space brothers

Tsuritama Stole The Show

Posted on by BrideofJoestar

My expectations were completely turned upside down this season, for the most part. Shows I expected to hate, I kind of like, shows I expected to love I kind of dislike, and there are the ones that pretty much stuck to my initial impressions even after those had long faded. This is the basic of order of which ones I’ve enjoyed from best to least, of those I haven’t mercilessly sacrificed. Believe it or not, this list has nothing to do with what I chose to review, somehow and is merely for the purpose of informing others of what I think is worth their time or not.

1. Tsuritama. I really don’t know how this happened at the last-minute, after my strong conviction that it was going to go nowhere, after wanting it to go somewhere so badly. Tsuritama has kidnapped my approval like a thief in the night. For many people, Sakamichi no Apollon has done the same thing, but for me Tsuritama has something different about it, and usually pulls something out of its hat to make me giddy.

What makes you think I haven’t?

2.  Space Brothers. Initially, I was not so sure about how this one would be. It didn’t take long for it to win me over, and you know what? I sincerely thought it would be first on my list this time. Honestly I simply enjoy watching Tsuritama more on a gut level, though so it is winning out, although in the long run Space Brothers might beat it.

3.   Sakamichi no Apollon. Love it or hate it for what it is, but Sakamichi no Apollon is clearly a damn fine show. My brain wanted to put it first, for many reasons and there have been so many moments that simply took my breath away more so than any other anime this season. My reasoning for placing it third and not first is a matter of priorities: One, it is not going to be long enough to fully explore the wonder its instilled. Two, it’s not as perfect as hype would have it be. Sometimes there is a disconnect as it tries to present its goals, some wires get tangled in the communication. Up to and including general confusion about what it is supposed to really be about. I am left in suspense as to what it is trying to say. Is this about unsatisfying romance? stormy friendship? the times it takes place in? Jazz? Deep-seated abandonment issues?  Am I supposed to feel like something is being left vague and open-ended on purpose? Almost, Sakamichi, if only every episode matched seven.

4.   Kuroko no Basket. I have only one thing to say. This is how sports and shōnen shows need to be done. are you excited? I am totally excited. I am no sports maniac by any stretch of the imagination, and I cannot claim to be knowledgeable on the subject, but I do know one thing. I know awesomeness and star-quality when I see it and you don’t need to like basketball for this show to give you a shot of pure joy.

5. Kimi To Boku Season 2. Kimi to boku is almost endlessly frustrating, it jerks you around, drawing you in and pushing you away until you get whiplash. I keep almost loving it, and then it comes up with some crap that I think should have been left on the drawing-room floor and not shoved in our faces. Great characters, so much could happen, (which is why I am hanging on and don’t completely give up) if only they were in reliable hands..

Forget the bread. what are these skulls about?!

The bottom four. I don’t have much to say about the bottom four, I am still watching for now. Each one of them has serious issues, though.

6.  Natsuiro Kiseki. What is this about? Can anyone honestly tell me? Why don’t they bring back the brothers friend and have him start investigating and planting rumors around town that the girls are witches, so that we can have a witch trial instead?

7. Bread is Amazing! Ok, I’ll admit it. I love the bread show, (part of me does anyway) and not because I am under any delusions that its premise and most of its ideas aren’t dumb. They are, they are so dumb in fact, that for me at least, it has transcended my doubts and catapulted itself into a strange twilight zone where it is immune to my criticism and can only be mutely admired (even while the smart half of me cries inside.) In its defense, it pays an awful a lot of attention to practical details of life and cannot be accused of ignoring the fact that stuff breaks.

Your horoscope should tell you whether your stuff will break today, or if you can breathe a sigh of relief that somebody else is getting screwed.

8. Hyouka.  Wordy and sober to a fault. If only its mysteries and (characters) lived up to its visual prowess, instead all I feel is a creeping malaise taking it over. No energy indeed.

9. Hiiro no Kakera. I make mistakes, plain and simple. This was a risk I took, and it didn’t pay off. Oh well.

How unexpectedly cerebral of you, Kuroko no Basket.

Space Brothers Episode 5

Posted on by BrideofJoestar

Mutta arrives in America! In style, of course. It’s too bad Hibito has already been there, done that first.

Mutta depicted here as clearly up to no good.

All I can say is that this is the best episode of Space Brothers yet, so far it has done more to develop its characters than most shows ever do period, (without sacrificing an ounce of humor) and it does not look like it is about to stop delivering with this killer episode, either.  I’ve already praised Space Brothers for having one of the most soulful and heartfelt characters in Nanba Mutta,

but this installment made it clear that Hibito is also quite a personality to reckon with as well. These two seem exactly like brothers who know each other way too well and have a very tight, but competitive relationship, yet they never alienate each other because their bond is genuinely loyal. (I know some brothers who are somewhat like this in real life, pushing each other to do better in a realistic way.)

“Mike is Samuraiing Ken,” beats “Mike is waiting for Ken” any day.

I haven’t laughed at anything in anime much recently the way the scene with the pug made me laugh, or even better, Hibito’s idiosyncratic homework mistakes as a kid. I like how Mutta notices everything and is very meticulous to pay attention to details and correct Hibito, who is more about “winging it” and having a positive attitude, whereas Mutta tends to be down on himself, but really, really headstrong.   I don’t just mean because he has a tendency to headbutt people, but I guess you could say his stubbornness of character manifests itself quite literally, in that regard.  I’m going to stubbornly stick to my guns and say that Space Brothers is doing a superb job at telling a story, and without resorting to the same old same old either. Besides also having a knack for filling the spaces in with details that enrich the experience ten fold, it is also an original and deserves some attention.

Yeah, dogs should eat hot dogs as big as they are. This does not at all contribute to the obesity epidemic.

Errant Princess Says,

 

This is great, timeless really. 

Space Brothers Episodes 3 and 4

Posted on by BrideofJoestar

Everyone looks cool in a spacesuit. (even if it’s just an imaginary reflection)

Mutta goes through plenty of exams and nerve-wracking interview processes at Jaxa. (Mutta’s answer to a question about himself: “I make more bubbles than anyone else when I lather my shampoo,” Mutta also faces off against his competition, including a beautiful woman named Itou Serika who is better than everyone at everything, and a friendly guy named Kenji. Serika gets treated like an exotic specimen for being the only woman going through the exams, and it does come across as a weird the attitude the show takes toward her as an aspiring female astronaut. Toward the end of four, Hibito invites Mutta to come visit him in America so he can introduce him to the people at NASA.

She’s a girl?! a pretty girl who can run far?!

While 2-4 were still better than average in many ways, that doesn’t mean there weren’t bumpy moments to be found here and there. That said, I still think it is a must see show and not going forward would be unthinkable. Space Brothers is a delight to watch and delivers enough each time that there is always something to appreciate within any given episode, and my expectations remain intact because there are many details to appreciate. Like when Mutta does things like “mark the wall ” next to Hibito’s picture at Jaxa, to save a spot for his own picture in the future. I also thought the scene where Serika catches Mutta pressed up against the display, trying to imagine himself as an astronaut, very cool.

It’s hard not to be envious of the intellect of Sherlock Holmes.

It is still easy to appreciate Mutta’s character even with all his doubts and awkwardness. He is realistically uncertain he can surpass his little brother and does not want to be forever following in Hibito’s footsteps or chasing after a hopeless dream, yet it is his calling and he does not give up so you really root for him. Meanwhile everyone at Jaxa judges Mutta as Hibito’s brother and not yet on his own merits, which complicates things. Everything considered, Space Brothers is doing quite well and remains my choice for the best quality show of the season. (episode 5 was pure awesome, but more on that later.)

Errant Princess Says,

This is still way better than average, even counting its flaws.

Space Brothers Episode 2

Posted on by BrideofJoestar

This was a quiet second episode, opting for a more subdued approach than I may have expected it to take so early on, with Mutta revisiting his aunt Sharon/her observatory and remembering learning to play the trumpet as a boy. He has been accepted into Jaxa but he still has to take difficult exams and those applying to become astronauts will be narrowed down. The real test for Mutta is matching up to his brother Hibito and proving that he can become an astronaut and go to the moon/mars first. It still works though, for one thing because it is so easy to like Mutta. He is a guy plenty of people could relate to, and clearly we already want him to do well.  For another thing  there is no other anime right now like Space Brothers, and it has all the potential to become something really special. It is already pretty wonderful as it is, I think it will just get better.

So while this is not the most action packed or most exciting follow-up episode in my opinion, I can see what it was trying to do and I have alot of respect for Space Brother’s graceful mode of story telling and it’s lovely aesthetic. It continues to build the emotional life of its characters and does not sacrifice humor or wit to do it: Mutta chose to play trumpet over the other instruments, after trying every single one because the trumpet was the hardest one to play. It was funny when Mutta commented, “Are you sure I chose it because it was hard? I thought I chose it because the trumpet is shiny.” There was a scene where Mutta figures out that the chair he’s sitting in has a screw loose, he tries to fix it during his interview, and this turns out to be part of the test. Even a peaceful episode like this one was full of gems and things to smile about and be rewarded by watching, and that is truly rare.

Errant Princess Says,

This is good, it is worth watching. 

Uchuu Kyoudai Episode 1 First Impression

Posted on by BrideofJoestar

a messy haired guy trying to stuff an entire hamburger into his maw might not be your idea of what God looks like, but after watching this show I can safely say that Mutta comes close enough.

Ah, I almost forget this sometimes when I get mired in mediocrity for too long, but an intelligently written, superbly directed show is a beautiful thing indeed.

Two brothers dream of becoming astronauts, after discovering a UFO fly to the moon one day.  The younger one, Hibito,  is closer to his dream as he is about to travel to the moon. Mutta on the other hand, has to catch up since he is not only not an astronaut but has just been fired from his job too. He spends a miserable day or so looking for work and listening to a tape he recorded from the day he and brother found the UFO, but gets a letter of acceptance from JAXA (Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency) to go to Mars. A show about two brothers going into space? To Mars and The Moon, respectively? I would have to be crazy not to find something to enjoy about this premise.  Happily, I found numerous things appealing about the first episode of Space Brothers besides just the idea alone. Of course the idea was an excellent one, but there was also the sharp sense of humor it seems blessed with, (Mutta is my hero already! He totally head butted his boss for putting down his brother’s achievements. Let me repeat: He is an adult who head butted someone who made him angry rather than use his words. My feelings about this are beyond words! That is how cool that was. ) The refreshing setting and more realistic character designs, (no chibi, moe blobs here) not to mention the high energy level with which the events play out are also worth noting.  Those qualities instantly jump out at me as things that stand out and make this show instantly accessible and exciting.

There are always small things to nitpick over: Like the voice over at the beginning being  a little bombastic for my tastes, and I have to admit that I am not a sports fan so the hook of having Mutta introduce himself by connecting major life events to sports events would obviously not appeal to me. Also, why are the images to ending songs often just profile views of people walking in some random landscape? These things are not that big of a deal though. I  had a laugh about the opening song and its accompanying image choices, which were awesomely psychedelic: why is there a dude with a rainbow spilling out of his nostrils? The song also contained engrish-tastic lyrics such as “Feel so moon.”  Actually, I kind of enjoyed the tune, (never-mind the lyrics for a minute.) since it was just too energetic and weird not to.  On that note, I felt like maybe the show would be better than the voice over bit led me to believe, and I was not let down at all. I will absolutely review this show if the next couple episodes turn out to be just as awesome and lovingly made as this one. Yes, this could be exactly what I am looking for this season.

That rainbow spewing from your nose looks unhealthy, perhaps you should consult a physician?

Errant Princess Says,

This is good, definitely watch this.