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CAST

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ANIME ComedyUchuu Kyoudai
MOVIE ComedyPlanetarium Uchuu Kyoudai: Itten no Hikari

REVIEWS

• 

  GGShang

  90/100
  The story of brothers dreaming big enough to make it to the moon

  If you were to sum up this manga in two words, you’d be hard pressed to find a better title than Space Brothers. Yet after reading through the large majority of the manga, I feel as though it’s just a title is just a tad off. Yes, while this manga is about ‘space’, it would be more accurate to say that it focuses more on the process of getting to and working in space more than anything else: namely, the journey of being an astronaut. And while this manga really does deal with two brothers, it spends 90% of its time focusing on one of them. And so, I petition to change the title of this series from Space Brothers to Astronaut Brother. But with all jokes aside, I bring all this naming stuff up because this manga both delivered on what I expected it to yet still felt strangely unique. The mix of story structure, genre, character moments and themes give this series an air of familiarity even as I read it for the first time, and I mean that in the best way possible. So let’s take a quick look at all those features and see what makes Space Brothers so interesting.

  If you had to give this manga a genre label, it would likely fall under character drama, but I don’t think that necessarily is the best description for it. The premise of the story is simple: our MC Mutta decides, after being fired, to follow his brother’s footsteps and become an astronaut like they had promised when they were children. And the simplicity of the premise seems to permeate throughout the manga from its story structure to its drama. One of the reasons why I hesitate to read a lot of the more popular seinen manga is the fact that some of them tend to get very detailed and confusing as the mangaka adds on layer after layer of plotlines and themes. While they can be very interesting to read, they tend to take a lot of brain power to read and thus leave me feeling tired after. Space Brothers almost has the opposite effect: there is a lightness to it that makes it very easy to read at the cost of perhaps not the best pulling power in its earlier chapters. The drama doesn’t really feel that dramatic for reason that we will go into a little bit later. And while it is mainly up to preference as to whether or not this is a plus or a minus, all I can say is that it stands in stark contrast with the heavy, psychological manga that often populates the seinen sphere.

  Given that this manga is a character drama, you would assume that the characters play an important role in the series as a whole, and you’d be right. They are the ones that are driving the story, and character interactions make up a bulk of the emotional and thematic weight in each arc. I want to start off by saying that this manga is one of the manga with the least number of dislikable characters that I’ve ever read (whether or not I like them all is a different story), and it has a lot to do with the setting. Essentially all the characters are either trying to be astronauts, are astronauts, or work behind the scenes to support astronauts. As such, all the characters are intelligent in their own rights, which is great to see. It helps that there is essentially an all-adult cast as well.

  Now, there are two major points that need to be said about the way that characters are written and used within Space Brothers. The first is how each character is fleshed out. If I had to give an example of what it’s like learning about character backstories in this series, I’d have to compare it to Assassination Classroom, for better or for worse. The manga will dedicate one or two chapters to every single member of the supporting cast just so you know why they are here and what they are working for. In many cases it works fairly well as the stories are touching and believable, however there are some that don’t go nearly as well. Sometimes it can feel like a character backstory is introduce simply because it has to be introduced which necessitates some wonky logic and unrealistic circumstances, and sometimes I genuinely could care less about certain characters. The ‘no character left behind’ mindset for backstories is a noble one, but it can lead to the manga feeling bloated at times. The second important point I wanted to make may sound slightly contradictory to the previous sentence, but the ‘no character left behind’ mindset for characters within the story is actually amazing. I’m not gonna go into much more since it might go into spoiler territory, but just know it’s a good time.

  And lastly I just want to talk a little bit about the themes here, as they initially threw me for a loop. Based on the previous space manga I’ve read, I’ve come to associate space with themes of danger/wonder of the unknown and loneliness/bleakness, and Space Brothers goes in a completely different direction. The major themes you find in this manga instead are about chasing dreams, optimism and the idea of community. In some senses, it feels a little bit childish when you think about it, but at the end of the day, that is what fits the story the best. The impetus for Mutta wanting to be an astronaut is because of a childhood dream. Every character you meet that wants to become an astronaut has had that dream since they were a child as well. Think about how many kids around you wanted to be astronauts when you were young. Perhaps you might have wanted to be one yourself. Yet as we grow older we lose the dream and search for ones that are more realistic. In a sense, we lose that child-like optimism that says that we can in fact become astronauts and go into space. Space travel as an idea has always been a lofty one, and only those with the biggest dreams and the biggest optimism can help to reach that goal. That is essentially the crux of this manga. And if dreams and optimism are the goal and the path to reach that goal, then community is the means by which you travel along that path. One of the biggest lessons that Mutta learns in this manga is how much trust and support is really needed to send even just one person to the moon. There is cooperation amongst the astronaut team, between the astronauts and mission control, from the leadership up top to the workers below, from the team going into space and the people making the rockets and even from one country’s space program with another country’s. All of these links must come together to jointly fulfill the goal of going into space, and none of them can be lacking. To fulfill one person’s dream, dozens if not hundreds must come around to help and it is beautiful to see it all coming into fruition.

  Space Brothers at the end of the day is a feel good type of story. You see people face struggles and overcome, and it makes you want to strive for more as well. Is it the best story I’ve ever read? No, definitely not. There are times where the story can feel bloated with character backstories and there are times when the story simply isn’t very engaging. But what it sets out to do, it does very well, and for that I have to say that I have to give it a lot of props.

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• 

  Harshtaste

  98/100
  "WE ARE SPACE BROTHERS" - Mutta Namba

  so first of all i started reading this manga some months ago randomly it was on my list for so long and it is one of my best decisions ever !!

  So this manga is one of the best things I've ever read in my life !! first of all concept of childish dreams becoming adults passion and it is not easy to succeed in this world this manga teaches those values really well .

  Firstly sypnosis of the story is really so simple yet very complex story begins with 2 kid brothers who loves space and decided to become astronauts like every single kid on earth but they were serious about it but with time went by doubts started clouding the big brothers judgement i mean everyone is society thinks that becoming an Astronaut is childish dream . So big brother mutta namba dropped his dream because of the society and tried to enjoy normal high school life whereas little brother clinged to his dream and in the end became an astronaut when big brother was working as an car Engineer.

  Secondly it is amazingly written enjoyed every fuckin moment of this manga because story was really engaging for me they really showed how NASA and JAXA actually works ,how difficult it is to become an astronaut,what are the tests you need to clear to become an astronaut they showed every fuckin thing with great detail .... Honestly it was really an educational experience i learned a lot about space stations,ISS , NASA and Roscosmos , learned about how a little trauma's can end person's dream ... How hard missions in ISS are ... Even tho it is based on future and they have some advanced technology in this manga than real world it was beautifully executed .

  Thirdly execution of all things that happened in this manga some of the most crazy moments was breathtaking to read i dont really know how to describe it . For example when hibito was first time going on the moon where as mutta(big brothers ) was doing nothing but watching his bro reaching moon alone was a proud and guilty moment

  Fourth and most importantly characters ...

  All the characters are just amazing in this manga not even a single charactes is bad

  Namba mutta (big bro) - the mc of the story adds alot in story as they introduce us with his insecurities and powers this mf is not your typical looser or epic badass mc he is an normal fuckin person .... After beating his boss and leaving the automobile company he somehow decided to pursue his dream of going to moon again in adulthood which is a really really tough decision for anyone to make but he still did it met some great side characters like Kenichi who was smarter than mutta still became bestest friend throughout the series and special their handshake is so iconic

  Hibito namba - little bro of namba this mf was motivated to become astronauts from the beginning even after his brother gave up he didn't and reached moon before his bro and inspired his brother ..... He had his shares of problem like getting lost from rv in an moon ravine almost getting killed by lack of oxygen gave him panic disorder and it almost killed his career even NASA gave up on him but he didn't give up and ask for help to ROSCOSMOS and overcome his disorder

  Namba parents - there is nothing much to say about both of them it's just that they are the best parents a kid can ask for don't give a fuck about what you are doing enjoying their life while giving little pushes to their kids when needed ... If both brothers achieved their dream they are one of the main reason

  Aunt Sharon - honestly one of my characters of the show she owned an observatery near namba brothers house and they both used to hang out with her ... She was more of the mother to them than their owne mother .. she was the one who increased their intrest in space ...

  Philip - broooo the best fuckin character funny af first Jamaican to reach moon and their is not much to say about him just one word

  YA MAN'

  Best fuckin catchphrase of the manga !!!!

  In the end i just wanna say that this manga is totally worth your time 300+ chaps are nothing seriously believe me guys you"ll gonna love it I guess it's time to conclude my review here

  
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• 

  FranCavs

  95/100
  "Somos Hermanos Espaciales": un breve ensayo de Uchuu Kyoudai

  Antes que nada, quiero aclarar que no soy muy fan de escribir reseñas, pero sí de hacer pequeños ensayos que resuman lo que una obra me hizo sentir o pensar.
  No busquen algo demasiado elaborado: prefiero que se sienta como una charla, como alguien liberando las ideas que le quedaron después de leer.

  

  We are Space Brothers

  Es normal creer que cumplir un sueño es cosa de uno mismo. Que basta con proponérselo, insistir lo suficiente, trabajar duro, y algún día se alcanzará. Pero cuando ese momento llega, cuando lo inalcanzable por fin se vuelve real, uno se da cuenta de algo fundamental: no llegó hasta ahí solo por su cuenta.
  De eso trata Uchuu Kyoudai: soñar, caer, levantarse… y no estar solo.
  Porque nadie llega tan lejos en soledad.
  Y ser un “hermano espacial” no es solo tener un compañero con quien compartir una meta. Es tener a alguien que te escuche, que te abrace cuando estás por rendirte, que te empuje a superar los límites que no creías posibles.
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  Todo empieza con un sueño de niños

  De pequeños, los hermanos Namba vivían por el espacio: lo miraban en la tele, lo dibujaban, jugaban a hacer misiones lunares en su habitación. Hibito se mantuvo firme a ese deseo. Mutta, en cambio, tomó otro rumbo. Su sueño quedó sepultado bajo las exigencias de una vida común y cotidiana.
  Y qué valioso es conservar esa mirada de un niño: una mirada llena de esperanza e ilusión, sin miedo a perder. Con el tiempo, es natural que se desdibuje. Pero si hay algo hermoso en hacerse adulto, es hacerlo sin renunciar del todo a esos sueños infantiles. Porque solo así, abrazando la ternura del deseo más puro, es posible llegar tan lejos.
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  El camino hacia el espacio

  Mientras más avanzaba con la obra, más claro se volvía algo: en Uchuu Kyoudai no hay elegidos. Nadie es un genio predestinado, ni un héroe perfecto. Salvo quizás Brian Jay, que representa al “astronauta ideal”, el resto son personas comunes, con sus heridas, sus dudas, sus contradicciones.
  Y eso es lo que hace que cada pequeño avance sea emocionante. Porque no hay certezas, pero sí una voluntad enorme de seguir. Y porque Uchuu Kyoudai no trata de ser el mejor astronauta del mundo, sino de intentar ser la mejor versión de uno mismo, en compañía de los demás.
  En ese camino aparecen muchas figuras inolvidables. Por nombrar los primeros amigos espaciales de Mutta, Kenji, por ejemplo, es un joven padre que intenta cumplir su sueño sin dejar de ser el mejor papá posible. Serika, por su parte, no quiere ir a la Luna: su sueño es investigar para vencer una enfermedad que le quitó a alguien muy valioso. Su meta no apunta a un lugar lejano, sino a una herida cercana. Y así, al perseguirla, se vuelve luz para muchos.

  

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  Todos dejan huella

  Pocas obras manejan con tanta calidez y profundidad a tantos personajes. Mutta y su promesa, Hibito y su PD, Kenji como padre ejemplar, Sharon que se vuelve entrañable desde el primer momento. Y también están los Jokers, los Maxim 4, los padres de los hermanos, Furuya, Fukuda, Ozzy, Vincent, Pico, Brian, Azuma, Deneil...
  Cada uno deja huella. No son simples adornos de la historia, sino partes esenciales del viaje. Porque en Uchuu Kyoudai nadie llega al espacio en soledad.

  

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  Somos hermanos espaciales

  Uchuu Kyoudai es una historia sobre los sueños, sí. Pero también sobre el peso de perseguirlos. Sobre las renuncias que implica. Sobre la importancia de rodearte de gente que crea en vos, incluso en los momentos en que vos ya no podés hacerlo.
  Ser un “hermano espacial” no es solo ser compañeros, ni compartir un asiento en un cohete. Es estar ahí. Escucharse. Abrazarse. Levantarse.
  Es construir juntos algo que valga la pena alcanzar.
  

  Y si llegaron tan lejos, no es por haber soñado solos.
  Es porque alguien soñó con ellos.

  
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