That Hole in My Life, Part II

As I had mentioned in my previous post, the completion of a TV show really can leave a big gaping hole in your life.  What are you supposed to do with all that free time? Where are you supposed to find characters to back and stuff to talk about with other like-minded friends who are also addicted to your favorite show?  Since I finished not one, but two shows over my Christmas break, I feel like I have way too much time on my hands and I don't know what to do with myself.  I've already blathered on enough about Death Note... now on to the second one: Space Dandy!

"The name's Dandy.  But you can call me Space Dandy!"

Dr. Gel

Space Dandy is an intergalactic alien hunter.  His job is to find rare and new species of aliens, capture them, and bring them to the registration center so that they can be documented (and then, it is presumed that they let them go again).  This way, everyone can keep track of what's in the universe. However, Dandy either is super-inept or just has really bad luck, because he almost never brings in anything of value. Meanwhile, in the background there is an intergalactic war between two opposing armies: that of the Gogol Empire, and that of the Jaicro Empire.  While this doesn't entirely affect what Dandy  does, his steps are constantly dogged by Dr. Gel, a high-ranking member of the Gogol Empire, (who just happens to be a giant gorilla in a periwig), working under direct orders of the devious Admiral Perry.

While Death Note was incredibly dark and heavy, Space Dandy is just off-the-wall and fun.  The storyline sometimes don't make a lot of sense, and the characters Dandy encounters just get stranger and stranger.  In his travels, he is accompanied by QT, an intelligent, but outdated robot vacuum cleaner, and Meow, a Betelgeusean who just happens to look like a cat.

Now, the series does have a tendency to get a bit ridiculous, and even a little raunchy.  For example, Dandy's favorite eatery is called Boobies (probably in homage to Hooters) and is one of my space "brestaurants" (haha).  The waitresses all walk around in bikinis, etc.  But, episode plots are so ridiculous, it's hard not to love this show!  Dandy explores all

Admiral Perry and Dr. Gel

sorts of strange planets, such as the one populated entirely by intelligent plants or the one where the two remaining creatures are locked in a battle to the death over which is better: shirts or pants.  And of course, there is the time when his crew gets turned into zombies, where he goes fishing for a legendary Piscean god in an ocean of mud, or my personal favorites: the shapeshifting imposter that prompts a gameshow to discover who the real Dandy is (The First Ever Dandy Quiz!), and the time that Admiral Perry conquers a planet of librarians because they charged him for an overdue library book!

I have laughed so hard watching this show.  Episode after episode, you're amazed by how they continue to surprise you.  And really, you have a team of very likeable characters.  Even the villainous Dr. Gel worms his way into your heart.  And Admiral Perry?  Well, every series needs that sinister villain!  But, seriously, this is just a fun series!  And I'm sorely in need of a good anime to fill in it's place (sometimes, all a girl needs is just a good, ridiculous space anime that makes little to no sense, but is still AWESOME.  Is that too much to ask?)

No!  That is not too much to ask :(
(Dandy, Meow, & QT)

In the meantime, though, I'm entertaining myself with One Piece, which is awesome, and I have a line-up of other anime that I want to try.  I just have to find one that works for me.... I'll keep y'all posted :)