A Place Further Than the Universe

Episode 8

From now on, whenever people ask me why I'm not keen on the idea of traveling by sea, I'm going to make them watch this episode of A Place Further Than the Universe. While Mari and company have plenty of tasks to complete on the ship, the workload isn't their biggest problem. The damn boat never stops moving, and the waves only get worse as they sail further south. Forget all the dangers of Antarctica, seasickness might just be the thing that ends our heroines' journey.

Last week's episode was a bit too crowded for its own good, piling flashbacks and character introductions on top of its main storyline. The good news this week is that A Place Further Than the Universe has narrowed its focus, spending more time with the core cast as they get used to life at sea. I've mentioned this briefly in previous reviews, but the comedic chemistry between Mari, Shirase, Hinata, and Yuzuki has become remarkably strong over the course of this season. Now that they've gotten past their initial introductions and personal conflicts, the girls have developed a natural rapport that allows them to poke fun at one another without making a big deal of it. Whether they're struggling to get through a video shoot or commiserating over the discomforts of seasickness, there's an open and candid quality to their conversations. It helps illustrate the bond they've developed through their journey, and it also sets up plenty of amusing little moments.

There's also a reasonable amount of information and trivia scattered throughout this episode, most of which has to do with the ins and outs of sailing to Antarctica. We get to see how the crew handles everyday tasks like laundry and physical training at sea, and there's also a detailed explanation of why the waves get rougher as the ship approaches its destination. This stuff is detailed enough to satisfy folks who enjoy a bit of learning with their entertainment, and it's also relevant enough to the story that it doesn't feel like it was crammed into the script for no reason. It's there if you want it, and it's not distracting if you don't.

Surprisingly, we don't see as much character development this week. This seemed like it could've been a good time to formally introduce more members of the crew to the audience, especially with everyone crammed together on the ship. We do get a little, but it's usually not the main point of any given scene; a single line of dialogue here, a knowing glance there, and then it's back to the business at hand. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as it does help keep the episode focused by minimizing any tangents. Still, it's kind of an odd decision, especially considering that we're well into the back half of the season. If we haven't gotten to know some of these characters by now, when will we?

While the supporting cast remains somewhat anonymous, this storyline does succeed in an area that the show has had trouble with in the past. In having the main characters suffer through their seasickness ordeal, A Place Further Than the Universe finally finds a way to make the grand challenge of traveling to Antarctica a little more relatable. It takes a small but significant problem that's directly related to the expedition and forces the cast to overcome it before they can move on to the next big step. For the audience, that's a much easier obstacle to comprehend than something as complex as keeping the expedition adequately funded and staffed. As a result, it's easier to place ourselves in the characters' shoes and share in both their misery and their eventual triumph.

Ultimately, this episode is more about entertainment than drama, but that's perfectly alright. Personal growth doesn't always have to be a matter of confronting past regrets and making teary-eyed speeches; sometimes it can be as simple as having the characters hang out in their cabin and gripe about feeling seasick. There's still satisfaction to be had in watching the cast overcome a problem that's as humorous as it is challenging. More importantly, there's finally some ice on the horizon. We're almost there, folks. Bring on the penguins.

Rating: B+

A Place Further Than the Universe is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.