I don’t mention anime too often because I’m really picky about what to watch (most of it is terrible). But the name Shinichiro Watanabe meant I was ready and waiting for the premiere in January. Watanabe directed the series Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, which are some of my favorites in the genre.
Space Dandy shares some of the same aesthetic and types of story telling as those shows (in fact Dandy takes place in the same universe as Bebop) so this was a treat for me right from the start. It’s a funny sci-fi show that isn’t too heavy on the continuity as sometimes the cast doesn’t live to the end of an episode. It’s a bit refreshing to see as those episodes tend to be really out there. An idea that couldn’t be tied up with a “happy” or “convenient” ending didn’t stop them from going ahead with far out philosophical and science based ideas. The show is packed with both original ideas and nods to the greats of many shows and movies.
The main cast is made up of Space Dandy himself (seen above) who is “a dandy guy in space”, QT who is a robot assistant (like C3PO, but looks more like R2D2) and Meow, a “Betelgeuseian”, who looks suspiciously like a cat (but he isn’t. He really isn’t. Really). They are the crew of the Aloha Oe, a space ship they use to cruise the galaxy looking for unregistered aliens to turn in for money.
Dandy is a cool and suave guy, always on the lookout for a good payday and an attractive woman (no matter the species). There is an amazing amount of diversity and creativity throughout the show. You never know what you are going to get from episode to episode. They sneak in a rather dense central narrative throughout the show with a phenomenal pay off in the finale.
It’s a really weird show, something I was really in the mood for. I large cast of memorable characters with some fantastic animation that brings it all to life. It’s funny, exciting and even thought provoking. Looks like this is a one and done season like Bebop and Champloo which is a bummer, but the journey through space and time is one I won’t soon forget.