Search - Voices of a Distant Star on DVD

An epic love story, in under 30 minutes....

K. Miller | Southeast, MI USA | 07/23/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you were ever looking for an anime that could be used as an introduction to the world of Japanese animation, look no further than Voices of a Distant Star. I will not give away too much of the story other than the basic plot of the movie. First off, if you are looking or a big mech fighting melee, look somewhere else. Not to say that there isn't any of that, it is primarily a love story about two people torn apart by war. This film has just the right amount of mech fighting to balance the whole thing out. The story is told entirely through the two main characters, one from the soldier traveling light years through space, and one from the man that she left behind back on earth. Now, enough of the story, now onto the details of the film: The DVD Menus:
This is one of the cleanest DVDs I've seen in a while, no excess junk on any of the menus. I'm a firm believer in the whole "less is more" concept, and this DVD adheres wonderfully to that. From the minute I put the disc in, I found my self hunting through the menus so I could listen to the music clips that were on each one. The Music:
From the music on the title screen, you will be hooked on the perfectly fitting piano score selected for this story. Throughout the entire film the music changes to help with the emotional direction of the story. Even the battle theme managed to turn a soft piano song into a believable fight song. I found myself scouring the internet trying to find the music for download. The animation:
The animation on this DVD is mostly computer generated. The character designs look a little choppy compared to the 3D rendered mechs, buildings, and spacecraft scattered throughout the feature. Still, they don't look out of place at all. A lot of complaints I've seen were about the lack of actual animation and the excessive use of still images. There is still a lot of animation, and the still images in no way take away from the film. In most cases, I believe it just adds to the story, it also gives you time to sit and stare at the awesome use of color. If only the real world looked as nice as this. :) The voice acting:
This is one of the few Animes where I can honestly say that the English voices are WAY better than the original Japanese tracks. The voice actors hired for this did a top notch job and really brought forth the emotional impact to this film that I felt was missing on the Japanese track. You can truly hear the pain in the voices on the English track. Even though I don't understand any Japanese other than "hello", it just seemed to be lacking any emotion. DVD Extras:
There are quite a few extras on this disc that will keep you from feeling that you wasted [$$] on a 30 minute DVD. There is another feature by the creator called "She and Her Cat" and an interview with the creator. Japanese trailers for Voices of a Distant Star, and a few other trailers of other releases from ADV Films. After watching this DVD once, it has towered over all of my other Anime movies by far. Do not hesitate to add this to your collection."

One the most touching 30 minute work of art

John ODonald | 06/06/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hi folks, I usually don't write reviews unless I like the anime DVD or series. ... on the work of art even though it was low budgeted and done by one man with the help of a few others like his wire.
It is a touching romantic story of two high school separated by space. The boy fails the Earth Defense exam and loses his chance to go with the first expedition force to take the war to the aliens who destroyed their colonies on Mars. However, she passes and is sent out with the expedition. It is so touching because though separated by space and time, their love continues. The only way to communicate their love is by phone messages/e-mail yet because it only travels at the speed of light, at first, it would take weeks, then months, and then years for him to receive her messages of love.
For those who are science buffs or taken basic geography like I did, you know that as you travel outside our solar system towards the middle of the universe, time seems to stay the same but from our perception, it actually speeds up. Or to be more technical, as you get closer to the middle of the universe, it is older and your existence of time which is based on our galaxy, slows down especially when you have to travel hyper speed (faster than the speed of light) so what maybe a year on Earth would be an hour of your life in space (when going farther from Earth). The movie points this concept out in the movie as the girl travels further from Earth, her boyfriend gets older and she stays young, which enhances the drama and enhance the messages of love.
For the technical parts, the DVD has great music. There aren't many lyrics or no lyrics to the music but it really reflects the personality and the emotion of the movie. For those who aren't familiar with Japanese anime, some of the scenes may be one panel and the movement is made as the camera moves along the panel, changing the perspective view of the viewers. In the movie, it is well done. It maybe only 30 minute movie but it is very deep and concise and the bonus is great too. There is another little except that doesn't really have to do with the movie but it is very touching as it focuses on a girl and her cat in different time lengths(you'll see if you buy the dvd). The graphics are beautiful especially the background details. However, the characters are simply drawn and not detailed but the scenery and music makes up for it. Overall, I'd recommend this DVD for those who appreciate anime in terms of the art, story concepts, scenery, and romantic drama story. For those who just want entertainment, comedy, or just watch anime for fun, this is not for you."