Scenery that we have never seen. Sounds that we have never heard. Scent that we have never smelled. Food that we have never tasted. And the surge of emotion that we have never experienced. This is the expedition of recollecting the pieces torn apart and sensation left alone. When we reach that place, what will we think?

Howling, 40 degree angle. Raging, 50 degree angle. Shouting, 60 degree angle. A wilderness beyond the heavy sea. The furthest south, far from civilization. At the top of the Earth. We will find lights through the girls’ eyes to live tomorrow.

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Video Quality

A Place Further Than The Universe arrives on Blu-Ray from Anime Limited with a stunning 1080p transfer in its original aspect ratio. The beautiful animation conjured for this series is replete with lush detail and texture. We adore the rich character of 2-D animation, and this story delivers what we hope for out of a more grounded narrative. The colors are stunning and considerably saturated with complex hues impressing at every turn. The transfer handles all environments with perfect stability including no jagged lines or color bleeding. Highlights are deftly contained, and black levels are deep with no signs of compression artifacts or digital anomalies. This series showcases some enjoyable details carefully brought to life by the animation team. Every space is filled with subtle facets that make the world feel more lived-in. The character designs are distinct and consistent across the season. Anime fans should be delighted by this release.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a lossless LPCM 2.0 audio track in its original Japanese, along with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track in dubbed English with signs and such translated. The show is presented with optional English subtitles. The soundscape makes the most of its sonic capabilities by providing some natural texture to the world. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear without being overshadowed by any competing elements. The amazing soundtrack complements the emotional journey of the story as it saturates the room. The environmental detail is impressive even within the original stereo limitations. The expanded presentation of the English dub is not monumentally different, but it tastefully fleshes out the world for more background activity. Anime Limited delivers a top-notch presentation with this one.

Special Features

Clean Opening Animation (1:31)

Clean Closing Animation (1:31)

Behind The Scenes: There is an eight-minute featurette that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the English dub complete with a look at the recording booth and the performers receiving guidance for their line readings.

Soundtrack (2 CDs)

A3 Poster (11.7 x 16.5 inches)

4 Art Cards

92-Page Booklet

Final Thoughts

A Place Further Than The Universe is the type of grounded narrative that we love to see tackled in animated form. Don’t get us wrong, we love fantasy and sci-fi excursions in anime, but it is refreshing to go back to the basics and find the magic in everyday life. Witnessing the burgeoning friendship within this group of girls and how they support one another throughout their arcs is beautiful. This is complemented with lush animation and a compelling pace that never lets you down. Anime Limited has released a Blu-Ray with a fabulous A/V presentation and terrific physical supplements for fans. This is worth seeking out for anime fans who want a more grounded coming-of-age tale. Recommended

A Place Further Than The Universe is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray in North America from Shout! Studios and the UK from Anime Limited.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Anime Limited and Shout! Studios have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.