A spoiler free look into Space Dandy https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/425610213127749634/851613734790496266/35481.jpg Shinichiro Watanabe is considered a mastermind by many. He is behind two of the most legendary anime out there Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo. Of course hes done more than that. Kids on the Slope and Terror in Resonance were both directed by him but these were not as big so Ill refrain to mention them for now. Both Champloo and Bebop were revolutionary thanks to their amazing characters music animation and overall vibe and aesthetic. Champloo and Bebop have a very chill and laidback feel to them being episodical shows with little continuity that sometimes devolved into more somber themes. Mugen and Spike are iconic. You can see their similarities in their demeanor and once you get to know them more you realize more of why they are alike but their differences as well. Both absolutely badass but with this obscure and mysterious aura. Analyzing these shows you start to notice what makes a Watanabe work. Then there is one question that many people started to wonder about... What the hell was Watanabe thinking when he directed Space Dandy? I mean a show about an extremely flamboyant alien hunter who is fixated on women? The vibe of the show is vibrant it heavily fixates on comedy rather than the introspective nature of his earlier works the music choice from the chill and calm tunes of jazz in Bebop and hiphop/lofi in Champloo to the disco tracks in Dandy. This must have been some sort of mistake right? I mean how can you go from two topnotch well thought and structured series to a simpleminded show based on boob and ass jokes? Well let me tell you that Dandy offers a lot more than what meets the eye. Dandy is also a very Watanabestyle anime in its own way. Let me tell you why this is one of my favorite anime and why it stood out among the rest. https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/425610213127749634/851628687560146965/04SPACEDANDYjumbo.jpg At its core Space Dandy is a show about a crew of three alien hunters and their misadventures through space. But in reality one could say that this show is about directors having fun doing whatever they want with the characters and simple plotline they were given. Every episode or almost every episode is directed by a different director for which every episode is a different experience on all different levels. And that is one of the coolest parts of this series its originality. The aliens often break the norm of what youd expect the rich world is beautifully built and expanded on and with so much to offer it is bound to have an episode that is your cup of tea whether it be for where it takes our main crew what themes they decide to expand on what side characters we encounter or even what type of animation style they use. It uses to its advantage the simple idea of three dudes going through space with the fact that the writers vary so much to put Dandy and friends through all types of scenarios from absolutely unique to scenarios full of tropes but with that Dandy touch that is inherent to the aura of this series. One reason people dont seem to be interested in checking out Space Dandy would have to do with the fanservice. For some of course its bonus points but for others it just feels like its way too over the top and will taint the watching experience. Before watching Dandy I also felt this way because lets be real the promotional art and teasers do not help. But in reality it is not as bad as one would imagine. Id say that the first half of the first season has some noticeable fanservice but after that its never really prevalent though it doesnt disappear altogether which is not a bad thing because there is actually some meaning to it. I never really thought about this while watching but after I read a post about it it makes sense. The absurdity of the fanservice is ridiculing how we in reallife may use it as a selling point for marketing or something to get traction with little to no effort for whatever it may be. Heck one of Dandys main motivations is a bar chain called Boobies which is just giant breasts floating on space served by voluptuous women from all kinds of species. Its truly ridiculous. But even then when you may see Dandy as a series with purely comedic episodes which mostly center on boob jokes that is not really the case. It may surprise you but one of the things that Dandy does the best is how it manages to maintain and change its tone and never feeling forced at all. It knows exactly when to get serious. Going from really goofy episodes to heartwarming tearjerker episodes or stories that talk about very somber or existentialist topics. Season two tends to do a better job at doing this but season one has its few shares of episodes that go way off from what youd expect Dandy to be. Some episodes are just comedic for the sake of it throughout sure but youll be surprised with the outliers of the comedy and immature formula some episodes seem to have. And the fact that the comedy for the sake of comedy is prevalent in many episodes just makes all that much better those clever and thoughtprovoking ones. The comedy as well is something that for me hit every or almost every episode. Its never something youll die laughing at but it consistently made me chuckle or smile while watching it. In a similar fashion to Bebop or Champloo it also has its Watanabe style to it with the vibe being setting this series to be absolutely memorable. And the little continuity between episodes makes it all that more special considering the bizarre nature of it that later on becomes much more impactful in how the episodes are interconnected with one another. https://www.slugmag.com/wp/wpcontent/uploads/2015/11/maxresdefault.jpg Dandy well hes just a dandy guy in space. But hes also a very interesting character nothing like what the stereotype of the protagonist could portray. The guys a jerk for sure. He is selfcentered selfish bratty and incompetent at most things. Hes downright flawed. But for that hes very human. He undergoes many struggles and hes not always like he portrays himself to be. I really like characters that actually feel real and human and Dandy is an easygoing and chill guy that could actually be out there. And despite all of his flaws he is also a very considerate guy who actually cares for those around him even when he may be too proud of himself to admit it. When he wants to he is actually a very nice guy that Id actually appreciate as a friend. His two companions Meow the Beetlejucian hes basically just a cat and the vacuum cleaner QT. Meow has a very is very similar to Dandy but they often differ in their ideals. They are a great pair together and he likes Boobies so bonus points for him. As for QT he is the only competent member onboard. I never really loved QT but he is a great and necessary addition to the crew and he has his moment which I very much liked to see. Apart from Dandy for me the character aspect of the series shines in the side characters we meet along the way. It is easy to fall in love with them and hope that they eventually come back down the road. All the aliens have something meaningful to add and sometimes they just downright steal the spotlight in a single episode. It is easily one of the things that makes this show so memorable. You grow to miss em as the series carries on and there never is one that feels out of place especially because the world in Space Dandy is that rich and vast. https://theglorioblog.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/sd2111.jpg Art and animationwise its fantastic. The backgrounds are stellar and the art differs from all kinds of styles going from abstract levels of animation to vivid cheerful and colorful or even dark and pale when the episode calls for it. The movements are incredibly fluid and actually feel real. The action is super well done with the most simple of moves being animated incredibly it really shows how much passion went into making this show. I love how its animated and even though I know nothing of animation or drawing I can still see the beauty and the conquered ambition to create a vibrant atmosphere through its fluid motion and stunning views. What I cant seem to understand however is how godlike the soundtrack is. I cant begin to explain how amazing it is you should listen to it for yourself but the music hits every single time. Having pure disco and funky tracks rock melancholic tunes chill and everything in between the OST for Space Dandy is absolutely on point and its always used at the right time. There are songs like Hoshikuzu no Pipelinehttps://www..com/watch?v=ZrrMlOsSw0 or I want to knowhttps://www..com/watch?v=DZyl6HdKQD0 that just really accentuates the emotion on the scene and leave you with a distinct feeling of pleasure whether sad or upbeat. The opening is an absolute banger and a song Ill never get over and the ending not content with only being an amazing song it is also very meaningful to the story. Youll see what Im talking about when you finish watching it. All in all Space Dandy is a misunderstood piece of media that I very deeply fell in love with. Although not everyone will actually share that emotion I know it and I can live with that. But I hope that I made my point across on why I found this show to be one of my favorites. With all of these seasonal anime that look like Ive seen them before hundreds of times Dandy is a series that definitely tries a lot harder than most and Ill always appreciate that. https://pa1.narvii.com/5588/c54d5c85fb105fbf1a186833667ba59113578ceehq.gif