Space Dandy is an excellent example of American and Asian cross cultural currents. Space Dandy has an early psychedelic vibe and is paired with the absurdity of Japanese comedy. Space Dandy takes digs at American Pop culture making fun of both of American s/f but also ingrained itself.
Space Dandy is like the “Johnny Bravo” of American Cartoons, and a mixture of a ‘greaser’ archetype who enjoys metal and is also a surfer.
The show is very much a throwback to the psychedelic science fiction infested 60s, but it’s interesting to take note that Japan had it’s own psychedelic movement.
“Dandy’s another in a long line of lovable rogues with a space ship; in his DNA you can see distinct traces of Han Solo, plus a splash of Zapp Brannigan’s misplaced self-confidence, Peter Quill’s likeable clumsiness and, to cite a character outside the sci-fi genre, the Fonz’s penchant for styling cream.”