Review of Dan Da Dan

Dandadan genuinely shocked me with its presentation. This anime is an intriguing dichotomy between an obvious hyper-sexualization, a clear love an adoration of the occult as well as some of the most well-written characters in a show I've had the pleasure of experiencing. I'll put it bluntly, this show is divisive. Many people will either love it or hate based on how much they're able to appreciate the going-ons, and how harshly they'll judge it based on seemingly oblivious decisions made throughout the show. The obvious focus on sex and reproductive organs is a very deliberate choice that was never going to go unnoticed, but unlikemany other shows that use it simply to increase sales (a tactic this anime naturally chose to employ as well), it primarily serves both as a driving force in the narrative and combines themes of youkai folklore and alien myths in a cohesive way.

I quite liked their inclusion of the Turbo Granny, a lesser known Youkai featured in Yamaguchi Bintaro's "Illustrated Guide to Real Japanese 'Modern Yokai'", although they gave her more of a sexual undertone. Other similar youkai such as the Shirime (尻目) spring to mind for instance, who themselves are likely a cautionary tale and allegory for voyeurism or societal taboos surrounding nudity and shame. And the stories about alien abductions and being inserted with probes for science or otherwise are surely well-known too. All that is to say; the nudity / stark presence of sexual themes throughout the show is purposeful, and that is a praise not lightly given in today's time.

The relationship between Okarun and Momo is delightfully genuine in a way you don't often see represented, and much of that is thanks to Momo's excellently stubborn nature, which is a rare treat in terms of female character writing. Both behave very much like their age, and you can see their relationship unfold in a slow, steady and most importantly very believable fashion, something that's also often missing from romance in anime.

Genuinely every character in this show is written well, even side characters that wouldn't be given much thought in many other shows are given the bare minimum of development to make the world feel that much more tangible. Every character has motivations and beliefs that they hold dear beyond just acting as the antagonist, and this is something that I feel just isn't done nearly often enough in anime. It's a level of quality in writing that is perhaps rivaled only by shows such as One Piece.

Despite some shortcomings, overall I can confidently say that I went into this anime thinking it was going to be good shounen slop, but was met with a maturity in regards to sex I haven't seen since perhaps shows like Shinsekai Yori. It's genuinely well written and albeit the last episode leaves a sour taste in my mouth in terms of cliffhangery, I'm more than confident the rest of the show will be making up for it, and won't be a relevant criticism once it's fully released.