What They Say
Space Dandy is a dandy in space! This dreamy adventurer with a to-die-for pompadour travels across the galaxy in search of aliens no one has ever laid eyes on. Each new species he discovers earns him a hefty reward, but this dandy has to be quick on his feet because it’s first come first served! Accompanied by his sidekicks, a rundown robot named QT and Meow the cat-looking space alien, Dandy bravely explores unknown worlds inhabited by a variety aliens. Join the best dressed alien hunter in all of space and time as he embarks on an adventure that ends at the edge of the universe!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
This week brings new talent to Space Dandy, with a heartwarming episode written by Code Geass’ and Valvrave’s Ichiro Okouchi, and storyboarder/director Akemi Hayashi. Hayashi is a fairly new director, having only recently worked on Kids on the Slope and Penguindrum, but she’s been a key animator in the industry going back to Revolutionary Girl Utena. She’s a real talent, and this episode showcases her potential, especially in scenes that are scored to music (similar to the ED of Kids on the Slope, and scenes from Penguindrum), as there are two montages.
In this week’s episode, the prey is an alien called a Gentooan (Jentuan?), a kind of alien prankster that leaves alien hunters unconscious and humiliated when they try and capture one. Dandy is too foolhardy to listen to warnings, and goes after the species known only for its telltale antennas. What he discovers is the aliens are connected to what are humanoids, and the Gentooan he’s targeting is a little girl. He’s touched by her antennas and his soul is then transported into the stuffed animal she carries with her, kind of a multiple-eyed penguin creature. The narrator tells us that normally, hunters are too shamed to be in stuffed animal form to continue any kind of pursuit, but Dandy has no shame. Even as a penguin, he subdues the girl and handcuffs her. Because the Gentooan looks like a young girl, and Dandy is of course a notorious pervert, she makes it clear she could easily call for help, but she decides to make a deal. If Dandy will help her locate her grandfather, she’ll accompany him to the Alien Registration Center so he can collect his bounty.
There’s just one little complication: The Aloha Oe is towed, with QT and Meow in it, so Dandy will have to pay to get the ship out of impound. Since he doesn’t have any money, he’ll need the bounty first. So Dandy and the girl, named Adela, are forced to take a space train, which will take several days, to the apartment where Adela remembers her grandfather once lived.
If you’ve seen Cowboy Bebop, the episode plays out pretty much exactly like you’d expect. At first Dandy and Adela are kind of an odd couple who hate each other. Dandy hates kids, just like Spike Spiegel did, and Adela hates adults, who are all liars, just like the kids of Okouchi’s Valvrave did. But over the trip, the two grow closer. It turns out Adela’s grandfather moved away, or even possibly died, and is no longer at the apartment. Adela is angry and sad, but Dandy decides to do some further investigating of his own. Of course, Dandy will reunite the family and refuse to accept the bounty, proving that even he can be decent on occasion. Still, other alien hunters are after a Gentooan, and when Adela zaps Dandy in an argument, hunters sweep in to capture her. Undaunted by his penguin form, Dandy still attempts a daring rescue.
If the episode isn’t the most original, it has two great musical sequences, one of which was even kept subtitled for the Toonami broadcast. It also shows that Dandy can have some dramatic chops if it wants to, and rounds out Dandy’s character just a bit. Much like Lupin III in Cagliostro, Dandy just can’t be heartless to a young kid. As a bonus, in this Space Dandy dimension, it doesn’t even seem like QT or Meow dies.
In Summary
Space Dandy turns in a fairly standard dramatic episodes that manages to recapture the feeling of one of Cowboy Bebop’s similar stories. It’s also a great showcase for Akemi Hayashi to show off her directorial skills and the Space Dandy soundtrack. This episode will be a favorite for many, and dreadfully dull for many others, which is the standard for an episodic show. Drawing comparisons to Cowboy Bebop can only help with the mixed reception Space Dandy once had, as its popularity continues to grow. Great stuff.
Grade: B+
Streamed By: Toonami
Review Equipment: Sony Bravia 32″
Im surprised you didn’t mention the bebops cameo. Its in the lot with the towed vehicles. had to pause it and look up photos just to be sure. looks like she was given a paint job, but thats definitely her.