Warning: Contains spoilers for Dan Da Dan episodes #1-#2.While one of Dan here DanThe two main characters are typically called Okarun, his real name being the much more innocuous Ken Takakura. This happens to be the same name as Momo’s favorite actor, and wanting to do anything to ignore her blossoming attraction to Okarun, she coined the nickname to help disassociate him from any romantic feelings.
What makes the joke about Momo forcing a nickname onto Okarun even better is that Ken Takakura isn’t someone made for the story; rather, Okarun’s namesake, Ken Takakura, was one of the most celebrated actors in the history of Japanese cinema.Which sells the joke a lot more than it would have if Okarun’s namesake was a fictional character. As popular as Ken Takakura is in Japan, however, he is likely less recognizable to English fans, however Dan here Dan Makes the perfect opportunity to be familiar with his work, especially with how important it is to the story.
Dan Da Dan’s hero is named after one of Japan’s most famous actors
Okarun is named after the real-life actor Ken Takakura, affectionately referred to as Ken-san by fans. Takakura started acting in 1956 and appeared in over 180 films by 1976, his breakout role being 1965’s. Abashiri Prison. To English audiences, Ken Takakura is best known for the 1970s Too late the hero and Ridley Scott Black rainAnd after his death in 2014, a documentary about his life was released that included interviews with filmmakers and actors such as Martin Scorsese, Paul Schrader, Michael Douglas, John Vo and Yoji Yamada.
Something particularly notable about Ken Takakura is that he was very popular with Chinese audiences. Japanese actors tend not to be popular in China, however Ken Takakura became a celebrity in China thanks to the 1976 crime drama Manhunt Being the first foreign film shown after the Cultural RevolutionThe sociopolitical movement that restored Mao Zedong to power. A huge number of Chinese fans and celebrities have reportedly expressed their condolences to Ken Takakura after his death, and this is a major testament to how big a star he was with Asian audiences.
Okarun’s name is perfectly linked to his character arc in Dan Da Dan
How Okarun’s character will grow in the anime
Ken Takakura’s characters are defined by their stoicism and tough personalities, something brought in Dan here Dan Episode #1, so with Okarun named after him, Okarun sharing a name with Ken Takakura shows that his arc will be about growing into a stronger and more confident personSomething that can already be seen in the few fights he had in the anime. Okarun embodying Ken Takakura in name and personality would be the perfect way to build his romantic arc with Momo, so with any luck, Dan here Dan Will more than succeed on that front.
Dan here Dan Releases new episodes Thursdays on Crunchyroll.