Record Video Released for "Chapter 425.5," the Phantom Episode Drawn in Outer Space to Commemorate the Conclusion of "Space Brothers"

Chuya Koyama's popular manga "Space Brothers," which began serialization in 2007 and brought its approximately 18-year history to a close in June 2026, has reached its conclusion. To commemorate the completion of the work, a special video capturing the records of "Mission: SPACE COMIC"—humanity's first attempt to draw manga in space—has been released.

This mission was an unprecedented initiative to draw manga in outer space by utilizing the "Kibo Paid Use System" of the Japanese Experiment Module "Kibo" on the International Space Station (ISS), provided by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). By remotely operating a robotic arm installed inside the "Kibo" module from Earth and overcoming numerous challenges in a microgravity environment, a two-year-plus endeavor culminated in the practical demonstration of drawing "Chapter 425.5"—an episode untold in the main storyline of "Space Brothers"—in outer space.

The special edition of the final 46th volume of "Space Brothers," released on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, includes a full-color version of "Chapter 425.5" drawn by Chuya Koyama in space through this mission.

The special video released this time serves as a demonstration record of transmitting Chuya Koyama's handwriting data to the robotic arm in outer space, 400 km away from Earth, to remotely draw the "phantom episode (Chapter 425.5)" connecting Chapter 425 and Chapter 426 of the main story. It captures the journey of making repeated adjustments while facing difficulties such as changes in arm behavior under microgravity, communication delays of up to six seconds, limitations on astronaut working hours, and constraints on usable tools.

In addition, a making-of video tracking the two-year journey leading up to the mission's realization is scheduled to be released soon. Furthermore, starting Tuesday, July 28, advertisements for "Mission: SPACE COMIC" will be displayed at Tsukuba Station, the location of the JAXA Tsukuba Space Center where this remote drawing mission was actually operated.

▼"Space Brothers" Completion Commemoration "Mission: SPACE COMIC" Special Video

(C)Hayato Oishi