ada the leading man is my tpye

BoardChiri Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

Catangro After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Melanie Bouvet The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Yohanes William First of all, I wanted to say that this is a superb masterpiece by Makoto Shinkai. I'm not a big fan of Japanese anime or whatsoever, but this one stunned me, like BAM! Seriously though, I do not regret my decision, watching this anime instead of doing my task. A story with a simple concept, and I LOVE IT BIG TIME, because this one contains a time and space elements, a time difference from one place to another etc. You don't have to be an anime lover/fans or maniac to love this great job by Makoto Shinkai. The story itself, straight to the point and tells everything needed to be a perfect short anime/movie and even better, the duration is short. It also contains some action, drama and romance as well. Yes, the graphic is not as good as 5cm per-seconds and some modern anime, sure because this one was made a long time ago(duh it was 2003). But, you can compare it to any anime at that time, and I assure you that this one has a good quality. All in all, after I watched this, I can't move on from this anime, for hours, I don't know probably days or weeks. Anyway, if you haven't watched it, GO ON MAN, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, IT'S GREAT AND THIS IS 2014 ALREADY. =))

Valentin Frank When it comes to classifying movies, Voices of a Distant Star is hard to place. It has the story of a short story, skilled direction worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster, and the feeling behind it of a poem or song. The plot is, without spoiling anything, simple, yet full of deeper implications that last far past it. In Voices of a Distant Star, the prevailing idea is separation and the truth that bonds between people can cross time and space, an idea that is surprisingly literal in its portrayal in this movie. What is also surprising in this movie is the genre that it seems to put itself into. If you look at it technically, this movie could qualify as a sci-fi mecha-themed adventure whereas it actually is a look at human emotions. This contrast, if anything, still more reinforces the ideas that are found in the deep subtext of the movie because of the ideal that no matter in what situation they find themselves in, humans' emotions are still the same. The only thing that keep this movie back a little bit is the animation quality, which is underwhelming. This is sad, because the attention for detail is still present and the storytelling still comes off as truly intriguing in ways such as that most of the character development is told in the form of text messages. All in all, this is a movie/short that should note be missed by any lover of animes that enjoys movies that delve deeper than most pieces of cinema out there.I can't give this move a perfect rating because of its lackluster visuals, but it's as close to perfect without being so.

Onderhond 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*

Joseph Sylvers 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.