(L+CR) Uchuu Kyoudai (Space Brothers)

[ChainLegacy]

Originally Posted by Kanon

Mutta got to shine in this episode. His idea to use sponge for the tires was brilliant and impressed even Pico. The team seems to be doing well on this assignment.

That's my favorite part of this arc. I like seeing Mutta in a position where he can throw around a little intellectual muscle. While he's obviously been portrayed in a positive light in other arcs, this seems to be the first time they've shown his mental prowess so clearly.

Preview shows Bold and Pico were childhood friends/acquaintances... guess that would explain their oddball coupling.

[FlareKnight]

Yeah, have to say it was nice seeing Mutta come up with that sponge idea. I mean he is good for laughs and tries hard, but also just nice to see him show off his creativity. Having them just match Pico's ideas would have been alright, but this was more compelling and had an impact on Pico.

That drive with Vince should be interesting. Mutta has impressed one of those two, but this should be his chance with Bold. Though I still think Bold might actually consider the speed limit once in a while. You know before he ends up in jail.

[cyth]

Meh, Mutta's ideas didn't impress me as much, because I thought of the same ideas during the episode's run, but it's still exciting to watch him impress others. Replayed those parts several times.

As for Pico's anxiety, "I'll finally be free," is the perfect way to describe what type of problem he has. Even he knows that rationally he wasn't responsible for Brian's death, that's why he needs his parachutes to open, because that's the only way he'll be able to prove to himself there was nothing he could do to prevent it.

[Guardian Enzo]

Well actually, if the parachutes open in a way that proves there was something he could have done - not lose the contract for Denver - because it proves that if his chutes had been used, Brian would have lived. It's not his fault in any real sense - he was doing what he thought he needed to do to make sure his tech worked like it was supposed to - but I think it's been very hard for Pico to convince himself of that.

I took that "Free" comment more to mean from the weight of uncertainty. His chutes are loaded and 240,000 miles away - there's absolutely nothing he can do at this point, they either work and Hibito and the others live, or don't and they all die. One way or another the waiting is intolerable (I think Pico was sort of relieved Mutta proved interesting enough to take his mind off it briefly) and at least once these astronauts return home safely, he'll never have to wonder if he was in the right all along.

[Kirarakim]

I definitely loved this episode and love when Mutta gets to show his intelligent side, but part of me is always annoyed that the other characters never get to impress anyone so to speak, it's always Mutta.

Well I guess it is his story and I just have to accept that.

Although it wasn't negative, I also didn't really like the whole thing that women just fold parachutes better. Seemed a bit of silly gender stereotyping to me.

I know I shouldn't be nitpicking about a really brilliant episode like this.

[cyth]

Well, the whole team was basically dumbed down for this little arc, including Mutta. As if they needed to experience growth to intelligent adults all over again.

[Utsuro no Hako]

The part I didn't like was Mutta having to ask Amanti about programming the rover to avoid obstacles. Seriously? She couldn't think of that on her own?

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by Kirarakim

Although it wasn't negative, I also didn't really like the whole thing that women just fold parachutes better. Seemed a bit of silly gender stereotyping to me.

I thought the emphasis on how the practice developed during the War helped a bit to defuse what otherwise could be a rather sexist scene. Still the women-only model apparently didn't extend to the United States, at least as of 1942 when this film was taken at Fort Bragg. This scene did give the writers a chance to add another little Mutta+Serika link to the story, just as they did with her nursing him back to health.

Searching Google and YouTube for links about folding parachutes brings up a lot of entries devoted to model rocketry. All the presentations I looked at were by men.

part of me is always annoyed that the other characters never get to impress anyone so to speak, it's always Mutta.

I agree. The only time Serika uses her medical training is nursing Mutta. Kenji calls upon his leadership and organizational skills from time to time, but the rest of the group are largely ciphers. Except for Amanti's fortune-telling skills, of course.

[cyth]

Don't forget, Serika is the only one who, albeit hesitantly displayed some common sense when she named wind as fly-back model's weakness. This is why I think the whole team was dumbed down this time, because Mutta was also affected.

Anyway, perhaps this show isn't as clever as we were originally lead to believe.

[TinyRedLeaf]

The news is about a couple of days old, but it's exceptionally relevant to this thread.

'Space was too good not to share it'

Houston, Texas (May 16, Thu): Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield has said his life in space had to be shared on social media, in his first public appearance since returning to Earth on Tuesday (May 14).

Commander Hadfield, 53, said his experiences in space were "too good" to keep to himself. With nearly 1 million Twitter followers, Cmdr Hadfield said he was pleased with the interest in his work.

He had been on the International Space Station since December 2012 and in command of the vessel since March. While in space, Cmdr Hadfield tweeted about his life at the space station, sharing striking images of the Earth from space.

His social media activities included singing a song with children around the world and filming a cover of David Bowie's hit Space Oddity.

Describing the physical sensations of being in space and landing on Earth, Cmdr Hadfield said that, upon his return to Earth, he noticed the weight of his tongue and lips.

He had to remember how to speak under the force of gravity, while his neck and back felt sore from having to support his head again.

"It feels like I played a hard game of rugby yesterday or played full-contact hockey yesterday and I haven't played in a while," he said. "My body is just sore and I'm dizzy, but it's getting better measurably by the hour."

BBC

Check out his many videos on YouTube. He describes on astronauts handle being sick in space here. Among many other things, he also talks about how the sense of taste changes in space. Best of all, listen to his swan song as commander of the ISS.

[Guardian Enzo]

Heh, 7 million views and this is the first I've heard about it. Thanks for sharing - pretty amazing.

[ookamigirl]

#58

Spoiler for plot:

Judging by the amount of commenting the quality of this anime has fallen.
That chat with Vince was sort of unusual.
Flashbacks to the trio's past were nice to watch.
At least that explained a few things..
This episode felt like a filler.

[Utsuro no Hako]

You can really tell the author's knowledge of America comes from (old) movies, because the backstory in this episode is completely unbelievable. I can almost buy the father not supporting Vince's aspirations, but even that's a stretch -- open-pit mining isn't really an industry of strong family tradition the way, say, a family farm would be. But that guidance counselor was ridiculous the way he told the kids they have no chance at college. St. Louis University isn't the Ivy League, and given it's in Missouri it's probably full of kids from podunk towns. And even if he thinks the place is beyond Vince and his buds, there are still plenty of decent state colleges he could recommend ahead of Hole in the Wall Community College. The whole flashback seems more appropriate to the 1950s than the present day.

[Dop]

Where I came from mining was a strong family tradition (pre-Thatcher), so I totally bought the backstory here, assuming that mining towns in the arse-end of nowhere need some effort to break out of, whichever country they're in.

Anyway, looks like Vince has finally found someone who doesn't squeal like a little girl when he puts the hammer down.

[Utsuro no Hako]

Originally Posted by Dop

Where I came from mining was a strong family tradition (pre-Thatcher), so I totally bought the backstory here, assuming that mining towns in the arse-end of nowhere need some effort to break out of, whichever country they're in.

Like I said, it's something out of an old movie -- Monty Python was parodying this in the '60s. Most towns like that in the modern US are drying up because everyone with sense leaves as soon as they graduate high school, many of them going off to college. Universities are plentiful enough here that no one with even halfway decent grades would have trouble getting into a state school at the least.

[FlareKnight]

It did seem a bit ridiculous, but I could stretch my imagination to buy it. Certainly the meaning itself is understandable. Parents who expect their kids to follow their path or teachers who are absolutely terrible at encouraging students. I did have to laugh a bit though since that teacher was utterly ridiculous. It's like he woke up one morning and said "hey I'm going to go crush some dreams. Damn I'm a good teacher."

Of course the real question that keeps coming up is where Rick is now. I assume his grades were actually pretty bad and he couldn't actually manage to leave that town? Thus putting Pico and Vincent into the uncomfortable position of having to choose to move ahead and leave their friend behind.

[Gravitas Free Zone]

I can see attitudes like that of Vince's father and the school guy persisting in certain places, but the usual Western portrayal of that situation (of course keeping in mind that I'm looking at a Western portrayal through the light of an Eastern portrayal) is of towns losing people because they want to get the hell out of West Bumf**k.

While Space Brothers is often extremely not subtle in how it does things, Rick, Vince, and Pico's situation feels a little... used to me. I can see how it would have a different resonance in Japan given how that society is evolving, but... I'm here, and not there.

So since their story will continue next week, we're left with the other obvious question that will probably be answered... where's Rick now?

[Guardian Enzo]

I understand some of the criticism for the old-fashioned view on American culture, but it seems a bit off-point as the entire episode is a tribute to October Sky. They even mention Homer Hickham by name.

[SeijiSensei]

I once saw the ISS overhead. That night it was close to the horizon and was greatly magnified by atmospheric refraction. You could actually see its structure unlike the point of light shown in this episode. Truly memorable!

I'm not especially enamored with the Vince and Pico back story despite the parallels to October Sky. I'll be happy when Hibito returns.

[Kirarakim]

And just as I thought the speeding is brushed aside. It's Mutta who just has to accept it.

No one would have been that nervous if Vince was just driving a little over the speed limit. The conversation about enemies was the best part of the episode however.


As for the flashback I am guessing something bad happens to Vince and Pico's friend.

On another not except the flashback when he was a kid, Brian doesn't seem to change in his appearance at all.