A boy, Ken Tatakurasaid Okarun. A girl, Momo Hayase. The first is introverted, wears glasses, has difficulty interacting socially, believes in extraterrestrials, but not in the existence of ghosts. The second is pretty, trendy, not lacking in wit and turns out to think the complete opposite of her classmate. Everything opposes them and everything will bring them together the day when after having bet to know who was wrong and who was right, they find themselves faced with an implacable truth: ghosts and aliens exist.
Made by a studio full of… science
Dan Da Danthat’s it. Finally, sorry, on the merits, which we will develop a little further in the following lines. But in terms of form, we are faced with an anime which plays on the principle of constant contradiction, whether on the relationships between the characters, their motivations, their issues, but also on the rhythm itself and the narration of the intrigue, which grabs us when we think we have seen and guessed everything and draws a tear from us when we least expect it.
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Broadcast since last October in France on the platforms Netflix, Crunchyroll, J-One et ADNthe anime hit a big blow, thanks in particular to the work of the Japanese studio Science SARU. If you are well connected to the world of pop culture, the studio is not unknown to you, it is to it that we owe the excellent animated series Scott Pilgrim takes flightreleased in fall 2023 on Netflix. Science SARU is also Devilman Crybaby in 2018, the film You-Oh in 2022 or two episodes of the anthology series Star Wars Visions (2021). Holy CV.
Breaking of codes in order
In the image, the latter is felt very quickly with a certain quality of animation, which serves all aspects of the plot. When the text is deep, the emotion is palpable, like episode 7 which would bring tears to a heart of stone. When things get agitated, with head-on duels with specters or aliens, the image gets carried away, distended, distorted, into a joyous colorful mess assumed and quite exceptional rendering. Original shot choices, varied zooms, extensive work on the landscapes to turn everything upside down the next moment with a totally offbeat scene. Ultimately? It’s beautiful, very, very beautiful even, very well animated and it greatly serves the cause of a fairly stunning narration.
And Dan Da Dan constantly plays on the absurd, to better break the codes of classic shonen and prevent the viewer from being too obvious about future events. The characters are permanent contradictions, like JijiMomo’s childhood friend and first love, sporty and handsome who turns out to be a comic 24/7, but with infinite kindness. The opposite of the popular high school jock. Same for the story.
A guy’s two balls
In Dan Da Danour duo will quickly welcome a plethora of characters, all more or less important, with issues revolving around several main themes including love and sex. A way like any other to revisit timeless subjects that are still connected to our daily lives. After an encounter with a particularly warlike spirit, Mémé Turbo, who will curse him – which will later allow him to retain his powers – Okarun finds himself searching for his… lost testicles.
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Don’t ask why, that would take all the salt out of the story. But know that this quest will involve his entire new social circle and obviously, Momo in the first place. Looking for your friend’s testicles is one thing, looking for the family jewels of a boy you have a crush on without even being able to admit it to yourself is another and that’s also it, Dan Da Dan : a hell of a romantic comedy.
Run away from me, I follow you… but never alone
These two beings who are completely opposed to each other are constantly fleeing and seeking each other, as the evidence becomes evident to them. Obviously, there are people around, various issues, jealousy and protagonists who complete the duo to form a love triangle then a square then… you get the point. The funny situations, the misunderstandings mix together, without harming the story, without being heavy, since deep down, we quickly realize that we love it and that we even want more.
The codes of romantic comedy are there, revisited, without being “messy” and the quality of writing has a lot to do with it. In our eyes, the romance developed in Dan Da Dan is one of the best we have seen in a long time in an anime, especially in a shonen, which always tends to impose it on us or suggest it in a discreet way, without ever assuming it in its main point .
Flawless yes, but until when?
Dan Da Dan could have been content to play on these basic themes, the occult and the supernatural, to seduce us. No, the anime gives strength to all its components, served by a fine casting. Special mention for Momo’s grandmother, Seikospiritual mentor of his granddaughter and who, through these always eccentric decisions, guides her on the path to maturity. Momo is exceptional, Grandma Turbo once contained in a lucky cat has the right punchlines at the right moment… each of the characters, whether they arrive along the way or not immediately impose themselves, exudes a charisma, a sympathetic potential which will make debating fans for many hours about who is his favorite and why.
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If the look of the villains is often grotesque and their motivation a little “neutral”, it is clear that we devoured the 12 episodes of Dan Da Dan. With the furious desire, given the double cliffhanger at the end, to go back there. We are flawless, served by an opening of very, very high quality and the concern faced with a product of this size is ultimately to wonder if the miracle will continue for a long time, if we will not finish not to tire of these adventures of all kinds and if the story will continue to surprise us. First elements of response next July, for the broadcast of season 2. In the meantime, it would be a real shame to miss this phenomenon.
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