Ty’s Hidden Gems Series – Space Brothers

Late at night, while camping out in the hillsides of their hometown, brothers, Hibito and Mutta Nanba, spot what they think is a UFO whizzing its way to the moon. Awestruck, Hibito and Mutta vow to, one day, become astronauts and travel to the moon together themselves. Fast forward 20 years later and Hibito, the younger brother, is well on his way to achieving that dream. Mutta, meanwhile, is chronically unemployed. But could some meddling on the part of his parents, who send his resume to the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), be about to change all that? Space Brothers, which first aired in 2012, is a feel-good anime about two brothers supporting and encouraging each other to achieve their shared dream, overcoming the many obstacles that stand in their way. If my synopsis wasn’t enough to convince you to watch this hidden gem, I hope that my review (which you’ll find below) is! 

There are a number of things that I like about Space Brothers’ story. First is that, thanks to the cooperation of a number of different agencies (including NASA itself), it is incredibly well researched. As a result, I feel like I’ve learned a lot about space and space travel since starting the show. This has increased my appreciation for and fascination with these two things exponentially. Whereas before, I felt space travel was a costly waste of time, now I understand the importance of learning about space and the applications that it can have for us back here on Earth, which is really cool! 

Second is that Space Brothers’ story is remarkably wholesome and good-humoured. I’m a good 50 episodes into the show now, but I’m yet to detect even a hint of cheap fanservice, casual racism, or sexism. There’s also something so uplifting about watching characters strive towards and achieve their dreams. These kinds of stories never fail to bring a lump to my throat! 

At first, I worried that Space Brothers might be a little too feel-good. That its characters would achieve their dreams and live happily-ever-after seemed like a given. This assumption of mine sucked all the believability and tension out of the viewing experience. But the more I watched the show, the more I found that this wasn’t the case at all. Some characters fell short of achieving their dreams, while others found themselves in life-or-death situations as a result of their occupations. This allowed Space Brothers to be believable and, at times, wonderfully tense. 

Finally, while Space Brothers is a daunting 99 episodes, I’ve never found myself bored while watching it. This is partly because of its pacing (it never lingers on a storyline for too long) and partly because most episodes end on a cliffhanger, ensuring that I tune in for the next one. Its length also allows for a lot of character development. Even Space Brothers’ side characters are remarkably fleshed out. 

Speaking of characters… My favourite is, perhaps a little predictably, Mutta. Mutta’s smart, but not to the point where it’s like some bizarre superpower (unlike many other protagonists I could mention). This, combined with his perseverance and astronomically bad luck, which lands him in hot water on more than a few occasions, make him both down-to-earth and relatable. That being said, I’m also a big fan of Hibito. His goofiness is ever so endearing! 

But more than I love these two as individuals, I love them as a pair, as brothers! Theirs is perhaps the most convincing depiction of a sibling relationship that I’ve ever seen. Sure, they support and encourage one another, but they also drive each other crazy! I also love that, while Mutta wants Hibito to succeed as an astronaut, he also feels conflicted about it, as he doesn’t want to be overshadowed by his little brother forever. As the eldest of six, I related to this conflict on an almost painful level! 

I even love Space Brothers’ mascot character (these are always a bit hit or miss, lovable or godawful), the mischievous pug, Apo. He serves as Mutta’s lucky charm and, unbeknownst to him (he is a dog), helps set his life on a completely different trajectory. His puggy snuffles are also on point! But then, given that I’m a pug momma myself, I may be a little biased! 

Space Brothers may not have my all-time favourite OST, but it does have quite a few catchy, upbeat bops in its arsenal of OPs and EDs. It also does a good job of getting you pumped, tense, or excited, depending on the situation. 

Space Brothers’ art is probably the weakest aspect of the show. Its background art and character designs are a bit too simplistic for my liking. I mean, they’re not bad, by any means (think late 2000s shounen in respect to the character designs), but they fall far short of the standard set by some of the masterpieces of today. That being said, its storytelling and characters more than make up for this! 

To conclude… I may only be halfway through Space Brothers, but the fact that it is full-to-bursting with fascinating facts, feel-good stories, lovable, relatable characters, and enough puggy antics to sink a ship is more than enough to convince me that this’ll be a show I remember years down the line. Give this one a go if you enjoyed Planetes (both shows feature a fascinating and realistic depiction of space), Shirobako (both revolve around an adult cast trying to break into a cutthroat, highly-skilled, and competitive industry), or Fullmetal Alchemist (both feature two brothers on a mission to achieve their shared goals).