Dandadan ダンダダン

2024 fall | Episodes: 12 | Score: 8.5 (404456)

Updated every Fridays at 00:26 | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Producers:Aniplex | Dentsu | Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions | Mainichi Broadcasting System | Shueisha

Synopsis

Reeling from her recent breakup, Momo Ayase, a popular high schooler, shows kindness to her socially awkward schoolmate, Ken Takakura, by standing up to his bullies. Ken misunderstands her intentions, believing he has made a new friend who shares his obsession with aliens and UFOs. However, Momo's own eccentric occult beliefs lie in the supernatural realm; she thinks aliens do not exist. A rivalry quickly brews as each becomes determined to prove the other wrong. Despite their initial clash over their opposing beliefs, Momo and Ken form an unexpected but intimate friendship, a bond forged in a series of supernatural battles and bizarre encounters with urban legends and paranormal entities. As both develop unique superhuman abilities, they learn to supplement each other's weaknesses, leading them to wonder if their newfound partnership may be about more than just survival. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Voice Actors

Wakayama, Shion

Hanae, Natsuki

News

Reviews

Belts
03/15/2025, 05:12 PM
In my review of the Chainsaw Man anime I mentioned that Dandadan, which I was still watching at the time, seemed to borrow tonal cues from Chainsaw Man's irreverence. The main point of comparison, and what caused me to make that claim, is the emphasis both works have on the literal and figurative emasculation of their protagonists. Not only do CSM's Denji and DDD's Ken lose part or all of their penises, they are both surrounded by forceful, controlling, or outright aggressive female figures who propel the plot. And could there be a more irreverent take on shounen, a genre literally called "Boy," than emasculation, theelimination of its maleness? Both shows may cleave to certain shounen tropes to the letter (especially in their fight scenes), but in this way they set themselves apart. It's certainly a far cry from, say, My Hero Academia, where female characters are relegated to minor supportive roles. In Dandandan, the purpose of this emasculated hero is much more clear. DDD uses a familiar nerd-to-coolguy storyline for its protagonist. He begins friendless, isolated, defined by his nerd hobbies. As a symbolic representation of his situation, he not only loses his penis, but his name; Momo, the female lead, refuses to call him "Ken Takakura" due to it also being the name of her favorite actor/celebrity crush, and refers to him instead as "Okarun," a play on "occult," which his otaku interest centers around. The real-life Ken Takakura was known as a stoic, tough, and thus stereotypically masculine figure, the opposite of DDD's Ken Takakura; the suggestion of the narrative arc is that Okarun will gradually develop into a character more deserving of the name, at which point Momo will call him by it. Then he'll also get his balls back. The emasculated hero also stands in foil to the Serpo, the all-male alien race who serve as the show's recurring villains, and who are the only other male characters in the show until its last couple of episodes. The Serpo are, like the hero, depicted as emasculated, with high-pitched effeminate voices and a lack of sexual organs. Also like the hero, they're depicted as nerds, wearing stiff tucked-in white shirts buttoned up to the neck and spouting sci-fi technobabble. The difference is that they cannot "evolve," as they claim. This is explained as a byproduct of their reliance on cloning for reproduction (and is the reason why they want to harvest human sexual organs), but symbolically suggests a state of perpetual manchildness, the otaku who never develops or grows, compared to Ken, who does. Meanwhile, for lack of a better word, the Serpo are rapey. An involuntarily celibate failure state of otaku-ness, and by the implication of the foil what Ken must work to avoid. After all, the Serpo also have no penises. They have replaced them with whirring phallic probes, a literally weaponized masculinity. They introduce themselves to Momo as simply wanting to be friends, before revealing their nefarious sexual ulterior motives; this contrasts Ken who first sees Momo legitimately as a friend before he even begins to develop romantic feelings for her. It's in Dandandan's simple, unified clarity of purpose that I find my comparison to Chainsaw Man to be ultimately flawed. As it goes on, this simplicity starts to make DDD saccharine, treacly. The same dramatic loop is wrung again and again: Ken or Momo say something mean to one another, or lie, or make a mistake, then they mentally kick themselves over it ("I was such a jerk!"), and lastly give an earnest apology for their behavior. This happens countless times, sometimes rooted around the flimsiest, most obnoxious of misunderstandings. The show pulls the same bullshit as Parasyte (another nerd-to-coolguy story!) where Girl A sees Boy A touching Girl B, and assumes that means Boy A is being unfaithful, but really Girl B was being forcefully sexually aggressive and Boy A didn't like it and was trying to get away, but Girl A doesn't know this, and it becomes this whole big thing despite nobody (except Girl B, morality's sacrificial lamb) actually having done anything wrong. I hate "misunderstanding" plots like this. They're complete contrivances for the sake of drama. But that's more-or-less the level DDD is operating at. There's a part near the end, when the show's only other human male character shows up. He's Momo's childhood friend, he has a rapport with her, and even though it's clear to the audience Momo has no romantic interest in him, Ken gets jealous, which the audience knows because he stews over it in class while the teacher lectures about the word "jealousy." It's facile. If Chainsaw Man invited the audience to turn its brain off, DDD is doing something much more annoying by inviting its audience to turn its brain down to the level of a 10-year-old. Meanwhile, the supporting cast doesn't have much going on. Momo is ostensibly at least a deuteragonist and is in some ways framed as the main character, and while she is certainly active in the story and its battles, she is also a much flatter character than Ken. The basic conceit of the show seems to be what happens when an otaku meets a gyaru, with the indication that this unlikely combination will somehow improve them both, but the onus for improvement is placed entirely on Ken, other than a few instances where Momo says something mean and then immediately apologizes for it. She is introduced as getting romantically involved with a series of dirtbag guys who she mistook as masculine ideals due to their superficial similarities to the actor Ken Takakura; but the moment she meets the character Ken Takakura, she ceases to have any romantic interest in anyone else and is essentially waiting around for the character Ken to develop into something akin to the actor Ken. She's quite patient about it, too. Momo is not defined by her gyaru-ness the way Ken is defined by his otaku-ness. There isn't a suggestion, say, that she is stereotypically superficial or vain, the way Ken is stereotypically awkward and monomaniacal. (In fact, the show introduces Aira as superficial and vain, which only makes Momo look more put-together by contrast.) She is, at most, prone to emotional outbursts, which can always be papered over by an "I'm sorry." She even has her own friends! There are significantly lower emotional stakes in her relationship with Ken compared to Ken's relationship with her. Because of this, while Ken is emasculated by the story, he is also centered within it, core to its foundation. This is in contrast to CSM's Denji, who increasingly comes across as a minor part of his own show, a pawn in the schemes of others who is emotionally divorced from the consequences of anything that happens. It creates a narrative that is doing one thing and devoting all of its energy to that one thing, but it doesn't give the show much breadth, or much to think about. Ultimately, where forcing myself to think more deeply about Chainsaw Man improved the experience and led me to some insights I otherwise wouldn't have made, thinking about Dandadan didn't lead to a similar result. It doesn't help that Dandadan's story is far more episodic than Chainsaw Man's, rarely compounding upon itself. This episodic nature is emphasized by how the studio didn't even bother to end the season at a logical place, instead cutting its current episodic arc right down the middle. Lastly, I suppose I should mention that, like Chainsaw Man, this show looks amazing. The production values are all excellent, especially the OP. It feels like any flavor-of-the-month anime is going to look great, but I am currently trudging my way through a rewatch of Sword Art Online, and it's staggering how cheap that show looks, how it cuts corners at every conceivable opportunity. Can't take "looking good" for granted in this racket.
Ba-Cii10
02/03/2025, 02:30 PM
🟠Fall 2024 Dandadan, probably the most popular anime in 2024, does it meet expectations and does it deserve all the hype it had when it was broadcast?...... In this story we actually follow two protagonists, one believes in aliens but does not believe in ghosts, the other the other way around, believes in ghosts but does not believe in aliens, both want to prove to themselves that what they believe in exists and eventually it turns out that both exist, then one of the protagonists is cursed and gets cool transformations, the plot from now on will consist of striving to remove the curse and fighting variousmonsters and in between we will get something in the style of a school romcom. Well... The plot is quite generic, as standard we have teenagers with powers who fight monsters but here this anime does not take it all 100% seriously, the plot is deliberately fast/chaotic and although it often does not work very well, it gives a bit of a sense of freshness. BUT...after all, we've already had demons, curses and kaiju, time for aliens and ghosts, although unlike the others, here there are two types of monsters, so what does it matter? in this and that case we just fight fancy monsters but here it's a bit more diverse and there's a hint that the main threat is aliens who come from another world and want to invade Earth (of course not all of them), and ghosts were once human and ultimately their existence in this world serves the good of humanity. So yes, we have a typical world filled with monsters that need to be defeated, these monsters often have some cliched sad backstory but despite everything it is presented a bit differently and more interestingly, in theory there are more possibilities here and it has greater potential than other series of this type. Back to not taking itself 100% seriously and intentional chaos... This anime seems to be a bit of a parody of other battle shounen series that involve fighting monsters, the antagonists are mostly not portrayed seriously, the things they say and do even though they are evil/cruel are more laughable, the cool transformation of the MC (where the MC suddenly starts acting like an emo) is also comically exaggerated, thanks to which we don't roll our eyes when we see the same motif again, plus unlike other anime, this transformation doesn't make the MC OP, he still needs a second protagonist and doesn't do everything himself. But not taking himself seriously in this anime is not always a plus, sometimes some of the tricks are really annoying, it's often the case that we get a scene where Okarun suddenly says something emotional and serious only to suddenly forcibly reverse expectations and make a loud comedy out of it, after a while it was just tiring. However, the balance between goofy comedy and something serious was quite good. Overall, the pace may be too fast for many, as I said this anime wants to be fast and weird but in this formula not everything has the opportunity to resonate properly, it is hard to get emotionally involved, and in general getting involved in this anime is made more difficult by the fact that it is really an anime "about nothing" the goal is to get the MC's eggs back but the plot boils down to random fights with monsters and a fairly predictable/boring romance between the protagonists (where both got along as if they were close friends from the very beginning which makes the romance a bit shallow) even though this anime has a goal, it does not seem important, things happen and you really don't know where it is all going. Characters... They are definitely funny and charismatic, it's really fun to watch their interactions, but there's probably a big problem with the main characters, for the first 12 episodes this anime wasted time on a lot of pointless stuff, but didn't spend enough time developing the characters. The characters don't really have any interesting backstory, it's more about the here and now, we know why Momo and Ken believe in aliens and ghosts, which is the most important thing we need to know, but it feels neglected, we know that but it doesn't really develop the larger story of the characters, these characters just are. We didn't even see where Ken lives or what his family is like, we mostly focus on the main couple's regular romance and we don't show their backstories in depth or their struggles with anything. World building... It has some cool elements but then again, this anime wastes time on pointless action that doesn't result in much but not on deepening the world, in these 12 episodes we should learn a lot more about the world, e.g. in a world full of dangerous spirits, are there no other people with powers apart from Momo's grandmother? It gives the feeling that the world is not alive and nothing apart from the main characters is important in it. It seemed that I complain more but overall I liked this anime, it was rather time well spent even though I stopped thinking about this anime immediately after the end of the last episode and only returned to it for a moment in my thoughts just to write this review haha The most important anime of 2024 but for me it's just "watch it and forget it" Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐❌❌❌❌❌
Panda_Roll
01/22/2025, 06:25 PM
DDD was the most hyped anime of the year. On first glance the reason why is obvious. An amazing OP, Bright colors, great animation and loads of action. It's a spectacle for sure... but that's all. The format for the show is action scene, action scene, action scene, fan service, action scene. The characters never get a proper introduction so even after a full season I don't feel like I know them.There is no plot either, just a series of action scenes with some prize at the end if they manage to clear the level, yes like in a game. DDD is great on the surface but scratch that surface and there's nothing below it. For example the show has two major side characters. One only gets introduced half way through the season while the other shows up in episode 11, literally just before the finale! Also for an action anime that "finale" was so lame. Personally, I did not like this show. I do value good characters and plot over everything else so this wasn't for me. I do think it was carefully calculated to appeal to a young demographic though. Just wish it actually had something to say... other than "BUY ME" that is.
netaraxia
01/20/2025, 07:46 PM
Alright the reason why I fw this anime so bad is cos I’ve already read the manga back when it was still ongoing with the first volume— and even just reading the manga you WILL still get hyped. As far as some of ya’ll has been saying that this anime has no real substance. Just let it marinate trust. Just because it’s overhyped doesn’t mean that it’s automatically bad. It’s crazy but who doesn’t love crazy? Also, I think majority in this community has already agreed on how good this anime is. Not to mention the intro has already dominated every space online 😭😭😭
bergars
01/16/2025, 09:54 PM
It's so beautiful to see my beloved weird manga come to animation as an acclaimed gem. We all know its fame. The bombastic, strange, the first episode filter story, unusual, but at the same time, romantic, fun, brutal, disturbing, saddening, epic, awe-inspiring. One moment, a fun fight scene against an incredibly designed ghost, minutes later, one of the most soul-crushing, and artistic depiction of a mother's love, and tragedy akin to One Piece's backstories with NO DIALOGUE. It's all those things, it's all of what the people say, and its creation is as interesting as is the series itself. An author, wishing to tell atragic story, is given shoujo manga by the bulk, and as a changed man, and after doing work for Fujimoto himself, he comes up with this banger of a shonen. Conventional? Only in structure. Innovative? Not particularly. It does what it wants well, and it does it with power, character designs, dialogue, slice-of-life scenes that ground each scene. Teenagers being awkward without it being annoying. It's a lovey-dovey show that can make its craziness all the more meaningful because you care so much about the characters. The lack of normalcy makes the fight scenes an actual danger, and the normal life segments so much more desirable. We enjoy both due to the incredible animation, and whenever there isn't a banger scene that challenges people's lives, we get misunderstandings solved with communication. Every character introduced is shown to have so many layers, and the walking clichés aren't just that. The bully isn't just that, they have a reason to put people down, they evolve once shown the value in other people. They can be great people, they can be hateful too. We're introduced to a flamboyant guy who could EASILY be the cliché of hidden bad intent, but NO, he's the bro-est bro out there, and he sticks with the attitude for what we've seen. The show miraculously works in everything it tries to do. You trust the writer, the confidence, with each scene. There aren't many stories that can trust on the audience this much, not because it's complicated, but because with a slight mistake, everything goes off the rails and becomes incoherent. Not here. Writing, characters, animation, scenes, dialogue, situations, comedy. It all just works. However, the ending of this season is such a terrible cliffhanger. It isn't even like a “the stakes are set, now we have to see what happens next”, no it's like they cancelled the season altogether. 9/10. We need more. Dandadan needs more.
Kevao51
01/15/2025, 08:40 PM
Man, the anime starts off really strong, but from the second half onwards, it gets really lazy. Dan Da Dan is the TikTok of anime, delivering everything Gen Alpha loves to see: quick content that doesn’t require brainpower, chaotic and erotic to lift the spirits of a 15-year-old boy who doesn’t have everything he wants. Anyway, that said, we’re witnessing a new wave of anime arriving with this same formula to please the new generation. I had already finished my review, but they didn't let me post it because it was too short. What else can I say? The anime doesn't have much content besides fights(well-animated, by the way), balls, and nudity.
charliegreyjoy
01/05/2025, 11:10 PM
The anime is pretty good, the interaction between characters is great and they have a lot of personality. I would have given it a better score if it wasn't for the fan service and some issues it has. I'm a straight man and of course I don't suffer this kind of violence, but all women have suffered one way or another, so on that note, there are a couple of scenes that are so violent and I wouldn't like to watch as a woman, neither as a man. I think those scenes are disgusting and there's no need to include them. Maybe the anime /manga authors thought that it was kind of punk to include 'pervy' themes in the series but that just isn't true. It stinks, and Japanese anime has to do better than that. So please we all should be more demanding with this issues and make 'em overcome this old-fashioned values and 'jokes' which are no fun anymore
Big_Walnuts2026
01/03/2025, 07:32 PM
This Anime, unlike many harsh critics believe, is not just a fast food anime. It's made with a love most aren't made with anymore. It's cliche at times but thats the fun if it. It's not afraid to redo things in its own style. A supernatural style if you will. The largest reason I enjoyed it so much, the characters. They know what they want, their motivations arent hidden. If you hate immature uncommunicative characters you find in anime, this will sooth your frustrations. The characters feel genuine and the anime doesnt confuse you with their intentions. They have realistic reactions to conflict, while still maintaininga sense of charming otherworldly confidence. The voice acting as well, especially for momo, is stupendous. It's not moany nonsense, as mentioned before theres care behind the making of this anime. It sounds as if you're overhearing real conversations most of the time, the characters sound their age, nothing is overdramaticized, there's not a feeling of the characters doing more than necessary. This is without mentioning the fun, and beautifully animated, albeit at times, overly s3xua1 action this anime has, which is not the drawing point anyways. While not being a fighting anime more than it is an adventure, I enjoy the fights and how its less slug fests than it is problem solving. There is satisfying resolutions to the fights and conflicts. While I admit the characters dont experience the most growth throughout it, I think the characters have no reason to grow, they are already mature teenagers (mostly), and for who this is aimed for, it makes the watching experience even better. The enjoyment value brings too much for anything else to bring this down for me. Lastly, with 300 anime seen and close to 3000 hours including rewatches, this has been an anime that brought my enjoyment of this type of media back. It's hard to find another anime that looks as love filled as this one, and moreover, one that doesnt take years to resolve conflicts between characters.
ninja35mm
01/01/2025, 02:35 PM
A vibrant 2024 anime blending comedy, shounen, romcom, and supernatural genres, centered around a family of mediums and a lonely otaku. There’s no cohesive storyline—most of the action revolves around a guy in a tough spot trying to deal with it. The tone here is distinctly adolescent, so expect plenty of shouting, awkward phrases, misunderstandings, and humor built on all of the above. This approach drastically narrows the target audience to high schoolers, who will likely find it appealing (no need to overthink, just enjoy the visuals). That said, the pilot episode and a few after it are riddled with misplaced raunchiness, which feels oddly outof place for that same audience. They could’ve easily skipped focusing on the guy’s stolen personal artifact and kept all the charm and humor intact. Sure, the situation is absurdly funny and hooks you in the pilot, but it makes later attempts at drama fall flat. When mid-season rolls around with the story of a ghost tied to Aira, it’s hard to take it seriously. With no overarching stakes, the anime feels disjointed, like a collection of standalone arcs where characters overcome challenges—but never fully. Aira’s inexplicable stubbornness—treating everyone as enemies—feels forced for the sake of the genre. Then there’s the turbo-grandma, a supposed altruist comforting lost souls for decades, who’s simultaneously obsessed with beating everyone and stealing trinkets. Odd. Overall, it’s a mishmash: everything’s tossed in together, haphazardly diced, and thrown into a single bowl, glued together with various excuses, and voilà. There are genuinely great moments, but they seem more like happy accidents than a consistent quality. The only major highlight is the stunning visuals, art, and direction (a debut work by Fūga Yamashiro). Dynamic, stylish, and vibrant—it’s a great example of modern craftsmanship. Even the variety stands out, like the nighttime rain chase scene. If you don’t dwell too much on the shallow plot, flat characters, and endless petty arguments (is this a romcom or a flea market?), it’s a decent watch. Critics praise its genre mix—romcom + horror + sci-fi. It’s hard to disagree, though the comedy often borders on the absurd. And the dynamic between the leads? Despite the flat characters, their interactions are shown well. But the otaku... he’s such a worn-out cliché it’s hard to watch. Oh, and the opening is decent. The first season, released in late 2024, ends mid-sentence in yet another arc that materializes out of nowhere, so brace yourself for major loose ends. A second season has been announced and is set for mid-2025. Based on a manga.
ibernard
12/22/2024, 08:41 AM
The bad ultimately outweighs the good for this anime, hence the score, however, it does have some highlights and, I will be checking out the second season. I don't see me ever rewatching the first season though. It seems like it just wouldn't be very enjoyable and a slog to get through. There were really only a handful of episodes and scenes I really enjoyed. The other stuff annoyed me and was hard to sit through. The first episode is strange and fast paced, not terrible but, a bit of a disappointment. The season really didn't brighten up until Aira got more involved, but that wasalso short lived. She quickly became overshadowed by the stupid antics of Momo and Okarun again. Then Jiji shows up but, there's nothing really interesting about him until the last episode. The animation is really not all that stellar to me. I really don't like this style of fluid motion they got going on, it looks shoddy to me. Other people do seem to love it though. I really like some of the creepy stills they do, but, other than looking pretty cool, they don't add much else to the story. I think the anime struggles with keeping itself on track. I haven't read the source material so, perhaps the manga is just as bad but, it seems like the story struggles with balancing out a comedic and serious tone. I guess that wouldn't bother me if the comedy actually landed for me, but I can't get over Momo's annoying masculine voice. It's grating for me. Okarun's voice isn't the greatest either but, I've sort of gotten used to it. When Momo isn't being a spaz, her voice is fine, but when she gets excited, I get no enjoyment from her shenanigans. It's a very personal thing though so, some people may really enjoy it. All in all, I personally didn't find anything to write home about. I don't think the series is without potential but, the first season was not very enjoyable for me. It's quirky though so, I guess to each their own. I wouldn't recommend it to anybody though since I personally didn't enjoy it.
BlkAngle
12/21/2024, 03:45 PM
Well, the first season of one of my favorite animes ended at the most sensitive point possible, and now I have to wait almost a year to see the next episode. This anime captivated me with the very first episode! In the first episode, it was the animation, graphics, and the beauty of the anime's production, its opening and visuals, as well as the voice actors, main and secondary characters, and the strange and different story that captivated me! This anime was exactly like the title of its first episode, love at first sight for me! As the episodes progressed, I realized that unlike manyanimes, this anime was not going to be ruined after the well-made first episode despite being broadcast weekly! Every week, everything was great and even better! I gradually realized how perfect the rest of the anime's features were! For example, the amazing OST songs that forced you to immediately search for it on Spotify and add it to your playlist! The action scenes were designed and animated in the best possible way! The main character was portrayed incredibly strongly and easily became the favorite female character of many anime fans! Among the genres of this anime, it was the romance that stood out to me more than the fiction! And how special, different, and 100% beautifully expressed and written this romance was! The romance between a wild, yet funny, beautiful, and kind girl and a lonely, insecure, otaku boy who has lost his genitals. Isn't this a beautiful romance story? Doesn't Momo, as the main character, fulfill almost all our expectations of a wonderful girl? A strong, independent, and kind girl who is not arrogant or spoiled, and ironically, she is also very beautiful, smart, and intelligent! A girl who not only doesn't constantly wait to be saved by the main male character like many animes, but is even the leader of this team and the biggest player in battles! This anime was a roller coaster of emotions! It made me laugh, cry, be happy, sad, emotional, embarrassed, nervous, excited... An anime that never put my mind and heart at ease. An anime that left me with a sense of emptiness after even one season. One of those feelings when you realize you won't be seeing this anime again for a few weeks! The mangaka, director, designers, OST and opening music band all gave their best! What a visual treat! What a taste of the music! And finally, what a heartwarming treat! This anime gave me hope for the future of the anime industry! I will be waiting for anime similar to this masterpiece of fiction and art.
blueberryjelly1
12/20/2024, 07:10 PM
I don't understand how people put "not recommended" for perversion. ANYWAYS, I want to say my full opinion about the anime. I loved it, I fully recommend it and heck its the first anime I have waited to watch. The anime is pretty easy to understand, in the sense that it is not made for younger audiences. I got caught off guard multiple times watching it, and I usually can predict what will happen, this is one of the times I could not predict the next moment, or the next stage or whatever. I love the characters, the music and soundtrack is great, and theart is amazing. hence why I am writing this review. 10/10, no matter what people say I gladly recommend this anime, and hell it was a very VERY fun watch for me.
1stDecame4Danime
12/20/2024, 06:55 PM
It's a shonen-action school romcom. Except none of the attempts at humor were funny, the "romance" as always goes nowhere and was especially cliched virgin cringe dialogue/overacting, and the story itself went nowhere beyond an excuse for battle of the week shonen action that was well animated but boring without any stakes, just watching the canonically plot armored main characters get slammed through concrete without any consequence before casually smacking their enemies out of existence. The show lacks focus on anything like it has ADHD, whipping between slapped together emotional melodrama and slapstick potty/sex jokes only a child could find funny. Plus it ends in the middleof nothing without any attempt at any meaningful season finale, so anticlimactic the whole season's nonstory is a waste of time. It's juvenile and terrible and yet the bar of other anime during its season is so low that it's still one of the better ones coming out at the time.
Nihilysis
12/20/2024, 04:30 AM
The second coming of FLCL? Mob Psycho 200? Xbox 720? Or just another Chainsaw Man? The answer is very simple... Or is it? Hey Vsauce, Nihilysis here. This is a difficult one, there were several aspects that I liked in this anime and some that I disliked, that's why I think mixed feelings fits better, even though 7 is a good grade. Plot (6/10) Let's start from the beginning, and what a start to begin with. I expected this to be just another modern shounen like Chainsaw Man or Jujutsu, and all my hopes were on the fact that this work would be adapted by Science SARU, butthe first 4 episodes were amazing (this could be a 1h30 movie on its own), it was spontaneous, fun and bold, the characters were charismatic and the direction and production were very good. My expectations were exceeded. After the first 4 episodes (episode 9 was really good btw tbh) the anime started introducing characters... developing love triangles... it even had an emotional episode out of nowhere, which felt a bit forced and artificial, and that's when the anime ended up losing its way. Dandadan was no longer as bold and insane as FLCL, nor as mature and silly as Mob, FLCL is about coming of age and youth, Mob is about not overestimating or underestimating yourself, and Dandadan... Dandadan is just another shy boy and popular girl kind of story, which isn't necessarily bad, but it's a downgrade for sure. You see, this was almost inevitable, Dandadan is a manga, and this type of media is treated much more as entertainment than as art, so seeing works getting lost in their themes in order to be able to stretch out and sell more is not uncommon. It is rare to see mangas with a clear objective, that know where they want to go, and when they should end, and that do so before becoming uninteresting. Now going back to Dandadan, the ending of the first season was underwhelming. I didn't understand why they made the decision to end the first season this way instead of making the anime have 2 cours, especially since the second one has already been announced. Characters (7/10) Let's get the elephant out of the room, more specifically Jiji, he was a very difficult character to tolerate, whether that was the intention or not, I don't know, but there were much better ways to do this type of character, or at least some where he's not so excruciating. Ken and Momo were really fun and had an amazing dynamic in the first 4 episodes. Eventually Ken became a little less geeky and unique and became a somewhat in-love introvert, but Momo kept her personality well. Aira is a character that most of the time works and is funny, but sometimes is a bit dull. She basically exists to fulfill the role of liking Ken, creating a one-sided love triangle. Other characters found in Dandadan are definitely one of the characters found in the 2024 fall season anime Dandadan. Production (8/10) The production, direction, art and music were worthy of a Science SARU anime in most episodes, especially the first ones. P.S. The ending is very good. Enjoyment (7/10) I really liked the beginning of the show and then although the anime lost a bit of its personality, It doesn't take itself too seriously, so it's still possible to enjoy the Mindless fun it provides. Overall, Dandadan is enjoyable enough, and I think it's probably worth it, even if just out of curiosity, for those who like this type of anime, but don't expect something too solid. And as always, thanks for reading.
Cyrose
12/20/2024, 01:54 AM
Welcome to 2024 where there is no such a thing as a bad anime. Thanks to the fact that anime as a medium has become more mainstream, the Overton window on the perspective of what constitutes a good anime has shifted. This is because the popular anime of today create a bias for what is expected of the medium. This baseline influences what others think is good. Dandadan is everything that the current generation seeks. Crazy, colorful, absurd, erotic, and geared towards a low attention span. It’s perfect. If viewers of this era would start with any anime from before 2018, they would think it’s boring and slow. As usuallyanime typically handle their settings like this: Introduction > some conflict > get to know the characters > rising to a climax > action > resolution. In today’s case Dan Da Dan looks like this: Intro > //Dan Da Dan Da..// > tiny bit of Introduction > action > more action > nudity > action > nudity > action > more action > end. It is necessary to understand that the consequences of this aforementioned anime viewing behavior have affected the production quality of anime in general. This has resulted in the mass production of slop anime, that aim to hit the largest possible audience at once. Regardless that supernatural themes are often hit or miss. The concept about aliens and ghosts are always intriguing and who hates these paranormal concepts anyway? This statement is only true if it is done right. The issues with this series started with the plot that progressed way too quickly, making it difficult for me to emotionally connect with the characters and the circumstances. Although I was excited to see the supernatural genre from a fresh angle, it lacked depth and felt like it was just made for cheap entertainment without offering any genuine or valuable storytelling. So much information is thrown at you in either by a silly conversations or yakety-yak. Not like anything that happens makes a bit of sense anyway. Shows like this must be funny as the setting is strange and the plot farcically ridiculous. However the jokes and funny moments completely lacked chemistry and since everything else happened so fast, when they tried to squeeze a little funny moment in it, it felt dragged which usually ended up coming off as cringe rather than being funny. 100 romance manga or not, despite the author had to sit through this amount of romance manga to create a strong romantic relationship and story between the two main character. It backfired since they both got along with each other as if they were close friends from the beginning. Not to mention the way Momo falls immediately for Ken just because of his full name and not because of his personality say a lot about the romance of this anime. The way people are getting emotional after episode seven is the biggest reflection of how low the bar has been settled for standards in this era of anime viewers. I am a type of person that can tear up by just hearing a beautifully composed song or even by listening conversations between 2 characters, but that scene was way too fabricated therefore after six episodes of absolute blather, so it was more funny than weepy for me. Animation was decent, overall when there wasn’t a lot of movement the art was nice and colorful. However, I can’t say the same to the animation smoothness as often it wasn’t consistent. Although in action scenes you could say it was intentional to be inconsistent to appear quirkier. There were non-action scenes where the animation really lacked and not done on the same level as the opening credits, which tells. The design of the ghosts is very similar to the Arrancars from Bleach while the UFO’s are just ugly humans who want to rape, actually ghosts also have sexual assault desires. But even fan service became more fake and over exaggerated in modern. The whole “banana scene” and the hot granny.. why does everything and everyone has to be perverted and over-sexualized? Just why? On last note, I would like to mention the voice actors. As for me personally it was a complete disaster. The two main character’s voice was an absolutely mismatch, didn’t fit to their characters and personalities. Although Hanae Natsuki is one of my favorite VA, he couldn’t make his voice more like an “Okarun” type of person as Ken was. He could have change voices when he turns into a ghost, but he just wasn’t nailing this role unfortunately. Ayase Momo voiced by Wakayama Shion and although she is quite unpopular and this role probably is her first major role, this character just didn’t suit her voice at all. Her voice was way too natural and deep. Pros and Cons 🔴 Rushed Narrative 🔴 Weak Comedy 🔴 Boring Dialogues 🔴 Shallow Characters 🔴 Predictable Romance 🔴 Unbalanced Story 🔴 No Meaningful or Educational Value 🟠 Decent Background Art 🟠 Opening 🟢 Accessible on Netflix In conclusion It is a pity that this new generation of anime can be so highly regarded despite lacking to provide any valuable messaging. By that means, Dan Da Dan is an absolutely perfect anime for the modern target audience where viewers want a spectacle but don’t care for plot. Unfortunately, it takes more than it gives to those who still have the access to the entire scoring system. It might work for social media content as it is fictitious and has so many cringe content that some video creators might be able to force out reactions to. However for any normal anime watcher, watching grass grow would bring out more facial expressions out of them than watching this nonsense. In Summary: For the past few years Anime is on a downfall and it is disheartening to see one of my favorite media in a chaotic dive to decay. Personally, I prefer meaningful quality content over generic, goofy over-sexualized ones. Final score: 2/10 ⭐️ Peak cringeworthy. I’m grateful to you for taking the time to read my review, your feedback is kindly appreciated.
MarlsMarsBars
12/19/2024, 08:30 PM
Out of all the anime that was set to air this year, Dan Da Dan was the one I was looking forward to the most… for some reason. I honestly don’t know why that is, but I have said before that I really enjoy when animated projects, especially anime, fully embrace being goofy and allowing itself to go all out creatively. While I like good narratives above everything else, I also like when an anime is just unapologetically bizarre and fun, and that is exactly what Dan Da Dan is. Now, does Dan Da Dan have a good or well-rounded narrative? Not exactly. As afan of this series, I understand and recognize that the overarching storylines revolving around trying to find Okarun’s balls is quite flimsy and shallow, however what really carries the writing are a few aspects: the overall tone of the series, the fun character dynamics, and the over-the-top action sequences. As someone who is so tired of “hype” battle shonen animanga, Dan Da Dan felt like a huge breath of fresh air to me. The first two episodes of the anime did such an amazing job hooking me into the rest of this series that I decided to pick up the manga and was able to catch myself up with the source material before this season finished airing. The reason why this action anime managed to hook me in ways other battle shonen weren’t able to can be attributed to how this series tonally handles itself. I’m so tired of narratives within the shonen demographic taking themselves more seriously than they really need to be, like Demon Slayer or Jujutsu Kaisen, or not understanding which tonality to streamline itself in, like Kaiju No. 8. Dan Da Dan is unapologetically goofy as hell and I love it. Having a series revolving around a bunch of teenagers fighting both yokai spirits and aliens with unconventional abilities is pretty much everything I can ask for in both the action genre of anime and the shonen demographic. While there are other shonen anime that I greatly prefer over Dan Da Dan (i.e., Attack on Titan, The Dangers in My Heart, Frieren, etc.), I really like how this series just accepts how unserious the overall atmosphere is and doesn’t hold back in giving us some fun episodes and chapters that kept me engaged. However, that’s not to say that Dan Da Dan needs to be *all* serious. There are moments throughout this season - and more beyond this season - where we are given a very riveting and emotionally deep subplot related to the backstories of the yokai spirits, which I think is executed really well. Acrobatic Silky’s backstory was already very well executed in the manga, but the anime further elevated that subplot with some creative cinematography coupled with beautiful animation and soundtrack. While these moments are more emotionally driven than what the rest of the series leads on, I don’t mind the tonal shift since it’s very few and far between and it makes sense within the context of how humans who lived tragic lives end up becoming these spirits. This doesn’t take away or make the series tonally inconsistent, but rather adds depth to an otherwise pretty shallow series, and I welcome that. At its core, Dan Da Dan is essentially an action adventure shonen animanga. “Adventure” in the sense that the characters take us to various locations that elevate the action of this series and help transport us viewers to this strange world of spirits and aliens. However, these adventurous arcs wouldn’t have been as interesting or entertaining to watch if it weren’t for the characters and the goofy dynamic they all share with one another. The main cast of Ken Takakura, aka Okarun, Momo Ayase, Seiko Aayase, Turbo Granny, Aira Shiratori, and Jin Enjoji, aka Jiji, are all massive goofballs in their own right, so when you put them together in chaotic situations like what this series throws at them, you just get an overload of fun in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong, I find the whole “loud characters” trope in shonen anime and manga to be quite annoying, but I like how it’s utilized in Dan Da Dan because the characters are such goofballs to be taken seriously like in other battle shonen. Are the characters a bit obnoxious? Sure. However, within the tonal context of this series, it works pretty well in terms of maintaining the overall insanity of this series. With that said, it’s not perfect. The “romance” for lack of a better term between Okarun and Momo is quite shallow and flimsy, but again, I don’t mind it in this context since these two characters are teenage loose cannons who are still trying to figure out their place in the world. Seiko and Turbo Granny are very similar to characters like Dimple from Mob Psycho 100 where they are good supporting pieces while having a fun spin to their relationships with the main cast. Aira and Jiji can be seen as annoying at first, however they are given enough room for them to grow or have an interesting dynamic with the main duo, although we will see a truer side to these characters in later seasons. As mentioned earlier, the narratives in Dan Da Dan are elevated by the stunning animation, and Science SARU has knocked it out of the park for this anime. Not only was the Acrobatic Silky episode - at least in my opinion - a masterpiece in visual storytelling in animation, the over-the-top nature of the fight sequences in Dan Da Dan is further brought to life with the stunning visuals in the anime. Out of all of the action anime to air this year, I truly think Science SARU and Madhouse did it the best with both Dan Da Dan and Frieren respectively. Whenever Okarun uses his Turbo Granny form, it is pretty much guaranteed that the fight scene is going to be a visual spectacle. The directing for this anime adaptation elevates the source material to new heights, so much so that I truly think that this will make Dan Da Dan a household name when it comes to new gen battle shonen anime. Now, while I really enjoy this series, it isn’t perfect. Easily the worst part of this series has to be the fan service, both in the manga and the anime. I find it a bit uncomfortable when the main characters, who are minors, are being sexualized in a way that is quite suggestive in terms of the animated frames we are given in the anime. What’s worse is that the fan service is a bit more muted in the source material than it is here for some reason, which is a shame since I don’t see any reason to “enhance” this aspect within the adaptation. It was especially bad in the first episode/chapter, however, a good thing is that the fan service is not only very few and far between, but also non-existent moving forward past this season. If Dan Da Dan does get picked up for more seasons (which I personally hope it does), rest assured that this uncomfortable aspect of the series is not prevalent in the slightest moving forward. I know other people will complain about the pacing and how short some arcs can be, but I honestly don’t mind the pacing since the more segmented form of storytelling helps keep the series fresh and new every few episodes. I really want Dan Da Dan to get more seasons because as a manga reader, I can assure you it only gets better from here, and the shorter arcs really become a treat as the series keeps us on our tippy-toes with fresh storylines and fun character dynamics to continuously gauge your interest. I understand Dan Da Dan might not be for everyone, but if you want a fun and silly battle shonen anime to watch, then check this anime out.
Danreis
12/19/2024, 03:05 PM
Dandadan definitely leaves me confused when I try to describe whether or not I liked what I saw. The first episode reveals everything Dandadan has to offer, both at its best and at its worst. The characters are extremely charismatic, the humor is very good, the animation is wonderful and, along with all of this, it is permeated by what is probably the most divisive theme of this work: the way the script deals (or fails to deal) with the characters being constantly targets of attempted sexual violence. Starting with the compliments: I loved the protagonists Momo and Okarun from the beginning. They have clear personalities, charismaticcharacteristics and their interactions are excellent and each new character adds a bit of chaos and leaves their mark on the narrative. The animation itself is incredible and, although many may get attached to the action moments, I was impressed by certain movements and camera angles that are very inventive. An example of this is a certain scene in episode 2 that involves a mirror in Momo's room. And Dandadan is full of moments like this that show that whoever thought of these scenes is very good at what they do. And finally, the giant elephant in the room arrives: I won't give spoilers, but I think it's good for anyone who wants to watch Dandadan to know that this anime has some very uncomfortable scenes involving attempted sexual abuse. One character is technically abused off-screen while another character is almost abused at least twice. My problem isn't even having this kind of theme, the problem is how the script seems to give no weight to the subject. Like, in one episode a certain character is tied up half-naked and almost abused and in the other episode it seems like nothing happened to this same character or, worse, you're left wondering if the creatures that almost forced the sexual intercourse wear underwear... Dandadan has everything to make me love this story, but there's this point that's like a kick pushing me away... I still think I liked this anime even with this cliffhanger at the end of the season that appeals to what I hated the most: a character is about to be sexually abused again. Dandadan is certainly a good exercise in discovering the line between how much a story can have something that makes you uncomfortable and yet you can still love it.
topfloorboss45
12/19/2024, 09:38 AM
The most hyped anime of the season has finally wrapped up and in all honestly it's pretty fun, but that's about it. Even though Dandadan lacks a proper storyline, or fails to really be impactful in any way, in spectacle alone, it certainly delivers. It's a comparatively well-done comedy/action that often succeeds in it's efforts to appear outlandish and do something different to what most other mediocre recycled battle-shonens appear to be spewing out nowadays. Being able to go from stupid scenes about retrieving one's balls to a genuinely masterfully animated and emotionally gripping sequence, Dandadan is like a little box of chocolates that'll have an episodeto amuse almost any viewer. But that's the thing. Dandadan is a box of mixed chocolates that doesn't even know what brand it is. An inconsistent bunch of episodes that don't know whether to be good, great, or plain mediocre. Many times I've tuned in to just be completely disappointed by the lack of substance in certain episodes, which shouldn't really be happening in a twelve episode production. The one thing that you can't discredit this show for is it's beautiful animation. Watching DDD, it's made obvious that the animation team poured their heart and soul into producing it. The overall ambiance and aesthetic of the show is something that you don't have to look for. It's right in your face pinching your cheek and always grabbing your attention. You could say the same for the music and voice acting. The VAs never fail to capture the essence of every character in the show, definitely contributing to their iconic presence on social media. Overall, Dandadan is a show that isn't one with many major faults, but also isn't one that'll blow your socks off and change your life with its quality, which is completely fine. Leave your expectations of an objective masterpiece behind when you hop into this show, and I'm sure you'll have a little fun.
Stark700
12/19/2024, 08:04 AM
Yukinobu Tatsu's Dandadan evokes countless expressions of freedom and creativity. While many shows of the supernatural genre tries to play it safe with traditional themes, Dandadan showed us how far creativity and imagination can really take us. As someone who enjoys anime not just for the viewing experience, Dandadan itself feels like an art form, crafted with vivid imagination. Watching the OP song itself is madness enough. It felt as if we were being pulled into the Twilight Zone of bizareness. Then, the music beat hits and we are greeted with perhaps the most stylistic and catchy opening of the year. "Otonoke" by Creepy Nuts isalmost indescribable by words alone. The amount of colorful elements are embedded with its alluring tunes, dancing movements, and body language. To say the least, even if you've never planned to watch Dandadan, we should agree tha the opening song is far from normal. Dandadan's plot synopsis shows tons of potential although not not entirely unique. We've seen it in similar anime such as Mob Psycho 100 and FLCL: characters who meets and building a bond through fated encounters. Momo Ayase's encounter with Takakura Ken (nicknamed Okarun) is such an example. Their idealogy clash about the existence of supernatural pits the two as rivals but this quickly changes into an unique friendship and perhaps something even more. That's the basis of the plot but it goes beyond much further than dealing with the supernatural. Dandadan's ability to use witty lines and character language is one of its highlights. The two main characters are so different in personalities that you'd think they are from different planets. It's what makes this show's chemistry contagious enough to draw an audience. We want to see what they fight for, and how they do it every episode. From early, the duo goes up against a flatwoods monster and later confronts the infamous Turbo Granny (yes, you can practically picture what she may resemble). Dandadan's 'monster of the week' translates to how the protagonists approach these monsters. All common sense are tossed out the window when confronting these monsters. However, Dandadan doesn't rely on shounen style strategies or battle tactics. They fight the monsters head on almost in cartoony fashion at times. A main selling point of the show is not how to confront these monsters but the cinematic battles themselves. It's an expression of creativity but also intertwined with madness and colorful usage of its cinematics and emotions. Speaking of which, emotions is among an important factor for character development and relationship bonding. We find out through episode 7 when the character Acrobatic Silky receives perhaps one of the most emotional background story in recent anime memory. You'll have to truly watch and experience it for yourself to understand its impact. But because of strong emotions, Momo and Okarun builds a closer relationship among themselves. These range from a comical accidental kiss to real trust forged between the duo. To add on to the mix, characters such as Aira Shiratori adds even spicy drama among them. By far, Dandadan takes advantage of its small yet colorful cast through its usage of character emotions. Momo, Okarun, and later on Aira, are at the epicenter of this. The nature of this show draws its attention on how characters behave around other. For example, Aira quickly develops an infutation towards Okarun while the latter is unable to respond accordingly. Meanwhile, countless teases are thrown between Momo and Okarun as they show their attaction towards each other. In classic example, Okarun also shows signs of jealousy when Momo's childhood friend pays her a visit later on in the show. Other characters such as Seiko serves as role models for the younger cast even though they are decorated with peculiar characteristics. From day one, we can see that Dandadan is far from an ordinary show despite taking place in a familiar normal setting. The line that draws between normalcy and the supernatural really goes out the bounds. Dandadan's success should be counted for what it set out to do from the very first episode. The bizarreness of its themes and unorthodox humor is a major draw for the audience. It might not be suited for everyone but certainly evokes emotions. The one element holding back this season is its shortened length at 12 episodes. There are far more material in the manga that deserves to be adapted but with season 2 announced, our hopes aren't far away.
Gsarthotegga
12/19/2024, 07:56 AM
Like Hell's Paradise, Dandadan gets a lot of attention amongst recent shonens because both authors were former assistants to Chainsaw Man's Tatsuki Fujimoto and there are some mildly novel touches: HP has an unusual setting and, yeah, that's probably about it; meanwhile, Dandadan, well, uh... is basically a battle shonen that takes the standard otaku-pandering incel romance you'd find in school-based romcoms and pushes it into becoming the ultimate piss-take snub of self-insert pandermancy and cuck romance shippers that has increasingly become the norm in anime. There's a lot of humor, and almost all the punchlines hit below the belt, which probably won't go wellfor those who aren't too keen on lowbrow jokes centering around, in this case, dick jokes—"Give me your banana" (please don't). The whole series is simply one humongous dick joke (likely a petite one, if we're talking about the MC and his 5 cm kintamas that just dropped), and there probably isn't any other kind of media that sorely needed this passionate kick to the nuts more. The series effectively plays a savage South Park-styled game of Roshambo with self-inserters, as Dandadan's motto when it comes to our MC is "Give us your balls, your dick, we'll make you a eunuch." If you're not "too mature" for a few dick jokes, it can be amusing, but other attempts at humor aren't as smoothly integrated, such as milking the "I finally noticed she's cute" trope. What might appear at first to be a mere acknowledgement of the average anime functioning as a feel-good waifubait simulator for unwashed otakus who skitter about in the shadows, where a 10/10 moeblob who is way out of his league will throw herself upon him without any effort, for she has seen his true inner beauty and manages to look past surface details like BO, and he'll sweep her off her feet, whispering arcane lore into her ear about the intricate plot developments of the final arc of LotGH, becomes a surprisingly hilarious mockup of these kind of series. Instead of just making jokes about being neutered or spayed or presenting a pathetic low-t dweeb with his balls in the usual vice-grip, the series literally emasculates him by having almost the entire plot revolve around a high-speed chase to recover his stolen family jewels, with his dutiful gyaru love interest checking every nook and cranny, searching high and low, to recover his missing balls! In a way, it almost resembles a demented sexual misadventure version of Dragon Balls, with various characters vying for control of the protagonist's balls, which grant them power! One episode is even titled "Like, Where Are Your Balls?" The thing about a lot of shonen is that that's often one of my burning questions about the protagonist, but Dandadan does its own ball count, allowing one to save valuable mental energy. While not especially deep and just as accessible as most shonen, Dandadan at least foregoes one of the mistakes of its mature™ seasonal peer, Orb: My God Heliocentrism, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?, a series so inept as to pose the question "DUUUUHHH, what be subtext?" and then proceeds to turn all of its subtext into straight-up dialogue and double down on making sure the audience doesn't miss a single thing. Dandadan doesn't feel the need to shamelessly go balls deep down that scandalous hole (kind of hard when they're missing), even if it's waving its influences right in our face in the same way an exhibitionist might flash his private parts. To get the balls rolling, there is blatant influence from the Egyptian Osiris myth (which also influenced Dionysus and various other repackaged gods and syncretized religions). The MC can be seen as Osiris and the FMC as Isis. Seth kills and dismembers Osiris, splitting his body into 14 pieces (in reference to the Orion constellation), leading to what could be referred to as the Mystery of the Missing Phallus (sometimes Mystery of the Missing Balls in the case of Dandadan, though the Phallus gets misplaced often as well). Each piece of Osiris has a partial amount of power, much as a few characters in Dandadan unlock dormant powers by fondling one of the MC's golden balls. Isis tracks down all the pieces of Osiris, except for the phallus, which was eaten by either a fish or crab, depending on which version of the story you read, with Turbo Granny being associated with a crab. Isis reconstructs the body, and there are different accounts of what happens: She usually uses her powers to craft him a new penis, fashions a foreign object into one, or even constructs a literal lady boner out of her own flesh and grafts it onto Osiris. Soon after, they give birth to Horus. Since she's a dickball stealer, Turbo Granny could loosely be seen as a Seth-like character, and there is even a part in the legend where Horus and Seth race each other on boats, much like how she challenges tunnel trespassers to a race; though she does have a more interesting dynamic with the main characters in this story, starting as an enemy, becoming a comic relief mascot, and maybe even something like a friend, though always scheming, not unlike Ekubo/Dimple from Mob Psycho 100. There's also, of course, the fixation on occultism and the sky (aliens), with the ancients being deeply invested in the sky and many of their practices now falling under what we call the occult. Anyway, this lengthy digression is meant to showcase that the author put a surprising amount of effort into presenting his NTR fetish. Admittedly, some of the cuck pandering can become hardcore, even cringe-inducing. At first, it doesn't seem all that heavy because after the alien-obsessed MC and the ghost/supernatural-believing FMC send each other off on a dare, the series plays out like a balls to the wall boss rush for several episodes, as the characters try to harness their powers and are attacked by one enemy after another. But once we finally have some downtime, like in episode 5, the MC goes back to his pity party lines, hoping his mommy—I mean, waifu—will save him. When the MC transforms he'll do some kind of clownish self-deprecating rap, but then he'll be moping at school and dropping lines like, "Is it so embarrassing to be friends with me? WAAAAAAH!" There's also an over-reliance on downer internal monologues around this time, and during the oddly synchronized yin-yangish bit between the couple, she'll be thinking stuff like, "Ungh, I'm so bored. I wish Okarun would teach me all about aliens, especially the anal probing part. *____*" Feels ridiculously pandering and almost out of tune with the blue balls pit that the show tends to dive headfirst into otherwise. That aspect of the series feels better motivated or smoother in earlier episodes. Of course, once we realize his balls are missing, his pathetic behavior kind of seems justified. You have to wonder if the author planned it a bit where the MC is subtly more or less pathetic depending on those circumstances. Probably not, but using his balls as a plot device allows material that would be far more embarrassing in other anime to roll far more smoothly here. It's also worth noting that the MC is not a total doormat and will insult the FMC when she insults him, instead of just taking abuse, like too many MCs for me to name. Thankfully, Crappa, the most hardcore corner-cutters in the industry, having churned out Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, Hell's Paradise, and many other extremely popular shonen in the last few years, didn't get their grimy hands on this series. I had read up to about episode 2-3 in the Dandadan manga back when it had first surged in popularity, and, while it seemed alright, there wasn't anything about it that kept me reading it over whatever else. Science SARU, handling the series instead, is a company that tends to have impressive animation or a distinct aesthetic but has put out a lot of mediocre or questionable titles and has been disconcertingly cozy with Netflix. One of their biggest manga adaptations a while back, Devilman: Crybaby, was a travesty for quite a few fans of Go Nagai's work or the earlier OVAs and probably not to the liking of those who were more interested in SARU for artsier titles either, like Inu-Ou. But SARU were actually a great choice for adapting Dan, appearing to be faithful where it counts, and featuring far more lively animation than we can usually hope to get from most seasons, with the first episode being quite inventive and even "trippy," and the chase with the crab having a frenetic energy, as they run around and swing across buildings, struggling to survive. There are some disappointing stills that are occasionally used and expected dips in quality from time to time, but how polished it generally is is an indicator that SARU might actually be able to pull off the dream of adapting decent commercial work with their own unique style to generate revenue, while creating more artistic and experimental work along the way, as seemed to be the intention back when Masaaki Yuasa founded the company. This is an adaptation that mostly elevates the material, though there is a dubious ghettoization habit on display, which SARU has likely developed from being so close to Netflix (see the oddly placed rap in Japan Stinks 2020 and Devilman: Crybaby), rendering the audio component less than satisfactory.

Dandadan ダンダダン

2024 fall | Episodes: 12 | Score: 8.5 (404456)

Updated every Fridays at 00:26 | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Producers:Aniplex | Dentsu | Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions | Mainichi Broadcasting System | Shueisha

Synopsis

Voice Actors

Wakayama, Shion

Hanae, Natsuki

News

Reviews

Belts
03/15/2025, 05:12 PM
In my review of the Chainsaw Man anime I mentioned that Dandadan, which I was still watching at the time, seemed to borrow tonal cues from Chainsaw Man's irreverence. The main point of comparison, and what caused me to make that claim, is the emphasis both works have on the literal and figurative emasculation of their protagonists. Not only do CSM's Denji and DDD's Ken lose part or all of their penises, they are both surrounded by forceful, controlling, or outright aggressive female figures who propel the plot. And could there be a more irreverent take on shounen, a genre literally called "Boy," than emasculation, theelimination of its maleness? Both shows may cleave to certain shounen tropes to the letter (especially in their fight scenes), but in this way they set themselves apart. It's certainly a far cry from, say, My Hero Academia, where female characters are relegated to minor supportive roles. In Dandandan, the purpose of this emasculated hero is much more clear. DDD uses a familiar nerd-to-coolguy storyline for its protagonist. He begins friendless, isolated, defined by his nerd hobbies. As a symbolic representation of his situation, he not only loses his penis, but his name; Momo, the female lead, refuses to call him "Ken Takakura" due to it also being the name of her favorite actor/celebrity crush, and refers to him instead as "Okarun," a play on "occult," which his otaku interest centers around. The real-life Ken Takakura was known as a stoic, tough, and thus stereotypically masculine figure, the opposite of DDD's Ken Takakura; the suggestion of the narrative arc is that Okarun will gradually develop into a character more deserving of the name, at which point Momo will call him by it. Then he'll also get his balls back. The emasculated hero also stands in foil to the Serpo, the all-male alien race who serve as the show's recurring villains, and who are the only other male characters in the show until its last couple of episodes. The Serpo are, like the hero, depicted as emasculated, with high-pitched effeminate voices and a lack of sexual organs. Also like the hero, they're depicted as nerds, wearing stiff tucked-in white shirts buttoned up to the neck and spouting sci-fi technobabble. The difference is that they cannot "evolve," as they claim. This is explained as a byproduct of their reliance on cloning for reproduction (and is the reason why they want to harvest human sexual organs), but symbolically suggests a state of perpetual manchildness, the otaku who never develops or grows, compared to Ken, who does. Meanwhile, for lack of a better word, the Serpo are rapey. An involuntarily celibate failure state of otaku-ness, and by the implication of the foil what Ken must work to avoid. After all, the Serpo also have no penises. They have replaced them with whirring phallic probes, a literally weaponized masculinity. They introduce themselves to Momo as simply wanting to be friends, before revealing their nefarious sexual ulterior motives; this contrasts Ken who first sees Momo legitimately as a friend before he even begins to develop romantic feelings for her. It's in Dandandan's simple, unified clarity of purpose that I find my comparison to Chainsaw Man to be ultimately flawed. As it goes on, this simplicity starts to make DDD saccharine, treacly. The same dramatic loop is wrung again and again: Ken or Momo say something mean to one another, or lie, or make a mistake, then they mentally kick themselves over it ("I was such a jerk!"), and lastly give an earnest apology for their behavior. This happens countless times, sometimes rooted around the flimsiest, most obnoxious of misunderstandings. The show pulls the same bullshit as Parasyte (another nerd-to-coolguy story!) where Girl A sees Boy A touching Girl B, and assumes that means Boy A is being unfaithful, but really Girl B was being forcefully sexually aggressive and Boy A didn't like it and was trying to get away, but Girl A doesn't know this, and it becomes this whole big thing despite nobody (except Girl B, morality's sacrificial lamb) actually having done anything wrong. I hate "misunderstanding" plots like this. They're complete contrivances for the sake of drama. But that's more-or-less the level DDD is operating at. There's a part near the end, when the show's only other human male character shows up. He's Momo's childhood friend, he has a rapport with her, and even though it's clear to the audience Momo has no romantic interest in him, Ken gets jealous, which the audience knows because he stews over it in class while the teacher lectures about the word "jealousy." It's facile. If Chainsaw Man invited the audience to turn its brain off, DDD is doing something much more annoying by inviting its audience to turn its brain down to the level of a 10-year-old. Meanwhile, the supporting cast doesn't have much going on. Momo is ostensibly at least a deuteragonist and is in some ways framed as the main character, and while she is certainly active in the story and its battles, she is also a much flatter character than Ken. The basic conceit of the show seems to be what happens when an otaku meets a gyaru, with the indication that this unlikely combination will somehow improve them both, but the onus for improvement is placed entirely on Ken, other than a few instances where Momo says something mean and then immediately apologizes for it. She is introduced as getting romantically involved with a series of dirtbag guys who she mistook as masculine ideals due to their superficial similarities to the actor Ken Takakura; but the moment she meets the character Ken Takakura, she ceases to have any romantic interest in anyone else and is essentially waiting around for the character Ken to develop into something akin to the actor Ken. She's quite patient about it, too. Momo is not defined by her gyaru-ness the way Ken is defined by his otaku-ness. There isn't a suggestion, say, that she is stereotypically superficial or vain, the way Ken is stereotypically awkward and monomaniacal. (In fact, the show introduces Aira as superficial and vain, which only makes Momo look more put-together by contrast.) She is, at most, prone to emotional outbursts, which can always be papered over by an "I'm sorry." She even has her own friends! There are significantly lower emotional stakes in her relationship with Ken compared to Ken's relationship with her. Because of this, while Ken is emasculated by the story, he is also centered within it, core to its foundation. This is in contrast to CSM's Denji, who increasingly comes across as a minor part of his own show, a pawn in the schemes of others who is emotionally divorced from the consequences of anything that happens. It creates a narrative that is doing one thing and devoting all of its energy to that one thing, but it doesn't give the show much breadth, or much to think about. Ultimately, where forcing myself to think more deeply about Chainsaw Man improved the experience and led me to some insights I otherwise wouldn't have made, thinking about Dandadan didn't lead to a similar result. It doesn't help that Dandadan's story is far more episodic than Chainsaw Man's, rarely compounding upon itself. This episodic nature is emphasized by how the studio didn't even bother to end the season at a logical place, instead cutting its current episodic arc right down the middle. Lastly, I suppose I should mention that, like Chainsaw Man, this show looks amazing. The production values are all excellent, especially the OP. It feels like any flavor-of-the-month anime is going to look great, but I am currently trudging my way through a rewatch of Sword Art Online, and it's staggering how cheap that show looks, how it cuts corners at every conceivable opportunity. Can't take "looking good" for granted in this racket.
Ba-Cii10
02/03/2025, 02:30 PM
🟠Fall 2024 Dandadan, probably the most popular anime in 2024, does it meet expectations and does it deserve all the hype it had when it was broadcast?...... In this story we actually follow two protagonists, one believes in aliens but does not believe in ghosts, the other the other way around, believes in ghosts but does not believe in aliens, both want to prove to themselves that what they believe in exists and eventually it turns out that both exist, then one of the protagonists is cursed and gets cool transformations, the plot from now on will consist of striving to remove the curse and fighting variousmonsters and in between we will get something in the style of a school romcom. Well... The plot is quite generic, as standard we have teenagers with powers who fight monsters but here this anime does not take it all 100% seriously, the plot is deliberately fast/chaotic and although it often does not work very well, it gives a bit of a sense of freshness. BUT...after all, we've already had demons, curses and kaiju, time for aliens and ghosts, although unlike the others, here there are two types of monsters, so what does it matter? in this and that case we just fight fancy monsters but here it's a bit more diverse and there's a hint that the main threat is aliens who come from another world and want to invade Earth (of course not all of them), and ghosts were once human and ultimately their existence in this world serves the good of humanity. So yes, we have a typical world filled with monsters that need to be defeated, these monsters often have some cliched sad backstory but despite everything it is presented a bit differently and more interestingly, in theory there are more possibilities here and it has greater potential than other series of this type. Back to not taking itself 100% seriously and intentional chaos... This anime seems to be a bit of a parody of other battle shounen series that involve fighting monsters, the antagonists are mostly not portrayed seriously, the things they say and do even though they are evil/cruel are more laughable, the cool transformation of the MC (where the MC suddenly starts acting like an emo) is also comically exaggerated, thanks to which we don't roll our eyes when we see the same motif again, plus unlike other anime, this transformation doesn't make the MC OP, he still needs a second protagonist and doesn't do everything himself. But not taking himself seriously in this anime is not always a plus, sometimes some of the tricks are really annoying, it's often the case that we get a scene where Okarun suddenly says something emotional and serious only to suddenly forcibly reverse expectations and make a loud comedy out of it, after a while it was just tiring. However, the balance between goofy comedy and something serious was quite good. Overall, the pace may be too fast for many, as I said this anime wants to be fast and weird but in this formula not everything has the opportunity to resonate properly, it is hard to get emotionally involved, and in general getting involved in this anime is made more difficult by the fact that it is really an anime "about nothing" the goal is to get the MC's eggs back but the plot boils down to random fights with monsters and a fairly predictable/boring romance between the protagonists (where both got along as if they were close friends from the very beginning which makes the romance a bit shallow) even though this anime has a goal, it does not seem important, things happen and you really don't know where it is all going. Characters... They are definitely funny and charismatic, it's really fun to watch their interactions, but there's probably a big problem with the main characters, for the first 12 episodes this anime wasted time on a lot of pointless stuff, but didn't spend enough time developing the characters. The characters don't really have any interesting backstory, it's more about the here and now, we know why Momo and Ken believe in aliens and ghosts, which is the most important thing we need to know, but it feels neglected, we know that but it doesn't really develop the larger story of the characters, these characters just are. We didn't even see where Ken lives or what his family is like, we mostly focus on the main couple's regular romance and we don't show their backstories in depth or their struggles with anything. World building... It has some cool elements but then again, this anime wastes time on pointless action that doesn't result in much but not on deepening the world, in these 12 episodes we should learn a lot more about the world, e.g. in a world full of dangerous spirits, are there no other people with powers apart from Momo's grandmother? It gives the feeling that the world is not alive and nothing apart from the main characters is important in it. It seemed that I complain more but overall I liked this anime, it was rather time well spent even though I stopped thinking about this anime immediately after the end of the last episode and only returned to it for a moment in my thoughts just to write this review haha The most important anime of 2024 but for me it's just "watch it and forget it" Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐❌❌❌❌❌
Panda_Roll
01/22/2025, 06:25 PM
DDD was the most hyped anime of the year. On first glance the reason why is obvious. An amazing OP, Bright colors, great animation and loads of action. It's a spectacle for sure... but that's all. The format for the show is action scene, action scene, action scene, fan service, action scene. The characters never get a proper introduction so even after a full season I don't feel like I know them.There is no plot either, just a series of action scenes with some prize at the end if they manage to clear the level, yes like in a game. DDD is great on the surface but scratch that surface and there's nothing below it. For example the show has two major side characters. One only gets introduced half way through the season while the other shows up in episode 11, literally just before the finale! Also for an action anime that "finale" was so lame. Personally, I did not like this show. I do value good characters and plot over everything else so this wasn't for me. I do think it was carefully calculated to appeal to a young demographic though. Just wish it actually had something to say... other than "BUY ME" that is.
netaraxia
01/20/2025, 07:46 PM
Alright the reason why I fw this anime so bad is cos I’ve already read the manga back when it was still ongoing with the first volume— and even just reading the manga you WILL still get hyped. As far as some of ya’ll has been saying that this anime has no real substance. Just let it marinate trust. Just because it’s overhyped doesn’t mean that it’s automatically bad. It’s crazy but who doesn’t love crazy? Also, I think majority in this community has already agreed on how good this anime is. Not to mention the intro has already dominated every space online 😭😭😭
bergars
01/16/2025, 09:54 PM
It's so beautiful to see my beloved weird manga come to animation as an acclaimed gem. We all know its fame. The bombastic, strange, the first episode filter story, unusual, but at the same time, romantic, fun, brutal, disturbing, saddening, epic, awe-inspiring. One moment, a fun fight scene against an incredibly designed ghost, minutes later, one of the most soul-crushing, and artistic depiction of a mother's love, and tragedy akin to One Piece's backstories with NO DIALOGUE. It's all those things, it's all of what the people say, and its creation is as interesting as is the series itself. An author, wishing to tell atragic story, is given shoujo manga by the bulk, and as a changed man, and after doing work for Fujimoto himself, he comes up with this banger of a shonen. Conventional? Only in structure. Innovative? Not particularly. It does what it wants well, and it does it with power, character designs, dialogue, slice-of-life scenes that ground each scene. Teenagers being awkward without it being annoying. It's a lovey-dovey show that can make its craziness all the more meaningful because you care so much about the characters. The lack of normalcy makes the fight scenes an actual danger, and the normal life segments so much more desirable. We enjoy both due to the incredible animation, and whenever there isn't a banger scene that challenges people's lives, we get misunderstandings solved with communication. Every character introduced is shown to have so many layers, and the walking clichés aren't just that. The bully isn't just that, they have a reason to put people down, they evolve once shown the value in other people. They can be great people, they can be hateful too. We're introduced to a flamboyant guy who could EASILY be the cliché of hidden bad intent, but NO, he's the bro-est bro out there, and he sticks with the attitude for what we've seen. The show miraculously works in everything it tries to do. You trust the writer, the confidence, with each scene. There aren't many stories that can trust on the audience this much, not because it's complicated, but because with a slight mistake, everything goes off the rails and becomes incoherent. Not here. Writing, characters, animation, scenes, dialogue, situations, comedy. It all just works. However, the ending of this season is such a terrible cliffhanger. It isn't even like a “the stakes are set, now we have to see what happens next”, no it's like they cancelled the season altogether. 9/10. We need more. Dandadan needs more.
Kevao51
01/15/2025, 08:40 PM
Man, the anime starts off really strong, but from the second half onwards, it gets really lazy. Dan Da Dan is the TikTok of anime, delivering everything Gen Alpha loves to see: quick content that doesn’t require brainpower, chaotic and erotic to lift the spirits of a 15-year-old boy who doesn’t have everything he wants. Anyway, that said, we’re witnessing a new wave of anime arriving with this same formula to please the new generation. I had already finished my review, but they didn't let me post it because it was too short. What else can I say? The anime doesn't have much content besides fights(well-animated, by the way), balls, and nudity.
charliegreyjoy
01/05/2025, 11:10 PM
The anime is pretty good, the interaction between characters is great and they have a lot of personality. I would have given it a better score if it wasn't for the fan service and some issues it has. I'm a straight man and of course I don't suffer this kind of violence, but all women have suffered one way or another, so on that note, there are a couple of scenes that are so violent and I wouldn't like to watch as a woman, neither as a man. I think those scenes are disgusting and there's no need to include them. Maybe the anime /manga authors thought that it was kind of punk to include 'pervy' themes in the series but that just isn't true. It stinks, and Japanese anime has to do better than that. So please we all should be more demanding with this issues and make 'em overcome this old-fashioned values and 'jokes' which are no fun anymore
Big_Walnuts2026
01/03/2025, 07:32 PM
This Anime, unlike many harsh critics believe, is not just a fast food anime. It's made with a love most aren't made with anymore. It's cliche at times but thats the fun if it. It's not afraid to redo things in its own style. A supernatural style if you will. The largest reason I enjoyed it so much, the characters. They know what they want, their motivations arent hidden. If you hate immature uncommunicative characters you find in anime, this will sooth your frustrations. The characters feel genuine and the anime doesnt confuse you with their intentions. They have realistic reactions to conflict, while still maintaininga sense of charming otherworldly confidence. The voice acting as well, especially for momo, is stupendous. It's not moany nonsense, as mentioned before theres care behind the making of this anime. It sounds as if you're overhearing real conversations most of the time, the characters sound their age, nothing is overdramaticized, there's not a feeling of the characters doing more than necessary. This is without mentioning the fun, and beautifully animated, albeit at times, overly s3xua1 action this anime has, which is not the drawing point anyways. While not being a fighting anime more than it is an adventure, I enjoy the fights and how its less slug fests than it is problem solving. There is satisfying resolutions to the fights and conflicts. While I admit the characters dont experience the most growth throughout it, I think the characters have no reason to grow, they are already mature teenagers (mostly), and for who this is aimed for, it makes the watching experience even better. The enjoyment value brings too much for anything else to bring this down for me. Lastly, with 300 anime seen and close to 3000 hours including rewatches, this has been an anime that brought my enjoyment of this type of media back. It's hard to find another anime that looks as love filled as this one, and moreover, one that doesnt take years to resolve conflicts between characters.
ninja35mm
01/01/2025, 02:35 PM
A vibrant 2024 anime blending comedy, shounen, romcom, and supernatural genres, centered around a family of mediums and a lonely otaku. There’s no cohesive storyline—most of the action revolves around a guy in a tough spot trying to deal with it. The tone here is distinctly adolescent, so expect plenty of shouting, awkward phrases, misunderstandings, and humor built on all of the above. This approach drastically narrows the target audience to high schoolers, who will likely find it appealing (no need to overthink, just enjoy the visuals). That said, the pilot episode and a few after it are riddled with misplaced raunchiness, which feels oddly outof place for that same audience. They could’ve easily skipped focusing on the guy’s stolen personal artifact and kept all the charm and humor intact. Sure, the situation is absurdly funny and hooks you in the pilot, but it makes later attempts at drama fall flat. When mid-season rolls around with the story of a ghost tied to Aira, it’s hard to take it seriously. With no overarching stakes, the anime feels disjointed, like a collection of standalone arcs where characters overcome challenges—but never fully. Aira’s inexplicable stubbornness—treating everyone as enemies—feels forced for the sake of the genre. Then there’s the turbo-grandma, a supposed altruist comforting lost souls for decades, who’s simultaneously obsessed with beating everyone and stealing trinkets. Odd. Overall, it’s a mishmash: everything’s tossed in together, haphazardly diced, and thrown into a single bowl, glued together with various excuses, and voilà. There are genuinely great moments, but they seem more like happy accidents than a consistent quality. The only major highlight is the stunning visuals, art, and direction (a debut work by Fūga Yamashiro). Dynamic, stylish, and vibrant—it’s a great example of modern craftsmanship. Even the variety stands out, like the nighttime rain chase scene. If you don’t dwell too much on the shallow plot, flat characters, and endless petty arguments (is this a romcom or a flea market?), it’s a decent watch. Critics praise its genre mix—romcom + horror + sci-fi. It’s hard to disagree, though the comedy often borders on the absurd. And the dynamic between the leads? Despite the flat characters, their interactions are shown well. But the otaku... he’s such a worn-out cliché it’s hard to watch. Oh, and the opening is decent. The first season, released in late 2024, ends mid-sentence in yet another arc that materializes out of nowhere, so brace yourself for major loose ends. A second season has been announced and is set for mid-2025. Based on a manga.
ibernard
12/22/2024, 08:41 AM
The bad ultimately outweighs the good for this anime, hence the score, however, it does have some highlights and, I will be checking out the second season. I don't see me ever rewatching the first season though. It seems like it just wouldn't be very enjoyable and a slog to get through. There were really only a handful of episodes and scenes I really enjoyed. The other stuff annoyed me and was hard to sit through. The first episode is strange and fast paced, not terrible but, a bit of a disappointment. The season really didn't brighten up until Aira got more involved, but that wasalso short lived. She quickly became overshadowed by the stupid antics of Momo and Okarun again. Then Jiji shows up but, there's nothing really interesting about him until the last episode. The animation is really not all that stellar to me. I really don't like this style of fluid motion they got going on, it looks shoddy to me. Other people do seem to love it though. I really like some of the creepy stills they do, but, other than looking pretty cool, they don't add much else to the story. I think the anime struggles with keeping itself on track. I haven't read the source material so, perhaps the manga is just as bad but, it seems like the story struggles with balancing out a comedic and serious tone. I guess that wouldn't bother me if the comedy actually landed for me, but I can't get over Momo's annoying masculine voice. It's grating for me. Okarun's voice isn't the greatest either but, I've sort of gotten used to it. When Momo isn't being a spaz, her voice is fine, but when she gets excited, I get no enjoyment from her shenanigans. It's a very personal thing though so, some people may really enjoy it. All in all, I personally didn't find anything to write home about. I don't think the series is without potential but, the first season was not very enjoyable for me. It's quirky though so, I guess to each their own. I wouldn't recommend it to anybody though since I personally didn't enjoy it.
BlkAngle
12/21/2024, 03:45 PM
Well, the first season of one of my favorite animes ended at the most sensitive point possible, and now I have to wait almost a year to see the next episode. This anime captivated me with the very first episode! In the first episode, it was the animation, graphics, and the beauty of the anime's production, its opening and visuals, as well as the voice actors, main and secondary characters, and the strange and different story that captivated me! This anime was exactly like the title of its first episode, love at first sight for me! As the episodes progressed, I realized that unlike manyanimes, this anime was not going to be ruined after the well-made first episode despite being broadcast weekly! Every week, everything was great and even better! I gradually realized how perfect the rest of the anime's features were! For example, the amazing OST songs that forced you to immediately search for it on Spotify and add it to your playlist! The action scenes were designed and animated in the best possible way! The main character was portrayed incredibly strongly and easily became the favorite female character of many anime fans! Among the genres of this anime, it was the romance that stood out to me more than the fiction! And how special, different, and 100% beautifully expressed and written this romance was! The romance between a wild, yet funny, beautiful, and kind girl and a lonely, insecure, otaku boy who has lost his genitals. Isn't this a beautiful romance story? Doesn't Momo, as the main character, fulfill almost all our expectations of a wonderful girl? A strong, independent, and kind girl who is not arrogant or spoiled, and ironically, she is also very beautiful, smart, and intelligent! A girl who not only doesn't constantly wait to be saved by the main male character like many animes, but is even the leader of this team and the biggest player in battles! This anime was a roller coaster of emotions! It made me laugh, cry, be happy, sad, emotional, embarrassed, nervous, excited... An anime that never put my mind and heart at ease. An anime that left me with a sense of emptiness after even one season. One of those feelings when you realize you won't be seeing this anime again for a few weeks! The mangaka, director, designers, OST and opening music band all gave their best! What a visual treat! What a taste of the music! And finally, what a heartwarming treat! This anime gave me hope for the future of the anime industry! I will be waiting for anime similar to this masterpiece of fiction and art.
blueberryjelly1
12/20/2024, 07:10 PM
I don't understand how people put "not recommended" for perversion. ANYWAYS, I want to say my full opinion about the anime. I loved it, I fully recommend it and heck its the first anime I have waited to watch. The anime is pretty easy to understand, in the sense that it is not made for younger audiences. I got caught off guard multiple times watching it, and I usually can predict what will happen, this is one of the times I could not predict the next moment, or the next stage or whatever. I love the characters, the music and soundtrack is great, and theart is amazing. hence why I am writing this review. 10/10, no matter what people say I gladly recommend this anime, and hell it was a very VERY fun watch for me.
1stDecame4Danime
12/20/2024, 06:55 PM
It's a shonen-action school romcom. Except none of the attempts at humor were funny, the "romance" as always goes nowhere and was especially cliched virgin cringe dialogue/overacting, and the story itself went nowhere beyond an excuse for battle of the week shonen action that was well animated but boring without any stakes, just watching the canonically plot armored main characters get slammed through concrete without any consequence before casually smacking their enemies out of existence. The show lacks focus on anything like it has ADHD, whipping between slapped together emotional melodrama and slapstick potty/sex jokes only a child could find funny. Plus it ends in the middleof nothing without any attempt at any meaningful season finale, so anticlimactic the whole season's nonstory is a waste of time. It's juvenile and terrible and yet the bar of other anime during its season is so low that it's still one of the better ones coming out at the time.
Nihilysis
12/20/2024, 04:30 AM
The second coming of FLCL? Mob Psycho 200? Xbox 720? Or just another Chainsaw Man? The answer is very simple... Or is it? Hey Vsauce, Nihilysis here. This is a difficult one, there were several aspects that I liked in this anime and some that I disliked, that's why I think mixed feelings fits better, even though 7 is a good grade. Plot (6/10) Let's start from the beginning, and what a start to begin with. I expected this to be just another modern shounen like Chainsaw Man or Jujutsu, and all my hopes were on the fact that this work would be adapted by Science SARU, butthe first 4 episodes were amazing (this could be a 1h30 movie on its own), it was spontaneous, fun and bold, the characters were charismatic and the direction and production were very good. My expectations were exceeded. After the first 4 episodes (episode 9 was really good btw tbh) the anime started introducing characters... developing love triangles... it even had an emotional episode out of nowhere, which felt a bit forced and artificial, and that's when the anime ended up losing its way. Dandadan was no longer as bold and insane as FLCL, nor as mature and silly as Mob, FLCL is about coming of age and youth, Mob is about not overestimating or underestimating yourself, and Dandadan... Dandadan is just another shy boy and popular girl kind of story, which isn't necessarily bad, but it's a downgrade for sure. You see, this was almost inevitable, Dandadan is a manga, and this type of media is treated much more as entertainment than as art, so seeing works getting lost in their themes in order to be able to stretch out and sell more is not uncommon. It is rare to see mangas with a clear objective, that know where they want to go, and when they should end, and that do so before becoming uninteresting. Now going back to Dandadan, the ending of the first season was underwhelming. I didn't understand why they made the decision to end the first season this way instead of making the anime have 2 cours, especially since the second one has already been announced. Characters (7/10) Let's get the elephant out of the room, more specifically Jiji, he was a very difficult character to tolerate, whether that was the intention or not, I don't know, but there were much better ways to do this type of character, or at least some where he's not so excruciating. Ken and Momo were really fun and had an amazing dynamic in the first 4 episodes. Eventually Ken became a little less geeky and unique and became a somewhat in-love introvert, but Momo kept her personality well. Aira is a character that most of the time works and is funny, but sometimes is a bit dull. She basically exists to fulfill the role of liking Ken, creating a one-sided love triangle. Other characters found in Dandadan are definitely one of the characters found in the 2024 fall season anime Dandadan. Production (8/10) The production, direction, art and music were worthy of a Science SARU anime in most episodes, especially the first ones. P.S. The ending is very good. Enjoyment (7/10) I really liked the beginning of the show and then although the anime lost a bit of its personality, It doesn't take itself too seriously, so it's still possible to enjoy the Mindless fun it provides. Overall, Dandadan is enjoyable enough, and I think it's probably worth it, even if just out of curiosity, for those who like this type of anime, but don't expect something too solid. And as always, thanks for reading.
Cyrose
12/20/2024, 01:54 AM
Welcome to 2024 where there is no such a thing as a bad anime. Thanks to the fact that anime as a medium has become more mainstream, the Overton window on the perspective of what constitutes a good anime has shifted. This is because the popular anime of today create a bias for what is expected of the medium. This baseline influences what others think is good. Dandadan is everything that the current generation seeks. Crazy, colorful, absurd, erotic, and geared towards a low attention span. It’s perfect. If viewers of this era would start with any anime from before 2018, they would think it’s boring and slow. As usuallyanime typically handle their settings like this: Introduction > some conflict > get to know the characters > rising to a climax > action > resolution. In today’s case Dan Da Dan looks like this: Intro > //Dan Da Dan Da..// > tiny bit of Introduction > action > more action > nudity > action > nudity > action > more action > end. It is necessary to understand that the consequences of this aforementioned anime viewing behavior have affected the production quality of anime in general. This has resulted in the mass production of slop anime, that aim to hit the largest possible audience at once. Regardless that supernatural themes are often hit or miss. The concept about aliens and ghosts are always intriguing and who hates these paranormal concepts anyway? This statement is only true if it is done right. The issues with this series started with the plot that progressed way too quickly, making it difficult for me to emotionally connect with the characters and the circumstances. Although I was excited to see the supernatural genre from a fresh angle, it lacked depth and felt like it was just made for cheap entertainment without offering any genuine or valuable storytelling. So much information is thrown at you in either by a silly conversations or yakety-yak. Not like anything that happens makes a bit of sense anyway. Shows like this must be funny as the setting is strange and the plot farcically ridiculous. However the jokes and funny moments completely lacked chemistry and since everything else happened so fast, when they tried to squeeze a little funny moment in it, it felt dragged which usually ended up coming off as cringe rather than being funny. 100 romance manga or not, despite the author had to sit through this amount of romance manga to create a strong romantic relationship and story between the two main character. It backfired since they both got along with each other as if they were close friends from the beginning. Not to mention the way Momo falls immediately for Ken just because of his full name and not because of his personality say a lot about the romance of this anime. The way people are getting emotional after episode seven is the biggest reflection of how low the bar has been settled for standards in this era of anime viewers. I am a type of person that can tear up by just hearing a beautifully composed song or even by listening conversations between 2 characters, but that scene was way too fabricated therefore after six episodes of absolute blather, so it was more funny than weepy for me. Animation was decent, overall when there wasn’t a lot of movement the art was nice and colorful. However, I can’t say the same to the animation smoothness as often it wasn’t consistent. Although in action scenes you could say it was intentional to be inconsistent to appear quirkier. There were non-action scenes where the animation really lacked and not done on the same level as the opening credits, which tells. The design of the ghosts is very similar to the Arrancars from Bleach while the UFO’s are just ugly humans who want to rape, actually ghosts also have sexual assault desires. But even fan service became more fake and over exaggerated in modern. The whole “banana scene” and the hot granny.. why does everything and everyone has to be perverted and over-sexualized? Just why? On last note, I would like to mention the voice actors. As for me personally it was a complete disaster. The two main character’s voice was an absolutely mismatch, didn’t fit to their characters and personalities. Although Hanae Natsuki is one of my favorite VA, he couldn’t make his voice more like an “Okarun” type of person as Ken was. He could have change voices when he turns into a ghost, but he just wasn’t nailing this role unfortunately. Ayase Momo voiced by Wakayama Shion and although she is quite unpopular and this role probably is her first major role, this character just didn’t suit her voice at all. Her voice was way too natural and deep. Pros and Cons 🔴 Rushed Narrative 🔴 Weak Comedy 🔴 Boring Dialogues 🔴 Shallow Characters 🔴 Predictable Romance 🔴 Unbalanced Story 🔴 No Meaningful or Educational Value 🟠 Decent Background Art 🟠 Opening 🟢 Accessible on Netflix In conclusion It is a pity that this new generation of anime can be so highly regarded despite lacking to provide any valuable messaging. By that means, Dan Da Dan is an absolutely perfect anime for the modern target audience where viewers want a spectacle but don’t care for plot. Unfortunately, it takes more than it gives to those who still have the access to the entire scoring system. It might work for social media content as it is fictitious and has so many cringe content that some video creators might be able to force out reactions to. However for any normal anime watcher, watching grass grow would bring out more facial expressions out of them than watching this nonsense. In Summary: For the past few years Anime is on a downfall and it is disheartening to see one of my favorite media in a chaotic dive to decay. Personally, I prefer meaningful quality content over generic, goofy over-sexualized ones. Final score: 2/10 ⭐️ Peak cringeworthy. I’m grateful to you for taking the time to read my review, your feedback is kindly appreciated.
MarlsMarsBars
12/19/2024, 08:30 PM
Out of all the anime that was set to air this year, Dan Da Dan was the one I was looking forward to the most… for some reason. I honestly don’t know why that is, but I have said before that I really enjoy when animated projects, especially anime, fully embrace being goofy and allowing itself to go all out creatively. While I like good narratives above everything else, I also like when an anime is just unapologetically bizarre and fun, and that is exactly what Dan Da Dan is. Now, does Dan Da Dan have a good or well-rounded narrative? Not exactly. As afan of this series, I understand and recognize that the overarching storylines revolving around trying to find Okarun’s balls is quite flimsy and shallow, however what really carries the writing are a few aspects: the overall tone of the series, the fun character dynamics, and the over-the-top action sequences. As someone who is so tired of “hype” battle shonen animanga, Dan Da Dan felt like a huge breath of fresh air to me. The first two episodes of the anime did such an amazing job hooking me into the rest of this series that I decided to pick up the manga and was able to catch myself up with the source material before this season finished airing. The reason why this action anime managed to hook me in ways other battle shonen weren’t able to can be attributed to how this series tonally handles itself. I’m so tired of narratives within the shonen demographic taking themselves more seriously than they really need to be, like Demon Slayer or Jujutsu Kaisen, or not understanding which tonality to streamline itself in, like Kaiju No. 8. Dan Da Dan is unapologetically goofy as hell and I love it. Having a series revolving around a bunch of teenagers fighting both yokai spirits and aliens with unconventional abilities is pretty much everything I can ask for in both the action genre of anime and the shonen demographic. While there are other shonen anime that I greatly prefer over Dan Da Dan (i.e., Attack on Titan, The Dangers in My Heart, Frieren, etc.), I really like how this series just accepts how unserious the overall atmosphere is and doesn’t hold back in giving us some fun episodes and chapters that kept me engaged. However, that’s not to say that Dan Da Dan needs to be *all* serious. There are moments throughout this season - and more beyond this season - where we are given a very riveting and emotionally deep subplot related to the backstories of the yokai spirits, which I think is executed really well. Acrobatic Silky’s backstory was already very well executed in the manga, but the anime further elevated that subplot with some creative cinematography coupled with beautiful animation and soundtrack. While these moments are more emotionally driven than what the rest of the series leads on, I don’t mind the tonal shift since it’s very few and far between and it makes sense within the context of how humans who lived tragic lives end up becoming these spirits. This doesn’t take away or make the series tonally inconsistent, but rather adds depth to an otherwise pretty shallow series, and I welcome that. At its core, Dan Da Dan is essentially an action adventure shonen animanga. “Adventure” in the sense that the characters take us to various locations that elevate the action of this series and help transport us viewers to this strange world of spirits and aliens. However, these adventurous arcs wouldn’t have been as interesting or entertaining to watch if it weren’t for the characters and the goofy dynamic they all share with one another. The main cast of Ken Takakura, aka Okarun, Momo Ayase, Seiko Aayase, Turbo Granny, Aira Shiratori, and Jin Enjoji, aka Jiji, are all massive goofballs in their own right, so when you put them together in chaotic situations like what this series throws at them, you just get an overload of fun in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong, I find the whole “loud characters” trope in shonen anime and manga to be quite annoying, but I like how it’s utilized in Dan Da Dan because the characters are such goofballs to be taken seriously like in other battle shonen. Are the characters a bit obnoxious? Sure. However, within the tonal context of this series, it works pretty well in terms of maintaining the overall insanity of this series. With that said, it’s not perfect. The “romance” for lack of a better term between Okarun and Momo is quite shallow and flimsy, but again, I don’t mind it in this context since these two characters are teenage loose cannons who are still trying to figure out their place in the world. Seiko and Turbo Granny are very similar to characters like Dimple from Mob Psycho 100 where they are good supporting pieces while having a fun spin to their relationships with the main cast. Aira and Jiji can be seen as annoying at first, however they are given enough room for them to grow or have an interesting dynamic with the main duo, although we will see a truer side to these characters in later seasons. As mentioned earlier, the narratives in Dan Da Dan are elevated by the stunning animation, and Science SARU has knocked it out of the park for this anime. Not only was the Acrobatic Silky episode - at least in my opinion - a masterpiece in visual storytelling in animation, the over-the-top nature of the fight sequences in Dan Da Dan is further brought to life with the stunning visuals in the anime. Out of all of the action anime to air this year, I truly think Science SARU and Madhouse did it the best with both Dan Da Dan and Frieren respectively. Whenever Okarun uses his Turbo Granny form, it is pretty much guaranteed that the fight scene is going to be a visual spectacle. The directing for this anime adaptation elevates the source material to new heights, so much so that I truly think that this will make Dan Da Dan a household name when it comes to new gen battle shonen anime. Now, while I really enjoy this series, it isn’t perfect. Easily the worst part of this series has to be the fan service, both in the manga and the anime. I find it a bit uncomfortable when the main characters, who are minors, are being sexualized in a way that is quite suggestive in terms of the animated frames we are given in the anime. What’s worse is that the fan service is a bit more muted in the source material than it is here for some reason, which is a shame since I don’t see any reason to “enhance” this aspect within the adaptation. It was especially bad in the first episode/chapter, however, a good thing is that the fan service is not only very few and far between, but also non-existent moving forward past this season. If Dan Da Dan does get picked up for more seasons (which I personally hope it does), rest assured that this uncomfortable aspect of the series is not prevalent in the slightest moving forward. I know other people will complain about the pacing and how short some arcs can be, but I honestly don’t mind the pacing since the more segmented form of storytelling helps keep the series fresh and new every few episodes. I really want Dan Da Dan to get more seasons because as a manga reader, I can assure you it only gets better from here, and the shorter arcs really become a treat as the series keeps us on our tippy-toes with fresh storylines and fun character dynamics to continuously gauge your interest. I understand Dan Da Dan might not be for everyone, but if you want a fun and silly battle shonen anime to watch, then check this anime out.
Danreis
12/19/2024, 03:05 PM
Dandadan definitely leaves me confused when I try to describe whether or not I liked what I saw. The first episode reveals everything Dandadan has to offer, both at its best and at its worst. The characters are extremely charismatic, the humor is very good, the animation is wonderful and, along with all of this, it is permeated by what is probably the most divisive theme of this work: the way the script deals (or fails to deal) with the characters being constantly targets of attempted sexual violence. Starting with the compliments: I loved the protagonists Momo and Okarun from the beginning. They have clear personalities, charismaticcharacteristics and their interactions are excellent and each new character adds a bit of chaos and leaves their mark on the narrative. The animation itself is incredible and, although many may get attached to the action moments, I was impressed by certain movements and camera angles that are very inventive. An example of this is a certain scene in episode 2 that involves a mirror in Momo's room. And Dandadan is full of moments like this that show that whoever thought of these scenes is very good at what they do. And finally, the giant elephant in the room arrives: I won't give spoilers, but I think it's good for anyone who wants to watch Dandadan to know that this anime has some very uncomfortable scenes involving attempted sexual abuse. One character is technically abused off-screen while another character is almost abused at least twice. My problem isn't even having this kind of theme, the problem is how the script seems to give no weight to the subject. Like, in one episode a certain character is tied up half-naked and almost abused and in the other episode it seems like nothing happened to this same character or, worse, you're left wondering if the creatures that almost forced the sexual intercourse wear underwear... Dandadan has everything to make me love this story, but there's this point that's like a kick pushing me away... I still think I liked this anime even with this cliffhanger at the end of the season that appeals to what I hated the most: a character is about to be sexually abused again. Dandadan is certainly a good exercise in discovering the line between how much a story can have something that makes you uncomfortable and yet you can still love it.
topfloorboss45
12/19/2024, 09:38 AM
The most hyped anime of the season has finally wrapped up and in all honestly it's pretty fun, but that's about it. Even though Dandadan lacks a proper storyline, or fails to really be impactful in any way, in spectacle alone, it certainly delivers. It's a comparatively well-done comedy/action that often succeeds in it's efforts to appear outlandish and do something different to what most other mediocre recycled battle-shonens appear to be spewing out nowadays. Being able to go from stupid scenes about retrieving one's balls to a genuinely masterfully animated and emotionally gripping sequence, Dandadan is like a little box of chocolates that'll have an episodeto amuse almost any viewer. But that's the thing. Dandadan is a box of mixed chocolates that doesn't even know what brand it is. An inconsistent bunch of episodes that don't know whether to be good, great, or plain mediocre. Many times I've tuned in to just be completely disappointed by the lack of substance in certain episodes, which shouldn't really be happening in a twelve episode production. The one thing that you can't discredit this show for is it's beautiful animation. Watching DDD, it's made obvious that the animation team poured their heart and soul into producing it. The overall ambiance and aesthetic of the show is something that you don't have to look for. It's right in your face pinching your cheek and always grabbing your attention. You could say the same for the music and voice acting. The VAs never fail to capture the essence of every character in the show, definitely contributing to their iconic presence on social media. Overall, Dandadan is a show that isn't one with many major faults, but also isn't one that'll blow your socks off and change your life with its quality, which is completely fine. Leave your expectations of an objective masterpiece behind when you hop into this show, and I'm sure you'll have a little fun.
Stark700
12/19/2024, 08:04 AM
Yukinobu Tatsu's Dandadan evokes countless expressions of freedom and creativity. While many shows of the supernatural genre tries to play it safe with traditional themes, Dandadan showed us how far creativity and imagination can really take us. As someone who enjoys anime not just for the viewing experience, Dandadan itself feels like an art form, crafted with vivid imagination. Watching the OP song itself is madness enough. It felt as if we were being pulled into the Twilight Zone of bizareness. Then, the music beat hits and we are greeted with perhaps the most stylistic and catchy opening of the year. "Otonoke" by Creepy Nuts isalmost indescribable by words alone. The amount of colorful elements are embedded with its alluring tunes, dancing movements, and body language. To say the least, even if you've never planned to watch Dandadan, we should agree tha the opening song is far from normal. Dandadan's plot synopsis shows tons of potential although not not entirely unique. We've seen it in similar anime such as Mob Psycho 100 and FLCL: characters who meets and building a bond through fated encounters. Momo Ayase's encounter with Takakura Ken (nicknamed Okarun) is such an example. Their idealogy clash about the existence of supernatural pits the two as rivals but this quickly changes into an unique friendship and perhaps something even more. That's the basis of the plot but it goes beyond much further than dealing with the supernatural. Dandadan's ability to use witty lines and character language is one of its highlights. The two main characters are so different in personalities that you'd think they are from different planets. It's what makes this show's chemistry contagious enough to draw an audience. We want to see what they fight for, and how they do it every episode. From early, the duo goes up against a flatwoods monster and later confronts the infamous Turbo Granny (yes, you can practically picture what she may resemble). Dandadan's 'monster of the week' translates to how the protagonists approach these monsters. All common sense are tossed out the window when confronting these monsters. However, Dandadan doesn't rely on shounen style strategies or battle tactics. They fight the monsters head on almost in cartoony fashion at times. A main selling point of the show is not how to confront these monsters but the cinematic battles themselves. It's an expression of creativity but also intertwined with madness and colorful usage of its cinematics and emotions. Speaking of which, emotions is among an important factor for character development and relationship bonding. We find out through episode 7 when the character Acrobatic Silky receives perhaps one of the most emotional background story in recent anime memory. You'll have to truly watch and experience it for yourself to understand its impact. But because of strong emotions, Momo and Okarun builds a closer relationship among themselves. These range from a comical accidental kiss to real trust forged between the duo. To add on to the mix, characters such as Aira Shiratori adds even spicy drama among them. By far, Dandadan takes advantage of its small yet colorful cast through its usage of character emotions. Momo, Okarun, and later on Aira, are at the epicenter of this. The nature of this show draws its attention on how characters behave around other. For example, Aira quickly develops an infutation towards Okarun while the latter is unable to respond accordingly. Meanwhile, countless teases are thrown between Momo and Okarun as they show their attaction towards each other. In classic example, Okarun also shows signs of jealousy when Momo's childhood friend pays her a visit later on in the show. Other characters such as Seiko serves as role models for the younger cast even though they are decorated with peculiar characteristics. From day one, we can see that Dandadan is far from an ordinary show despite taking place in a familiar normal setting. The line that draws between normalcy and the supernatural really goes out the bounds. Dandadan's success should be counted for what it set out to do from the very first episode. The bizarreness of its themes and unorthodox humor is a major draw for the audience. It might not be suited for everyone but certainly evokes emotions. The one element holding back this season is its shortened length at 12 episodes. There are far more material in the manga that deserves to be adapted but with season 2 announced, our hopes aren't far away.
Gsarthotegga
12/19/2024, 07:56 AM
Like Hell's Paradise, Dandadan gets a lot of attention amongst recent shonens because both authors were former assistants to Chainsaw Man's Tatsuki Fujimoto and there are some mildly novel touches: HP has an unusual setting and, yeah, that's probably about it; meanwhile, Dandadan, well, uh... is basically a battle shonen that takes the standard otaku-pandering incel romance you'd find in school-based romcoms and pushes it into becoming the ultimate piss-take snub of self-insert pandermancy and cuck romance shippers that has increasingly become the norm in anime. There's a lot of humor, and almost all the punchlines hit below the belt, which probably won't go wellfor those who aren't too keen on lowbrow jokes centering around, in this case, dick jokes—"Give me your banana" (please don't). The whole series is simply one humongous dick joke (likely a petite one, if we're talking about the MC and his 5 cm kintamas that just dropped), and there probably isn't any other kind of media that sorely needed this passionate kick to the nuts more. The series effectively plays a savage South Park-styled game of Roshambo with self-inserters, as Dandadan's motto when it comes to our MC is "Give us your balls, your dick, we'll make you a eunuch." If you're not "too mature" for a few dick jokes, it can be amusing, but other attempts at humor aren't as smoothly integrated, such as milking the "I finally noticed she's cute" trope. What might appear at first to be a mere acknowledgement of the average anime functioning as a feel-good waifubait simulator for unwashed otakus who skitter about in the shadows, where a 10/10 moeblob who is way out of his league will throw herself upon him without any effort, for she has seen his true inner beauty and manages to look past surface details like BO, and he'll sweep her off her feet, whispering arcane lore into her ear about the intricate plot developments of the final arc of LotGH, becomes a surprisingly hilarious mockup of these kind of series. Instead of just making jokes about being neutered or spayed or presenting a pathetic low-t dweeb with his balls in the usual vice-grip, the series literally emasculates him by having almost the entire plot revolve around a high-speed chase to recover his stolen family jewels, with his dutiful gyaru love interest checking every nook and cranny, searching high and low, to recover his missing balls! In a way, it almost resembles a demented sexual misadventure version of Dragon Balls, with various characters vying for control of the protagonist's balls, which grant them power! One episode is even titled "Like, Where Are Your Balls?" The thing about a lot of shonen is that that's often one of my burning questions about the protagonist, but Dandadan does its own ball count, allowing one to save valuable mental energy. While not especially deep and just as accessible as most shonen, Dandadan at least foregoes one of the mistakes of its mature™ seasonal peer, Orb: My God Heliocentrism, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?, a series so inept as to pose the question "DUUUUHHH, what be subtext?" and then proceeds to turn all of its subtext into straight-up dialogue and double down on making sure the audience doesn't miss a single thing. Dandadan doesn't feel the need to shamelessly go balls deep down that scandalous hole (kind of hard when they're missing), even if it's waving its influences right in our face in the same way an exhibitionist might flash his private parts. To get the balls rolling, there is blatant influence from the Egyptian Osiris myth (which also influenced Dionysus and various other repackaged gods and syncretized religions). The MC can be seen as Osiris and the FMC as Isis. Seth kills and dismembers Osiris, splitting his body into 14 pieces (in reference to the Orion constellation), leading to what could be referred to as the Mystery of the Missing Phallus (sometimes Mystery of the Missing Balls in the case of Dandadan, though the Phallus gets misplaced often as well). Each piece of Osiris has a partial amount of power, much as a few characters in Dandadan unlock dormant powers by fondling one of the MC's golden balls. Isis tracks down all the pieces of Osiris, except for the phallus, which was eaten by either a fish or crab, depending on which version of the story you read, with Turbo Granny being associated with a crab. Isis reconstructs the body, and there are different accounts of what happens: She usually uses her powers to craft him a new penis, fashions a foreign object into one, or even constructs a literal lady boner out of her own flesh and grafts it onto Osiris. Soon after, they give birth to Horus. Since she's a dickball stealer, Turbo Granny could loosely be seen as a Seth-like character, and there is even a part in the legend where Horus and Seth race each other on boats, much like how she challenges tunnel trespassers to a race; though she does have a more interesting dynamic with the main characters in this story, starting as an enemy, becoming a comic relief mascot, and maybe even something like a friend, though always scheming, not unlike Ekubo/Dimple from Mob Psycho 100. There's also, of course, the fixation on occultism and the sky (aliens), with the ancients being deeply invested in the sky and many of their practices now falling under what we call the occult. Anyway, this lengthy digression is meant to showcase that the author put a surprising amount of effort into presenting his NTR fetish. Admittedly, some of the cuck pandering can become hardcore, even cringe-inducing. At first, it doesn't seem all that heavy because after the alien-obsessed MC and the ghost/supernatural-believing FMC send each other off on a dare, the series plays out like a balls to the wall boss rush for several episodes, as the characters try to harness their powers and are attacked by one enemy after another. But once we finally have some downtime, like in episode 5, the MC goes back to his pity party lines, hoping his mommy—I mean, waifu—will save him. When the MC transforms he'll do some kind of clownish self-deprecating rap, but then he'll be moping at school and dropping lines like, "Is it so embarrassing to be friends with me? WAAAAAAH!" There's also an over-reliance on downer internal monologues around this time, and during the oddly synchronized yin-yangish bit between the couple, she'll be thinking stuff like, "Ungh, I'm so bored. I wish Okarun would teach me all about aliens, especially the anal probing part. *____*" Feels ridiculously pandering and almost out of tune with the blue balls pit that the show tends to dive headfirst into otherwise. That aspect of the series feels better motivated or smoother in earlier episodes. Of course, once we realize his balls are missing, his pathetic behavior kind of seems justified. You have to wonder if the author planned it a bit where the MC is subtly more or less pathetic depending on those circumstances. Probably not, but using his balls as a plot device allows material that would be far more embarrassing in other anime to roll far more smoothly here. It's also worth noting that the MC is not a total doormat and will insult the FMC when she insults him, instead of just taking abuse, like too many MCs for me to name. Thankfully, Crappa, the most hardcore corner-cutters in the industry, having churned out Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, Hell's Paradise, and many other extremely popular shonen in the last few years, didn't get their grimy hands on this series. I had read up to about episode 2-3 in the Dandadan manga back when it had first surged in popularity, and, while it seemed alright, there wasn't anything about it that kept me reading it over whatever else. Science SARU, handling the series instead, is a company that tends to have impressive animation or a distinct aesthetic but has put out a lot of mediocre or questionable titles and has been disconcertingly cozy with Netflix. One of their biggest manga adaptations a while back, Devilman: Crybaby, was a travesty for quite a few fans of Go Nagai's work or the earlier OVAs and probably not to the liking of those who were more interested in SARU for artsier titles either, like Inu-Ou. But SARU were actually a great choice for adapting Dan, appearing to be faithful where it counts, and featuring far more lively animation than we can usually hope to get from most seasons, with the first episode being quite inventive and even "trippy," and the chase with the crab having a frenetic energy, as they run around and swing across buildings, struggling to survive. There are some disappointing stills that are occasionally used and expected dips in quality from time to time, but how polished it generally is is an indicator that SARU might actually be able to pull off the dream of adapting decent commercial work with their own unique style to generate revenue, while creating more artistic and experimental work along the way, as seemed to be the intention back when Masaaki Yuasa founded the company. This is an adaptation that mostly elevates the material, though there is a dubious ghettoization habit on display, which SARU has likely developed from being so close to Netflix (see the oddly placed rap in Japan Stinks 2020 and Devilman: Crybaby), rendering the audio component less than satisfactory.

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Fall 2024 Preview

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'Dandadan' Unveils Additional Staff, First Promo

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Manga 'Dandadan' Gets TV Anime by Science SARU in 2024

Dandadan ダンダダン

'Dandadan' Second Season Announced for Summer 2025

A Glimpse Into the Wacky World of Dandadan

Fall 2024 Simulcast List [Update 10/7]

Fall 2024 Preview

'Dandadan' Unveils Supporting Cast, New Visual

'Dandadan' Reveals Additional Cast, Second Promo

'Dandadan' Unveils Additional Staff, First Promo

'Dandadan' Reveals Main Cast for Fall 2024 Debut

Manga 'Dandadan' Gets TV Anime by Science SARU in 2024