STORY STUDY - MEDIUM: SHORT FILM/OVA - “Voices of a Distant Star”

Having a loved one fighting a war overseas, always wondering if they are still alive; the feeling is overwhelming. Having that loved one fighting a war beyond space, the feeling becomes indescribable.

This is the situation that young high school couple Mikako and Noboru has to go through.

Directed and written by Makoto Shinkai, Voices of a Distant Star (ほしのこえ) is set throughout roughly a decade, between 2047 and 2055. Mikako has been chosen by the U.N. Army to fight in a war against an alien species called the Tarsians. She fights in a giant robot mecha (think Gundam or Pacific Rim) as part of a squadron.

Mikako and Noboru keeps in contact using the e-mail function on their cell phones. However, when the war goes deeper into space, Mikako’s messages to Noboru take years longer for him to receive.

Shinkai has already achieved widespread acclaim recently with his film Your Name (君の名は), and while Voices is not his first foray into animated films, having directed three OVAs (Original Video Animation) prior, it is his first half-hour narrative.

I normally don’t talk about the production of a film, but I feel it’s necessary in this case. It took Shinkai seven months to complete it, with all the work being done on his Power Mac G4 computer… in 2001. I mention this because despite all the work being done by one person over a decade ago, it’s amazing.

The connection between Mikako and Noboru is really sweet and sad. Their story is reminiscent of indie romances. The animation is impressive, especially with the space battles, spaceship and mecha designs, and the Tarsians physical designs, looking something like the T-1000 from Terminator 2.

I won’t fault for it with its shortcomings (i.e. why is Mikako wearing her school uniform when she’s in her mecha fighting in space?), but I won’t act like they don’t exist. I said the film felt like an indie romance film, and like indie romances the dialogue can get a bit pretentious. Honestly, all of it can be forgiven given how many people worked on it, and how much time it took. Despite all that, it’s still a good story. Just don’t expect the tone to brighten at any point.

I was introduced to the film by a friend when it was first released in 2002. In fact, the DVD copy that I own is licensed by the now-defunct ADV Films. It was during a time when anime was an important factor in my life, so I bought the 2-pack collection that included this film and Shinkai’s first feature, The Place Promised in Our Early Days (雲のむこう、約束の場所).

To Me, Voices of a Distant Star is a monumental achievement in independent animation filmmaking, and is a true starting point in Makoto Shinkai’s career. I love the relationship, the space battles are awesome, the visuals are breathtaking, and the theme song, “Through the Years and Far Away” is just a sweet song to listen to (just don’t expect it to be an uplifting song.)