Review of Space Dandy

Having watched Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, I was craving more of Shinichiro Watanabe's unique style of directing, and along comes Space Dandy to satisfy that need. The most immediately striking aspect of Space Dandy is its visual presentation and art style, which is varied and quite frankly outstanding. The pilot episode especially is such a visual treat that I would recommend it even to those who have no interest in the rest of the show; it's that impressive. That's not to say that the rest of the series slacks, mind you. Though there are a few episodes that have less going on visually than others,the majority are fantastic feasts for the eyes. The accompanying soundtrack, with a heavy 80s theme to it, suits the atmosphere of the show to a tee.

I would argue that the art is Space Dandy's most prominent offering, but its other great strength is its comedy. It's certainly not for everyone, being wacky and high energy nearly all the time. The show is entirely episodic, with some episodes even concluding in such a way that the story couldn't possibly continue, but I loved this and the characters are a great fit for the scenarios the show throws at them. Speaking of the characters, I watched Space Dandy in its English dub, and after comparing it with the original Japanese I can say without a doubt that the dub is the way to go. Ian Sinclair, Joel McDonald and Alison Viktorin bring the main trio to life, and a large part of the comedy shines thanks to their delivery and that of the supporting cast.

With outstanding art direction and hilarious comedy, where can Space Dandy falter? In my opinion that would be when it tries to deviate from these two strengths. There are a few episodes that I would call more grounded, both in art style and in comedy, with a couple of episodes even attempting to tell a more serious story, similar to some of Watanabe's other works. But in Space Dandy I really can't say that it works. The characters just aren't suited to more emotional stories, and the lack of artistic flair that often accompanies these episodes drags the using fast pace of the show to a crawl. Space Dandy is fantastic when its doing what it knows best, but when it tries to venture out, I wouldn't say it succeeds.

Overall, Space Dandy is certainly a spectacle and laughs are a guarantee if you're a fan of zany comedy and totally out-there situations, but a few dud episodes, particular in the latter half of the series did drag it down somewhat. Nevertheless, I'm certainly going to be watching the second season of the show when I can find the time, and I recommend that you give Space Dandy a look to see if you'll do the same.