Voices of a Distant Star

Voices of a Distant Star

Company type	Original video animation (OVA)
Industry	Animation, Entertainment
Founded	February 2002
Founder	Makoto Shinkai
Headquarters	Japan
Products	Animated short film, drama CD, novel, manga

' is a Japanese original video animation (OVA) short film in the science fiction genre, both created and animated by Makoto Shinkai. The story centers on two childhood companions who are separated when the female protagonist is deployed into space to engage in an extraterrestrial conflict. As she ventures farther into the cosmos, the delay in her text messages to Earth increases; the narrative alternates between her combat experiences and the boy's life as he receives her messages over an extended period.

The OVA debuted in Japan in February 2002, followed by DVD releases on April 19 and October 6 of the same year. It was licensed for distribution in North America and the United Kingdom by ADV Films, in Australasia by Madman Entertainment, and in the UK also by Anime Limited. The production earned the 2002 Animation Kobe award for packaged work and secured the 2003 Seiun Award for Best Media. While critics lauded its visual artistry, storyline, and soundtrack, the English-language dub drew some negative feedback.

This OVA served as inspiration for a drama CD produced by Pioneer LDC and a novel authored by Waku Ōba with illustrations from Makoto Shinkai and Kou Yaginuma, published under Media Factory’s MF Bunko J label. Additionally, Makoto Shinkai adapted the story into a manga illustrated by Mizu Sahara, serialized in Kodansha's Afternoon magazine starting April 2004 and later compiled into a one-shot volume released in February 2005. Tokyopop acquired North American rights to the manga, publishing it on August 1, 2006.

Plot

Mikako Nagamine (voiced by Mika Shinohara in Japanese and Cynthia Martinez in English), a high school student, is enlisted into the UN Space Army to combat alien beings known as the Tarsians—named after Mars' Tharsis region where they were initially encountered. As a Special Agent, Mikako pilots a massive mecha called a Tracer within a squadron aboard the space carrier Lysithea. When the Lysithea departs Earth to engage the Tarsians, Mikako’s childhood friend Noboru Terao (voiced by Makoto Shinkai in Japanese and Adam Colon in English) remains on Earth. They keep in touch through mobile phone emails; however, as Mikako’s ship journeys deeper into space, increasing communication delays stretch their exchanges across several years.

Set in the year 2047, the narrative begins with Mikako alone in a deserted city attempting to contact others via telephone. She then awakens inside her Tracer orbiting an extrasolar planet before traveling to Agartha, a fictional fourth planet within the Sirius star system. Mikako sends Noboru an email dated September 16, 2047, titled "I am here," which does not reach him until eight years later. The story incorporates flashbacks or hallucinations, culminating with Mikako imploring her doppelganger to allow her another chance to see Noboru and confess her feelings.

An alert warns that Tarsian forces have surrounded Mikako, leading to an intense final confrontation. Meanwhile on Earth, Noboru receives her message nearly nine years after it was sent. At Agartha, three out of four warp-engine carriers have been destroyed; however, after Mikako’s intervention, the Lysithea remains operational. Following their victory, she allows her damaged Tracer to drift away into space.

In the manga version, 16-year-old Mikako sends an affectionate message to Noboru, now aged 25. Noboru has joined the UN and participates in a rescue operation involving the Lysithea. Upon discovering this, Mikako locates Noboru’s name on the mission roster and ends with hopeful anticipation of their eventual reunion.

Production

Makoto Shinkai independently wrote, directed, and produced Voices of a Distant Star using his Power Mac G4 and a suite of software tools such as LightWave, Adobe Photoshop 5.0, After Effects 4.1, and Commotion 3.1 DV. Around June 2000, he completed the initial artwork depicting a girl holding a mobile phone inside a cockpit.

Among Shinkai's creative influences were works like Dracula and Laputa. The overall production spanned roughly seven months, with the most intensive efforts concentrated toward the end. A significant source of inspiration came from Shinkai’s frequent text exchanges with his wife during his work hours. Utilizing digital technology and software accessible at his employer Nihon Falcom, he embraced the emerging trend of solo filmmaking made possible by advancements in consumer electronics such as DVDs and the PlayStation 2.

The original voice performances were delivered by Makoto himself and his then-girlfriend Mika Shinohara, with professional Japanese voice actors later recording for the DVD edition. The soundtrack was composed by Tenmon, a longtime collaborator from Shinkai’s video game development days. Music composition and animation progressed concurrently during storyboarding, often requiring adjustments in animation timing to synchronize effectively with the musical score.

The OVA concludes with the theme "Through the Years and Far Away (Hello, Little Star)," composed by Tenmon, featuring lyrics written by K. Juno and vocals performed by Low.

Media

OVA

The Voices of a Distant Star OVA was crafted under the direction, writing, and production of Makoto Shinkai, who also contributed original voice work alongside his fiancée Mika Shinohara. The OVA debuted in February 2002. The DVD release was produced by Yoshihiro Hagiwara and included voice talents Chihiro Suzuki and Sumi Mutoh. CoMix Wave Inc. issued the DVD on April 19, 2002, followed by a DVD Book edition published by Tokuma Shoten in October 2002.

In July 2002, ADV Films secured North American distribution rights for the OVA. Steven Foster directed the English dubbing featuring Adam Colon and Cynthia Martinez. ADV released the DVD on June 10, 2003; however, it was recalled on June 30 due to the absence of original Japanese audio tracks. ADV Films UK launched their DVD version in November 2003 and later included this title in a Shinkai Collection set alongside The Place Promised in Our Early Days in September 2007. Subsequently, Anime Limited obtained UK licensing rights and announced plans for DVD and Blu-ray twin-pack editions for both films. In Australasia, Madman Entertainment brought out the DVD release in October 2003.

Other international licenses were granted to France's Kazé, Italy's D/visual, Russia's XLM Media, and Taiwan's Proware Multimedia International. To honor Shinkai’s directorial work, Crunchyroll streamed the film free of charge for a 48-hour period in March 2010. On March 10, 2022, GKIDS acquired North American home video rights for Voices of a Distant Star along with three additional Shinkai titles; it was included as an extra feature on the Blu-ray edition of 5 Centimeters per Second released June 7.

Additional Media

On June 25, 2002, Pioneer LDC issued a drama CD. Subsequently, a novelization of the OVA was published on July 25, 2002, under Media Factory's MF Bunko J label. This adaptation was penned by Waku Ōba with illustrations contributed by Makoto Shinkai and Kou Yaginuma.

Makoto Shinkai's OVA also inspired a manga adaptation, illustrated by Mizu Sahara. Beginning its serialization in Kodansha's Afternoon magazine in April 2004, the manga was compiled into a single volume released by Kodansha on February 23, 2005. Tokyopop secured North American rights and published it on August 1, 2006. Additionally, the manga was licensed in Italy by D/visual, in Germany by Egmont Manga & Anime, and in Portugal through Panini Comics. Vertical later acquired the English licensing rights for a re-release.

A follow-up novel titled Words of Love/Across the Stars, authored by Arata Kanoh, debuted in 2006 and was translated into English by Vertical in 2019.

Critical Response

Voices of A Distant Star earned several accolades including the Special Prize at the 6th Japan Media Arts Festival, the 2002 Animation Kobe award for packaged work, and the 2003 Seiun Award recognizing best media. It also secured the 100th position on DVD Verdict's list of Top 100 DVD Films.

Jonathan Mays from Anime News Network criticized Steven Foster’s English dub for omitting certain details and modifying scenes; Foster explained these alterations were intended to make humor more accessible. Despite this, Mays commended the animation’s stunning quality, particularly Shinkai’s expert use of lighting and intricate backgrounds, although he described the character designs as somewhat "unoriginal." Rob Lineberger of DVD Verdict praised the soundtrack for its immersive and dynamic audio experience.

Carlos Ross from THEM Anime Review applauded the voice performances, direction, and animation craftsmanship, highlighting a well-balanced narrative that intertwines action with romance. IGN’s A.E. Sparrow acknowledged the film’s strong visual appeal but felt it lacked substantive depth beyond its imagery. Chris Beveridge from Mania praised ADV Films for utilizing original computer files to produce a vibrant and high-quality transfer with minimal imperfections. Johanna Draper Carlson of DVDs Worth Watching noted that while character designs seemed familiar, some editing choices resulted in a slightly uneven flow.

Manga

A.E. Sparrow of IGN observed that unlike the film, the manga includes "additional storylines, characters and dialogue," with Mizu Sahara's illustrations helping to clarify scenes that were ambiguous in the anime version. Theron Martin from Anime News Network commended its "strong storytelling" and emotional resonance but felt it "adds unnecessarily to the ending," while remarking that Sahara’s character designs offer only modest improvements over Shinkai’s originals.

Johanna Draper Carlson from Manga Worth Reading pointed out the manga’s denser artistic style featuring toned backgrounds that emphasize themes of separation and loss. Melinda Beasi at Pop Culture Shock described it as "absolutely beautiful," praising its detailed and expressive artwork alongside engaging panel compositions that enhance narrative delivery. Beasi also highlighted Sahara’s deeper portrayal of Mikako’s and Noboru’s feelings surrounding Mikako’s Lysithea appointment, providing valuable insight into their characters.

On the other hand, Sakura Eries of Mania.com criticized the manga for sparse background detail, uninspired mecha designs, and warp sequences that lacked impact compared to their anime counterparts.