Shota stared at the screen, numb.
Was that it? Was it over? Did the story… end there?
In his mind, the final image kept looping: Mikako inside that massive mecha- one arm gone, both legs destroyed- its wrecked frame drained of power, carried by nothing but inertia deeper and deeper into the universe.
And Mikako? Was the damage really that severe? With no energy left… could the life-support systems even keep her vitals stable? And if the mecha had truly lost everything, couldn't it at least broadcast a distress signal? Call the mothership, summon someone- anyone- to come and pull her back?
There was no drag in a vacuum. If she kept drifting like that… would they even be able to find her after enough time passed? Had the Human Fleet found a return anchor to make it back to Japan- to Earth? And she and Noboru… did they still have any chance at all of meeting again?
You bastard… you couldn't spare even one more minute of runtime to explain any of that? Was it that hard? That hard?
His frustration roared inside him like a waterfall.
But the episode was truly over.
The ending theme began, and the credits rose slowly, name after name, as if the world hadn't just tightened its grip around the hearts of half the country.
Production: Ren.
Twenty-seven key animators, listed one by one.
Director of Photography: Hina, along with the full team.
Animation department.
Art department- Yume Animation, everyone's names rolling past.
Chief Animation Director: Haruto.
And finally, the voice actors for Mikako and Noboru.
The names continued to appear with calm inevitability- until, near the end, the information that actually mattered surfaced.
Assistant Director: Sumire.
Music: Sora Kamakawa.
Script: Sora Kamakawa.
Director: Sora Kamakawa.
Shota blinked, stunned.
Sora Kamakawa… did all of this alone?
Script, music, direction- everything in the hands of the same guy?
"Sora Kamakawa… huh?" he growled, resentful, feeling betrayed all over again. "So you're the one who put me through this."
Fine. You're going on my blacklist.
Next time you release anything, I'll watch it… and then I'll tear you apart in the comments.
That was what he thought, seething.
But his eyes- his eyes wouldn't leave the TV.
Any old-school anime fan knows: sometimes, when the ED ends, there's a chance of a bonus. A hidden scene. An extra. Anything that might offer a sliver of an answer.
And when the ending of Voices of a Distant Star finished, the screen really did change.
Shota's heart jumped.
There was something.
A promotional video played- only it wasn't what he'd hoped. No continuation. No answer about Mikako. Nothing he actually needed.
It was an ad.
Three weeks later, the Voices of a Distant Star BD would go on sale in three editions- Standard, Collector's, and Platinum Collector's- released nationwide all at once. At the same time, the novel adaptation would be released as well.
A product launch announcement.
Shota's gaze dulled. Sure, it was good news that the BD already had a date… but it didn't answer anything. What he wanted was the after- what happened to her, to them.
Then, in the middle of the promo, a single extra line appeared:
[The novel version of Voices of a Distant Star will include additional post-battle stories, revealing what happened to Noboru and Mikako! Please look forward to it!]
…Huh?
Shota's mouth fell open, and the hollow in his chest filled all at once with a fierce, almost violent joy.
There would be more… in the novel?
You're telling me this now?!
If I'd known, I would've cursed Sora Kamakawa a lot less during the ED.
So this was a misunderstanding, then…
…
That night, across the four prefectures within the broadcast area, far too many people were drowning in emotion.
Some found themselves thinking about their own long-distance relationships, asking in raw, aching sincerity whether anyone could still wait if the separation was… eight light-years. Others remembered the "one person they never forgot," someone they hadn't seen since middle school- and compared it to Noboru and Mikako, still reaching for each other after eight years. And more than that: Noboru, determined to find someone whose fate he didn't even know, joined the newly reorganized Human Fleet after graduating university, ready to sail out and search for the vanished predecessor fleet. Meanwhile, in real life… eight years had passed, and for many people, even the face of the person they once secretly loved had already blurred.
And there were plenty who stayed hypnotized by the ending itself- by the immaculate aesthetic the BD had promised, by the desperate beauty of two people who love each other but may never meet again. Eight light-years wasn't "distance."
It was a sentence.
But more than anything, an even larger wave of viewers flooded the Shikoku station's website and the anime section of the Natsuyume portal, posting comments like their lives depended on it.
"Did anyone actually understand the ending? I cried myself dry, but there are still so many details I didn't get! Are they going to rerun it?!"
"No chance. Just wait and buy the BD."
"I just checked the official site of Yume Animation's distributor partner. The Platinum Collector's edition comes with the soundtrack CD, behind-the-scenes videos from the studio, and even a real-life poster of Sora Kamakawa. Totally worth it."
"I'm buying the BD and the novel."
"I just want to read the extra novel content right now. Damn it- why didn't Yume Animation put that material into the anime?!"
"Because then you wouldn't buy the novel, obviously. Same old trick… and I still fell for it."
"This is what anime is supposed to do- make you think and feel. I'm so sick of those 'demon king in another world' shows. Space, the cosmos- this kind of theme is actually interesting."
"I finished it and all I can think about is when Mikako and Noboru will meet again. I'm done. I'm not sleeping tonight."
"I cried so hard. This is the most moving anime I've seen in two years. Script, direction, the whole staff- insane. It's just too short. If this were a thirteen-episode cour and explained things a bit more clearly, it would be legendary."
"It's already legendary to me. I'm still feeling it. And when you look back… besides the story, the mecha designs, those space battle cuts, the smooth choreography… Sora Kamakawa is a genius."
"Who is this director, Sora Kamakawa? I've never even heard of him."
"You can check the website- the company distributing the merch. The station hasn't updated anything, but the company distributing posted details… and I swear, I froze."
"Why? Is he that good?"
"…I checked too. I froze as well. Is this real? Eighteen?"
"I confirmed it like five times. It's eighteen. Sora Kamakawa."
"Eighteen what? Are you saying the director is eighteen centimeters? No way. Who would post that on an official site?!"
"The guy above- I almost spit out my food laughing. We mean eighteen years, you idiot. Sora Kamakawa is eighteen years old. He graduated high school… a year ago."
"?"
"?"
"?"
________________________________________________________________________________________
Each 50 Power Stones collected unlocks a new chapter! Your support not only helps the story continue but also allows us to create extra content for dedicated readers.