Voices of a Distant Star

The anime industry is a pretty rigid one. It takes time for talent to surface, people never start off by directing a movie of their own. Even major talents like Mamoru Oshii started their careers inbetweening children's cartoons. It's the way the industry works, and there's very little room for change. Yet there are some people who are talented enough to break right through these traditions.

Makoto Shinkai is one of those people. When Hoshi no Koe was released, many heads turned. Being only his second short film (and his first lengthy one), Shinkai directed a movie that not only had a unique visual style and was technically impressive, he did it all by himself. Without the help of any major studio or other animators, without prior experience in the industry, he created a 30 minute animated short film that equaled and surpassed many other professional efforts. No matter how rigid an industry is, this gets you noticed.

With Hoshi no Koe, Shinkai put his name out there. While not all the work was done by himself (his wife and a couple of friends did the original dubbing), the bulk of the work was all his doing. Though he directed a short film before, with Hoshi no Koe he defined his personal style and developed an atmosphere he could call his own, crafting it to further perfection in his later films.

The film is now 4 years old, yet it still looks lush. It's not the prettiest anime out there, not by far. The cgi looks pretty standard and the characters designs aren't really that good, but Shinkai knew perfectly well how to mask his shortcomings. By using strong, vibrant yet dreamy colors, applying a smart mix of 2d and 3d artwork and getting some good camera action he was able to fill each frame with a lavish setting that easily overshadowed the lesser points of his work.

This visual identity has always defined Shinkai in a way. While his movies always radiate a certain grandeur, it's always in function of small, romantic elements. He has always focused on the smaller things in life, voicing his admiration of them through his characters. The setting of Hoshi no Koe also reflects this. While in the background there's space travel and mecha fighting, the film is really about two people being separated by time and space, pondering about their time together. Thinking back of walks in the rain and spring mornings, seeing the cherry blossoms fall. That's Shinkai.

These conflicting elements never get into the way of each other, although a better focus might have improved the film a bit. Something Shinkai himself picked up along the way of his further career. The storyline functions as a mere setup, leaving all details and further explanations to a bare minimum. This makes the short a tad hard to follow, but in the end the atmosphere really benefits from this choice. The focus is kept on the theme of the film, instead of delving into a cliché setting not really worth exploring anyway.

Hoshi no Koe really is a landmark movie. Not only because it was the first good example of how increased processor power combined with a creative and persistent mind could penetrate a rigid industry, but also because it set the bar for Shinkai's individual style, which would only improve along the way. Not many people followed in his footsteps (although there are some examples, ranking them immediately among the best anime directors out there), indicating his rare talent.

With all circumstantial arguments out of the way, Hoshi no Koe remains above all a sweet, touching little short set to a rather violent and typical anime background. His later efforts would put both elements in better balance, but the effect is already here, and the short still stands proud 4 years later.

4.5*/5*

Not the typical 'smash and blast' mech-warrior tale. And those looking for one will probably be disappointed, even though there are a few battle scenes.

A written haiku can give the fullness of something in a few words. The evocative images, minimalist dialogue, and soundtrack of this short file capture the full essence of two people in love, separated by war, in the same way. I don't believe a longer film could have done this.

...the guy made this short anime from his home by himself on a Mac-book 3 and had his wife do the voice of the girl and he did the voice for the boy. those were the only 2 characters in the short. what he accomplished, major studios with major money could not do.

this is the third film i've watched by Shinkai, the first being 5 centimeters per second. right away you see similarities in the artwork, the rain drops falling, trains leaving the station, flowers blooming and all this is done to evoke the feeling of loneliness and works very well. i know that every time i watch 5 centimeters i either cry or get the feeling of loneliness. his most recent movie " children who chase lost voices " is another one that basically deals on the same subjects. i guess all his films deal on the same subject, but the way he does it, nobody in the world can do.

the story is about 2 junior high kids about to graduate and go to high school, a boy and a girl. the setting is Japan 2046 and space travel is now possible and we have developed warp technology which can take us anywhere in the universe. there are also aliens that we are fighting with in outer-space. the girl gets recruited to pilot a mechanized robot in outer space to fight aliens. they are both 15 years old at the time. when she goes off to fight and explore in outer space, the only way they can communicate is through text messaging, but the further away her mission takes her the longer it takes for the messages to reach earth. at the furthest distance it takes over 8 light years for the message to reach earth. she longs for him and vice versa, her age stays at 15 but the boy when they are at their furthest distance apart has aged to the age of 24 and he hasn't gotten a message for over a year. he promises to himself to do what he has got to do and not stress himself out thinking to much about her. meanwhile in outer space she is going through life and death battles against aliens in her mechanized suit. every time she gets a chance she thinks about him and planet earth and you really get an over-saturated feeling of loneliness to the point where some viewers cried. i didn't cry but the film did make me feel sad and lonely.

if your in a sad and lonely mood, unless you want to cry, don't watch it cause you are going to cry. hey, at least crying lets us know we are alive and only real humans cry, it is a good emotion. might want to make us better humans too.

Simply put, this is the reason why anime is so superior to any other art form out there. The stunning visuals and freedom of the storyline make something like 'Voices of a Distant Star' a pleasure to watch. Unhindered by the traditional commercial constraints on any 'big-budget' title, Voices succeeds at the highest level, making you deeply care about the characters. And to say this is all done in a mere 30 minutes is such an achievement.

Movingly beautiful and very interesting. Voices of a Distant Star is the type of entertainment that doesn't come around too often.

This is a great amateur feature which captures emotions and imagination better than many full length studio flicks. I first watched it as a fan-subtitled release via the internet, and I think that translation stands as the most emotionally true to this point.

Though the American voices are well done, some things have been added and some taken away as in any translation. I suggest watching a subtitled version instead of the American translation. None of the emotional intensity is lost... I don't know many folks who have watched it and not cried.

The story of junior high sweethearts separated by war and then time is as uplifting as it is poignant. Communicating via email which becomes more and more intermittent as the combatant moves first years and then light years away, one half of the partnership grows to adulthood on earth as the other fights battles 8.6 light years away... and remains 15. It's agonizing to see one choose to move on and one still feel the immediacy of a love that just months ago shared lunch at the bus stop. It's just as powerfully lovely to see the bond remain through space and time.