Space Brothers - Episode 33

Following the joy of Hibito's successful ascent into space, it's time for Space Brothers to focus in upon an even more ground-breaking moment - Hibito's first steps on the moon, which in turn marks him out as the first Japanese person to walk on the planet.

Unfortunately, this means a 4am wake up time for anyone in Japan who actually wants to see history being made, but this episode otherwise flies by in a flurry of tension and joy (and some needless flashbacks to fill a little time, admittedly) as Hibito lands the lunar module before taking that all important first step upon the moon.

While the world looks on expecting some words of motivational wisdom from Japan's new hero, Hibito is feeling neither any pressure nor the need to say anything ground-breaking - in the former case this is thanks to Mutta passing on the word about Azuma's feelings about Hibito and his place on the mission, and in the latter it's simply down to Hibito getting lost in the excitement of the moment.  Indeed, is there any better word to encapsulate a man realising his boyhood dream and setting foot on the moon than "yay"?

It's this kind of thing which really sums up why Space Brothers is frequently so wonderful - that aforementioned tension and joy is thrilling and moving in its own right, and the series does such a good job of capturing the simple wonders of space travel and exploration, and the exhilaration of pushing the boundaries of what mankind can do when freed from the constraints of finances and politics.  You'd have to be heartless bastard or a rabid anti-space exploration nut not to crack a smile or breath a relieved or joyous sight while watching Space Brothers at the moment.