Dandadan: Who is Momo Ayase?

Key conclusions

• Momo Ayase's upbringing shapes her no-nonsense personality and intolerance for bullying, leading to life-changing adventures.
• After meeting Okorun, Momo develops psychic abilities, deepens her bond with her grandmother, and explores romance.
• Momo's courage, wisdom, and heroism in supernatural conflicts make her an inspiring and memorable character.

The magnum opus of Yukinobu Tatsu, Dandadanintroduces readers to a rich and imaginative world of aliens and spirits that beautifully blend horror, romance, comedy and science fiction elements to tell an exciting story. While at its core, the tale explores mysterious myths and alien conspiracy theories, it also reflects the evolution of its quirky characters, who add humor, personal tribulations, triumphs, and intrigue to the chaotic narrative. Among these characters, the eccentric heroine Momo Ayase is the main figure, whose actions and decisions greatly affect the story.

Not only does Momo exude confidence and courage in the face of dire odds, showing unwavering loyalty to the greater good, but her dynamic personality adds more drama, fun, and spice to the series. But what makes her stand out among the many quirky manga characters? In this article, we explore Momo Ayase's childhood, her relationship with her grandmother, and the dramatic impact Okorun had on her life.

Momo's childhood and her relationship with her grandmother

Seiko Ayase has transformed Momo into a strong young woman

While it is unclear what happened to her parents, Momo Ayase began living with her grandmother Seiko at the Ayase residence in Kamigoe City at a very young age. As a spirit medium, Seiko taught her granddaughter a daily ritual, supposedly to ward off evil spirits. Around the same time, Momo fell in love with her childhood friend Jin Enjodi. Even though she didn't want to, Seiko pushed her to perform the rituals in public anyway, which eventually led to her being bullied by her peers. Momo reached her breaking point where even Jin joined the bullies and made fun of her.

Broken and humiliated, Momo falls out with Seiko, and she also begins to question her grandmother's credentials as a spirit medium. While the differences were fueled by bullying from her peers, deep down Momo cared deeply for her grandmother. In the end, she realized that she was more upset by people looking down on Seiko's daily rituals than by her own bullying. The enlightening revelation helped her build a relationship with her grandmother, as she realized how much Seiko meant to her.

As Momo grew older, her relationship with Seiko continued to develop. While she secretly respects her grandmother, Momo's daily conversations with Seiko are filled with friendly banter, teasing, and insults that add warmth and humor to their unique bond. By the time Momo entered high school, she had grown into a strong, confident, and compassionate teenager with no patience for bullies and troublemakers. Seiko's gentle guidance and free-spirited nature allow Momo to grow and shape her into the resilient young woman she is becoming. Interestingly, her aversion to bullying and her lack of respect for scoundrels eventually lead her to the man who will change her life forever.

Momo's life after meeting Okorun

Meeting Ken Takakura and developing feelings for him led to Momo's maturation

As mentioned above, Seiko's upbringing played a key role in shaping Momo's no-nonsense personality and her intolerance of bullying. It was this aversion to troublemakers that changed her life. Once, when she noticed a boy her own age being bullied by her classmates, Momo didn't hesitate to step in and make sure he was safe. Her good deed led to her meeting Ken Takakura, an occult fanatic who believed in strange alien conspiracy theories. Momo soon learned that Okorun did not believe in spirits and felt that his alien beliefs did not make sense.

Mom and Ken's conflicting worldviews eventually lead to a bet that sends the duo on a life-changing adventure that challenges their belief systems. When the duo realized that both aliens and spirits were real, they were drawn to each other while investigating the supernatural. Their friendship and camaraderie was fundamentally shaped by Momo's brave and intolerant attitude towards bullying, which in turn was shaped by her childhood experiences. In another incident, Momo went out of her way to use her powers and throw her pelvis at another man who was trying to manipulate Okorun for narcissistic reasons. These events also highlight her strong sense of justice and show that Momo is very considerate of the people around her, even if she doesn't know them.

After meeting Okorun, Momo awakens her dormant psychic powers while facing a crisis. She soon realizes that her grandmother's seemingly embarrassing rituals weren't pointless and actually protected her from supernatural forces. This in turn further strengthens her bond with Seiko as she realizes how long her grandmother has been protecting her from supernatural threats without her knowledge. Meeting Okarun not only broadens Momo's supernatural worldview and helps her grow closer to Seiko, but it also hints that she's starting to develop romantic feelings she's never felt before.

Ken gradually becomes an integral part of her life, and in any crisis she thinks of him first. Momo's romantic feelings deepen as Okorun begins to receive more attention from her peers, especially girls. In several instances, she even has an emotional outburst that shows her possessiveness towards Ken. However, Momo is, in general, an expressive high school student who is not shy about expressing her thoughts and feelings. She wears her heart on her sleeves and openly displays her emotions, which adds more layers to her adorable personality. In addition to sociability, expressiveness and compassion, Momo is sometimes hot-tempered and easily irritable.

Although Momo is a typical teenager, he still shows incredible courage in the face of adversity. Ever since she met Akarun, she unexpectedly gets involved in supernatural conflicts. While some of these inconveniences are mundane, others may be intergalactic disputes that put Earth in an existential crisis. Fighting militaristic and colonialist alien races comes at a high price, and putting your life on the line is always on the line. But even in such dire circumstances, Momo regularly displays wisdom beyond her years and voluntarily fights for the greater good. Her heroism and bravery at such a young age make her an inspirational character who leaves an unforgettable impression.