{"id":99460,"date":"2024-10-10T09:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-10T16:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anitrendz.net\/news\/?p=99460"},"modified":"2025-03-28T00:23:21","modified_gmt":"2025-03-28T07:23:21","slug":"anime-review-dan-da-dan-episodes-1-to-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anitrendz.net\/news\/2024\/10\/10\/anime-review-dan-da-dan-episodes-1-to-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Anime Review: DAN DA DAN Episodes 1 to 3"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Synopsis (via Crunchyroll):<\/b> When high schooler Momo, from a family of spirit mediums, first meets her classmate Okarun, an occult geek, they argue\u2014Momo 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.<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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My first viewing of <\/span>DAN DA DAN<\/span><\/i>\u2019s first episode took place in a secluded space at a local convention, with my plastic chair dragged away from the back row so that I could comfortably view the screen without keeping my neck at a 45-degree angle. Unlike the online screener Crunchyroll kindly provided for this review, that initial screening experience came with no opening or ending animation sequence, so it caught me off-guard when it jumped right into a close-up of female protagonist Momo Ayase (<\/span>Shion Wakayama<\/b>, putting on a satisfying tough girl voice), in the midst of being dumped by her lousy boyfriend.<\/span><\/span>
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It\u2019s a sudden start that had me blinking in surprise, and there are no brakes till the end. The episode races from the fierce but kind gal defending awkward and isolated Okarun (<\/span>Natsuki Hanae<\/b>, sliding into the role smoothly enough to ease my initial \u201cOh right, it\u2019s another Hanae role\u201d reaction) from bullies to their first encounter with dangerous and bizarre-looking aliens and yokai, and from the awakening of Momo\u2019s psychic powers to the reveal of Okarun\u2019s real name as Ken Takakura. The last bit is relevant because it’s also the name of the real-life actor-singer whom Momo admires, and the explosion that occurs in the background after this punchline sums up Momo’s inner turmoil. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00a9Yukinobu Tatsu\/SHUEISHA, DANDADAN Production Committee<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Turbo Granny, the gnarly, genital-stealing, old-lady-looking yokai who curses Okarun in the premiere, may be wickedly fast, but the episode would\u2019ve given her a run for her money. This isn\u2019t criticism \u2014 the blistering pace allows the anime to deliver a punchy first impression, especially when the pacing is accompanied by effective storyboards, strongly animated bursts of supernatural action, and the general <\/span>color approach<\/span><\/a> decided upon by <\/span>DAN DA DAN<\/span><\/i> director <\/span>Fuga Yamashiro<\/b>, who storyboarded and directed the premiere with episode direction assistance from five others. That approach involves assigning a color to a particular alien\/yokai \u2014 Yamashiro says that co-color director <\/span>Satoshi Hashimoto <\/b>picked the colors \u2014 and, usually, covering the entire screen in that hue when they\u2019re present. Combined with<\/span> Sophie Li<\/b>\u2019s color scripts<\/span><\/a>, it allows for moments like Turbo Granny\u2019s red theme invading the cold blue space of the Serpoian aliens\u2019 spaceship. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The union of all these factors \u2014 plus striking shots like the one introducing the Serpoians, where the light beams streaming into the scene\u2019s corridor through its windows get shut off one by one like spotlights \u2014 results in the good kind of \u201cWhat was that?\u201d It\u2019s almost, but not quite, enough to distract from the uncomfortable scene of a stripped Momo on the verge of being sexually assaulted by the Serpoian aliens, the only blemish on this premiere. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Episode 2 continues to build up Momo and Okarun\u2019s prickly yet genuine relationship. The two seem to have no shortage of reasons to yell at each other, but Momo remains willing to be Okarun\u2019s friend, and that has a gradual but positive effect on his confidence and resolve. These interactions, which continue in the third episode, form a welcome component that ensures that the anime isn’t just about diving into crazy, action-heavy encounters with the otherworldly.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00a9Yukinobu Tatsu\/SHUEISHA, DANDADAN Production Committee<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This episode (still storyboarded by Yamashiro, but directed by <\/span>Rushio Moriyama<\/b>) is also where <\/span>DAN DA DAN<\/span><\/i> calms down and adopts a much more standard and comfortable pace (or maybe the first episode has addled my brain so much I can\u2019t tell what\u2019s fast and what\u2019s slow anymore). It was a bit disorienting at first, but I quickly found myself distracted by the depiction of Momo and Okarun\u2019s trek to the former\u2019s house. During this sequence, several wide shots are revealed gradually in sections, typically with a panel-style presentation. A couple of times, almost everything is darkened out again so that the viewer’s focus is directed to a small square with the characters’ diminutive figures, with this limited view generating anticipation for the following shot. One still shot is unveiled in thirds until the last section reveals the bright glare of the sun, a neat way of showing the passage of time. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I enjoyed these shots, so it was a bit of a shame when they disappeared after the opening. Here, Episode 2 switches to a slight focus on camera movements, similar in nature to certain portions of the first episode, but standing out more without the hectic pace. The best ones come from Momo and Okarun\u2019s conversation before the midpoint. A cut depicted through Okarun\u2019s perspective begins with his eyes peeking through his splayed fingers and ends with his initially titled head facing Momo upright. Afterwards, a pan down (or boom\/pedestal down in non-anime terms) that occurs after Okarun dejectedly slides to the floor from a retort reveals that Momo is crouching beside him. The realization that he\u2019s not alone in the shot anymore, paired with the context of the conversation and Momo\u2019s following dialogue, does a good job of conveying that Okarun will no longer be by himself now that he has met the girl. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yamashiro\u2019s screen-covering color idea returns in full force when a giant sumo-like alien trespasses onto Momo\u2019s home in the second half of the episode. In this case, the anime emphasizes the presence of the enemy by heavily desaturating the colors until they become grayscale. Although not as eye-catching as having vivid reds or blues everywhere, it\u2019s still an effective way of conveying the alien\u2019s oppressive presence, as well as making the creature\u2019s already solid CGI less noticeable. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00a9Yukinobu Tatsu\/SHUEISHA, DANDADAN Production Committee<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The sumo alien continues<\/span> DAN DA DAN<\/span><\/i>\u2019s tradition of having outlandish yet dangerous-looking beings, but the less relentless nature of this battle meant that I found Momo and Okarun\u2019s struggle against it to be a bit less compelling than the action in Episode 1. It does have its moments, though, like when flashes of red and old-timey, tokusatsu-like sound effects are used to signal a combatant\u2019s arrival.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Episode 3 (storyboarded and directed by <\/span>Daiki Yonemori<\/b>), in addition to reinforcing Momo and Okarun\u2019s relationship and setting up a confrontation for an existing issue, marks the entry of Momo\u2019s grandmother, Seiko (<\/span>Nana Mizuki<\/b>). Seiko\u2019s a strangely young-looking spirit medium who\u2019s not dissimilar to Momo, as she also has a tough, albeit more impassive, exterior that belies her good heart. She\u2019s also a formidable combatant who uses a bat. I’m more partial to Momo’s ability to fling things around, but I can’t deny that a bat-wielding spirit medium is pretty cool.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aside from an upside-down shot involving a flying nail \u2014 an attack that results in the screen being relieved of the enemy\u2019s dominating red aura \u2014  Episode 3\u2019s execution doesn\u2019t feel as memorable as the first two (although it\u2019s by no means bad). However, it was the first <\/span>DAN DA DAN<\/span><\/i> episode to amuse me, thanks to desperate running-on-the-spot animation and a very unexpected mid-run pose selling the absurdity of a certain body function-related scene. Up till this point, the humor hadn\u2019t managed to get anything out of me \u2014 even if I did like the loosely drawn comedic renditions of Momo and Okarun \u2014  but it was evidently too soon for me to assume that it never would. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

DAN DA DAN<\/span><\/i> is one of the few Fall 2024 anime I was interested in, and the first three episodes didn\u2019t disappoint. If I had to nitpick, I\u2019d say that I wish the show would turn up the volume for <\/span>Kensuke Ushio<\/b>\u2019s synths and electronics just a little bit. Although it\u2019s generally not as manic as the premise \u2014 aside from the methodical nature of the stylized color aspect, the animation, although good, isn’t perpetually unbridled \u2014  the show is nevertheless satisfying to watch, and the story makes sure that its human characters aren\u2019t overshadowed by their strange encounters. I\u2019m looking forward to seeing what other creatures <\/span>DAN DA DAN<\/span><\/i> has in store and how the yet-to-be-introduced Aira and Jiji will contribute to the group dynamics. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Series staff<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 Director: <\/span>Fuga Yamashiro <\/b>(<\/span>Keep Your Hands off Eizouken!<\/i> co-assistant director)
<\/span>\u2022 Series composer:<\/span> Hiroshi Seko<\/b> (<\/span>Chainsaw Man<\/span><\/i>)<\/span>
<\/span>\u2022 Character designer: <\/span>Naoyuki Onda<\/b> (<\/span>MF Ghost<\/span><\/i> and<\/span> Inuyashiki<\/span><\/i>) <\/span>
<\/span>\u2022 Alien and yokai designer:<\/span> Yoshimichi Kameda<\/b> (<\/span>Mob Psycho<\/span><\/i> character designer)<\/span>
<\/span>\u2022 Color designer: <\/span>Satoshi Hashimoto<\/b> (<\/span>Spy x Family <\/span><\/i>Season 1) <\/span>
<\/span>\u2022 Color designer:<\/span> Makiho Kondo<\/b> (\u201c<\/span>Tokyo Clone<\/span><\/a>\u201d music video)<\/span>
<\/span>\u2022 Background art director: <\/span>Junichi Higashi<\/b> (<\/span>Jujutsu Kaisen<\/span><\/i> Season 2)<\/span>
<\/span>\u2022 Compositing director: <\/span>Kazuto Izumita<\/b> (<\/span>Great Pretender<\/span><\/i>) <\/span>
<\/span>\u2022 Music composer:<\/span> Kensuke Ushio<\/b> (<\/span>Tengoku Daimakyou<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>The Heike Story<\/span><\/i>) <\/span>
<\/span>\u2022 Sound director:<\/span> Eriko Kimura <\/b>(<\/span>Look Back<\/span><\/i>)<\/span>
<\/span>\u2022 Animation production: <\/span>Science SARU<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Adaptation or original<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 Based on the manga by <\/span>Yukinobu Tatsu<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Synopsis (via Crunchyroll): When high schooler Momo, from a family of spirit mediums, first meets her classmate Okarun, an occult geek, they argue\u2014Momo 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":99463,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1053,137],"tags":[3412,14,8595,122,729],"class_list":["post-99460","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-feature","category-feature","tag-adaptation","tag-anime","tag-dan-da-dan","tag-manga","tag-science-saru"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/anitrendz.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/DAN-DA-DAN-Official-Key-Art-2-%E2%80%93-16x9-1.png?fit=3840%2C2160&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8n4QV-pSc","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/anitrendz.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99460"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/anitrendz.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/anitrendz.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anitrendz.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anitrendz.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99460"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/anitrendz.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99460\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":117443,"href":"https:\/\/anitrendz.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99460\/revisions\/117443"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anitrendz.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99463"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/anitrendz.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99460"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anitrendz.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99460"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anitrendz.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99460"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}