Dan Da Dan: Season 1 & 2 Review

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Normally I tend to review each season of a series separately. However, I jumped right into the second season of Dan Da Dan after finishing the first one. So, I think it would be a bit hard to remember where one season ended and the other one started. So, for this review, I’ll be simultaneously reviewing both seasons and the anime series in general. 

Dan Da Dan is a supernatural anime series about two high schoolers, Momo Ayase and Ken Takakura, whom Momo prefers to call Okarun. Momo believes in ghosts but not aliens, while Okarun believes in aliens and not ghosts. After daring each other to prove the thing they believe in is real, the two of them end up fighting against ghosts, aliens, and other supernatural beings together. 

I’ll be honest and say this series is pretty weird. It’s definitely not an anime I’d suggest showing non anime fans and those just starting anime. But it’s funny and entertaining, and the anime just grows on you.  

The type of comedy usually isn’t my cup of tea. Most of it revolves around the fact that the aliens and ghosts want Momo and Okarun’s private parts, Okarun’s more than Momo’s. So yeah, it’s a bit strange, but it gets funnier as the series goes on. I think the second season is funnier than the first one. And there’s plenty of other humor in it as well. 

The best part of this series, though, is Momo and Okarun. They are very likable characters. Their growing friendship, with obvious hints of romance, is cute and enjoyable to watch play out. They have great personalities, and I love their character designs, especially Momo’s.  

The grandmother is extremely funny and entertaining to watch. To be honest, I’m not as much of a fan of Aira Shiratori. I think she’s more likable in the second season, but she got on my nerves a bit in the first one. It’s not necessarily that I dislike her, but rather, her dislike for Momo gets annoying.  

She always wants to be the leader, despite not really knowing anything or having good qualities that would make up a leader. Momo is definitely a much better choice. That’s obvious considering she’s the one that always figures out how to defeat their opponent. Even Okarun always looks to Momo to figure out what to do. 

And as a woman, sometimes I wish we could see more anime where the main ladies weren’t always competing against each other, especially when it involves feelings for a guy. 

Jin Enjoji, also known as Jiji, is pretty likable and funny as well. I was concerned he’d be annoying when he first showed up, but my fears faded away quickly. He’s even funnier later on in the second season when he has to deal with the Evil Eye.  

I like the art, anime, and character designs in this series. I also like Okarun’s more nerdy appearance. It makes the series feel more unique compared to many series that have really cool-looking characters. Not that Okarun isn’t cool, though. He actually is pretty cool because of his attitude and how he wants to improve himself to protect Momo. 

The fights are interesting and look good. I like how each person has their own unique style of fighting based on their abilities. It makes each fight different depending on who is doing the fighting. There’s also some really interesting use of color and light during the fights, the character’s abilities, and the supernatural beings. 

I’m not super excited about how the second season ended. I won’t give away what it is so none of you get spoiled. But I will say one of my complaints when it comes to the writing was just that the very last scene of the second season was very predictable to me. I knew what was going to happen before it did. And let’s just say I really don’t want another girl who competes with the other girls for a guy’s affection.  

Overall, Dan Da Dan’s a weird series and will not be for everyone. But it’s actually pretty funny and entertaining. It grows on you, especially with how likable Momo and Okarun are. I think the story is unique, and the author is a very creative person. However, I really hope the series won’t fall into the typical harem-esque tropes. I would like to see the girls get along better. Still, this series had a lot to enjoy about it, and I highly recommend it to anime fans. You can watch it on Crunchyroll or buy it off of Amazon.

Check out my other anime reviews too.

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