I have not watched the anime or read the manga. This is a purely an unprofessional opinion.
Story
At first, I was concerned. How could anyone shorten an anime that is 100 episodes long into a movie? However, Space Brothers is concise, leaving the supporting character rabble behind to support the main cast, the brothers. At first the concept of brothers both becoming astronauts was unrealistic because rarely anyone shares the same aspirations and the determination to aim for them; however, the brothers show their differences and own way of overcoming obstacles. Space Brothers is a perfect scripted bromance (when they are not speaking English).
Cast
The main cast could not have been better. Oguri Shun and Okada Masaki together in a drama is perfection. Both are famous actors, with Oguri Shun being a more noticeable name as the main lead in Rich Man, Poor Woman and other very notable dramas. Okada Masaki is a more obscure actor, but has won numerous awards for his acting. Expect top tier acting from pros! Other than that, there are foreign actors in Space Brothers so please brace for some awful English. (There is a surprise cast member too!)
Music
Though at first jarring and unexpected, rock music and space travel were a match made in time. They both were popular topics of the 60s and have a lasting impact on culture of the world. For instance, Japan now has JAXA and BABYMETAL thanks to this decade and this movie’s soundtrack reminds you of that. I also appreciated the how the songs were in English as a nod to USA’s NASA, one of the most powerful space programs with its prevalence in astronomical history.
Rewatch Value
Watching this again with another person would be well worth it. This movie is convenient for every occasion, a dose of funny and entertaining with a compelling story.
Overall (Personal)
I love this movie so much that I can remember the exact instance I found it. I found this movie while surfing on Viki with my friend (minimaruko) and as space geeks, we were skeptical if they would portray NASA and JAXA correctly. I can say now that Space Brothers producers overdid themselves… they really should have directed One Direction’s Drag Me Down music video. Really.
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