Space Brothers (manga)

In the summer of 2006, Mutta Nanba and his younger brother, Hibito, witness what they believe to be a UFO, which flies off towards the Moon. Hibito decides he will go onto the Moon whilst Mutta decides he will aim for Mars. Nineteen years later, in the year 2025, Hibito has become a fully fledged JAXA astronaut assigned to go on a mission towards the moon. Mutta, on the other hand, has not been so successful in achieving his dreams. As Mutta eventually recalls his past ambitions, he receives a letter stating he has been accepted to join a JAXA training program for new astronauts. The series follows Mutta as he seeks to become an astronaut and achieve his longtime dream just like his brother did. ==Media==

Manga Space Brothers, written and illustrated by Chūya Koyama, has been serialized in Kodansha's manga magazine Morning since December 6, 2007. In March 2026, it was announced that the manga would end in three chapters. Kodansha has collected its chapters into individual volumes. The first volume was released on March 21, 2008. As of July 23, 2025, 45 volumes have been released. The series is set to end with its 46th volume. The manga is available in digital form in North America and Europe from ComiXology and Amazon in both volume and SimulPub chapter format. It was previously also available in English as part of a read-only subscription from Crunchyroll and Kodansha USA. Anime A 99-episode anime television series adaptation by A-1 Pictures aired on Yomiuri TV from April 1, 2012, to March 22, 2014. It was simulcast by Crunchyroll. In January 2024, Chūya Koyama stated that the anime is planned to continue after the manga ends. Music ;Opening themes • "Feel So Moon" by Unicorn (episodes 1–13) • by Sukima Switch (episodes 14–26) • by Does (episodes 27–38) • "Small World" by Fujifabric (episodes 39–51) • by Magokoro Brothers (episodes 52–64) • by Merengue (episodes 65–75) • "HALO" by tacica (episodes 76–87) • "B.B." by THE Yatou (episodes 88–99) ;Ending themes • by Rake (episodes 1–13) • by Angela Aki (episodes 14–26) • by Akihisa Kondō (episodes 27–38) • by Motohiro Hata (episodes 39–51) • "Beyond" by Miho Fukuhara (episodes 52–64) • by Flower Companyz (episodes 65–75) • "New World" by Kasarinchu (episodes 76–87) • "Anata ga Ireba OK!" by Serena (episodes 88–99) Films Live action film A live-action film adaptation of Space Brothers was produced by Toho and released in Japanese theatres on May 5, 2012, later being screened at the Japanese Film Festival in Australia later that year. The adaptation was written by Chuya Koyama and directed by Yoshitaka Mori, with Shun Oguri and Masaki Okada playing the roles of Mutta and Hibito respectively. Real life astronaut Buzz Aldrin plays a cameo in the film as himself. The theme song for the film is British alternative rock band Coldplay's "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall" from their album Mylo Xyloto. Anime film A prequel anime film titled Space Brothers #0 (Uchū Kyōdai #0 in Japanese) was released in Japanese theaters on August 9, 2014. Manga creator Chūya Koyama wrote the script for the film. ==Reception==

Allen Moody of THEM Anime Reviews awarded it 4 stars out of 5, writing: "The stupidity of the accidents, the padding, the racism (intentional or no), the weak attempts at humor, and some annoying traits of the lead combined to make me subtract one star from what is otherwise yes, a genuine epic, and often a solid drama as well." In The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, the show is described as "a celebratory chronicle of "ordinary" people achieving extraordinary dreams, and likely the longest, most uplifting and realistically detailed work about near-future space exploration ever made." Accolades Space Brothers has been nominated twice for the Manga Taishō, in 2009 and 2010. By November 2025, the manga had over 34 million copies in circulation. In 2024, alongside Case Closed, Space Brothers won the grand prize of Rakuten Kobo's second E-book Award in the "Long Seller Comic" category. ==References==