Voices of a Distant Star tells the story of a long-distance relationship between Mikako Nagamine and Noboru Terao whose only source of communication is through text messaging across space. Mikako is a middle school girl recruited by the U.N Space forces to fight against a race of aliens. Mikako is sent in space to pilot a fighting mech leaving her memories behind on earth including Noboru. As the film progresses Mikako journeys further into the depths of space taking it longer for her text messages to reach Noboru which brings in the theory of time dilation. It approaches to a situation that messages Mikako send will take 8 years to reach Noboru.
Makoto Shinkai created this 25 minute animation in his spare time using only the resources available to him from work as a graphic designer. To create such a film as Voices of a Distant Star under such circumstances is an inspiration in itself and shows that you don’t necessarily need a huge studio to make a touching animation with a remarkable story as well as stunning visuals. Originally the voiceovers were done by Makoto himself and his wife.
The visuals are superb and whilst the individual character designs are not sophisticated in comparison to other anime, they are kept simple with the accompaniment of the stunning backgrounds which really escalate the anime. The background art are full of life with vibrant colours and exceptional lighting seizing the animation’s atmosphere and continually taking it forward as well as resembling the innocence and constant memories within Mikako and Noboru. Tenmon a friend of Makoto creates a soundtrack that blends well with the atmosphere and highlights the mood of Mikako and Noboru as well as their memory for each other.
There are ideas in the anime which complement the great storytelling. A creative touch here is Mikako’s field of vision when piloting the mech. It is brilliantly imagined and designed as from the view inside everything around her can be seen as if she was floating in mid-air creating at times a sense of loneliness and a lapse in time for the character.
Voices of a Distant Star is not the type of anime where full scale wars take place and full of action. There are a few action scenes of mecha fighting throughout, but the main aspect of this short film is the narrative and character between Mikako and Noboru which may impact on a sense of nostalgia for the viewer reminiscing on a past memory where the tides of life had to change. Voices of a Distant Star undoubtedly shows the enthusiasm and devotion that Mikako has for animation by crafting a beautifully and inspired film.
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