Posted by OP2 Sequence
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OP2: 「ユリーカ」 (Eureka) by スキマスイッ千(Sukima Switch)
Watch the 2nd OP!: Streaming ▼
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「壊れたメガネと足の裏」 (Kowareta Megane to Ashi no Ura)
“Broken Glasses and the Sole of the Foot”
This week our focus shifts to Fukuda, the oldest candidate participating in the exam. One of the things I really like about Uchuu Kyoudai is how easily it gets us to empathise with the characters, to understand them better and to want them to succeed. Every one of the candidates has their own dreams about making it into space, each of them very different in nature but all pursued with the same unfailing determination. It’s not just the way in which the character’s personalities and actions are portrayed either, but also in their circumstances – they all have backgrounds many of us might be familiar with and capable of understanding.
We’ve explored the circumstances of several other characters so far, most notably Mutta, Hibito, Kenji and Serika, our core team. But despite the fact that many of these newer characters who were introduced in this most recent exam fall outside this core, that hasn’t stopped Uchuu Kyoudai from thoroughly developing them and encouraging our attachment to them. Fukuda is the latest in this line of development – we learn a lot about his past, his current life, and his motivations this episode. It would seem he’s pursued the same goal unwaveringly ever since his childhood days – to build Japan’s first manned rocket and take it into outer space. Unfortunately, as happens to many, his goals took precedence over everything, leading to his separation from his wife and daughter (and his wife’s refusal to allow him any contact with his daughter). In this day and age, many of us can relate to these sorts of circumstances what with familial separations becoming more and more common.
Yet even despite this, he’s still not willing to give up on his dreams over fourteen years after the Japanese manned rocket project was canned. It’s inspiring to see how dedicated he remains after all the setbacks he’s faced. We’re already aware that this isn’t his first time applying to become an astronaut – that he’s already failed once in the past. But this time he seems to have thrown himself in with an all-or-nothing mindset, having quit his job shortly before coming. Even the destruction of his glasses he takes in his stride, continuing to do the best he can without them, unwilling to show any weakness to the other members of the team (and the examiners). Of course, were he actually in space, getting a new pair of glasses would be much harder if he had no replacements with him, so his continued struggle without requesting new ones must be a mark in his favour to the examiners.
With the events concerning Fukuda going on, we also get to see a little more of Furuya’s character. Even if his eventual decision to request that mission control send new glasses was done solely (sorry, bad pun) to ease his own conscience, it remains one of the brilliantly touching scenes Uchuu Kyoudai excels at. Perhaps he’s not quite as much of a jackass as he’s made himself seem so far – at the very least it shows he does have a conscience – he may not have been willing to apologise, but he took it upon himself to resolve the issue.
Team A has been noted as the rowdiest of the three (no surprise there), Team B is gloomy, and Team C is still completely irrelevant. It doesn’t surprise me to learn that Team B is the least satisfied of the three teams, especially after the obvious conflict we’ve seen roiling beneath the surface. With theirs being the team containing the most intellectuals, it’s no surprise that their pride and competitiveness would get in the way of their ability to bond as a team thus giving way to feelings of anxiety and worry at their inability to group up properly. It can often be pretty hard for intelligent people to work as a team – many intellectuals prefer solitude and conflicting views are always there to get in the way.
tl;dr: @MoombaDS – Nothing will stand between Fukuda and his dream. Not age. Not broken glasses. Nothing. #SpaceBros
Random thoughts:
- Wow, what’s this? An actual crack in Nitta’s usually impassive mask?
- Fukuda wins the face-pulling tournament!
- There’s always at least one character with a complex about their height…
- Mutta’s afro has become a lot more active lately! This week it’s shrinking to reflect his feelings of inferiority!
Full-length images: 05, 07, 09, 11, 14, 16, 20, 23, 24, 25, 27, 31, 33.
ED2 Sequence
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ED2: 「告白」 (Kokuhaku) by アンジェラ・アキ (Angela Aki)
Watch the 2nd ED!: Streaming ▼
Preview
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Omake
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I will really feel sorry for those who will lose.
EVERYONE JUST HAS THIS AWESOME RESOLVE and they’re even sacrificing things just for their dreams.
Can Uchuu Kyoudai be any more awesome than it already is? I already love the show to bits but now that they’ve brought Angela Aki into the picture, I can’t help but love Space Bros even more <3
It was nice to see Fukuda’s manned rocket launching in the Ending credits. Fukuda’s doing good so far.
I like the new dance craze, “The Mutta”. You stretch to the right, then stretch to the left then prance about in a circle. Awesome.
Really like the new OP and ED. And it’s getting hard to support just the main characters, so… Go Fukuda!!
All there want to be “Captain” (Astronaut). But only 2 of them will continue. So 3 of them must step down to let 2 of them go on. Perhaps it is a Test to see how they work out in Team, and help the team to reach their Goal.
Men, this Test is more of Mind and Social Interaction, then really fit for Astronaut
and for them to see, how they would Lead, and could do being leaded. Not everyone loves to be leaded/commanded around
>>Men, this Test is more of Mind and Social Interaction, then really fit for Astronaut
Actually both go hand in hand with being an Astronaut and it’s been tested since people have gone to space. In a confined environment if you have a fight with someone or hate someone you can’t simply walk away. That’s why this kind of test are necessary to check if those candidates are fit for teamwork or how they react to different kinds of situations like physical and psychological stress.
More challenges await them the next episode as shown in the preview Show Spoiler ▼
i agree with this Mind tests. But, will the Anime now build on this kind of Environment?
Big Brother is watching you?
So, the other Epsidoes until now, was only to prepare the Views to an “Big Brother” in a Tube?
You get my Gist?
Don’t think Fukuda will make it but will see his rocket be a success.
Mutta’s kabuki face was a gas!
Echo others’ sentiments. I really enjoy the new OP and ED.
I know an Old Men, he was so Proud of himself, that he acted around Women as if he is Strong, Healthy one. He carried heavy Bags as if he is in the middle of his 20 Years. But after these Women got out of sight, he was the same as Fukuda in the Restroom. Dunno, Just to uphold his Pride, to endure so much Pain. He is hurting himself. Is he doing the right thing?
..and he can Fake the Comrades inside the Tube. But thanks to this wrist think, the Operators know his Pulse and Body Condition… So he only put a good Show for the Comrades…
Now, I want Fukuda-san to be selected. It’ll be really difficult for them to decide who’s the deserving two to be astronauts after these 2 weeks.
Well, no matter how hard it is when we feel that we are responsible for something, it’s a common thing that our sense of guilt will kick in. If someone don’t, he doesn’t have a heart.
Jaxa’s chief is really like Netero (as said by Enzo).
About the new OSTs, I think it’ll take time for me to come to like it because for me the first OP and ED are better.
I will never get tired of watching Uchuu Kyoudai because of its human interest stories. Moreover, most of the characters will be fleshed out because it is not constrained by time.
Divorce and father-daughter relationship are certainly two of the more adult-oriented topics. The story is packed with psychological struggles to develop the characters while pushing forward the plot. The art of storytelling in this anime is nothing short of excellent.
Man that ex-wife is a *****!
Goodbye, OP1 🙁
at least the single is great! the remix is amazing.
It’s really hard to pick favorites in group A since all of them are pretty likeable and there is no “bad guy” archetype in the bunch. My guess is that Mutta and Nitta are going through to the final 2, and we’ll learn more about Nitta maybe next week!
Great episode again, and Im so happy that they changed out the OP. So Happy. I don’t have to fast forward the 1 minute of every episode anymore. The new OP and EP are pretty good as well.
Aaah!! This episode was intense! Giving up your ‘safe’ job for a ‘risky’ opportunities for your dream you had when you were a child! It’s so sad! Team A doesn’t really have any bad members. Everyone is so likeable! ;_;
Also, I liked this new OP. The new ED is… D: I really loved the first ED.