Space☆Dandy Episode 1: Live With the Flow Baby [Recap]

When I first saw the trailer to Space Dandy I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing. An anime directed by Shinichirô Watanabe (who also directed Cowboy Bebop, and Samurai Champloo, amongst many other spectacular pieces of animation) that would have its world wide release here in the States? Instant joygasm. Quite frankly, all I needed was that one trailer on Adult Swim, which totally rocked the Misfits’ song “I turned into a Martian,” to get me hooked. Then I waited, and when episode one hit the web, I watched it, and watched it again.

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                                                                                      GIF by Zimfan/ reddit

I’ll be honest, after the first time through watching Space Dandy’s debut episode I was left a little underwhelmed. While the animation was stunning, and the tracks funkalicious, I still had an itch that just wasn’t scratched.  Chalk full of booby jokes, bikini sporting Hooters BooBies babes, and a nonsensical plot that was little more than unadulterated chaos pushing each scene, there was a part of me that just wanted more. Then I remembered that this show was a firecracker that had just been lit, and I was only just starting to ride on this psychedelic space funk rollercoaster. So I watched it again, and took Dandy’s advice. I went with the flow.

When I let go of the “expectations” I had built up, and simply let the waves of trippy aliens, dude monologues, and boobies wash over me, I found myself falling in love. The action was hot, the jokes titillating, and the tunes tasty. It made me realize that the team behind this Dandy dynamite knew exactly what they are doing, and I was a fool to doubt them. The episode is packed with little touches and big set pieces that really make it something else. Like when a giant red robot is freed from its stony prison and proceeds to smash a huge alien centipede thing with its metal fist, only to be swallowed up by a goop monster. Yeah, that’s Space Dandy.

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                                                                             GIF by leasonthomas/ Tumblr

There are lines between our heroic trio of alien hunters that you might miss your first time through, bits of animation that are hidden in the glorious madness that dominates the screen. Especially in that ending sequence, where Dandy and Meow (who is a Beetlejuician, not a space cat but totally a space cat) are beamed down by the loveable, yet obsolete, robot, QT, to a planet exploding with giant alien monsters.  There is a galactic war going on, and an evil wig sporting space monkey that seems to be plotting against our heroes, but none of that really matters.

Space Dandy: Live With the Flow Baby is an unapologetic introduction that screams style and attitude. It is so busy with action and poking fun at anime that it may leave you overwhelmed at first, maybe even a bit confused as to what you just watched. But don’t harsh the vibes maaan, mellow out and try to go with the flow. You might just find yourself digging what Dandy dishes out. I know I did, and I’m definitely looking forward to what the next episode brings this Saturday, 1/11/14, on Adult Swim.