Uchuu Kyoudai

"Uchuu Kyoudai," one of the best anime by A-1 Pictures, takes audiences back to the summer of 2006,when something wild and out-of-this-world happened to Mutta Nanba and his little bro Hibito: they spotted what they were convinced was a UFO zipping toward the Moon. This incredible encounter sparked a fire in their hearts, and they made a pact right then and there: they were gonna be astronauts, no less.

Fast forward to adulthood, and things didn't quite pan out as Mutta had hoped. He's grinding away at a car company job while his bro Hibito is all set to be the first Japanese dude to moonwalk. But life takes an unexpected twist when Mutta loses his job; out of the blue, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) throws him a curveball by accepting his application to join the next astronaut selection.

Viewers of "Uchuu Kyoudai" might think Mutta would have doubts about taking on this cosmic challenge, but he's not gonna let this once-in-a-lifetime shot slip through his fingers. He's determined to fulfill the promise he made 19 years ago and chase after his dreams, even if it means heading to Mars to catch up with his little bro's lunar journey.

Release: 2012

MyAnimeList Score: 8.49/10