Space☆Dandy S2 13 [END]

Sep1

Space☆Dandy S2 – 13 [END]

By Overcooled, posted under ANIME, Space☆Dandy

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Why would I even bother picking any other picture for the header image?

What a rollercoaster this has been. Full of ups and downs, but always a fun experience. But then again, I’m terrified of rollercoasters so maybe that’s not quite accurate. Anyways, Space Dandy has been one hell of a ride in some sort of fast-moving and exhilarating vehicle. The finale is an excellent representation of that: a wild, full-throttle sprint to the finish line without any time to blink let alone rest. Hold on tight, baby. This is our last ride together.

I’ve always been clamoring for more information about Dandy’s ability to jump from one timeline to another. The introduction of Pyonium made it clear that there was, in fact, an explanation behind all of this. What started off as a passing joke about the crew dying horrible deaths and then reviving instantly for the next episode turned into one important piece of a complex puzzle about interdimensional travel. The episodic nature of Space Dandy became a part of the actual physics for how the universe in the show functioned. It was an episodic show not because the directors just wanted it that way (although I’m sure that’s also true), but because Dandy could switch between different dimensions. Such a clever tactic was not lost on me, and I was thoroughly impressed. I begged to know more about this in just about every post. The finale gave it to me…kind of.

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We learn that Dandy is special enough to become a God since his abilities surpass those of anyone else in the universe. He controls the thread that links together all the dimensions due to the huge amount of Pyonium that he harbours inside him. Or on him. I still don’t know how the hell Pyonium works, but the basic idea is that Dandy has some sort of “thing” attached to him that allows him to do all sorts of sweet stuff. This immense power is what attracted the Gogol Empire to him in the first place. I had completely forgotten that Dr. Gel actually wanted Dandy for something important, and not for some Team Rocket-esque, frivolous impetus.

So Dandy’s special potential causes an entire Empire to kidnap him. They harvest his energy and use it to power a weapon capable of destroying the entire universe. This sparks a war between Jaicro and Gogol. There’s betrayal, giant robots, laser beams, and an apocalyptic weapon that only Dandy can turn off. All of this chaos is around Dandy. Just when I thought things would get deep and we’d understand a reason for Dandy becoming like this in his final moments…he pops out butt-naked from a giant robot version of the statue of liberty (in bondage) and flies through space to save the world. Why oh why did I ever expect a serious explanation or ending? At the time, my mouth hung open in disbelief. Then I cracked a smiled and realized things were so, so much better this way.

To be fair, we do learn a decent bit about Pyonium. It certainly isn’t a Steins;Gate level of detail, but it really gives you enough meat to appreciate the way the show is structured even more. And I’m glad they went the silly route, because that’s really what Space Dandy has always been about: having a good time. Ending with naked shenanigans and Dandy outright refusing to be God just makes so much sense for this show. It’s a lot more entertaining than an explanation about the chemical composition of Pyonium and where it originates from. Sometimes, the audience thinks it knows what it wants, but it doesn’t. I thought I wanted something serious, but I was dead wrong. Laserbeam battles and giant robots were all I needed for a wonderful finale to a wonderful series!

Space Dandy has been a joy to watch. There’s something exciting about how unpredictable of a show it is. It’s like getting 13 gifts from 13 different people. Yes, Space Dandy is like an advent calendar of whacky aliens and bizarre planets. Sometimes you get stuck with a pair of socks, but most of the time you get something more like the keys to a shiny new Mercedes. For all the “meh” episodes, there were many more episodes that absolutely took my breath away. There are so many moments I know I’ll remember for years to come. The High School Musical Parody is probably one of the best episodes of any anime I’ve ever had the pleasure of fixing my eyeballs on. It wasn’t just good…it was “best anime ever” good. If only every episode kept up that level of quality.

However, experimentation is important to find what works. I think Space Dandy improved greatly after season 1 once they ironed out everything and found their groove. I think season 1 aimed for more comedy when it was actually much better at those quirky storylines on creatively-designed planets. Season 2 had a lot more “weird” episodes, and it worked a lot better.

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I think a lot of people approach Space Dandy with a Cowboy Bebop-shaped mould in hand. When Space Dandy doesn’t fit that mould (I’d say it melts the entire thing and turns it into a polka dot hippo), it can be frustrating. I know I was a little confused at what to think at first as well. But I realized that Space Dandy was all about having a good time and not sweating the small stuff. Blogging such a silly show was pretty fun. The famous mini-talks for season 1 were full of discussion, because each episode always had something new to talk about. Then when season 2 came around, I had a chance to actually write about it. I went for it and never looked back. It’s a light-hearted show, but there’s always a deeper issue that can be analyzed. Dandy’s loyalty to his friends, time travel, and the ever-shifting cast of colourful aliens were all exciting things to write about. Really, it was my pleasure.

I’m sad there will be no more Space Dandy, but that’s just how it has to be and I have to suck it up. Although the MAY BE CONTINUED? is quite the tease…Anyways, thanks for reading, baby~!

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