Space☆Dandy

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 itfeels 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.

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 humorthat 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.

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 tosome 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.

(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 ordeep. 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! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Feel free to leave some constructive criticism, by either a pm or comment! (Of course, Helpful and Unhelpful)

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