Space☆Dandy

You don’t understand how badly I want to like Space Dandy. The fantastic visuals, Dandy as a character, some of the great ideas that go into the episodes…there’s so much going on that could make for great entertainment…

But instead, Space Dandy has one good episode and is mired by tons of flat humor, a whole load of boring to bad episodes, and overusing Boobies as a humor device.

Pros
1.) Great Animation and Soundtrack- Seriously, Space Dandy looks sexy as hell. From the retro character designs to the whacky aliens to the trippy worlds, Space Dandy is a great acid trip. Many episodes have a unique ... style from the others. The plant episode and the library episode did a good job of providing a unique enough experience to be memorable as far as the animation is concerned, though flat lined in every other department. The soundtrack is also brilliant, with tons of the flair and flavor we can expect from the people who brought us Bebop and Samurai Champloo.

2.) Some Good Ideas- Some of the episodes contained good ideas that weren’t capitalized on, or would have been awesome if they were fleshed out. Space Dandy is definitely smart somewhere, but the execution is so poor and the episodes so devoid of any of the humor or entertainment that it is supposed to provide. The references to classic sci-fi tropes and movies are great nods to the classics Dandy attempts to emulate, and those occasionally provide humor, but, for the most part, episodes as a whole fall apart.

3.) That One Good Episode- The only good episode in the series is the one that makes fun of Disney’s copyright laws and also has one of the best space races I’ve ever seen. This is episode seven; an episode that I will think of anytime anyone mentions Space Dandy. It’s a fantastic episode. Watch it and avoid the rest. The rest sucks.

Cons
1.) Uninteresting and Unfunny Characters- The first episode Dandy is a pretty cool character and you think, “Damn, they’re gonna do some awesome things with him”. But they never do. His character is as stagnant as the rest of the series and he’s never particularly funny. Most of the jokes surrounding him are way too juvenile and overused to elicit even a chuckle. Boobies was funny the first time, but by the twelfth episode, it’s downright annoying. And this lack of comedy can be found in QT, whose autotuned voice makes sense, but isn’t a great design choice in the long run. Meow is also uninteresting as a character.

And then there’s a bad guy, Commodore Perry, who chases them around for some reason or other. The character’s just don’t provide anything worth mentioning to the table.

2.) Decent Enough Plot to Work With, Uninteresting Execution- You see me use the word “uninteresting” a lot because that about sums up Space Dandy. The setup, Dandy is searching for never before seen aliens in order to obtain a bounty, is pretty cool. But the execution is so boring. He goes to a planet where two aliens fight over the ultimate clothing. He returns a lost library book. There’s an alien that shape shifts, there’s a plant planet. The animation and style for every one of these episodes is fantastic and the still shots are goddam beautiful but I can’t watch a comedy anime for its formalism. And maybe if this anime were not a comedy I would rate it higher, but that’s what it wants to be, and that’s what I’ll treat it as.

3.) So Much Wasted Potential, Baby- What I ultimately hate this anime for is wasting so much potential. I can’t emphasize enough the amount of good ideas that went into Space Dandy that are wasted by poor writing, directing, and characters. I can see where this could be funny, and it does provide the occasional chuckle, but it’s so much better taken as abstract sci-fi than a comedy. Maybe if you were high this show would work, but as it stands, Space Dandy is just poor.

Overall
Sigh. Space Dandy, Space Dandy, Space Dandy. Wasted potential central. It feels so much like Kids on the Slope, another anime made by director Shinichiro Watanabe. It is set up so well, but fails in every way except animation and music. After Cowboy Bebop, I think Watanabe decided to go style over substance, which tends not to work for me, especially in a comedy series. As I said, if this had been a formalistic sci-fi anime (with occasional comedy elements), it would have worked better. But as a comedy, it fails miserably. It’s unfunny, has terrible characters, and is begging for a better team to handle it.

Watch episode seven. But pass up the rest.

For all the uninspired rubbish that each season seems to be permeated by, Space Dandy represents a glimmer of hope. It may not have a great story or well-developed characters, and while the excessive fanservice can feel a bit immature, it is one of very few anime that dare to be different from the usual harem or action series. It also happens to be a whole load of fun... provided you don't mind seeing T&A every sixty seconds.

Space Dandy is perhaps most recognisable for being Shinichiro Watanabe's most recent project. There is a noticeable Cowboy Bebop influence here, but at the same time it ... feels like the antithesis of what Bebop represents. Space Dandy is all sorts silly and zany. There never seems to be a moment where the show takes itself seriously, and even when it appears to, there is usually some joke waiting at the end. There are no deep messages to be extracted from the episodes. It never aims to be anything more than simple fun-- and it works for that very reason.

The story follows the adventures of space greaser Dandy, a cat-like creature named... 'Meow', and the ship's cleaning robot, QT. The three spend their days lazing about while occasionally hunting for rare aliens to fetch them a nice price on market. They are incredibly inept at their job, lacking in any form of intelligence, and everything, always, goes terribly wrong in some way or another.

Space Dandy follows an episodic format, although I don't believe the term is entirely appropriate as 'episodic' implies continuity in some form. There is absolutely no continuity in Space Dandy. Zero. The main characters might die at the end of an episode and then it will casually roll the credits before showing them alive and healthy in the next episode. The character development is essentially nil as a result. Dandy and the rest aren't characters that you will ever find yourself emotionally attached to, but that's actually okay. Focusing solely on the comedy is what allows it to work. Drama would never be able to exist in the bizarre world of Space Dandy- at least not without seeming entirely out-of-place. Even deus ex machina (and they are aplenty) are intentionally used for comedic purposes. The show just doesn't give a damn about being taken seriously.

Everything about Space Dandy oozes charm. The setting is reminiscent of a 1950's vision of the future, with ray guns, greaser slang and antiquated technology. The episodes themselves deal with every prominent sci-fi trope (time loops, wormholes, zombies, sentient AI) in a fun manner. There is always something different each episode, though some are certainly much weaker than others. A few of them are honestly dull enough to put the viewer to sleep, while others, like the episode involving Meow's family, are nothing short of greatness. There's unfortunately no consistency to the quality of the episodes- an issue that seems to be common in episodic comedies.

The shameless fanservice is the show's one major flaw. There's nothing wrong with an adult character having an interest in women (or more specifically, boobs), but Dandy's obsession verges from perversion to outright debauchery. An equivalent to Hooters, named "Boobies" in the show (really!) is frequently present. Boobies this, Boobies that. Dandy's entire reason for existence is to go to Boobies and ogle all the big-breasted blondes that walk about. Every time he visits, there are close-up cleavage or ass-shots of the girls. When he is not there, he hits on every female in sight; human or alien, it doesn't matter to him. There is no problem with shows that are mature enough to embrace sexuality as a normal part of human nature, but this maturity is nowhere to be seen in Space Dandy. Its obsession with women resembles a starving 12-year-old who just reached puberty rather than something of a grown adult. The fanservice has its place, but there is no reason for it to exist to this extent. It's just uncomfortable.

Space Dandy has some of the best art seen in a television anime for years. The first episode looks absolutely stellar, on-par with big-budget series such as Shingeki no Kyojin and not too far behind films such as Redline. The animation does take a dip in the later episodes but its quality always remains well above the average anime. Space Dandy gives a great deal of attention to its action scenes by animating them in full. Most anime studios decide to take the shortcut approach with panning shots (or just plain bad animation), which makes Space Dandy's visuals all the more commendable. The animators could have taken the lazy way out, but they did not.

The sound is average; nothing noteworthy. Most scenes are accompanied by ambient sounds in order to convey a distinct sci-fi atmosphere. A few scenes, like the battle between QT and a giant robot, and Dandy taking care of an alien child, have more noticeable music, but these moments are all too rare. The opening track is much more interesting, performed by what I would describe as "Japanese Bloc Party". It encapsulates the quirky charm of the series.

If you have ever found yourself bored by the homogeneity of the anime industry, or simply want to watch something fun and silly, Space Dandy is an anime definitely deserving of your time. There's an undeniable sense of childishness to the fanservice, and sure, not every episode is a massive joy to watch, but there is rarely a moment that makes you wish you were watching something else instead. It dared to be different and it succeeded. If only more anime took from Space Dandy's example.

so if you liked cowboy bebop and outlaw star and where thinking here is another good space bounty hunter / outlaw series. you are sooo mistaken. i at least expected this to be somewhat funny but the humor in this morning crap stench is not even mediocre when compared to all the other sorts of turd humor i've ever seen in mangas / animes.

story:
the story is pathetic. there is no goal in the series at all as of now. there is one simple plot about a gorilla thats trying to catch up with dandy in each episode for reasons i don't know. and that seems ... so dreadfully uninteresting that i don't even care. he's supposedly is a bounty hunter looking for new alien lifeforms around in space, but that has only happened in three episodes now and where not entertaining at all. every episode has it's own plot and you never get the feeling that something epic is building up! there is way to many writers for this poorly written time wasting piece of shit

art:
the art is overall poor IMO. the overall drawingsyle is ok, but there is really nothing to take notice in. no detailed work, no extra effort anywhere. you see what is in focus but other than that there are just plain colored backgrounds, or a black space with some golden sprinkles on it. it's not very appealing does not make the art any appealing.

sound:
there is little music if any while the episodes are running. the voice actors are nothing special. the ship often doesn't make any sound while going into warp or makes no sound at all. there is no special sound effects that gives you that little extra excitement anywhere.

charcters:
there is dandy with his simple mind consisting of boobers and being cool (which he is not). he's appearance is so lacking in every way i cannot even remember anything special about him just five minutes after watching an episode! while writing this all i remember is his crappy hair and that big ass chin. then there is the vacuum-robot wich is just lame and annoying. no personality at all that's worth taking a notice in. the catlien is the only one who is somewhat watchable and that's only because i like cats. the gorilla which dies in every episode and somehow comes back to life the next episode is something taken out of the powerpuff girls and i just want him to stop coming back to life! please just die already!

enjoyment:
if by enjoying you mean how pisst off it makes me i would have given it a ten.

overall:
in all the series is DREADFUL!! i am never going to pick up this series again and i'm going to take a big step away from whatever the writers of this make in the future. this can't possibly be worth anybody's time. while bones makes it to look appealing to adults, this is really just for kids. shame on you Shinichiro, for taking part in this!!

I remember when I reached the end of the 3rd episode of Space Dandy. I was fairly pleased with the show. It was the kind of enjoyable humor that you can sit back, watch and turn your brain off for a half hour as you watch the antics of Space Dandy and his brave space crew...in space.

Once I watched the 4th episode "Sometime you can't live with dying, baby" that I knew I was in for something different. A majority of the episode was about the crew after they became zombies and the story was progressed via narration. While it wasn't the same goofy humor ... that I had loved about the first 3 episodes it was still pretty funny, but what I really appreciated was how the creators were willing to try something different.

The desire to challenge the status quo set the standard for the following nine episodes. Not content to just throw out something we had seen before, Space Dandy challenged the anime comedy genre with solid characters, a fun soundtrack, fantastic art direction, and a vast array of episodes that ranged from hilariously nonsensical (A Race in Space Is Dangerous, Baby and Nobody Knows the Chameleon Alien, Baby) to character dramas reminiscent of director Shinichiro Watanabe's earlier show Cowboy Bebop (A Merry Companion Is a Wagon in Space, Baby and Even Vacuum Cleaners Fall in Love, Baby) to beautifully artistic (Plants Are Living Things, Too, Baby and I'm Never Remembering You, Baby).

I was always excited to watch the next episode to see what new and exciting thing the creators would attempt to do in the show. Granted, there were several episodes that ended up being rather lackluster, but you certainly can't fault the creators for trying. However, the low points are few and far between when compared to the high quality of the rest of the series. All in all I would highly recommend Space Dandy to any anime fan.

Cowboy Bebop was a very important series for me as an anime fan. When it first appeared on American television with the birth of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block I quickly fell in love. I had enjoyed a number of anime prior to that, but it really did prove to me how evocative and thoroughly entertaining the medium could be. I'd generally credit it with being the singular show that lead me to wanting to seek out other anime on my own in hopes of finding shows just as good or better than it--something I've only successfully done a handful of times even now. ... It remains a masterful work and deserves every bit of the legacy it holds to this day.

So, naturally, the people involved in the creative process for Cowboy Bebop are people I would want to follow closely. As it were, the director of the show would release another TV anime a few years later, Samurai Champloo, that while not as good, definitely revealed this man, Shinichiro Watanabe as a leading auteur in the world of anime. That following this he was effectively quiet for a decade, save for some work on OVAs and doing the music for a few things was kind of a shame. He returned to the world of TV animation in 2012 with Kids on the Slope, a series which despite having his name attached I could not work up much of an interest to watch. Two years later, however, we find Watanabe roaming the galaxy once more with another new TV anime, Space Dandy.

Truth be told, Space Dandy was not an easy sell on me either. As much as I loved Cowboy Bebop, I just did not expect much from it. I didn't see anything in the art and character designs that demanded I give it my attention, and with the goofy name and premise I was quick to assume it was something I would be safe to dismiss outright. It wasn't actually until just a week before the end that word of mouth caught up to me and I decided to finally give it a look. Having done so, I'm glad. While this is not Watanabe returning to his Cowboy Bebop form, what it is is a very entertaining and surprisingly rewarding little anime that is well worth a look.

In all fairness, it's not entirely a Shinichiro Watanabe project in the same sense as Bebop or Champloo was. He is the chief, general director and the auteur who's fingerprints are undeniably all over it, yes, but lots of different directors are brought in to direct different episodes. The same is true of the writers; the series does not have a single main writer working on the composition but instead a number of writers all supplying different episodes. Naturally this leads to inconsistencies from episode to episode, but Space Dandy is built to make it work. Whereas in most series having so many different hands guide the characters in different ways might make for a muddled mess, Space Dandy really embraces an episodic nature, much like Cowboy Bebop, save with even less need for the episodes to follow one another logically.

With its spacey premise and episodic nature along with Watanabe's touch, it's actually very tempting to call Space Dandy something of a goofy younger sibling to Cowboy Bebop, though the goofiness really needs to be stressed. Cowboy Bebop had a lot of humor and some pretty goofy episodes too, but with Space Dandy silliness is front and center and fairly unrelenting. You might assume that so much wackiness without any weight behind it would get overbearing at times, and you'd probably be a little right. There are moments where the show seems to chug along from one joke to the next and it's all a little obvious really. Still, if you ask me, there is enough that is legitimately funny here to make it worth your time.

Really though, the show is almost more impressive when it sets the goofiness aside just a little and tries to be more earnest. I suppose that while in Cowboy Bebop, some of the most memorable standout episodes were some of the more humorous and whimsical ones, in Space Dandy, it follows that the memorable stuff would be the ones that focus more on mature and genuine character development. Episode five, written by Code Geass' Ichiro Okouchi, was probably the strongest in my opinion, developing Dandy's character in a positive way in 20 minutes than the rest of the series was interested in doing through its entire run. Episode 10, from the series' most regular writer, Kimiko Ueno nearly has the same effect with Meow's character. It could probably honestly have used more episodes that take themselves seriously. Oftentimes all the focus on humor and silliness just makes the lesser episodes feel like diverting filler. The best episodes just overshadow the rest, and make Space Dandy look overall kind of lazy. I'm not sure it's an entirely fair comparison, but Kill la Kill did just prove that an anime can successfully manage a thoroughly ridiculous, over the top and comedic tone and also have strong character development and an engaging core story line.

The characters themselves are all right, I suppose, though those important character development episodes help to make you care about them beyond their function. It's really important for the main character Dandy, who appears as a rather useless, thickheaded, perverted simpleton that he gets the most moments to redeem him or else the show would just come undone. His two sidekicks, cat alien Meow and robot QT probably could have used some more early character development episodes to make us care about them though. It's kind of strange that the first episode we get trying to develop QT's character in a real way beyond just the useful robot assistant is what caps off the first season. The three of them are enjoyable enough in their antics though, I suppose. It could maybe use more of a supporting cast; most characters that are encountered appear for just an episode. Exceptions come in the form of waitress Honey and alien inspector Scarlett, two very different women who Dandy regularly is made to visit, though who are yet to really serve much purpose outside of their roles; neither really makes up for the series' lack of a major female protagonist. There is also a chief antagonist in the form of the ape like mad scientist Dr. Gel and his boss Admiral Perry, who appear frequently in the show to generate deus ex machinas or somehow manage to end up looking even more foolish than the unwitting Dandy and his crew.It probably could have done more to establish these villains, their place in the story and what level of threat they actually pose by this point in things. As it is, it's hard to know what to really make of them most of the time.

While the plotting is inconsistent and the cast could be stronger, where Space Dandy shines brightest is in it's exquisite production. Studio Bones is fairly known for good work and this is one of their best looking anime yet. It's regularly quite striking, with perfectly smooth animation and gorgeous art. Some episodes, such as episode nine with its psychedelic trip through a bizarre plant world are a complete visual delight. Clearly no expense was spared in making this anime look as good as it could. Sound is great too. Watanabe is a master of making bold musical choices in his anime, and it's the sort of soundtrack we'd expect from him. The opening and ending themes are both really catching and memorable, and there are a lot of cool tracks scattered elsewhere throughout.

Ultimately, it's probably the flawless production that allows me to still call Space Dandy a pretty great anime despite some of its more obvious problems and juvenile tendencies. If you want deep and engaging, you're looking at the wrong show, but if you want a fun time, you could do a lot worse than Space Dandy. It is at this point essentially half finished, it's two cours having been split by the spring anime season, but what I've seen thus far is enough to leave me optimistic about what the rest might hold. Recommended.

(With minimal spoilers!)

I had the fun of watching Space Dandy, it was something definitely worthwhile to watch in many ways. It was to say the least... distinct. It felt very fresh to watch something so diverse and… silly. I guess(?), that would be the best way to describe the tone of this show. It doesn’t really to take itself too seriously, while at the same time I still looked forward to seeing this show every Saturday night. I feel- I know you will enjoy this show for the same reasons I did.

Story – 8
The story of space dandy is not in any way complex or ... deep. It can be summed up in one sentence: Space Dandy and his crew are alien hunters, who hunt aliens through space for money. That’s basically it, but where it really excels is its execution.
From the sarcastic narrator, to the pure silliness of the characters, to the many visual gags. This is where this shows excels. It takes the liberty to take the pressure off of themselves and the viewer to deliver something really deep and complex with a lot of symbolism. They simply let you sit back and just watch. Not to say that it’s completely mindless, there are many references to many other things, like western culture, Japanese culture, anime, etc.
Which is how the main premise of this show comes about. It’s about mocking anime’s nuances/traits: tropes, storylines, characters, animation, plot devices, fan service, and (holy shit) the deus ex machinas. It does it all in a very humorous, silly way; it does it in such a way that it’s almost ridiculous. *Spoiler* For example, even though it’s an episodic series, it makes no logical sense for dandy to die at the beginning of the series. *Spoiler*

Animation – 9
Bones did an amazing job with the animation, and the styles fit every episode perfectly. Mostly because things where designed that way… Throughout the series, they are constantly changing styles to fit the mood and plot.
This is again where the parodying comes in, they use a similar style as to what they are trying to mock. Everything from Westerns to Suzumiya Haruhi, from Pacific Rim to vague-anime-you’ve-never-heard-of, is up for grabs for these guys. They did well with mocking each one perfectly, while still maintaining their own style and quality.

Sound – 8.5
(Just a note I watched the Dubbed version, but I have heard the Japanese OP and ED)
The sound was on par with everything. The first OP and ED, are amazing (I also love jazz music). They fit very well with the 90's, tripy-funk, space-adventure feel, the show has to it. It would be honestly something I would listen to everyday, and I don’t listen to anime music in my free time. The OST was something I didn’t notice for some episodes, but when I did notice it fit very well. *Spoiler* Except for episode 11, which completely sets the mood, and was perfect. It had the same mood as Kenji Yamamoto. *Spoiler*

Characters – 7.5
The voice actors for each of the characters were perfect. I could not imagine a single character being performed by anyone else. Each of the small nuances and personalities of the characters were spot on, and brought them to life.
During the series, they took a little time for the development of the characters, but not very much. But because of the nature of the show, and it being focused “all” on dandy that would have felt somewhat weird. So it is passable, barely. The characters were pretty life like because they were each unique and had their own quirks. The narrator also strangely adds to the cast, with his own personality.

Enjoyment – 9
I definitely enjoyed Space Dandy, it was simple and yet achieves exactly what’s trying to do. It tries to be more relevant to western audiences, because of the jokes and overall silliness of the show. Which is why I think I enjoyed it so much, because the humor was so natural and fit so well.
One thing to add, is the narrator who comes in at completely unnecessary times was hilarious.

Overall – 8.4/10
It is definitely a show worth watching in many ways, and if not for anything else it’s funny and completely smooth at it. After seeing a bunch of shows this season that were very sub-par. This show is definitely the best show of MY season. This show has great production values, the characters are silly but lovable, the soundtrack was very good, and it is flat out hilarious in both: the way it mocks anime and also by itself. As a stand-alone work, Space Dandy does lack, but where it achieves in its inclusion of many cultures and Anime into its own, making it something not unique but something that is distinct in its own way.
Excited for the second season this July!
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Feel free to leave some constructive criticism, by either a pm or comment! (Of course, Helpful and Unhelpful)

Space Dandy is a dandy in space.

He is a galaxy-wide alien hunter.

On a journey of adventure to new worlds, he searches for unknown extraterrestrials.

This anime is the spectacular tales of these alien hunters.

Space Dandy is one of those weird anime out there where you'd get confused from watching it but still find it fun nevertheless. Space Dandy doesn't have a story. Every episode is a different tale of the alien hunters. They do not connect. They don't make sense. And of course, it's confusing. But do they really matter so long as it's fun?

Honestly I don't know what to write for ... this review. The show doesn't have anything much to talk about. It's just fun. It's just something you'd watch when you get bored or when you're super tired and want something relaxing to watch. It's so bland... Yet... There's something special about it...

The feeling of liking something more than you should be despite the countless flaws it has. Just like games. Why bother playing it if it'll do nothing but pull your life down? Well because it's fun, duh. But is that really an answer? Or if it actually is an answer. Am I just being too rationale?

Ah who knows. We humans are simplistic lifeforms. We do things we like because without it the meaning of death would be more true than the meaning of live. That's just how it is. Pretty simple isn't it? Just like the actuality that if the temperature is high. It's hot. And if the temperature is low. It's cold.

Space Dandy's the same. If it brings joy to my face. It's fun. If it's fun. It's entertaining. If it's entertaining. I may like it. If I like it a lot, then me dancing to the opening and giggling at times wasn't just for no reason. That's. Just. How. It. Is.

Alright. I'll stop acting like a realist now. Space Dandy was a hidden gem. An anime without a story but is still good enough for me to give it full scores? That's so hard to find nowadays. I'm really glad I found this anime and began watching it. It was kinda cool.

Though deep inside my heart the anime would've been x2 or x3 better if there was actually a story. This was good enough. No. It's already a masterpiece. It barely has any flaws and I enjoyed every episode that tells different stories of the alien hunters.

Really fun. Recommended to those who are bored.

For me at least, it’s rather hard to find a anime comedy that isn't a romantic comedy or full of referential humor I likely won’t get. So seeing stuff like Space Dandy is truly a breath of fresh air, even if it's more in the vein of a western cartoon (though this show is much better than some of the stuff you’ll see in Adult Swim).

Story and Characters (6/10):

Space Dandy is a rather odd one to review. Being a bit similar to western cartoons in that there is no continuity whatsoever, this can lead to some comedy gold though at the same time lead to ... some forgettable episodes. Each of the episodes seem to have their own story with no relation to one another, so rather than review the show as a whole, I’ll review each episode briefly and individually to show the good, the bad, and the Dandy. Besides the first episode, you can watch any of the episodes in any order.

Live With the Flow, Baby (2/5)- The start of the episode was trying a bit too hard at being self-aware. More of an introductory episode so at least see this for some exposition and how the characters meet. Not really that funny and the ending is rather abrupt, and not in a good way.

The Search For the Phantom Space Ramen, Baby (3/5)- That ending to the first episode… just forget about it, this shows the obvious lack on continuity. However, this episode is definitely more creative than the first. Not much comedy in this one, although the story of the alien is a decent, touching tale. Scarlett is introduced, although she’s basically the serious tsundere character of the series and not much more.

Occasionally Even the Deceiver is Deceived, Baby (3/5)- Not much to say on this one. A lot of the laughs come from an impending plot twist, which was pretty funny. So people, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Empty Planet? Yes.

Sometimes You Can’t Live With Dying, Baby (4.5/5)- This was when I knew Space Dandy could be something truly special. It starts off as the usual tired Zombie episode. But, the second half, my goodness. So much irony, so much creative gags, and so much you can do with life insurance. This the best comedy episode of the season.

A Merry Companion Is a Wagon in Space, Baby (3.5/5)- This is the episode that Space Dandy proved it can be taken seriously. There isn’t much gags, but this episode is more of a feel good episode so that can be excused. Adelie is an interesting character, but due to the status quo nature of the series, we won’t be seeing her after this which is a shame since if you've seen Cowboy Bebop, she could have been the Edward of the Series.

The War of the Undies and Vests, Baby (2.5/5)- Meh, not really a memorable episode. I mean Underwear people versus Vest people? I usually don’t enjoy argument episodes (remember "The Great Divide" from Last Airbender, well that was a travesty), and the same holds true here. While the history of the war is amusing, the only gag I laughed at was with our unlucky baddie, Dr. Gel.

A Race in Space Is Dangerous, Baby (3.5/5)- Being a parody of classic racing cartoons, this is a pretty funny homage. Having not seen said cartoons, I couldn't really appreciate some of the gags, but even so the episode was still entertaining. That ending was really something though. Space Dandy has this thing where it tends to give the most over-exaggerated, bizarre ending possible and in this case I think it was a bit too random for its own good.

The Lonely Pooch Planet, Baby (2/5)- Not really a fan of this one. Jumps from a “Marley and Me” type story to an avenge story to another destruction of a planet story. None of these plots really blended well for me and it was jarring for the most part. At least Dr. Gel was able to give me another good laugh, that poor, poor guy.

Plants Are Living Things, Too, Baby (3.5/5)- Another serious episode, this one is definitely the most atmospheric. The Meow storyline wasn't really needed though to be honest. The artistic design for this was beautiful, the environment was breathtaking, and the character designs were very original. However, the ending was surprisingly sad and Dandy’s reaction just didn't feel right.

There's Always Tomorrow, Baby (4.5/5)- If the Zombie episode was the best comedic episode, then this episode was the best at a serious tone. Great character story and development from Meow. The story takes a groundhog day approach which led to some great gags and a very well done story. Bonus points for a certain couple haha.

I'm Never Remembering You, Baby (3/5)- This episode was a bit confusing as it relies a lot on memory gags. It was fairly enjoyable and the ending is classic Dandy randomness. Other than that, there’s not much to this one, it’s quite forgettable.

Nobody Knows the Chameleon Alien, Baby (4/5)- A very funny impersonation episode. Unlike the last one, this is confusing done right. There isn’t really a resolution, but it actually adds to the main gag “Who’s the real Dandy?”. This episode reminded me a lot of “Imitation Krabs” from “Spongebob” which is a great thing and in fact this episode still has more funny tricks up its sleeve.

Even Vacuum Cleaners Fall in Love, Baby (3.5/5)- A decent, romance episode for QT. It’s a cute episode to watch and it definitely adds character to QT. The relationship between QT and Maker was believable, which is an amazing feat in just a 22 minute episode. The episode pokes some fun at the mecha genre in a certain scene which I thought was pretty amusing. It's not really last episode material, but still a fine episode.

Animation (9/10):

Studio Bones once again proves their talents with great animation and art that blends so well with Space Dandy’s wild universe. Some episodes such as the Plant episode may have different animation, but this really isn't an animation drop, but rather different directors handling a episode with their own style. And these different, creative styles show the flexibility and range Space Dandy has. There may be some slight animation inconsistencies, but the presentation still greatly overshadows this.

Sound (7/10):

The first opening is a bit similar to Cowboy Bebop which kind of gets in the way of the show’s identity. Nevertheless, its still awesome jazz although its short runtime is a bit odd. The second opening is more like it. Its pop beat catchy and blends well with the fun nature of the show, and the animation is filled with some great, corny, Dandy style.

For a Watanabe show, Space Dandy’s OST doesn’t stand out as much as his previous works. But even so, the funky and original beats combined with some jazz are still a joy to listen to and it blends so well with the show. It may not have the charismatic pizazz of Cowboy Bebop or the chill, “I could play this forever” beat of Samurai Champloo, but Space Dandy still has its own auditory identity and that's something many shows these days lack.

Conclusion:

Don’t watch Space Dandy expecting a story with continuity or depth. This show is definitely experimental with a few really funny episodes as well as a fair share of okay ones and then some weak ones. Its inconsistent, but I still had a blast. Watch this as you would watch a Western Cartoon and I guarantee you’ll have a laugh at least once. I give Space Dandy a 6/10.

First off, I wanna say I love Shinichiro Watanabe's work. Space Dandy is just another work of art. Space Dandy doesn't really have a direction (well so far even though it been 18 episodes). But honestly I don't think anybody really cares where its going. It's just a fun anime to watch. I like to watch it because of the art direction in each episode. No two episodes are the same and I really enjoy that. You honestly can never expect what adventures Dandy, Meow, and QT are going to run into next. The music is great like in almost all Shinichiro Watanabe animes. But ... The best part of the whole show is Dandy's obsession with booty.

Space Dandy was a show I was very excited for, from the very first preview I saw. Being headed by director Shinichiro Watanabe, who I've been a fan of for a long time, I naturally came into it with high expectations. The show didn't meet those expectations, for a few reasons, yet... the entire thing still manages to be very enjoyable, and even beautiful at times.

I watched the 5.1 English Dub, and it sounded great. I liked the choice of sound effects, and the audio mix ended up being very nicely done. The soundtrack has some great songs in it, all of which fit the ... tone of the world. The voice acting was well done, too. Each of the actors gave their character exactly the right kind of personality, and were able to keep the tone of the Japanese version, while still making the lines sound perfectly natural in English.

Speaking of the characters, I felt the main cast were all very well designed, and have a very iconic-looking, Watanabe art style. They're also all very different from each other, not only in terms of design, but also in terms of personality. This means that they often end up clashing with each other, which makes for some really good character moments. The crew also seems to grow closer to each other over the course of the episodes, and by episode 13, they all feel very fleshed-out and memorable. However, as much as I love the main cast, a lot of the supporting cast seems to feel very one-dimensional, especially the main antagonists.

This is where the problems start. Space Dandy's story seems like it's much more concerned with simply making jokes and doesn't bother with consistency or any type of over-arching plotline. Most episodes have narrative elements that seem well thought out at first, but end up being incredibly self-contained, never to be re-visited. Because of this, much of the character-development gets snubbed, as does the world... which generally feels like a new universe with each passing episode. Of course, it's not all bad. Some of the episodes end up being very memorable, and the overall style of the directing really helps to tell the stories that do get told. It's just too bad most of these stories end up being completely nonsensical, the butt of a joke, or some type of satirical element.

However, the show really brings it home in the art department. It's fantastically animated, using many impressive, jaw-dropping techniques commonly only seen in animated feature films. The show also makes great use of color, and the art style is well suited to the diverse nature of the worlds that Dandy & crew end up visiting. There's so much variety to it all! As much as that's a bad thing for the story, I feel it does wonders for the art. It seems a ton of time and effort was put into making every inch of this show just look absolutely gorgeous.

Overall, the show is incredible to look at, but if you're looking for an interesting story, I'd say you should definitely look elsewhere. The characters are fun, and the jokes are funny, but the stories are really only there in service of everything else. In the end, Space Dandy manages to be a fun, entertaining show, with some gorgeous looking art... but it lacks any real substance, which ends up being it's one major flaw. This prevents me from giving it an incredible rating, and instead, I simply give it an 8/10.

If you're looking for an anime similar to Cowboy Bebop, look elsewhere or you'll be sorely disappointed. Space Dandy is an anime not meant to be taken seriously. You shouldn't expect much of it when it comes to a plot, because there really isn't much of one outside the general idea of an alien hunter named Dandy.

What you can expect from this anime is amazing art, thanks to many different directors, likable characters, plenty of (somewhat immature) humor, and great music to tie it all together. Every episode offers something new and exciting to keep you entertained and interested throughout the entire season.

The Space Dandy anime is an anime with Dandy in space.

Coming from Shinichiro Watanabe, the director of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, and animated by Studio Bones, Space Dandy is easily one of the most high profile show to air in the Winter 2014 season. It takes in space and follows three alien hunters on the spaceship, the Aloha Oe, as they get caught up in various antics.

Setting itself apart from most shows, which have an overarching plot, Space Dandy takes a different approach to its narrative. Watanabe sets up the core foundations of the three main characters and lets the ... writers and animators on his team loose in the Space Dandy playground. Highlights include a fresh take on the zombie genre, reuniting a small alien girl with her grandfather and a race that is reminiscent of Outlaw Stars and Redline. However, there is little to connect all the various stories together and some episodes don't hit it quite on the mark. To its credit, the consistency in the quality of episodes is quite good as opposed to other shows like Panty and Stocking, which had some sub-par moments.

Making up for the inherent weakness that the episodic structure brings, the visuals do not disappoint in the less. Depending on the episode, the vast range of artistic style that is presented is a testament to the talent of Studio Bones. Colors are bright and varied and the motion is well animated. The aliens design are creative and fit with wild universe of Space Dandy.

Unprecedented for an anime, Space Dandy is available in subs or dub at the same time. As for the question of sub or dub, I prefer the dub as the main character has that 50s American character design and it matches up much better than the Japanese. The other voices do an adequate job and flows well with the fun light hearted nature of the show. In the music department, the soundtracks have great chemistry with whatever episode is playing , whether is a frantic race through space or a psychedelic journey on a planet filled with plants.

Overall, Space Dandy is a pleasant show that excel in taking a set concepts and taking it to new creative heights on a week to week basis.

Stylistically sound and surprisingly fresh, "Space Dandy" is by no means a masterpiece, but then again I don't think it tried to be. Watanabe, Shinichiro is a man with a solid vision for his works, and you can tell. From "Cowboy Bebop" to "Samurai Champloo" Watanabe has forged a very recognizable rhythm that each of his tales match too. Whether it be jazz or Hip Hop, Watanabe has an unmatched "swagger" no matter what direction he takes. So if I were to try to describe what path "Space Dandy" took, well, lets just say it was groovy. Oh baby was it groovy.

Story: 7/10

This ... funky adventure through space (even time) was one sporadic ride, and this more or less senseless journey was at the end of the day at least unique. Now unique is actually a huge complement (I know surprising right), Watanabe has one hell of an imagination, and this show is a testament to it. Voyaging across 13 episodes in the first season the story remains relatively episodic as it goes from adventure to adventure. Each contained story at bare minimum kept my attention, and at the most engaged my senses with its "acid dropping" narrative. From this handful of stories there was plenty of fun to be had, but the general lack of focus might turn people away. It does what it went for well, but at the end of the day it has been done better (hell by shows from Watanabe himself). This leaves us very lopsided in terms of the shows narrative, but because most of the episodes manage to hit their mark with remarkable accuracy the overall product comes out well for it.

Art: 8/10

Vibrantly colorful, and distinctly stylistic "Space Dandy" mixes together a very solid art direction with various blends of masterful camera work. The story boarding alone was incredibly well done. All of these aspects come together to make some wonderful eye candy, and helped the show stay fresh throughout by adding various new visual morsels for your eyes to devour.

Sound: 9/10

I don't usually phrase my input quite this crass, but I have to say this "Shit's so cash". Original, groovy, funky, and well dandy; it mixes together so many different vibes that it effortlessly bounces around from story to story. It not only matches each one on an individual level, but ties the show itself together in such a distinct rhythm that you find yourself moving along to the beat. Much like what Watanabe did with his previous works, he found the right swing, and the show grooves along to it.

Characters: 6/10

This for me was the weakest point of the show. Dandy and crew were quite the enjoyable group of individuals, but unlike the vastness of space there just wasn't that much there. Dandy himself was interesting, and every episode I looked forward to learning more about this dandy in space. He was charismatic, self centered, and kind of an ass hat. However in certain moments throughout the show we had glimpses at some other qualities to this dandy man. Although brash and poser like, I was still engaged into seeing more about this roguish character who proclaimed himself to be a "great" bounty hunter. Sadly Dandy himself was the only real "charm" that the show had going for it. Meow and QT, although excellent side editions, didn't really have the same draw or appeal. Both of them were pretty much one note except in their respective character episodes, which tried to further evolve who these people were. Sadly they just come up even in the end, and don't really do much. The show is Dandy's, and it makes no attempt to hide this fact.

As for the collection of other characters like the Dr. Gel, Admiral Perry, and other individuals that Dandy meets on his journey they were serviceable. Out of the lot who were restricted to their one episode my favorites were Adélie and Prince.

Enjoyment: 9/10

I had a load of fun with "Space Dandy", and can't wait for season 2 to air.

Overall: 7/10

"Space Dandy" is about a Dandy in space, and his grand adventures across the cosmos. Although missing the mark from time to time, Watanabe still manages to pump this show full of style, and creativity. It isn't quite "Cowboy Bebop" or "Samurai Champloo", but it is something wonderful. In the vastness of space where Anime seems to run the same tired scripts over and over again it was nice to something this fresh. Dandy may not be Captain Kirk, but this space traveler tries his hardest to go where no man has gone before.

Have you ever done something special in your life? Perhaps it was something small and trivial like spinning a basketball on your fingertip or getting a Helpful vote for a review on this site. Maybe it was something that you will forever remember, like winning a video game tournament or having sex for the first time. Whatever the case, if you had done something special, did you try to re-create the magic, to reach those dizzying heights once more? Most people ho manage to do something extraordinary attempt doing it again and they either fail or end up settling for a vague imitation of what ... they’ve done. Shinichiro Watanabe, the most famous anime director not named Hayao Miyazaki, once achieved something special in Cowboy Bebop, for which he was endlessly praised. Bebop, Watanabe’s first project, established a ridiculously high standard that he would have to reach with his other works. Throughout his decorated career, Watanabe spearheaded a multitude of anime series, all receiving solid recommendations but none achieved the all-around excellence, the “something-for-everyone” magic, of Cowboy Bebop. Realizing that his efforts to create something original wouldn’t be good enough anymore, Watanabe decided to return to his roots and craft another intergalactic space opera of bounty hunters, christening it “Space Dandy”.

From the get-go, you can easily spot the similarities between Dandy and Bebop. For one, the wulong is the widely accepted currency in both series. Another, less obvious, hint is that the contaminated fridge from Cowboy Bebop’s Session 11 makes a cameo in episode 8 of Space Dandy. It’s obvious that Space Dandy is set in the same universe as Bebop but these two shows are so fundamentally different. What made Cowboy Bebop special, among other things, was its talent for world-building, how the setting was carefully crafted to perfection. The thing about Bebop’s universe was that although it was set in the future, it was still grounded in reality whereas the world of Dandy is so expansive and discombobulated that the feeling of continuity is gone. Then, there are the characters…

More than anything else, Cowboy Bebop was a show about people. From the cooler-than-cool protagonist Spike Spiegel down to the side-note trio of old men, this series portrayed its cast with painstaking amounts of emotion and depth that every character registered as realistic. With Space Dandy, however, the effort just isn’t there. Dandy (voiced by Ian Sinclair) is the titular character of the show; his overzealous speeches, hair-brained schemes, and memorable one-liners craftily cover up Dandy’s lack of dimensions and character development. Dandy’s sidekicks QT the vacuum cleaner and Meow the cat are barely worth mentioning. In a show chock-full of bizarre characters, in appearance and/or personality, it’s more than a tad frustrating that the only intriguing one (excluding Dandy) is the narrator (voiced by R. Bruce Elliot). Space Dandy’s narrator, in essence, is simply a bored viewer like the rest of us. He sometimes falls asleep. He gets aroused during fan-service moments. He occasionally forgets important elements of the show. He even yells at the characters when he’s irritated.

I too get upset at Space Dandy from time to time.

Why? It’s because this show is afraid. It’s afraid to venture outside the norm. It’s afraid to take risks. It’s afraid to attempt something groundbreaking. Instead, Space Dandy settles for doing what’s already been done before, albeit with a distinctive deviation. Don’t think so? Well, listen to what the ever-quotable Dandy has to say:

“I don’t fight it. Going against the flow means you’re swimming in place. One day, you’re too tired to paddle and then suddenly you drown. Whole thing was pointless and now you’re dead. The end. No, going with the flow is where it’s at and that’s (cue dramatic pause) the Dandy Way to live,” – from episode 1

Ironic, huh?

Space Dandy’s animation is, without a doubt, the crown jewel of this series. It’s mercurial (in a good way). It’s stunning. It’s abstract. It’s stylish. It’s absolute eye candy. And yet, this show’s beautiful, beautiful surface does little to conceal its incredibly bland humor (I laughed exactly twice in this season) and scarcity of dramatic appeal (When your MC dies in episode 1, inexplicably resurrects in episode 2, and forgets about episode 1, there’s no reason to sympathize with anyone in life-threatening situations). By the way, Cowboy Bebop possessed ample amounts of humor and drama.

The finale to Space Dandy’s season one failed to redeem this series but it was most certainly impressive. What began as an intriguing and heartwarming tale of romance evolved into a high-stakes showdown between a pissed-off army of machines ready to destroy mankind and a lone vacuum cleaner (QT) willing to save it (Oh, and there’s a really cool cameo from Brandon Potter, who’s among my favorite VAs ever). It was episode 13 that caused me to appreciate the most outstanding qualities of Space Dandy. The amusing previews do a fantastic job at maintaining the viewers’ interest. As mentioned, Space Dandy presents what’s been done before with a unique twist to it (Its portrayal of time loops and shape shifters are especially enjoyable). Every now and then, the show includes some magnificent moments, unforgettable scenes that truly capture the imagination, like the surfboard sequence at the end of episode 6. With Space Dandy, I finally feel as though Shinichiro Watanabe has stopped aiming for the next Cowboy Bebop and simply wanted to let loose with this project, and the result has been quite entertaining to watch.

Here’s to Season Two, Baby!

Kill la Kill may have failed to live up with Gurren Lagann, but honestly I cannot say the same for Space Dandy and its predecessors. There is not a single episode of Space Dandy where I didn't smile from minute one till the very end. This show feels so good, it almost feels like you're revisiting both Cowboy Bebop AND Samurai Champloo in every episode.

It has an amazing soundtrack(one worth actually buying), hilarious and endearing characters and ultimately, it is a series that genuinely has a heart. Unlike its predecessors, it has no connecting plot, each episode seems to be occurring in a ... different dimension from the other(although they make a few nods to it now and then) and unlike Spike and Mugen, Dandy had it easy.

This is arguably the best anime this season, better, I daresay, than Kill la Kill mainly due to how its able to live up with my expectations as the third coming of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, minus their depressing elements.

Have you ever sat down outside and looked up at the stars and wondered just how far the universe really goes? You see theories of black holes and other various space related things that seem nearly impossible. What are the limits of space?

Space Dandy is an anime that does an extremely good job of showing you exactly what the universe is capable of, or could be capable of. Each episode is separate from each other as in they don't tie together to bring a full complete story, yet as surprising as this is I call Space Dandy a Masterpiece.

Each episode is filled with various things, ... capturing aliens, repeating the same day, traveling dimensions, getting trapped in Limbo, and even 2d and 3d dimensions crashing into each other. In other words, you will never be able to predict the next Space Dandy episode, just like it is impossible to predict what the universe might do next.

Don't expect a story that is written over 12 episodes. Look at each episode as a story of it's own, because that is exactly how Space Dandy is written. This was an anime specifically made to have 600 episodes or more. The more episodes you watch the more you get into it, it's a never ending journey for Dandy and his friends because even if the Dandy of this universe is killed or dies. There will always be another Dandy in another universe to give us another episode.

An outrageously fun, hilarious sci-fi with a lovable crew and their bizarre space adventures.

★★★★

(This review covers both seasons.)

Space Dandy was the most fun anime I’ve seen in a long, long time. It’s been a while since I’ve been so motivated to marathon a show. I finished the 26 episodes in 3 days. It’s hilarious, always leaving me with a smile. The characters are very charming and loveable. The plots are absurd and over-the-top, but even through the silliness it manages to settle down sometimes to make you feel at peace, even melancholy and lonely.

I’ve said before, but entertainment—no matter what form—whether it’s anime or ... movies or books are really just about giving you that emotional experience. Don’t worry about the details. Don’t worry about the logic. If you love it enough just go with it.

First, the animation is absolutely amazing. It’s so full of life and details it's worth re-watching. This is a show that demands to be seen in true Blu-ray quality. You would be hurting yourself to watch it any other way. You have to see this in full 1080p to experience the incredible imagination. There are bizarre aliens, exotic planets, and beautiful cosmic scenery to witness.

The show is about a crew of three and their space adventures trying to find and capture rare aliens. These aliens are then registered for a cash reward. Your hero is a care-free slacker who loves women and going to a space Hooters. At his side is an adorable, outdated vacuum cleaning robot that puts up with him. Then there’s a space cat that’s just as lazy.

The dub and its writing are fantastic. I strongly recommend watching that version. It’s obvious the translation team took liberties to westernize the material, but it’s very well-suited. If I didn’t know this was an anime, I’d swear it was western made because so much of the humor feels western. Even the dialogue feels very modern with slang like “sketchy” and references to Twitter.

Every episode is something different because they each have a very strong emotional theme. There’s a lot of variety to the plots. Everything from a zombie episode; a galactic space race; going on a date; meeting parallel dimensions; even something as simple as a road trip. There’s even touches of continuity as the they refer back to older plots and items. When the show takes a break from its wacky adventures to settle down the music really adds a surreal, distant, almost lonely mood. Other times the episodes are just plain weird and abstract.

I’m reminded of Futurama: another sci-fi show that makes stories and jokes out of scientific concepts. Space Dandy was a blast to watch. It's like no other anime I can think of. Without a doubt it's my favorite of 2014.

Space Dandy has phenomenal animation and art with some decent sound effects but with its non continuity based nature it makes it incredibly difficult to care about what happens each episode. There is only one that comes to mind where I genuinely enjoyed watching it being Episode 5. This being the main protagonist Dandy capturing a young orphan alien girl under the pretense of delivering her to the alien registration center. As the episode progresses the two begin to become close leading to a very heartwarming and satisfying ending. Every single other episode failed miserably when it came to introducing an engaging story that made ... the viewer want to continue watching it. There were even many points in time I considered dropping the series as a whole hoping it would get better, it didn't.

I'd say if you're a fan of nice visuals then give it a try but if you want something interesting to watch you won't find it here.

There really are a variety of anime around aren't there. This anime was probably the highlight of the winter season compared to Kill La Kill which lost its overall promise easily. Standard hype strategy of start with a bang, end with a dissapointment. But space dandy is different. As much as I despise the Gintama-esque animes such a dandy, I enjoyed Dandy thoroughly as it was the best of the winter 2013-14 season.

Story 5/10
This anime is very experimental and reminded me of the tatami galaxy because every episode seemed like a different 'world line' of the Space Dandy galaxy. Every episode is different and ... may be unique or just completely flat. I get that each episode had different directors, but the show's execution was done in a way that was boring at times with no merit. Even though that being said, I really loved those 'unique' episodes as they were very well done. But really there is no story other than the fact that it's about 1 human 1 Talking Cat and 1 Robot trying to catch aliens with a ambiguous 'to be continued' sign at the end. The overall episodes are somewhat enjoyable, but nothing to be amazed at except for those few gem episodes.

9/10
Art's really good and reminds me of the old style animation while being somewhat modern at the same time. Animation is top-notch with little to no rough edges.

Music 10/10
The music is outstanding, esp. the ED/OP of the anime.

Character 9/10
Space dandy like Cowboy Bebop is more about the ride rather than the destination. The characters are all likable and even the side characters are thoroughly explained unlike the latter of TV shows. They are all interesting and likable, but the fact that most side characters are thrown away after an episode makes me wonder the question, why even include them. Well just waiting for the next season.

Enjoyment 8/10
I throughly enjoyed this experiemental anime show as it was unique in its own way. There were a few unique episodes which I absolutely loved, but most of space dandy's episodes were either dull or not even worth mentioning. Even though, I didn't like the episodes itself, I loved the characters inside it.

Overall 7/10
Overall it's a fun ride to watch dandy, but I found it very difficult to review because of the fact that every episode was different in its own way whether they are bad or good. I would definately watch this anime at the expense of free time, but it's not a must-watch.

Opening Statements
Space Dandy (Aka Bebop on Crack) is a 13 episode sci-fi anime that has garnered a lot of attention even before it initially aired during the 2014 winter season. While part of this hype stems from the triumphant return of renounced anime director Siratou Watanabe, the man responsible for hit shows such as Cowboy Bebop, Kids on the Slope and of course Samurai Samploo, A majority of it stems from the fact that this the first anime ever to air on American TV before Japan which up until this point has only ever been a dream.

I think we can all agree that this ... is a craze that needs to catch on more as it would not only help in drawing in more fans to the medium but would also lead to the development of more western influenced shows and therefore, Dandy does hold some rather high expectations. It doesn't need to be the next Attack on Titan but it defiantly can't bomb. After all, if there's one thing that the Toonami revival proves it's that the internet hasn't completely destroyed TV just yet.

Space Dandy's story can be found within its namesake, It's about a Dandy guy name dandy who explores space with his trusty robot R2, I mean QT, and feline sidekick meow hunting for rare aliens in hopes of being able to place food on the table all the while being unknowingly hunted down under some pretense of Dandy being the secret of the universe. What follows are breasterants, galactic wars, races that break the sound barrier, and enough wacky animation that will make you feel like you just took a bottle full of acid.

Analysis + Witnesses
Now I will admit that Space Dandy is in no way as mature as Watanabe's other works but to be honest, I don't think that's the point. In fact, at times, you can even argue that the series acts as a spiritual successor to the other Space Westerns that comparatively reached the peak of their popularity on Toonami such as Bebop, Trigun and Outlaw star.

However, even with this considered, I can understand why most people would not being able to get into such a series initially due to its straight forward episodic format which prevents it from having any semblance of a serious overarching story. However, the interesting thing about Space Dandy is that unlike others, it not only seems to be self aware to its episodic nature but at times even manages to take full advantage of the creativity that such a nature offers.

After all, it might be considered a problem if the first episode ends with (Spoil Alert) our main characters dying in a planetary explosion. However, Space Dandy is able to sidestep this by giving each episode its own individual reset button, ignoring everything that might have follow or preceded it and continuing with a completely different adventure. Which was only made more humorous with a comedic intentional To be continued. This structure means that the vast number of writers who were brought in to work on this little experiment can essentially get away with anything as fears about effecting the overall continuity of the show are removed, allowing for the freedom necessary to create some interesting story lines as well as some rather clever parodies of other well known western settings such as episode 4 which can be seen as a deconstruction to the typical zombie apocalypse plot line by addressing how life would ironically go on even after everyone in the universe was turned was into a zombie who live off of their own life insurance.

However, like most episodic anime, there was a bit of inconsistency in story quality between each episode as some self contained stories did not follow the standard three act structure. However, this could be due to the fact that, as an experimental series, different writers were assigned throughout the series and to be fair the focus was never really taken away from where it needed to be, portraying just how ridiculous and likable our cast was when looking at how they dealt with the situations they found themselves in.

In fact, within the first season, each of our main characters have at least one episode dedicated to them. And I must say that they in particular were some of the most well paced, heartwarming stand alone episodes that I've seen in quite some time. They might not have been the most original with one episode in particularly acting as a through back to one of my favorite Pixar films while another seemed to take a stab at everyone's favorite franchise (I'm looking at you endless 8), but these stories just helped in adding so much more dimension to our characters that it didn't even matter.

(P.S. I find it a little bit funny that one of the better episodes in the show just happened to be written by the same person who wrote valvrave which I will refuse to make a definitive comment on considering I hadn't watched it yet )

Our star of this show, Dandy himself pretty much follows his namesake to a T. He is a very laid back individual who prefers to go at his own pace, can be very stubborn, pigheaded and, judging from the first line of dialogue the series gives us, can be extremely perverted. However despite these flaws he's never really painted to be unlikable and in fact can be quite capable when the story demands it. Meow shares many personality traits with Dandy albeit he is a bit more on the lazy, shut-in side, but still loves the idea of being out in space and exploring that which he never thought he could back on his home town while QT acts as sort of the level headed voice of reason as well as the passive aggressive dick within the group despite the fact that as a robot his needs and desires are much simpler compared to most.

Of course we also can't forget our hero's pursuers Dr. Gel and his assistant Be who seems to fill the role of the incompetent buffoons who not only constantly get done in by our heroes string of dumb luck but also don't even seem to have their presence known by them.

The rest of the cast is rather large when you consider all who are encountered throughout the shows individual stories with some even being presented differently depending on the episode. However, whether it was their comedic quirks, menacing atmospheres or touching back stories I was pleasantly surprised at just how memorable some of them were considering the amount of screen time they were given which can range from a whole episode to even just 5 minutes.

Art/Animation
The overall design of Space Dandy is defiantly one of its high points as Watanabe takes full advantage of this setting in order to give birth to something that can only be described as the love child of Redline and Star wars.

In fact, similarly to how certain episodes were met with different writers, each episode had its own specific art director which meant that some adventures had strikingly different styles compared to others. However, while the fluctuating story quality might be considered a determent to the show, the fluctuating art designs were defiantly more of a complement, as it did help in solidifying the idea that each adventure had its own unique atmosphere whether it was going for a fast paced or cereal one. Plus the crafted polish and bright color pallet helped in making the show feel that much more alive and fit its comedic nature.

In regards to the animation, there were very few instances of still frames with a variety of standout moments were movement became incredibly fast paced and fluid to the point where I felt like I was tripping on something very hard while I was watching them. Alot of people are saying that Space Dandy will help mark the return of animation Studio bones when they were in their prime, and I will admit that these scenes greatly support this statement from an animation. However, overall it might not be the most consistent animation quality as there were some noticeable instances where Bones was in fact cutting corners, what with the lack of detail and color quality in certain scenes. In fact while the different art designs were an interesting touch, you could also argue that they were used as a cover for any noticeable instances where the quality dropped. It might not be bone's best work but it's defiantly above average and a step in the right direction.

Sound/Music
Going back to Watanabe, his past works have shown that he has very distinct visions regarding the importance of the film scores and Space Dandy is no different. While often times the trumpet will be used in conjunction with the more upbeat moments, a majority of the ost is used the match the futuristic sci-fi feel of the show by using groovy techo and disco style music that felt very reminiscent of Daft Punks interstellar 555 which also air in the 90's. Then we have the slower, more emotional moments which were met with calming synthesized beats and even some beautifully crafted pieces of auto tune.

The dub for this series was handled by Funimation and it's interesting how, in terms of comedy, both versions have their own renditions' of humor with the dub having more western influenced jokes. In terms of the casting it was great to hear Alison Viktorin behind the mic of a main character (even if her voice was auto tuned) since her most memorable main role seems to be that of Conan from case closed. Joel McDonald did a solid job capturing the laid-back-ness of Meow and Ian Sinclair as Dandy was........just Dandy. In terms of the rest of casting I have little to no complaints, then again, what do you expect from a show that was specifically geared for the west.

The show also features a narrator who helps give exposition to whatever the show tends to leave out and while annoying at times, I will admit that it is rather humorous considering how much he doesn't seem to give a shit about his job at times, sort of like the narrator of The Big Lebowskii.

Closing Statements
Space Dandy, in and of itself, is a space adventure show at its purest, showing just how much fun, dangerous and unpredictable the Galaxy can be. Yes it's a little immature and its style of humor might not be for everybody, plus I really can't see anyone marathon this due to its structure. However, personally I think it's a great show to have on Toonami as well as one to just sit back and watch casual. The animation, for the most part, is above average, it's got some very likable characters and it really does help in capturing the essence of what anime is. It's stupid yet cleaver , perverted yet aware and wacky yet heartwarming. I had a lot of fun with this show and I can't wait for its next season.

If you're looking for a crazy space adventure story that you could watch at your leisure and have a Dandy good time then I see no reason why you shouldn't give this show a shot.