Sora yori mo Tooi Basho

Mari Tamaki is a high school student who always wants to try new things, dreams of living her youth, and makes all sorts of plans for it, yet somehow never finds the courage to follow through. One day, while walking down the street, she comes across someone who has dropped a large amount of money, but she cannot reach them in time. Noticing from the uniform that they attend the same school, she begins searching for the person at school. When she finally finds them and returns the money, she learns that the girl's name is Shirase Kobuchizawa and listens to how Shirase intends to use the money and what she plans to do with it. Shirase's mother is an explorer who went to Antarctica, but she got lost on her last expedition. It is for this reason that Shirase is trying to go to Antarctica herself to find her mother. However, it is not that easy. Going to Antarctica is already very difficult both financially and in terms of physical conditions, making it nearly impossible for a high school student to get there. Shirase, however, does not care about any of this. This goal has become an obsession for her. As a result, she works part-time jobs to save money and searches for ways to make the trip. Deeply moved by all this effort, Mari decides to support her. Happy with this support, Shirase offers Mari to come along with her. Quite surprised by this offer, Mari realizes she has finally seized the opportunity for the life she had been dreaming of. She will experience an adventure and, most importantly, be able to achieve her goal of living her youth. Accepting the offer, Mari begins searching for ways to go to Antarctica together with Shirase. Later, with the addition of Hinata and Yuzuki, their equally funny, entertaining, and sincere adventures begin. Will these four friends be able to achieve their goal? What kind of difficulties await them?

Production

We see Atsuko Ishizuka serving as the series' director, a name well known to dedicated anime fans for also directing No Game No Life. The main character Mari Tamaki is voiced by Minari Inose, while Kana Hanazawa voices Shirase Kobuchizawa, Yuka Iguchi voices Hinata Miyake, and Saori Hayami—known for voicing Yumeko Jabami in Kakegurui—voices Yuzuki Shiraishi. You can access the promotion for the Kakegurui anime here and the promotion for No Game No Life here.

Review

I believe I would be speaking out of turn if I said this was the most sincere, simple, and entertaining anime of 2018. First, I must admit that while it was doubtful such a subject would even interest me, it is strange that this anime captured my attention to this degree. However, the characters are so cute and genuine that the series is worth watching for the character designs and dialogue alone. Furthermore, the subtext of “don't give up on your dreams and fight until the end,” which we usually see in shonen and sports series, appearing in such a different anime is one of the elements that makes this show valuable. I can say they did a wonderful job connecting these simple slices of daily life to a purpose. The fun, warm, and sincere interactions experienced while pursuing this goal, along with the well-placed comedy, add value to the anime. In short, it is an anime that leaves a smile on your face, contains sincerity, and allows you to have fun while watching; I definitely think it needs to be seen. Regardless of your age, it is one of the best series that both entertains and emphasizes the importance of dreams and youth.