Making its worldwide premiere on [adult swim], "Space Dandy" debuted to a relatively monstrous rating for a 10 p.m. show, drawing 1.1 million viewers on its first episode. This was amidst massive amounts of hype and promotion from Cartoon Network, who attained the rights to broadcast the English version of Dandy before its broadcast in Japan a mere 1 day later. To the average anime watcher, "Space Dandy" appeared to be a run of the mill comedy that happens to be set in space. To the hardcore anime watcher, "Dandy" was seen as a possible series that could reinvigorate the state of anime in Japan. Fans latched on as this show was another creation from Shinichiro Watanabe, whose previous works such as "Samurai Champloo" and "Cowboy Bebop" have reached legendary fame and are the bar for which anime is supposed to meet.
Space Dandy had a ton of pressure riding on its shoulders, and judging from its 26-week performance over two seasons on [adult swim], "Dandy" exceeded everyone’s expectations. It consistently drew 1.1 to 1.4 million viewers on a weekly basis. That kind of consistency in viewership is rare for the Toonami block and "Dandy" managed to break those barriers.
To quote the resident narrator of the show, “Space Dandy: he's a dandy guy in space. He combs the galaxy like his pompadour on the hunt for aliens. Planet after planet he searches, discovering bizarre new creatures both friendly and not. These are the spectacular adventures of Space Dandy and his brave space crew in space.” In a span of three sentences that populates the first minute of every episode, the premise is already established. "Space Dandy" follows the misadventures of a space alien bounty hunting team comprised of a "ladies" man named Dandy, a cat aptly named Meow, and QT, an outdated robot, as they travel throughout multiple universes messing stuff up along the way. Think "Johnny Bravo" in the universe of "Rick and Morty." That’s how zany "Space Dandy" is.
In addition, Chief Director for "Dandy," Shinichiro Watanabe, enlisted a different director for most episodes. What that meant was you were bound to get a different product from episode to episode. This element showed through the numerous art styles that were present throughout the show's run. You got normal looking characters, you got trippy visuals, you got relaxing images of death, all in one series.
And to sweeten the deal, the music was above and beyond what anybody expected. Music that sounds like it belongs in space is the best way I can describe it. From the use of synthesizer and keyboards to the use of a relaxing guitar and a lute, the music fits the multiple universes that Dandy inhabits and if I found that music in any other show, it wouldn't feel right. Watanabe wanted a sound from the 80s and thus, he put a limit on the instruments used in the show: they must have been made before 1984. That limitation immediately gave Space Dandy that 80s vibe and that was the entire intent of the series: to give you a show that belongs in the 1980s more than it belongs in 2014.
However, where Dandy differs from being a normal science fiction comedy the most is through the delivery of the story. A seemingly incoherent storyline actually develops nearing the end of the final two episodes and these two episodes actually link the entire series together. Watching those final episodes makes you look back at all the previous ones and say "Hey, that actually makes sense now." It's pretty genius. And to add on, it doesn't matter how you feel at the moment, Dandy appears as the most eclectic mix of humor, heart, and action. Each episode brings something different and it's the mismatched vibe of "Space Dandy" that makes it one of my favorite anime ever.
The entire essence of the "Space Dandy" relies on the cooperation of the art style, the music, the apparent existence of a plot, and their melding with every character's personality. "Space Dandy" has all of it and they utilize those exceptionally well. Despite some complaints that stated that "Dandy" was a flop, though there is no hard evidence to back that claim, this show was nowhere close to being a failure. "Space Dandy" was a smash hit for Toonami and [adult swim] and I wouldn’t be surprised if "Dandy" attains a greater following over the next few years. It is really a show that is worth watching. Now, on to waiting for Season Three.
