Review of Space Dandy

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.