As Dandadan passes the halfway point of season 1 and Okarun navigates an especially difficult chapter in life with Momo, the source of his latest crisis has surprisingly won over fans. Turbo Granny, the tunnel-dwelling yokai who once possessed Okarun and stole his family’s jewelry, also won fans’ hearts with her stubborn and prevailing attitude despite being locked in a maneki-neko figurine. But since Turbo Granny catches viewers’ attention and can still destroy a yokai without much trouble, this new form solidifies her as Dan Da Dan 90s anime style mascot.
Mascot characters essentially represent the public identity of a group, product or intellectual property, with classic examples such as Pikachu from Pokemon or Agumon from Digimon. They are often adorable, but can differ greatly from one another, but they often have cute features, which Turbo Granny wields with smug confidence. However, Turbo Granny’s traits may have some surprisingly overlapping qualities with other 1990s anime mascots.. While Dandadan had no trouble attracting viewers, this will certainly appeal to older audiences.
Dandadan’s anime mascot is Turbo Granny as a waving cat
Dandadan is continuing a much-loved anime tradition
Starting in Dandadan episode five, with Turbo Granny having her consciousness sealed in a maneki-neko or “waving cat” figurine, despite her powers remaining with Okarun, she became the anime’s new mascot. That was a somewhat expected development because of his prominent position as a featured character in the end credits and people regularly asking who the cat was in Dan-Dan. But from episode six onward, with her powers and body in balance, Turbo Granny develops an unspoken connection with Okarun and Momo as they work to recover the boy’s family jewels, or “Kintama.”
It’s a delicate balance, the art of producing a good anime mascot, with the best ones making the most of the screen time allotted to them.
The act of attracting an anime mascot to its viewers comes with creating a cute veneer, often with some kind of edginess, but ultimately also providing a dynamic that fans can root for. In Dandadan In this case, Turbo Granny, in her new weakened form, remains as arrogant as before. She still has a violent streak while also looking incredibly cute despite setting yokai on fire in the process. It’s a delicate balance, the art of producing a good anime mascot, with the best ones making the most of the screen time allotted to them.
Dandadan joins the long tradition of 90s anime mascots
Turbo Granny is preceded by an excellent lineup of iconic characters
Although Turbo Granny has the unusual bonus of being voiced by an iconic One piece voice actress, she is also the latest in a line of hilarious, adorable, and lovable anime mascots. While many are small and animal-shaped but have alternate forms and/or have regular conversations with the main cast, others, like Pikachu, communicate despite a much more limited vocabulary. This includes a fascinating spectrum between most loyal allies/companions like Agumon de Digimon or Luna de Sailor Moon for others who are stars like Pikachu or Doraemon.
Turbo Granny subverts the mold by being clearly less wholesome than the other characters, but still remains in-game and shonen-friendly enough to still boast similar appeal. Even in her beckoning cat form, she confidently orders Okarun to kill Momo and Seiko Ayase before immediately losing the upper hand and empathizing as she realizes that she will not regain her old form without some cooperation. But this attitude is still reminiscent of several important anime mascots, with more in common with Dandadan Turbo Grandma than expected.
Dandadan’s mascot is like a newer, bolder Kerberos
As shown in Dandadaan episode six, with her casually having lunch on the rooftop, remaining disobedient to Momo and being quick to tease, Turbo Granny’s headstrong attitude and small stature are reminiscent of a more violent Metabee from the underrated Medabots. With the latter character famous for wanting to attack Ikki if his owner insults him and possessing an idiosyncratic love for soap operas, Metabee hangs around Ikki’s school campus, as does Turbo Granny with Okarun. But this isn’t the only parallel that can be drawn with Turbo Granny as an anime mascot.
Although it is looser and shojo-oriented, Card Catcher Sakura Kerberos, originally known as Cerberus, has similar characteristics to Turbo Granny: The common appetite for snacks, the connection to the protagonist’s supernatural powers, and general picky nature. While both of their feline appearances are more superficial, they make for a fun coincidence with Kerberos’ lion-like features combined with Turbo Granny’s waving cat appearance. Combining Metabee and Keroberos is an intriguing proposition for video game and shojo fans, but with Dandadan multifaceted appeal as an anime and manga franchise, all bets are off, with fortune smiling on Turbo Granny as mascot.