Uchuu Kyoudai - 07 - Lost in Anime

The pleasures of Space Brothers are subtle compared to some series, but they’re no less rewarding for that.

It’s always fun to see how the Japanese perceive America, generally a curious mix of romanticized elements and condescension. I’ve been to Texas a number of times and I can tell you, it’s not normal practice for the local news anchors to wear Stetsons on the air. I have to confess that made me LOL, though, as did the hilariously random snippets of news coverage in the e-newspaper Mutta was reading over breakfast. The little details in this series are always good for a laugh, like Apo’s lunar capsule dog dish. While it’s dealing with some pretty heavy psychological stuff, there’s a sense of whimsy that’s never far from the surface in Uchuu Kyoudai that always keeps it from feeling ponderous.

As always, things always seem to fall back on exploring the difference between the brothers at the center of the series. In yet another development I find hits unnervingly close to home, we see how Mutta earned the nickname “Rollin’ Mutta” from his mother (and it’s easy to see which parent he takes after). When bad thoughts start to crawl into his mind, Mutta tries to crowd them out – crowd them with the radio, TV, the internet, magazines and newspapers. Anything to try and fill the spaces in a mind that’s always working too hard, always thinking extraneous thoughts instead of focusing on the now.

The fact that Mutta does this says much about his insecurities and the way his mind works, but the fact is that Mutta actually can concentrate on all those things at once and make sense of them – and that’s both his great strength and great weakness – and the difference between he and Hibito. For most people trying to concentrate on more than one thing is difficult (just look at the stats on traffic safety and phone usage) but Mutta’s mind is so restless than unless he’s focused on multiple sources of input his mind is free to wander – and when bad things like the 92% chance of failing the JAXA test are on his mind, that’s the last thing he wants. For Hibito, his mind is summed up in his words to his brother – “When you try and watch everything at once, you might as well cover your eyes.” Likewise for the younger brother this is a great strength and a weakness: Hibito can clear his mind of distractions and focus on the here and now, but he sometimes misses the details that Mutta’s hyperactive mind never does.

This is brought to life in the form of the blindfold exam Hibiito is struggling with at NASA. Lunar dust – regolith – is unlike earth dust in almost every way for a myriad of reasons. The gist of it is that Hibito is supposed to be able to escape from the lunar station airlock while being blinded by lunar dust, and he’s struggling – because unlike all those straight-ahead challenges where his focused mind helps him, he’s unable to recall all the details he’s depended on his eyes to tell his brain. The observant Mutta could, of course pass that test on the first try because he’d remember where every control in the airlock was after seeing it just once. It often gets in the way of his happiness on Earth but as I said last week – where a single loose screw could mean the demise of everyone in the crew, don’t you want someone in the crew who never misses one?

Surely then, this represents the turn of luck that Mutta constantly bemoans and blames on being born on the day of the “Agony of Doha” World Cup qualifying disaster of 1993 (known as the “Miracle of Doha” if you’re South Korean). In a side story you knew would bear fruit sooner or later, there’s a “Fire Extinguisher Bandit” terrorizing Houston (BOW!), blinding his victims with a fire extinguisher before robbing them, and he happens to target the diner Mutta is eating lunch at in the company of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. With the diner filling with vapor and visibility down to zero, surely Mutta’s eidetic memory will finally pay dividends here, and I see an impending act of heroism that will finally give his biggest fan, Hoshika-san, the ammo he needs to go to battle for Mutta in the JAXA committee.

I’m enjoying this run of time in Houston, both for the charming take on Texas culture and for the opportunity it gives us to see Mutta and Hibito interact directly (I’m also hoping we get to see Mr. Smith execute his plan to take Mutta to the casino – presumably as a secret weapon at the blackjack table). Part of me was beginning to wonder if Mutta’s future might in fact lie with NASA, not JAXA, and I’m still not totally convinced that’s wrong – it would certainly make for a different sort of series than what I initially expected. The amount of development Hishoka, Serika and Kenji received still makes it likely that JAXA will ultimately choose Mutta, but there are lots of reasons to think he might stay in the States as well. One way or another I think the JAXA decision has to come to a head soon, perhaps even next week.

11 comments

tenshi no hone

May 13, 2012 at 10:28 pm

I have to admire the Flintstones-style cartoon in the newspaper. It is really nice how every little detail is Americanised in their picture of Houston!

azuredaydreamer

May 14, 2012 at 12:02 am

It's nice how they insert a little trivia about space- the regolith and its effect. It gives a sense of leveling up compared to other space animes.

I also like how emotionally realistic Mutta is trying to forget the results by trying to block out his thoughts on it. Even I would do that. I just hope he gains some enlightenment over the course of the anime like Taichi (Chihayafuru) did in episode 20 where he said, “ I'm not so much focused on making Class A as becoming someone who doesn’t run away."

Anonymous

May 14, 2012 at 2:29 am

I have been driving for 2 years now and never had problems while doing something else while driving. That is a myth or only a very small amount of people (women) cannot drive and use their phone.

This is a lot better show than I thought. Animation is kinda lame though

admin

May 14, 2012 at 2:51 am

Road safety charity IAM says that new research commissioned by it from the Transport research Laboratory (TRL) using its DigiCar driving simulator shows that accessing social networks while behind the wheel is more dangerous than driving while drunk or after smoking cannabis. Nevertheless, 8 per cent of drivers – equivalent to 3.5 million motorists in Britain – use social networks or check email while driving.

In a controlled experiment using the TRL’s DigiCar simulator it was discovered that, when sending and receiving messages through Facebook:

• reaction times slowed by around 38% and participants often missed key events;
• participants were unable to maintain a central lane position resulting in an increased number of unintentional lane departures; and
• were unable to respond as quickly to the car in front gradually changing speed.

• Using a smartphone for social networking slows reaction times by 37.6 per cent;
• texting slows reaction times by 37.4 per cent;
• hands-free mobile phone conversation slows reaction times by 26.5 per cent;
• cannabis slows reaction times by 21 per cent;
• alcohol (above UK driving limit but below 100mg per 100ml of blood) slows reaction time by between six and 15 per cent; and
• alcohol at the legal limit slows reaction times by 12.5 per cent.

Ishruns

May 14, 2012 at 3:51 am

I want to see the dog in space.

Could sort of tell that the fire extinguisher guy was gonna appear at some point, although I thought it would be like a house robbery since Rollin Mutta knows the inside of that very well and would throw the cactus at him. Nice talent though, it would have helped a lot in my finals.

SpaceBros really doesn't miss a beat, it's funny, informative and second in subtlety only to Sakamachi.

Now blow the wig off of the heartless computer man.

Ishruns

May 14, 2012 at 3:54 am

Man City 1-2 QPR 90 min
Man City 2-2 QPR 92 min
Man City 3-2 QPR 93 min

A worth while end to the best Premiership season ever, even if the most despicable team won.

admin

May 14, 2012 at 4:25 am

Saw that match, one team with relegation on the line (though not so, in the end) the other with a 44-year title drought. Unbelievable finish.

Sorry, but I refuse to look at Man U. as the good guys – this is the Empire of British football. Man City may have bought the title, but I'm still happy for those fans who waited 44 years and endured enless taunting by arrogant Man-U backers. Up City.

Ishruns

May 14, 2012 at 5:24 am

But don't you hate it when a team suddenly comes and tells the star players of other teams, come here we'll trip your salary.

Plus I have lived in Abu Dhabi for a while, never liked the people.

Even I wouldn't want Man U to win, but then Arsenal have been shambolic at times and really don't deserve the title.

Too bad for Newcastle as well and nice one Juve. Madrid, Dortmund and Montpellier too.

And of course sayonnara to one of the greatest quartet of players at Milan.

admin

May 14, 2012 at 6:27 am

I guess Americans are jaded to it, because that's the way pro sports in the US have basically been for decades.

Ishruns

May 14, 2012 at 6:46 am

I watched Moneyball, I get it.

Beckett

May 15, 2012 at 5:28 am

My favorite part of this episode's American Stereotype Corner was the cooking show. "Add salt or suger, whichever. Then add everything else. Add apples or honey for flavor, but if you don't have those, you can use whatever is laying around." I've watched a LOT of cooking shows in my day and I've pretty much never seen a host that behaves like that lol.

Uchuu Kyoudai – 07

Guardian Enzo

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tenshi no hone

azuredaydreamer

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Ishruns

Ishruns

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Beckett

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Lost in Anime

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