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Forbes
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Dan Da Dan' Season 1 Blu-Ray Review: Joyous Irreverent Madness
The hectic fever dream of the anime adaptation of Dan Da Dan is anime at its unhinged best. The premise of the manga and subsequently this anime version has a schoolgirl, Momo Ayase, challenge the nerdy Ken Takekura, not that one, but I'll get to that later, that there are no such things as UFOs and aliens. Ken slaps back that there's nothing true about ghosts or the supernatural, which Momo, due to her fortune-telling grandma, firmly believes in. The added twist is that neither party, despite believing the opposite of the other, has actually had any firsthand experience with what they claim to believe in. As a result, Ken goes to a famous haunted tunnel at night, and Momo goes to a building that supposedly has lots of alien abductions. Naturally, while bickering on the phone with each other, both encounter not only ghosts that curse people but also aliens trying to rebuild their race by abducting Earth women. This is where Dan Da Dan does not care about offending anyone, as its approach to these matters is entirely irreverent and very funny. Also, the fact that Ken gets cursed by a crazy old ghost actually helps Momo in her alien abduction predicament, with Momo's newfound spiritual abilities helping to curb Ken's curse. 'Dan Da Dan' is a fun and really quite crazy anime. Which brings me onto the whole dynamic between these two. At the start of the first episode, Momo gets dumped and complains that men aren't manly enough. She also has a soft spot for the actor Ken Takekura, and feels that he is her ideal man. So this whole almost symbiotic relationship between the two is made all the more hilarious when the nerdy kid also has the same name as her heartthrob actor. The result of the latter is that she ends up calling him 'Okarun' because he's a nerdy otaku and doesn't really want to admit that he may be her ideal partner. The icing on the cake for all of this is that Science Saru has really delivered in terms of the animation. I still have a great deal of affection for the studio after Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken, but the action sequences in Dan Da Dan are something else entirely. So, having the first season come to Blu-ray is definitely welcome. Not least because the visuals are delivered in a thoroughly pristine way, but the audio hits hard too. You also get some nice extras on the disc, from interviews and the like. The Collector's Edition also comes with a nice 32-page booklet, some art cards, and a sticker. It also all comes in a solid box with nice artwork. Overall, Dan Da Dan is a fun send-up of UFO and supernatural pop-culture, and also cements that with likeable leads. Some of it is pretty racy in places, but it never feels gratuitous, just very silly. In any case, Science Saru has done a great job here, and this Blu-ray set is certainly a tribute to that. Dan Da Dan Season 1 Collector's Edition Blu-ray is available from the GKIDS online store for $49.99 Disclosure: GKIDS sent me this Blu-ray set for the purposes of this review. Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
Forbes
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘DAN DA DAN' Season 2 Arrives With A Stunning Rotten Tomatoes Score
DAN DA DAN In a rare case of arriving very, very close to its last season, DAN DA DAN (Dandadan) has returned for season 2 eight months after season 1 aired. Available on Hulu now, the series has aired its first subbed and dubbed episode, Like, This is the Legend of the Giant Snake, with more to come weekly (season 1 is available on Crunchyroll and Netflix, season 2 will be on a delay). DAN DA DAN season 2 has also put up a stellar Rotten Tomatoes score, a perfect one, so far, as it adapts the Evil Eye arc. As it stands, with a limited amount of reviews in, DAN DA DAN has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics. If you think that may change when more reviews come in, with double the number for season 1, it still had a perfect 100% then, along with a 93% audience score. The show, not surprisingly, is adapted from a manga series, which is written and illustrated by Yukinobu Tatsu. Here's the synopsis: 'Momo Ayase is a high school girl who believes in ghosts but not aliens, while her fellow high schooler, Ken Takakura, whom Momo nicknames "Okarun", 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 extraterrestrial and the occult—Momo visiting the former, and Okarun the latter. Momo is abducted by a group of aliens who accidentally unblock her chakras, enabling latent psychic abilities. Meanwhile, Okarun is possessed by a spirit who takes over his body. By using Momo's abilities and Okarun's possessed form, they defeat the aliens together.' DAN DA DAN There are 20 volumes so far, meaning a lot of source material to go should the show continue. There are many manga-to-anime adaptations that don't work, but so far, DAN DA DAN does not seem to be one of them. Here's what critics are saying about the season: As of yet, DAN DA DAN has not charted on Hulu's Top 15 list, but we'll see if that changes as more episodes roll out, and some viewers may not realize that this is airing so close to season 1, as with many animes, a long delay is usually the norm. But no word on when exactly season 3 is going to make it out. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
Scotsman
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Dandadan season 2: what time is Dan Da Dan out on Netflix?
After months of waiting, Dan Da Dan season 2 is almost here 👻👽 Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Dan Da Dan will finally return for season two. First three episodes released in cinemas in June. But when can you watch Dan Da Dan? Dandadan's highly anticipated second season is almost here and the excitement is palpable. The break-out anime hit of last year is about to return with more alien and ghost shenanigans. Based on the manga by Yukinobu Tatsu, the show took the world by storm after its debut in the autumn. Just like the first season, the first three episodes were released on the big screen in the cinema under the name Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The episodes will start to be released weekly and there will be 12 in total. It will continue throughout the summer. Dandadan's second series will start this week and will be available on Netflix once again. Here's all you need to know: What is Dandadan about and to expect from season 2? Dan Da Dan season 2 is starting on July 3 | Netflix The show follows a pair of teenagers - Momo Ayase and Ken Takakura - who make a bet to see which is real: aliens or ghosts. It turns out however, that the answer is both. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Together they use their respective supernatural powers to fight yōkai and aliens - with the help from friends. It also explores the evolving romantic tension between the two main characters. Dan Da Dan's second series will start by adapting the Evil Eye arc from the manga - as seen in the big screen film of the same name earlier in the year. What time is Dandadan season 2 out? Fans will be wanting to make sure they know exactly when the first episode of season two will be released. Episodes will be released weekly on Netflix and Crunchyroll - the same as the first series. Dan Da Dan will come out on Thursdays starting on July 3 - with 12 episodes in total. Episode one is due to land on streaming at 5pm BST for UK audiences - Noon ET/ 9am PT for viewers in America. If you love TV, check out our Screen Babble podcast to get the latest in TV and film.
Scotsman
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Dandadan season 2: what time is Dan Da Dan out on Netflix?
After months of waiting, Dan Da Dan season 2 is almost here 👻👽 Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Dan Da Dan will finally return for season two. First three episodes released in cinemas in June. But when can you watch Dan Da Dan? Dandadan's highly anticipated second season is almost here and the excitement is palpable. The break-out anime hit of last year is about to return with more alien and ghost shenanigans. Based on the manga by Yukinobu Tatsu, the show took the world by storm after its debut in the autumn. Just like the first season, the first three episodes were released on the big screen in the cinema under the name Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The episodes will start to be released weekly and there will be 12 in total. It will continue throughout the summer. Dandadan's second series will start this week and will be available on Netflix once again. Here's all you need to know: What is Dandadan about and to expect from season 2? Dan Da Dan season 2 is starting on July 3 | Netflix The show follows a pair of teenagers - Momo Ayase and Ken Takakura - who make a bet to see which is real: aliens or ghosts. It turns out however, that the answer is both. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Together they use their respective supernatural powers to fight yōkai and aliens - with the help from friends. It also explores the evolving romantic tension between the two main characters. Dan Da Dan's second series will start by adapting the Evil Eye arc from the manga - as seen in the big screen film of the same name earlier in the year. What time is Dandadan season 2 out? Fans will be wanting to make sure they know exactly when the first episode of season two will be released. Episodes will be released weekly on Netflix and Crunchyroll - the same as the first series. Dan Da Dan will come out on Thursdays starting on July 3 - with 12 episodes in total. Episode one is due to land on streaming at 5pm BST for UK audiences - Noon ET/ 9am PT for viewers in America.
Gizmodo
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
The Voices Behind ‘Dan Da Dan' Look Back on the Anime of 2024, and Ahead to What's Next
Dan Da Dan is set to make a highly anticipated return to streaming platforms. Ahead of the new season, Science Saru and GKids are collaborating again to release Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye, a theatrical cut featuring the first three episodes of the second season. This release will also include a special behind-the-scenes interview with co-directors Fuga Yamashiro and Abel Gongora. After a special Los Angeles screening of Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye, io9 held a virtual interview with the English voice cast: Abby Trott (who voices Momo Ayase), A.J. Beckles (Okarun), and Aleks Le (Jiji Enjoji). During our conversation, the three cast members reflected on their favorite moments from the previous season and shared their excitement about the scenes they are eager for fans to experience in the upcoming compilation preview film, which will be released June 6, as well as the anime's new season premiering in July. This interview has been edited for brevity. Isaiah Colbert, io9: You've voiced plenty of standout characters in anime, but Dan Da Dan's Momo Ayase is one of my personal favorites. With her being a co-lead in a shonen series—a genre that traditionally puts male protagonists in the spotlight—what about Momo makes her special to you, and how do you think she stands out even more in the shonen landscape this season? Abby Trott: I love voicing Momo. I've been having so much fun with her. And it's interesting that this anime, although maybe if you had to put a label on it, a shonen has a lot of elements from different genres incorporated into it. And I think that helps Momo stand out. We do see a romance element, whereas in a lot of typical shonen, the protagonist will typically not be aware of romantic advances or intentions from a female protagonist. But in this, very early on, there's a relationship there. We can only look forward to seeing how that is going to grow and develop over the course of however many seasons the show goes on. For forever. I think she's very confident, and she cares fiercely about her loved ones; she's willing to do anything to protect them. Those are things about Momo that I love. I think that I read an interview with the mangaka, where he said that Momo is his favorite character, and that he compared her to Superman. She makes everyone else around her want to step up to the plate and do their best, too. And that's one element that I really like about her. She makes everyone want to do their best. io9: In your last interview with io9, you mentioned being a fan of the Dan Da Dan manga and having read it before auditioning. Were there any specific scenes from the manga that you were particularly excited to bring to life in season two ? A.J. Beckles: The whole first interaction with Evil Eye is so cool in the manga. Science Saru, like always, took it and made it so much better; they added so much more content. I went back and read it recently, just to make sure that I was prepared for a recording, and I was like, 'Oh, wow!' when I went in. They added a lot, and they did a great job. I think those interactions are what I most looked forward to. Acro Silky was definitely a cool fight, but it wasn't like a traditional hand-to-hand combat situation that this was with Evil Eye and Okarun. So I was really excited to see what that would look like, and they knocked it out of the park—Evil Eye's ball thing that he uses is really cool. Aleks Le: It's kind of Okarun's first fight fight. He's not just launching himself. Beckles: He has to dodge and punch, or whatever else, which he doesn't really know how to do. You get to see that bit of awkwardness, too, that he clearly doesn't know what he's doing versus Evil Eye, who seems so experienced in comparison. It's interesting, and they did a great job of showing that. io9: First off, congrats on your anime voice acting award for Solo Leveling, Aleks. You've really kept your finger on the pulse of fan engagement—not just by pushing your vocal limits as Sung Jinwoo but also by embracing the memes and sharing behind-the-scenes moments on TikTok. In Dan Da Dan season one, you threw 'Deez Nuts' into the mix, making it an unexpectedly perfect fit for the series' chaotic energy. Can you walk me through how that creative choice came about with the team at Bang Zoom? And are there any other localization line reads you're especially excited to bring to life in season two? Aleks Le: First of all, thank you so much for the congratulations. I appreciate it. And as for that particular line, I made a video about that where I said that the line was actually adapted by our English dub director, Alex Von David, who is wonderfully talented. He put so many funny things into the dub like the usage of the word 'bitch' by almost everybody. Those were always really fun. He had pitched the idea of for this joke. He was like, 'Maybe we should put deez nuts in there.' We were discussing it back and forth because it was just two words, but there was so much history behind the meme itself that we wanted to get it just right for the show. I feel like the meaning and the definition of deez nuts have been watered down over the years, and we really needed to hone in on it. What ended up happening was that we performed it once initially, and Alex was like, 'That's good. I think we should put the emphasis on deez, like deez nuts.' And I was like, 'But I want to do it like the original.' So he was like, 'Oh, the original, deez nuts?' and I'm like, 'You've seen the video?' And he's like, 'I've heard it thrown around, but I don't remember the video.' So I was like, 'Okay,' [so] I pulled up the video, and our poor engineer had to just sit there as I showed him the deez nuts and then we were going back and forth on it. He was very insistent on one way and I was like, 'I want to do it exactly like the video.' We did it so many times, and then we finally found one that we were both really happy with. So that was how deez nuts ended up in the show. Alex is a driving force of this adaptation. In terms of improv, it's always the most unnoticeable, subtle moments of comedy, I feel, are where my strong suits come in. There's a lot of Jiji reads where I really want to make it sound as noncommittal as possible, as in it doesn't sound like somebody who's doing a performance. It sounds like you walked by a group of teenagers, and you had your microphone up to them, and you heard what they're saying. 'Oh, my God, blah blah blah blah.' They shout basically drivel. That's my favorite part of the improv that we get to do. We do have a lot of limitations on what we can and can't do. One of my favorite improvs that didn't make it was in episode 11 when Jiji first introduces himself. We had him singing the Dan Da Dan theme song, and it was really really good. But then we looked back on it, and we were just like 'It's too meta. It wouldn't really make sense for the moment.' In the future, though, I hope we can throw it back in there somewhere. io9: Alongside their seiyuus, you've all brought Okarun, Momo, and Jiji to life beautifully, capturing the essence of the anime's low-taper fade occult nerd, outspoken gyaru, and resident himbo. As season two approaches, what aspects of their dynamics are you most excited to explore, and how has your approach to voicing them evolved, especially while recording separately, and the energy each of you is bringing into the booth? Trott: For Momo, this season kicks off with a lot of action. The first three episodes (that hopefully you'll go see in theaters, everyone) is a lot of yelling and a lot of [being] in the action. I'm looking forward to getting back to the elements, such as the relationships between the other characters Momo's relationship with Okarun. I love how Momo has this kind of cute way of speaking to him at times, which is her way of flirting. Just those little moments, I'm looking forward to the development of relationships. Beckles: I'm looking forward to seeing how Okarun reacts to Jiji. Okarun is so polite, and he's very cognizant of thinking about what he says before he says it. He's very mature for his age in terms of how he views relationships and communication and Jiji throws all that out of the window. I'm interested to see how he handles it. It'll be fun to play like him handling those moments where he's trying to be a certain way, trying to be like kosher, and Jiji doesn't care. And how he's gonna handle coming out of his shell more. I think Jiji is gonna bring some of that out of Okarun. But in the meantime, I think where we're at, it's very much Okarun knowing who Jiji is, but they haven't spent a lot of time together. Only just now, at the end of the last season, he's on the train, and they're talking about the magazine Okarun is sharing and Jiji is genuinely interested. Okarun's never had that before—a friend who's not picking on him—and I think that'll be really cool to see Okarun embrace and learn not to see Jiji as a threat to his new feelings he has towards Momo. Or maybe he still will. It'll be cool to see that unfold and watch all those different personalities interact—Momo instigating moments and trying to get them to be friends—and it'll be cool. Le: I think we all know each other pretty well, and our performance styles. We are aware of how each of us would act. We have a good image in our heads of how one person would do a specific read or [how] one person would interpret the scene this way and, ultimately, the nuances of those performances in the final surprise us. But, for the most part, we have a really good idea of what the other person's gonna do. I feel that closeness and understanding has given us the ability to performing these scenes basically in the dark, yet still having them mesh really well with each other. I feel like we all understand each other's sense of humor or acting choices pretty well, for the most part. Dan Da Dan season two premieres this July on Netflix, Crunchyroll, and Hulu. Evil Eye hits theaters across the U.S. June 6.
