The new episode of Dandadan is all smiles

Key conclusions

  • Dandadan changed things up by making it a calmer episode to bring the characters closer together.
  • The characters face the aftermath of their battle and the embarrassing moments that followed their victory.
  • This week, the show's charm was more evident than ever through its nostalgic vibes, sweet romance and attitude towards the antagonists.



Name Dandadan
director Fugue of Yamashiro
Studio Sarah's science
Episode release date 05.12.2024

Warning: The following contains minor spoilers for Dandadan Episode 10, “Have You Ever Seen Cattle Mutilation?”, now streaming on Crispy roll.

From sorrow to joy, Dandadan has consistently changed things up over the past few weeks, giving each episode a distinct tone, whether it's an emphasis on banter or battle. As the anime nears the end of its first season, instead of ramping up the chaos, it slams on the brakes to let the characters deal with recent events and new feelings in an unexpectedly rewarding chapter.


Earlier, things got wet and wild for Okarun, Momo, and Aira, all of whom faced a new group of alien enemies in a void that resembled their school but was slowly filling up with water. After another masterful plan from Momo – and help from the other two – they emerged victorious…which unfortunately also meant appearing in the middle of their school naked.

Relatives

Dandadan: Explanation of Aira's transformation and powers

Ira's abilities develop as she confronts her insecurities and begins to embrace her inner strength in the series.

How do they even begin to explain?

dandadan-10-queen-sensei

… Yukinobu Tatsu's apparent predilection for sexually intimidating older women becomes blindingly obvious.

There are many things in this series that carry a nostalgic charm. For example, I sometimes get an old Gainax vibe from the show – maybe not in the art style or the script, but definitely in the boldness of its characters. Among the cast is a model in which author Yukinobu Tatsu's apparent penchant for sexually intimidating older women becomes blindingly obvious. The school nurse, Queen Sensei, is a prime example.


No bashing here – much respect, honestly. The Queen insists, demanding to know if the aforementioned nudity of the protagonists was the result of bullying; an act of alarm that could only be taken with the appearance of a threat given her menacing aura. Her design is too unpleasant for her no this will be important later, but I hope she's just a regular nurse just to make an already funny scene even funnier.

Lessons learned and axes buried

Episode 10 advances the story in two major ways. First, the trio begins to question why the aliens have been so aggressive lately. Second, they struggle with how to explain why they were all naked in the middle of the school. The former is thinking about the long term, while the latter is an immediate issue that brings out the character growth to the fullest, especially for Ira, who continues to impress every week.


Given the perfect opportunity to escape the humiliation of the day's events, she finds herself racked with guilt at the thought of Momo taking the blame. It's an impressively acted scene, and the moment between her and Momo afterward had meaning without rushing to a friendly reconciliation. They're still not friends per se, but if Aira is old enough to admit her past rude behavior, then Momo is definitely old enough not to rub it in.

Even better, Okorun finally gets to clear up Momo's big misunderstanding earlier, and his embarrassment at telling her the real reason he wasn't in school is adorable. He just wants to get stronger to impress her and she can't help but tease him for being so nervous about it. It's the result of the season's adorable chemistry, and the animation never fails to imbue every light gesture between them with subtle romantic tension.


Mr. Praying Mantis's wonderful leads

dandadan-10-mr-mantis-shrimp

The second pattern that emerges this week — and one that's even more enjoyable to watch than the last — is the treatment of antagonists once they've been in the spotlight. Turbo Granny has become a mainstay of the cast, Acrobatic Silky has had a spiritual resurrection in the form of Aira's transformation, and now it's the turn of Mr. Mantis (aka the Dover Demon).

Whenever the show takes its major/minor villains and makes them allies or just keeps them around for fun, it's hard not to smile. It's not hard to feel for the guy once his baby comes on the scene, especially after what happened in Episode 7. The more human expressions in his eyes also help, giving his previously hideous design a cute charm that quickly grows on the viewer.


Happiest alien abduction ever

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DandadanThe international appeal is pretty easy to understand when you look at episodes like this. Regardless of nation or native language, the allure of the supernatural and the conspiracies that flow from that fascination are universal. It's fun to ponder the unknown, and this series respects that obsession as much as it likes to poke fun at the extremes of such concepts. In this case, you don't even have to go that far to be effective.

Evoking classic images of alien conspiracies such as UFOs abducting livestock, Dandadan wears inspirations on his sleeve and looks great while doing it. This episode was so unexpectedly rewarding, even if the standard of cutesy romance has gotten a lot of laughs in the past. There are two episodes left and hopefully it's a satisfying enough finale because I can already tell it's going to be sad to say goodbye to the series (if only for a while).


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'Failure Wasn't a Choice': Dandadan Director Discusses Challenges of Adapting Hit Manga

Dandadan director Fuga Yamashiro recently sat down with MAL to discuss the challenges of adapting the hit manga and more.

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