Hibito returns to Japan and is in for the shock of his life.
What They Say:
To follow his brother Hibito to the moon, Mutta will attempt to become an astronaut at the age of 32. Unaware of his own talent, Mutta chases his dreams to get back in front of his younger brother.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
The revelation about Mutta being Deneil’s last student is something that definitely has some impact and knowing that over the course of the training thta they’re on makes you feel all the more for Deneil as he goes through it. Though he’s trained many people over the years, the one you work with last often has the most meaning because the meaning is associated with yourself rather than the person at hand, and even for someone like Deneil, it’s easier to bond with them. With it being Mutta, it’s even easier considering the prior relationship the two had during Mutta’s time in Houston and that has gone a long way towards making the two of them friend of a different sort than you might ordinarily expect. They’re an unusual combination but it’s the kind of thing that just simply works.
A lot of this episode is involved in just moving things around a bit to allow the characters to grow and change in the smallest of ways. We get some fun time with Mutta and Deneil going through their training, and the changes that we’ve seen with Mutta as he picks up some of Deneil’s habits, but also the way that Mutta is still thinking about Sharon and trying to do the right thing for her as she struggles with her disease. Similarly, Hibito is suffering himself as he gets to go on a bit of a PR tour back in Japan and it turns out that his jumping on the moon has created a real fad there where bunny skullcaps are all the rage and he’s drawn into some hilariously awful moments with it. But as bad as it gets for him, the star that he is, you also see the way so many kids are engaged in what he’s accomplished and he’s likely inspired many to take a path that they may not have otherwise, just as he himself went down this path all those years ago.
What really becomes fun is that as it goes on, we see it’s so much more than you’d think it was, especially with the way that so many at JAXA play it up. But when Hibito gets the traditional heroes welcome through the main streets of Tokyo, it’s then that you realize (and remember) the kind of impact all of this can have with the pomp and circumstance. The way his parents handle it is hilarious as well. The grand nature of it all is fun and we see some of the other duties that Hibito has – including visiting with the prime minister – but we also get it laid clear that he has much more important things to do, which leads to him visiting with Sharon for a couple of hours and having to deal with the changes she’s going through. The time that the two have here together is hugely special as we see what it is that Hibito and Mutta have brought her that really speaks to a big part of who she is, and to help her deal with something that she’s lost because of the ALS. It is truly heartwarming and heart wrenching at the same time.
In Summary:
Space Brothers has a kind of quiet episode here but it’s one that plays to a couple of different angles and is really fun in a lot of ways. While we get some nods towards what Mutta is up to, it’s largely about the journey that Hibito is on as he returns to Japan. The time spent with the adoring crowds is hilarious as we see the results of his time on the moon and the impression that was made there, from the general public to the way a lot of people at JAXA play it up because it is fun. But it’s also something that draws a lot of attention to JAXA and that can only help in the long run. We also get another nod towards the Sharon storyline that reinforces just what kind of bond the brothers share with her, and the kinds of things they understand about her, as they’ve had such a long and important relationship. Seeing it through the eyes of the attending nurse just makes it all the more powerful and leaves you loving what they all mean to each other all the more.
Grade: B+
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment:
Sony KDL70R550A 70″ LED 1080P HDTV, Apple TV via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.