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.
