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Let me preface this review by admitting that Hyouka is by far one of my favorite shows. Therefore, I had very high expectations going into its textual form. To be straightforward, these expectations were met and surpassed with no difficulty. The prose, the details, everything else: they all made it possible to easily re-enter the world of Hyouka. And while many say that the artwork in the show is one of its best aspects, it is truly seen in its original novel series that that is clearly not the case, and bluntly, it isn’t even needed.

I will refrain from an elaborate review of the first ... few volumes since KyoAni produced a spectacular adaptation. But for formal review sake, I would simply like to state that these chapters do a wonderful job introducing our beloved characters, and giving life to our favorite Classics Club. Oreki is reluctant as always and Chitanda is as curious as her anime counterpart.

However, now the question is how well does the story continue? What have we not seen under the precision and beauty of KyoAni’s production? Well, in short, it’s the same quality of substances that viewers have already experienced in Hyouka(2012). Currently, there are only two additional volumes that are not part of the animation (except for one chapter about Ogi-sensei and helicopters).

The first additional volume, volume 5, is an arc where the Classics Club members are now second years. They attempt to recruit more members and stumble upon an underclassman that seems interested initially. However, her interest suddenly changes and tension is caused between Chitanda and this new character. Oreki utilizes his power of deduction, as he does, to find the reason for her sudden change of heart. These chapters were an interesting read. It gave us a shakeup in the cast as well as an entertaining chance to imagine Oreki in his prime environment, the school marathon.

However, what I truly enjoyed was volume 6. Although there is still a slim chance, I still feel disappointed that I probably won’t be able to experience these chapters in an animation form. For a concise summary, these chapters dive deeper into the club members' individual and unique character (all except for Satoshi - but he already had that Valentine chapter so no harm no foul). It shines the spotlight on Ibara and her manga, Oreki and his motto, and Chitanda and her future. While these chapters are episodic, as viewers of Hyouka can expect, it is written superbly and emotionally intriguing, and is obviously a sign of love for the characters. Each chapter fleshes out an individual, allowing for even more relatability from the reader, and provides additional evidence supporting the growth of their relationship with another character.

Throughout the series, we get to see Oreki use his logic in these so-called mysteries that many could argue to be futile or obvious. But what I learned from Hyouka and continue to agree with after reading these two volumes, is simply that the beauty of this series is not in the detective work. The true gem is found within our four curious characters (some more curious than others), their bonds, and their ever so subtle development as they fabricate, experience, and enjoy their rose-colored high school life.

How can I guarantee this series is as good as I say it is? Perhaps I’m being biased. Perhaps the translators deserve the credit by providing improvements, obvious or subtle, to the story (I will never know if this is the case). Perhaps it is naive for me to say that there isn’t anything else like this series in the world (partly because one could say this for any piece of art that hasn’t been struck with copyright infringements, partly because my experience in (light)novels is meager compared to those who can proudly say they are experts in this medium).

Perhaps.

But perhaps Yonezawa created a series that is actually as magnificent as I believe it to be... yeah, I prefer that one. And if it is true, it gives merit to my review. But alas, since this is a subjective review, as all reviews happen to be, I believe that my opinion on Oreki’s quasi-idyllic life could be valid and/or useful to other readers who might have stumbled upon this wonderful series, regardless which “Perhaps...” is true.

Although what I’m about to say is unfortunately derived from my pessimistic expectations of Yonezawa, I genuinely hope for the continuation of this wonderful series. Maybe this series was just something for fun. Maybe this series was just a lucky break. But as Irisu-senpai said, “Everyone ought to recognize their own talents… Or it would be painful to watch for those without”.

But maybe the author actually got bored of the series, or blinded and overwhelmed by the very rose-colored life he himself manifested. Or maybe he is lost and is unable to discover a clear path for this series to travel upon. If that’s the case, then I, who is simply an earnest fan, give you these wings, Yonezawa, as the path might be hidden in the sky. But if you respond as the innocent Chitanda did when contemplating inside the storehouse, and say, “Even though I’m told I now have wings, what am I supposed to do?”, then I will follow Oreki's footsteps and leave you with something similar to his (lack of) response:

I had said everything I needed to say and done everything I needed to do. The rest, no matter how much it pains me, is for you to sort out.

There are many wonders of this world, and those who don’t experience these directly miss out on life-changing possibilities. However, given the opportunity to become a potential wonder, A Place Further than the Universe gets so close but ultimately fails to achieve this feat.

The pilot episode was amazing. No doubt about that. It effectively set up the rest of the series while concurrently being artistically intriguing and spectacular. However as the show goes on, it goes from being an inspirational adventure to a generic cute-girls-doing-cute-things reality show.

I will certainly not deny that I enjoyed this show; however, there were several times this show put ... me in an apathetic gaze. And I get it, sometimes it’s impossible for a series to manage to maintain a plateau at its peak, but A Place Further than the Universe, unfortunately, experiences a detrimental distance from its peak to its lowest point. From several disposable characters to just random, cliche, episodic drama, this series has many flaws. For instance, there is no foundation for strong character development(except for maybe one of the protagonists).

What are we left with then? Well, we have four hilarious, innocent girls living their best life. While this by itself is the major substance of many other series out there, this alone can’t bring about greatness and differentiate the series from the variety of great titles out there. A Place Further than the Universe, unfortunately, ends up in this category.

Near the end of this series, A Place Further than the Universe genuinely attempts to return to its initial finesse. As, not only the characters’, but also the viewers’ journey comes to a close, the show displays the satisfaction of accomplishing the initial hopes and dreams of the characters. It finally builds upon the character’s previous ambitions and troubles that was crucial to the pilot’s success.

There are parts of this show that I constantly enjoyed. To begin with, the melodious soundtrack was extremely proficient in relaying the emotions of certain scenes (bangers, I tell you, bangers). Artwork and voice acting was a pleasure as well (I enjoyed the No Game No Life easter eggs). In the end, these high points of the series are not significant enough to truly distinguish A Place Further from the Universe from many other enjoyable shows.

As I conclude this review, I would like to note that this is certainly a subjective review. Hopefully, my unprofessional critiques don’t repel anyone from experiencing a potential wonder of his or her own world. I’m just here to say that, in my opinion, this series could have done much better, but was still a journey I had fun with. I conclude by admitting A Place Further than the Universe is currently a gem to the anime community. In my perspective, however, this series is simply in a place of convenience and comfort.