A Place Further Than the Universe

Part of that is that Japanese is short on specific swear-words and long on impolite phrasing, and she does get pretty rude when she’s angry. It’s a valid Translation Convention.

That is true, but she's also not really the sort to go full-on keyboard mash fuckfuckfuckfufckfvuckfci mode, either. Maybe she is behind the scenes, but it doesn't really gel. It's definitely an interesting character exercise, though!

This is the end, my friends. God I'm gonna miss this series. And kudos to those who noticed the message in the outbox. They remained pretty evasive about Gin's feelings for Takako, but I guess it's fine this way too.

That final twist though.

Gah, it came out right when I'm leaving for class! So tempted to skip... Well, I'll be back in a couple of hours...

Finally caught up to the last few episodes of the show. It was a really well made show, thoroughly enjoyable. And that final scene. It had me grinning ear to ear. Such a perfect way to end the show.

Now that it has ended, this was the best anime if 2018. Nothing coming later is going to match it.

11/10 one of my anime of the decade

Calling it: Anime of the Year, no competitors. There's not going to be a better one.

Seriously, they stuck the landing twice! This was a wonderful episode! Perfect, really. I had a grin from ar to ear, start to finish. Especially with Megumi going to the arctic in the end.

Rare to find a series like this these days. This in going to my all-time favorites list, no questions asked. It's pretty much perfect.

Do people actually think auroras look like that? Because even the most spectacular aren't anywhere near that

Anyway, good episode, good show. I'd have liked a bit less time in Tokyo and a bit more time in antarctica, but it's still a definite highlight of the season

If I had a nitpick, I wish we had gotten a little more closure on Gin and Shirase. Like, did they meet again after Gin came back? How did their relationship evolve?

After the emotional climax of the previous episode we get this epilogue of sorts as the girls say goodby to Antarctic just as we are saying goodby to the show. And it's so fucking good. There was not a single scene this episode that I didn't love.Some of the highlights include. Shirase cutting her hair, all the wonderful speeches, The baseball game, the last message of Takako, the aurora, and the final twist.

What can I even say? This is as close to a perfect series as it gets. Anime of the year material for sure, can't even imagine what another series would have to do to top it. Right into my favorites folder. 11/10.

I'm so, so, so glad I picked it up pretty much on a whim, because the premise sounded kinda interesting, but didn't have much expectations coming in. Turns out that anime, like people, can surprise you, sometimes in a positive way.

You know, I'm genuinely amazed at this show. I came across it thanks to Gigguk's list for the season, and figured "hey, he's been pointing out some good anime recently, I'll give this one a try." I did not expect to come across one of my favorite anime ever. From start to end, every episode hit the right marks with barely any effort. I can honestly not remember the last time a show like this ended by making me want more. But while I really don't want there to be more, because this season was perfect by all metrics and needs no more to it, I don't want it to end either. I'm going to miss this show, enough to rewatch it once in a while. I'm not one for giving scores. I don't think enjoyment is something that can be expressed properly like that. And when something becomes this good, when they can land the right beats every episode with such excellence, I don't think there's a number I can quantify this with. This show fucking rocks. I love it.

(If anyone's interested, I hear the OST is out already. I'd strongly suggest getting the insert songs. I know I'm going to.)

Yeah, I would have liked to see more from Gin and Shirase too. Though I guess they'll have plenty of time to keep getting to know each other during the winter stay!

That said, I think they were pretty open about Gin and Takako's relationship, overall. Even during the baseball scene (softball?), the contrast between the crewman trying for Gin's affection and Takako are contrasted - subtly, but definitely - by showing that Takako could hit Gin's pitches.

^Winter stay shenanigans? Winter stay shenanigans?!

edited 27th Mar '18 5:30:59 PM by RedSavant

I could absolutely go for an OVA with that idea a few weeks from here.

Indeed. And that is awesome. I've been burned by several series that were good but failed to stick the landing, but to stick it not once but twice. Magnificent! It's definitely my anime of the season and has top spot in my anime of the year runnings. And that's a high bar to clear.

Since the companion manga is apparently has Shirase as the Po V character, maybe we’ll get her version of the epilogue at the end of the manga. After all, Mari’s the Po V character of the anime.

Also, if anyone wants to listen to them again, the insert songs that I could find:

One Step, from episode 8, if I'm not mistaken;

Sora wo Miagete, from episodes 2, 4 and 11;

Haru ka Tooku, from episodes 1, 3 and 9;

The Girls Are Alright!, the full OP;

Koko kara, Koko kara, the full ED.

Only one I've yet to find is the episode 12 song, whose name I forget. Anybody knows? I'll post it here when I find it.

EDIT: Aha, found it! You're no match for my powers of research, internet! Also, yeah, the song still packs a wallop.

It's Mata Ne, from episodes 5, 10, and, of course, 12.

edited 27th Mar '18 6:08:25 PM by TheLovecraftian

I know the feel. I got quite harshly burned by Princess Principal last year, so this is just delightful to see. It renews my hope in original anime, honestly.

edited 27th Mar '18 6:06:45 PM by TheLovecraftian

This series had one of the better head writers around, Jukki Hanada, who wrote the original Love Live season and 'adapted' (rewrote is more like it) Sound Euphonium S1 & S2, No Game No Life, Chuunibyou Demo Koi Ga Shitai S1, and Princess Jellyfish.

It would have been a serious let down if it wasn't good.

edited 27th Mar '18 6:14:54 PM by Memers

^It's funny you say that, because I actually disliked most of those named series. Princess Jellyfish in particular left an awful taste in my mouth with the fakeout ending. And the mass fakeout that was all of Euphonium...

Anyway, I wonder if we are getting an OVA in a few weeks. I know Yuru Camp is releasing one, and 13 episodes is more usually 13+1, but I don't think I've heard anything.

edited 27th Mar '18 6:31:43 PM by RedSavant

I will give ya Princess Jellyfish but the original Love Live was sooo good and the rewrite of Chuunibyou Demo Koi Ga Shitai added Dekomori and Touka and generally improved massively over the source material.

I mean, Dekomori and Touka were the only reasons season 1 was watchable sometimes, so yeah, that's very fair.

Anyway! Back to Yorimoi, anyone else get the feeling that the expedition was a lot gayer than initially thought? That woman with the glasses and short black hair is pretty much always shown with the discount Kaede (who was drunk in this episode), after all, and they seem pretty familiar with each other.

Yeah, pretty much. I think the only heterosexual people in the show are the guy who's interested in Gin and Yu-Kun's girlfriend. I find it nice that they barely let any of that come up with the main girls, though. Everything amongst them can be interpreted as platonic just fine. A pretty good contrast with some recent anime that can't stop themselves from teasing pairs out of every breathing character.

edited 27th Mar '18 7:30:33 PM by TheLovecraftian

Agreed. I'd rather see a show commit to it than tease with no payoff.

(That said, I'll take Shirase/Hinata to my grave.)

Yes. (To the ship as well.)

By the way, I spent the entire series wondering what was going to be the end purpose for Shirase's million yen. And wow, did the show deliver on that in the end. It's amazing how perfect that is, even though I never saw it coming.

I dunno, personally I thought it was kind of selfish to just leave a million yen behind in Antarctica when there were people who probably could have used it. I mean, I get the sentiment, but still...

edited 27th Mar '18 7:54:22 PM by KarkatTheDalek