Space Brothers (Japanese: 宇宙兄弟, Hepburn: Uchū Kyōdai) is a Japanese manga series by Chūya Koyama which has been serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Morning since December 2007. It has been nominated twice for the Manga Taishō, in 2009 and 2010.
An anime adaptation by A-1 Pictures aired in Japan from April 1, 2012 to March 22, 2014. It was adapted into a live action film that premièred on May 5, 2012. An anime film premièred on August 9, 2014, titled Space Brothers #0 (Uchū Kyōdai #0 in Japanese).
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.
