Dan Da Dan: Season 2 TV Review: The manic anime gets a more focused story that helps bring the presentation to new heights
Plot: After reclaiming his dong, Okarun, Momo Ayase, Granny Seiko, and their found family of supernaturally gifted misfits embark on a mission to recover his balls, leading to all manner of shenanigans, love triangles, and extreme training.
Review: After debuting a killer, manic first season, there’s only one way to ratchet up the fun factor for an equally engaging follow-up. You could turn the volume up to eleven and risk going too loud. Or, you do what Fūga Yamashiro does for Dan Da Dan Season 2: dial the presentation’s breakneck pace down a few notches, explore characters and relationships like never before, and ultimately, tell a more focused, cinematic-like story.
The second season of Dan Da Dan is all about progress. Throughout the saga, Okarun, Momo, and Aira explore their powers, honing their volatility, and discover new tricks and limitations. This focus brings the show into fresh territory by ditching the first season’s “monster-of-the-week-ish” format for a more continual and progressive narrative. Momo steadily falls for Okarun, while Momo’s childhood friend, Jiji, throws a wrench into the works after being possessed by Evil Eye, a child-like and malevolent entity. Meanwhile, Momo doesn’t like how Aira is sniffin’ on her man, and Granny Seiko is acting more distant and hands-off than ever. Then there’s Turbo Granny, still trapped in the body of a Lucky Cat statue come to life, whose role is more significant as she trains the kids for the battles ahead.
I enjoy a lot about Dan Da Dan in general. The show never runs out of ideas, and the characters feel fully fleshed out and like they’re on an actual journey of discovery, not just going through the motions. The animation is slick, inventive, unruly, and intimate when necessary. Season 2 exhibits all these factors in spades. One character who makes this obvious is Jiji, whose transformation into Evil Eye brings some of Dan Da Dan‘s best drama. His arc is a testament to the show’s ability to turn characters around. At first, Jiji was slightly obnoxious and took up space. However, his inner battle to co-exist with Evil Eye is brilliant, emotional, and drives the bulk of Season 2.
By that same token, but on the opposite end of the spectrum, is Kinta, a perverted, sci-fi-obsessed otaku who cannot comprehend how Okarun manages his relationships with so many young, beautiful, and enigmatic women. It’s a mystery he must solve, but holy s**t is it a task to watch him try. I’ll be straight with you. I don’t like Kinta. He’s rude, immature, excruciatingly inappropriate, and needs to learn to take a hint. Still, knowing Dan Da Dan‘s ability to turn characters around, will he grow on me? Will I eventually become a Kinta defender? Kinta is an outcast; we could say the same of Momo, Okarun, Jiji, and Aira. One of Dan Da Dan‘s primary mantras is that there’s always more to see behind the curtain. I’ll reserve too much judgment for now.
Despite Season 2’s vibe shifts, Dan Da Dan is as outrageous as you’d like it to be. Throughout the season, we confront a twisted cult family, a suicide worm, killer composers of classical music (for some of the season’s most stunning animation), a disappearing, reappearing Kaiju (or UAP), and more! While the search for Okarun’s testicles is ongoing, there’s far less talk about genetalia in Season 2, within reason. I appreciate this. It’s not like I’m above it. Quite the opposite, actually. Still, the show has better things to do: a better story to tell, characters to mature, and animation experiments to execute.
For all my praise, I think the season’s pacing stumbles throughout the episodes “I Want to Rebuild the House” and “The Secret Art of Being Attractive.” Yes, this is when Kinta comes into the picture, but this is as close to “filler” territory as we get with Dan Da Dan. I thought it odd that after achieving such outstanding momentum, the show would pump the brakes like it does for these two episodes. Thankfully, the excitement ramps with “Hey, it’s a Kaiju,” followed by a season finale that will leave your jaw slack with disbelief. The words “Girl, you did not,” come to mind.
Despite some pacing issues later in the season, Dan Da Dan continues to be a must-watch anime for anyone who likes their romance with a side of strange. Season 2’s more cohesive presentation elevates the show unexpectedly, while the characters continue to grow exponentially. Dan Da Dan continues to feel unique in anime, where the impossible always happens, and artistry is forever upping its game. I count myself among other Dan Da Dan fans eagerly awaiting the third season, and can’t wait to see where this show goes next.
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