Anime Series Review: Dan Da Dan Season One

Released: October 2024

Watched on: Crunchyroll

Genre: Supernatural, romance, action

Posted age rating: 16+ (for partial nudity and what I can only classify as sexual humor…

There’s a lot of mention and talk about men’s private parts. Like, a lot.

You’ve been warned.)

My Rating: 4.5/5

I currently base my reviews loosely around the CAWPILE system developed by Book Roast on YouTube. I modify the categories depending on the format of the story I’m reviewing.

My star ratings are purely by my opinion and not measured by any particular metric.

SPOILER WARNING: This review will contain spoilers! Proceed with caution!

Summary (from Crunchyroll)

When high schooler Momo, from a family of spirit mediums, first meets her classmate Okarun, an occult geek, they argue—Momo believes in ghosts but denies aliens, and Okarun believes in aliens but denies ghosts. When it turns out both phenomena are real, Momo awakens a hidden power and Okarun gains the power of a curse. Together, they must challenge the paranormal forces threatening their world.

Characters

Crazy and colorful. Poor little Okarun seems the most caught in the middle of everything. I’m sure he ends up with Momo in the end, but still. How are things going to change when he no longer has Turbo Granny’s powers? Momo is fun and doesn’t put on pretenses, which I like. Her granny is a little irritating, honestly. As is Turbo Granny. And most of the supporting cast. I did notice we have yet to hear a single word about Okarun’s parents. Aliens are… flat? Is that the right word? Insane?

Atmosphere

It’s a typical anime Japanese town. It’s pretty cool, though, how things change when they go into the other dimension. They also have to deal with school, so it has some of the high school coming-of-age feel as well. Bullies, dumb friends, invisible teachers, etc.

Animation/Art

The art and animation in this show are phenomenal. It’s bright and smooth and fun. There’s some really cool stylized moments during fights and the like.

Music

I like the music, especially when they use classical music in a fun way.

I’m not gonna lie, I’ve woken with the opening song stuck in my head a few times since I finished watching the first season.

Plot

Overall, the show is pretty episodic. They deal with a new “issue” every couple of episodes or so. There are a few little through-lines such as his missing… things… ANYWAY, I do enjoy some of the wild, ridiculous nonsense that happens and it balances out the occasional, super dark bits that come in (i.e. Acrobatic Silky).

Intrigue

I do want to know what happens with the supernatural stuff, but I really want to see if Okarun and Momo and up together (what can I say, I’m on a bit of a romance subplot kick). They’re so cute and I like to watch them grow as people, especially Okarun. Will he confess to her? And will she accept it?

Logic

It’s about as logical as any ridiculous anime. Although I do think it draws on real myths and legends and superstitions (don’t quote me on that), so there is some… focus(?) to it.

Enjoyment/ Final Thoughts

Despite the… immature bits of the show, I’m actually enjoying it a lot. I have a bit of a soft spot for ghost-hunting/supernatural shows. Plus the cute little relationship between Momo and Okarun is adorable. And the animation is phenomenal. A little mad about the cliffhanger at the end, but at least we don’t have to wait too long for Season 2 to start.

(FYI according to my research, Season 2 should be releasing in July 2025)

Would I recommend this show?

Well, I suppose that depends on the person. As I noted at the beginning, a very large part of its 16+ age rating is because of the sexual humor and references. Yes, they do end up in underwear and Okarun ends up naked, but they don’t show everything.

If you’re an adult, I’d say you need to make the call for yourself. If you’re not an adult, ABSOLUTELY NOT. There are plenty of other, more appropriate shows you can watch. If you need recommendations outside of my reviews, comment below.