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"Space Brothers" Finally Reaches Its Conclusion—The Moment of "Rendezvous" Arrives in Volume 46 After an 18-Year Journey

"Space Brothers" Finally Reaches Its Conclusion—The Moment of "Rendezvous" Arrives in Volume 46 After an 18-Year Journey

2025年07月23日 17:01

Table of Contents

  1. Summary of News and Current Known Facts

  2. 18-Year Journey of 'Space Brothers': A Retrospective Timeline

  3. Why It Was Loved Worldwide: Thematic Analysis (Dreams, Failures, Family, Science)

  4. Media Mix Expansion and Overseas Reception: Anime/Film/Translated Publications

  5. Highlights of Volume 45 and Special Edition Information, Anticipated Climax in Volume 46

  6. Catch-Up Guide for Those "Starting Now" or "Stopped Midway" Before the Final Volume

  7. Synchronization with the Reality of Space Development: Intersection with NASA, JAXA, and the Era of Private Space

  8. Business Perspective: Economic Impact and IP Strategy from Long-Term Serialization

  9. Voices of Fans and SNS Phenomenon—How to Perceive the "Conclusion"?

  10. Conclusion: The End is the Beginning, Space Continues



1. Summary of News and Current Known Facts

It has been officially suggested through the obi of the 45th volume of the comic released on July 23, 2025, as well as reports from Kodansha's 'Morning' official site and multiple media, that the next volume, 46, will be the final volume. The author, Chūya Koyama, commented, "The next volume will be the final one. I think... just a little more until the conclusion." Details such as the release date are yet to be determined. Morning Official SiteNatalieOriconneotokyo2099.com


Some reports suggest that the final chapter is expected to be published in the 'Morning' issue released on August 22, 2025, but this is not officially confirmed information at this point, and we need to wait for an official announcement in the future. Miscellaneous Blog, Sometimes Amazon


The special edition of Volume 45 includes a booklet with name recordings, priced at 2,090 yen (tax included, base price 1,900 yen). The specifications are revealed to be B6 size, 224 pages. Denfaminico Gamer – Want to Read Interesting Game Articles?



2. 18-Year Journey of 'Space Brothers': A Retrospective Timeline

  • December 6, 2007: Serialization began in 'Morning'. Chūya KoyamaWikipedia

  • March 21, 2008: Volume 1 of the comic was released. Chūya Koyama

  • 2011: Won the 56th Shogakukan Manga Award (General Category) and the 35th Kodansha Manga Award. WikipediaWikipedia

  • 2012: Gained further recognition through TV anime and live-action film adaptations. Mantan Web

  • As of January 2023: Surpassed 31 million copies in circulation (including digital). Wikipedia

  • July 23, 2025: Volume 45 released, announcement of conclusion in the next volume. OriconMantan Web

  • (Expected) August 22, 2025: Final chapter issue expected to be released. Miscellaneous Blog, Sometimes Amazon



3. Why It Was Loved Worldwide: Thematic Analysis

'Space Brothers' portrays the journey of brothers Mutta and Hibito Nanba as they aspire to become astronauts, depicting dreams, setbacks, retries, family love, and bonds with comrades. The fusion of scientific detail and human drama provided a sense of realism and empathy to readers both domestically and internationally. The themes of "recovering from failure" and "having the courage to voice dreams" possess universality that transcends cultures.


Real space agencies like NASA, JAXA, and Roscosmos appear in the story, and specific settings like the lunar surface, ISS, and Soyuz create a tension of a "truly possible story." Morning Official Site



4. Media Mix Expansion and Overseas Reception: Anime/Film/Translated Publications

During its serialization, it was adapted into a TV anime and live-action film, rapidly expanding the work's recognition. Overseas, translations into multiple languages, including English, progressed, and it has been introduced as a "realistic space manga" primarily in Singapore and North America (translation publication is a general fact, but here it is mentioned in the context of the work's overseas reception). The fact that it was adapted into anime and film itself has been reported by major domestic media. Mantan Web


Such media expansion was not merely because it was "popular and therefore spread," but rather because the themes of the work were easy to express visually and dramatically, and had a high affinity with the international interest in space development (analytical part is the author's inference).



5. Highlights of Volume 45 and Anticipated Climax in Volume 46

In Volume 45, NASA, JAXA, and Roscosmos collaborate to send Hibito on a Soyuz to rescue the drifting Mutta in the "Brother Rendezvous Plan." The overlapping elements of tension, such as oxygen levels and orbital deviations, elevate readers' heart rates. Morning Official Site


In Volume 46, the anticipated focuses are: ① the success or failure of the brothers' reunion and return, ② the form of "dreams" they entrust to the next generation, and ③ where the "chain of challenges" depicted throughout the story will land. The author's comment, "just a little more until the conclusion," suggests that there are still pages of lingering and summation prepared for the story (speculative part).



6. Catch-Up Guide for Those "Starting Now" or "Stopped Midway" Before the Final Volume

  • For those short on time: Utilize the official site, digests at the beginning of existing volumes, and columns at the end of each volume to reread only the "Deep Space Phase" from Volume 35 onwards. Morning Official Site

  • For those who prefer to take their time: Review by theme, dividing into "Dream Restart" in Volumes 1-10, "Selection Exam/ISS Arc" in Volumes 11-20, "Lunar Surface/Trouble Simulation" in Volumes 21-30, "Era of Private Space and New Missions" in Volumes 31-40, and "Brother Rescue Plan" in Volumes 41-45. The divisions are based on the story structure as organized by the author.

  • When recommending to English-speaking friends: Searchable under the English title "Space Brothers." Basic information is also compiled on the English Wikipedia page. Wikipedia



7. Synchronization with the Reality of Space Development: Intersection with NASA, JAXA, and the Era of Private Space

The story has paralleled the history of real space development. When serialization began in 2007, it was a transition period to the "Post-Space Shuttle Era," with the rise of private space companies. By the 2020s, the resumption of lunar exploration (Artemis program) and the visualization of commercial space travel progressed, and settings like "Comonauts" in the story resonate with real-world trends.


Through the brothers' story, it is depicted that national-level plans are supported by individual passion, and conversely, individual dreams are supported by "systems" at the national and corporate levels, which may also be suggestive to foreign readers (analysis).



8. Business Perspective: Economic Impact and IP Strategy from Long-Term Serialization

The continuation of serialization for 18 years has generated stable sales and media value for the publisher, extending to related goods, events, and corporate tie-ups (space-related companies, JAXA public relations, etc.). The figure of 31 million copies in total circulation is also a result of crossing the expansion period of

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