Space☆Dandy

I watched Space Dandy since it first started airing, and it quickly became one of my favorites. It's not for everyone: it's a bit experimental and really meta, but if you're into that kind of thing, it's nothing short of a masterpiece.

Story: 8
Unlike most anime, Space Dandy has almost no continuity aside from the last two episodes. Characters come and go without explanation, and it isn't uncommon for the main cast to die at the end of an episode and show up just fine in the next. I really like this, though: I'm easily distracted, and as much as I love the concept of ... space operas, their convoluted storylines can get in the way of my enjoyment.
I also think this means each episode's story is more developed: some episodes are silly, some are cute, some are heartwrenching, but almost all of them are interesting, entertaining, and immersive. Even the final two episodes, the only ones that can be considered plot-relevant, sufficiently wrapped up a story I didn't want to see end to begin with in a satisfying way.

Art: 8
I love the art in this show, but I can't objectively give it higher than an 8 because of the mediocre animation quality, which I think can get a lot of people. The movement direction, color and layout, and general aesthetic is amazing, but the series's budget really shows in most episodes' lack of fluid animation and occasional off-model distance shots.
The art particularly shines in the second season, which had a number of guest animation directors that showed their distinctive styles.

Sound: 9
The opening and ending themes are great: the opening gets me pumped and the ending makes me feel good, just like I think good music should. I wish they could have had different openings and endings between the seasons, but the series was already clearly pushing its budget.
The background music is also very good. It's usually very jazzy, doesn't steal the spotlight, but adds excitement or poignancy to a scene.
I watched most of the series dubbed, but I have seen a few episodes in Japanese. Both are good, but as I'm easily distract--I mean, like to multitask, I'm more of a dub person, and the dub is fantastic. It's a little hammy, which is perfect for an over-the-top space opera, but not so hammy that I ended up mockingly repeating half the lines out loud because of their awful delivery (which I end up doing with a lot of poorly voice-directed dubs).

Character: 8
Because of the series's episodic nature, most of the characters don't get a lot of deep development. But the designs are great, and most recurring characters get some focus episodes that provide a decent amount of development that doesn't make the plot too complicated.
Dandy himself warrants the most explanation if you're wondering if the characterization will appeal to you. He may seem like a shallow, poorly-developed character to many viewers, but in the grand scheme of things, that's kind of the point. I could describe him as a hedonist, or a bon-vivant, or adventurous, or whatever, but I'll be frank here: Space Dandy is a tool. He is kind of a badass, but he's also a conceited, dim-witted pervert. And with only a couple episodes of exception, he never stops being a tool.
That may seem lazy to some people, but it's fairly refreshing to me. Like in real life, just because people can change and develop into better people doesn't mean they will. And the plot of the show even explains how he's never stopped being such a tool, but I'm not elaborating on that (because spoilers).

Enjoyment: 10
I think a lot of people on MAL might be more interested in anime for anime's sake, but I personally like anime as just another form of media to consume. I gave it an 8 based on what I think most people will think about it, but to me, Space Dandy is a perfect 10. Space Dandy is exactly what I like in media, whether it's TV dramas or movies or video games or anime: it's entertaining. That's why you should watch Space Dandy. Not because it's deep or funny or revolutionary, but because it's entertaining. Space Dandy really reminded me of why I watch anime to begin with: to have fun.
You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll quietly smile in awe. Maybe you'll bingewatch 10 episodes every 2 months, but they'll be a fun 10 episodes. But if you ask me, that's perfectly fine. It's better than watching 10 episodes of some boring, melodramatic, pseudointellectual big-budget anime that you're not even really sure if you're enjoying, but think you're supposed to like since it's deep or whatever.

Overall: 8
An 8 for most people, a 10 for me. Maybe you're into more (consistently) serious shows, maybe you're not into sci-fi, whatever, I can think of plenty of decent reasons to dislike it. But there's still a lot it has to offer. If you want to watch Space Dandy, don't go into it thinking it'll change your life any more than a sweet, refreshing glass of lemonade. But it's space lemonade. In space.

If Steins;Gate uses the distortion of temporal continuity to augment the flavor of its plot, Space Dandy uses space-time distortion to elude "the plot." Space Dandy is what happens when you put together the industry's most talented animators – spearheaded by Shinichirō Watanabe who brought us Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo– to create something with no boundaries. This is why Space Dandy can be colorful, exciting, touching, hilarious, crass, beautiful, mysterious, genre-bending, trivial, and ultimately free.

This show will often compel you to perceive it as a profound commentary, but it will actively dissuade you from taking it seriously. You will try to give it a ... label, or try to place it in a neat category, but it will passionately fight your attempt to do so. So my advice: don't fight it. Just sit back and enjoy the ride, for zombies, specters, stardust, and dandies lie ahead.

Note: While this is for the first season, it really's for BOTH seasons combined. It's here because anyone who is actually thinking of watching the show will read this one and not one for S2.

Space Dandy can be aptly described as Acid Trip: The Anime. It follows the exploits (or lack thereof), of the crew of the Aloha Oe: Dandy, QT, and Meow.

There is no real plot in Space Dandy. The crew works as kind of bounty hunters. They try to find rare aliens and turn them in for money. You quickly find out that they are very bad at this, or just ... get caught into comedic bad luck. Each episode is stand alone for the most part and there is no real sense of continuity between any of them. Actually some of them are so bizarre that the endings would end the show if continuity exited.

This episodic basis is both a blessing and a curse to the anime. For one it allows them to do almost anything the writers want to. At its best it creates some of the best single episodes in anime. They are funny, passionate, and sometimes even thought provoking. However, it also limits things like character development, a cohesive feeling of the world, and also makes the show feel somewhat unbalanced at times.

However, don't let you think that this makes the show anything less than good, very good even. Some episodes are weaker, but the good ones more than make up for it. It's an anime that hits a few singles and then suddenly unleashes that grand slam at the right moment.

The cast is, okay. It's honestly one of the weaker elements of the anime. When I was asked what do I think is keeping Space Dandy from becoming one of the great anime and not just a good one, I said "I can't relate to the cast at all." They are far too simple and the format of the show really doesn't help them either.

Even so, don't let that stop you from watching the show, the cast is really secondary to the overall feeling of the show. Space Dandy, to me at least, never felt like an anime you're supposed to compare to other ones, it's a comedy, but the type of comedy will vary, and it's not beyond tossing in some serious moments from time to time. It's like Dandy is in his own little world here.

I do have to address Boobies, the show equivalent to a Space Hooters. It's in just about every episode. Dandy and his crew frequent the place. While they do visit it a lot there is very limited fan service in the show as a whole.

The music is spectacular. It's hard to say if it's even better than the actual aesthetic the anime creates but it's close. It really helps to enhance the journey.

Space Dandy ends up being an anime that has some of the the most entertaining episodes I've seen. It does have some flops too, but even then they are just so close to being great that they still end up being entertaining. Be patient with this one, it'll surprise you before you know it.

Mixed feelings. I deeply enjoyed the sakuga sequences, Meow's character, and various scenes and designs scattered throughout. However, for a fun pastime Dandy can come across as lukewarm depending on how tolerant of wasted potential you are. Not saying it doesn't take its concepts somewhere, but more like the canvas is so big it begs for things to transcend what one would expect. While the show does have its fair share of surprising twists, it mostly plays out like a Watanabe series, filled with predictable jokes and perfunctory resolutions. Its carefree nature excuses most of its underthinking, but just the thought that it could be ... far better and push its ideas much further bothers me. Conceptually, Space Dandy isn't far from something like Rick & Morty. The execution, however, shows the gargantuan distance between the two.

Space Dandy, I had high expectations for you. I enjoyed the first episode a lot. Some of the episodes are good, but the overall series is an inconsistent mess. First of all Space Dandy has major identity issues. The show's trailer portrayed the show being a comedy; the first episode conveyed that as well. However there were a lot of serious ones or ones that were supposed be comedy but were not even chuckle-worthy. There is no plot and the characters are very dull and don't experience much growth becuase of it's heavily episodic nature. The art and animation do not showcase BONES animation ... prowess. I know that each Space Dandy episode is by a different director but that's no excuse for it's mediocre quality.

(7.5/10)


This is a show about a Dandy... in space...

And in a way, it isn't. This episodic space-romp full of pop-culture references, boobies, monsters, chase-sequences, and physical gags serves as an outlet for animators and storyboarders to create some of the coolest and most well-choreographed pieces of animation in televised anime history.

Not only that, it gives Shinichiro Watanabe, the director of Cowboy Bebop the ability to travel back out into space with a bigger budget and bigger, wackier ideas. Letting go of the reigns and seeing where the space cruiser takes him.

However, at its core, it's also a very inconsistent show. It makes sense ... why, since there are so many different people working on all the different episodes, but regardless if it's logical, it's still frustrating. Space Dandy has bouts of absolute mind-blowing greatness but also depression-filled states of dull, boring, and unfunny episodes. It's the definition of a mixed bag, which makes the idea of pushing it from a "good" show to a "Very good" show very hard, grading wise.

But lets get into why!

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[ART]

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As I've said, this is the most impressively animated piece of televised anime I've ever seen. Maybe it isn't a marvel when it comes to something like shot composition and art direction, but it's vibrant and full of energy. It's the opposite of something like Fate/Zero, which tries really hard to look pretty at all times but sacrifices any actual movement or animation for that.

Space Dandy jumps around on screen making goofy faces with spectacularly beautiful scenery and hair-raising action sequences. The characters bend and contort out of their designs constantly, making it undoubtedly cartoonish. But that's what they're going for.

The consistently creative monster designs are paired with equally creative space ship designs which put the likes of Cowboy Bebop to shame. It appears that when Shinichiro decides to go goofy, his designs improve drastically. Everything from the villainous Dr.Gel and his awesome spaceship that's pretty much the statue of liberty's head with a ball gag to the Aloha Oe's sleek yellow exterior reminds me of distinctly 60's sci-fi that's unfortunately often forgotten about.

I got a lot of Dune vibes, especially the unfortunately unmade Dune film by Alejandro Jodorowsky. Small plug here, if you haven't seen "Jodorowsky's Dune", the documentary, you should!

...

The spaceship and creature designs aren't the only thing standing out, either. With our main characters being distinctly malleable and creative, especially Space Dandy himself, who sports a leather jacket and sick pompadour is one of the most creative looking anime MC's I've ever seen. He's also one of my favorites. More on that later.

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To round everything up. We have spectacular animation that puts 99.99% of televised anime to complete shame. We have great creature designs. We have great character designs overall. Fantastic action sequences devoid of any filler, focusing solely on creating something frantic, memorable, and funny., and lastly, a solid list of guest animators that all do their jobs splendidly.

Some episodes may look similar to others, but certain episodes completely stand out in terms of animation. Not just in quality, but in style. Specifically, episode 9 was jaw-droppingly pretty and one of the most memorable parts of the show.


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[SOUND]

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It's very good. Especially for a TV anime. The sound effects range from corny to impactful, but that's what the show needs. It's entire personality is that. From the goofy character reactions to the ships zooming through space, everything has a sound effect and these sound effects add to the entire likability of the show.

The soundtrack is almost wholly exceptional, too. Ranging from guitar riffs to whole songs created specifically for this show. To my surprise, there's a distinct lack of that generic J-pop that plagues just about every anime known to man. Instead, the director and writers, I assume, decided to use a less generic and more interesting approach with a wide variety of tracks.

The intro is catchy and vibrant, fitting the theme of the show, and the ED is equally great. The sound design is very solid overall.


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[CHARACTER + STORY]

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These are going to be in one section because more often than not, the story comes from the characters and vice versa. As I said in my introduction, this show is very clunky in terms of its storytelling being consistent.

One episode is making me misty-eyed and another episode is just frustrating me with it's daftness. On one hand it makes some of the great episodes truly stand out. On the other hand, it makes the not-so-great episodes truly stand out too.

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The writers created our protagonists as lovable doofuses, but more importantly, as people (or robots) with actual character. I often criticize anime with just throwing a bunch of quirks into a character and calling it a day. Which makes a quirky thing, but not really a character.

A real character that you remember is one that not only speaks to you, but also shows themselves to you. Someone you feel like you understand, especially if they are the protagonists.

Here, just about every main character is someone I grew to not only like, but also understand. This is doubly the more impressive since the show is by no means serialized and every episode is something completely different. This level of characterization is very hard to accomplish. This show does that.

Where this show falls a little flat character-wise is in it's secondary characterization. Just about every secondary character is either forgettable or simply there to propel the characters forward. Even the villains just kind of get brushed to the side, and the gag that they play through every episode can feel a little dull and played out by the end of this shows thirteen episode run.

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Space Dandy does nail it every so often though. I don't mean in a "hey, that's a good episode of cartoon!" Kinda nail. I mean a "Holy shit, now that's something that I might never forget," level good. Specifically three different episodes became some of my favorite pieces of short-form storytelling this year. Surprisingly, each one did that in a completely different way.


With Episode 5 we have Shinichiro do his signature 'emotion in the face of comedy' routine by bringing in an adorable little girl that Dandy must be around... no spoilers. She is the shows most memorable secondary character, from her heart-splittingly adorable design to great VA work she left her mark on the episode, and me. This episodes saccharine personality never felt like it wasn't earned.

With Episode 7 there was a redline-esq race that is one of the most breathtaking pieces of action in television anime. This matched with some genuinely funny lines makes for a really solid and memorable episode.

With Episode 9 comes the best use of a guest animator in the show. Eunyoung Choi handled the dazzling storyboards for the this episode. But where I thought the animation would surely be the highlight (and it was, in a way), the episode packs a really great melancholy touch towards the end.

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These three episodes elevate the show from a beautiful experiment that generally ignores great storytelling in favor of eye-catching animation to a show that occasionally gives a perfect mix of both.

Matched with a narrator that serves not only as a devise of exposition, but also as a humorous touch, consistently breaking the fourth wall, there really isn't too much to dislike in terms of progression.

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That being said, the show is generally never side-splittingly funny. Which is, unfortunately, an issue. There are undoubtedly parts where I let out a soft guffaw or smirk, but for the most part, I simply sat back and enjoyed some of the bathos and more surreal elements mixed in with a small amount of sobering storytelling.

There really isn't much in terms of actual humor of substance apart from some very specific and memorable scenes. The humor in Space Dandy can be described in the same way the entire shows personality can. It's vibrant, goofy, frantic, but may often feel empty when held up to scrutiny. However, occasionally, it really really nails it.


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[CONCLUSION]

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So's the life of a show that by nature isn't consistent. Bringing in different writers and storyboard artists between episodes can make the show feel understandably disjointed. Sometimes for the better, but sometimes for the worse.

It is, however, truly impressive that the show managed to do what it has done with it's characters in a setting that really doesn't call for it. The amount of connection I felt with the protagonists as well as a very small amount of secondaries was nothing short of impressive. Especially for a show that doesn't really have any hints at serialization at all.

It's a dynamic journey into a world with no rules, laws, or restrictions. Let go of the reigns and soak on the madness.

Space dandy is one misunderstood anime.

Do not expect the next cowboy bebop but rather a thematically inverted version of it.
Every episode was created as if Shinichirō Watanabe gave 3 buckets of lego with identical pieces, themes & characters to some of the most talented directors in the industry just to see what they could build.
The series is like walking through the showroom containing said lego creations to see what stories & themes the directors came up with.
The show might not be well rememberd but what it tried to achive as a directorial experiment should not be forgotten.

It's dumb, it's smart, it's funny, it's sad, it's ... deep, it's shallow, it's boring and it's entertaning but above all of that, it's Dandy baby.

Ok, so Space Dandy is one of those love or hate anime, and frankly I get it why most people just don't seem to get it... Should you give this show a chance? For sure, especially if you're looking for something light and plotless... It's campy, funny, kind of perverted (but hey, at least not it's not gross fan-service perverted...).
Other than that SD is about a guy who travels space along with a robot and a cat-looking alien. They hunt for rare aliens to make some buck and while doing that embark on some very odd adventures. Some of the episodes were intensely surreal... ... So be warned..

Space Dandy is a unique anime to me, but not because it was the first anime to my knowledge that aired in English dubbed in the west before it aired in Japan with the Japanese dub, but for the mere fact that this is the first time in all my years of watching anime that I have seen one about alien hunters.... in space.

The story of Space Dandy follows the adventures of Dandy and his crew of alien hunters as they search the known universe looking for new alien species to capture so they could take them to the registration centre, and if the ... alien that they hunted down happened to be a new species they would get paid.

Space Dandy mainly focuses on three main characters: first we have Space Dandy, he is basically like the captain of the ship and he's very easy going, and one of his main joys in life is visiting a hooters kind of restaurant called Boobies. Next we have QT A robot that can also function as a vacuum cleaner, though he isn't the latest model he has a high advanced AI that can convey emotion and display fear, and he usually help's dandy to spot new aliens. Lastly we have Meow a cat like alien species which are called a Betelguesian. Meow likes technology and he loves to use his phone, and aside from being a free loader he helps to give Dandy advice on where he could find new aliens. There are other side characters but I won't mention them, but what I would like to talk about is my thoughts on the series

Liked-
One of the first things that I liked about space Dandy is the Animation, the animation of Space Dandy was done by studio Bones who have been known for doing great work for anime such as Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Eureka Seven, and Darker than Black, and the animation for Space Dandy was done exceptionally well and I think its the best work Bones has done in a while, it is colourful and pleasant to look at, and there are rarely instances where the animation just looks bad.

Secondly I liked the soundtrack, if you've seen Cowboy Bebop and heard it's soundtrack it sounds similar to that, and this is probably because the director of Space Dandy Watanabe Shinichiro was also the director of Cowboy Bebop.

Mixed Feelings-
Even though I really enjoyed Space Dandy there is one particular problem that I had with it, there is literally no story development or character development whatsoever, but this is because Space Dandy is a very episodic anime, and the story in that particular episode is contained only within that episode so whatever happens in that episode stays in that episode so if our heroes were to die in one episode they would be perfectly fine in another.

I would like to add that one of the good things about Space Dandy being as episodic as it is, is that if you want to see what Space Dandy is about you can literally watch any episode and not have to worry about the story and what happened prior to that episode.

Final Thoughts-
Overall Space Dandy is amazing, fun and entertaining, its one of those anime that you can watch after a long day of school or work, That can help you relax, and I cannot recommend it enough.

*Very minor spoilers ahead*

It's Space Dandy, he's a dandy guy, in space...
If I could rate the show based upon its first 30 seconds it would definitely be a 10/10 masterpiece. The intro... It's just amazing.

My love for this intro now out-of-the-way lets get to the main review. "Space Dandy is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get"© (yes this ingenious statement is 100% to my credit). Overall it looks very nice and appealing there are many differently flavored pralines some you will find tastier than others. They all share the same basis however each one has its own remarkable ingredient(s). Nonetheless, at ... the end all pralines are some kind of chocolate.

Space Dandy has 3 main characters. These are throughout the season very basic in their traits, emotions and behavior. Due to the shows heavy episodic nature there's no development. But there are designated episodes for each of the main characters that grant them a bit of depth. In these they are able to show some deeper emotions, make new bonds and advance their usual traits or show new ones. Unfortunately the content of said episodes has no lasting impact. However, the superficiality of the characters is not that big of a deal as there's no main theme to follow anyway, but we will get to that later. Furthermore, their characteristic traits are very thoughtfully picked to create a trio that is able to support each episode with interesting dialogue and interaction. 
Dandy is the "main" main protagonist he's egocentric, confident, outgoing, reckless and poised. Meow is his sort of sidekick and a meaningful contrast to Dandy as he is mostly restrained and held back in his actions. They often share different opinions and are in conflict regularly. QT is a robot that completes the trio, personally my favorite character. He is pretty considerate and mindful compared to his palls. He mediates the relationship between Dandy and Meow. To conclude each character appends one another and the plot of each episode.

Speaking of plot lets talk about the story. As I already addressed each episode has a standalone plot which is in no way connected to content in other episodes. Every episode has its own tale to tell. Most of them I found interesting, some are definitely better than others, but that's mostly not objective and up to personal preference. Some episodes have small depths of meaning, but it's mostly based on action and excitement.
There is an antagonist faction with a very shallow main antagonist. They exist, we don't really get to know why they exist and even bother about Dandy and his crew on the Aloha-Oe. Still they rarely feel out of place or like just squeezed in to have some sort of antagonist role because they are at least somewhat impactful or even crucial to each plot. 
From a technical point of view this is probably due to the fact that many different directors and their respective teams worked on the show.
*BIGGER SPOILERS IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH*
Nevertheless, I don't like that there's no continuity throughout the season at all. The main characters may even die at the end of an episode in spite of that the next episode starts as if nothing happened. Well even the universe itself sometimes basically fades out of existence.

If you like works like Cowboy Bebop or Gurren Lagann with late 90s/early2000s style animation and effects this show is an eye candy. It's funky with flashy special effects yet clean and detailed. Scenes and places are very creative and original and not repetitive. The differing teams working on the show also leave their individual impact in the animation on the show. Overall... It's just.. dandy looking.

Music and sounds are never too shabby, mostly good supporting the science fiction space environment. There are few episodes where there's recognizable more focus on music leading to a next level soundtrack. I really enjoyed those.


The show also includes many references to other anime or (pop)cultural concepts which are nice to identify and discover. Although one of Space Dandy's biggest selling points is humor, funny dialogue and quirky scenes all this is a bit too much based on fan service elements, be it visually and or verbally.

Space Dandy is one of the most fun animes that I’ve seen in years, but more importantly it never takes itself seriously, which makes for a very entertaining experience each time. For those who have never seen this show it’s about a bounty hunter in space who searches for new alien life for registration, but Dandy almost always fails at this. Furthermore, that’s one of the aspects I like most about this series.
Read my entire review on my blog at http://popcultreviews.com/2014/12/02/space-dandy-amazon-exclusive-alohaoe-edition-2/
I go into much more detail there, plus I have many other anime, and video game articles and reviews you might like.

In my opinion Space Dandy would be the love child/bastard of CowBoy Bebop and Nichijou, and frankly the out come isn't too bad. I mean it's probably a little stupid, and therefore hard to take seriously, but I think that's a good thing.

I think Space Dandy doesn't care what you think, even if you insult it's parents out right, the only thing it would do is comb it's hair back and then fly off into the sunset.

Story: Well the story follows a very simple track, it's about a rag tag group of hunters who hunt down rare creatures for money, and that's pretty ... much it, oh and add a little bit of shenanigans as well. The fan service is a bit excessive, bit I see Dandy like I see Bayonetta, it's all part of his character, but if you're not into that sort of thing I wouldn't recommend watching. Another thing this steals from it's father is the fact that it's episodic, meaning that each episode is completely different. But the only difference is that each episode really has nothing to do with the previous, like they can die in one episode, or something else will happen, and next episode, they'll have no recollection at all of the previous episode. I actually like this personally, as it's a clean slate every time, and if you're watching this you wouldn't actually expect a rich story, so it doesn't matter.

Art: The art looks alright all the way through, it may get pretty rough at some of the intense moments, but I wouldn't get overly annoyed about it. Oh oh but one thing I would applaud, is.... the... way.... they... animate..... all.... those....boobies. Let's just say that the way... they animate bouncy stuff is top notch ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°).

Sound: This show has a very light space ring to it, the OP and END themes have some pretty good songs and I enjoyed listening to them over and over again, one thing that turns me off of some animes is the opening theme, if it's really bad it just kills the mood altogether. I'm looking at you Tokyo Ghoul Season 2, with your terrible opening.

Character: The characters are pretty likable, Dandy is pretty much a male equivalent of Bayonetta, only he's not as dominating. One con you could add would be that there is no character development at all, because like I stated previously is that the episodes have nothing to string together and link them. So as a result you may get some character development in some episodes, like when they visit Meow's family, but in the next it never references them ever again. They still retain their base personalities still, which keeps familiar, with no unexpected turns when you watch the next episode.

Enjoyment: I enjoyed this pretty well, since it's pretty obvious it has a lot of influences from Cowboy Bebop, and other shows from Shinichiro Watanabe, and I admit at sometimes the humour may fall flat completely, and the fan service may be a complete turnoff, but that doesn't stop this from being a fun light show.

Overall: I believe that this would be if the creators working on Cowboy Bebop all got drunk, and high and decided "Hey instead of making a serious show, lets do a complete 180 and make something completely different." And I believe that this is a good thing, these days there are too many comedies that try to work a story or character development in there, whereas Space Dandy almost ignores it completely and focuses only on the light art style, fun atmosphere, and overall enjoyment.

8.5/10 Not too shabby

I have long Google Docs that have these bullet point lists of media that seem interesting to me and I want to mark down and come back to it later. A backlog of stuff to consume really, and they're broken down by media from movies to books to TV shows which include an anime section. The TV shows doc is one of the shortest and I have quite a bit of anime on there, but it does not have a crazy amount that would take a decade of dedicated effort to get through.

And yet, on a relatively short list in a relatively short section, Space ... Dandy appeared four different times under various categories or sources from where it was recommended. That is basically unheard of across any of my docs to appear four different times and it pretty much guarantees that it will be at least good. I'm pretty sure I saw an episode with my sister once on adult swim in a hotel while we were on a trip years ago. We liked it and thought it was funny, and I was happy to finally get down and see this show that had gotten so much positivity from as close to trusted and known sources as I could get. Not to mention how great Shinichiro Watanabe is as a director. Cowboy Bebop is great and I liked Samurai Champloo and Kids on the Slope

But as you can probably guess from the buildup, I didn't like this show too much. A famous director not having a great creative outing as he tries to make a free-flowing comedy with an emphasis on lack of structure and creative freedom is fine, but this show really failed to grab me in ways that it didn't to a bunch of people. Space Dandy was alright but didn't have much going on and Meow and QT (I didn't even know he was a guy until the last episode) have their moments but did not make any real impact. I don't mind the lack of a plot or goal or sitcom-like episodic structure, but none of it came together well enough to be actually funny. It all sounds good on paper and I don't know what exactly was missing to make this show interesting but the humor was not connecting and repeated itself a lot.

I don't know the intimate details, partly because I binged the last half of it which did improve a bit over time, especially with the more expressive art style, but for most of these episodes I was almost dragging myself to finish them. The music is ok, but didn't stand out besides the jazz flourish during the commercial title cards, which almost feels like a crime for a Watanabe anime. I will watch the next season because in 13 episodes, I didn't see the one that made me laugh years ago, and am curious if it improves at all, but also if I get a better idea of why so many people or opinions I trust see something in this that I just don't. It's not offensively bad, but can just be boring.

Don't go into this show expecting a Cowboy Bebop tier story and world.

That being said Space Dandy is a show with a lot of heart and creativity that has taken me by surprise and given me an incredibly enjoyable experience. From the beautiful animation, interesting character designs, and varying genre soundtrack I was quickly sucked into the fun time that is Space Dandy.

Don't get hung up on the main story, it's complete garbage and only plays a part in giving a "Team Rocket" sense of humor which can definitely fall flat. But it makes up for it by doing an incredible job drawing you into ... a new world with each episode, introducing well drawn worlds with their own interesting conflicts and resolutions. At each episode I found myself craving more of these newly introduced characters, mostly giving them fitting ends but enjoying the short time I had with them only for them to be replaced by another well written or just plain lovably quirky character.

All in all Space Dandy is an enjoyable series that shouldn't be taken too seriously. Go into Space Dandy with a sense of wonder and fun, and let it take you on its colorful journey aboard the Aloha Oe.

This show, both seasons, is in my opinion the greatest anime ever made, and season 2 episode 8 is the best anime episode The show is poetic, mystic, dry, outrageous, travels from Rilke to Sterne to Kafka in its varied episodic structure.

The animation is beautiful with its kineticism, its ambitious use of colour and stylistic changes in the differing episodes. The soundtrack is a beauty especially the opening track. People complaining about character development are too focused on progression, progression does not make a good character and to rely on that is a crutch. This anime is idiosyncratic, iconoclastic and overall a fantastic, and ... for me unrivalled, piece of animation in art, comedy and entertainment.

Cowboy Bebop: Redonk Version

^ This is how I describe and recommend this anime to my circle of friends, all who hold Cowboy Bebop in high regard, myself included.

The laughs and giggles I get are comparable to the laughs and giggles I've had watching Adventure Time or Futurama, just plain old ridiculousness on a psychedelic background. Perhaps, it's a mix of the aforementioned three: a little space humor; healthy nerdiness; a lot of adult humor; humor that only cartoons can get away with; and finally, a dude who is a dude, a dandy dude in space.

What it excels in, beyond the aforementioned three, is a marked ... stylization at every scientific loophole and time-space jump. The ramen episode, the ramen episode, the end. I'm really surprised at how varied the animation is, and appreciate the well-fit sound and soundtrack.

Like Cowboy Bebop, some of the steps it takes are definitively for fans of western cartoons, hence the latter two of the aforementioned three.

Final words: the end song is extremely addictive and geekily glorious.

Bottom line: If you enjoy Cowboy Bebop, Adventure Time, and Futurama, this is the anime for you!

Shinichiro Watanabe, the director of the Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo anime is the Chief Director for Space Dandy so I thought I was in for a treat. I really tried to like Space Dandy but couldn't. The light over-hanging plot is that an alien hunter named Dandy, whose job is to discover new alien life forms across the galaxy and have them registered with the Space Alien Registration Center; the almost Cowboy Bebop vibe wasn't compelling enough to save the show. The characters have potential to be great but aren't. The only character that was almost likable was the cat alien Meow. The ... main character Dandy, is a disappointing version of Spike Spiegel and Mugen. At least the animation was great because its by Bones Inc, the company who helped animate the Soul Eater anime and some of the FMA anime. If you are looking for another Cowboy Bebop or Samurai Champloo, look elsewhere.

Space Dandy.
It's got some boring parts, and really really good parts.
It's got a Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy-like universe and plot.
The characters are funny, the music's interesting (amazing soundtrack), and the plots are nuts.

I was disappointed with it like everyone else was when I realized this wasn't the new Cowboy Bebop coming to save anime. Space Dandy's something all it's own though. It's not something you've got to take seriously. There are genuinely funny moments, and just plain cool things happening.

This is the show that needs to drag on for years like One Piece and such.
Though it's not blowing me ... away at every episode, and has some duds, I haven't enjoyed a show
like this in a while.

I hope for a season 3.
Stay Dandy☆

Space Dandy is something else. It makes sense without making sense.

Story - 9/10
The approach on story telling is properly one of the most remarkable features of the show.
There is no set time in which the episodes take place. Sometimes you have a few episodes actually taking place after another but sometimes they are timeless and there is no real telling when these events take place. The 'when' does not matter for the plot though.
Most episodes are stand-alones though and have a simple main plot.
But as I was writing to begin with 'It makes sense without making sense.' the story might be utterly ridiculous. You will ... enjoy it on one level or the other though and if you stop expecting super serious and deep subjects, you will start to see the stories have a good depth to them.
Some episodes have serious themes but the show finds funny ways to deal with them and might just make you think.
Even if the main plot will be easy to spot for each episode, the show will find a way to twist things up and keep you at the edge of your seat.
Topnotch technology and established methods as common hunting practices and a pretty realistic feel for the true size of space make it a Sci-Fi anime without slapping it into your face all the time. The comedy elements range from enjoyable to simply ridiculous and obviously over-the-top so they are always present but not overtaking.
The ending is no huge finale but suits the show well. It did leave me wanting more and luckily you can go straight ahead with season 2.

Art - 10/10
Seen from an artistic angle you will find dominating Anime elements with some established Western cartoon practices.
From time to time you will be wowed with a bit more experimental style that is well fitted into the story.
Just watching the main cast walk already has a funny feeling. Movements are displayed mostly realistic and smooth.
The character designs are well thought through with waitresses wearing flat shoes instead of high-heels and front-desk workers wearing a plain and non-appealing uniform. Each design could convincingly tell something about the character wearing it.
The design of the main crew stands out enough to make them recognizable but not too much to make the crowd around them disappear.

Sound - 10/10 (addressing the official English dub)
For a while I thought this was indeed a Western cartoon made to look and feel like an Anime.
The voice actors were chosen well for their characters and did a great job truly acting and not just reading translations off a screen.
The music is one of my personal highlights. I have looked up the OST several times and actually decided on one song to keep on my trip playlist.
Every tune adds a little magic to the story and it never felt out off place or like it was interrupting an ongoing scene.

Characters - 10/10
The many characteristics of the main crew are displayed on a regular basis and we get to see believable characters with dreams and fears, strengths and faults.
In this show every character the main cast is involved with for more than a few minutes gets the chance to show off a more complex personality.
I did manage to understand and relate to a lot of the characters in this show even the villains. In a few episodes we learn about a lot about the main villain as well.
The main crew does get the chance to show a bit more of their backgrounds as the rest though.
It is a shame we do not learn the name of the narrator though he does get his own episode (!) and we have a lot of fun with him before and long after that as well. I have never seen a show that interacts with the narrator this smoothly even adding towards the story.


I think this show might be a good start for non-anime fans but it does add to your enjoyment if you have watched an anime before.
The re-watch value of this show is very high. I finished it for the first time other half a year ago and do go back to watching just one episode or even the whole thing from time to time. True, some episodes you will remember every joke and twist after a couple of re-watches but it will never fully lose its magic.

Do note that this review reflects my thoughts on both "seasons" to Space Dandy as a whole. This said, on with the review:

Space Dandy is the fourth TV anime directed by the highly acclaimed Shinichiro Watanabe which is a sci-fi comedy focused on an alien hunter named Dandy who finds himself in some sort of comical shenanigans during his hunts in each episode.

The series is mostly a parody of sci-fi space opera tropes with the series occasionally breaking the fourth wall, Dandy often getting in some sort of dimensional hopping shenanigans, usually being killed in some episodes and being fine in the next one, ... members of an enemy empire incompetently seeking him out and failing to even reach him, and never stopping with his continued obsession with visiting the Hooters-like Boobies "breastaurant". At first glance, the series may seem completely episodic and self-contained with many of its plots considering Dandy is well and good the following episode if he or all of the universe get killed in some fashion throughout the series. But later episodes do drop hints that things are not as they would seem on the surface with our "dandy guy in space" and all.

The comedy throughout the series is hit-or-miss for me as the clueless characters of Dandy, Meow, and QT did get stale for me as episodes progressed, though some of the supporting characters such as the surprisingly insightful Honey and the no-nonsense Scarlet caught my interest with their behavior and actions. In addition, some episodes are focused on providing some more fleshing out of the characters which while appreciated, often did not do much for me to get to care for them due to mostly being focused on in a single episode.

The highlight of the series comes from its very impressive animation as Space Dandy sports smoothly detailed and vividly-colored designs, while offering diverse variety in the number of human and alien designs seen throughout the series. Movements are very fluid with a variety of action sequences and some unique animation styles being milked at points thanks to Dandy's interdimensional travels, with CGI renderings of spaceships and the effects of Dandy crossing into dimensions milking CG animation that blends seamlessly with the regular animation for the most part.

Overall, I felt Space Dandy's hype mostly came from Watanabe's fame and its space comedy premise being accessible to Western audiences. While Dandy's antics and the seemingly episodic developments within the show do come with a surprising reason that makes sense when revealed in its climax and was a clever twist for the series, the comedy for it did gradually lose its luster for me with time and the characters were mostly too limited with their traits and personalities for me to want to rewatch it too often. While I am a fan of Watanabe's previous works like Cowboy Bebop and Kids on the Slope, Space Dandy appears to be the weakest of the TV anime titles I've seen directed by him.