Hoshi no koe (2003)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Directors:

Makoto Shinkai
Steven Foster

Writer:

Makoto Shinkai (writer)

Release Date:

2 February 2003 (Japan)

Genre:

Animation | Short | Romance | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

A love story that transcends time and space

Plot:

The story of the high school students Mikako Nagamine and Noboru Terao. When the alien Tarsians attack...

Plot Keywords:

Love | Space War | Manga | Anti War | Girl

Cast

Mika Shinohara	...	Mikako Nagamine (voice: Japanese version)
Cynthia Martinez	...	Mikako Nagamine (voice: English version)
Makoto Shinkai	...	Noboru Terao (original version) (voice: Japanese version)
Sumi Mutoh	...	Mikako Nagamine ('seiyuu' version) (voice: Japanese version)
Adam Conlon	...	Noboru Terao (voice: English version)
Chihiro Suzuki	...	Noboru Terao ('seiyuu' version) (voice: Japanese version)
Donna Burke	...	Operator ('seiyuu' version) (voice: Japanese version)

Also Known As:

Voices of a Distant Star (International: English title)

Runtime:

25 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Certification:

UK:PG | USA:Unrated | New Zealand:PG | South Korea:15 | Australia:PG

Trivia:

The film has two different Japanese voice casts. The original cast was made up of director Makoto Shinkai and other non-professionals. The official release version was re-recorded with a professional cast. Both of these voice tracks are available on DVD.

Quotes:

Noboru Terao: The seasons have passed once and summer has come again. It was the winter of last year that I quit waiting for mail from Mikako.

Soundtrack:

Through the Years and Far Away (Hello Little Star)

One of the Greatest Stories Ever Told

Voices of a Distant Star- its not anime, its something else...

The plot is basically the story of two friends, one on earth, the other in space sending cellphone text messages to each other across widening distances during a war.

I've told you everything and nothing.

This is...

WOW.

Its a flawed masterpieces of short science fiction literature. I have never run across a piece of scifi that does what this does. Its a melding of image, word and music into a 25 minute tone poem or short story of what our futures hold.

WOW.

This is far from perfect technically, but considering this was done basically by one guy at home the odd visuals are understandable.

This isn't anime

This isn't anything that I've ever seen before.

It is, but its not. You've seen this before but something about it is different.

Its a self contained tale that makes you want to know more but at the same time more isn't needed. Its a short story.

Its flawed. There are bits that... I can't describe this delicate piece of art. Forgive me I could tell you everything about it and you wouldn't discover it for yourself, well you would but it wouldn't have the same experience as just seeing it.

Its not perfect but its flawed beauty is simply one of the best things I've seen, experienced in the realm of science fiction. Yes I've only seen it once but my initial reaction is OH MY GOD.

This is a feeling, how do you quantify a feeling? And its a feeling of quiet lyric beauty. This is a ephemeral object, a melting snow flake, a day of perfect sunshine (of cold rain). It is something that exists in the moment and is about distance and absence and the passage of time and...

This is something that just is.

Its a flawed work of art

(Warning, there is a novel that extends the story, I've read the ending and it should be avoided since it changes things)