Cowboy Bebop is typically hailed as one of the most important and influential anime of all time, while other series mentioned in the same breath, Samurai Champloo and Space Dandy, garner similar reactions from fans. As each are notably directed by Shinichir Watanabe, each series are compared to each other on a basis of quality, idiosyncratic blending of Japanese and Western aesthetics, and their fantastic, genre-bending soundtracks. But Space Dandy stands out as an unusual spiritual sequel to Cowboy Bebop in how much it strays thematically, to feel wholly fresh and wildly entertaining.
