After a whirlwind of action-packed episodes in the first season of “Dandadan” led to a cliffhanger in Jiji’s (Kaito Ishikawa, “Devil May Cry”) haunted home, viewers were left to wonder what was to become of their beloved main characters. How were they going to defend themselves against such unexpected and formidable opponents after what had seemed like a relatively peaceful finale?
Going into the second season of “Dandadan,” I knew I would be treated to the same creative animation, humorous banter and wonderfully odd mix of genres the first season had excelled in. Except this time, I was also more prepared to take on the erratic pacing of the show and be less put off by the show’s bizarre paranormal villains. “Dandadan” season two promised just this, but also new character arcs, brewing love triangles and a catchy soundtrack. Couple that with episodes that expertly balance fast-paced action and slice-of-life filler content, and I was transfixed.
“Dandadan” season two keeps many of the familiar elements well-loved by viewers: Okarun’s (Natsuki Hanae, “Demon Slayer”) adorable dorkiness, Ayase’s (Shion Wakayama, “Her Blue Sky”) kickass spunk and Turbo Granny’s (Mayumi Tanaka, “One Piece”) scathing sarcasm. At the same time, the show surprises viewers with new foes like the Kito Family and Evil Eye (Mutsumi Tamura, “Clevatess”) to challenge its characters’ wit and supernatural abilities. Like the previous season, the characters spend every few episodes fighting off a new enemy and learning more about the world of aliens and ghosts. However, where season one focuses on the characters establishing friendships and learning not to judge others based on their beliefs, season two highlights the importance of empathy and care for both allies and enemies, even in the face of terrifying opponents.
Season two also had a slightly different structure; rather than having each villain completely disappear after their defeat, each fight builds on its predecessors. As a result, we get extra snippets of the antagonists that help viewers understand them better — or at the very least give us hints for what’s to come. Oftentimes, this proves that our first impression of a character isn’t the whole of their story. By giving the “enemy” a chance to rewrite the narrative, “Dandadan” season two takes a different perspective on what it means to overcome adversaries.
When Jiji discovers that Evil Eye is just a little boy who never got to play with others and was sacrificed, his once aggressive approach to fighting him turns tender. This allows viewers to appreciate the change in pace, preparing them for an arc that spans almost the entire season, rather than a few episodes like those for regular villains. It also offers the characters a chance to explore how they can use compassion and playfulness instead of brute force to exorcise the yokai monsters that enter their world. With this kind of structure, the lines between glorious heroes and freakish antagonists are blurred, adding nuance and a tone of maturity to an already multi-layered show.
While “Dandadan” is praised for its skillful storyboarding, one critique I’ve seen online is the number of animation quirks present in this season compared to the last. In season two, the characters exhibit unnatural movements in uneven lighting, leading some to believe the animators may have paid less attention to detail this production cycle. Though this didn’t significantly impact my viewing experience or understanding of the narrative, I do know that this season covered more action sequences and chapters in the manga than the previous season, which may have contributed to inconsistent artistic choices, especially when it came to progression of speed and shifts in perspective.
Although declines in animation quality in the anime realm seem to have become more common, I hope it doesn’t become the norm. The visual storytelling of “Dandadan” was one of the main reasons the show originally made such a strong impression on viewers, and it continues to do so with its range of dynamic angles, camera cuts and character designs.
Despite its minor shortcomings, “Dandadan” by no means disappointed me; I thoroughly enjoyed the novelties this season brought out and getting to watch Ayase, Okarun and Jiji discover new ways to tackle challenges while strengthening their friendship. And until the announcement of season three, we can only hope that “Dandadan” ends this season with a flourish.
TV Beat Editor Michelle Wu can be reached at michewu@umich.edu.
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