The Voices of a Distant Star

Writer and anime filmmaker Makato Shinkai teamed with illustrator Miza Sahara to create this relatively short but poignant exploration of distance and loneliness as it relates to friendship and love itself.

Voices of a Distant Star is told through the eyes and hearts of two teenagers, separated by an intergalactic war when the young (Mikado) Nagamine is picked for space, to explore and fight. This leaves her burgeoning relationship with young Noboru in limbo, with only messages sent back and forth to tether them to each other. This becomes exponentially more difficult the farther away in space she gets, her messages taking very long periods of time to reach Noboru, as he tries to hang on to her.

Both writer and illustrator are in perfect show more sync here, placing the focus on feelings of loneliness and longing, rather than the science fiction, giving the story emotional depth that quietly resonates with hearts. Battles in space, new friends found — and possibly lost — lend poignancy to Mikado’s story, while the need for companionship that is alive and warm and interested lend poignancy to Noboro’s lonely existence as he desperately attempts to hang on to a ghost.

Making matters worse for both, is the fact that in the galaxy, Mikado is not aging, while back home, Noboru is. Then years eventually begin to pass between received messages. The reactions of both to the situation and circumstance in their day to day lives is touching and heartfelt; writer and illustrator manage to perfectly capture the emotion and loneliness and longing with great beauty.

On the surface Voices of a Distant Star is spare and lean, but beneath the words, it is full and resonating. It was a particularly savvy story choice to make the new possible love interest for Noboru be a sweet, pretty girl who is easy to like, rather than the “interloper” between Mikado and Noboru. It makes what happens later more poignant.

A decision by Noboru, and a terrible battle that might have been avoided but for mankind’s knee-jerk reaction, leaves Mikado and the fleet waiting for help to arrive. I can’t say more, but the ending is heartfelt, and I would like to think, hopeful.

Just a lovely story full of feelings, beautifully adapted and captured by writer and illustrator. Another resonating read from Makato Shinkai, the man who brought us Your Name, Weathering With You, 5 Centimeters Per Second, The Garden of Words, and Suzume. Highly recommended. show less

I realize that the manga is the derivative work, but I very much preferred it to the anime. There is something about the wistful nature of the relationships that is captured better in the static, drawn images than by the beautifully animated original. I felt their uncertainty, I felt the weight of the distance between them and it all seemed so much more palpable than when it had been played out before me on the screen. I definitely recommend this adaptation to anybody who is looking for something short and sweet but not necessarily upbeat or happy.
http://mscongeniality.vox.com/library/post/reading-2007---march-1-17.html

Holy water works.

Beautiful story of true love across distance & time.