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If there's a current anime that's constantly on the verge of collapsing under the weight of its own ambition, it's Dan Da Dan. Not only are the stakes high regarding its production values, forcing studio Science Saru to hit consistent home runs if they want to compete with the standard they set early on, but it also walks a narrative tight rope act as well.
Dan Da Dan's mix of freewheeling science fiction, touching emotional pathos, and oddball humor makes it tricky to not only describe but to nail down tonally as well. How far can you lean in one direction before this blend loses its effectiveness? How many ingredients can you add before it becomes less of a show and more of a parade of weirdness?
A wild ride from start to finish
Dan Da Dan's second season opened on the cliffhanger left by the first: Ken "Okarun" Takakura and Momo Ayase are investigating the house of pal Jiji, only to discover that it's haunted. Meanwhile, the group is menaced by a cult of townsfolk that worship a massive "snake god," with children sacrificed in order to keep a nearby volcano from erupting.
It doesn't help that one of the former "sacrifices" has transformed into a destructive spirit that possesses Jiji and causes him to attack his friends with supernatural powers. From there, the second season dives into exorcisms, battles with the spirits of vengeful music composers, and an extraterrestrial kaiju. Such is the life of the Dan Da Dan crew.
If anything, Dan Da Dan can be relied upon for constant ingenuity. Manga author Yukinobu Tatsu is a powerhouse in devising new situations that feel both intense and playful, and Science Saru develops his sequences with aplomb. Fuga Yamashiro returned to co-direct the second season, partnering with long-time Saru staffer Abel Gongora for this go-round, and while there is nothing quite as heartbreakingly potent as, for instance, the Acrobatic Silky flashback from the first season, they do a stellar job in keeping Dan Da Dan a refreshing exercise.
It's a great example of not just replicating the memorable beats of a manga story, but using the medium of anime to provide a new sense of spacing and movement for it. Dan Da Dan is the rare adaptation that justifies its existence on a purely creative level.
Its tenderness is what keeps it afloat
However, as we currently exist in a sort of animation arms race, where the latest hot manga adaptations compete with one another for international franchising supremacy, Dan Da Dan cannot exist on pretty, YouTube compilation-worthy scenes alone. When it steps back to provide respite for its characters, letting them exist in a world not beset by spirits and monsters, but by their own little feelings of angst and love and joy, we get something both subtle and frequently tremendous.
When Momo, harboring a burgeoning crush on Okarun, plays with his hand in the backseat of the van or tries to get his attention by airily swinging her sweater-clad sleeves against him – just an excuse to touch the guy that she's coming to adore – Dan Da Dan is pulled down to earth and into a territory of pure sweetness.
It's all the better when it allows these moments to linger in earnestness. When Momo plays a huge part in rescuing Okarun early in the season, there is a quick "uh oh, I touched a GIRL" gag that occurs as he collapses against her, an anime staple that's played out purely perfunctorily here. However, it's then followed by an embrace that's both an indication of the familiar will-they/won't-they archetype of these characters, and an action that feels uniquely earned for the pair.
Dan Da Dan puts in the work to make you believe that these two teens like one another, not because of the trappings of the story, but because each of them has awakened a specific, tender spark in the other. Their relationship has not just allowed them to grow up, but to open up.
Adding to the family
With each new Dan Da Dan arc, new characters are added and new details become integral parts of the series' overall story. This means that Dan Da Dan has created an extended cast that floats in and out, with characters that are defined not only by their overwhelming quirks but also by the sympathies that are extended to them.
They're a community of outcasts: lost extraterrestrials, trapped spirits, wayward nerds, etc., and their evolution into a found family is another factor that elevates Dan Da Dan above merely being a bunch of silly events happening. And judging from the popularity of said events, it's reasonable to assume that a third season will be put into production.
When that will happen is anyone's guess, but luckily, Dan Da Dan is rich enough to encourage rewatches. This story about finding humanity, not just between its two adorable main protagonists but in creatures from the farthest, darkest reaches of the earth and the universe, is hard to put down. Like with many of its characters, giving it a chance means that it just might possess you, too.
For more, check out the best anime to watch right now, and our list of the best anime on Netflix.
