Dandadan is a shonen anime series based on the Japanese manga by Yukinobu Tatsu. It tells the story of two teens with supernatural powers who team up with various allies to battle yōkai and aliens. Dandadan is currently streaming on Netflix all over the world.
Plot Summary
Momo Ayase is a high school girl who believes in ghosts but not aliens, while her classmate Ken Takakura, nicknamed “Okarun” by Momo, believes in aliens but not ghosts. To settle their debate, they each visit locations tied to these phenomena—Momo goes to a supposed alien hotspot, and Okarun checks out a haunted site.
Momo is abducted by aliens, who unintentionally awaken her psychic powers by unblocking her chakras. Meanwhile, Okarun gets possessed by a ghost. Together, they use Momo’s newfound abilities and Okarun’s possessed state to defeat the aliens.
The story follows their adventures as they team up with friends, family, and other allies to battle spirits and aliens. Key plot points include the quest to retrieve Okarun’s stolen “kintama” (testicles) and the growing romance between Momo and Okarun.
Shonen Clichés and Fanservice Frenzy
Dandadan attempts to blend the wild energy of Mob Psycho 100 and Demon Slayer, but it misses the mark. Lacking the heart and high stakes of its inspirations, the series devolves into a chaotic mix of aliens, demons, and crude humor, leaning heavily on overused shonen tropes like quirky powers and exaggerated fights. Unfortunately, it spends too much time on unnecessary fanservice, including tired sexual gags, which detract from the overall experience.
The characters fall flat—our protagonist is a generic self-insert with little to no depth, and the relationship with the female lead feels forced and unconvincing. Even the villains, who are given brief backstories, disappear too quickly to make any impact.
If you’re looking for mindless action, Dandadan might entertain momentarily, but it ultimately lacks substance and fails to live up to the potential of its genre. There are simply better options available for those seeking meaningful or exciting anime.
Shallow and Predictable—Dandadan Is Just Another Flash in the Pan
Dandadan may be getting rave reviews for its animation, but aside from that, it’s a predictable and shallow action show. The plot revolves around a typical power fantasy where a nerdy protagonist wins over the most popular girl at school—nothing new or groundbreaking here. While the animation is impressive, it doesn’t make up for the lack of substance or memorable storytelling, especially when compared to past iconic shows.
The show’s immaturity isn’t inherently bad, but it feels shallow, especially for those who’ve seen similar shows done better. It doesn’t have the depth or lasting impact of past anime like FLCL, and despite its chaotic storyline filled with aliens and ghosts, the humor and random ideas often fall flat. Much of the comedy relies on crude jokes and fan service, and the story often lacks balance, coming off as disorganized.
One episode in particular, Episode 7, has been hailed as a standout, but it doesn’t offer anything new. It falls into the same tired trope of giving villains flashbacks as they die, a narrative device already seen in shows like Demon Slayer and Hell Girl. For seasoned anime fans, Dandadan is more noise than substance, leaving little to be impressed by.
Childish Entertainment
Dandadan has quickly gained attention as the latest battle shonen, but after watching the first episode and reading several chapters of the manga, it’s clear this series relies more on wacky chaos than meaningful storytelling. The episode feels overly silly, leaning into goofy, absurd humor and unnecessary perversion for shock value. While Japan is known for pushing boundaries, this feels excessive rather than entertaining.
The manga doesn’t offer much improvement. The characters encounter increasingly bizarre enemies with absurd motivations. However, there’s no clear plot or structure. The series seems more focused on outlandish moments and escalating nonsense than on developing a compelling narrative or characters.
The idea of a kid losing his balls might have shocked some, but it feels more like a desperate gimmick than an intriguing story choice. This series lacks the depth and purpose needed to stand out in the crowded world of battle shonen.
Verdict
Dandadan feels like it was written by high schoolers with little understanding of story depth or character development. The plot is weak, the narrative lacks substance, and it relies on shallow gimmicks instead of meaningful content. This kind of show contributes to the problem of false hype in the anime world, creating a false sense that this is what audiences want or should expect. In reality, it’s far from the quality that defines great anime and is better left forgotten.
Trailer
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