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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