The X Files for Freaks: Dandadan Season 1 Review

Summary

• Dandadan excels at balancing chaos and calm, blending supernatural action with teenage romance in a visually stunning manner.

• In many ways, this is a show about dichotomy, which is never more evident than in the love between Momo and Okarun.

• The voice acting and stellar animation elevate Dandadan to great heights, despite an unfavorable cliffhanger for a (thankfully) future sequel.

It's hard to sum up the quality of a show like that Dandadan in any way it wasn't already articulated in the opening minutes of its bombastic, charming and well-paced premiere. Of all the delights of 2024 in the realm of anime, few shows were as anticipated as this new-age shōnen full of attitude and heartfelt romance, and to no one's surprise, it was a blast.

Animated by Science Saru and directed by Fuga Yamashiro, Dandadan is the story of a boy who believes in aliens but not ghosts and a girl who believes in ghosts but not aliens. When they dare each other to go to paranormal hotspots, they realize to their dismay that they are both right and find themselves targeted by entities beyond even their strangest beliefs.

Soon, the boy's penis is stolen by a ghost and the girl's psychic powers are inadvertently awakened by perverted aliens, prompting the two to join forces to fight back and save the former's freshly cut button. It's an absurd premise, but one far too inspired and interesting to dismiss, and that's just the bait. The hook is slightly deeper.

Understanding Dandadan's greatest power

At first glance, this is the kind of story characterized by its chaos, and that's a byproduct of how weird this story is. It's a love letter to the supernatural and – in equal parts – the fascination and skepticism inherent in such subjects. Visually, the animation and artwork work to present these oddities as boldly as possible, a task few studios are better suited to than Science Saru. But that would be all Dandadanhis charms would wear off quickly.

The secret to the success of this story is mastery of pacing and tone, and it's no secret at all. Ask the creative staff behind the anime, as we did, and they'll point to it as one of the most important ingredients for adapting author Yukinobu Tatsu's machinations. Dandadan it's hectic and bombastic, but it also needs to be quiet, to let the characters' feelings linger and turn a bad script into one that's also often relatable and sometimes very real.

Opposites and the attraction of them

Dandadan it's all about the dichotomy. Chaos and calm. Ghosts and aliens. Supernatural action and teen romance. A stubborn girl and a nerdy guy; Momo Ayase and Okarun. She's an opinionated gyaru with a romantic side, looking for a reliable guy who reminds her of her favorite actor, Ken Takakura. On the other hand, Okarun is a shy nerd with occult interests who looks to the sky for the company he lacks in his everyday life.

They couldn't be more different and at the same time couldn't be more perfect together. It's an achievement that may not come quickly to them, but is obvious to everyone else and, most importantly, to the viewer. Dandadan makes a mass out of its first arc, sticking the two together as they experience new powers amid encounters with aliens, ghosts, and Momo's average grandmother, the absurdly vivacious Seiko, to name a few.

Performances are everything

It's such an effective opening salvo that forces the characters to make sense of the power ups as they go without ever getting lost in exposition. If there is a break from the action, the script would rather be used to bring these characters closer to each other, whether through banter, bickering, or a silence pregnant with shy glances quickly averted. Presentation is one half of the equation – the other is voice acting.

Natsuki Hanae and Shion Wakayama are the heart and soul of the series, and their understanding of the story's tonal flexibility is reflected in their chemistry. For example, Hanae's portrayal of Okarun has a lot of duality. He is simultaneously very shy, but can also burst into manic indignation, which makes his banter with Momo all the more engaging. Similar praise is due to the English cast. Abby Trott as Momo, AJ Beckles as Okarun and the iconic Kari Wahlgren as Seiko all understood the task. You can't go wrong regardless of the double.

Hats off to Saru Science

Praising the animation of Dandadan it is somewhat similar to praising a show like Mob Psycho 100in that the presentation is so impressive that words fail to conjure up new ways to describe it. If anything comes to mind easily, it's that Fuga Yamashiro did a wonderful job. Whatever he does next deserves everyone's attention — whether it's the next season of this one or something completely different.

It shouldn't come as a surprise from someone who has worked closely with Masaaki Yuasa on many of his previous projects, but it's exciting nonetheless. In the past, Yamashiro has emphasized the importance of maintaining the dramatic pace of the source material, and while manga readers will be the best judge of his success in this exact matter, the results speak for themselves.

There is rarely, if ever, a picture that is dull or where the characters aren't emoting in a striking or just plain funny way. Incidentally, the character designs by Takeru Noda and animation director Naoyuki Onda only look fantastic when an episode director or AD takes some liberties to maximize the dramatic presentation. This brings us back to the story, where Dandadan it went from great to something really special.

Dandadan Heights

Overall, this season was very strong, balancing action and comedy with serious romance and brief but strong notes of genuine drama. However, Episode 7 is where the season peaks and then kind of plateaus — not in a bad way, mind you, but simply because it doesn't have time to reach the same heights. It's the kind of episode that makes one realize, “Oh, so this is the show indeed about.”

Without spoiling anything, Dandadan it proved just past the midpoint, proving just how raw and real it could cut through even all the silliness leading up to it. Similarly, it's a microcosm of every facet of the production that makes this show so engrossing to just… watch. For a thorough assessment of everything that makes animation “good,” just watch this episode to see the dynamism of its action scenes, the life felt in its characters, and more.

I was a little disappointed with the ending, but only because it didn't feel like a real season finale. There it was a cliffhanger, but it felt oddly disappointing. It felt like another episode, which by this show's standards isn't bad at all, and thankfully fans won't have to wait long for the second season. In any case, I would recommend that new viewers consider waiting until closer to the release of season 2 to enjoy the series.

… There is so much more this series has to show us, and knowing that alone is exciting. Saru science has surpassed itself.

Even with a somewhat underwhelming cliffhanger, though, Dandadan it was delightful all the way. This review has barely scratched the surface of the cast, with the likes of Seiko, Turbo Granny, Aira or Jiji all treated with similar undertones, and all quickly growing on the viewer, no matter how adversarial some of them might start out. Even without having read the manga, I can tell that there is so much more this series has to show us, and knowing that alone is exciting. Saru science has surpassed themselves.

Dandadan is available to stream on Crunchyroll and Netflix.