Dandadan: When Sci-fi Dates Fantasy

Hello Peliplaters!

Today, I want to recommend an incredibly good Japanese anime to you: Dandadan.

The male protagonist, Okarun, is a socially awkward boy who goes unnoticed except when he's being bullied. He loves science fiction and believes aliens truly exist, but no one ever believes what he says. The female protagonist, Momo, is a naive girl who has been hurt by jerks repeatedly. She has been taught "witchcraft" since childhood and believes ghosts are real, although she's often mocked by her classmates for it.

After another failed romance, Momo, conflicted by various emotions, impulsively helps Okarun out of being bullied. Okarun, who has never talked to a girl before, let alone been approached by one, is both thrilled and confused. After ruling out all impossibilities, he comes to the only possible conclusion: Momo must have approached him because she likes the "science fiction" magazine in his hand.

At this point, I felt both embarrassed and intrigued. What embarrassed me was how accurately the anime illustrator, Yukinobu Tatsu, expressed that emotion I had almost forgotten―Okarun excitedly holding out the magazine on UAPs, yet not daring to look at Momo. In my less confident youthful days, I was the same when facing girls I liked. I always thought that what could interest a girl must be something other than myself. Yet beyond all these, what intrigued me was how Yukinobu would arrange for Momo and Okarun to become friends.

The answer is a bet with dignity at stake. They agree to take each other to a place they believe where ghosts/aliens would definitely exist, to prove their beliefs.

Interestingly, while they both mock each other's beliefs as childish, for most viewers, both ghosts and aliens are curiosities outside of daily life. Generally speaking, the relationship between people who believe in ghosts and those who believe in aliens is like the relationship between dog lovers and cat lovers―while there may be occasional overlap, they can mostly be divided into two categories.

The art style of Dandadan also caught my eye. It switches between serious and comical, leaving one to wonder about the creator's state of mind. Yet, this constant shifting between extremes adds a sense of realism to the story. We're living in a time of rapid social changes—unless you completely ignore the news and changes around you, your emotions are likely to fluctuate like a roller coaster.

I often feel confused, though. We live in an era that advocates diversity, which is good, but I also sense the loneliness of individuals gradually being overwhelmed by excessive diversity. Many people want their differences respected, but they tend to confuse "different" with "special," turning the pursuit of equality into a greed for privilege.

Another reason I like Dandadan is seeing Okarun and Momo, who have different beliefs, cooperate. They have completely different personalities, grew up in entirely different environments, and understand the world through different mindsets, but they both possess a similar kind of inherent kindness. This kindness leads them to trust that each other's motives are pure, so they don't maliciously interpret each other's differences.

The story of the two protagonists is entirely fictional, but their attitudes feel incredibly sincere to me. Perhaps this is the power of animation.

In Dandadan, explanations about deities and ghosts remain deliberately vague. Yukinobu seems to carefully control background information, providing just enough for the audience to follow the plot. By the fifth episode, we're still in the dark about the aliens' motives for invading Earth, and whether there are other psychics or organizations with great powers that are aware of the alien presence. This narrative approach reminds me of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, where world-building details unfold naturally as the protagonists explore.

Despite the ambiguous setting, Momo and Okarun's compelling personalities keep viewers engaged. The show's creator appears to draw inspiration from Gintama, where each episode presents bewildering scenarios, yet audiences remain captivated by how the main characters navigate these unexpected challenges.

While I'm thoroughly enjoying Dandadan, it does have one significant drawback—its painfully slow update schedule. It's been ages since I've felt this impatient waiting for an anime to release new episodes. The last time I experienced such anticipation was with Attack on Titan. Given Dandadan's relatively low popularity, I’m afraid after this season concludes, it will be excruciatingly long before the next season comes out. Sigh