Space☆Dandy / Tear Jerker

This may be Denser and Wackier compared to Watanabe's other shows, but that doesn't mean the tears won't flow.

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Season One

Episode 2: The Search for the Phantom Space Ramen, Baby

A bit odd for a series like this to be sure, but you can't help but shed a few Manly Tears at the end of Dandy's visit to Pop's ramen stand.
- It gets worse when you know the real world subtext. Ichirō Nagai, the Japanese voice actor for the shop owner, would die only two weeks after the episode aired, making it his last role. His English voice actor Grant James also passed away eight years later.

Episode 4: Sometimes You Can't Live With Dying, Baby

Despite being turned into a zombie, Dandy won't ever give up the fanservice he needs at BooBies, and fortunately, Honey is dim enough not to notice he's dead... but upon attempting an ass grab, Dandy's slowed-down reflexes aren't fast enough and Honey leaves him hanging. It's sad seeing Dandy not being able to return to his one obsession after his change. ...that is, until everyone in the universe turns into zombies later.
When Dandy is escaping the hospital, he seems genuinely upset that he's leaving his zombified friends behind. Compare to when he recklessly used QT as a weapon.

Episode 5: A Merry Companion is a Wagon in Space, Baby

When Adélie thinks that Dandy is going to abandon her, she angrily runs off to a dark corner of the space port just to break down and sob. The episode builds up their relationship, and she just feels so hurt and betrayed. It's heavily implied that this isn't the first time Adélie has been cast aside by an adult.

Episode 8: The Lonely Pooch Planet, Baby

Laika's sad death after finally making a friend. Meow being more worked-up by her death than Dandy, despite acting like he wanted to get rid of her before. Dandy somehow building a rocket coffin to give her a space burial. The reveal that Laika was the first creature sent to space, and was living alone (as far as she knew) on a trash planet for an impossible to guess amount of time, somehow hanging on to life all that time waiting for someone to come along who would love her and play with her.
Laika: "Thanks for playing with me. I'm pretty sure this isn't your fault."
- It's even worse if you've ever had to euthanize a dog, as the breaths before her death are very true-to-life.
- Even the Narrator tears up as he speaks of it.

Episode 9: Plants are Living Things Too, Baby

The plant people turning back into regular, non-sapient plants at the end, made worse by the fact that Dandy was tricked into causing it. The look of shock and sadness on Dandy's face as Dr. H and little 033H say their last goodbyes to him, followed by silence as he stares solemnly at his two plant friends' now immobile forms and the realization sinks in that the once wondrous, vibrant and lively Planet Planta has become a very lonely world, speak volumes.

Episode 10: There's Always Tomorrow, Baby

Meow's goodbye to his family, but especially his father, whom he was initially distant to. Made even more poignant since he spent a good portion of the episode using the time loop as a way to grow closer to his father, even though his dad likely doesn't remember anything about all the days they spent together.

Episode 13: Even Vacuum Cleaners Fall in Love, Baby

At the beginning of the episode, QT speculates that emotions, such as love, are a massive waste of time and energy, until he falls in love with a Coffee Making Machine. Due to her falling in love as well, she is ruled defective and sent to "Dream Island", a garbage dump for machines that display emotions. When QT follows her there, he learns of a plot shared by the machines to destroy mankind for abandoning them, led by the person Maker actually loved, Cash Register. After realizing Coffee Maker had fallen in love with Cash Register all along and not him, QT is heartbroken, yet still determined to save both the machines and people from mutual destruction. He's struck by a science experiment gone wrong, growing in size and trying in vain to fight them off, becoming highly damaged in the process. At this point, QT speculates once more:
QT: "The universe is brimming with waste. What is particularly wasteful are emotions, like 'love' and 'affection'."
- He has become completely unable to face the heartbreak of lost love, and instead attempts to convince himself in vain that it's a waste of time—even when he knows he wouldn't have done any of this if not for it. Coupled with the amazing battle music and scenery, if that doesn't bring the tears, nothing will.
- Try watching the battle to THIS MUSIC.

Season Two

Episode 14: I Can't be the Only One, Baby

Poor Emo Dandy. His Crew is a Cyborg that no one can understand and carries a helmet that he never wears and a whiny voiced man who says he's a robot. Kinda makes you wonder what his ship is like.

Episode 15: There's Music in Darkness, Baby

The fate of Ukulele Man and Dandy's parting words to him.
Ukelele Man: "That's okay. It can end like this. A smile probably wouldn't have suited me anyway."
Dandy: "Actually, baby, you're smiling right now."
Ukelele Man: "I am? Really? And is it... is it a good smile?"
Dandy: "Good? No, that's a great smile you've got there."
Dr. Gel being rejected by a ghostly vision of his mother as he drowns in the River of Time because she is unable to recognize him.

Episode 16: Slow and Steady Wins the Race, Baby

Carpaccio crossing the Despair Event Horizon when he returns to Planet Girlfriend and finds out that his girlfriend hooked up with an arrogant Jerk Jock and that they both despise him. He is soon cast out by his own people despite trying so hard to warn them about the approaching sun that will kill them all if they don't abandon their world. It gets so bad that he comes to believe that they've all become rotten from the inside and wishes them all death, culminating in him running towards the hellish solar inferno so he can die as well. The last thing he sees is a phantom of his girlfriend running towards him.
Despite all his efforts and risking utter immolation, Meow is unable to save Carpaccio's life.

Episode 21: A World with No Sadness, Baby

Episode 23: Lovers Are Trendy, Baby

The episode ends with Dandy and Scarlett coming this close to meeting again and resolving their feelings, only to be kept from seeing each other by a train passing between the two of them.

Episode 24: An Other-Dimensional Tale, Baby

The real reason Catherine broke up with Dandy and Dandy's motivation for helping her deal with Paul.

Episode 25: Dandy's Day in Court, Baby

Really, Dandy refusing to talk throughout the entire court just showing how terrified he is that he's being charged with murder. It's a very serious crime and it's understandable why he wouldn't want to talk. At least until it's revealed he was actually asleep the entire time.

Episode 26: Never-Ending Dandy, Baby

Everything involving Dr. Gel after he gets shot by Bea.
Dandy leaving behind his friends so he can stop the Super Hulkider from destroying the universe.
Trapped in a pyonium inferno, Dandy desperately reaches out to his video monitor where QT, Meow, Scarlet, and Honey are watching him.
In the scene where we learn the final truth of the series, we hear a beautiful-sounding vocal hymn. It's the vocals from the show's explanatory recurring cold open. It's a hymn to Dandy.

Tear Jerker / Space☆Dandy