Latest news with #ScienceSaru
Gizmodo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Of Course ‘Dan Da Dan' Season 2's Big Okarun Evil Eye Fight Has a ‘JoJo' Anime Reference
Dan Da Dan's third episode is out now, marking the conclusion of GKids' limited theatrical compilation release, Evil Eye. While this means more new moments to come for anime fans to obsess over, Science Saru didn't leave fans empty-handed, finally showcasing Okarun and Evil Eye's long-awaited clash and a clever reference to popular long-running shonen anime, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, to add to its cool of the marketing leading up to the second season of Dan Da Dan emphasized the intense showdown between Okarun and his new friend, Jiji Enjoji. In the previous episode, Jiji, the class clown of the anime's expanding group of friends, spent a lot of time trying to prevent Okarun and Momo from harming each other. This chaos was triggered by a giant snake lurking beneath Jiji's family home—a snake that possesses the power to emit psychic waves, causing people to attempt to take their lives. During his perilous endeavor to save his friends, Jiji encounters a yokai known as Evil Eye. Much like season one's standout episode featuring Acrobat Silky, viewers see that Evil Eye is more than just a menacing adversary. After learning Evil Eye's tragically moving backstory, Jiji befriends the yokai, but things quickly take a turn for the worse. Similar to how Turbo Granny possessed Okarun, Jiji finds himself being body-snatched by Evil Eye. As a result, Jiji now sees Momo as an enemy. Just in time for the climax of episode two, Okarun makes a cool return, setting the stage for their battle in episode spare you the blow-by-blow play-by-play of their battle because there's absolutely no way we can do it justice. However, one climactic moment in their battle sees Okarun dig in deep and lay Evil Eye Jiji on his generous underwear-clad ass. After spending the majority of their fight on the back foot, Okarun manages to eke out a victory with a volley of double-fist uppercuts propelled very awkwardly by a series of lightning-fast leg crunches. While Okarun isn't wont to deliver one-liners, he rises to the triumphant occasion with one referencing JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders protagonist Jotaro Kujo's climactic battle with DIO. Similar to Jotaro, Okarun tells his adversary—and ostensibly the audience—how he was able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. It's all because Evil Eye made a grave mistake; he put his hands on Momo and pissed Okarun off. The line close to Jotaro's quote to DIO after his terror nearly killed his own grandfather. Given Okarun's Turbo Granny mode sees the teenager act not dissimilar to the stoic JJBA protagonist (down to his catchphrase, 'Good grief'), it's no wonder Okarun would tap into that cool guy persona to emphasize his decisive win over Evil Eye. The moment is made all the funnier when you take into account that Okarun, who at this point in the anime is roughly 17 years old, is somehow the same age as the towering JJBA protagonist. Guess they fed anime protagonists nothing but red meat and cigarettes back in the day. In an interview with AJ Beckles and Aleks Le, the English voice actors of Okarun and Jiji told io9 that their characters' clash was significant to them as it represented Okarun's first genuine battle. '[Okarun] 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,' Beckles told io9. 'It's interesting, and [Science Saru] did a great job of showing that.' This isn't the first time Jiji and Okarun's butting of heads (ostensibly over Momo) has yielded a deep-cut anime reference. Back in season one, an innocuous scene where the two boys sang and chanted at each other after vying for Momo's attention featured the pair singing the opening and ending theme song to the '90s-era basketball anime, Slam Dunk. Serendipitously, despite the love triangle leads in the Toei Animation series, Hanamichi Sakuragi and Kaede Rukawa are not direct one-to-one spiritual predecessors to Okarun and Jiji in terms of personality; the basketball rivals do share similar hair colors, making their comparison somewhat apt. So glad they didn't skip nor change Okarun and Jiji singing the Slam Dunk ending and opening — Mobu☄️ (@Captain_Atomsk) December 19, 2024Given Dan Da Dan's propensity for referencing pop culture touchstones like Shin Godzilla and Ultraman, Science Saru's breakout hit anime is likely to have more kitschy Easter eggs in store for fans to appreciate the series all the more. For the time being, we can all take pride in witnessing its bully-whip-armed occult nerd, Okarun, delivering a cool guy line straight out of one of anime's most prolific cool guy series. New episodes of Dan Da Dan season two air every Thursday on Netflix, Crunchyroll, and Hulu. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Forbes
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Ghost In The Shell' Anime Teaser Reveals New Logo By Hajime Sorayama
The new logo design by Hajime Sorayama. The upcoming anime adaptation from Science Saru of the classic manga series Ghost in the Shell by Masamune Shirow reveals a new logo by Hajime Sorayama. Hajime Sorayama is a fascinating artistic figure, known for his somewhat racy robot designs. He also did the album cover of Just Push Play by Aerosmith. So, having him design the logo for a new Ghost in the Shell anime (shown above) is definitely an interesting choice. The new teaser trailer (shown below) also continues to emphasize that this anime adaptation of Ghost in the Shell will be visually very faithful to the original manga. Honestly, I am entirely behind this. We've had multiple anime adaptations of Ghost in the Shell over the years, and most of them have deviated from the source material quite a bit. The other interesting piece of news is that renowned author EnJoe Tou will pen the script for this anime. He has a long and involved bibliography, but in recent years, he's worked on anime as well, with Godzilla Singular Point being notable. Either way, I was onboard the moment Science Saru was announced to be doing the anime's production. In my opinion, after Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken, Science Saru can do no wrong, and the inclusion of all these additional creative figures in this new Ghost in the Shell anime fills my heart with a rare sense of hope that this will pan out decently. In any case, my fingers and toes are firmly crossed that this new Ghost in the Shell anime will land properly once it is released next year. Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
Geek Culture
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
Science Saru's 'Ghost in the Shell' Anime Series Boots Up New Logo & First Character Looks
The 1995 sci-fi classic Ghost in the Shell has enjoyed a storied legacy, which means the occasional long wait for new content. In 2026, Science Saru will revisit the familiar tale with a fresh anime project, described as 'the first instalment of a second generation' and the 10th adaptation overall of the original manga. Following an earlier reveal of the trailer and key visual, an updated teaser was unveiled at Anime Expo 2025, featuring the storyboard visuals and concept art of various characters, including protagonist Major Makoto Kusanagi. The previously revealed poster was also shown, this time with a new logo design: The series marks the first anime instalment for the franchise since 2020's Ghost in the Shell: SAC_204 , with a producer on the project stating during the panel that it will stay true to the original manga by Shirow Masamune (via Anime News Network). The creator has given his blessing to The Ghost in the Shell , announcing on social media, 'Considering the shift in production staff, one could even consider this the first instalment of a second generation. The original manga is quite old, so I ask for your understanding on that point (sorry!). That said, I sincerely hope this will once again be an enjoyable visual experience in some form.' Mokochan, assistant director of Dandadan , is making his directorial debut on the series, while acclaimed sci-fi novelist Toh EnJoe ( Space Dandy , Godzilla Singular Point ) serves as a scriptwriter and series composer. Science Saru is joined by Bandai Namco Filmworks, Kodansha, and Production I.G. on the production committee. The official synopsis for the anime reads: 'Deep into the twenty-first century, the line between man and machine has been inexorably blurred as humans rely on the enhancement of mechanical implants and robots are upgraded with human tissue. In this rapidly converging landscape, cyborg superagent Major Motoko Kusanagi is charged to track down the craftiest and most dangerous terrorists and cybercriminals, including 'ghost hackers' who are capable of exploiting the human/machine interface and reprogramming humans to become puppets to carry out the hackers' criminal ends.' Of the various adaptations over the years, Mamoru Oshii's original animated feature remains the most popular and acclaimed. The manga was published in 1989, introducing fans to Public Security Section 9, a counter-cyberterrorist organisation led by Major Mokoto Kusanagi. It spawned four more manga entries, five animated movies, a live-action film adaptation featuring Scarlett Johansson, and four anime series over the years. The World of Masamune Shirow -The Ghost in the Shell and the Path of Creation- exhibition opened in Tokyo on 12 April, and is set to end on 17 August. The Ghost in the Shell boots up in 2026. Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth's theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really. Anime Expo 2025 ghost in the shell Science Saru The Ghost in the Shell
The Verge
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
It's time for Dan Da Dan season 2.
Posted Jul 3, 2025 at 4:30 PM UTC It's time for Dan Da Dan season 2. Following its theatrical preview earlier this summer, the second of Science Saru's Dan Da Dan adaptation is finally streaming on Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, and a few other streaming platforms depending on which territory you live in. You can also check out the new season's opening and closing credits sequences on YouTube.
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.
