Voices of a Distant Star (Hashi no Koe)

Reviewed by Lauri Hong
March 2005

Distributor: ADV Films

Okay, anime fans, I know you're out there. This is for anyone who enjoys short love stories. Voices of a Distant Star is the perfect anime for you! It's a sad tale, but you'll enjoy every minute of it! Not only does it have a great storyline, but the music also fits the story to a tee.

Here's the deal. Voices of a Distant Star is about two middle school kids, Mikako Nagamine and her "close" friend Noboru. It begins with her reminiscing about the past and her choices. She decides to help the UN space program fight off deadly aliens known as the Tarsians. Unfortunately, Noboru doesn't have the same ideas as she. Instead, he does what every other teen does: goes to high school and then off to college and whatnot.

Since Mikako is out in space, you can only imagine the difficulties of keeping in touch. Their only way of communication is via email. It's through these emails that we see the story unfold. Since she is still within our solar system, he gets her mails quite frequently and vice versa. However, her duty to find and kill off the Tarsians pulls her out and away from our solar system. The farther away she goes, the longer it takes for him to receive her emails. She ends up searching for the aliens in a different solar system, which is about 8½ light years away from our own. So by the time Noboru receives her email regarding the journey, it is eight years later! And yes, the time difference affects their age as well. While she is still 15 he has already turned 24! What is depressing is that now that they have this distance between them, both figuratively and literally, they finally realize their feelings for each other. The only thing keeping a link between them is the fact that they know they will always be there for each other. That one thought is Mikako's only salvation as she fights her way through the Tarsians, especially when she discovers she is the only one left to defend the ship.

The music for this anime was thought out very well and the piano pieces have an appropriately melancholy sound. It also has a nostalgic feeling, which is quite fitting during the quick flashbacks of Mikako or Noboru's experiences. After all, they do quick flashbacks of either Mikako and or Noboru of their experiences.

This anime is one of my favorites! The only thing I regret is that the story does not continue. It leaves you hanging with Noboru still waiting for Mikako to return while she is still in the far reaches of space, longing to come back to Noboru. I believe this anime is worthy of adding to your collection, and if you can find the somber soundtrack, get it while you can!