AnimeSuki Forums

DragoonKain3 · 2012-04-16, 19:30

For the first time in recent memory, I'm glad I stuck it out for 3 episodes. At first I thought this show was terribly dull, but Serika's presence gives enough shippy material to interest me for the long run. It's pretty obvious that romance would be of the least focus here, but a shipper only needs a small clue here or there to keep their interest.

So yeah count me in for the long run. I'm a sucker for 'real space' shows for the most part.

Patriot's Blade · 2012-04-17, 05:49

i m surprised that somebody hasn't yet make a Kamen Rider Fourze joke reference considering this series's setting

Kaioshin Sama · 2012-04-18, 22:25

Pretty disappointed in this show so far I've gotta be honest. I'm just kind of getting the bad hollywood cliche vibe from this show and I was kind of expecting it to be a little bit more realistic. Instead the characters all feel a little one dimensional so far and have failed to really grow on me. I have to cite Serika as a major problem right now for just absolutely reeking of that woman that's perfect at everything she does in a man's world cliched hollywood style writing. I really hate this archtype and it honestly makes me want to claw my eyes out when I have to sit through it in Western media so it reering it's head here is pretty unwelcome. It's totally obvious that for no particular reason she's going to become drawn to Mutta too and again I just find it a little trite. The fact that I've called everything that has happened in this show with pretty much 100% accuracy also doesn't leave much for surprise or interest.

I feel this show could easily be more than this and have to hope it eventually will be but right now these characters need to move beyond the stereotypes and maybe come a little bit more down to Earth. Strange thing to say for a show about traveling to space I know, but it couldn't hurt.

kuroishinigami · 2012-04-19, 00:30

What's not down to earth in a story about a middle age man who face a crossroad in his life? I'm sure most of us middle aged man who are not so lucky in landing our dream job has already face this question at least once, do we take the bumpy road to chase our dream or give up our dream to continue our current not-so-bad life.

As for Serika, she indeed seems too perfect right now, but remember that most of the time, we see her from Mutta's POV, and a woman that a guy has a crush for always seems perfect in his eyes lol. This should change once we know her character better.

Triple_R · 2012-04-19, 00:55

Just got caught up with this series.

I have to say, it's truly beautiful to me. Just hits so many of the right emotional chords for me.

What I probably love most about it is that it strikes me as very heartwarming/uplifting without seeming cheesy/hokey (at least not yet).

It also has a good subtle sense of comedy that really resonates with me.

The pacing is great, and Mutta's character has really grown on me (it admittedly helps a lot that Kotetsu Kaburagi's seiyu is voicing him).

In fairness to Kaioshin, though, I totally get his point on Serika. She's generally likable, but yeah, she's a bit too perfect so far. A big part of the reason for my own frequent dissatisfaction with western media is also the overused "Woman that's perfect at everything she does in a man's world" cliche. For this reason, I kind of wish that Mutta had won the Lung Capacity Test. I think it would have given Serika more reason to be interested in him ("Wow, this guy actually beat me at something!") while also taking a bit of a Mary Sue edge off of Serika.

But still, that's my only major issue with the anime so far, and as I wrote before, Serika is still likable to me.

For me, this show feels nicely inspirational but not too heavy/intense on the drama. It's largely lighthearted even as it aims to be inspirational. The lack of melodrama is definitely appreciated. In my opinion, at least.

Anyway, Space Bros. is definitely one of my Top 3 shows of the season so far, and given how amazingly strong this Spring season has been so far, that does say something.

Kaioshin Sama · 2012-04-19, 10:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triple_R

In fairness to Kaioshin, though, I totally get his point on Serika. She's generally likable, but yeah, she's a bit too perfect so far. A big part of the reason for my own frequent dissatisfaction with western media is also the overused "Woman that's perfect at everything she does in a man's world" cliche. For this reason, I kind of wish that Mutta had won the Lung Capacity Test. I think it would have given Serika more reason to be interested in him ("Wow, this guy actually beat me at something!") while also taking a bit of a Mary Sue edge off of Serika.

It would have also given Mutta a much needed confidence boost because the flashback indicates that that was one of the one things he also had a special talent for, but nope I guess they just had to continue to show how perfect Serika is in order to make her more appealing or something. This instead causes that flashback scene to come off as a little meaningless in the long run.

Serika just feels really out of place in this show. In a cast that's otherwise composed of pretty believable portrayals of otherwise everyday people that you could almost see existing in real life she sort of stands out like a sore thumb as a little more typical of anime. I hope very much that this portrayal is put aside in the coming episodes and she's not just continually perfect at everything as it will just continue to drag the show down for me and the other cast members too if she's not played more realistically from now on. Nobody likes a character with no flaws, especially in an anime where all the others seem to have plenty.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kuroishinigami

What's not down to earth in a story about a middle age man who face a crossroad in his life? I'm sure most of us middle aged man who are not so lucky in landing our dream job has already face this question at least once, do we take the bumpy road to chase our dream or give up our dream to continue our current not-so-bad life.

As for Serika, she indeed seems too perfect right now, but remember that most of the time, we see her from Mutta's POV, and a woman that a guy has a crush for always seems perfect in his eyes lol. This should change once we know her character better.

Well in any case it's a very poor start to the character. If everybody else weren't so believable it probably wouldn't make a difference, but next to the other cast members she stands out like a sore thumb and like she possibly belongs in a different anime even.

SeijiSensei · 2012-04-19, 10:36

Leaving aside the value of having a female character as a potential romantic interest, I think there may also be a bit of "political correctness" involved here as well. Recall that JAXA also consulted on Rocket Girls, which was clearly designed to encourage girls to consider careers in space exploration, engineering, and the sciences. I don't think JAXA would have been comfortable with a story that had no females among the aspiring astronauts.

That said, I have somewhat the same feelings about Serika as a character as Kaioshin does, but I'm willing to wait and see what the writers do with her down the road. (We are talking about 40+ episodes after all.) Compared to the teen-aged girls in skin-tight suits that we saw in Rocket Girls, Serika already seems a more complete (I almost said "well-rounded"

) character than any of them.

Haak · 2012-04-19, 10:50

Yeah I've got to agree with Kaioshin about Serika but unfortuanetly I'm not feeling much for Mutta either. He's just a bit too dorky for my taste (I actually had a similar problem with Kotetsu as well) and wouldn't hurt to see him actually do something more impressive than having an abnormal lung capacity and OCD. Because so far the only impressive aspects we know about Mutta (being successful in the car industry until he got fired, and managing to be shortlisted for JAXA) have so far been Informed Abilities.

TinyRedLeaf · 2012-04-19, 11:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by kuroishinigami

What's not down to earth in a story about a middle age man who face a crossroad in his life? I'm sure most of us middle aged man who are not so lucky in landing our dream job has already face this question at least once, do we take the bumpy road to chase our dream or give up our dream to continue our current not-so-bad life.

Mutta is 32. Thirty-two.

Not too long ago, people here were insisting that 37 is still young and that I'm forbidden to call myself old.

And Mutta is middle aged???

Guardian Enzo · 2012-04-19, 11:26

That totally ignores the fact that Mutta,

A. Inspired his brother to accomplish everything he has

B. Had the balls to actually try and qualify for the JAXA program despite having little chance to succeed

Let me also point out that Serika scores points with me for not being the typical anime (or movie) heroine in that she's physically not very attractive. She and Mutta both, in fact, are basically plain at best. I don't have a problem with Serika being "perfect" because we don't know her yet - all we've seen her do is ace a few endurance tests. Is that so hard to believe? We're 1/16 through the series and we've already seen her be socially awkward and embarrassed - I don't have an issue with a doctor in her late 20's being in great physical shape.

leokiko · 2012-04-19, 11:59

I thought that with only 10 chapters of Uchuu Kyoudai's manga scanlated, the next chapters were starting to go downhill.

Turns out every single chapter manages to put a smile in my face. The same for the anime. And people have been saying that there is nothing special about Mutta. Just give some time, because this something special has already been hinted even in the anime.

Haak · 2012-04-19, 12:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

That totally ignores the fact that Mutta,

A. Inspired his brother to accomplish everything he has

B. Had the balls to actually try and qualify for the JAXA program despite having little chance to succeed

A happened when he was just a kid is more of an Informed Ability and B is nothing special when you consider the fact that the others are equally motivated. Being motivated enough to actually try is more of a standard at this point than an exception.

Myssa Rei · 2012-04-19, 23:36

Since there aren't enough scanlated material to go around yet I have to wonder if Space Brothers will eventually treat us to its take on scenarios that seem common to manga/anime focused on training for space flight (those somewhat grounded in reality anyway). For example, will there be a long-term team isolation test (as shown in Twin Spica, Planetes, and Star Children)? Or an EVA simulation?

OceanBlue · 2012-04-19, 23:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by leokiko

And people have been saying that there is nothing special about Mutta. Just give some time, because this something special has already been hinted even in the anime.

There are hints of his hidden genius and his stubbornness everywhere. It may not have to do with book knowledge, but you can tell he's not just an average guy.

Mutta is great. He's definitely among my favorite characters this season just because he's funny.

leokiko · 2012-04-20, 00:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by OceanBlue

There are hints of his hidden genius and his stubbornness everywhere. It may not have to do with book knowledge, but you can tell he's not just an average guy.

Mutta is great. He's definitely among my favorite characters this season just because he's funny.

Yea I know, but peopleare indicating they have no clue why he passed so....

OceanBlue · 2012-04-20, 00:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by leokiko

Yea I know, but peopleare indicating they have no clue why he passed so....

I do understand what their complaints are though. It's not really about his intelligence. They've done enough about telling us about his intelligence. I guess it isn't too much to ask for Mutta actually demonstrating that he's special or intelligent, rather than scenes hinting at it. I don't mind since I don't mind a dorky Mutta, but I can see what they're saying. We still have time, so I'm not worried.

I honestly agree with Kaioshin about Seriko too. Everyone has their own worries and quirks that make them seem more human. We haven't had much time with Seriko, so hopefully things emerge when the characters interact with her more. She might be the type to break down under pressure (which kinda makes her more of an "ideal mate" type, but that's something else entirely

).

Aristophanes · 2012-04-20, 03:51

Quick question, does anyone know how long this show will last? Or at least how many episodes there are going to be in the current season.

SeijiSensei · 2012-04-20, 07:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aristophanes

Quick question, does anyone know how long this show will last? Or at least how many episodes there are going to be in the current season.

Last I heard it was destined for a full-year run with a number like 48 episodes being bandied about.

SRanger · 2012-04-20, 11:53

FEEL SO MOOOONN

I watched the first three episodes last night on CrunchyRoll, the first episode hooked me.

Does anyone else feel some Welcome to the NHK vibes from this series? Not so much in the sense of 'hikkikomori', but to improve oneself and the struggles of the real world.

I'm diggin it, so far the best series this season imo.

AbZeroNow · 2012-04-20, 18:07

Yeah, 3 episodes in and I am digging the OP. Feel so Good, feel so MOOOOON. Kinda wonder if somebody dropped acid to create the visuals in that sequence though.

I think they've dropped hints that Serika is at least quirky. I mean, she loves broccoli, and stacks it up almost like a tree.

Her response to the loose screw was to laugh about it.

Loved Mutta trying to put his reflection in the helmet. It is dorky, but endearing. I probably would have done the same thing myself.

Serika trying to do it was cute too. One upside to Serika acing the physical tests is that it shows that she wants to prove herself. To make it as an astronaut where most are men, so she works twice as hard as them. Between her, Kenji and Mutta, you have three that you want to make it as astronauts.

Episode 4 looks to be interesting too. Still loving this series, it is one my favorites of this season and I really hope that this lasts more than 48 episodes.

2012-04-16, 19:30	Link #141
DragoonKain3 Osana-Najimi Shipper Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Mt. Ordeals	For the first time in recent memory, I'm glad I stuck it out for 3 episodes. At first I thought this show was terribly dull, but Serika's presence gives enough shippy material to interest me for the long run. It's pretty obvious that romance would be of the least focus here, but a shipper only needs a small clue here or there to keep their interest. So yeah count me in for the long run. I'm a sucker for 'real space' shows for the most part. __________________ Yes its YOU childhood friend - source of BERZERKER RAGE since forever Childhood Friend couple STATISTICS(spoilers abound though)

2012-04-17, 05:49	Link #142
Patriot's Blade its Ghost Madoka time!!! Join Date: May 2009 Location: brunei darusalam	i m surprised that somebody hasn't yet make a Kamen Rider Fourze joke reference considering this series's setting __________________ "legends said that Alto Saotome made a correct decision, he left both Ranka Lee & Sheryl Nome to marry the skies & proceed to make love with her, it was a long sight to behold according to the witnesses, the sky is now pregnant"

2012-04-19, 00:55	Link #145
Triple_R Senior Member Author Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Age: 42	Just got caught up with this series. I have to say, it's truly beautiful to me. Just hits so many of the right emotional chords for me. What I probably love most about it is that it strikes me as very heartwarming/uplifting without seeming cheesy/hokey (at least not yet). It also has a good subtle sense of comedy that really resonates with me. The pacing is great, and Mutta's character has really grown on me (it admittedly helps a lot that Kotetsu Kaburagi's seiyu is voicing him). In fairness to Kaioshin, though, I totally get his point on Serika. She's generally likable, but yeah, she's a bit too perfect so far. A big part of the reason for my own frequent dissatisfaction with western media is also the overused "Woman that's perfect at everything she does in a man's world" cliche. For this reason, I kind of wish that Mutta had won the Lung Capacity Test. I think it would have given Serika more reason to be interested in him ("Wow, this guy actually beat me at something!") while also taking a bit of a Mary Sue edge off of Serika. But still, that's my only major issue with the anime so far, and as I wrote before, Serika is still likable to me. For me, this show feels nicely inspirational but not too heavy/intense on the drama. It's largely lighthearted even as it aims to be inspirational. The lack of melodrama is definitely appreciated. In my opinion, at least. Anyway, Space Bros. is definitely one of my Top 3 shows of the season so far, and given how amazingly strong this Spring season has been so far, that does say something. __________________

2012-04-19, 10:36	Link #147
SeijiSensei AS Oji-kun Join Date: Nov 2006 Age: 74	Leaving aside the value of having a female character as a potential romantic interest, I think there may also be a bit of "political correctness" involved here as well. Recall that JAXA also consulted on Rocket Girls, which was clearly designed to encourage girls to consider careers in space exploration, engineering, and the sciences. I don't think JAXA would have been comfortable with a story that had no females among the aspiring astronauts. That said, I have somewhat the same feelings about Serika as a character as Kaioshin does, but I'm willing to wait and see what the writers do with her down the road. (We are talking about 40+ episodes after all.) Compared to the teen-aged girls in skin-tight suits that we saw in Rocket Girls, Serika already seems a more complete (I almost said "well-rounded" ) character than any of them. __________________ Taking Anime Seriously - Politics by the Numbers - Sports by the Numbers - MAL List - Avatars - Images

2012-04-19, 10:50	Link #148
Haak Me, An Intellectual Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: UK Age: 33	Yeah I've got to agree with Kaioshin about Serika but unfortuanetly I'm not feeling much for Mutta either. He's just a bit too dorky for my taste (I actually had a similar problem with Kotetsu as well) and wouldn't hurt to see him actually do something more impressive than having an abnormal lung capacity and OCD. Because so far the only impressive aspects we know about Mutta (being successful in the car industry until he got fired, and managing to be shortlisted for JAXA) have so far been Informed Abilities. __________________ MAL \| AnimeSuki Choice Awards 2020 Winners

2012-04-18, 22:25	Link #143
Kaioshin Sama Banned Join Date: May 2004 Location: Neither Here nor There Age: 39	Pretty disappointed in this show so far I've gotta be honest. I'm just kind of getting the bad hollywood cliche vibe from this show and I was kind of expecting it to be a little bit more realistic. Instead the characters all feel a little one dimensional so far and have failed to really grow on me. I have to cite Serika as a major problem right now for just absolutely reeking of that woman that's perfect at everything she does in a man's world cliched hollywood style writing. I really hate this archtype and it honestly makes me want to claw my eyes out when I have to sit through it in Western media so it reering it's head here is pretty unwelcome. It's totally obvious that for no particular reason she's going to become drawn to Mutta too and again I just find it a little trite. The fact that I've called everything that has happened in this show with pretty much 100% accuracy also doesn't leave much for surprise or interest. I feel this show could easily be more than this and have to hope it eventually will be but right now these characters need to move beyond the stereotypes and maybe come a little bit more down to Earth. Strange thing to say for a show about traveling to space I know, but it couldn't hurt.

2012-04-19, 00:30	Link #144
kuroishinigami Ava courtesy of patchy Join Date: Jan 2009	What's not down to earth in a story about a middle age man who face a crossroad in his life? I'm sure most of us middle aged man who are not so lucky in landing our dream job has already face this question at least once, do we take the bumpy road to chase our dream or give up our dream to continue our current not-so-bad life. As for Serika, she indeed seems too perfect right now, but remember that most of the time, we see her from Mutta's POV, and a woman that a guy has a crush for always seems perfect in his eyes lol. This should change once we know her character better.

2012-04-19, 11:59	Link #151
leokiko Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012	I thought that with only 10 chapters of Uchuu Kyoudai's manga scanlated, the next chapters were starting to go downhill. Turns out every single chapter manages to put a smile in my face. The same for the anime. And people have been saying that there is nothing special about Mutta. Just give some time, because this something special has already been hinted even in the anime.

2012-04-19, 23:36	Link #153
Myssa Rei Moderate Haruhiist Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Metro Manila, Philippines Age: 42	Since there aren't enough scanlated material to go around yet I have to wonder if Space Brothers will eventually treat us to its take on scenarios that seem common to manga/anime focused on training for space flight (those somewhat grounded in reality anyway). For example, will there be a long-term team isolation test (as shown in Twin Spica, Planetes, and Star Children)? Or an EVA simulation? __________________

2012-04-20, 03:51	Link #157
Aristophanes I have returned Join Date: Dec 2005	Quick question, does anyone know how long this show will last? Or at least how many episodes there are going to be in the current season.

2012-04-20, 11:53	Link #159
SRanger Remember, no moe. Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Illinois, California	FEEL SO MOOOONN I watched the first three episodes last night on CrunchyRoll, the first episode hooked me. Does anyone else feel some Welcome to the NHK vibes from this series? Not so much in the sense of 'hikkikomori', but to improve oneself and the struggles of the real world. I'm diggin it, so far the best series this season imo. __________________

2012-04-20, 18:07	Link #160
AbZeroNow North American Haruhiist Join Date: Oct 2010 Age: 43	Yeah, 3 episodes in and I am digging the OP. Feel so Good, feel so MOOOOON. Kinda wonder if somebody dropped acid to create the visuals in that sequence though. I think they've dropped hints that Serika is at least quirky. I mean, she loves broccoli, and stacks it up almost like a tree. Her response to the loose screw was to laugh about it. Loved Mutta trying to put his reflection in the helmet. It is dorky, but endearing. I probably would have done the same thing myself. Serika trying to do it was cute too. One upside to Serika acing the physical tests is that it shows that she wants to prove herself. To make it as an astronaut where most are men, so she works twice as hard as them. Between her, Kenji and Mutta, you have three that you want to make it as astronauts. Episode 4 looks to be interesting too. Still loving this series, it is one my favorites of this season and I really hope that this lasts more than 48 episodes.