Space Brothers - Episode 99 (Completed)

Yes, it's true, this is the end for Space Brothers... at least, it is for now, but with a prequel movie on the way surely this story is one that we'll revisit further again in the future?

Anyhow, Mutta's concerns for his missing brother have escalated to the point where his primary concern should probably now be his own future, after a major lapse of judgment caused a critical issue during a training session that a simply "Oops, sorry" won't really fix, in turn causing Mutta to get both barrels from Vincent.  Decidedly fed up, Mutta finds himself invited out for a bite to eat by Nitta, who updates him on the latest news with his own younger brother, who it just so happens is suffering from a similar turn of poor fortune to bring a run of good luck and success to an end.  In short, Kazuya also finds himself at the short end of an employment decision based upon his history rather than his present, much to Nitta's chagrin.

It just so happens that after this meal, Mutta finally does receive contact from Hibito, who shocks his brother by stating that after a lot of thinking and wandering America alone he's decided to quit NASA.  This isn't the end of his space adventure however, as he still has plans elsewhere... Russia, to be precise.  Freed from this worry, Mutta can concentrate on his own career once more, building the bridges he requires with Bold and ensuring that, six months later, he's successfully on-hand as CAPCOM for the next shuttle launch.

Short of both brothers standing on the Moon together apropos of nothing, no ending to Space Brothers was really going to be satisfying, and this final episode did feel like it had to rush a fair few things (what are Vincent Bold's family like?  How did Mutta win them over?) to get to a relatively clean place to close things out.  The door is clearly open for more, and I really hope that we get it - Space Brothers is a unique and fascinating series (beyond the simple fact that it isn't filled with high school kids!) that has not only grabbed my attention week on week for nigh-on two years, but it's also rekindled my interest in space and space exploration, which is no mean feat.  It hasn't always hit the mark, but across its ninety-nine episodes its succeeded in its storytelling far, far more often than it failed, and that's no mean feat.

In short, life won't be complete until we get to see Mutta on the surface of the moon, but for now I'm happy to look back upon the fond memories of what this series did bring us, and all of the joy, tension and emotion that came with it.

Space Brothers - Episode 98

In the wake of news about his future as an astronaut, Hibito has simply gone missing without a word to anybody - a state of affairs which might be more worrying for Mutta were it not an occurrence that he's had to deal with before while growing up with his brother.

Nevertheless, it's a worrying turn of events that naturally distracts Mutta from his all-important CAPCOM training, which in turn earns him something of a dressing down from Bold.  Determined though he is to follow his dream, Hibito's whereabouts are still Mutta's primary concern no matter how much he tries to hide his worry to those around him.

As time goes by with still no word from his brother, this sense of concern spreads to Butler himself, who calls Mutta to see if he can shed any light on Hibito's whereabouts while also informing him of the full extent of the situation - even with four respected astronauts petitioning to put Hibito back on the roster for future space missions, it seems that programme manager Gates is still having none of it.  As the situation gets all the more hopeless, is Hibito going to return at all?  Well, he only has one episode left to do so...

Having had Space Brothers at the heart of my weekly viewing for two years now, it's sad but not entirely shocking to hear of it coming to an end (for now, at least), but beyond that this was a bit of a slow-burning episode that never quite managed to latch on to any real sense of worry about Hibito's disappearance - there was no urgency to anybody's actions for the most part, and the entire thing felt a little odd.  Hopefully the series can at least end with the resolution of this story, while leaving plenty of scope for the show to return in the future - something that, much like Hibito, I most certainly hope it does.

Space Brothers - Episode 97

It's New Year's eve for the Nanba household, and with their parents visiting the US for the occasion Mutta and Hibito can relax and enjoy the company (and some impressive impressions from their dad).

However, Hibito is far from his usual self as he mooches in the back yard rather than spending time with his family, and when quizzed by Mutta about it he wastes no time in casually announcing the cause of this funk - despite recovering from his panic disorder and proving such to his superiors, there's still a very good chance that he won't be returning to space.  Taken aback by this, Mutta is left uncertain of what to say - a hesitation which he regrets as events move forward apace.

Not that Mutta has all that much time to think about his brother's statement, as he's off to learn about being a CAPCOM (no, not the video game publisher) as part of his training, allowing him to find out about the nuances of communicating with astronauts in space during a mission.  In a way, this education in what to say and when to say it is exactly what Mutta needs to tackle his brother's predicament, but perhaps it's too late as it seems that Chief Butler's recent cheer-leading of Hibito has also come to naught.

As is so often the case, this week's Space Brothers seemed to fly by in no time at all even though, when you look at it properly, it didn't even cover all that much ground.  The key here is that what was there is all top-notch stuff - in hindsight Hibito's situation was never going to be resolved as easily as he (and we) had hoped, and that in itself seems to be leading to some interesting times ahead, matched by another fascinating glimpse into Mutta's training to be an astronaut.  As per usual, there's no shortage of reasons to keep coming back to this series.

Space Brothers - Episode 96

While Mutta is taking a bit of a break and dancing the night away with Serika, our attentions in this week's Space Brothers turn to Kenji Makabe and his current state of affairs.

If nothing else, Kenji is certainly busy, with his wife just weeks away from giving birth to their second child, Fuuka keeping him occupied and work providing him with testing and training on a project so secret that he and fellow Japanese astronaut Nitta don't even know exactly what it is they're working on.

In spite of all this to worry about, Kenji seems to feel like he's stuck at something of an impasse - he's a father, but not a "proper" one with the time he wants to devote to Fuuka or his second child, and he's an astronaut in name but not one that looks set to be travelling into space any time soon.  All of this soon changes rapidly however, as Kenji receives work of the extent of the mission for which he's training - the exploration of a passing asteroid - followed by news that his wife has gone into labour.

All in all, this is a really simple but effective episode of Space Brothers - there isn't exactly any complexity to Kenji's emotions, but nor does there need to be and the result is a pretty satisfying one overall.  I certainly hope that this isn't the last we see of him in the series, as his mission and family situation both seem ripe for plenty of fascinating moments moving forwards, and as a character he's more than likeable enough to carry a story arc of his own without any trouble whatsoever.

Space Brothers - Episode 95

Now that Eddie Jay is in charge of his backup crew of astronauts, it's clear that a little team-building is essential - so what better way of doing this than letting them talk openly about themselves to the others?

It's Betty who becomes are focus within this activity as her story is clearly the most unique, and also a new one to Mutta.  In short, as well as a prospective astronaut herself Betty is also the wife of Tuck Ravel, one of the three astronauts killed alongside Brian Jay in the re-entry accident which has already had a pivotal role to play in other aspects of the series.  Following this disaster Betty shelved her dreams of reaching the Moon largely so as not to worry her and Tuck's young son, but as his love of space showed no sign of waning even after his father's death she has decided to get back on the proverbial horse and once again plunge into life as an astronaut.

Meanwhile, Vincent Bold continues to be his usual detached and impatient self, while friend and engineer Pico makes a return as he gets to demonstrate a rather innovative new spacecraft design to both main and backup crews on the next lunar mission, in turn fulfilling a promise that both Bold and Pico made to their lost friend.

These two points combined to make this a great example of Space Brothers at its best - even though the crux of Betty's tale was immediately clear from the offset that didn't make it any less heart-rending in both story and execution, and the mixture of stand-out characters and smart engineering ideas depicted in the episode's second half are also one of the things that Space Brothers does incredibly well.  Even though it can misfire on occasion it's efforts like this that serve as a perfect reminder of why I love the series even nearly one hundred episodes down the line, and if it can afford similar treatments (albeit understandably less dramatic) to the rest of Mutta's crew-mates then things are looking up once again.

Space Brothers - Episode 94

We're already well aware of how dysfunctional Mutta's new crew mates are, but such is their inability to work together that even simple tasks like waking up on time in the morning, cooking meals and going for a morning run together seems to be impossible.

In light of all this, Mutta decides that it's up to him to take charge of this motley crew - an idea which falls on deaf ears, and is also quickly proven to be redundant as Eddie Jay joins the group as their new captain.  As Mutta ponders, given how groups of delinquent schoolboys are usually given hard taskmasters of teachers to work with, is adding the laid-back Eddie to their number really the answer?

While the powers that be fret over how disjointed the group is, realising that they'll never be sent on a mission in their current state, it's up to Eddie Jay to make a difference - but can he do it?  It seems as if he's going to take bringing the group together one step at a time, beginning with changes to the routine for those aforementioned early morning runs...

It's been a tricky start for this story arc given its decision to fill its roster with a bunch of characters that it's tough to warm to, but at least this week's episode is showing signs that it could do some interesting things with it thanks to Eddie Jay's entrance onto the stage and the challenge he faces to get them working together.  To some extent it's the kind of thing we've seen before from the series, but there's still seemingly enough here to ensure things stay interesting as we immerse ourselves further within this current scenario, so hopefully it won't let us down.

Space Brothers - Episode 93

Mutta has been assigned to a group of misfits as the backup crew for the next lunar mission, with an eye towards being the full crew in the mission after that, but who will captain this selection of oddballs?

For his part Butler seems to know just the man to lead them to the Moon, but can he convince that person to take the job?  It's already been rejected once by the candidate in question, but for now Butler needs to put his mind elsewhere, and Sharon and her delegation of astronomers arrives at NASA to present and submit their revised plans for a lunar telescope.  With Mutta named as an astronaut who'd have a vested interested in working on building the telescope itself, all of the pieces seem to be falling into place for this particular space brother.

So, back to the matter at hand, who is the proposed captain of Mutta and his crewmates?  The answer is none other than the older brother of Brian Jay, Eddie.  However, Eddie isn't exactly a hungry, young astronaut any more - he's a man whose done his time (and then some) on the International Space Station, and with his advancing years in relative terms the Moon seems a step too far for him.  However, has his thirst to step onto the lunar surface his brother once occupied really diminished?  Butler thinks not, and is more than willing to prompt him to rethink his decision.

Although I'm still a little wary as to how the series will handle its misfit astronauts, this was another pretty strong episode of Space Brothers - the prospect of Eddie Jay entering the scene is an interesting one, and his personality does indeed seem pretty well suited as an overseer of a bunch of oddballs.  As I mentioned last week, I have faith in this show's ability to deliver even when it seems to set itself some impossible challenges, and this instalment seems like another example of what could turn out to be some good use of normally frustrating characters.  Only time will tell, of course, but if it plays its cards right this could be another example of the series doing what it does best in terms of character development and interplay.

Space Brothers - Episode 92

Now that Hibito is clear to return to space as and when a mission demands it, our focus can return to Mutta as he begins his training as part of a backup crew for the first time.

As Mutta makes his way to begin this training alongside the rest of the crew and staff that make up the backup team he quickly runs into a familiar (and rather lofty) face, that being Andy from his NEEMO training.  As they're introduced to the group's instructor, geologist George McGuire, as he picks out the astronauts from those assembled, it quickly becomes clear that they're a rather unique bunch, from the energetic through to the aggressive via the haughtily self-confident.

Given that this backup crew (plus one other) will mostly likely make up a full crew that actually heads into space on a future mission, Mutta is left wondering how on Earth he'd manage to get on with them given their various attitudes - a thought process interrupted only by an opportunity to try on a full spacesuit for the first time.  It seems that Mutta isn't the only one with misgivings either, as Butler also concerns himself with how this crew of relative loners might cope.  It seems that the answer to all of this revolves around picking the right person to lead that team, and Butler seems to have just the man in mind...

Although I'm really not too convinced by the new characters introduced as astronauts in this week's Space Brothers, at least it's something of a relief to learnt that this is a deliberate strategy on the part of the show's narrative - I really hope it can do something good with this ragtag collection of irritating (and mildly racist, in one instance) characters, and if any series can do it, Space Brothers can.  At this juncture, I can only keep my faith in a show that has rarely put a foot wrong, but it's certainly given itself some challenging circumstances to work with so hopefully this isn't the moment that "breaks" its incredible entertainment value.

Space Brothers - Episode 91

Thanks to the inclusion of not one but two so-called "Green Card" instructions, it looks as if Hibito's final test to prove his rehabilitation was about to go off the rails in a major way.

However, after a fleeting moment of panic, some rational thought of what he needs to do triggered by a look at his Pretty Dog mirror that makes for a lucky charm soon sets him straight and things quickly return to normal as he makes all of the right decisions to handle the carbon dioxide error thrown in his face by his space suit.

This isn't the end of the surprises, but thankfully from here things become far more pleasant for Hibito, as he's joined on the test by some of his former lunar mission crew-mates, not least the also recovered Damian who joins him for his "moonwalk".  If Mutta is at all worried about his little brother (and thanks to some prodding by Serika he ends up sprinting to catch the end of the extended test), it becomes clear that he had no need of such concerns when he arrives to find Hibito being congratulated by all and sundry.  It seems that we're now very much one step closer to reaching Space Brothers' true goal of placing its two titular brothers on the Moon together.

Although Hibito's final test could probably have been contracted down into a shorter running time overall, it was still good to be able to sit and watch his successful return to action, and the introduction of his former colleagues added to the feel-good nature of the end of a story arc that surely puts us close to the show's "home run".  It's further evidence of how well the series uses its characters that it can take a story that's effectively resolved but still carry it a little further to make it even more satisfying - roll on whatever Space Brothers has to offer us next as it rolls towards its hundredth episode.

Space Brothers - Episode 90

The all-important next stage of Mutta's training is about to begin, but for today all eyes are focused on brother Hibito, and his own all-important test to prove that he's once again ready to journey into space.

As was alluded to last week, this underwater test for Hibito whilst wearing a full spacesuit isn't going to be quite as simple as it otherwise would be, with Butler keen to ensure that Hibito really is ready to return to action by simulating the kind of incident which would most likely see his panic disorder make an unwelcome return.  Having successfully made it to the bottom of the testing pool and walked around underwater without a hitch, it doesn't take Hibito long to realise that the warning he receives of increasing carbon dioxide levels are a "green card" designed to test his reaction to such an incident.

However, what neither Hibito nor Butler anticipated was a second warning that the carbon dioxide readout was malfunctioning, and this additional pressure upon Hibito in the situation sends his pulse soaring and the first signs of panic beginning to set in.  As the person responsible for adding this extra twist to proceedings without the agreement of his superior takes his leave in the assumption that he's proved his point about Hibito's suitability, Hibito himself is saved somewhat by a rather hefty lucky charm provided to him by none other than Mutta.

Given its importance in the grand scheme of things, it wasn't too tricky for this week's Space Brothers to ramp up the tension surrounding Hibito's test, throwing in some curveballs that we knew would be coming but made for some nervous moments nonetheless.  All of this contributed towards a simple but effective episode, that has also chosen to leave us hanging for its conclusion until next week, preferring unstead to spend its final moments on the return of the still-unfunny Mr. Hibbit.

Space Brothers - Episode 89

He might have acted as cool as a cucumber in front of his younger brother while discussing Hibito's panic disorder, but as you might expect beneath the surface Mutta was far more concerned than his demeanour may have suggested.  The result is a sleepless night of thinking and research, although ultimately his final decision is that Hibito's issue isn't as serious as it might otherwise have been.

In the midst of all of this worry, we've missed out on one rather important element of Mutta's life, that being his (as well as Kenji and Nitta's) meeting with Butler to discuss their futures.  This is perhaps glossed over a little because we were already all-but certain as to how this would pan out for Mutta after his NEEMO training, and lo and behold Mutta is indeed selected as the name Japanese man to enter space.  First up though he needs to gain experience by being part of a backup crew, which leaves his shadowing Vincent bold - a tough task, particularly when your first day on the new job is carried out with no sleep.

With that out of the way, we get to spend a little time pondering the futures of Kenji and Nitta as they receive the news that they haven't made it - a decision that Kenji in particular was prepared for, but one that still leaves him questioning his resolve and whether he was right to even try becoming an astronaut at all.  Such thoughts are short-lived however, as both Butler's words and their next training tasks suggest that space, and perhaps even the Moon, still aren't all that far away for either of them, allowing them to pick themselves back up and continue in their particular quests.

It's this ability to look at the what an event means for characters beyond our titular pair of brothers that adds to Space Brothers ability to be enjoyable and interesting week-on-week - so many shows would ditch secondary characters the moment they've been "defeated" by a protagonist, but this series insists upon continuing to follow their journeys regardless, and is all the better for it.  After all, how an individual reacts to failure tends to be far more interesting than how they react to success, and it's a philosophy clearly shared here in how it apportions in time to provide a breath of fresh air from a show with no shortage of them.

Space Brothers - Episode 88

After wishing us a Happy New Year (they say it so I don't have to), it's time for Hibito to face his fears... quite literally.

Although all of his slow but sure training has been a success, leaving him ready to face a final test in the EVA suit which will decide whether or not he can return to duty, all of this hard work seems to have been destroyed in a moment as Hibito finds himself in the midst of a nightmare surrounding that test which leaves him having a major panic attack whilst travelling in a taxi.  With the test in question closing in on him and seemingly no other options left to him, Hibito simply isn't sure what he should do - perhaps it's time for him to finally take on the advice given to him by a number of others and talk to his brother about the whole situation?

Thankfully, this time around Hibito listens and duly calls Mutta out for a meal, a drink and a chat, wherein he reveals all of his problems and how they came about.  For all of his faults, Mutta is a surprisingly safe pair of hands in this kind of situation, and rather than making a big deal out of it he simply spoils Hibito by paying for his meal and drinks (well, in theory anyway) before dropping a couple of memorable comments - first, advising Hibito to associate his PD (Panic Disorder) with something else entirely; in this case an anime named Pretty Dog.  Secondly, he suggests that Hibito's panic attack caused by a nightmare is proof that it isn't wearing a spacesuit that's his problem - a consideration that might just put Hibito on the right track in itself.

Having watched the treatment of Hibito's panic disorder with a keen interest, I genuinely enjoyed finally getting to see Mutta's take on it - it's the kind of thing you might have expected to be dragged out over a number of episodes with lots of drama and hand-wringing, but instead it's dealt with via a turn of beautiful simplicity, and a suggestion to both recognise the true cause of the panic attacks (i.e. not tying it to a physical thing) and to deflect the onset of such attacks by ignoring the feelings they cause and thinking of something else.  Not only does it make for a good end to the episode, it's downright good advice for dealing with panic attacks and anxiety in itself, giving some further credit to Space Brothers for the way that it handles real-life issues at time within the series.

Space Brothers - Episode 87

As the Japanese trio of prospective lunar astronauts impatiently await the verdict following their NEEMO training by sharing a barbecue together with Kenji's family, our focus shifts back to Hibito as he continues to progress rapidly with his rehabilitation.

Much of this progression is framed through the continuation of Olga's story as Hibito watches the second volume of her family's DVDs following her progress - a disc chronicling Olga suffering a minor injury (a sprained ankle) before finding that her recovery time sees her simply lose her passion for dancing as the stress-free life of lounging around that her injury has afforded her suddenly seems far more alluring.  It's only seeing her father head into space and his achievements there that makes her passion return, and of course from there the rest of the story writes itself.

Buoyed by witnessing these events, Hibito breezes through the remainder of his rehabilitation, leaving him with just one major hurdle left to clear - organising a test in an EVA suit in front of NASA's directors to prove his suitability to return to proper work as an astronaut.  It's an exciting time but also a terrifying one, and having not told any of his colleagues about his troubles it also looks set to be something he has to face alone to boot.

This is another of those episodes of Space Brothers that manages to be engaging and a little touching despite not really progressing its story in leaps and bounds - it seems that Hibito's final test for his panic disorder will be the real story of next week's instalment, and of course things are also building up for Mutta as well over the coming weeks.  It says a lot about the series as a whole that I'm sufficiently invested in its cast to enjoy even relatively slow episodes, though.

Space Brothers - Episode 86

Mutta is the talk of the town (or rather, of NASA's management) thanks to his smart thinking during the latter stages of his NEEMO training, and this week we're filled in on the slice of genius which has led to all of this praise.

Having heard news of Sharon's lunar telescope plan being shelved by NASA, it seemed only sensible that he do likewise for his team's moonbase model, leaving the question of what to do with the materials provided.  While pondering the energy saving required within the underwater base and the frequent lack of light as a result, Mutta realises that the issue must be even more pronounced on the Moon, bringing him to an obvious solution - to use the reflective panels at his disposal to work as a natural, solar-based lighting system that could be deployed on the Moon to give astronauts more light in the base without requiring any power whatsoever.  No only is this a smart idea, it's also confirmed as entirely feasible as part of the existing base on the Moon, which must surely put Mutta in place as a front-runner for the next lunar mission.

This satisfying end to Mutta's training means that our attentions return to Hibito, who is doing his best to put up with the seemingly never-ending cavalcade of pointless meetings about astronaut safety so that he can focus on the true goal of his recovery from the panic disorder plaguing him.  Thankfully, this secret training seems to be paying off, granting Hibito some notable progress, although it seems that suspicion is growing as to exactly what he, Lowry and Doctor Olivia are up to.

Having given us the good news of the impression made by Mutta during his NEEMO training, it was satisfying to see this week's episode fill in the gaps as to exactly what had made such a splash with management, providing another of those pleasing moments that fits in nicely with the show's themes and ideals.  With Hibito's own training also moving on apace, it feels like we're getting closer to the brother's dream of standing on the lunar surface together, although surely there are still plenty of twists and turns still to come.

Space Brothers - Episode 85

After some fraught and tense times that threatened to scupper both of their lunar ambitions, Mutta's flash of time-saving genius seems to have put things back on track for his and Kenji's team in this week's Space Brothers.

In fact, Mutta's inspirational moment has not only brought Kenji out of a period of shoe-gazing but also caused him to up his game markedly as he suggests and effects numerous time-saving measures of his own.  As the pair revert to their old ways and once again work in almost perfect harmony as a team, the building of their replica moon base continues apace.

As their time underwater comes towards an end, the only element missing is Mutta's lunar telescope - so what's the delay?  In short, Mutta has received word from Sharon that her current lunar telescope plans have been shelved by NASA, leaving her looking into alternative projects to file with the space agency.  Aside from his concern as to what this might do for Sharon's current well-being (which she does a very good job of covering up in her e-mails to Mutta), he also has to decide on any alternate plans to complete his own construction project.  Cue another moment of genius that gets even the bigwigs at NASA talking...

Having put two eminently likable characters at loggerheads as they fight over a single place on a lunar mission, it was really satisfying to see them put this to one side to work together and rekindle their friendship in this week's episode - another feel-good moment to add to the list of other such occurrences provided by this series.  It also provides a fitting (if far from dramatic) end to this story arc as we move onwards once again, and as always I'm keen to see what Space Brothers plans to serve up next.

Space Brothers - Episode 84

After the initial shock of discovering that only one of them will be selected for the next lunar mission, Mutta has quickly found the resolve he needs to fight for his place, even if it means thwarting Kenji's own lunar dreams as a result.

Having initially agreed to cut his suggested parts of the scale lunar base they're tasked with building, Mutta has now rescinded that decision and insisted that they should go ahead with their original, more grandiose scheme.  But does he have a plan to back up these words given the small amount of time available to the group?  Well, no, at least not initially... but if anyone can put together an impressively pragmatic plan to get things done, it's Mutta.

Thus, what seems like merely an attempt to join forces with Andy and work extra long hours to get more done turns out to be entirely false - in fact, Mutta's goal is to work smarter rather than harder, putting his engineering nous to good effect by increasing their capability to transport and move materials massively by thinking outside of the box and making full use of the vehicles and staff provided to them.  It's unarguably clever thinking that even Kenji struggles to argue against, meaning that it's his turn to fall into a self-pitying depression, albeit a brief one that Mutta himself quickly ensures he's pulled out of.

This current story arc of Space Brothers continues to make full use of everything at its disposal, while succeeding in providing another of those wonderful moments where Mutta's intellect and pragmatism come to the form in a genuinely impressive way that ultimately makes for something of a feel-good episode as it also moves on to thaw the brief "cold war" of sorts between himself and Kenji.  Whether these shifts have come too soon to the point where they might threaten the value of the next few episodes remains to be seen, but it's certainly another highlight to add to the growing list provided by this ever-enjoyable series.

Space Brothers - Episode 83

Paired together in their underwater NEEMO training, Mutta and Kenji seemed to be a perfect team - a combination that would take them all the way to the Moon.  At least, that's what they thought....

Having been informed that, in fact, only one of the two of them will be selected from their team for the next lunar mission, the atmosphere suddenly changes markedly, and while Mutta seems to almost instantly resign himself to having no chance against Kenji's abilities, Kenji has clearly decided that nothing is going to stand in the way of his goal.  From the warm friendship the two of them shared a cold war of sorts grows, with Kenji taking the lead in a bid to cement his place on the next lunar mission while Mutta flounders in his own worries and self-pity.

Such is the extent of Mutta's self-doubt that he immediately cedes plans to built a lunar telescope into the team's moonbase design after Kenji suggests that it should be cut alongside other elements of their plan to ensure that everything is finished on time.  With the pair avoiding each other, Mutta continues to wallow in his worries until a combination of a discussion with senior team member Andy and a swarm of Barracuda awaken him from his malaise - with Andy discussing how he too was once burdened by the weight of similar worries about making it into space before deciding not to think about it and throw himself into his work again, Mutta suddenly sees a path clear in front of him with regard to what he must do.

All of this combines into another wonderfully character-driven episode of Space Brothers - having spent so much time building up Kenji and Mutta's friendship over the course of the series, it makes this cooling of that friendship all the more affecting while still playing off the natural drama which comes via the incredibly difficult selection process for lunar missions.  Its current underwater setting might not quite have the flair and excitement of space itself, but it's serving as a perfect staging ground for another bumper helping of what makes this series what it is.

Space Brothers - Episode 82

Kenji and Mutta's undersea training and testing continues apace, but first this week's Space Brothers treats us to some very good news for both Serika and Ena.

For the main focus of this instalment however, the three teams engaged in NEEMO training receive their first mission - to build a 1:3 scale model of a moon base, which they can base upon either an existing design or by creating one of their own.  Needless to say, the teams involved have very different ideas on how to go about creating this in the limited time granted to them, but there seems to be no disagreement between Kenji and Mutta as they plan out what they want to do in perfect harmony.

Such is their ability to work together, that both individuals ponder how great it would be for them to work together on the Moon - of course, we already know that this won't be possible due to the very organisation of this stage of their training (which only takes a single candidate from each team), but it's left up to the seniors working alongside them to decided whether or not to let them in on the secret.  This revelation's delivery to the pair couldn't come at a worse time for Kenji in particular, as he ponders the difficulties he's caused his family in his pursuit of becoming a lunar astronaut, which in turn gives him abundant motivation to achieve his goal no matter what.  You can probably see where that train of thought is heading...

All of this contributes to another simple but effective episode - moments like its relation of the difficulties suffered by Kenji's wife would feel contrived elsewhere but help to flesh out the story and the motivations of the cast nicely, and the way the current story arc is progressing continues to build up its promise nicely in a way which looks set to fit perfectly with so much of what Space Brothers does well.

Space Brothers - Episode 81

To get closer to his ultimate goal, Mutta must first move further away from it, as the latest step in his training to reach the Moon sees him move deep underwater for NEEMO training.

As part of a group of trainee astronauts, Mutta is thrilled to find himself paired up with Kenji alongside a couple of more experienced individuals, both of whom seem to be rather dismissive of the newcomers.  What Mutta doesn't know is that, although Kenji is indeed his team-mate for this part of his training, he's also ultimately his rival, as only one of the trainees will be picked from each team at the end of this stage of their training.

While Mutta jumps into the new experiences that come with training under the sea, approximating lunar conditions as closely as you could hope on the Earth (albeit with some rather marked dangers that you wouldn't find on the Moon - barracuda, for example), Hibito is facing challenges of his own as he co-opts Lowry into helping him with his rehabilitation.  With a member of the medical staff also on-board to help him out in secret, perhaps he too is moving closer to the Moon himself.

As episodes of Space Brothers go, this was another of those instalments that works more towards setting the scene for episodes to come rather than delivering anything particularly unique in its own right - thus, we see both Mutta and Hibito settling down into new routines, with clues as to the kind of struggles that might be ahead for both of them (and Kenji, judging by the episode preview for that matter).  It certainly feels like the show is currently positioned to offer up some of the kind of content that showcases the series at its strongest, so hopefully that proves to be the case.

Space Brothers - Episode 80

Returning home early from his rehabilitation in Russia at NASA's behest, it seems as if Hibito's career is at a low ebb at just the moment that Mutta's own ambitions are about to receive a major boost.

With the first prototype of the new lunar buggy he helped to design now ready to roll, Mutta gets the call that he really wasn't expecting at this point in time - the call to join a team of a dozen people to being training for a lunar mission.  Saying some quick goodbyes, there's no need to express Mutta's sense of excitement, as he prepares for several weeks of undersea NEEMO training (insert your own Finding NEEMO joke here) to give the prospective astronauts some time in conditions somewhat closer to those of space.

Alongside Mutta for this training are both Kenji, who is trying to juggle these responsibilities with his growing daughter and another child on the way, and Nitta, bringing both himself and us some familiar faces for this particular leg of his journey.  Meanwhile, Hibito finds himself with a room and desk of his own at NASA, but is he going to be able to continue his rehabilitation alone?  Ivan back in Russia clearly wants to ensure that he does, and he might just have found the person he needs to help him along in his efforts.

Having been sidetracked in some shape or form for a little while now, I'm excited to see Space Brothers getting back into the thick of Mutta's progress as he moves a step closer to the moon - these segments of the show have frequently been amongst the most satisfying, and I have no reason to believe that this story arc should be any different.  Who knows, maybe they can figure out some kind of Nagi no Asukara tie-in while Mutta and company spend a few weeks under the sea...