Voices of a Distant Star or Hoshi No Koe, a 25 minute long animated production almost solely done by Makoto Shinkai, is a dramatic and heartbreaking story that despite being set in a distinctly sci-fi/mecha/space opera background, is basically a tale of romance and the pain of separation of two (As the cliche goes) star-crossed young people.  Having won legions of fans and a fair number of awards since its Japanese release in 2002, it has inspired, among other spin-offs, a CD audio drama with several side stories set within the story, as well as a novelization that deepened and extended the plot of the animation.

With Voices recent English-language release by ADV Films, a whole new legion of fans has been introduced to the story of Mikako and Noboru.  However, given the melancholy and heartbreaking ending of the animation, many people probably will wonder "Is that it?"  Though there is more to the story, such materials as the novelization have only been available in Japan, leaving those who cannot access such materials out in the lurch.

Fortunately, during a discussion thread on the Anime on DVD forum, Chadwick Ngan was kind enough to post a summary of the ending in the novelization of Voices of a Distant Star, which is extended beyond the end of the animation and, will probably provide a very satisfying finis to the story.  In addition, there is also a note about one of the items that is not included in the English-language release DVD, but was for Region 2 DVD.

Hopefully the following will provide, in the words of one poster to the discussion thread, "closure" to those who watched the animation.

Subject: Voices of a Distant Star -- What happens afterwards
Time: 06/05/03 08:55 PM
Author: Chadwick Ngan

Since a number of people have asked this already, and I'm sure a lot more will ask about this when the DVD comes out, I've summarized the novel ending, which has an extra 50 pages after the climatic battle.

Enjoy.

March, 2056
Saitama Space Self Defense Force Base

News of the battle at Agharta has arrived on Earth. Initial reports are very confusing, but one thing is clear. Casualties were heavy, and the Lysithea was the sole survivor of the engagement. Noboru is called up to duty ahead of his deployment date. He is confused and worried. After all, he has just received the message Mikako sent before the battle earlier that day. The media releases an incomplete list of confirmed survivors, and Mikako’s name is not on it.

At Saitama base, Noboru finds out they are scrambling a rescue mission to rendezvous with Lysithea, which explains why he’s called up ahead of time. As he is being shipped out to the moon base, another message from Mikako arrives.

September, 2047
Lysithea

Mikako wakes up at the medical room. It was a close call for her, as her Tracer had lost all power and was traveling under inertia only. By the time the rescue crew got to her, she has already passed out. Mikako finds out that of the 1000 or so Tracer operators, only 172 survived the battle. Due to the lack of hanger space, her damaged Tracer was deemed not worth repairing and abandoned.

Commander Rokomov, who is in charge of the expedition, gathers his crew and informs them he is aborting their mission and returning to Earth. He has already requested a rescue ship from Earth. It will take 8 years and 7 months before Earth receives his message. In the mean time, Lysithea will move under its own power to the nearest anchor point, Sirius Alpha, which is 2.1 light years from Earth and 6.5 light years from Agharta. Traveling at sub-light speed, Lysithea can get there within the 8 years 7 months time span. Due to time dilation, only 4 years will pass for those onboard.

24-years old Noboru-kun.
It’s the 15-years old Mikako.
You must have heard about the battle at Agharta by now.
I’m alive.
And, very happy.
What I’ve been praying for so long, the day we’ll return to Earth, has finally been decided.
By the time this mail arrives, Mikako will be at anchor point Sirius Alpha.
From there, I’m sure the rescue ship will take us back to Earth.
We can finally meet each other, Noboru-kun.
When we meet, Mikako has something to tell Noboru-kun directly. Something that she wants to say for a long, long time.
But, not through mails.
Lysithea will get moving shortly.
24-years old Noboru-kun, I wonder where are you and what are you doing?
During the 4 years journey, Mikako will pass her boring days imagining about the 24-years old Noboru-kun.
The next time we meet, Mikako will be 19 years old from her perspective.
What kind of young woman will she turn out, look forward to the meeting and see for yourself.
Later.

—From Mikako, still 15-years old at this point

April, 2056
Rescue Ship

Noboru is assigned to one of the latest class of Cosmoknight (interstellar warship = Cosmoknight). It is equipped with a hyper-drive with a jump radius of 3 light years, and an experimental faster-than-light communication system. Noboru will serve as a communication technician onboard the ship. As one of the youngest and greenest crewmember, he works hard at learning his job while the ship travels to the jump-safe zone between Mars and Jupiter.

He digs up Nagamine’s service photo, and passes it around his crew mates, asking them to keep a lookout for her once they docked with the Lysithea. It is the first time he sees any visual records of Nagamine after she left. Seeing her at 15 years old, Noboru once again feels the length and weight of the 9 years that has passed since then.

Coming out of the warp jump, they find and make contact with Lysithea quickly. Noboru decides to send Nagamine a message.

To Nagamine
It’s been so long since you received a message from me, this must come to you as a surprise.
The mail you sent from Lysithea, it has arrived.
Though there is much I want to say to you, I want to save it for our meeting. Besides, truth be told it’s been so long since I wrote you a message, I’m not sure what to say myself.
I’m 24-years old now, and Nagamine is 19.
What should I say to the 19-years old Nagamine, I do not know. Just like the Nagamine who has been imagining about the 24-years old me for so long while waiting inside Lysithea, the 24-years old me is also spending my days imagining about the 19-years old Nagamine, even if for a shorter amount of time.
From my perspective, for almost 9 years I’ve been thinking of Nagamine as a 15-years old; now she suddenly returns as an adult, it’s only natural to get a little confused.
But, I’m content with this.
Just the fact that we can meet again, it is a miracle to me already.
How should I talk to the 19-years old Nagamine, well I’ll think about that when I meet her.
Anyway the day of our reunion is close.
It’s so close, I’m sure it’ll surprise you.

—I have a secret plan…… Terao Noboru

Noboru-kun.
It’s the 19-years old Mikako.
Soon the boring days will come to an end.
Yesterday, the mail from Noboru-kun arrived.
I’m still inside the Lysithea, how come I can receive Noboru-kun’s message already, it seemed like a mystery to me.
But, I was very happy regardless.
Because I thought the 24-years old Noboru will not treat a message sent from a 15-years old girl to a classmate of her past so seriously.
To me it all happened in an instant; for 9 years, since the days when we were 15, thank you for patiently staying true to me.
Though I may not be able to catch up to the 24-years old Noboru-kun, for 4 years, I’ve grown up within the Lysithea.
I’m 19-years old now.
Actually, I thought about replying immediately yesterday, but I’m confused too myself; in the end I couldn’t write a reply right away.
Noboru-kun’s mail was full of mystery.
At the very least, if you have written me about what you are doing these days, it’ll be easier to imagine what the 24-years old Noboru is like……
On top of that, I don’t understand what is this secret plan of yours.
Tomorrow, we should rendezvous with the rescue ship.
I too, will be busy working in preparation for that.
One question. Which Mikako would Noboru-kun want to meet, the 15-years old or the 19-years old?
As for myself, I want to meet and see the 24-years old Noboru-kun.
Rendezvous time with the rescue ship is still undecided.
Stay in touch.

—From the confused 19-years old Mikako

April, 2056
Sirius Alpha

The dramatic reunion Noboru has planned did not happen. Instead, as soon as the rescue ship docked with Lysithea, he was overwhelmed with all kinds of tasks. After all, nobody feels any qualms about making the new guy work whenever and wherever they can. In the end, hours after they’ve taken onboard everyone from Lysithea, Noboru finds himself sitting on a bench next to a vending machine, drinking canned coffee. Nagamine is nowhere in sight, and the spiffy white uniform he puts on for her sake looks a little abused. Just as he loosens it up some more as he rests, the cell phone rings.

Noboru-kun.
I am here.

—From “What secret plan?” Mikako

Surprised, Noboru looks around. “I’m here, Noboru-kun.” It’s a familiar voice he knows well. From one end of the corridor, a woman dressed in a nurse’s uniform is looking at him. Waving her cell phone, she walks up to him slowly.

“At last, we meet again, Noboru-kun.” Nagamine Mikako smiles.

“Ah……” Embarrassed, Noboru can’t look at her directly. “You’ve grown taller.”

“5 cm in fact. However, my weight and three-size remains the same.”

The more Nagamine changes, the more she stays the same. When he realizes that, Noboru is relieved.

May, 2056
On the flight of steps

Like all the rest of the draftees, Nagamine has been discharged from the space fleet. Though Commander Rokomov has made clear she’ll always have a spot as a Tracer operator if she re-enlist, she’d rather be a nurse should she rejoins. In the mean time, a second Tarsian expedition has been postponed as knowledge gained from the first one is being analyzed. Among other things, Nagamine and other Tracer operators all reported receiving the same mental communication from the Tarsians just before the battle. Just exactly what they meant or tried to accomplish, nobody knows as yet.

On this day, Noboru has managed to get some leave and is meeting Nagamine for a date. As he walks up the familiar flight of concrete steps, he is overwhelmed by memories of the past 9 years. Arriving at the little rundown shack at the bus stop, he finds Nagamine already waiting for him.

“Where should we go?”

“To the convenience store. I want some ice-cream.”

“Reliving our junior high days?”

“Just for today. I’ll be starting high school tomorrow……” Nagamine stands up and straightens her dress. “I want more time, so I can catch up to the 24-years old Noboru-kun.” Nagamine exits the little shack and starts walking.

The one who wants more time is me, Noboru thinks as he chases after the 19-years old Nagamine.

Addenda

Subject: There is closure even in the original R2 DVD
Time: 06/10/03 02:32 PM
Author: Chadwick Ngan

The original R2 DVD release comes with a booklet written by creator Shinkai Makoto. This booklet is a treasure trove of background information and director's commentary. There Shinkai tells you Mikako and Noboru are reunited in 2056, and because of time dilation there is an age differene between them. The novel takes what Shinkai says in the booklet and expands it into the very satisfying conclusion I posted.

Return to Main Page