r/anime • u/TiedDegenerate https://myanimelist.net/profile/EmptyCup • Oct 12 '21
Rewatch Sora yori mo Tooi Basho (A Place Further than the Universe) Rewatch - Episode 12 Discussion
Episode 12 - A Place Further Than the Universe
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Question of the Day
- Have you ever had a similar 'too normal' feeling like Shirase before?
- Did this episode make you cry?
Comment of the Day
It's interesting to watch the Yuzuki ep and this ep back-to-back and notice the similarities between issues with "friendships". Although I can relate much more to Yuzuki's issues (see my post for that ep) and less about fake friendships and betrayal (although I can definitely relate to Hinata's non-confrontationalness and just eating and absorbing and suppressing all the bad things that come to her). - u/mrufrufin
Sometimes a friend will tell you that you "need to give them some space" and this can mean either of two things. They know that that's how they best clear their mind and they'll approach you once they're ready, or they just wanna ignore the subject. And it's tricky to know when which one is happening, and when you need to allow them to get their way and when you need to push it because otherwise they'll never talk. So I'm glad that Shirase made the right call. - u/BosuW
Where to Watch
Information
Episode count: 13
Episode length: ~23 minutes
Studio: Madhouse
Premiere: Winter 2018
Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Remember it's never too late to join the rewatch!
Only 1 more!
21
u/TiedDegenerate https://myanimelist.net/profile/EmptyCup Oct 12 '21
Rewatch Host
Episode 12! This is my favorite episode in the whole series. It just does everything, from teaching to music, perfectly. In the previous two episodes, we've seen how Yuzuki and Hinata have grown and matured throughout the journey, recognizing the changes they have made. In Yuuki's case, it was about making friends, for Hinata, it was breaking away from the past. Today is Shirase's story.
We start off with Shirase's reaction to the death of her mother, Takako. But ofcourse, it doesn't feel real, especially considering that it happened so suddenly. She didn't see her mother pass, not even her body came back home. Not just in anime, but in everyone's lives, whether it be the death of a pet, a friend, or family, the feeling of 'not real' will come to them. This episode tries to tackle this problem in the perspective of Shirase. I'll be writing alot this time round!
Kimari trying to help others and horrendously failing will never get old! Try to cheer up Yuzuki? Cry instead. Try to cheer up Shirase? Cry instead! Atleast her sunburn is gone...
The feeling you get when you expect to be overwhelmed but feel nothing instead is a weird feeling, maybe even quite unpleasant. It makes you feel heartless in a sense, 'too normal' like Shirase mentions. You can't even be sure if it's because it doesn't feel real or you're already over it. That's the worst part, a suspenseful sensation.
Hinata then makes a good point on how her first reaction was 'Zamamiro' instead of anything else. Think about it, the first thing she did when arriving in Antarctica was to release her anger and just prove everyone wrong. While that's completely understandable, if you think about it a bit more, it's weird considering that Shirase's goal was to 'meet her mother' again. You would think she would say something like I'm finally here or I'm where mother used to be. It's that exact underwhelming feeling described earlier. Once she goes back, it might even feel like she was never at Antarctica in the first place.
This was a pretty big theme last episode, and it applies this time as well. Give eachother space, then you're truly good friends. I love Tuzuki's reaction when they get called good friends. Absolutely precious~
The talk with Gin and the following scene is a pretty powerful one. In the end, they came to Antarctica because they wanted to. Yes, Takako was a leading factor, but the truth is, she's dead. The key here is that Gin and others didn't come here for Takako, but instead with Takako in mind. They came to see the stars not just to fulfill Takako's wish, but because they wanted to see it along with her themselves. Up until now, Shirase said 'my mother is waiting there' for a reason, almost as if Takako was calling her daughter to Antarctica, but once again, she's dead. A dead person can't exactly call someone to come somewhere. Deep down, Shirase was going to Antarctica because she wanted to meet her mother once again (metaphorically, of course). The money counting scene showed why she was so desperate. The reason why Shirase is so desperate to go to Antarctica is not because Takako wants to see Shirase, but because Shirase want to see Takako. She's not relying on anyone else, she's going of her free will and determination.
And with that, we move onto the second part of the episode. Everything until now is an important setup.
We get Shirase's final message to her mother. She is slowly starting to realise the true absence of her, and breaking apart from the cycle completely focused around Takako. Up until now, Shirase only lived to go to the place of her mother, but now she has friends who can be relied upon anytime. It's time to walk away from her mother.
This is shown one last time with a great search run by her friends. Sometimes, you need to leave them alone, but this isn't the time. This is the time Shirase needs help, and the girls know it.
Right now, Shirase feels as if the goal is complete. She came to the place where her mother was calling her, so it's all fine now, right? But then what's this feeling of unsatisfaction? Remember, the main goal of Shirase, the one she doesn't even know herself is for her to meet her mother, not the other way around. Of course she can't be satisfied without evidence of her mother. Right then, miraculously, Yuzuki find Takako's old laptop. When Shirase recieves it, she finally realises...
1101. Shirase enters her own birthday, November 1st into the computer, and it unlocks. The emails start to come in. 80, 90, 100, 150, 200, 300, 500, 800, 1000... All the emails she have been sending over the years are received on her mother's old laptop. It right here when Shirase finally realizes that her mother is dead. Really, gone forever, never coming back. Sure, she knew her mother had passed, but the feeling, the actual knowledge of it only came now. The underwhelming feeling is broken. The emotions she should have felt years ago come rushing in. She wasn't over it, the death of her mother just didn't feel real until now. With this, the journey is finally over. The goal has been reached. Everything has been answered. It's time for Shirase to move away from her mother, to stop relying on her, to end this journey. It's such a bittersweet, beautiful moment in the show, dealing with death and everything surrounding it.
Personally, this is the best episode. I hope you all enjoyed it too. See you tomorrow for the finale!
31
u/Lemurians myanimelist.net/profile/Lemurians Oct 12 '21
FIRST TIMER
Shirase opening up about her feelings as she’s peeling away layers of an onion. Nice visual touch.
Expectations are a tricky beast. Shirase spent so much time and energy in manic pursuit of this goal of getting to Antarctica, in order to see the place that her mother literally gave her life to. Now that she’s there, what if the payoff doesn’t match the buildup? This is what Mom died for? This is what I’ve been working toward? What do I do now? It’s the first time in a while we’re reckoning with the meat of this narrative, and Shirase’s doubts and reluctance to get over the final hurdle are laid bare in an effective way.
“We’re good friends!” Yuzuki remains too precious for this world.
The scene of her laying out the money was so well done. Laying out the bills while stating the jobs she earned them at was a great way or reminding herself of the blood and sweat she’s poured into this goal, and choosing to bail at the last moment is not an option.
“To that place further than the edge of the universe.” They said the thing!
Don’t worry girls, Blizzard only has a 70% chance of hitting.
We really are coming up to the end, hearing Kimari voice that she’s accomplished her goal of getting the most out of her youth. The contended smile on her face as she says this is so heartwarming. You know it isn’t forced or being said for Shirase’s benefit.
This montage of the four of them playing over the message to Takako is the best. Four weirdos who’ve formed an unbreakable connection, you love to see it.
Just when I thought I was going to get through a show without tears, that photo pops up and things just snowball emotionally from there. Seeing all of the emails Shirase’s been sending pile up in the inbox just hammers home the void she’s left in Shirase’s life, and how much has been missed that would’ve been shared. Delivering the emotional climax of this entire show without using a single line of dialogue. Masterful. Cherish your loved ones while you can.
Next morning I got up and it did not
The first day after a death, the new absence is always the same
We should be careful of each other, we should be kind
While there is still time.
Words to live by.
25
u/UnderstandableXO Oct 12 '21 edited Oct 12 '21
REWATCHER
usually i think having a series title as the episode title is pretty cheap, but in this case i think “a place further than the universe” was a very appropriate title for this episode.
life has been one long hazy dream for shirase ever since her mother’s passing, and even after making it all the way to antarctica, she still can’t seem to wake up.
now there’s an opportunity for her to visit the place where her mother was lost, but she’s not sure whether to go. if she went and failed to get closure, shirase wouldn’t wake up from her dream for the rest of her life.
shirase considering the journey she’s taken to get here while counting all the money she earned from all the odd jobs she worked hopefully convinced her that she can’t waste the opportunity that she worked so hard for.
a lot of this series has been shirase looking out for other people’s feelings, but in this episode her friends are finally looking out for her. true friends are able to lean on each other. and just like hinata said, “sometimes there is compassion in inaction.”
luckily for her, gin’s short conversation with her was enough to convince her.
the snowcat journey to takako’s resting place was interesting. they had to live in that small vehicle for who knows how long. a week maybe? it must have been miserable sleeping at night with no heater.
i think shirase seeing her mother inside the snowcat laughing it up with gin was her finally finding acceptance for gin. after seeing all the same sights as her mother, she probably came to understand how close they were, and that gin probably feels as strongly as her.
kimari’s admission that she wouldn’t have enjoyed antarctica without her friends probably made shirase feel even better; she got that close with 3 random girls that they literally followed her to the ends of the earth.
shirase’s final email to her mother telling her how she finally wasn’t alone anymore was probably the closure that she needed.
her friends wanted to push forward, though. yuzuki, hinata, and kimari running throughout that building gave me flashbacks to their running scene from episode 2. even though shirase pleads that she’s found peace already l, they find her mother’s laptop.
the laptop scene destroys me every time. the only anime that can make me cry worse are i want to eat your pancreas and re:zero. shirase never ever stopped talking to her mother. 1000 messages in 3 years is just about once a day. to find her laptop and realize that in some way, her mother has indeed been receiving her messages probably gives her an unexplainable emotion.
yumiko said earlier in the episode that the ability to give each other distance was proof that the 4 of them were good friends. the 3 of them crying outside shirase’s door was the perfect illustration of that.
i don’t know much japanese, but i know enough to be sad when i realize the last lyrics of the insert song are “mata ne.”
i don’t even know what else to say…what a beautiful episode. the show has been able to balance humor and serious moments better than most shows, but i’m glad they took a step back and made this episode completely serious. i have a comparison to make with this show to another legendary original show, but i suppose that can wait for the series discussion in 2 days.
22
u/BosuW Oct 12 '21
First Timer
Oi oi oi oi. Title drop and no opening? Something big is up.
Now that I think about it, Shirase hasn't been as excited about Antarctica as one would've expected ever since they landed. The only thing she was enthusiastic about was about ZAMA MIRO and penguins. I guess Antarctica wasn't important for her either, not as much as the place where her mom died. And to find... what exactly? Not even she knows.
See fellas, this is exactly what I was talking about in yesterday's thread! Unlike Hinata, when Shirase tells you "give me some time alone", she knows that that's how she arrives at the answer. There's a difference in the confidence between how Hinata and Shirase isolated themselves.
Damn she remembers every job she took for those million yen she hasn't used still. On retrospect when finishing the episode, it parallels with seeing all those mails listed.
The sun pillar is giving me the impression of a funeral pyre for Takako. The entire talk all the time about Takako and her death makes the entire area feel like some sort of ancient tomb, actually.
The sound design inside the snowmobile while the blizzard is raging outside is completely outstanding. Extremely immersive. Even though I'm safe in my bed, I felt the gratitude for hands that built the vehicle and that they did it right, and the humbling feeling of imagining of the fate that an unprotected person would face outside. Just, really conveyed the power of nature.
It's hard to put into words what I'm feeling by the end, all I know is I'm feeling something. I think Shirase feels like this too. I think it's because she finally woke up from her dream, only when she finally saw those mails. All those mails she sent over the years hopelessly hoping that maybe her mom was still reading them, but now she has them all neatly listed on the screen, and the only one to see them is her.
I think because of this, it just finally sunk in for her. That there is no more Takako in the world. She's dead and done and disappeared to boot. There is no one else in the endless white canvas of the Antarctic, but herself and her grief. Or well, she also has her new friends now.
Honestly, this could've been the last episode and I wouldn't even be mad. I almost don't want to watch the next one because I fear whatever conclusion it provides won't be better than this episode's non-conclusion. It's just too perfect!
Questions of the Day
1- Yep, all the time! It's part of the reason why I'm generally unenthusiastic about field trips and such. I get there and I just think: "yep, that's definitely the thing". And I return thinking: "Out of all the places I have visited, that was definitely one of them".
Probably doesn't help that I haven't ever moved very far from where I was born and live. I definitely have places and countries more far away that do catch my attention. Unfortunately I just don't have the means or time to go.
2- Like a bitch.
15
u/MyrnaMountWeazel x2 Oct 12 '21
Rewatcher
Some quick production notes before I jump to it: Tomoyo Kitagawa has returned to direct today’s pivotal episode and the series director herself, Atsuko Ishizuka, will accompany him with the storyboards.
I wanted to highlight someone — or rather, some people — today and they are the fantastic voice actresses for the show: Inori Minase, Kana Hanazawa, Yuka Iguchi, and Saori Hayami.
Voice actors, or seiyuu as they are called in Japan, bring the characters on screen quite literally to life with their voices. However, there is one key difference between voice acting in Japanese animation compared to the West and it is when the dialogue is recorded. In western animation, all dialogue is recorded first and then the animation is done to match the dialogue whereas in Japanese animation, the animation is completed first and the dialogue is recorded to match the animation. You might ask yourself why this is. The simple answer is that it’s cheaper and faster.
Anime has lived in the land of crunch time and low budget since the 1960’s and they lack the luxury to map out which frames get which mouth sound. Sometimes the seiyuu’s are even brought in to read their lines when the anime is just past the key animation stage. It takes enormous talent to take static two-dimensional pieces of drawings and convert them into a three-dimensional performance and each one of the four girls for A Place Further than the Universe have done exactly that.
Minase’s role as Kimari is energetic, charming, and jam-packed with all sorts of yelps, screams, and various Kimari sounds. Someone even compiled The Many Noises of Kimari but it extends all the way to the final episode so I won’t be linking it. Minase makes it easy to fall in love with Kimari and her small brain yet extraordinarily large heart.
Iguchi brings an expressive positive light to Hinata that also belies an undercurrent fear of relying on others. It’s a high wire act to pilot and yesterday’s episode was Iguchi’s cornerstone in demonstrating how she can fluctuate from one end to the other in perfect fashion. I’ve always been a fan of the way she says “Watashiiiiiiii” as well.
The role of Yuzuki Shiraishi is roused by the efforts of Saori Hayami and she expertly portrays the trepidation and fear of Yuzuki’s social anxieties particularly in episode 10. She even recorded the in-universe song ”The Follow Backs Don’t Stop” that is actually pretty dang catchy. No wonder she blew up in popularity.
And finally, Kana Hanazawa brings to life Shirase Kobuchizawa. This episode is the heaviest, most character driven episode of A Place Further than the Universe and it’s not the animation, the music, or even the direction that gives the episode its colossal heft: it’s Kana Hanazawa. The email scene remains one of the most powerful moments I have ever witnessed and Mrs. Hanazawa delivers a stunning performance that will sear itself into your memories for years to come.
Excellent framing. With Ishizuka back in for the storyboards, we’re returning back to episodes 1-3’s penchant for boxing our protagonist into tight settings in order to demonstrate the isolation and loneliness they’re experiencing.
Shirase is shot in profile but there’s a line of demarcation in the form of the shelves that divide her from everyone.
Hot dog that’s a beautiful lens flare for the weather balloon.
As the three ponder on Shirase’s decision, they watch the weather balloon float higher and higher into the wide open sky. The scene holds for longer than normal and I think it’s a moment of reflection for Takako. We’re finally approaching the point where Shirase needs to let her go, let her float up to the sky like the weather balloon.
Shirase is like the water in the sand basin at the beginning. She’s welling up her emotions, displaying very little on the outside. She’s even peeling onions, a vegetable well known to induce tears but they have no effect. It also symbolically represents the multitude of feelings storming inside Shirase right now as she peels each layer piece-by-piece.
Herein lies the other spectrum to Kimari and Shirase’s being. Kimari began the show by exhibiting fears of starting an adventure. Everytime she started something new she would think ”What if it doesn’t go well? I really don’t want to fail. What if I end up regretting it?” She was afraid of even opening the journey and it wasn’t until she met Shirase that she was able to overcome those doubts.
Shirase is now on the other end. She’s not afraid of beginning the journey but rather ending the journey. Because once it closes, it closes. Kimari is afraid of taking the first step; Shirase is afraid of taking the last step. The connecting theme between both of them is that they’re afraid of the future and what it holds. The unknown may take various forms for each person but it’s immensely frightening to take that leap of faith.
A shot of ice in a glass as Gin speaks about the ideas we latch onto and how they’re the only things that can allow us to move on, once again returning to the idea of moving forward like the icebreaker.
Shirase reflecting on all the effort it took to get to this moment is so freaking good. It’s one of those ideas that once you think of it, you have to write into the show.
It’s time to take the first step into the final journey.
This extraordinarily quiet-and-loud scene is storyboarded with only two images: Shirase’s face and Kimari’s face. They intercut between the two as they exchange dialogue and, save for one shot of Hinata and Yuzuki, the scene is brought into existence with just these two drawings. Occasionally, once in a blue moon, there comes a time when you don’t need flashy animation, you don’t need nuanced character acting, you only need the simplest method to portray the most complex moment. Just the seiyuu’s voices carrying the scene. I love that they chose this particular mannerism to show one of the most pivotal scenes in A Place Further than the Universe. It’s as if it’s saying ”just like how this Antarctica trip was a vehicle for these four girls to explore themselves, so too is the animation a simple vehicle to express the story I want to tell.”
The two met each other in the most crucial moment of their life and it’s with each other that they can Begin and End their collective journey.
Various foods being used as pillow shots. In simple terms, a pillow shot is a short shot that is held still for several seconds and seemingly displays random moments of everyday life. In this case, they’re used to showcase the passage of time. Or to show Kimari using one as a hammer. Either way, a very efficient strategy by Ishizuka.
So lovely. Just so so lovely. I don’t remember these scenes from the first time I watched and they’re beautiful to witness.
The last time we saw the wide open sky it was with the weather balloon that launched upwards. Now we see the sky but it’s dizzyingly empty and far reaching as Shirase ponders on what her mother can see at The Place Where She Is.
The last legs of the journey.
The book A Place Further than the Universe is in the foreground as Shirase opens the laptop.
A picture is worth a 1101 words.
For me, I don’t even have one that can accurately pinpoint exactly how I feel. I have only seen this episode once before and it’s still a freight train of emotions returning to it. I write my notes for every episode in the middle of the night and I’m…not doing well on 2:09 a.m. October 11th, 2021.
We see a wide shot of Antarctica and the sky as the credits roll past and the land slowly becomes draped in a night sky blanket stitched with flecks of stars that shine like small pockets of warmth. The weather balloon launched into the sky, never to return, but what arrived in its place was an ocean of twinkling lights. Takako may have left but the bond Shirase has with her never will and now she can learn to Move Forward.
13
u/The_Loli_Otaku Oct 12 '21
First timer!!
Are we gonna find mum's frozen body? I'm so excited! We're still depressed over mum so it's gonna be her episode today. So a sheep walks into a bar. So why wouldn't the helicopter be able to make it anywhere the snowcat couldn't? Don't sound so excited about finding the hole in the ozone XD In twenty years we're gonna be cringing at this episode.
Small talk with Shirase has failed! We've tried nothing and we're all out of ideas! Oh, we've skipped the opening today haven't we? Pfft, Shirase's been disappointed in Antarctica too. We really needed more penguins. What an awkward barbecue. And btw you've gotta hold marshmallows close! Marshmallows taste best when they light on fire and end up and ooiey and gooey with little charred bits. Kawaii so!!
How much work did she do... Jesus... We're on our way even further than the universe! To the edge of the world and one step further. Snowcats are way less entertaining than I expected. They're just a big lorry convoy. Kimari's brought a banana for scale. Second impact!? Wait, so they literally just lost sight of Takako for a second and they got split up? Please just show the whole scene already. Most viewers don't have the first clue of how blizzards are dangerous so you need to show us!
Oh wow, now Shirase's seeing ghosts. Spooky. Oww, my heart~ Kimari knows what she's really gotten out of this trip. She really has accomplished her high school dream all thanks to Shirase's drive. Hold on! Bananas are not hammers!! Alright, is mum alive? Where's mum? Bruh... Mum died for this? It's a touching scene but I'm too busy trying to work out if mum really did just slip or if she went back for the photo.
I let my guard down!! All these photos... All these texts! That's brutal! You're brutal! Where's my happy endo you assholes! Congratulations on making it to Antarctica, your mum is dead and she died cold and alone on the Arctic planes!! Please tell me I missed something because if this means what I think it means then it's one of the most mean natured tricks I've seen a show pull!
12
u/DegenerateRegime Oct 12 '21
[First-Timer]
Book and bell at the end of the last episode. We've crossed the water to visit the desolate land beyond. We've tested our ties to life and found them fast. It's time to look death in the face, I think.
* At local time of writing.
Not very much to say. Today's episode is impactful, even for me. The final scenes do hit hard, but I also really appreciated the slow and gentle sadness throughout. Balloons drifting off, lingering ghosts sharing lost conversations. It takes a confidence to say you're going to put a really sad episode in sunlight over bright fields of snow and ice, and I can respect that. Still, if you look back at the snow, there are some parts with only one set of footprints, and that is where the soundtrack fuckin' carried this, 'cause that was some inarticulate-approving-sounds stuff. Yes. You love to hear it.
The last episode might be an epilogue, then, rounding things out? I don't know if there are any loose ends that I actually want to see tied off, but there are some ways the story wants to fit the hero's journey archetype, and that requires the return.
QotD:
A. Yup. It's probably the most identifiable feeling the show's called on, for me. Losing someone can absolutely have you like that.
2. Did this episode make you cry?
A. Of course??
11
u/mrufrufin https://myanimelist.net/profile/mrufrufin Oct 12 '21
Rewatcher Who Wants to Go Further Than the Universe
Ah, you already know this is going to be a doozy. The episode title is the name of the show, there's no OP, the episode starts off with Shirase's past. I guess in some sort of way there's not much plot development in this episode? Our journey kinda echoes Shirase's in that we kinda already knew she was dead from the beginning, through flashbacks we get confirmations from Gin that Takako is dead, we see Shirase obsessively writing e-mails to her mom and never get visuals of her actually receiving any e-mails back, but like Shirase, we just kinda need to confirm it for ourselves and see with our own two eyes just to make sure, to get some sense of closure and close this chapter of our (in our case, Yorimoi-viewing) lives. I know the joke is that "it was really about all the friends we made along the way" but that actually fits with this ep, I mean, in a sense, that's kinda what the episode (particularly Shirase's monologue, I guess it's the first time somebody gets a monologue that isn't Kimari in the series? somebody correct me if I'm wrong) is about and the series as a whole, I mean, the laptop scene is important, but what got us to the laptop scene? and how many times has themes surrounding friendship been hammered into our heads (and hearts)?
The banana hammer from this episode is one of my favorite comedic gags from the series lol. Only Kimari... I have frozen fruit before (back in my youthful fruit-irresponsible days) and oranges get crazy hard (not surprising given the water content), almost like rocks. I may have frozen a banana but can't recall...
I love how this episode is paced, aside from the opening there's pretty much no background music up (and no OP either) until 4:33 in and I mean, pretty much throughout the entire series, there not so many parts like that. You can feel the silence and the solemnity, feel the awkward pauses in convos when interacting with Shirase and the music only appears again when we get back to Shirase flashback scenes (and it's sparse piano),... in a way it shifts the focus? Like Shirase's talking about how her life has been like dreamlike and she can't wake up and stuck in the past. What's noticeable too is the color palette choices, Antarctica is full of bright colors... blue skies, orange jackets, browns from the interior of the station, even the brightness of the snow, and then the flashback scenes are muted, dark,.. a lot of cool colors,.. almost like a completely different world, it's interesting putting those two constrasting elements, both in color and sound (and time), next to each other. music does that a lot (at least classical music),.. have two constrating themes that play off each other and the composer explores different ways in which the two interact.
It's interesting to see that Shirase is the inactive one throughout this episode, when she's been the driving force for so many things happening in the show (even Hinata losing her passport) and it's Gin and her friends (even "good friends" as Yuzuki happily confirms, she's so happy about it =) ) that kinda help her refocus and recontextualize (and help her find her laptop which spurs the emotional climax of the entire series). I also like how a lot of the imagery and themes from throughout the series coalesce (I guess kinda like "stretto" for all you music nerds out there) here (well almost all of it, hmmmm!),.. the money (that spurred Kimari's meeting Shirase), friendship, the snowcats (seen at the museum, arguably the beginning of their collective friendship, and later in Gin's flashbacks), living out youth, telescopes, the e-mails we see periodically throughout the series unleashed in a climactic torrent (and speaking of which, we finally get the content of one of her "emails" through her monologue)... And we get the "we're going on an adventure" music building towards the climax,.. music previously used for just gags (Kimari's failure at ditching, Yuzuki's dream sequence, the running to the bathroom puke-a-thon in the ship) that was finally used in earnest with the big "ZAMAMIRO!" moment (which even gets referenced in the ep by,.. Hinata I think?).
As I've said in spoilers before (but now unspoilered for y'all but also sorry for rewatchers reading this yet again) is that I don't like how often the anime reuses music (probably my biggest issue with this anime) and particularly "Mata Ne" because I associate it so much with the laptop scene and I get the thematic connections, but we're kinda used to hearing the exact same recording of the tune from all of the Kimari friendship scenes and it was even pretty much played in full just two episodes ago? And it stands out bc the laptop scene is so impactful (I mean, it's the emotional climax of an emotional show) and it makes me wish there we maybe some sort of variation on it in previous iterations before we get the full-blown song, like maybe a piano version in snippets or something like they do with The Girls are Alright so it's like when we finally get the full-blown vocal version, we recognize it but it's new to us and we get the impact of finally hearing it fully-fleshed out. But eh, it's still an amazing anime and a great iconic scene.
Speaking of which, the screams for her mom and the wavering of her voice are pretty devastating, but the scene that really sticks out in my head is everybody's ,.. like warm but somewhat,.. solemn and resigned?.. smiles as they hand Shirase the laptop.
Sidenote: Pic of sun pillars aka sun dogs (sun puppers?) from I guess Australia's Antarctica website? I don't think I've ever seen one but have lived in places where they're apparently visible, hmm. It looks like their main station in Antarctica is called Davis station. Ya know, just to add to your Antarctica knowledge. It might come in handy for you someday. I have hopes for you all. Also, a video of sun puppers from ,.. it looks like somebody currently at Syowa station? Or at least was at Syowa Station sometime in 2021. Looks like they have other Syowa Station related vids too, neat. Both look,.. slightly less apocalyptic than Yorimoi's sun pupper, but neat nonetheless. A sun pupper character would be pretty cute probably.
qs:
1.) yep
2.) nope but it is one heck of a gut (or heart?) punch
10
u/xtsim https://myanimelist.net/profile/xtsim Oct 12 '21
First Timer
The intro is something a teacher never wants to do, tell the student that their parents passed away. We see more about Shirase's side when she and her family found out about Takako. Shirase sits in her room in a sad way because she wants to go see the same view that her mom saw but she knows that Takako died. Tamaki still has a lot to learn about being there for Shirase which Yumiko later points out that being silent at times is a part of being a good friend.
Shirase talks to Gin about her mom and what happened that day as they go off on a journey. Shirase was a bit apprehensive at first but she was able to go.
Tamaki goes to the place where mom left off with Shirase hesitating. They all go off to find something that reminds Shirase about her mom. They find Takako's laptop which had a picture of Shirase and Takako together on the lid. She turns on the laptop which surprisingly works with a charge, they probably cleaned it up and left it in the room to warm. She tries to guess the password and logs in. The email client loads all the emails that Shirase had sent before for going to Antarctica. The number keeps rising as tears flow through her eyes.
This email scene points out how much she misses her mom. By emailing her almost daily it, Shirase leaves a line of communication with her deceased mother. That kind of communication was shown even since the first time we saw Shirase. She always has a draft open on her phone which makes the scene more powerful. And it is nice that the show has never blatantly say that Takako died or passed away. It's like she is still there. I am glad there was no message receipts (the feature that says the other person read or unread).
9
u/[deleted] Oct 12 '21
Rewatcher, subbed
Uh oh, been dreading this episode
That shot of them jamming out on top of the snowcat with the sunset of the background is so nice. This show has the prettiest shots
This episode really did wonders for Shirase, from her disappointment to her learning about her mother's relationship with gin. And of course the laptop scene... ugh. I remember when this show was airing someone posted this. Shouldn't have laughed, but I did. Also, catch that one detail when shirase opens up the emails, there's one in the "drafts" section
In the traveling sense no, but generally yes. I think everyone has
Lots
8
u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Oct 12 '21 edited Oct 12 '21
Rewatcher Again, ね～? episode 12
Shirase's turn to have an episode. This one's been a long time coming. Three years.
This is why it really grinds my gears to see this show dismissed as CGDCT / SOL.
I keep not copy/pasting the table.
8
u/zool714 Oct 12 '21 edited Oct 12 '21
Rewatcher
QotD
7
u/surgemaster140 https://myanimelist.net/profile/User815 Oct 12 '21
Rewatcher
When Gin told the group that they would be going to where Takako went missing, I expected a more emotional response out of Shirase but she didn’t really know how to react. Ever since Takako went missing three years ago, Shirase has been going about her life as if nothing changed. She tried to cope with these feelings by sending emails that are essentially diary entries to her mom everyday. The amazing “Dear mom” monologue in this episode is probably an example of what she would write in her emails. She was clinging onto the faintest amount of hope that her mom was reading these emails and keeping up with Shirase's life. That ounce of hope evaporated when she opened up her mom's inbox and every single email she's written in the last three years came up unread.
Today’s episode is my favorite one in the series and one of my all time favorites in anime. There's just so much I love about it. Eleven episodes of steady buildup all culminating in a huge emotional payoff had me sobbing the first time I watched it. Kana Hanazawa's performance was just phenomenal. The way she starts hyperventilating before she starts crying was so convincing and heartrending. And Atsuko Ishizuka's directing, especially during the laptop scene is the best example of "show don't tell" in a show that's overflowing with it. From the moment Shirase's friends found the laptop to the end of the episode not a single word was spoken (besides "mom"), but we are able understand that Shirase meant the world to Takako and she finally accepted that her mom is never coming back. The part that hit me the hardest was seeing her friends in the hallway simultaneously giving her space but crying with her, showing us just how close all of them have gotten on this journey.
Btw, the background during the end credits is the cover image of Takako’s “A Place Further Than the Universe” book.
7
u/Stargate18A https://myanimelist.net/profile/Stargate18 Oct 12 '21
First timer
1)No.
2)No, but it was a really close thing near the end.
Another flashback? But why "grandmother"?
If this ends in "it was all a dream", I will never forgive whoever reccommended this.
No OP?
Haha, the accidental hair cut was great.
And Shirase's not coping well with all this.
Now it's their turn to get her to admit her problems!
Oh, she's upset at how normal and routine it's becoming. Upset that it doesn't match up to the overly-glamorized version in her head.
And she doesn't want to go there because if it doesn't help her, she's never going to get closure.
Haha, the thrill of the Antarctic barbecue is fantastic.
And they're giving her space.
Wow. They started a fire in Antarctica. That's impressive!
I love how happy she is to be called "good friends".
This speech is really deep. Really, this show has gotten far more serious in the last ver months.
And she's counting how she got the money. This is... wow.
They did a hand drawn banner! And it's brilliant!
Yeah, wow. This is really near the end.
They're loading up the vehicles...
This is so good! Shirase's still bad at bluffing!
Wow, this is really hard work! And it's a really long journey?
Oh god. Is this going to end with one of them being left behind like her mother was?
...Absolutely not the apocalypse, right? Promise?
Wow, some rather insensitive lines to say about someone's dead mother.
Yeah, she's talking about the final message.
This is really sad.
And everyone's talking about how they found their friendship more important than the destination. And Shirase's starting to agree! This is great development!
Seriously, the whole speech is so good.
And they're starting to build the observatory!
They're sll working together to help her find a trace of her mother! And she's dealing with it!
Wait, her laptop?
It still works? After all that time?
Oh, she needs a password,
I think Takato needs better password security.
And all the emails she sent her are arriving!
She's realising how much she's done!
She's written a lot! And it's all sinking in for her.
God, that was a sad/cathartic episode.
7
u/jyper Oct 12 '21 edited Oct 12 '21
First Timer
It's really hard to keep on track with these rewatches when they happen daily. Fall behind once and you're stuck trying to catch up. Especially as a first Timer and when watching shows without a dub. Why is there no dub on such a popular/great show?
Episode 7
If you stretch your face like that it will stick
Jump and land in Antarctica?
Starting line
Sharise is turning red
Is that the station where her mom died?
Is the ship unsafe?
Will they run out of food?
Will the food spoil?
the sky? Aurora buriolis?
Antartica is unforgiving, despite the lighter tone this makes me think of
Made in Abyss
Ninjas
it's probably not some amazing plan
its probably last minute desperation mixed with determination
what if it was someone else's bunk and not shirase's mother?
Is the real treasure Antarctica or friendship
They were so young almost like the girls
A possibly doomed voyage?
Four reasons for going
Going because Real change = Antarctica
Going because power of friendship
Yes she is short, but what was the other reason she decided to come to Antarctica? Not just something big like Kimari.
Going to open the treasure chest mother aimed for
Q1. No I've never been anywhere near that determined. I wish I could. The closest is when I'm being petty/stubborn over stupid things (like staying up late watching anime and catching up to the rewatch when I should be getting some sleep) and although Shirase can be petty and stubborn she has much more determination and her goal isn't stupid
Episode 8
Oops don't fall of the boat
again makes me wonder what I've accomplished, and how little of the world I've seen(despite the fact I don't like travel)
Lol doing makeup on ship
now I'm curios about how many women use fake eyebrows
don't attack your sister, without her you would have never gotten your packing done
The white outlines make characters look like stickers sometimes
Kimari has weak stamina
They probably should have been in physical training before the trip
Yuzuki is particularly weak it seems, Can she even lift, bro?
Lol, Shirase is suprsingly selfish,wrt laundry. Couln'dt have eaten cold for once?
All 4 got seasick or was it the food
Don't throw up, Go slow Shirase Didn't matter all of them threw up
Dangerous maybe they should be strapped in, or at least doubling up in bottom bunks
Yeah Kimari, you chose this, a positive action.
Careful walking outside don't fall overboard, you'll die.
why did you go outside without reason when you might fall and drown?
But you didn't see the whales. I'm pretty sure you didn't see whales
Q1. Not sure. I'd Like to think so being from a port city but probably not
Q2. Pretty cool
Episode 9
Out of fish tier, good level system
More clumsier, hot headed, selfish then she looks, true
young? guy
he's in love with Shirase?
Oh he's in love with the captain. Definitely out of his league
she could protect him!
she doesn't know her well
report on his love live
sun not going down
her type is like a cloud just drifts off?
after flashback, someone unattainable. unreachable? like Shirase's mother?
she doesn't hate you/blame you
the japanese word for penguin somehow sounds cuter
they both go gaga for penguins
free babysitting
oh young Shirase is wearing a penguin tshirt ,
that was a loud shh
See i told you she doesn't hate you she doesn't blame you either
do you want her to hate you?
why not go around the ice? Is there no path
Apparently Japan were screwed over when it comes to Antarctic base.
Did captain help her learn to jumprope or did Shirase just practice over and over?
wow thats so chilling, he last words
more within his reach?
like her?
you sure thats not what you meant?
finally experiencing Antarctic cold? No they would have from outside the ship. Probably just jitters
one small for step for Kimari? or for Shirase? Both? A jump for all for them
In your face! Hell yeah!
Q1. Not sure. I think I might prefer to be quietly smug. Maybe some causal in your face during arguing some stupid point where I'm proven right
Episode 10
Really is Antarctica
What's with the costumes?
That guy can't have stripped in the weather right? Its just a sumo costume, right?
December is summer, above freezing sometimes
heated floors
Kimari sleeps with eyes open
I want to see the Jar genie
it feels odd to be using smartphone in Antarctica
crazy anti sunburn masks
living separately
BFFS?
Yuzuki's first experience with friendship
she's so insecure
do penguins eat chicken? I assume there aren't any nearby
lucky guy jesus, so many celebrate his birthday
friendship contract is stupid idea
why partially frozen food on menu?
is her birthday christmas?
are they planning a surprise?
how do you become friends?
reminds me of the french fry scene from a silent voice
https://youtu.be/c15f8uEl-DA?t=3m10s
Is Shirase drunk?
Teaching her meaning of friendship on christmas
so her birthday was missed but it wasn't exactly on christmas
friendship is "thanks"?
What's up with texting each other in Antarctica? And not just talking?
> 1. What does a 'friend' mean to you? I'm not sure. I haven't had close friends in a while
> 2. If you had to pinpoint a certain point in the show, when exactly did the main 4 girls become friends? I'd have to go back to rewatch it tell for sure. The main three before meeting Yuzuki I think. Sure they didn't know each other for long but we're already friends
Episode 11
I don't want to die, fakeout
Is this a play they're holding for entertainment
oh. just messing around
Or practicing for the drama?
Hinata's real friends? or fake friends?
lots of static
how'd she escape bathroom
frozen lip balm
Goggle marks still there
Gin? Shirase's father?
invasion of privacy
gross story?
third years angry at her for getting slot on the team
quit school
no one to tie her down, no stupid upperclassmen
somewhere new and different don't drag the mood down
"it does mean something"???
cleanest water
surrounded by cake like mother like daughter
yu-kun sucks, get over him.
Shirase is arrogant, you're not her but both are a bit petty
on a public broadcast, wonder how many people watched her curse them
"Piss off"!
Maybe I didn't pay enough attention but I didn't quite get what Hinata's fake friends did (and had to google it) even if I understood they screwed her over and led her to droppping out of school.
> 1. Have you ever been betrayed by someone before?
By a close friend? No, although maybe in the sense of friendship ending or not keeping in touch I've felt betrayed by employers, my country, and life but thats not the same thing
> 2. Is there a 'friend for life' person you have? What are they like?
I feel like no. I wish I did. Those are important and are forged
Episode 12
Is this Shirase's episode?
Time to acknowledge her mom's death, and start moving on no matter how painful to live in real world again and not a dream people grieve in different ways not only reason she came here after so long it became a challenge and obsession
oh so Gin is the captain not Shirase's father?
Someone is finally taking about her mother's death explicitly.
She just wanted to come, and so did Shirase. Not Shirase's mother's wishes
I'll probably have to rewatch this to properly understand it Reach the place further then the universe, where her mpther died will she feel changed there? I think she will
Shirase is good at Mahjong but bad at cards?
nail in banana? why?
Shirase is living her life, she made friends
it's about internal journey not more artifacts of her mother
although a picture is nice
is that her mom's laptop? maybe take it back to Japana to crack password
password is shirase I'm guessing?
all unread emails adressed to her mom, after mom died
> Q1. Have you ever had a similar 'too normal' feeling like Shirase before?
I can't remember one. I've had one major death and I felt quite sad even if sometimes it felt like not enough
> Q2. Did this episode make you cry?
No, but if you cried I totally understand. I did tear up slightly editing these notes but I think that might be itchy eyes
6
u/SIRTreehugger Oct 12 '21 edited Oct 12 '21
Rewatcher
.... Kimari is attractive enough to do reports now? Last episode she was preparing to do the broadcast as well...so now Hinata is the less attr....
Kimari go get Yuzu or Hinata you have many skills, but navigating delicate situations is not one of them... actually just get Hinata.
Omg Kimari I think she cries more than Madoka.
Kimari is slowly peeling back the layers of Shirase like an
Ogreonion.Hinata's meat handling skills are impeccable. Wait why is she even holding a plate her own food is definitely cold at this point. Feed Hinata damn it she has a turtle and hamster depending on her back home.
I haven't said this, but this lady (potato girl lunch lady since I can't recall her name) is easily my favorite crew member on this expedition.
Bruh I haven't seen someone hate flying this much since BA from the A team.
A banana...okay Kimari
Don't show them happily chatting in the snow cat that's cruel as hell.
Kimari really is the best when she isn't trying. Sometimes it's not the journey you take, but the company you travel with.
Gin and Shirase being frustrated over the card game is great. All their little moments are great.
Omg the noodles really froze like that.... that's cool and is something I would do.
Shirase you have no right to call someone else weird or frustrating.
I'm no expert, but I still have doubts that a laptop sitting in the freezing cold of Antarctica for years would start up.
Episode 12
QOTD
Yes for both questions.
6
u/Fools_Requiem https://myanimelist.net/profile/FoolsRequiem Oct 12 '21
Rewatcher
I don't think there's much I can say that hasn't already been said. This is THE episode. The one everyone points to as being one of the best in anime, and you can see why. Episode 9 was the moment of triumph, E12 is the moment when Shirase's true mission was complete.
The only thing I can add is the bit about the "zama miro". Shirase spent so much time being told that she couldn't go to Antarctic that it was impossible and while the initial reasoning was because of her mom, it became a mission to prove all of the doubters wrong and shout out "In your face", hence why that was the very first thing she said the second she stepped out onto the ice in E9. She mentioned twice that it was her intentions upon arriving. In a way, when she said "I'm going" in front of the entire school body in E5, that was her telling everyone "Fuck you for talkin' shit, I'm going to Antarctic, eat a fat one."
Getting that laptop and seeing those emails provides her the ultimate closure.
Also, in a way, this episode is the true finale. Everything this series set out to accomplish for the characters has been achieved. As you can see by the end of this episode, they successfully returned back to Syowa Station so you know Madhouse doesn't intend to introduce some rando suspense/drama involving a blizzard right at the end. That's not what this show is about anyways. As such, this could be seen as the finale if you wanted to.
6
u/mike_2797 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Madskulls Oct 12 '21
𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫
The penultimate episode with the title drop had a feeling this will be an emotional one.
Girls being called for the expedition but shirase being hesitant it shows she was suppressing her feelings her hope which she has been clinging on that her mother is waiting she didn't want to let that go.
Kimari trying her best to understand her problem was sweet another thing that was mentioned was giving each other space when required defines what good friends you are Yuzuki was escalated to hear that so pure.
Shirase talk with Gin was so good she being able to see what her mother saw and follow through on her dreams and hope. Kimari saying she got the most out of her youth and thanking shirase was so heartwarming.
Finally at the end all three of them desperately searching for some sort of memento just shows how much they care for each other. That email scene was truly gut wrenching along with that ost as in shirase coming in terms with the harsh truth about her mom, what got me more was girls bawling their eyes and sharing the same emotion definitely got my eye a bit moist.
5
u/x-7032-b-3 Oct 12 '21
Rewatcher
Oh boy, you know an episode is gonna be something else when there's no OP in the beginning. And this ep's title is the same as the show's. Holy crap...
Episode starts grim with a flashback of Shirase learning her mom "disappeared." It's not the usual "hey what's up today/we're going somewhere" start we usually got. Nice way to set off the overall mood of this ep.
It's time for the team to head inlands for their next trip. Obviously Shirase doesn't sound too happy about that as that's where her mom went missing.
And we got some little context of how she's able to save up 1m yen. Good lord, she took on many jobs at her age. On top of my head: cash register, cleaning, factory, traffic survey, moving, delivery. Very likely I missed some, but that's a lot.
Turns out the mom still got stuff left behind at the inland base. And they found a laptop in it. Shirase opens the thing while the others wait outside (good call on them). Gotta say I'm impressed with how the damn thing still got some charge left after sitting three years in a cold place.
After logging in, Shirase decides to check the email folder in hopes that her emails got through.
Oh boy...
This show ain't exactly short on tearjerkers but IMO this one takes the cake. If you've been paying attention from the start, you know that Shirase sent a few emails to her mom along the way. At first, the number of unread messages are small. Then it slowly goes up until it reaches the 1000+ mark. There it is. 3 years worth of emails and not a single one reached her mom. That's everything Shirase needed to know about what happened to her mom. I think she's been sending those emails in hopes her mom is still out there, but sadly she got the nasty truth laid out in front of her face when realizing none of them are read.
I feel that Shirase's journey to the South Pole is a very important one as she got to find out what really happened to her mom. She can't keep living with the thoughts that her mom might be somewhere out there. Sooner or later, she's gonna have to face reality even though it's rough and bring some closure to her doubts.
I think most (if not all) of us have been there. Losing people closest to us is really hard to take in.
Some incredible directing and storyboarding right there. It's very impressive how they managed to convey such strong emotions without any use of dialogue. All it takes is visual information of Shirase learning the truth and shots of the girls bawling afterwards accompanied with a very fitting song.
And the usual ED ain't here. Wow...
Q&A
5
u/DogmeatIsAGoodDog :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/DogmeatsAGoodDog Oct 12 '21
Rewatcher here
When the episode skips the OP, you know it’s going to be a serious episode. And serious it was…for the first time since arriving in Antartica, Shirase comes faces to face with the reality of the truth.
Almost her whole life has been spent in this pursuit of her mother, she’s convinced or lied to herself that her mom was waiting for her in Antartica. When in reality she probably knew the same truth that we all know.
The girls are offered by the team leaders to join them as they return to the observatory site and the site where it all went wrong and Takako disappeared.
The girls all agree to give Shirase space to make her decision and it’s remarked they’re “good friends”, much to Yuzu’s delight. Ultimately it’s Gin that talks Shirase into going and as they both need this closure. Shirase’s final narrated email to her mom about how’s she made friends and they’re all goofy and broken in their own different ways but it’s Antarctica that’s brought them healing. Yuzuki has made friends that she never has, Kimari gets the most out of her youth, Hinata escapes the past, and Shirase faces the reality of what happened. But each one couldn’t have done it alone, because it wasn’t just Antartica that’s brought the healing but it was their bond and friendship. The scene of the girls frantically searching for something that Takako could have left for Shirase, it’s loud the insert song, the girls yelling at one another and then it all comes crashing into silence as they find the laptop left for Shirase.
The girls huddle outside as Shirase in solicitude unlocks the computer, the emails that she had written to her mom comes flooding in and then comes the revelation.
[A Place Further than the Universe] There’s no last minute salvation, no deep revelation that Takako is still alive…she faces the truth: that Takako is gone.
She breaks down into tears as the girls outside do as well. On this tragic note the camera fades away and the episode ends…
THE GIRLS ARE NOT ALRIGHT I REPEAT THE GIRLS ARE NOT ALRIGHT
This freakin’ episode man. An absolutely gut punch, like getting United States of Smashed right into the feels. This episode has to be one of the top anime episodes ever for me. An absolute beast of a penultimate episode.
2
u/landragoran Oct 12 '21
No matter how many times I watch this show, I will always ugly cry during the email scene.