Review of Dan Da Dan

It's hard to say anything about DanDaDan this early on, because as strong of an impression its first season left, it feels like it's only getting started. At its core, the beginnings of its central romance is really captivating to watch unfold, you really find yourself rooting for Momo and Okarun to end up together, and even when things get in their way it's still wildly entertaining. A couple from different social backgrounds bonding over their love of the paranormal is such a refreshing take on a teen romance. For plot reasons we don't see as many of the aliens this early on, but theydo encounter plenty of ghosts, all of whom bring a lot of empathy and pathos to what in other hands would come across as fairly standard monster-of-the-week fare. Which is to say nothing of the brilliant visuals by Science Saru, animating its cast with such fluidity and personality that matches the already high bar established by the studio's previous works. There is a fair amount of sexual humor worked into the plot, but thankfully it reads more as playful and even endearing at times, and never crosses the line into fully uncomfortable. And perhaps it could've ended on a stronger cliffhanger, it's nothing out of the ordinary but not the kinda thing that kills you to have to wait seven months to see resolved. Come July it won't even be an issue. Until then, at least we can look forward to what the remainder of the series has in store, cause if this cour proves anything, they've only scratched the surface of what's yet to come.