Sora yori mo Tooi Basho

A Place Further Than the Universe follows Mari Tamaki, a second-year high school student who dreams of stepping beyond the narrow world she has built around herself, but is often held back by fear of the unknown and her own self-doubt. Her life changes when she meets Shirase Kobuchizawa, a girl determined to reach Antarctica and search for the mother who disappeared there years ago. Shirase has spent years saving every yen she can for the expedition, even as the people around her dismiss the goal as impossible. Moved by Shirase's resolve, Mari decides to join her, and the two are soon accompanied by Hinata Miyake, a bright girl who wants a place where she can truly belong, and Yuzuki Shiraishi, a poised girl from a wealthy background who ends up pulled into their plan. As the four girls set their sights on the frozen south, the story blends adventure and coming-of-age drama, tracing how a shared dream can push them past loneliness, insecurity, and the limits they have accepted for themselves. Antarctica becomes more than a destination: it is the place where each of them searches for courage, connection, and a reason to move forward.