That was certainly a Space Brothers episode unlike any other. Gatchaman Crowds – 05 I suppose it’s official that I’m blogging Gatchaman at this point, as it’s almost half-over already. And it’s still about where it’s been for the last month: pretty good, full of imagination, cheaply made, occasionally brilliant […] Read more
Damn, Space Brothers got me again… If it proves nothing else, for me Uchuu Kyoudai proves the effectiveness of simple, honest and heartfelt emotion. There’s a whiplash derision against any anime that dares to have “melodrama” these days – if it isn’t ironic, don’t bother. But real drama, earned with […] Read more
Familiarity doesn’t always breed contempt. I’d forgive you if you said that Uchuu Kyoudai is repeating some familiar cycles with this arc, despite the fact that it’s our first chance to see Mutta take to the sky under his own control. Between the oddball mentor, the wry take on American […] Read more
No question about it – Space Brothers is all the way back. There are times when my engagement in this series drops quite a bit. I suppose it’s only natural with a show that runs this long, though it certainly hasn’t happened with Hunter X Hunter – and I think […] Read more
A new season begins with the return of an old (very old) face. OP6: “Crater” by Merengue It’s a new cour, and that means a new OP and EDs for Uchuu Kyoudai (I especially like the ED “animation” this time, even if it’s basically still frames). As I speculated, the […] Read more
The theme of this episode could hardly have been more perfectly chosen. When push comes to shove, Uchuu Kyoudai is, effectively, Nanba Mutta. The other characters and elements are important, but this is his story. And more than that, the series takes on the same character as the man himself […] Read more
Predictable, but so far at least, effective. As I theorized in this space last week, Dr. Sharon’s illness does indeed turn out to be the same one that claimed Serika’s father. Given that we were told (and reminded) that this illness was a “very rare disease that’s difficult to diagnose” […] Read more
Cue the violins… I’m not a fan of the Amanti fortunetelling plotline for reasons I’ve already discussed in these pages. It’s a racial stereotype, it’s a stretch of credulity, it’s been dragged out way too long. In short, it’s a thread that allows this very good show to indulge some […] Read more
It almost feels as if the series just got started, strange as that sounds. A 60-episode prologue, in an era when most anime are 1/5 that long in total? Yeah, an awful lot has happened (though no one will ever accuse Uchuu Kyoudai of being fast-paced) but I think a […] Read more
Space Brothers is officially back on track. This is a series that’s taken a somewhat PIECO-like route to get through 60 episodes. There are definitely times when it’s slowed as if bogged down in the mud, and the path has been full of detours and meanderings. But it always tries […] Read more