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Voices of a Distant Star
Studio: MangaZOO Format: 1 OVA Released: 4/19/2002 Written by: Face 
Working alone on a Power Mac, the 29-year-old director Makoto Shinkai wrote, edited and animated the short anime film Voices of a Distant Star. In seven months, he created a moving science-fiction romance that captures the spirit of two young lovers separated by the overwhelming and inescapable influences of war--and it does this in a meager 24 minutes
Voices is a solemn, austere, story that follows two middle school classmates Mikako and Noburo as they are unexpectedly torn apart when Mikako is called away to join the U.N. space forces. As she travels past Mars, Pluto and beyond, they send text messages back and forth between Earth and space. However, the further she drifts from Noburo, the longer it takes for the messages to reach him... and although Noburo ages years, Mikako ages mere weeks. As they struggle with the pain of separation, they come to realize many important lessons on the path toward adulthood. Shinkai's other short film, She and Her Cat, tells a sedate but redolent story about a cat and his owner. Although, She is only a 5 minute monochrome, it's obvious that Voices uses the same evocative style. The film offers a tender array of emotions coupled with remarkably realistic and detailed backgrounds. The animation may not be overly sophisticated and the motion may not be complex, but Shinkai is aware of his limitations and cleverly works around them, creating a unique and exquisite palette. There are moments of still contemplation, secluded despair, and quiet uncertainty that feel unbeliveably humane and heartfelt. Lighting is also handled exceptionally well, from the vibrant brights to mellow darks. The entire film contains no more than a handful of visual blemishes. Sound is the one aspect not handled directly by Shinkai, and wisely so. A musician named Tenmon constructed the wonderful score of poignant piano ballads, backed by an intense serving of Dolby digital 5.1. Rain drops seem to splash around you, trains bellow by, and mecha suits roar thunderously as rockets blast. Every sound is top notch, and truly makes you feel as if you are in their world.  All of these things come together full force to make Voices a truly spectacular 30 minutes of anime. It's an emotional ensemble that works on an almost magical level, a fantastical reverie into the depths of human compassion and galactic travel. What makes this film so moving and compassionate is how any viewer can relate to its central and most vivid themes: love, loneliness, and the beautiful things in life you never knew you treasured so dearly.
Voices doesn't have a powerful plot, but instead it's an emotional tale, wonderfully gifted in setting its profoundly evocative mood. From beautiful piano ballads, placid whispers of lovers, to the stylized visuals, Voices is a flawless vignette of love and solitude. This groundbreaking endeavor earned Shinkai the "Most Valuable Newcomer" award at the 2002 Tokyo International Anime Fair, and I can only patiently wait for what he will bring us next. * * * * * (Excellent) Posted: June 2004
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