Review of Space Dandy

Stylistically sound and surprisingly fresh, "Space Dandy" is by no means a masterpiece, but then again I don't think it tried to be. Watanabe, Shinichiro is a man with a solid vision for his works, and you can tell. From "Cowboy Bebop" to "Samurai Champloo" Watanabe has forged a very recognizable rhythm that each of his tales match too. Whether it be jazz or Hip Hop, Watanabe has an unmatched "swagger" no matter what direction he takes. So if I were to try to describe what path "Space Dandy" took, well, lets just say it was groovy. Oh baby was it groovy. Story: 7/10 Thisfunky adventure through space (even time) was one sporadic ride, and this more or less senseless journey was at the end of the day at least unique. Now unique is actually a huge complement (I know surprising right), Watanabe has one hell of an imagination, and this show is a testament to it. Voyaging across 13 episodes in the first season the story remains relatively episodic as it goes from adventure to adventure. Each contained story at bare minimum kept my attention, and at the most engaged my senses with its "acid dropping" narrative. From this handful of stories there was plenty of fun to be had, but the general lack of focus might turn people away. It does what it went for well, but at the end of the day it has been done better (hell by shows from Watanabe himself). This leaves us very lopsided in terms of the shows narrative, but because most of the episodes manage to hit their mark with remarkable accuracy the overall product comes out well for it.

Art: 8/10

Vibrantly colorful, and distinctly stylistic "Space Dandy" mixes together a very solid art direction with various blends of masterful camera work. The story boarding alone was incredibly well done. All of these aspects come together to make some wonderful eye candy, and helped the show stay fresh throughout by adding various new visual morsels for your eyes to devour.

Sound: 9/10

I don't usually phrase my input quite this crass, but I have to say this "Shit's so cash". Original, groovy, funky, and well dandy; it mixes together so many different vibes that it effortlessly bounces around from story to story. It not only matches each one on an individual level, but ties the show itself together in such a distinct rhythm that you find yourself moving along to the beat. Much like what Watanabe did with his previous works, he found the right swing, and the show grooves along to it.

Characters: 6/10

This for me was the weakest point of the show. Dandy and crew were quite the enjoyable group of individuals, but unlike the vastness of space there just wasn't that much there. Dandy himself was interesting, and every episode I looked forward to learning more about this dandy in space. He was charismatic, self centered, and kind of an ass hat. However in certain moments throughout the show we had glimpses at some other qualities to this dandy man. Although brash and poser like, I was still engaged into seeing more about this roguish character who proclaimed himself to be a "great" bounty hunter. Sadly Dandy himself was the only real "charm" that the show had going for it. Meow and QT, although excellent side editions, didn't really have the same draw or appeal. Both of them were pretty much one note except in their respective character episodes, which tried to further evolve who these people were. Sadly they just come up even in the end, and don't really do much. The show is Dandy's, and it makes no attempt to hide this fact.

As for the collection of other characters like the Dr. Gel, Admiral Perry, and other individuals that Dandy meets on his journey they were serviceable. Out of the lot who were restricted to their one episode my favorites were Adélie and Prince.

Enjoyment: 9/10

I had a load of fun with "Space Dandy", and can't wait for season 2 to air.

Overall: 7/10

"Space Dandy" is about a Dandy in space, and his grand adventures across the cosmos. Although missing the mark from time to time, Watanabe still manages to pump this show full of style, and creativity. It isn't quite "Cowboy Bebop" or "Samurai Champloo", but it is something wonderful. In the vastness of space where Anime seems to run the same tired scripts over and over again it was nice to something this fresh. Dandy may not be Captain Kirk, but this space traveler tries his hardest to go where no man has gone before.