18 Years Later, One of The Greatest Manga of All Time Ends Without an Anime Sequel

With the anime and industry dominated by the Shonen demographic, it’s incredibly difficult for other series to stand out among the rest. Several incredible shows don’t get nearly as much popularity as they deserve, despite having a better plot and art style than the mainstream shows. This is especially the case for Seinen shows that don’t rely on battle action or fantasy settings. One such series is Space Brothers, written and illustrated by Chuya Koyama. The manga began serialization in Kodansha’s Morning magazine in 2007 and reached its conclusion after 18 years. The manga’s finale was confirmed in March this year, and the final Volume 46 will be out later this year. So far, the manga has released 45 volumes, both in Japanese and English versions.

The paperback and digital copies of the English volumes are available on the official website of Kodansha. Furthermore, the manga also received an anime adaptation in 2012 and aired 99 episodes until 2014. In 2024, Anime News Network reported that the manga creator had confirmed that the anime would continue after the manga ended. However, the series has yet to share any updates on the sequel so far. With the manga ending this month, we can expect an announcement this year since the anime has a huge chunk of story left to adapt. The original anime was released in a long-running format with recap episodes and slower pacing, but it might return as a seasonal series, just like the majority of shows released in recent years.

What Is Space Brothers About?

The series follows the epic journey of two brothers who strive towards their goal of venturing into space. Mutta Nanba has always tried to stay ahead of Hibito since he considers it his responsibility as the older brother. In the summer of 2006, the brothers witnessed something strange in the night sky, and Hibito declared his dream of becoming an astronaut.

Hibito wishes to travel to the Moon, while his older brother wants to go to Mars. It’s been 19 years since they made that promise to each other, and now, in the year 2025, Hibito is working with NASA. He is preparing to become the first Japanese to land on the moon. On the other hand, Mutta has been struggling with his career after being fired from an automotive development company. While he is unable to find another job, he receives an acceptance letter from JAXA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Mutta can finally participate in the next astronaut selection and begin walking towards the path of fulfilling the promise he made to his brother. This exceptional story doesn’t have a wide global fanbase, but it’s often praised for a grounded and relatable approach to someone’s ambition as Mutta gives it his all just to accomplish his dream after facing a major setback in his 30s. The anime is streaming on Crunchyroll and Prime Video, so don’t forget to add it to your watch list.

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