Dandadan Anime Impressions: Drenched in Craziness

Over the last few months, I’ve been hearing great things about Dandadan, the new-gen manga from Yukinobu Tatsu. I wanted to check out the manga initially, but when the news came out that Science SARU was in charge of the anime adaptation, I decided to wait until the anime release. And oh boy, it was worth all the wait! The Dandadan anime debuted today with the first episode absolutely blew my socks off. UFO? Check. Weirdly sexual granny ghost? Check. Two adorable characters with some sparks flying? Check. Check. Check.

It sounds like a lot, and it surely is a crazy ride. Let me share my first impressions of the Dandadan anime to give you more deets (not teats, Turbo Granny) on whether you should watch it or not.

Dandadan Episode 1 Brings a Fresh Wave of Madness to Shonen

I always knew that Dandadan features a quirky story, all thanks to my Editor ranting about its weird plot and sharing manga panels with me. It did get me hyped up at the moment, but I used to shrug it off in wait for the anime. And it was wrong of me to do that.

Today I realized that my Editor was so crazy about Dandadanl; cause Dandadan is a mind-boggling story. It delivers next level of craziness with its eccentric characters. Without spoiling anything, here is the official synopsis of Dandadan to see if it matches your levels of crazy:

When high schooler Momo, from a family of spirit mediums, first meets her classmate Okarun, an occult geek, they argue—Momo believes in ghosts but denies aliens, and Okarun believes in aliens but denies ghosts. When it turns out both phenomena are real, Momo awakens a hidden power and Okarun gains the power of a curse. Together, they must challenge the paranormal forces threatening their world.

Right after I witnessed the trippy visuals of the anime opening featuring Otonoke by Creepy Nuts, I knew this was going to be a wild ride. The debut episode starts off perfectly, introducing its oddball characters and mysterious world to us. After the main duo Momo and Okarun meet, their separate trips to paranormal locations kept me at the edge of my seat.

I haven’t seen something this distinct in Shonen anime for a while, and this show has brought back the vibes of another supernatural-comedy anime, Mob Psycho 100, for me.

Supernatural Comedy Done Right!

Yukinobu Tatsu indeed struck the right balance of a supernatural comedy by sprinkling his offbeat humor on top of this gripping story. The absolute highlight of the Dandadan anime is its scintillating visuals, which not only bring Tatsu’s art to life but also elevate it to greater heights. It may take a few seconds for the art style to sink in, but it’s stellar. Be it the tiny facial expressions or absolutely nutty action sequences, Science SARU has done a truly remarkable job of capturing Tatsu’s art style and portraying it in a slick manner.

It’s too early to say this I know, but I feel the voice actors are just perfect for their roles (Hi, it’s me, the Editor chiming in, and I wholeheartedly agree). Shion Wakayama as Momo Ayase and Natsuki Hanae as Ken Takakura are exactly how I’d envision two high-schoolers interested in supernatural beings.

I didn’t expect to see my favorite Luffy-Zoro voice actors duo (Mayumi Tanaka and Kazuya Nakai) lend their voices to the lustful granny and aliens but it was sure as hell of a fun to watch. Now, this makes me all the more excited to meet similar wackadoodle characters born out of Tatsu’s mind in the coming episodes.

Our Verdict: All Strapped in for this Quirky Supernatural Ride

Well, if you are still wondering whether you should pick up this new-gen anime or pass up on it, let me tell you that this anime’s source material is considered to save the future of Shonen. Episode 1 of Dandadan sets the stage perfectly for more insanity and gives a taste of the Dandadanverse to get us excited. It’s a wonderful mishmash of supernatural elements and has the power to intrigue you and keep you hooked for its upcoming episodes.

Thus, Dandadan is a “one-of-a-kind” anime, at least that’s the vibe I get from the first episode. Even if you are not into supernatural stories, I highly recommend checking out the premiere of Dandadan and seeing the potential for yourself. It will instantly turn you into a fan; it did for me.

Dandadan truly kicked off with a banger episode, and I can’t wait to watch more of it on Dandadan Thursdays. That said, let us know your thoughts on the first episode of Dandadan once you’re done streaming it in the comments below.