Dandadan (manga/anime)

Dandadan (ダンダダン) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yukinobu Tatsu [ja]. It has been serialized in Shueisha‘s Shōnen Jump+ app and website since April 2021, with its chapters collected in 15 tankōbon volumes as of July 2024. An anime television series adaptation produced by Science Saru is set to premiere in October 2024.

Plot

Momo Ayase is a high school girl who believes in ghosts but not aliens, while her classmate Ken Takakura believes in aliens but not ghosts. In a bet to determine who is correct, the two decide to separately visit locations associated with both the occult and the supernatural—Ayase visiting the former, and Takakura visiting the latter. Ayase is abducted by a group of aliens who accidentally unblock her chakras, enabling latent psychic abilities. Meanwhile, Takakura is possessed by a spirit who takes over his body. By using Ayase’s abilities and Takakura’s possessed form, they defeat the aliens together.

The rest of the story follows the two, as they team up with fellow students, friends, family, and new acquaintances to fight spirits and aliens; the overarching plot themes include retrieval of Takakura’s testicles (kintama [ja]) and the development of romantic feelings between Ayase and Takakura.

Characters

Main characters

Momo Ayase (綾瀬 桃Ayase Momo)
Voiced by: Shion Wakayama (Japanese); Abby Trott (English)
A high school girl who believes in ghosts and the supernatural. After being abducted by Serpo aliens, she discovers she has psychokinetic powers, allowing her to visualize the “auras” of people and objects, and visualizes her power as giant hands to “grab” and control these auras. She has a crush on actor Ken Takakura, because of that, she refuses to call Okarun by his name because he does not look anything like him. Throughout the course of the story, she develops strong feelings for Okarun.
Ken Takakura (高倉 健Takakura Ken)
Voiced by: Natsuki Hanae (Japanese); A.J. Beckles (English)
A shy and friendless high school boy who tries to connect with Ayase over their shared interests in the supernatural. She calls him “Okarun” (オカルン) from “occult”, since he shares a name with the actor Ken Takakura, her celebrity crush. After being possessed by the Turbo-Granny, Ken gains the ability to enter a powerful demonic state, granting him immense speed. Throughout the course of the story, he develops strong feelings for Ayase as well.

Supporting characters

Humans

Seiko Ayase (綾瀬 星子Ayase Seiko)
Voiced by: Nana Mizuki (Japanese); Kari Wahlgren (English)
spirit medium and Momo Ayase’s grandmother, whom she lives with, despite appearing to be in her 20s. She helps Ayase and Okarun deal with dangerous spirits and yōkai. Though she has no innate powers, she has an extensive knowledge of supernatural entities and curses, and uses various artifacts and the borrowed power of the god residing in their city to seal and exorcise yōkai, though this power is only limited to the city itself.
Aira Shiratori (白鳥 愛羅Shiratori Aira)
Voiced by: Ayane Sakura (Japanese); Lisa Reimold (English)
A student at the same school as Ayase and Okarun. After becoming aware of the existence of the supernatural, Shiratori proclaims herself as the “chosen one” on a mission to protect the world from evil and directs her attention towards Ayase, believing that she is a demon that has to be stopped. Similar to Okarun, she can transform into a demonic form with powers inherited from a yōkai called “Acrobatic Silky” (アクロバティックさらさらAkurobatikku Sarasara), giving her immense agility and prehensile hair. She has a crush on Okarun.
Jin Enjoji (円城寺 仁Enjōji Jin)
Voiced by: Kaito Ishikawa (Japanese); Aleks Le (English)
Ayase’s childhood friend and first crush. He goes by the nickname “Jiji” (ジジ). After his parents were hospitalized as a result of his house being haunted, Enjoji moved in with Ayase and Seiko before transferring over to Ayase’s school. Okarun feels jealous over his relationship with Ayase, but Jiji tries to become friends with him. He is possessed by the Evil Eye, who goes on a blind rampage when in control of Jiji’s body.
Rin Sawaki (佐脇 凛Sawaki Rin)
Rin, mainly referred to as Class Rep (委員長Iinchō), is the dutiful and over-bearing class representative of Class C, which most notably includes Okarun, Kinta Sakata, and Vamola.
Kinta Sakata (坂田 金太Sakata Kinta)
Kinta is Okarun’s chubby and somewhat anti-social classmate, who is deeply into the supernatural and extraterrestrial, but tries to get Okarun to make him more popular with girls.
Manjiro (万次郎Manjirō)
Manjiro is Seiko’s pupil and a spirit medium who is asked to help out in the Evil Eye case.
Hayashi (囃子Hayashi)
The Hayashi are a band of musicians who sometimes help Seiko exorcise evil spirits using Heavy Metal music.
Masamichi Bega (部賀正道Bega Masamichi)
Also known as Bega the Demon (鬼の部賀Oni no Bega), is an extremely strict, but kind police officer stationed at the Kamikoshi Police Box, who takes Unji in, due to also loosing his family as he is, whereas the former lost both of his wife and daughter.
Unji Zuma (頭間 雲児Zuma Unji)
Zuma is a student at Renjaku High School who is the leader of a gang of delinquents from other high schools, who lost his family as a child and is subsequently adopted by Bega, who too lost his family as he is. After gaining supernatural, umbrella-based powers from coming across one of Okarun’s kintama, Unji makes an attempt at beating the diorama board game Danmanra. However, he is soon possessed by a powerful yōkai named Umbrella Boy.

Aliens

Mr. Mantis Shrimp (シャコさんShako-san)
Peeny-Weeny (ぺニーチンコスPenīchinkosu) is an alien resembling a mantis shrimp who attacked Momo, Okarun and Aira but later befriends them after they helped him cure his son Chiquitita’s disease. He now works at a farm and still assists the gang in every way he can. He has immense endurance, can shift into a more powerful form, and like an actual mantis shrimp, attacks with bullet-speed punches.
Chiquitita (チキチータChikichīta)
Chiquitita is Peeny-Weeny’s cheerful son, who inherited his mother’s disease.
Vamola (バモラBamora)
Vamola is a Sumerian and the sole surviving child of her race. After arriving on Earth from escaping an invasion on her home planet, she honors her adoptive mother’s wishes to find a worthy husband who can help her preserve the Sumerian bloodline, leading her to Okarun and Momo.
Rokuro Serpo (セルポ 6郎Serpo 6rō)
Rokuro is the Serpo clone who helped fight the Kur invasion. Afterwards, he was branded as defective and exiled from the Serpo; he works part-time.
Count Saint-Germain (サンジェルマン伯爵Sanjeruman Hakushaku)
Count Saint-Germain is an alien and an affiliate of the Kur, working as the deputy head teacher and advisor of the History and Culture Research Club in Momo and Okarun’s high school, while under the assumed name Sanjome (三丈目).

Spirits

Taro (太郎Tarō)
Taro is an anthropomorphized anatomical model that resides at Momo and Okarun’s high school.
Hana (Hana)
Hana is an anthropomorphized anatomical model that resides at the Ayase residence.
Mai Kawabanga (川番河 舞Kawabanga Mai)
Mai was the childhood friend of Rin Sawaki who had died due to a car accident. Her spirit then went on to become an Ombusman bound to Rin.
Umbrella Boy (アンブレラボーイAnburera Bōi)
Umbrella Boy is a sweet, but impulsive yōkai, who possesses Unji’s body after the latter comes in contact with Okarun’s kintama, who can get very violent as a defensive impulse.

Antagonists

Spirits

Turbo-Granny (ターボババアTābo Babā)
Voiced by: Mayumi Tanaka (Japanese); Barbara Goodson (English)
yōkai who takes the form of a cruel, foul-mouthed elderly woman, Turbo-Granny used to comfort the spirits of girls who died horrible deaths, but started cursing and stealing the genitals of anyone who entered her territory. After Ayase and Okarun defeat her, Seiko seals her spirit inside a maneki neko doll, and she agrees to aid them for the time being until she can fully regain her powers.
Evil Eye (邪視Jashi)
A powerful and sinister yōkai born as a human sacrifice in the feudal period. He harbors a hatred for all humanity and tricks Jiji into forming a contract so he may eradicate them. The Evil Eye, in addition to its immense physical abilities, uses the grudges of the sacrificial victims to form powerful, nigh-invincible constructs which frequently manifest into something akin to a soccer ball.
Reiko Kashima (カシマレイコKashima Reiko)
Reiko, also known as the Slit-Mouthed Woman (口裂け女, Kuchisake-onna), is a yōkai that formerly resided in a ruined area in Kamikoshi City. After being bested by Momo, Reiko Kashima harbored a grudge against the girl and vowed to get revenge on her the next time they met.
Fairy-Tale Card (メルへンカルタMeruen Karuta)
The Fairy-Tale Card is a yōkai sealed within the Danmanra board game and the creator of the cursed trunk’s inner world.

Aliens

Alien Serpo (セルポ星人Serupo Seijin)
Voiced by: Kazuya Nakai (Japanese); Benjamin Diskin (English)
The Alien Serpo are an entirely male alien race who come from Planet Serpo. Due to their race being exclusively all male, the Serpo have no way of reproducing naturally and resort to using cloning technology, but since biological evolution cannot occur within identical beings, the Serpo seek to gain reproductive organs by abducting humans from Earth and stealing their sex organs (or “bananas”).
Naki Kito (鬼頭 ナキKitō Naki)
Naki Kito is a subterranean who spent over 200 years offering human sacrifices to the Tsuchinoko in order to prevent her village’s destruction, until Enjoji brought Momo and Okarun to the village.
Kur (深淵ケの者Keru)
The Kur are a militaristic alien race who originate from the farthest reaches of space. Described by Serpo as globalists, they have been actively seeking out planets within the galactic system to conquer, including Vamola’s homeworld.

Production

Before the serialization of Dandadan, Yukinobu Tatsu had worked as an assistant for Tatsuki Fujimoto‘s Chainsaw Man and Yuji Kaku‘s Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku. The serialization was confirmed during a meeting for Shōnen Jump+ in the second quarter of 2020. However, Tatsu started Dandadan after Chainsaw Man and Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku had finished because he wanted to complete his role as an assistant until the end.

Manga

Dandadan is written and illustrated by Yukinobu Tatsu [ja]. It began serialization in Shueisha‘s Shōnen Jump+ app and website on April 6, 2021. Shueisha has compiled its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on August 4, 2021. As of July 4, 2024, 15 volumes have been released.

The series is simultaneously published in English and Spanish on Shueisha’s Manga Plus platform and in English on Viz Media‘s Shonen Jump website. In February 2022, Viz Media announced that they had licensed the series in print format; the first volume was released on October 11 of the same year.

Volumes

No. Original release date Original ISBN English release date English ISBN
1 August 4, 2021 978-4-08-882599-1 October 11, 2022 978-1-9747-3463-4
 
  1. “That’s How Love Starts, Ya Know!” (それって恋のはじまりじゃんよSorette Koi no Hajimari jan yo)
  2. “That’s a Space Alien, Ain’t It?!” (それって宇宙人じゃねSorette Uchūbito ja ne)
  3. “It’s a Granny Vs. Granny Clash!” (ババアとババアが激突じゃんかBabā to Babā ga Gekitotsu jan ka)
  1. “Let’s Go to the John” (トイレにいこうToire ni Ikō)
  2. “Kicking Turbo Granny’s Ass” (ターボババアをぶっ飛ばそうTābo Babā o Buttobasō)
Momo Ayase, a high school student obsessed with actor Ken Takakura, befriends a nerdy boy she nicknames Okarun (instead of his actual name, Ken Takakura) who mistakes her kindness for a shared obsession with paranormal phenomena; while she believes in spirits, he believes in aliens, and they send each other to notorious places to prove their respective interests. At abandoned Negi Hospital, Momo is abducted by the extraterrestrial Serpoians; meanwhile, Okarun is cursed by Turbo Granny, a yōkai who has joined with a bound spirit and takes his penis. After rescuing each other, Momo uses her newly-awakened psychokinetic power to suppress Okarun’s curse, which gives him a depressed demon form with Turbo Granny’s powers. Returning to the shrine she shares with her granny, Momo and Okarun battle the Flatwoods monster. When Momo’s grandmother Seiko, aka disreputable spirit medium Santa Dodoria, returns and saves Momo from Okarun, she coaches the teens how to defeat Turbo Granny. Momo challenges Turbo Granny to a race and tricks her into sending her full spirit into Okarun; the bound spirit awakens and begins to pursue them as an immense freshwater crab.
2 October 4, 2021 978-4-08-882804-6 January 10, 2023 978-1-9747-3530-3
 
  1. “A Craving for Crab” (カニ食べたくねKani Tabetaku ne)
  2. “Hundred-KMPH Granny” (100キロババアだろHyaku Kiro Babā Daro)
  3. “Let’s Eat Crab” (カニ食べようKani Tabeyō)
  4. “Missing Each Other” (会えないじゃんAenai jan)
  5. “Like, Where Are Your Balls?” (タマはどこじゃんよTama wa Doko jan yo)
  1. “You’re a Rotten Tangerine, Ain’t Ya?” (腐ったみかんじゃねKusatta Mikan ja ne)
  2. “Seems He Finally Realized She’s Cute” (かわいいって気付いたっぽいKawaii tte Kidzuita ppoi)
  3. “A Dangerous Woman Arrives” (ヤベー女がきたYabē Onna ga Kita)
  4. “‘Acrobatic Silky’ Is Kinda Long” (アクロバティックサラサラって長くねAkurobatikku Sarasara tte Nagaku ne)
Momo loses her grasp on Turbo Granny during the pursuit, but manages to grab the recombined spirit crab-human, electrocuting it on an overhead line. The next day, after a series of misunderstandings, Okarun and Momo accidentally kiss. After Okarun learns that his penis was returned but his testicles are now missing, Seiko forces Turbo Granny’s consciousness out of him into a maneki-neko doll; he retained her spiritual powers, and they strike a deal to return those powers in exchange for his restoration. However, Turbo Granny lost them after changing them to golden balls (kintama [ja]); fellow student Aira Shiratori picked up a kintama by accident, awakening her spiritual power, and Aira mistakes Momo as a devil. However, Aira’s awakening also makes her visible to the Acrobatic Silky yōkai, who proceeds to swallow Okarun, Aira, and Momo; Momo burns her from inside, setting the trio free.
3 December 3, 2021 978-4-08-882854-1 April 11, 2023 978-1-9747-3531-0
 
  1. “Let’s Just Call Her ‘Acro-Silky'” (アクサラって呼ぼうAkusara tte Yobō)
  2. “Acro-Silky” (アクさらAkusara)
  3. “To a Kinder World” (優しい世界へYasashī Sekai e)
  4. “Eat Some Somen Noodles or Something” (そうめんでも食べよSōmen demo Tabeyo)
  5. “I’ve Got This Funny Feeling” (なんかモヤモヤするじゃんよNanka Moyamoya Suru jan yo)
  1. “They’re, Like, Back Again” (また来たじゃんよMata Kita jan yo)
  2. “Gotta Put On Some Clothes!” (服が着たいFuku ga Kitai)
  3. “Momo Still Has Some Pent-Up Feelings” (モモちゃんまだモヤモヤしてますMomo-chan Mada Moyamoya Shitemasu)
  4. “You’re Bothered, Aren’t You?” (気にしてるじゃんかKi ni Shiteru jan ka)
Momo and Okarun defeat Silky, but Aira dies; to revive her, Momo transfers Silky’s aura to Aira, and Momo empathizes with both after learning their similarly tragic family histories. After sharing a meal together, Aira insists Momo is a demon and vows to break Momo’s hold on Okarun. At school, Momo catches Okarun and Aira in a compromising posture, which occurred after Aira confessed her feelings to him because of her romantically awkward notions. The Serpoians return, flooding the school to aid their mercenaries: two aliens similar to a plesiosaur and a mantis shrimp. All three humans fight ineffectively on their own, even after Aira and Okarun draw on their yōkai powers as the Silky and Turbo Granny, respectively. Okarun is stripped naked and the Serpoians attempt to harvest his sex organs. Momo finds an effective teamwork strategy, but the Serpoians, having tired of their gig workers’ incompetence, have merged into a single aquatic monster.
4 March 4, 2022 978-4-08-883046-9 July 11, 2023 978-1-9747-3744-4
 
  1. “Merge! Serpo Dover Demon Nessie!” (合体!セルポドーバーデーモンネッシー!Gattai! Serupo Dōbā Dēmon Nesshī!)
  2. “It Makes Your Heart Race, Don’t It?” (ドキドキじゃんよDokidoki jan yo)
  3. “We Picked Up a Kappa Monster” (河童を拾いましたKappa o Hiroimashita)
  4. “Have You Ever Seen a Cattle Mutilation?” (キャトルミューティレーションを君は見たかKyatoru Myūtirēshon o Kimi wa Mita ka)
  1. “That’s a Premonition About the Turmoils of Love” (ラヴ波乱の予感じゃんよRavu Haran no Yokan jan yo)
  2. “First Love” (初恋の人Hatsukoi no Hito)
  3. “Don’t Give Up!” (あきらめるなよ!Akirameru na yo!)
  4. “The Life of an Anatomical Model” (人体模型の生活Jintai Mokei no Seikatsu)
  5. “Let’s Go to the Cursed House” (呪いの家へレッツゴーNoroi no Ie e Rettsu Gō)
After the trio defeat the merged Serpoian-Nessie-mantis creature, they wake up in school, naked, damaging their social reputations. Aira and Momo find a grudging respect, and bring the wounded mantis shrimp to Granny Seiko, who denies his alien nature and calls him a kappa, but treats him and finds that cow milk will heal him and his son, Chiquitita. That night, Momo answers the door to find her childhood friend and first love, Jin Enjoji (Jiji), who has come to live with them while his parents are hospitalized. Once Jiji began to see spirits, his parents became sick; after multiple failed exorcisms, he was directed to contact Seiko, which she delegates to Momo. At school, Jiji is popular and Momo banters with him, making Okarun feel lonely. When an anatomical model runs by and Momo spots what they think is a kintama, they catch the model, named Taro, and reunite him with his love, a female anatomical torso named Hana. Taro’s declaration of love gives Okarun the courage to fight for Momo. Okarun, Jiji, and Momo travel to Jiji’s cursed house.
5 May 2, 2022 978-4-08-883103-9 October 10, 2023 978-1-9747-4059-8
 
  1. “Better Decide Which One’s Into Her” (どっちが好きか決めようやDotchi ga Suki ka Kimeyō ya)
  2. “The Kito Family Is Coming” (鬼頭家が来るKitō-ka ga Kuru)
  3. “Where’s the Tsuchinoko Monster?” (ツチノコはどこTsuchinoko wa Doko)
  4. “The Kito Family’s Old Lady” (鬼頭家のババアKitō-ka no Babā)
  1. “Like, This Is the Legend of the Giant Snake” (大蛇伝説ってこれじゃんよOrochi Densetsu tte Kore jan yo)
  2. “Mongolian Death Worms Are Deadly” (モンゴリアンデスワームはやばいMongorian Desu Wāmu wa Yabai)
  3. “The Evil Eye” (邪視Jashi)
  4. “Contract” (契約Keiyaku)
Momo goes to the hot springs, leaving the boys alone at the house, where they bicker and bond over her. After finding a secret room, a group of middle-aged women arrive; they are the landlords from the Kito family. Momo is similarly beset by middle-aged Kito men, but she is rescued by Turbo Granny. On the way back to the house, Momo visits the Tsuchinoko shrine and meets the priest, who relates a local legend: historically, villagers sacrificed children to pacify a giant snake, which kept a volcano quiescent; the Kito family attempt to sacrifice the trio at the house, which was built on the site of the ancient altar. Falling into a pit below the house, they spot the creature, which Turbo Granny realizes is a Mongolian death worm. Driven by its psychic energy, Okarun and Momo keep trying to hurt themselves; they resume normal thoughts in the presence of Jiji’s spirit, which he learns was one of the sacrificed children. The spirit hates the Kito family; sympathizing with its loneliness, Jiji welcomes it inside himself, but it is an Evil Eye yōkai, untrustworthy and violent to humans.
6 August 4, 2022 978-4-08-883208-1 January 9, 2024 978-1-9747-4283-7
 
  1. “Jiji the Prodigy” (天才ジジTensai Jiji)
  2. “Escape! Multistage!” (脱出!多段式!Dasshutsu! Tadanshiki!)
  3. “You Won’t Get Away with This!” (ゆるさねえぜYurusa nē ze)
  4. “This House Is a Damn Eyesore” (目障りな家じゃんよMezawari na Ie jan yo)
  1. “It’s a Pump” (ポンプですPonpu Desu)
  2. “Put That Fire Out” (消火しようShōka Shiyō)
  3. “That’s, Like, Way Deadly” (やば過ぎじゃんよYabasugi jan yo)
  4. “That UFO Is Awesome” (UFOすげえYūfō Sugē)
  5. “He’s, Like, Sealed” (封印じゃんよFūin jan yo)
The athletic Evil Eye/Jiji targets Momo and Turbo Granny, but Okarun protects them and throws Momo to the surface, where she sets the house aflame. Okarun and Evil Eye fight as the wounded worm spews venom; as the fire department pours water on the house, the worm surfaces and is consumed in sunlight, then regurgitates the Kiyo family. As the volcano erupts, Momo uses the worm’s body as a hose to divert water onto the lava. The Tsuchinoko shrine priest defends her from the Kiyo matriarch. All three unite to face the Evil Eye; he is delayed by the mantis shrimp and then defeated by Seiko and Taro. Taro seals the Evil Eye inside his shell, which is lined with ofuda amulets. Chiqutita continues fighting the lava from aboard their flying saucer and lifts a ball of worm phlegm from underground, which protected Okarun and Turbo Granny. Sharing a meal of oden together, Seiko discovers that hot water will turn the Evil Eye back to Jiji, and cold water reverts to Evil Eye.
7 October 4, 2022 978-4-08-883270-8 April 9, 2024 978-1-9747-4339-1
 
  1. “Let’s All Carry Around Hot Water” (みんなでお湯を持とうMinna de Oyu o Motō)
  2. “We Can All Stay There Together!” (みんなでお泊まりじゃんよMinna de Otomari jan yo)
  3. “The Hayashi Performers Are Here” (囃子が来ましたHayashi ga Kimashita)
  4. “We Became a Family” (家族になりましたKazoku ni Narimashita)
  1. “Get a Part-Time Job” (バイトをしようBaito o Shiyō)
  2. “Moe! Moe! Tri-beam!” (モエモエ気功砲Moe Moe Kikōhō)
  3. “Feeling Kinda Gloomy” (なんかモヤモヤするじゃんよNanka Moyamoya Suru jan yo)
  4. “Scary Dudes at School” (学校の怖いやつGakkō no Kowai Yatsu)
  5. “Symphony No. 6” (交響曲第6番Kōkyō Kyoku Dai Roku-ban)
The crew go to visit Jiji’s parents in the hospital; the names of the shrimp alien (Peeny-Weeny) and the Kito matriarch (Naki) are revealed and she declares that Momo is her enemy while unveiling herself as a Subterranean alien. As Okarun and Momo grow closer, she asks him and Aira to stay at the house and help control Jiji with hot water. Seiko starts an exorcism to separate the Evil Eye with the help of the heavy metal Hayashi band, but Jiji begs to let him stay, promising to play with the lonely spirit. After inadvertently wrecking the house as Evil Eye, Jiji begins training to control his chi. Momo starts a part-time job at a maid café; Okarun is denied fight training by Peeny-Weeny, who uses the name Mr. Penny while working at a local dairy farm. Turbo Granny volunteers to help Okarun become strong; accompanied by Aira, the three sneak into school at night, where Turbo Granny summons musical spirits to train their sense of rhythm.
8 January 4, 2023 978-4-08-883370-5 July 16, 2024 978-1-9747-4601-9
 
  1. “Symphony No. 9” (交響曲第9番Kōkyō Kyoku Dai Kyū-ban)
  2. “You Can Do It, Okarun!” (がんばれオカルンGanbare Okarun)
  3. “The Evil Eye’s Briefs” (邪視のブリーフJashi no Burīfu)
  4. “I Want to Rebuild the House” (家を建て直したいIe o Tatenaoshitai)
  5. “School Life” (学生生活Gakusei Seikatsu)
  1. “The Secret Art of Being Attractive” (モテる秘訣はなんだMoteru Hiketsu wa Nan da)
  2. “I Can’t See Them!” (見えないじゃんよMienai jan yo)
  3. “Hey, It’s a Kaiju” (怪獣じゃんよKaijū jan yo)
  4. “The Kaiju’s Wicked Strong” (怪獣はめちゃ強いKaijū wa Mecha Tsuyoi)
Okarun and Aira defeat the musician tulpas and return to the house, where Okarun challenges the Evil Eye and enters a contract to fight him exclusively; this eliminates the threat to all humans but the house was completely demolished. Peeny-Weeny and Chiquitita help rebuild it using alien nanotechnology. Jiji slips into the Evil Eye, but his muttered threats are treated as a joke. An awkward male classmate seeks romantic advice from Okarun, who is defended by the class rep from Momo over what she sees as Momo’s bullying. Okarun, Momo, and the awkward student investigate the apartment block ghost, which they learn is a kaiju wearing a retroreflector suit to appear invisible. As it rampages through the city, they escape back to the shrine, where Okarun devises a plan to defeat it using the alien nanotechnology.
9 March 3, 2023 978-4-08-883414-6 October 15, 2024 978-1-9747-4897-6
 
  1. “Kinta’s Imagination” (金太のイメージKinta no Imēji)
  2. “Clash! Space Kaiju vs. Giant Robot!” (激突!宇宙怪獣対巨大ロボ!Gekitotsu! Uchū Kaijū Tai Kyodai Robo!)
  3. “This Is How You Beat a Kaiju, Okay?” (怪獣の倒し方はこれじゃんよKaijū no Taoshikata wa Kore jan yo)
  4. “I’m Sick of Robots and Kaiju!” (ロボットも怪獣もこりごりだRobotto mo Kaijū mo Korigori da)
  5. “Somebody, Please Translate” (だれか翻訳してくれDareka Honyaku Shitekure)
  1. “Let’s Eat Some Takoyaki” (タコヤキを食べようTakoyaki o Tabeyō)
  2. “Let’s Go to School” (学校へ行こうGakkō e Ikō)
  3. “Ran Into Someone Deadly” (やべえ奴に遭遇しましたYabē Yatsu ni Sōgū Shimashita)
  4. “What Do We Do With Her?” (どーするこいつDō Suru Koitsu)
Okarun’s plan calls for transforming the house through visualization; the awkward classmate, Kinta Sakata, succeeds with a daibutsu mecha he pilots. Working together, Kinta, Momo, and Aira defeat the kaiju with a powerbomb, causing it to shrink and reveal it is a suit piloted by a female alien, who then kisses Okarun. They take her to Peeny-Weeny, who uses a glitchy translator mask to learn her name is Vamola; she is seeking someone powerful enough to defeat her, who she will then marry. At Negi Hospital, the Serpoians meet an invading, lizard-like alien, which overwhelms them. Vamola learns to talk while walking to school with Momo and demonstrates the kintama is not Okarun’s; detouring through ruins, they encounter a kuchisake-onna (slit-mouthed woman) yōkai, who Momo dispels. At school, Vamola is assigned to Class C with Okarun, and the class rep bars Momo and Aira from visiting, to their frustration.
10 May 2, 2023 978-4-08-883503-7 December 17, 2024 978-1-9747-4984-3
 
  1. “This Person Is a Pain in the Butt” (めんどくせえ奴Mendokusē Yatsu)
  2. “A Pulse-Pounding Night” (ときめきナイトじゃんよTokimeki Naito jan yo)
  3. “Just Who the Heck Is This Person?” (こいつは一体何者なんだよKoitsu wa Ittai Nanimono Nanda yo)
  4. “Ran Into Some Deadly Dudes 2” (やべえやつらに遭遇しました2Yabē Yatsura ni Sōgū Shimashita 2)
  1. “What Do We Do About These Deadly Dudes?” (どうしようやべえやつらDō Shiyō Yabē Yatsura)
  2. “Number One Deadliest Dude” (一番やべえやつIchiban Yabē Yatsu)
  3. “At Work” (バイト中Baito-chū)
  4. “Annoying Dudes” (ムカツクやつらMukatsuku Yatsura)
  5. “The Power of Nessie” (ネッシーの力Nesshī no Chikara)
Seiko explains Momo’s “pomade” spell only temporarily sent away the invincible yōkai, named Reiko Kashima, and to keep Momo safe, she is barred from being outside or near an uncovered mirror for a week between 10 PM and 5 AM. That night, Kashima attempts to lure Momo outside by pretending to confess Okarun’s love, and keeps her awake by pounding the windows. The invading aliens are physically similar to octopus, piloting mecha suits, including the lizard-like leader and others. Silky and Evil Eye are knocked out quickly but manage to escape through the sewers; after dropping Vamola off at the shrine, Turbo Okarun is also defeated and his remaining testicle is extracted. At the maid café, Momo is pinned down by a horde of clones, who call Vamola a scout; a Serpoian teams up with Momo to repossess the clones, and she learns to use the moe-moe tri-beam to defeat an extradimensional alien.
11 August 4, 2023 978-4-08-883599-0
 
  1. “I Just Wanna Leave Already” (早く帰りたいじゃんよHayaku Kaeritai jan yo)
  2. “Can Never Sleep at a Manga Cafe” (マンガ喫茶は眠れないManga Kissa wa Nemurenai)
  3. “Spy” (スパイSupai)
  4. “Argument” (ケンカKenka)
  1. “What’re We Gonna Do?” (どーするかねえDō Suru ka nē)
  2. “Initiate! The Road to Counterattack!” (始動!逆襲への道!Shidō! Gyakushū e no Michi!)
  3. “Just Can’t Sleep” (寝てられないじゃんよNeterarenai jan yo)
  4. “Astral Body Adventure” (幽体離脱アストラルボディの冒険Asutoraru Bodi no Bōken)
The surviving Serpoian, named Rokuro, tells Momo the mysterious invading aliens must have warped to Earth via transmission systems housed in pyramids and kofun mounds. They rent a space at a manga café overnight, narrowly avoiding an attack from Kashima; returning to the shrine, Peeny-Weeny tells Momo all her friends are wounded after fighting aliens; she finds a ball similar to Vamola’s in the mecha suit of one of the dead octopus-like aliens, and kicks her out, infuriated. When Rokuro learns Okarun’s nut was taken, he realizes the ‘globalist’ alien invaders are an advance party which intend to use its power to bring their main force to Earth in five days. They morph the house into a car that Peeny-Weeny drives to the Negi Hospital site to train in secret, which goes poorly. Jiji uses his chi to silence Kashima overnight, allowing Momo to rest. Okarun awakens from his coma and, using astral projection, visits his friends and seeks out Seiko for help.
12 December 4, 2023 978-4-08-883726-0
 
  1. “Please Tell Me How to Get Back Into My Body” (体の戻り方教えてくださいKarada no Modorikata Oshiete Kudasai)
  2. “Day of the Decisive Battle” (決戦の日Kessen no Hi)
  3. “Motivation” (やる気Yaruki)
  4. “What to Do About the Name?” (どーする名前Dō Suru Namae)
  1. “What to Do About My Beauty Treatment” (どーする美容Dō Suru Biyō)
  2. “My Turn” (おれのターンOre no Tān)
  3. “Close That Gate” (ゲートを閉じろGēto o Tojiro)
  4. “Vamola” (バモラBamora)
  5. “Vamola 2” (バモラ2Bamora 2)
Seiko and Turbo Granny cannot help, but coach Okarun how to return to his body. During the desperate fight with the globalist aliens, Jiji names his chi blast as the Evil Gun, multiplying its power and turning the tide. Kinta finds a note at the shrine asking for help and builds an Akira-esque motorcycle. Momo is sent ahead to close the Tokyo Tower warp gate; Vamola returns to help her, but the lizard-like mecha extracts Vamola from the kaiju suit and impales her. Momo grabs Vamola back and begins treating her. Connected by telepathic chips, the friends learn Vamola’s background during a flashback: as the sole surviving Sumerian child, she was saved and raised by Banga after a battle with the globalist aliens which killed all Sumerian men. Banga’s small squad tries to rejoin another surviving group, but it is a trap. During the fight they encounter a Big Mama, which is a globalist mecha factory that uses people as raw materials, and they watch it create the kaiju suit, a symbol of the Sumerian religion.
13 January 4, 2024 978-4-08-883841-0
 
  1. “Vamola 3” (バモラ3Bamora 3)
  2. “Vamola 4” (バモラ4Bamora 4)
  3. “Banga” (バンガ)
  4. “Vamola’s Reasons” (バモラの理由Bamora no Riyū)
  5. “I’ve Decided on Takoyaki” (タコ焼き決定じゃんよTakoyaki Kettei jan yo)
  1. “I’m Gonna Kick Ya Into Tomorrow” (蹴っ飛ばしてやるわいKettobashite Yaruwai)
  2. “Mantis Shrimp’s Calculation” (シャコの計算Shako no Keisan)
  3. “Wicked Power” (やばい力Yabai Chikara)
  4. “Everyone’s Reconvened” (集まってきちゃったAtsumattekichatta)
Banga, who was a royal cook before the war, attempts to enter the palace and activate the warp gate to escape; she liberates the imprisoned men and saves Vamola by donning the kaiju suit, using the last of the gate’s energy to send her to Earth with the advice to find a kind, strong man to marry. Vamola succeeds by identifying Okarun, but guiltily realizes she also drew the globalists to attack the friends; Rokuro heals her and she carries on fighting the globalists with Momo. The other students and Peeny-Weeny defeat the advance squad, but Momo has a tough fight with the lizard-like mecha before Okarun returns; buoyed by reuniting with the rest of the students, they face off against the globalists, who have brought reinforcements.
14 April 4, 2024 978-4-08-883897-7
 
  1. “Today Is a Tuesday” (今日は火曜日Kyō wa Kayōbi)
  2. “Wreck ‘Em” (ブチ壊せBuchikowase)
  3. “A Persistent Bastard” (しぶとい野郎Shibutoi Yarō)
  4. “It’s Kinta’s Turn Onstage” (金太の出番じゃんよKinta no Deban jan yo)
  5. “Howl, Great Kinta!” (唸れグレートキンタUnare Gurēto Kinta)
  1. “Out of the Frying Pan” (一難去ってまた一難Ichinan Satte Mata Ichinan)
  2. “The Power of Reiko Kashima” (カシマレイコの力Kashima Reiko no Chikara)
  3. “That Note” (あの手紙Ano Tegami)
  4. “Reiko Kashima’s Maiden Heart” (カシマレイコの乙女心Kashima Reiko no Otomegokoro)
Although the reunited students quickly defeat most of the alien mecha, the lizard-like leader stands strong until Momo figures out its weakness, releasing a jellyfish-like alien which infiltrates Vamola’s kaiju suit. Kinta arrives, reviving his Great Kinta battlemech to fight the hijacked Tokyo Skytree-wielding kaiju with a Tokyo Tower ‘sacred sword’ before defeating it with a spiraling powerbomb. Before the gate closes, a globalist fleet slips through. Kashima, appearing at 10 PM for Momo, experiences a flashback to the bombing of Tokyo and traps the fleet in her mirror before destroying it; after seeing Okarun and Momo’s mutual love, she walks away. At the celebratory yakiniku barbecue, Rokuro shows up to thank Momo. A transformed Kashima vows to steal Okarun if Momo is not more honest and forthright with her love. Far away, Banga leads a squad of Sumerians towards Earth; eavesdropping on the Serpoians, Turbo Granny learns they have named the globalist aliens the Kur, who are hosting the mysterious Count Saint-Germain.
15 July 4, 2024 978-4-08-884054-3
 
  1. “Who’s This Person?” (こいつは誰だKoitsu wa Dare da)
  2. “Let’s Form a Club” (部活を作ろうBukatsu o Tsukurō)
  3. “The Class Rep’s Secret” (委員長の秘密Iinchō no Himitsu)
  4. “Ombusman” (オンブスマンOnbusuman)
  5. “Let’s Do an Exorcism” (おはらいしようぜOharai Shiyō ze)
  1. “It’s a Parade Float. It’s a Festival. It’s Ninomiya” (山車だ祭りだ二宮だDashi da Matsuri da Ninomiya da)
  2. “Float Performance Face-Off” (ひっかわせHikkawase)
  3. “Let’s Be Idols” (アイドルやろうぜAidoru Yarō ze)
  4. “Kawabanga” (カワバンガ)
After Okarun’s retrieved gonad is restored, Mr. Sanjome emerges from The Gates of Hell at the National Museum of Western Art in Ueno Park and becomes the faculty supervisor for the students’ occult club; despite not having prior memories of him, everyone agrees he seems familiar. Class rep Rin Sawaki approaches Okarun and collapses under the weight of an ombusman yōkai; after she picked up the other missing kintama and turned it in to a kōban (police box), she began seeing spirits. The ombusman is Mai Kawabanga, Rin’s childhood friend who shared a dream to become a junior idol before dying in a car crash. Seiko’s remedy involves the Hayashi band and a dansha; they fight through waves of kinjiro ninomiya statues and Rin takes over for the lead singer after he is incapacitated, belting out an emotional song. Mai returns and they tearfully forgive each other; although not dispelled completely, Mai becomes a guardian spirit. Momo and Okarun convince Turbo Granny to help infiltrate the kōban, operated by humorless Officer Bega “the Demon”, so they can learn who picked up the missing kintama.
16 October 4, 2024 978-4-08-884227-1
 
  1. “Mission Impossible” (スパイ大作戦Supai Daisakusen)
  2. “It’s, Like, Pride” (プライドじゃんよPuraido jan yo)
  3. “Delinquents’ Track Meet” (ヤンキー運動会Yankī Undōkai)
  4. “Where’s Zuma?” (ズマはどこだ?Zuma wa Doko da?)
  5. “Deadly Magic Object” (やべえ呪物Yabē Jubutsu)
  1. “She Went and Entered It” (入っちゃったじゃんよHaitchatta jan yo)
  2. “It’s, Like, a Board Game” (これボードゲームじゃんよKore Bōdo Gēmu jan yo)
  3. “That Zuma Dude” (ズマってやつZuma tte Yatsu)
  4. “Start Game” (ゲームスタートGēmu Sutāto)
Turbo Granny fails to obtain any information, but they run into Rokuro, exiled as a defective clone; after a brief fight with Bega, he learns the missing kintama was picked up by Unji Zuma, a student at Renjaku, a local high school infamously full of delinquents. While searching for Zuma, Momo and Okarun encounter a street gang, who say Zuma entered a detailed diorama filled with monsters a week ago; Zuma vowed to defeat the diorama-world using the power of the kintama. Momo inadvertently falls into the diorama-world, and she and Okarun independently realize it is a board game named Danmanra. Although she is unable to use her telekinesis, she meets Zuma, who uses umbrella-based yōkai powers enabled when he has the kintama to defeat a powerful knight boss. However, Zuma subsequently loses it and begins working with Momo through an obstacle course guarded by frog shikigami; a massive chef boss begins playing the color demon [ja] variant of tag, which requires them to touch the food he announces.

Chapters not yet in tankōbon format

These chapters have yet to be published in a tankōbon volume.

  1. “Mission Impossible” (スパイ大作戦Supai Daisakusen)
  2. “It’s, Like, Pride” (プライドじゃんよPuraido jan yo)
  3. “Delinquents’ Track Meet” (ヤンキー運動会Yankī Undōkai)
  4. “Where’s Zuma?” (ズマはどこだ?Zuma wa Doko da?)
  5. “Deadly Magic Object” (やべえ呪物Yabē Jubutsu)
  6. “She Went and Entered It” (入っちゃったじゃんよHaitchatta jan yo)
  7. “It’s, Like, a Board Game” (これボードゲームじゃんよKore Bōdo Gēmu jan yo)
  8. “That Zuma Dude” (ズマってやつZuma tte Yatsu)
  9. “Start Game” (ゲームスタートGēmu Sutāto)
  10. “Let ‘Em Eat Cake” (ケーキ食わせろやKēki Kuwasero ya)
  11. “How to Use Powers” (能力の使い方Nōryoku no Tsukaikata)
  12. “Eatin’ Too Many Treats” (お菓子食い過ぎじゃんよOkashi Kuisugi jan yo)
  13. “That’s Enough of Sweets!” (甘いものはもういいぜAmai Mono wa Mō Ii ze)
  14. “Let’s Take a Break!” (休憩しようぜKyūkei Shiyō ze)
  15. “Let’s Go on an Adventure!” (冒険しようぜBōken Shiyō ze)
  16. “Commence Castle Siege” (攻城戦開幕Kōjō-sen Kaimaku)
  17. “Castle Sieges Are Hard” (攻城戦は難しいKōjō-sen wa Muzukashii)
  18. “It’s a Megabrawl” (大乱闘じゃんよDai Rantō jan yo)
  19. “Game Cleared” (ゲームクリアGēmu Kuria)
  20. “That Devil, the Fairy-Tale Card” (悪魔のメルヘンカルタAkuma no Meruhen Karuta)
  21. “This Guy’s a Pain” (厄介なやつYakkai na Yatsu)
  22. “Get That Family Jewel Back” (金玉を取り戻せKingyoku o Torimodose)
  23. “Turbo Granny vs. Brella Boy” (ターボババアVSアンブレボーイTābo Babā VS Anbure Bōi)
  24. “Unji Zuma” (頭間雲児Zuma Unji)
  25. “Unji Zuma 2” (頭間雲児2Zuma Unji 2)
  26. “Unji Zuma 3” (頭間雲児3Zuma Unji 3)
  27. “‘Brella Boy” (アンブレボーイAnbure Bōi)
  28. “Masamichi Bega” (部賀正道Bega Masamichi)
  29. “That Kawabanga Girl” (カワバンガというやつはKawabanga to Iu Yatsu wa)
  30. “Escape from the Cursed Trunk!” (脱出!!呪行李!!Dasshutsu!! Noroi Kōri!!)
  31. “The Power of the Demonic Fairy-Tale Card” (悪魔のメルヘンカルタの力Akuma no Meruhen Karuta no Chikara)
  32. “Saint-Germain, the Mysterious Man” (謎の男サンジェルマンNazo no Otoko Sanjeruman)
  33. “Let’s Blow the Demonic Fairy-Tale Card Away!” (悪魔のメルヘンカルタをぶっ飛ばせ!!Akuma no Meruhen Karuta o Buttobase!!)
  34. “Saviors, Don’t Be Late!” (間に合え救出!!Maniae Kyūshutsu!!)
  35. “She’s Gone All Little!” (小っちゃくなったじゃんよChitchaku Natta jan yo)
  36. “Family Jewels—Intact” (金玉コンプリートKingyoku Konpurīto)

Anime

An anime television series adaptation was announced on November 28, 2023. It will be produced by Science Saru and directed by Fūga Yamashiro, with scripts written by Hiroshi Seko, character designs by Naoyuki Onda, alien and supernatural entity designs by Yoshimichi Kameda, and music composed by Kensuke Ushio. The series is set to premiere on October 4, 2024, on the Super Animeism Turbo programming block on JNN affiliates, including MBS and TBS. The opening theme, “Otonoke” (オトノケ), is performed by Creepy Nuts, while the ending theme, “Taidada”, is performed by Zutomayo. Prior to the television airing, the English dub of the series premiered at Anime NYC on August 24, 2024. The first three episodes also were collected and released theatrically as Dan Da Dan: First Encounter, with screenings starting in Asia on August 31.

Crunchyroll will stream the series outside of Asia, including the Middle East and CIS, while Netflix will stream the series globally. Muse Communication licensed the series in Asia-Pacific. In June 2024, GKIDS announced that it had acquired the theatrical, videogram, and digital transactional rights to the series.

In August 2024, prior to the premiere of the English dub, the first two episodes of the anime were leaked alongside many other anime productions that were localized by Iyuno.

Reception

By November 2023, the manga had over 3.2 million copies in circulation and over 360 million views on the Shōnen Jump+ platform.

In June 2021, Dandadan was nominated for the seventh Next Manga Award in the Best Web Manga category and placed second out of 50 nominees. It ranked fourth on Takarajimasha‘s Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2022 list of best manga for male readers. It was nominated for the 15th Manga Taishō in 2022 and placed seventh with 53 points. The series ranked first on both the Nationwide Bookstore Employees and Publisher Comics’ Recommended Comics of 2022. The series ranked fourth in Tsutaya Comic Award 2022.

 

Dandadan

First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Momo Ayase (left) and Ken Takakura in his demonic form (right)
ダンダダン
Genre
Manga
Written by Yukinobu Tatsu [ja]
Published by Shueisha
English publisher
Imprint Jump Comics+
Magazine Shōnen Jump+
Demographic Shōnen
Original run April 6, 2021 – present
Volumes 15
Anime television series
Dan Da Dan
Directed by Fūga Yamashiro
Written by Hiroshi Seko
Music by Kensuke Ushio
Studio Science Saru
Licensed by
Original network JNN (MBSTBS)
Original run October 4, 2024 – scheduled
icon Anime and manga portal

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