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42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A love story that transcends time and space..., September 21, 2004
This review is from: Voices of a Distant Star (DVD)
For those who say this is eye candy - well, they're absolutely right, but to say it's just that - well, they couldn't be more wrong. "Voices of a Distant Star" is a short 30 minute animation by Makoto Shinkai that uses both 3D and traditional drawings. And while the graphics are visually stunning with otherworldly effects that will keep you captivated, it's the story that did it for me. Although I do wish this film had been longer to give us viewers more insight on the depth and history of their friendship/relationship, quality rules over quantity here and you can't help but feel the strong connection they have for one another right from the start...
Nuboro and Mikako had hopes of attending the same high school together but when a strange alien force threatens the human race, Mikako gives in to her fascinations with the sky above and decides to become a pilot for the UN Forces to help save mankind. But in doing so she was forced to leave behind the one person she cared about more than anything: Nuboro. Their only means of communicating is through text messaging but the further Mikako goes out to space, the longer the messages take to reach him (1 month, 1 year, 8 years...) as he grows older and she remains young.
There's of course a sprinkle of battle scenes here and there with sci-fi imagery but "Voices of a Distant Star" mostly relies on emotional impacts to keep one entranced and Makoto has done that with misty-eyed perfection. In short, this is a breathtaking anime about one couple's heart-wrenching struggles and how they deal with being apart. It shows that no matter the distance, true love can withstand the test of time, despite how difficult it may be.
{This DVD also includes the independently produced "She and Her Cat" which won Makoto several awards}.
LOVE IS FOREVER
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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An epic love story, in under 30 minutes...., July 23, 2003
This review is from: Voices of a Distant Star (DVD)
If you were ever looking for an anime that could be used as an introduction to the world of Japanese animation, look no further than Voices of a Distant Star. I will not give away too much of the story other than the basic plot of the movie. First off, if you are looking or a big mech fighting melee, look somewhere else. Not to say that there isn't any of that, it is primarily a love story about two people torn apart by war. This film has just the right amount of mech fighting to balance the whole thing out. The story is told entirely through the two main characters, one from the soldier traveling light years through space, and one from the man that she left behind back on earth. Now, enough of the story, now onto the details of the film: The DVD Menus:
This is one of the cleanest DVDs I've seen in a while, no excess junk on any of the menus. I'm a firm believer in the whole "less is more" concept, and this DVD adheres wonderfully to that. From the minute I put the disc in, I found my self hunting through the menus so I could listen to the music clips that were on each one. The Music:
From the music on the title screen, you will be hooked on the perfectly fitting piano score selected for this story. Throughout the entire film the music changes to help with the emotional direction of the story. Even the battle theme managed to turn a soft piano song into a believable fight song. I found myself scouring the internet trying to find the music for download. The animation:
The animation on this DVD is mostly computer generated. The character designs look a little choppy compared to the 3D rendered mechs, buildings, and spacecraft scattered throughout the feature. Still, they don't look out of place at all. A lot of complaints I've seen were about the lack of actual animation and the excessive use of still images. There is still a lot of animation, and the still images in no way take away from the film. In most cases, I believe it just adds to the story, it also gives you time to sit and stare at the awesome use of color. If only the real world looked as nice as this. :) The voice acting:
This is one of the few Animes where I can honestly say that the English voices are WAY better than the original Japanese tracks. The voice actors hired for this did a top notch job and really brought forth the emotional impact to this film that I felt was missing on the Japanese track. You can truly hear the pain in the voices on the English track. Even though I don't understand any Japanese other than "hello", it just seemed to be lacking any emotion. DVD Extras:
There are quite a few extras on this disc that will keep you from feeling that you wasted [$$] on a 30 minute DVD. There is another feature by the creator called "She and Her Cat" and an interview with the creator. Japanese trailers for Voices of a Distant Star, and a few other trailers of other releases from ADV Films. After watching this DVD once, it has towered over all of my other Anime movies by far. Do not hesitate to add this to your collection.
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40 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Let this rejuvenate ANIME!, June 1, 2003
This review is from: Voices of a Distant Star (DVD)
So much anime is dull, and over used plots and ideas. Many are just ways to joke about sex and look at cartoons in swim suits (pathetic). And then there is anime like Voices of a Distant Star. Also called Hoshi no Koe in Japanese this is an incredible anime. An amzing adventure, while short, will leave you breathless. More character depth than almost any other anime out their. This should be what people watch and compare other animes to. Now the most amazing fact: This enitre movie was animated, and computer graphics and colorized, and scripted by one man. Not a whole team of "pros" just one man and one Power Macintosh G4 400. The best version is to watch him and his wife do the voices(with subtitles),they get so passionate towards eachother it is amazing. I've read that this version will be inclueded on the DVD I can't wait to watch this movie with correct subtitles! The music was fantastic, I hope they release the soundtrack for America as well. Everything in this Anime flows like nothing you've ever seen, an emotional journey, breathtaking and lovey, I hope other Animes learn from Makoto Shinkai. For those of you wondering how I saw this, an american version has been released already. It has very poor sub titles and no english voices. I wouldn't recomend it, since in 10 days the offical american version will be released. I wish there was an extra star to give to movies like this, also if you enjoy this Anime stay alert, Makoto is working on his next anime...Andrew
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