Voices of a Distant Star

Hoshi no Koe

Also Known As: HnK

Genre: Drama

Format: 1 OVA

Allegiance: MangaZOO

Director: Shinkai Makoto

Vintage: 2002

Intelligence Agency Report by: Kuzu Ryu Sen

In the year 2039, humanity finally encountered extraterrestrial beings for the first time when a species labeled as the Tarsians attacked the Mars Exploration Project, annihilating it. Now, 8 years later in the year 2047, humanity is ready to strike back. Nagamine Mikako, just out of junior high school, has been selected for the UN Spacy Expeditionary Force that will seek out and engage the Tarsians in combat, separating her from her longtime friend Terao Noboru. During the mission, she desperately attempts to maintain contact with him through e-mail, but as the fleet sails further and further away from Earth, communication becomes more and more difficult, testing the strength of their relationship…

Field Agent Report by: Kuzu Ryu Sen

Plot
Characters
Impact
Visual
Audio

9.50
9.25
10.00
7.50
9.25

Overall

9.50

(not an average)

It only has 2 characters. It’s only 25 minutes long. It was created by one person, Shinkai Makoto, an unknown in the industry at the time, on his iMAC. Shinkai and his wife even played the leading roles. While that sounds like a recipe for a low budget piece of trash, the reality is as far from that as one can get.

Voices of a Distant Star is a storytelling masterpiece, proof that independently produced anime, despite budget restrictions and access to advanced technology, can easily be superior to anything professionally produced. The CG backgrounds used are beautiful; the 3D fights in space breathtaking. The music is low key, but absolutely perfect for setting the tone, and the ending song sent chills down my spine. The concept is original, and the execution could not have been any better. The story is gripping; the characters well developed and easy to associate with. The pacing is almost perfect, leading up to one of the most powerful endings in anime.

But there are lows, and this is where the fact that it’s an independent production begins to rear its ugly head. The character designs and art are an acquired taste, and seem rough compared to the backgrounds and CG. Also, there is not a whole lot of character animation (i.e. movement). While the use of panning stills is executed well, there are some scenes where actual motion would have improved the feel of the scene. While these things do stick out like a sore thumb at first, they gradually fade into the background as the story comes to the fore.

In a world where the flashy and showy reign among the masses, Voices of a Distant Star is evidence that substance can override a lack of style any day. A fantastic debut for Shinkai Makoto onto the world stage, one which is eagerly awaiting his next production.

Field Agent Report by: Djudge

Plot
Characters
Impact
Visual
Audio

8.00
8.50
10.00
6.75
8.50

Overall

9.00

(not an average)

Voices of a Distant Star will always be a clear reminder of just how much more important substance is than style in any medium for storytelling. On the surface, this title probably won’t be garnering accolades for its technical production (other than the fact that it was created basically through one man’s efforts with a single iMac). However, under the surface lies a different story; a completely unforgettable tale weaving two people, with two very different destinies, that are struggling to remain kindred spirits across time and space.

The very first thing that becomes apparent upon viewing Voices of a Distant Star is that the quality of the visuals is severely lacking, especially by today’s standards. Yet there are a few flashes of brilliance in this piece that can make one forget about the otherwise lack of visual appeal. Despite the obstacle of having to produce the animation on a single computer, Shinkai Makoto manages still manages to put a bit of eye-candy into this work through the usage of some breathtaking CG backgrounds. His artistic prowess continues to push the limits of the circumstances surrounding this piece’s production by designing some fairly impressive 3D alien/mecha models that are used in a couple of engaging fight sequences. The look of the main characters, and their animated movements, however, remain a class below other aspects of the title. As a result, they seem a bit rough and nagging on the eyes. As for the audio in this piece, the main attraction here is a series of quiet pieces that help convey the feelings that Mikako and Noboru have for each other as they are separated more and more by the winds of war. In the original work, Shinkai and his then fiancée recorded the original seiyuu acting. Although both performed fine overall in their debut roles, Mikako’s voice became a little tiresome and plastic as her tone sometimes failed to change according to her character’s on-screen situation. The re-voiced piece, offered in the DVD releases of this work, provides a somewhat better experience by using professional actors to act out the cast.

The story elements of the show, while solid, rely mostly on a brilliant and masterful conclusion to support themselves. However, it seems that rather than having to focus on a hardcore science fiction plot, Shinkai wanted to highlight the strained relationship between the two main characters of this story. In lieu of this, Voices of a Distant Star remains as strong as it is not because it answers plot holes and satiates the anal viewer. It does such a great job detailing how Mikako and Noboru act and feel given the tremendous load that has been placed on their shoulders.

Through and through, Voices of a Distant Star comes recommended not only for fans of independently produced anime, but also for those craving a great drama that remains rife with fluid plot execution. The very deepest thanks to Shinkai-san for putting out a piece that serves as prime example of why style over substance is hardly the best way to approach anime.

Field Agent Report by: Phate

Plot
Characters
Impact
Visual
Audio

7.50
6.25
7.50
7.25
9.25

Overall

8.00

(not an average)

To tell the truth, I had rather high hopes when going into Voices of a Distant Star. Though I was told that it had rather subpar character design and animation (considering what was used to make it, however, it's not surprising), it was the fact that I heard about how impacting and deep the characters and plot were that made me decide to watch it. To say that I was disappointed wouldn't be overdoing it.

There were two things that greatly appealed to me when I watched Voices of a Distant Star, and those would be the visuals (character designs aside) and the music. Shinkai Makoto manages to create a 25 minute OVA with some of the most wonderful and beautiful CG backgrounds and tunes I have seen or heard in anime. The soothing music works perfectly at creating mood and feeling when watching Voices of a Distant Star, and even work surprisingly well during the CG battle scenes, too. The way Shinkai-san put such subtle and peaceful music in the background when Mikako would fight in her Tracer against the Tarsians was masterfully done, if I do say so myself. Also, the CG fights weren't half bad either, and were quite frankly some of the best I've seen in a while. As I mentioned before, the backgrounds truly are beautiful; some are calmly pleasing to see, while others are just awe-inspiring. When it comes to impressing the eyes and ears, Voices of a Distant Star succeeds with flying colors, as long as you can get past the poor character animation and design.

Then, there are the characters and plot. The reason I was disappointed in both is mainly rooted to the OVA's length. As was said before, it's only 25 minutes long, which is no doubt going to have an effect on the two things that I think matter most. Throughout the show, we see the two characters, Mikako and Noboru, experience sorrow and sadness due to their long distance relationship and not being able to see each other. While the music does well to create the emotion, it can't create all of it, and the other half of it that should've been made up by the characters wasn't there. The main cause as to why I didn't feel the emotion conveyed by the two is that I didn't think of them or care for them as much as I should have and hoped to. They had no real personalities, and were not able to develop any unique ones because of the show's length. Same goes for the plot, which basically suffered from the same developmental problems.

When Voices of a Distant Star ended, I was left disappointed yet also amazed. My eyes and ears were left fully fed, while my mind wasn't. However, this short OVA has the right things going for it; the plot, though underdeveloped, was nonetheless intriguing, and the characters could truly be two people to feel for and love if they got more depth to them. Here's to hoping Shinkai-san continues this story, because if he does, this is what I have to say: count me in.

Field Agent Report by: Drake

Plot
Characters
Impact
Visual
Audio

9.25
8.75
10.00
8.00
9.00

Overall

9.25

(not an average)

I have heard about Voices of a Distant Star many times in the past from friends, former AnimeSecrets staff members, and members of different forums. However, I never took the time to watch this twenty-five-minute OVA until now. My first impression was regret—regret at waiting so long. This anime is simply astounding, even more so when you realize that it was created through the efforts of one man, his Power Mac G4, and a great deal of skill and talent.

In a mere twenty-five minutes, Voices of a Distant Star tells a very beautiful and captivating story with the simple premise of two lovers separated by distance and overcoming the odds with the backdrop of an intergalactic war. This is not something many anime can even come close to boasting. Most anime barely manage to set up such a story in the time it takes to tell this one. However, the strongest point of the story lays in the characters Mikako and Noburo. These two characters are well-fleshed-out and very easy to relate to. My heart reached out to them as they dealt with waiting years at a time for a single message from one another.

To top it off, the animation is nothing to laugh at. While not of the greatest quality, it holds its own against other titles released in the same time period, and even against some titles released today. In fact, the CGI battle scenes are just gorgeous, as are the battles. The soundtrack, while not obviously present, plays a very subtle but useful role in setting the mood. All in all, aesthetically this title holds its own against major anime titles from the biggest studios, and it does so admirably.

Voices of a Distant Star is an anime that proves many things. First, it does not take a group of people to make a quality anime—one man made this alone with his Power Mac. Second, when it’s a battle between style and substance, substance always wins. Finally, this anime sets the bar for what we should expect from all anime in general: a great story, accessible characters, and beautiful art.