Forum - View topicEP. REVIEW: A Place Further Than the Universe
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MJKS
Posts: 102 |
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Is it a cop-out, then? The resolution to the crisis was foreknowledge based on the premise, as you pointed out. She was always going to go, whether with her original passport or a temporary one (although, if I recall correctly, this requires some hand-waving about emergency-issued passports, as I don't think they typically allow travel to third countries). In other words, there was no plot consequence, i.e. Hinata actually not going to Antarctica, which was undone by convenient storytelling. On the other hand, the critical and thematically-relevant character development which the crisis precipitated was preserved. To draw directly from the show's message: the money never mattered. The most important thing Shirase ever did with it was lose it. In that sense, the circumstance in which Hinata's passport was lost and found was a perfect punchline that also reminds us what's really important is that the girls are fast becoming the kind of friends that will be there for each other. |
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Dian Z
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I gotta say that the last two episodes of character drama-focused are the least of my favorites, as I think they handled the journey-to-Antarctica-focused episodes better to my personal taste. Not that I didn't enjoy it, I liked it as I've so invested in the characters dynamic and I believe they are necessary, especially the Megumi one imo.
That said, I really laughed out loud by the twist near the end, Shiraseee you! 
I agree to those who said that this show has one of the best animated expressions to date. |
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Actar
 Posts: 1074 Location: Singapore |
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Seriously, I have no idea why people find the Merlion so fascinating. It's literally just a statue that spits water. (^.^') 日本人の方、遠慮なく私にマーライオンの魅力を説明していただければ幸いです。
So, as your resident Singaporean otaku, I think it's only my solemn duty to tell you guys that in the recent episode of Sora yori mo Toi Basho, the characters took a trip to Singapore. Personally speaking, I thought it was... okay? Let's see... They took the MRT, went to see the Merlion (of course), went to Marina Bay Sands, saw the Esplanade, saw the Singapore Flyer and tried chicken rice, kaya toast and durian. Evidently, they stayed at Orchard Hotel... One of the few times I'm actually proud to be a Singaporean is when Singapore is mentioned in anime. Like in Yuru Yuri. Or Seitokai no Ichizon. Or JoJo's. Or Charlotte. Or C: The Money of Soul and Possibility Control. Oh yes, who could forget Cowboy Beebop and the fact that Faye is supposedly Singaporean. Seriously, my memory for these things is disturbingly good. However, in this case, it was a little more complicated and awkward than that... Instead of just being mentioned, the characters were kinda extolling the wonders of the various tourist destinations... a little bit too pandery for my tastes? Especially when you've actually lived in the place your entire life... you really look at your own country through a lens of cynicism. Like, are those things really that great? (^.^') There's that disconnect that really takes me out of it. Like, uncanny strange. I'm used to visiting places anime characters frequent, not the other way around. Regardless, it was fun whilst it lasted. (^.^') Anyone going to go on an anime pilgrimage to Singapore because of this? Lol. (^.^') |
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Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 23772 |
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In all honesty, I can say I'm more curious about visiting Singapore than I was before. I promise not to spit gum on the sidewalk!
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db999
Posts: 299 |
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I’m going to have to slightly disagree with the reviewer on this one, before the last minute or two I didn’t think the episode was all that great. I mean it was still good but the drama over the passports and whether to call the expedition grated on my nerves. I was just screaming at my laptop just call the expedition and change your flight. I really do appreciate how the story developed Shirase and Hinata, and the show is a character drama first and foremost, but this type of conflict that is so easily resolved annoyed me. At least that was how I felt until the ending of the episode where they revealed that Shirase had the passport the whole time. The Jaws main theme knockoff underscoring that scene also made it so funny that it couldn’t help but bring the rest of the episode up. In any other show, it would have made the entire episode feel completely pointless, but the well-written character drama and the fact that this isn’t really a show focused on the plot I didn’t mind it.
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MJKS
Posts: 102 |
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I lived in Singapore for 20 years and thought it was great! The actual experience, as well as the episode. As I mentioned in an earlier post, it seems like somebody on the staff (maybe Ishizuka herself) had previously visited Singapore and had a good time. There was tons of detail. They even made sure to point out that the durian Shirase and Hinata ate was D24.
But yes, I understand why you felt pandered to. Like I said, I was almost convinced it was an actual promotional collaboration. How often do you see a full-length episode of anime spending its time exploring a city like that? In any case, it's important that they were shown trying chicken rice. The world needs to know about chicken rice. |
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12skippy21
 Posts: 785 Location: York, England |
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Another great episode. Personally I never saw the conclusion as being a cop out as I have experienced this exact situation, I left my passport in my friends handbag (as she had a little lock on it), then proceeding to forget all about it. Cue panic before flying back.
Singapore is on my list of places to visit but I can say the airport is very nice. |
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Maidenoftheredhand
 Posts: 2633 |
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I really enjoyed this episode on a personal level because Ican relate to the whole hating when people are consideratecif you and not wanting to feel like a burden. I thought they did that very well.
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MJKS
Posts: 102 |
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How many other anime airing are as confident in what they're executing emotionally as Yorimoi? After the Rain? It's a short list.
This is going to be a heckuva show by the end. |
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Dian Z
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I'm so enjoying episode 7. That's what I'd call balanced entertainment where you got both substance and entertaining aspects without one overlooking the other.
Although I'd say I tend to enjoy a show of this kind with more substance on the scale, I've come to embrace the way A Place pulls off its CGDCT while showing just how important the relationship of the main characters is to the show. The introduction to the new side characters is also done really well imo. We barely know them, but through the interactions and their strong characterizations, it feels as if they're really not the new ones, but those characters who have lived and existed with their own determined goals and own stories, only that we missed that. How this episode shows the interaction between the characters both within their own circles or with the others, both main and side characters, hinting at issues yet balanced by enjoyable somewhat cartoonish entertainment I've come to embrace, and finally culminating in Shirase's determination followed by the whole crews' determination, I just can't enjoy this episode more. And Shirase's mom and their backstory! There're more to appreciate in this episode for me, but overall I love it. |
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meiam
Posts: 3442 |
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I dunno about busy, there's still a lot that they could have clarified (could have been done as just small detail in the background). They keep calling it a civilian expedition, but presumably there still attached to a university, or are they fully private? What exactly are they going to do anyway. probably environmental research but it's crazy vague, and what company would pay for that anyway? Are they attach to a foundation or something like that? They talked about sponsors, but who is it and for what purpose?
I don't need these details to enjoy the show, but if they make an episode dedicated to the specific of the expedition I'd like to actually get specific. Cause right now it sounds like the entire things was just done for vacation. |
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BodaciousSpacePirate
 Subscriber Posts: 3017 |
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Latest episode plus some promotional materials about the adult characters' backgrounds suggests that they're at least partially concerned with spoiler[astronomical] research that can only be conducted from Antartica. |
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meiam
Posts: 3442 |
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Then I'm really confused about what companies would sponsor that |
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MJKS
Posts: 102 |
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Almost there, Paul, almost there.
Not that I know anything about Antarctic law that might be pertinent, buy maybe they offered their sponsors co-access to the facilities at a later date. Industrial concerns could probably come up with uses for an Antarctic research base which they don't have to build themselves. |
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meiam
Posts: 3442 |
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Well Antarctica doesn't have that much use for anything. The cost of running anything there is prohibitive since you need to ship everything there and electricity has to be made with inefficient local generator (and if anything goes wrong your far from rescue so you need a lot of emergency food/parts). So company don't really have any use for it. Resource extraction is just not worth it. That's why research station mostly do environmental stuff, there's not much else worth doing there. And since environmental research don't yield profit it's mostly done by government (same for astrological researches). But the show is placing a big emphasis on it being civilian run, yet just skirt around the question of what they're doing there and how they got the money for it and I don't get why. It's not like the story wouldn't work if it was just a normal governmental reproach trips (maybe throw in that they wanted to have some high school student to garner interest in science or something). So that's why I was surprised the the review said the episode was busy since I left it mostly thinking that they didn't do much this episode since pretty much every important point is still up in the air (and I'm afraid it'll mostly stay there). |
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