Fumbled Finale - Dandadan

 

After twelve episodes, the first season of Dandadan comes to a close amidst a chorus of disappointment. Fans are not only upset that they’ll have to wait until July for another Dandadan Thursday, but they’re also put off by how the last episode ended.

By no means was Dandadan a disappointing watch. In fact, it took the internet by storm, and it's all anyone has been able to talk about. I knew nothing about the manga and barely had any knowledge of the plot before going in. Suddenly, my social media timeline has become flooded with Dandadan screenshots, memes, and beautiful fan art. The opening alone has become iconic for its stylized art direction and the song Otonoke by Creepy Nuts.

I had a lot of fun watching the first season of Dandadan. I knew it was a show about fighting yokai, but I still get giddy every time they mention a real legend. It gives me a moment of "I know that!" When it comes to aliens, I have no prior knowledge, and that tends to go over my head. Luckily, the show’s main male lead, Okarun, is a walking encyclopedia on all things occult. Dandadan plays a little game of "Is this next enemy going to be a demon or an alien?" The initial premise of Momo and Okarun meeting—one believes in yokai but not aliens, and vice versa—only for both to turn out to be real, is a clever spin on real-world debates. It’s kind of odd for people to believe in one oddity but not the other. I find that people tend to gravitate toward the supernatural entities of Earth or the entities of space—rarely both. I believe in ghosts, but not really aliens myself.

Momo is a refreshing main character, and of course, I'm going to say this because she’s a girl, which feels like a script flip, but also because of her personality. She’s brash and unafraid to start fights with her classmates, who aren’t supernatural beings. She’s easily annoyed, which causes her temper to flare, and she’s a flawed character. Even though Momo speaks her mind about a lot, she keeps her true feelings bottled up, and they get shaken. When she does let them out, they tend to explode in a way she doesn’t intend. Momo is not a soft-spoken, dainty character, but she’s also not overly mean or tough. She gains psychic abilities, allowing her to take care of herself during supernatural encounters, but she works better as part of a team with Okarun. Neither character is portrayed as stronger separately; they’re a team who are slowly starting to work flawlessly together, and we love to see it!

In the twelve-episode run, Dandadan managed to introduce two other main characters alongside Momo and Okarun, creating quite the ghost- and alien-busting team. There’s especially a lot of depth added to each character. I wasn’t expecting Aira to be a religious fanatic who thinks of herself as God’s chosen one when she gains the ability to see spirits. Jiji, Momo's childhood friend, has a much creepier experience when he starts seeing spirits. He’s going through a more typical haunting, with members of his family getting sick and him seeing things that leave him unable to sleep at night. He’s such a positive character, but I feel like we’ve gotten a glimpse of his other side. He’s terrified of the yokai haunting him, and his positive attitude might not last forever.

Now that we know a little about the main cast, would you have guessed they were characters from a supernatural shounen? These goobers act like they’re more suited for a slice-of-life romance anime when they’re not fighting. It’s a good thing Dandadan has two modes. There’s supernatural sport mode, and goofy school romance mode, which I love. Momo and Okarun are presented as the main love interests, and while each new character helps them become a better team against ghosts and aliens, they also become rivals in affection and bicker relentlessly. Especially Momo and Aira—those two start off at each other’s throats but are eventually able to tone it down a little. Less dropping heavy objects on each other. It’s all funny and leads to sweet moments between Momo and Okarun that help blossom their own relationship.

Dandadan balances building strong characters, plots, and all-around good vibes. People were celebrating Dandadan Thursdays from the rooftops of social media. So why were people grumbling at the season finale after so much praise for an anime with questionable scenes? It was the most awkward season finale I’ve ever seen. Dandadan episodes feel like they fly by. You get sucked in, and next thing you know, you’re watching Turbo Granny use a hairdryer on her face, with the next episode setup already in place. The same thing happens with the season finale. It’s a cliffhanger, but not like the typical “we wrapped up the story and left room for a new one to start” type of cliffhanger. The season finale cuts off after starting a new arc. I expected an episode the following week, and if I hadn’t frequented social media, I wouldn’t have known that was it for the season. It’s a bit of a letdown, cutting off a whole mystery just as it’s about to begin. All I can think is maybe it’s a way to get more people to buy the manga between seasons? There was also another questionable scene that I want to see resolved ASAP. People have the right to be annoyed by this cliffhanger.

Season one of Dandadan started with a bang but ended with a bit of an unsatisfying fizzle. I’m left with more anxiety than excitement about where the story is going. I assume that Jiji is next to gain some sort of yokai powers, and I can’t wait to see what they are. I also wonder if, with Jiji’s arc, they’ll dive deeper into the horror aspect associated with ghosts. This all just makes me wish anime would go back to doing 20 episodes per season instead of only 12. If you enjoy the occult, romantic comedy tropes, and stylized art with a great intro, Dandadan may be just right for you.