Recap

Dandy and crew hunt the elusive Cloudian, Scarlet is persuaded to go to a mixer, and Dr Gel kidnaps Honey.

Zigg’s Thoughts

This is the kind of Space Dandy episode that we haven’t had in a while, one that’s sprinkled with funny ideas and clever concepts but which ultimately doesn’t gel into much. It doesn’t help that it’s by far and away the most conventional episode we’ve had in a while, lacking the crazy spark or left turn that normally powers the show to its best episodes. As it is, it trucks along nicely but I wouldn’t even say it makes the most of the premise it’s given.

If there’s one major criticism that sticks to Space Dandy so far, it’s that the show is pretty sexist. Not that that’s uncommon for anime – in many senses Space Dandy is actually better than average because at least it has its tongue planted firmly in its cheek – but it’s still an unfortunate truth. I was looking forward then to an episode in which the show’s entertaining female regulars were pushed to the forefront. Except…that doesn’t really happen. Sure, this episode nominally focuses on Scarlet, but really she’s sort of sidelined once Dandy and Gentle lock horns, and it’s not like her portrayal as a sort of morose lovesick girl is super intriguing anyway. Honey looks like she’s going to be a big deal, but is mostly just there to setup Dr Gel and Bea’s inevitable cockup. To be fair, the reveal that she’s a super-genius is a funny (if very predictable) joke, but they really don’t do much with the reveal she’s Gentle’s half-sister. I guess they’re going for a cathartic moment to end the episode but it just doesn’t do anything for me, and feels a bit tossed in.

I think that one of the big issues for me is that I just don’t like Gentle. He’s sort of…creepy? There’s no way to slice it, making him what’s essentially a pick-up artist makes it very difficult to have sympathy for him as a character, and I was fully expecting him to be unveiled as some sort of total bastard for Dandy to feud with. Instead they go the opposite way and try to make him sympathetic, and I’m sorry, it doesn’t work. For the more comedic stories like this Dandy needs someone even more obnoxious than he is to battle and Gentle is just too bland to fit that role.

I’ve been pretty harsh on this episode, but that’s mostly because it’s come on the back of such a stellar run. For what it’s worth I still think this was way better than an awful lot of other stuff I could be watching, and there were still plenty of chuckles. It’s just by this point we hold Space Dandy to such a high standard it’s hard not to feel a little disappointed when we get somethign as relatively ordinary as this. Fortunately I doubt it’s the start of a trend.

Random Observations

•  One of the more distinctive touches in this episode is the deeply unsettling laugh track, which is definitely more creepy than funny. There’s a brief, handwaved in-universe explanation for it but I’m pretty sure the producers just liked the amusing dissonance it provides.
• The bad guys display an unusual level of competence this episode, even managing to actually blow up the thing they were trying to blow up!
• In the Boobies dancing scene there’s some pretty appalling cut-and-paste animation on the girls, particularly in the far background.
• The Admiral’s ‘Screw him!’ is one of the funnier lines in the episode.
• The Narrator is on fine form this episode, with his mood-killing monologue a particular highlight.
• Meow references the time Dandy was a zombie. It’s SUPER jarring to have any sort of continuity callback in this show, and I’m honestly not in favour of it (particularly since the joke isn’t very funny).