Anime: Space Dandy 5c1w1s

NOTE: This review is based on the first half/season of Space Dandy, also based on the English version. I would like to hear all of your , I'm sure I'll get on improving as I write!
EDITS: The reason for these edits that [initially] I was overly enthusiastic about this show I'm almost a fan of! Sorry for the inconvenience to those who had a first reading on this review.

SPESS DENDY is a work of art.

After all of the "trash" we've ed upon(not even worth mentioning these titles) and forced to accept these fair portion of ridiculously mediocre titles of 2014(there are exceptions), this title started off with a lot of promise. And boy did it deliver(LOL WTF is dis opinion).
From Shinchiro Watanabe(creator/director of Cowboy Bepop, Samurai Champloo, and his... other works I won't even mention here), and "first-time" director Shingo Natsume, it's time to give the title the "respect" it deserves! Or not.

ART
Studio Bones does it again. The staff are now capable to show off their unlimited creativity, counting with talented art directors and animators. It can be slick, colorful, artistic, or just overall insane, that's when imaginative scenarios pull all of the most endearing designs ever conceived. It would captivate the general feel of the series without wasting any time, and since each designer has to use their imagination, it feels greatly beyond what has expected indeed.
Purely all of the animation does a great job at illustrating at just about any action we would see,and all thanks to their animators finally being capable of what they're really capable of. But most of the time, where there isn't a insane amount of CRAZY occurring happening around, it is very simple, and not much excitement and effort comes from these scenes, but it is one of the best nonetheless.
The general mood can be achieved at various forms on this one: between "happiness" and "depression" or just plain "acid" one would reach, achieve, and combine; all the same time, an impressive look. Overall, it's already looking fantastic as it is.

SOUND
Oh god. The music in general fells so "dandy", not because of their mood, but also, the music can talk to you, can share all emotions around it to you, and it just won't stop impressing me. The composing, the voices, the tunes, the beats, the general score is as amazing to listen as well. You can re-listen to them various times if you want to.
The voice acting delivers as well, with their voice actors letting off their unexceptional performances. They can give you goosebumps, they can give you laughs, they can even give you tearjerkers... and that's the dandy way of sound. The only downside, however, is the way the dialogue is written.
Take Dandy's catchphrase for example: "And that's the dandy way to live, baby." is often laughable to the point it becomes satisfying once he does something very awesome.
The OP and ED are very fun to listen as well, as the ED lyrics has something referring to physics and the universe and all that. Overall, it feels very gripping, gives it some depth and catches you some inspiration.

STORY
"Space Century 0014. The mankind discovered the far reaches of space traveling. Humans are but one of a myriad of species. There are countless others, like that one, and those... and all of them. Far too many to name. No seriously, I'm done."
Frankly, the plot seems to lack actual thing right there. But it won't make you laugh and cry without some good humor to add. Countless tropes you're most likely to find on almost every show about robots, traveling, sci-fi, or on space setting can be used well if thought well; unfortunately it wasn't as captivating as I expected but sometimes it would implement tons of ideas about physics, astronomy, space craft, and other creative ideas to be expanded upon. In general, it set a awesome prediction to what future would be like. It becomes a very interesting concept, and the aesthetics are very strangely unique to look at, but since this setting can be recycled in SPACE any time, it can't be more surprising either.
The fourth wall device is used as if there is a fourth wall ready to be destroyed within seconds. And the pyonium is used as a deus-ex-machina device it's unpredictably insane. The dialogue is campy at best, or when the writing is suddenly gaining competence and intelligence of where are they doing sometimes. Development won't be expected for each episode, as the story can't excel at actual depth of storytelling, or maybe the writing can be the culprit of all this. Is as if they're promising us an EPIC JOURNEY ON SPACE!!!! And the events occurs very randomly, and as it will go to great lengths to change this, it's a fast-paced one to boot!
And the humor doesn't lack around here! I know that Dandy has a flair for women, but sometimes, as far as fanservice is handled, it becomes tiresome and very out-of-focus. But genuine comedy is at best, genuine to laugh at. References to other works are featured as if it was there or something. Aaaaannnndddd the story in these episodes are shitty enough.
The sub-plot is a ongoing war between Gogol Empire vs. Jaicro Empire over the control of the universe, and that's all you can hear about it. Gogol Empire are focused much more, and they also have their motives to capture the alien hunter... for unknown reasons that may be revealed sometime, if ever... ...aaaaand let's keep it that way until I watch and review the "second" season.

I kind of expected an ass-pull or just laziness from the writers, but it turned out to be the other way around. Well, at least for a few episodes. Overall, the pretentiousness just doesn't stop spreading afloat the general plot but these doesn't distract it from having such... interesting quality as I recall.

CAST
Just about everyone is lively. Ranging from electronic devices, human/alien characters, new-generation robots, four-dimensional objects, and countless species... that is a huge load of characters flying around, but most of them only appear one or more episode(s) after, and their appearance varies from having their roles demoted to just simply not appearing at all after their appearances. Sad to see them wasted like that, because they had potential, and the fact that they are more than just stereotypes or something.
But some characters are active on appearance on later episodes(main characters included, and a few ing characters as well), and although these can be underdeveloped(which is a serious problem) these make for a very interesting watch.

To start off; the personalities of all these characters are actually colorful and includes actual depth and development that will reach into as far as the speed of sound(or not LOL). Others will even demonstrate more than their usual personalities(it is rarely featured and implemented into the series) - that is, once we reach the second season/half. Each character has a very distinct appearance, and they are carefully designed as to avoid copying from other works. Sure, not everyone can be awesome, but they are otherwise as likeable and memorable as you can try to relate to them. Sure, competent, sane characters act and do something very realistically to events or otherwise, but their characterization are just as well-founded and it can progress if episodic plots doesn't get in the way of the plot itself, which was attempted many times as well but has failed miserably.

The narrator give us in-depth explanation of how are those events occurring, how do they happen, and interacts with other characters or just berate with them if they're just excelling at idiotic way of thinking. He has a very sexy voice too.

VALUE
I tried to hold off this anime to watch it later, but then I watched animated clips and that convinced me to watch this thing.
The problem is that your mileage may vary. That is, if this setting, storytelling, episodic plots and the humor can suit you. Hell, even the series is polarizing for lots of faults as well so by any means it's loose as hell!
But if there's something that deserves to be mentioned is the creativity and the animation in general. You can watch it for the music, too!
And since it's not the first time Shingo Natsume has directed a work, the direction can be very smooth to follow, if not a bit confusing if you can't understand these themes, characteristics, and the "deep" meaning of the setting itself that kept me for watching as it progresses(overused tropes, cliche deconstructions... and here we go)
But don't worry, feel free to give it a try.

ENJOYMENT
Despite have too much of a flaw(the enjoyment score should explain you everything), it was a very interesting watch that set me another hope on the anime industry. Second season/half(have I mentioned this already), off we go!

RECOMMENDATIONS
MD Geist if you want something worse than this
Planetes if you want a superior work that is better than this one