Until next time, Space Brothers…
1) It’s not really over. As Enzo points out, there’s going to be a Space Brothers film over the Summer, the manga is still around, and it was still getting a lot of draw on TV in Japan. So I actually expect it to be back, probably sometime next year. You know what they say about popular things…
2) Remember all the good times. Because that second half was pretty mixed overall. Either that was because it ran too long, A-1 pictures kept stalling and destroying the pacing, or that Mr. Hibbit was a regular feature at the end, whatever the case, it definitely lost the charm that had made me a big fan of the work in general.
3) Thankfully, there was Mutta. There’s little doubt that Space Brothers would not be nearly as interesting if Mutta wasn’t around. He’s definitely one of my favorite characters of all time in an anime series. Sports an afro, looks unremarkable, yet is always funny, and despite some silly things, he’s so human that you can’t help but root for his success. You wish he’ll do well and overcome his challenges. Of course, he’s the main character, of course he’ll overcome his challenges! But it’s done in a way that makes me want to come back and hope he’ll actually succeed on his goal to make it to the moon.
4) Think back to that episode that hooked you on Space Brothers. That would be Episode 5. I thought there were some good elements in the first few episodes, but it didn’t click just yet. Then episode 5 happened, where Mutta went to Houston after completing his second exam. I don’t know why that particular episode made this show click with me, but maybe it’s just how Mutta and Hibito are so damn human, and acted so in that episode, that I had to keep pushing on.
5) Now think back to the best episode of Space Brothers. When I find some time to re-watch this down the road, maybe there will be an episode that trumps the one I’m talking about today. But the one that easily comes to mind that stood out to me was Episode 43, or…the episode where one of NASA’s special astronauts who helped Hibito out managed to help Hibito out one more time. Just the arc building itself up to that point, where, in the back of your mind, “Hell no is Hibito gonna die”, but what you see instead is Hibito slowly unable to breathe in space and is in agony. Definitely an episode that you can’t forget. Well, at least, I won’t forget it.
6) Remember, Space Brothers is a seinen series. Seinen! With it doing essentially tournament stuff, and adults sometimes acting like teenage or high school brats, it can be easy to forget that it is trying to appeal to an older audience. But there’s enough moments where you already know it can’t happen in a shounen series (you know, aside from powering up and stuff.) Like having Mutta naked with a duck.
…REALLLL MATURE.
7) Encourage people to actually finish it now that it’s over! Hell, even I got behind on Space Brothers, and it wouldn’t be just 2 or 3 episodes, it’d be 9, or 10, at one point. Down the stretch I ended up marathoning the last four episodes. But it’s over (for now), it’s capped at 99 episodes! Sure it doesn’t resolve everything, but hey, you were 50 episodes behind or something? Pace yourself and finish it!
8) Keep in mind Sentai Filmworks licensed it. But of course, we have little idea what’s happened since. Sentai’s such a tease!!!
9) Remember the manga is still around. And it happens to be on Crunchyroll, so if you want to keep up with the series after the last episode, you can go here. Note that I have no idea where to start after the anime ended. You’ll have to guess on that!
10) Finally:
Naturally, I could only end this post with the most appropriate Space Brothers song.
So, how else can you remember Space Brothers? What will you take from it? Feel free to add on!
