Why Dandadan Is the Most WTF Anime Since FLCL!

It never fails: I write up a blog post outlining the 10 or 15 anime series J-List is most interested in following in the upcoming anime season, and one I didn’t have on my list immediately breaks through the fan zeitgeist and explodes onto the scene. Today let’s check out Dandadan (alternatively written Dan Da Dan), a wild anime about a cool girl and a nerdy boy, plus aliens and ghosts!

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What Is the Story of Dandadan?

Momo Ayase is a tough high school girl with a fascination for actor Ken Takakura. While depressed after being dumped by her boyfriend, she passes by a classroom and sees a nerdy boy being teased by his classmates. Momo comes to his defense, only to get into an argument with him about the occult. While “Occult-kun” is passionate about UFOs and aliens, he scoffs at the idea that ghosts could exist. Meanwhile, Momo is a fervent believer in ghosts and the supernatural world but doesn’t believe in UFOs at all.

They decide to make a bet to see which is real, UFOs or ghosts. She agrees to enter a deserted hospital famous for UFO sightings while he enters a cave known for ghost observations. And that’s where the story really gets going! He gets possessed by an evil spirit, and she gets abducted by perverted aliens!

How can I sum up this fantastic anime? It’s the weirdest thing since FLCL. My mouth was literally open in shock for much of the first episode.

Here are five reasons you should watch Dandadan!

Passionate Animation By Science SARU

There’s a bit of tension whenever a manga is translated into an anime. How faithful will the adaption be? How will the pacing flow? What parts will be cut to save time?

Happily, we can really feel the passion that anime studio Science SARU is bringing to this project. This still-young anime studio (founded in 2013) has brought us titles like Devilman: Crybaby, the T0-B1 and Akakiri episodes of Star Wars: Visions and my beloved Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken. While all of these have been somewhat wonky works that primarily appealed to niche fans, I’m confident Dandadan can become their biggest hit yet.

DandaDan Features Insane Genre Blending

All too often, anime fits neatly into little boxes. Idol anime. Isekai. Sports or shounen. But Dandadan is a breath of fresh air, telling a totally original story that blends the supernatural with the extraterrestrial, with highly stylized action and romance. I love that!

Enjoyable Fan Service

I’m enjoying the visual scenes involving Momo when she gets abducted by the Serpoians and when she gets her revenge on them. Call me a shallow fan, but I love some sexy visuals to get me interested in the characters and the journey they’re on.

Dandadan Is on Netflix. Should Fans Be Worried?

An anime being streamed on the Netflix platform is often a cause for fans to worry. Some reasons include:

Anime getting trapped in a “Netflix jail” for three months while international dubs are made. When this happens, it kills all international buzz for an anime because only people in Asia can stream it initially. This is why no one watched Godzilla SP.
Incompatibility of the “binge model” with anime. While Netflix believes most of its users prefer to binge an entire series in one night, the niche quality of anime requires weekly releases so fans can help create buzz and memes to bring more fans on board. This is why no one watched the outstanding ReLife. It came and went so fast, no one could react.
Poor promotion. When Netflix got exclusive streaming rights to Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 6, fans were happy…until poor promotion by the company led to no one outside of hardcore otaku communities tuning in.

Happily, we have nothing to fear this time, because Dandadan is also available on Crunchyroll, with all episodes streaming at the same time worldwide. Maybe co-streaming on multiple platforms is the answer we’ve been looking for the whole time?

It’s Got The Rockingest OP In Years

Just listen to it. This OP is pure fire!

Thanks for reading this blog post about the new Dandadan anime, currently airing worldwide on Netflix (and Crunchyroll). Give it a watch, and tell us how you liked it!

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