Tv series these days tend to follow a linear plot over the course of an entire season with each episode slowly building on the last until we watch with glee as the whole structure comes crumbling down with the final episode, not much different from a toddler building a leggo castle for the sole purpose of demolishing it, sure the fun lies in putting it together but at the end of it all, we want to see it come down and the chaos that comes with it.
It can all be very intense, which begs the question, How does someone unwind with all this high intensity television?
Shows like breaking bad and early game of thrones among others require a small degree of focus to follow, so what if you simply want to smile?
What if you want to feel like you're among friends on a hilarious and touching ride through the cosmos with no extra baggage?
If so, then hop aboard the aloha oe with Dandy, Meow and QT for a one way ride to sheer uncut enjoyment.
The episodic format of Space Dandy gives it a certain amount of appeal to me, no binge watching, no need to scratch the itch that is the cliffhanger. No instead each episode is a self contained bundle of bliss. If i had to give a single word to describe Space Dandy that word would be satisfaction.
Now that's not to say that there is no plot whatsoever, there is an overarching plot but it isn't the focal point of the series (in fact it only really becomes relevant in the last episode), the focal point of the series is by my estimate the character interactions and development. In doing this i felt that space dandy was more akin to accurately portraying reality than most fictional TV series out there.
The main character is simply trying to live his life the way he intends with those close to him whilst greater plots and schemes unravel in the background seemingly unnoticed until they become an immediate threat, no hero's, no plans to save humanity, no need to rise to the occasion, in Dandy's case, the man simply wants boobs.
The characters are seemingly simple for the vast majority of the series but their values and Morales are discovered through stand-alone episodes thus revealing the complexities behind their normal social facades. Much alike reality, there's always a face behind the mask.
Dandy for example is a salacious, self proclaimed smooth talking bounty hunting buffoon that bumbles through space in search of new alien life forms so he can drag them bag to the alien registration space station for some quick cash which is swiftly disposed of at an intergalactic titty bar. But under it all Dandy is later revealed to be a deeply lonely individual in search of love and though his lone wolf disguise says otherwise he values passion comradely and friendship.
But it's the bombastic colors, art style and music that really get my dick hard when talking about Space Dandy. When that opening narrative description collides with the mysterious music and picture i've posted above, it creates something magical, something telling me "it's alright owen, hop aboard and join the fun", an escapists wet dream. And thats only the god damn opening sequence.
Look, i'm going to level with you here, Space Dandy isn't for everyone. It's absurd, whacky, stupid and occasionally uneventful (Which i think is one of the points of the series)To the untrained eye it may seem like garbage anime to tuck into,but to more than the casual observers, Space Dandy is a truly enjoyable way to unwind, my own visual cup of tea.
