[REVIEW] A Dandy show, in space – It’s Space Dandy, baby.

If you’d asked me a year or so ago if I was planning on watching Space Dandy at any point, I would’ve scoffed in your face and dismissed the idea completely. After all, the two anime that Space Dandy is most commonly lumped with – Cowboy Bebop and Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure – I didn’t enjoy one bit. But wow, do I want to slap past me for being so silly. I am very glad I picked up this show, suggested by my good friend illintelligence, for I enjoyed every second of it.

SPACE ☆ DANDY

Synopsis: The universe is a mysterious and strange place, full of even stranger and more mysterious aliens. Dandy’s job is to hunt down unclassified aliens and register them for a reward. It sounds easy enough, but something weird always seems to happen along the way, like chance meetings with zombies, mystical ramen chefs, and adorable orphans. Hunting down aliens may not be easy, but it’s definitely never boring.

With the help of his sidekicks, the adorable robot vacuum QT and cat-like alien Meow, and his slightly-used ship the Aloha Oe, Dandy roams the galaxy searching for new alien species. What he usually finds, however, is adventure, danger, and romance, and no two journeys (or universes) are ever the same. This is Space☆Dandy, baby! (from MyAnimeList)

Remember how in my Saiki review, I strongly recommended the sub over the dub in order to get the most enjoyment out of it? Completely disregard that advice for Space Dandy and watch the dub. Seriously, it is perfect. In fact, considering that Space Dandy was in fact released in the West before it was Japan, I’d even go as far to say as it was made to be watched in dub.

Despite the creators being Japanese (the creators of the widely popular in the west Cowboy Bebop), the western influence is very obvious in Space Dandy. Which is said in the best way, since this adds to Dandy’s charm. The humour definitely falls a lot closer to what you’d see in say, Bob’s Burgers rather than Gintama. Of course, it’s still anime. Nothing is too crude (although Dandy does appreciate boobies and booty in equal measure), but everything is just as ridiculous as you’d expect a comedy anime set in space to be. A restaurant shaped like a pair of boobs? Sure, why not. Getting turned into a penguin doll but only for 10 seconds? Okay!

Besides the comedy, the other thing I really rated about Space Dandy – much to my surprise, was the episodic nature of the show rather than being plot driven. For some, the ‘monster of the week’ format can be really off-putting, but for Space Dandy it felt like a perfect decision. By taking on an episodic nature rather than one long plot, the comedy worked a lot better. There was no consequence to the ridiculous scenario that had you in stitches the week before, because now it’s a clean slate and Dandy and his crew will do something even funnier this week. There are little nods to past events here and there, but for what it’s worth, you could probably start watching Space Dandy at almost any episode and enjoy it as  much as someone who had binged from the beginning.

And one can’t write about how Dandy a show is without showing a little love towards the Dandiest guy himself. If you thought Spike Speigel was cool….Dandy looks cool, I guess. That’s where the similarities end, for he is almost utterly useless. I’m not sure how he landed the coolest job in the world, but somehow he’s working it, and splitting my sides in the process. Despite being an absolute buffoon, Dandy’s heart is in the right place, and it’s impossible not to root for him in every situation, no matter how ridiculous or impossible the feat might seem. The rest of the cast are wonderful, too, of course, and in fact provide some pretty hard hitting moments. I didn’t expect to cry at Space Dandy at all, but a robot experiencing love with a coffee maker? Ouch, right in the heart.

For something I entered with admittedly very low expectations, I am happy to say they were surpassed and thrown into another galaxy. Space Dandy had me laughing, crying, and most importantly, enjoying every single of the crazy journey. Now, go watch Space Dandy, baby.

My rating – 9/10

Have you guys seen Space Dandy? What were your thoughts? What are your favourite space shows? Let me know!

Until next time!

 

Bonus: Big shoutout to how much I loved the opening – because I loved this opening.