User reviews

Not the typical 'smash and blast' mech-warrior tale. And those looking for one will probably be disappointed, even though there are a few battle scenes.

A written haiku can give the fullness of something in a few words. The evocative images, minimalist dialogue, and soundtrack of this short file capture the full essence of two people in love, separated by war, in the same way. I don't believe a longer film could have done this.

First of all, it is really really good.

What amazed me the most is how in such a short period of time Makoto Shinkai is able to create such a wonderful, clear, interesting and beautiful story.

This 25 minute ova tells the story of two friends who are separated because of military reasons. as the distance between them grows, it is harder for them to communicate. Just as Makoto Shinkai's other movies the story basically tries to explain how time and distance make people grow apart even when they love each other. This movie however is still in every aspect bellow 5 minutes per second. The reason I didn't like it as much as other Shinkai's movies is because animation was not very good, or maybe I just didn't like it. Never the less, its still a great movie which I recommend to everyone, (anime fan or not). Its easy to follow, very well built, and as I already said, is by far the best work I've ever seen in such a short period of time. Very very good. p.s: watch 5 minutes per second (also by the same director) is the best!!

...the guy made this short anime from his home by himself on a Mac-book 3 and had his wife do the voice of the girl and he did the voice for the boy. those were the only 2 characters in the short. what he accomplished, major studios with major money could not do.

this is the third film i've watched by Shinkai, the first being 5 centimeters per second. right away you see similarities in the artwork, the rain drops falling, trains leaving the station, flowers blooming and all this is done to evoke the feeling of loneliness and works very well. i know that every time i watch 5 centimeters i either cry or get the feeling of loneliness. his most recent movie " children who chase lost voices " is another one that basically deals on the same subjects. i guess all his films deal on the same subject, but the way he does it, nobody in the world can do.

the story is about 2 junior high kids about to graduate and go to high school, a boy and a girl. the setting is Japan 2046 and space travel is now possible and we have developed warp technology which can take us anywhere in the universe. there are also aliens that we are fighting with in outer-space. the girl gets recruited to pilot a mechanized robot in outer space to fight aliens. they are both 15 years old at the time. when she goes off to fight and explore in outer space, the only way they can communicate is through text messaging, but the further away her mission takes her the longer it takes for the messages to reach earth. at the furthest distance it takes over 8 light years for the message to reach earth. she longs for him and vice versa, her age stays at 15 but the boy when they are at their furthest distance apart has aged to the age of 24 and he hasn't gotten a message for over a year. he promises to himself to do what he has got to do and not stress himself out thinking to much about her. meanwhile in outer space she is going through life and death battles against aliens in her mechanized suit. every time she gets a chance she thinks about him and planet earth and you really get an over-saturated feeling of loneliness to the point where some viewers cried. i didn't cry but the film did make me feel sad and lonely.

if your in a sad and lonely mood, unless you want to cry, don't watch it cause you are going to cry. hey, at least crying lets us know we are alive and only real humans cry, it is a good emotion. might want to make us better humans too.

What a simple concept for a film, executed so wonderfully. A teenage girl travels in space, and the only way for her to contact the boy she loves back on earth in through her cell-phone's text messaging. But as she drifts further from earth, the messages begin to take a much longer to reach him. He begins to give up on hearing from her again, and she grieves over what she is unable to tell him from this distance. However, the ending is extremely moving and uplifting, more so than I thought this 25-minute film would be.

I need not mention how this film was made, by one man on his computer. While the visuals are surprisingly good for a film made with such sparse resources, Makoto Shinkai clearly understands that storytelling is the most important part of animation, and he made a film that is more beautiful and touching than almost anything you'd see in Hollywood, and he did it on his computer, and with a run time of under a half hour. This guy is talented, and I hope to see him directing more animes in the future.

Voices of a Distant Star is a superb film by any standards, certainly a must see for anime fans.

Mikako Nagamine and Noboru Terao are two kindred spirits. They have loved one another since school. Humanity has come under attack by an alien race called the Tarsians. Compelled to fight for humanity, Mikako joins the forces to pilot giant robots to fight the Tarsians. Keeping in contact with Noboru through text messages, the further she travels away, the longer the messages take to reach one another; years at a time. The distance stretched their love, as Mikako doesn't age; still a young girl while Noboru is an adult man.

Hoshi No Koe, Voices of a Distant Star, is one interesting piece of anime. This tale of two lovers separated by the gulf of space, is a heart breaking story. While Mikako fights alien forces, never stops thinking of Noboru. Norboru, remaining of earth constant checks his messages for any link to Mikako, yet questions whether becoming emotional cut off from humanity is worth the wait for his true love; who may never return.

The animation is a breath taking sight. The surrounding of landscapes are vividly detailed; they leap off the screen. The action sequences are face paced and wonderfully created.

What is the most disappointing part of Voices of a Distant star, is it feels like a small part of a much grander vision. The story is erratic, jumping around from Mikako and Noboru. It's easy to see that they love each other, yet we never see their inner torment over this; especially Noboru's realisation that he needs to move on. The Tarsians attack on humanity is a mystery. It's obvious that Makoto Shinkai had a grander vision of this story, so it seems strange to tell it in a short story.

Voices of a Distant Star is an interesting film, yet it could have been so much more. Makoto Shinkai could have made a beautiful feature length film, instead of this compressed version.

Makoto Shinkai could direct traffic and I would watch. This was an amazing anime. You could feel the distance and loneliness of the two main characters. Shinkai wrote, directed and made this all on one computer and you can feel the very personal feel that it gave this animation.

I heard a lot of good things about this anime movie long before I watched it and did not think too much about actually picking it up. But I have to tell the truth when I saw it on sale that pushed me over the line to get it and I am very glad I did. It is was wonderful addition to my collection.

Even the bonus that comes on the DVD version about a cat is great, it is only 5 minutes long but he makes it great. I look forward to his works, I am sure it will be tugging at the heart-strings as he weaves his tale into our hearts.

While I found the art to be up there with some of the best anime I have seen I found the story a bit too pretentious and ambitious for its own good. The fanboy in me wanted more bitchin mecha action while the cinemafile in me wanted more story and character development. The film fails in both aspects. However I give Shinkai San credit for one of the most innovative mecha designs ever. The movie was worth my 25 minutes just to see how the mecha is controlled.

I wasn't aware that this anime was homemade until I came to this site. I respect the time and work put into this one. The CG mixed with painted/sketched art always does wonders, and it always means that there's going to be a unique anime movie made. So with that in mind, Voices Of A Distant Star was truly breathtaking. The spacial scenery when the main girl flies through space and battles is beyond great. The story is pretty deep and sweet in nature, which helped with the disjointed dialogue and setup of the story.

The only problem with this movie is the length and repeated usage of certain shots over and over. This could've been corrected, but overall, the movie was great. 6/10

This is a great amateur feature which captures emotions and imagination better than many full length studio flicks. I first watched it as a fan-subtitled release via the internet, and I think that translation stands as the most emotionally true to this point.

Though the American voices are well done, some things have been added and some taken away as in any translation. I suggest watching a subtitled version instead of the American translation. None of the emotional intensity is lost... I don't know many folks who have watched it and not cried.

The story of junior high sweethearts separated by war and then time is as uplifting as it is poignant. Communicating via email which becomes more and more intermittent as the combatant moves first years and then light years away, one half of the partnership grows to adulthood on earth as the other fights battles 8.6 light years away... and remains 15. It's agonizing to see one choose to move on and one still feel the immediacy of a love that just months ago shared lunch at the bus stop. It's just as powerfully lovely to see the bond remain through space and time.

An anime short film watched because it's been a hectic day, and though I wanted to get through something more substantial, I quite simply ran out of time.

The plot of Voices of a Distant Star centers on some kind of futuristic war that's being fought and keeping two people who were once very close very far apart. They write each other letters, only to find the one who's at war is getting further and further away by the minute, which is, of course, quite sad.

But how sad? Not really sad enough for me to feel too devastated by Voices of a Distant Star, though I will admit it did a pretty good job at conveying its small story across a wide amount of space and time in just 25 minutes of runtime. It is also a great premise for a short story, given I think it would start to get tedious in a bad/non-thematically powerful way if one were to stretch a story like this into a feature-length runtime.

The anime industry is a pretty rigid one. It takes time for talent to surface, people never start off by directing a movie of their own. Even major talents like Mamoru Oshii started their careers inbetweening children's cartoons. It's the way the industry works, and there's very little room for change. Yet there are some people who are talented enough to break right through these traditions.

Makoto Shinkai is one of those people. When Hoshi no Koe was released, many heads turned. Being only his second short film (and his first lengthy one), Shinkai directed a movie that not only had a unique visual style and was technically impressive, he did it all by himself. Without the help of any major studio or other animators, without prior experience in the industry, he created a 30 minute animated short film that equaled and surpassed many other professional efforts. No matter how rigid an industry is, this gets you noticed.

With Hoshi no Koe, Shinkai put his name out there. While not all the work was done by himself (his wife and a couple of friends did the original dubbing), the bulk of the work was all his doing. Though he directed a short film before, with Hoshi no Koe he defined his personal style and developed an atmosphere he could call his own, crafting it to further perfection in his later films.

The film is now 4 years old, yet it still looks lush. It's not the prettiest anime out there, not by far. The cgi looks pretty standard and the characters designs aren't really that good, but Shinkai knew perfectly well how to mask his shortcomings. By using strong, vibrant yet dreamy colors, applying a smart mix of 2d and 3d artwork and getting some good camera action he was able to fill each frame with a lavish setting that easily overshadowed the lesser points of his work.

This visual identity has always defined Shinkai in a way. While his movies always radiate a certain grandeur, it's always in function of small, romantic elements. He has always focused on the smaller things in life, voicing his admiration of them through his characters. The setting of Hoshi no Koe also reflects this. While in the background there's space travel and mecha fighting, the film is really about two people being separated by time and space, pondering about their time together. Thinking back of walks in the rain and spring mornings, seeing the cherry blossoms fall. That's Shinkai.

These conflicting elements never get into the way of each other, although a better focus might have improved the film a bit. Something Shinkai himself picked up along the way of his further career. The storyline functions as a mere setup, leaving all details and further explanations to a bare minimum. This makes the short a tad hard to follow, but in the end the atmosphere really benefits from this choice. The focus is kept on the theme of the film, instead of delving into a cliché setting not really worth exploring anyway.

Hoshi no Koe really is a landmark movie. Not only because it was the first good example of how increased processor power combined with a creative and persistent mind could penetrate a rigid industry, but also because it set the bar for Shinkai's individual style, which would only improve along the way. Not many people followed in his footsteps (although there are some examples, ranking them immediately among the best anime directors out there), indicating his rare talent.

With all circumstantial arguments out of the way, Hoshi no Koe remains above all a sweet, touching little short set to a rather violent and typical anime background. His later efforts would put both elements in better balance, but the effect is already here, and the short still stands proud 4 years later.

4.5*/5*

Like most people, my first experience with director Makoto Shinkai was his 2016-megahit Kimi No Na Wa... a viewing experience I still hold dear to me. And ever since, I had taken the time to watch everything the director has made... Everything but this movie right here.

So when I finally had the opportunity today to watch Voices of a Distant Star, Shinkai's defining solo project, I was excited to say the least. But my excitement only lasted the first two minutes, being immediately put off by a rather unattractive art style (very specifically the anatomies and human facial proportions, which for some reason, I couldn't love) and what seemed to be a clichéd narration of loneliness. And had I stopped there, I wouldn't have known what I was going to miss. Because despite its issues of production and resources, it still proved to be a rather unique spin on what it really feels like being distant from someone you wish to be close to.

I didn't quite care for the space battles, as I've always found the space sci-fi genre extremely repetitive and overplayed... as so did I in this movie. But what makes it ever so endearing thinking back on the movie is its approach to what can be defined as a form of loneliness... one that feels as personal as could be. And it is definitely Shinkaiesque before Shinkaiesque was a term.

I'm sure to revisit this movie soon in the future, as I do most of Shinkai's other works, and I'm glad I was able to finally watch this movie.

I didn't like the animation very much. It didn't have that much neatness as of other Shinkai movies.

The plot is a fair one and it does try to highlight the themes of distance but the runtime is too short for the proper execution of it. The background score is also just fair. The movie clearly lacks a lot in terms of character- development as well.

However, one thing that does shine in the movie is the strong emotions which are clearly portrayed.

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)

Well, this one caught me off guard! I was very surprised of it... Art is done fantastically... still can't believe that it's done by one person! Can't wait for the second! Just go ahead and see if you can find one! Its translated title is "Voices of a Distant Star".

Simply put, this is the reason why anime is so superior to any other art form out there. The stunning visuals and freedom of the storyline make something like 'Voices of a Distant Star' a pleasure to watch. Unhindered by the traditional commercial constraints on any 'big-budget' title, Voices succeeds at the highest level, making you deeply care about the characters. And to say this is all done in a mere 30 minutes is such an achievement.

Movingly beautiful and very interesting. Voices of a Distant Star is the type of entertainment that doesn't come around too often.

I'm sorry, but I just don't understand why there's so much praise over this short film.

OK, so it looks nothing less than amazing, mind you everything was animated by one young Japanese man armed with nothing but a 2-year old Mac. Maybe I expected too much, considering I paid $20US for a DVD that didn't tell me that "Voices" piece was only 25-minutes long.

But by what the summary on the casing told me, and from other reviews I had read, "Voices" LOOKED like a deep, thought-provoking, action/drama with some of the most wonderful animation this side of the galaxy. However, the translation is quite poor, and therefore is hard to wrap your mind around.

Since this piece is quite short, you can't really sympathize with the 2 lead characters and their heart-ache, since their young-love relationship is literally flashed before your eyes in between gory mecha battle action sequences.

Even this young-love thing is VERY ridiculous, even if it is just a movie. The male love interest, who's been left by his Elementary School love for the Armed Forces in space, is just a god-awful and unbelievable character. We are expected to believe that this guy's love for her is so strong, that even after 20 years they left each other in Primary school, he will still wait for her, communicating only through e-mails sent through cell-phones.

My last complaint is about the animation. Everything is perfect. And I mean PERFECT. The cell-shaded CG mech battle scenes are a sight to behold themselves. But the actual human characters look very amateur-ish and totally out of place, so when watching "Voices", I felt like I was watching just a very long opening CG sequence to a Playstation 1 game.

So, I usually rate movies in my head by grades, which is much easier that percentiles, or "stars" and all that other mumbo-jumbo. I would have to give "Voices of a Distant Star" a D. Disappointing, to say the least, but then again, maybe I just expected an animated classic like I was told it was. If you just want to have something just for artistic value, maybe you might like this. If you're looking for any truly beautiful when it comes to dialog and story-telling, look elsewhere.

Fantastic short film, all made by one man on a mac. Voices Of A Distant Star is the story of a future intergalactic war, and young couples separated by minutes, months, and eventually years communicating via texts, in one of the most entertaining movies about long distance relationships I've ever seen (the first one with space fights anyway). The direction alternates between simple objects and images caught in daytime shadows, and grandiose sweeping shots of ultra violet skys and vast alien landscapes and space. Likewise the plot alternates between introspective voice overs about longing and the passage of time, wonder at the magnitude and beauty at the psychical world, and anime style space battles with giant mech soldiers, aliens who resemble T1000esque Crustaceans, and Space Vessels which look like swans. Emotionally and visually moving anime, about growing up and growing apart.

This anime puts a human face on intergalactic warfare.

If you have been even remotely fascinated by the portrayal of war between humanity and alien species, e.g. as depicted in "The Forever War" and "Starship Troopers", while at the same time appreciating the delicateness and sensitivity that typically characterize boy-girl love relationships in Japanese manga, you owe it to yourself to watch this piece of 21st century art...

The fact that it was done largely by a single guy working off his computer is indeed phenomenal, not enough kudos can really go to him...

Finally, the song "Through the Years and Far Away", providing the soundtrack to the final dramatic battle and act of apparent self-sacrifice by the mecha pilot, never fails to bring a tear to the eye and a jump to the heart.

A bittersweet tale of love and hope between two kids in an unfair world. With its beautiful imagery and soundtrack filled with longing and tragedy, this piece will leave you breathless. It will leave you wondering about our world, how the bond between two people can remain so strong, despite an unfathomable distance. The end of this film brings a touch of hope for the future, that perhaps tomorrow will bring something better, that maybe the world won't be so cold. It brings a reminder that we never forget love, we will never forget hope. There is no other short film that will move you as much as this piece. It will leave you in tears.

First of all, Japan should be producing this caliber of work more, rather than producing endless episodes of meaningless animes.

In this film, the action, lighting, sun rays, backgrounds, stills, and cgi are done beautifully. I like them very much. The concept is also pretty unique. The photography and colors are pretty brilliant.

But what makes it a pity is the hand-drawn characters. they are not professionally drawn and animated. Proportions are often off. Animation of the hand-drawn characters are not natural. It could have been a much more perfect film with much better feel and look if the characters are done right. What a pity.

Generally, a pretty good animated short film.