Dan Da Dan is crass and absurd, and that’s what makes it deeper than you think

Dan-Dan is an anime adaptation of the popular manga DanDaDanwith fantastic animation, incredible voice acting, an amazing theme song and all things supernatural. As if all that wasn’t enough, the show is filled with awkward, harrowing comedy moments and a truly unique portrait of teenage self-discovery. But for many viewers, recommendations from friends about Dan-Dan came with a big warning: Don’t stop watching after the first episodeit is worth it.

The first episode was admittedly shocking, with the show kicking into high gear with an alien abduction and attempted robbery on a high school-aged main character, Momo Ayase. Paired with a main antagonist ghost called “Turbo Granny,” whose catchphrase is “let me devour this sausage,” it can feel like a cesspool of gross immaturity or, sometimes even worse, voyeurism. However, although not without flaws, Dan-Dan is a rare example of a show that gives true narrative and thematic value to the horrors it depictsand even his particular brand of eccentric humor.

Dan-Dan It’s a coming of age story

The terrors of adolescence and the supernatural are not so far apart

It’s exactly the parallels he draws between genuinely traumatic horrors and pubescent slapstick comedy that allow the anime to capture this terrible embarrassment of discovering your sexuality and identity for the first time. Being abducted by aliens or possessed by a ghost is paralleled with immature things like a girl seeing her private parts, and nothing tackles the awkwardness of teenage puberty quite as well. It caters to many genres, with incredible action sequences, moments of horror, and overflowing comedy, but Dan-Dan really stands out as a coming-of-age story.

The loss of innocence, which is the basis of every coming-of-age journey, in this case is quite evident, like a discovery that ghosts and aliens are in fact real. Yet surprisingly, these beings’ goals are given an extra layer of depth: from the aliens and Turbo Granny in the first episode, to the alien that descends on Momo’s grandmother’s house in the second, there are a consistent common target of the young protagonists’ “banana” or “weenie”. It’s disturbing, hilariously childish in its use of language, and more meaningful than you might think.

That the antagonists so consistently covet or hunt for the protagonists’ genitalia highlights the ways in which adolescent identity and esteem are involved in puberty and sexuality. It also has the tone of that humor typical of the Millennial generation that makes silly and immature jokes in the face of extreme existential dread. In combination, it turns a crude gimmick into a powerful narrative tool that captures that intangible feeling of being an awkward high school student in the midst of self-discovery and delivers it with maximum entertainment.

Silliest Moments Highlight Momo and Oka-run’s True Fears

Episode 3 involved a chase sequence following Ken Takakura, who Momo calls Oka-run since he shares the same name as her celebrity crush, after he realized he wouldn’t be able to use the bathroom without Momo looking. for him to contain evil. spirit within him. Although it may seem like a simple joke, this was a key moment. Oka-run’s extreme fear of being seen and humiliated is as palpable as when he faces real enemies, and that fear is emblematic of the experience of the pubescent youth of steps to overcome the taboo and strangeness of these subjects.

Furthermore, Oka-run’s fear of being seen is also easily linked to his repeated requests to Momo to remain his friend and expressions of fear that she will end up rejecting him. He is shy about Momo’s initial request to see when he reveals that Turbo Granny actually mutilated him, treating the idea of ​​pulling down his pants as if it were equally bad either way. His general awkwardness and insecurity translates into illogical awkwardness with Momo and his general fear of rejection. Once again, it emphasizes the slow growth of the character’s identity and links it to sexuality and self-acceptance.

Real-life horrors are a poignant reminder of what it’s like to grow up as a woman

Momo and Oka-run’s fight against Turbo Granny reached its climax in episode 4, and in the aftermath, Momo’s grandmother revealed the source of Turbo Granny’s local spirit and strength. She informed them both that the spirit of the place was the product of the spirits of dozens of girls who were brought to the tunnel that Turbo Granny was in, beaten and mutilated, turning them into unwitting evil spirits. Turbo Granny was known for appearing in these types of tragedy sites to comfort the spirits of the victims.

This added layer of real menace and a strong dark thematic sequence is also a very real and important representation of the darker side of puberty and sexuality, especially as a woman, and the discovery that you are a target. Although more comedic moments show how embarrassment makes some fears seem irrationally as bad as aliens and ghosts, moments like the end of episode 4 are troubling statements of reality. They put the struggles of adolescence into perspective as a jumble of real and irrational fears that need to be examined and faced as someone becomes an adult.

Dan Da Dan still has his flaws

There is never a good reason to force the viewer to look at a minor in underwear

While utilizing these types of fears is a new and significant application of shock value in anime, there is still room for improvement. It could be argued that the attempted rape scene in episode 1 made the viewer an unintentional voyeur, giving them the same view as the attacking aliens, of Momo in underwear and handcuffed to a chair with her legs open. This wasn’t the only time we would see her in this state.

This scene could have easily been constructed differently, to focus on close-ups of her facial expressions and even the handcuffs on her wrists, to demonstrate the situation without giving the audience a full frontal view of her. This would have achieved the same effect, without the voyeurism and additional discomfort for the viewer or, more worryingly, the potential lack thereof. Even the alien’s kick to the head, parallel to the scene where he does it to his ex-boyfriend, was a moment of powerful transformation that could have been kept and only slightly tweaked for the same effect.

Furthermore, the story generally seems to lean towards the hypersexualization of its women, as Momo’s grandmother is drawn as if she is in her 20s, with white hair and a large, constantly exposed chest. It was a little disappointing, especially for a series that prides itself on giving its female protagonist as much screen time and importance as its men.

Overall, Dan Da Dan is a unique boundary-pushing anime that is worth watching

While its flaws are real, its strengths are heavy hitters, with new and unique twists on classic shōnen tropes and protagonists with depth and emotional range that draw the viewer into each ongoing episode. Momo and Oka-run’s relationship feels genuine and natural, unhurried and full of awkward and wholesome moments in equal measure. Even leaving aside Dan-DanWith the constant, well-animated action, the incredible character visuals and environmental art styles, and the effective sound design, this anime is a fresh and innovative time.