Space Dandy

[Daikun]

Episode 14 has a title and (incomplete) synopsis.

I Can't Be the Only One, Baby
There's a Dandy in every universe, and Space Dandy is about to meet them all! He just needs to pull the nearest Cosmic String, and he'll find himself face-to-face with himself. Talk about... (synopsis cuts off)

[LumRanmaYasha]

I'm surprised they're doing that as the season premiere. I figured they wouldn't do a alternate/multiple until near the series was over.

[Daikun]

Production notes on Season 2.

- Masaaki Yuasa is not only directing, but also doing animation direction for ep 16.
- Ep 18 is solo key animated by Kiyotaka Oshiyama.
- Ep 23 is written by Keiko Nobumoto, featuring designs by Katsuhiro Otomo with animation direction by Yoshimichi Kameda (source is not 100% sure about this).
- Ep 25 is solo key animated by Michio Mihara and it's a low budget episode with only 2800 drawings, because they used too much money on the previous episodes and the finale.
- Final episode is described as "full force of great animators going on rampage" and it's in production now.

[LumRanmaYasha]

I am very excited for Otomo's episode, as well as that final episode which will no doubt be totally crazy awesome.

But wow, episode 25 is only 2800 drawings? That's less than a really low-budget episode of a Toei series. I wonder how they'll make use of their limitations with that episode.

[LumRanmaYasha]

It seems like Space Dandy is a flop in Japan. That's a shame, but I think most of Watanabe's works are better received in the west than in their home country anyway.

[Foggle]

It seems like Space Dandy is a flop in Japan. That's a shame, but I think most of Watanabe's works are better received in the west than in their home country anyway.

It was always going to flop in Japan. My theory is that Cartoon Network has been providing most of the funding for the show, and its success over here is why it's getting a second season.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

For the record, Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo both did better in the West than in Japan, so this is no surprise. Japan just doesn't seem of care much for the mix of Western-influenced action shows with some traditional Japanese elements in a very stylish sort of blend. Hell, the Trigun anime was also more popular here than in Japan (I can't speak for the manga, though, since I don't know how successful it was or wasn't in Japan).

[Foggle]

Don't quote me on this, but I think I remember reading that the Trigun manga was actually quite popular in Japan, which is why it got an anime in the first place.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Yeah, I heard that the manga was fairly popular in Japan as well even though the anime adaption wasn't. I think one of the reasons the movie was made was because the manga was ending soon and so a lot of hype was there for more Trigun, in addition to the anime's long-standing international popularity.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Summaries for episodes 14-16:

14 - "I Can't Be the Only One, Baby"
There's a Dandy in every universe, and Space Dandy is about to meet them all! He just needs to pull the nearest Cosmic String, and he'll find himself face-to-face with himself.

15 - "There's Music in Darkness, Baby"
After a big fight with QT and Meow, Dandy is lured to the distant planet of an extremely rare, ukulele-playing alien that wants to turn him into a statue - and steal his smile forever!

16 - "Slow and Steady Wins the Race, Baby"
Thanks to a nifty, handheld teleportation device, Dandy and Meow get mixed up with a fishy little alien whose planet is teetering on the brink of obliteration!

[Daikun]

Thoughts on the season premiere?

[LumRanmaYasha]

Episode 14 ratings: 802,000

4th of July weekend really took a toll on the ratings that night.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Episode 15 ratings: 827,000

Toonami's had two weak nights in a row, but it's a shame that Dandy isn't cracking even a million with these episodes. Hopefully the block will bounce back soon and Dandy's ratings will see a rise.

[Daikun]

Episode 16 ratings: 805,000

Man, this show is suffering at 12:30.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Ratings for the block are down in general. We've seen the ratings go into a few week slumps like this occasionally, and eventually they rebound. I'm sure this will too, at some point.