes I've missed there, but I'm glad the ship Shirase and Mari are boarding isn't actually a whaler. Otherwise, I would have just "Nope'd" right there.

Also, the art style reminds me of Little Witch Academia, to the point that I momentarily thought this anime wasn't done by Madhouse, but by Studio TRIGGER. In any case, I'm looking forward to how the anime depicts the harsh landscape and wildlife of the Antarctic (and whether it's accurate to the documentaries I used to watch on Discovery Channel, National Geographic, or even those from the BBC).

And that Shout-Out to No Game No Life... (Too bad Madhouse don't do season 2s.)

edited 3rd Jan '18 6:32:30 AM by IncognitoNinja

Overlord Season 2 is out this season, so....

Wait, so Madhouse is also animating Overlord season 2? OK, just Jossed my last statement...

(Would have been hyped much more for One-Punch Man season 2 if Madhouse broke that "no season 2" tradition much earlier... Oh well, can't win 'em all.)

One-Punchman is getting a second season though, we just don't know when.

That said, this looks good. The art is absolutely stunning and the cast is likable. It's kind of sad that the main girl's best friend doesn't seem like she'll be going with them though.

anyone want to make a page?

I made a sandbox, for starters. Feel free to contribute. When we have a few tropes, we can launch the thing. I borrowed a bit from Incognito's synopsis. :þ

Anyway, episode 1: this is cute alright, but not only. As said above, the direction is really solid and the pacing is excellent. All characters are likeable so far, which is always the main selling point to me. Not sure how the story will progress from there (I mean, what is there to do in Antartica outside of watching the landscape…?) but for now I'm on board.

edited 4th Jan '18 10:28:36 AM by Lyendith

…Oh well, I launched the page.

Yeah, none of the concepts in here really interest me.

I'm with the camp to whom that other girl's fixation on Antarctica just seems childish and it's cute high school girls and I've been mostly done with that for a good long while now. Maybe the basic hook of the main character might be worked into something interesting, someone who wants to do big but never follows through finally following through, but while it gives her character, it's not exactly breaking new ice either. It's a pretty standard patter for protagonists in hobbyist/sports anime.

Yet... The animation is so expressive that I think I'm actually on board for a second episode. I just feel like this is a showcase of how skilled, competently crafted animation can imbue things with life and make you care about them even if you normally would not. It just adds just enough spice in the mix for this to perhaps be enjoyable.

edited 5th Jan '18 1:44:02 PM by GabrieltheThird

What interests me (outside of the likeable characters) is more the fact that there seems to be something vaguely ressembling a plot in there.

My worst fear is that the show would spend a better part of its runtime on the member-gathering and drama associated with it instead, you know, actual adventuring. It happened with Hanayamata which dragged it down and apparently both series has the same director.

Yeah, I have the same worry. I'm hoping it isn't just ten episodes of member-gathering, then they finally set out, and the last mini-arc is just 'oh, right, there's no way we're finding my mother in this frozen hellscape, but... wow, look at the pretty scenery, I'm glad we came', and then ends.

Second episode was just wonderful. Hinata is a great addition to the crew, this ship is bursting with genki.

Yeah, Hinata is great. She's a good complement to Shirase's serious-doji and Kimari's kind of general enthusiasm.

Well, I fully expect Hinata end up the most popular character of the show

My take away from episode 2. Hinata is fun, looking like the fourth member of their little quartet is debuting in the next epiosde. And the translaters/typesetters on Crunchyroll's staff need to learn how to spell Sydney correctly.

It gets destroyed often enough in the Gundam franchise that you should get the name right.

This was perfect. I'm really glad they're actually taking the "Antarctica" part seriously and fleshing out character interactions from there. There are nice and funny little details too, like Kimari's punishment being "write absurdly complicated kanji a hundred times." Some of the more dynamic and musical parts actually reminded me of Your Name, somehow…

I might something to say about the weird absence of any Y chromosomes among the cast, but well, CGDCT oblige…

Oh yeah, I love this series already. What a interesting concept- Antarctica is such a fascinating place, and this series really builds up it's aura of mystery as the farthest end of the Earth.

I like the characters, especially Shirase, who's dedication and purity of purpose is really impressive.

As everyone said, I hope they don't spend too much time of preparing for the trip only to then cut the actual time in Antarctica short with some half-assed "getting here was what's important" warp-up.

In this season that is choke-full of things I'm interested in (for once) this one might be a surprise black horse.

I would say preparations are 90% of any expedition, so I wouldn't mind if anime mirrored that.

But I guess I can somehow relate to people who want see goal more that. way to it.

Episode 3: Now the main group is complete, and they got their ticket. Shirase also shows her more goofy side in this ep. I like Yuzuki slightly less than the other three, but she works in her own way.

It would be darkly hilarious if her last line in this ep was forshadowing and the show pulled a Made in Abyss halfway through.

PS: I should mentioned that I loved that long, completely silent shot near the end. It's also nice to have these kinds of pauses in such a hectic show.

edited 16th Jan '18 3:42:09 PM by Lyendith

Well, a depressed child star was not what I was expecting for the last member of the group. Made for a more down-beat episode than usual