Let's just jump right in.
WARNING spoilers... maybe... also references to boobies WARNING
Plot? Continuity? What the hell are those things? Seriously though, this anime revolves around episodic sub plots that make little to no sense in the grand scheme of things. Each episode is its own plot, and each episode could stand alone with certain episodes that actually build up the characters once in a great while. One episode the team blows up the planet they are on, and the another they all turn to zombies without any mention of how they are still alive. Are the sub plots any good? No not really, however that is kind of the point. This is a comedy anime after all, so the sub plots aren't very serious, and not very good, however that doesn't make them less interesting. Life Insurance people have snipers because zombies are dead and are living off their life insurance claims, a trippy world made of plants, heck there is even a time the crew gets caught in a time loop in the most boring planet of all time. Some of these are just humorous, while some of these actually have some type of interesting plot to them even though initally being kind of a dumb idea. Some of the subplots actually make you question things and think over some things after it is all said and done.
One more note, there IS actually some type of plot going on, however at the end of season 1 it is difficult to spot. Dandy is the luckiest guy in the world, and it shows, however one of the characters babbles about a bunch of things in one of the episodes. He later forgets yes but if you listen it is about a man altering luck and if you listen closely you can almost guess he is talking about Space Dandy. Also the crew of Space Dandy hunts rare aliens for money. For an anime that is so episodic, there are some dumb but overall great sub plots, and there is clearly some type of mystery in the show itself.
Dandy isn't much of a hero. He is a slave to the booty, loves eating at boobies, and him and Meow are pervs. Q-T isn't a perv being a robot, but he is at times kind of dumb, and he is the more intelligent one of the group. There are episodes that each individual character grows from. Dandy lets go a huge bounty of money to help a young girl out, Meow visits his family and gains more respect of his dad, and Q-T ends the season with a bang. The main character though is of course Dandy and he learns plenty in the series, when he isn't dying and reviving or being turned into a zombie. There is Scarlet and Honey as well, but we see very little of their development at the moment, and other characters are good, but they only appear in one episode so mentioning them by name seems silly. Still, overall the characterization is pretty spot on for an anime that takes a dump on continuity.
Yes this anime will make you laugh. It is actually clever in its writing, clever enough to have some comedy though it has some hidden bigger messages as well. Th only thing I dislike is, that because the characters often die and revive there isn't anything you worry about. If a planet blows up who cares? The heroes made it safely or they are inexplicably alive next episode with no explanation. Some of the more dramatic scenes aren't really dramatic. This is a major issue as you don't feel tension from anything in the show. There are a few sad moments, but most of the tension is gone. Still you will laugh and possibly think about things, just not as much tension as the show tries to lead on.
The ONLY issue I have is how much I paid for the DVDs compared to actual episode. Outside of that there isn't an issue with any of the episodes. Some of them have a different animation style to show the differences of each planet which you will either love or hate. It is a creative way and subtle enough to go unnoticed by some, while it will be annoying to others. The quality is pretty great some people just don't like different styles is all. None of the episodes need to be watched in order either, as each sub plot fits in each episode. You can watch the final episode of the season then go back and watch the first and be just as lost as everyone else which is good. Yes you need to see episode one to see how Meow joined the crew, but it is a crazy episode and makes little sense like most of the other episodes.
All and all while there isn't any reason to watch the episodes in order, each episode is excellent, but the number of episodes isn't worth paying too much of a pretty penny for.
Life AFTER becoming a zombie. What happens when Dandy turns into a toy? Ramen that is out of this world? Underwear users vs. vest users? See where I'm going? This anime is bursting with comedic creative genius. This anime goes to the craziest places and odd ball worlds and makes it all work. It is similar to Cowboy Bebop on acid. It is weird and insane, but dang if you don't love something about the ride along the way.
Not everyone will like this anime. If you are looking for a serious anime turn away. If you like traditional art style and hate other art styles for anime this will and won't be for you as it at times sits on the boundary. If you like suspense, this anime won't be for you. That being said if you enjoy humor, weird, different forms of art, and don't care about continuity or that there are only 13 episodes in the season this anime is for you.
Honestly I don't recommend buying this out right due to the low amount of episodes and the price. That being said, there is a lot to love in this anime, it is creatively weird in the best way, and while it seems like it won't make any sense to jump right it, it isn't hard to understand if you jump into the middle of this season. There isn't much action in this anime, but there is plenty of humor and interesting ideas to keep those interested going. I recommend looking into it when you get a chance for sure to see if you enjoy the anime. Retcon baby!