What They Say:
“How to Help Hibito”
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Spending time focusing on Hibito may frustrate some fans since so much of the show was originally all about Mutta, but the show is titled Space Brothers and Hibito has had some very good story material over the course of it. And both of them definitely push each other in different ways to grow and become better, though it’s not always obvious. With Hibito’s struggles to get back into the program, it’s been very understandable considering what he went through on the moon. And seeing him put through things again now as he does his best to survive the tests and to move past it is well executed. There’s a lot to like with what Hibito is going through in terms of survivability, but it’s the way in which he does it that really draws you in. That’s hampered a bit by the drawn out approach the show uses, but that’s also part and parcel with the style of the series.
The underwater test alone isn’t enough to really help him get over things, according to what Chief Butler knows and has experienced, and he’s really invested in getting Hibito to get past it all. And that’s why he orchestrated the test he has, in order to push him past it by making it a hugely difficult and potentially traumatic situation. Interestingly, while Butler has set the situation in a particular way, it’s not going exactly according to plan but Hibito is managing to get past it all, which will only reinforce his ability. It’s not exactly sabotage, but it’s definitely getting involved in a way unexpected since director Gates is trying to make his own point. Watching Hibito go through the test, taking it slow and steady and not getting all worked out of sorts and not getting worked up by it or having a panic attack. He does get a little mental help along the way from a few of his friends as well that get in on the headset, reminding him that he has support from around the world with so many friends.
There’s a lot to like with the test and what Hibito takes from it and the way in which he succeeds, which is something that even Butler had wrong in how to approach it. Thankfully, we also get some time with Mutta as he’s gearing up for his new life and training, which includes spending some time in the commissary with others, which includes Serika. There’s such a simple innocence about them that it’s just utterly charming to watch. Getting some time with them, which includes a nice nod towards understanding what Hibito is going through, helps to break it up a bit since even the managers that are watching and judging the test are realizing how long this is going and that it’s not what they expected, even if it is going very well overall. Just watching how Hibito brightens during all of this is beautiful to watch and you get to see Butler in his own restrained way really getting excited by it. It’s the kind of event that took its time to get here, but seeing it unfold, and the support of it all, definitely worked well.
In Summary:
Space Brothers took its time to get to this point, one that really began in a big way during the lunar accident, and seeing it worked through while so many other things were going on definitely made it interesting. Time has progressed, people have been growing and changing and jobs come and gone. For Hibito, his struggle was largely internalized and it took a slow route, but we see the way that he had so many people supporting him for so long and had such an interest in seeing him back on things that it was just great to see. There’s a bond and family here that is different from a normal family but it has much the same meaning and importance. Watching that come together here definitely made Hibito’s journey worthwhile, especially now that Mutta is achieving his dreams and catching up to him quicker than anyone expected so that they’ll be closer to the same page than expected.
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.
