Review of Dan Da Dan

This is one of those "watch and feel good" animes. The plot isn’t really anything groundbreaking, but that doesn’t take anything away from the experience. It starts off with some really strong episodes, showcases good world-building, and most importantly, gets the characters right. It’s one of the few shows where every single character feels important and is genuinely fun to watch. Speaking of characters, I absolutely adore the relationship between the protagonists. I’m not a fan of romcoms or romance in general, but there’s something about how these two interact and gradually warm up to each other that melts my heart. I really wish we hadgotten more private, serious moments between them because every time they shared one of those scenes, I couldn’t help but smile and cheer for them. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way about any other anime relationship before.

Now, what about the action? It might not be the flashiest out there—combat is pretty standard, and the visuals are decent—but thanks to the interesting character designs and the overall progression of the story, you won’t feel bored. It’s a consistently fun watch throughout.

The only negatives for me personally are the introductions of Aira (pink hair girl) and Jin (red hair guy). When they were brought into the story, it took me out of the overall vibe and made everything feel a bit too unserious, yes even with the not so "serious" objective of the show. The story could have moved along perfectly fine without them. Their only purpose seems to be creating a shallow love-interest conflict between the main characters and offering "comedic" relief, which didn’t really land for me.

Other than that—and the slightly awkward stopping point of season 1—this anime is just a really fun watch. I love the chemistry between the main characters; they’re one of the best couples I’ve seen in anime. The action, while not groundbreaking, is enjoyable enough to keep things exciting.

8/10