Like many people, I’ve been unbelievably hyped for the upcoming release of the Dandadan anime adaptation.
The series is one of the strongest new series Shonen Jump has under its umbrella at the moment. Its blend of occult and sci-fi with teen romance and comedy is a novel one. And while it might not be the next Chainsaw Man, it certainly has the potential to be one of the biggest Series the publication has now that My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen have wrapped up.
Now, having seen the first three episodes of the anime via the First Encounter early pre-screening event put on by GKIDS Films, I’m confident that it isn’t set to fill the gaps left by any other series. Instead, the Dandadan anime is ready to be its own phenomenon.
It doesn’t waste any time pursuing this goal either. The story follows Takakura Ken — aka Okarun — and Ayase Momo, two teens who are into extraterrestrial phenomena and the supernatural respectively. After a dare gone wrong to prove their respective hobbies are real, Okarun is possessed by the malicious Turbo Granny while Momo is abducted by aliens and has her spiritual powers awakened.
While the two escape unharmed, Okarun is left without his package and must retrieve it from the Turbo Granny with Momo’s help; all while aliens pursue them in order to obtain some unknown powers. And to make matters worse, Momo realizes that Okarun is her ideal guy.
It’s a lot to process, but the Dandadan anime presents all of it masterfully. Each story beat is introduced in a fast yet effective way, and the series flows effortlessly from one chaotic moment or revelation to the next. I was honestly shocked that it managed to breeze through the pilot chapter in only one episode, and that every major plot point was unveiled with the kind of time and detail other series could only dream of.
This is something important to bring up: The Dandadan anime adaptation doesn’t add any unnecessary fluff whatsoever. It focuses wholeheartedly on conveying the story from the manga, which very much works in its favor. At most, it changes up certain scenes to work better with its new medium, and the end result is a great compromise for telling the story as close to the way that it was intended as possible.
And of course, there’s the animation provided by the team at Science Saru, which is a cut above almost every other show. Similar to Jujutsu Kaisen or Chainsaw Man, it feels like a movie-level production split up into standard episodes, complete with regular moments of Sakuga during battle scenes and comedy bits alike. Every fight is a spectacle to behold, and even the most mundane race to the restroom feels like a major occurrence thanks to how intently each frame is animated.
Being a Science Saru joint though, it also features their trademark energy and elasticity a la a reserved squash and stretch approach. Characters move and bounce with just enough cartoonish energy to really sell the fantastical elements of the show, while also making comedic bits hit that much more effectively. It can be a little strange at first, but fits with the aesthetic of Dandadan so well that it ends up feeling natural before long.
Aiding the entire affair is the coloring and shading. Science Saru has masterfully chosen each frame’s color palette, resulting in scenes which perfectly convey each moment’s emotions via vibrant hues or more muted tones. It lends the whole series an elastic energy which grips you every step of the way, and draws you in so perfectly that you won’t even realize you’ve bombed through three episodes in record time.
We’d also be remiss not to make mention of the audio. The Japanese dub was used for the Dandadan anime preview screening, and every voice actor absolutely killed it. Particular kudos has to be given to Hanae Natsuki and Wakayama Shion for Okarun and Momo respectively, as both lend an amazing range of emotion and depth to their characters’ line deliveries.
And honestly, the other voice actors gave some incredible performances. Turbo Granny feels like a suitably bonkers threat every time she utters her trademark line, and the Serpoians feel properly terrifying thanks to their level and deadpan deliveries.
Supporting all of this further is the sound design and OST. The series’ sound effects subtly sell the differences between the aliens and Yokai with notable sound cues and vocal distortions, and the ones used during battles really sell the impact and weight of each strike. The OST, meanwhile, is hyperactive and thoughtful in equal measure, with the opening theme Otonoke by Creepy Nuts being a perfect representation of this.
I could keep going on and on, but the message remains the same: The Dandadan anime looks to be a masterpiece in the making. I can’t wait for the series to kick off properly in October, and the wider community should prepare for the arrival of a new Shonen heavy hitter when it does.
