As usual, the projects of Science Saru were among the most anticipated this year, and again as usual, the Eunyoung Choi and Masaaki Yuasa-founded company did not disappoint. “Dan Da Dan”, apart from featuring the trademark, perpetually in motion style of animation of the company, is also a breath of fresh air in terms of context, with the combination of tribute/self-deprecation about the (anime) industry approach implemented here being a true wonder to watch. Let us take things from the beginning though.
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The story revolves around Momo Ayase, a rather good looking high school girl, who is tormented, though, by her obsession with late actor Ken Takakura, which has led her to some dubious decisions in life, particularly regarding her boyfriends, as the initial scene eloquently highlights. Momo also believes in ghosts but not in aliens, which is what essentially leads her in a clash with a classmate, who believes in aliens, always carrying a magazine about them, but not in ghosts. After a chance encounter, the two embark on two separate missions to prove each other wrong. What happens, however, is that both end up stumbling on the entities they did not believe in, with Momo ending up abducted and in her underwear by perverted aliens and her classmate with his penis stolen by a ghost named Turbo Granny.
As soon as they survive these first encounters, the fact that something more is happening between them becomes quite apparent, with Momo also being stupefied by the fact that her new friend’s name is actually Ken Takakura. Soon, the two start on a mission to take Ken’s member back, with the help of Momo’s aunt, an ultra powerful medium named Seiko, who is in a perpetual fight with her niece, who calls her grandmother and lives in her house. Even more so, eventually it is proven that both kids have supernatural powers of their own, who bring, though, as many problems as they do power.
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To talk a bit about the titles, the questions about its meaning are quite prevalent on the web, but it seems it has some relation with the word dan, which means story in Japanese and here points towards three Japanese words including the particular prefix: ghost story (kaidan), strange story (kidan), and experience (taiken-dan). Theories about it having something to do with Hinduism are also circulating, in another testament to how popular the manga and the anime are.
To get back to the series though, Fuga Yamashiro brings the absurd collection of mashups of Yukinobu Tatsu’s manga to the screen in the most rewarding fashion possible. For starters, the mashup of genres is the most evident one. We have the romantic arc between the two protagonists, which follows an adorable will-they-won’t-they approach, which becomes more complicated when two ‘adversaries’ appear (one for each). We also have the supernatural arc, which is actually split between ghosts and aliens in ways that differ significantly from each other, while school and family drama elements are also quite prevalent here.
The second mashup has to do with the references to anime of the past, with the shonen genre in particular being repeatedly mocked, in a style that is actually one of Science Saru’s trademarks. One can only laugh with the way “Gantz” and “Tokyo Ghoul” are implemented here, while the winks towards “Mob Psycho 100%” are also evident throughout.
This mocking actually goes on an even deeper level, with the anime makers making fun of fanservice in a number of instances. The way Ken’s genitalia keep being stolen, the frequent nudity of him and a number of aliens, the rather short skirts of the girls who frequently end up in their underwear and in positions that mock the whole ‘sex scene’ concept are just some of the many similar elements in “Dan Da Dan”.
Lastly, the whole concept of the ‘people who have actually witnessed supernatural events’ including UFO sightings or urban legend stories as the one with the Slit-Mouthed Woman are also presented in deprecating fashion, cementing the overall ‘mocking’ approach here. On yet an even deeper level, one could also say that the political correctness in cinema is also mocked, particularly in the way all the villains are eventually revealed to have really sad stories in their backgrounds. Even more impressively, these stories are actually quite dramatic on occasion, as in the case of the prostitute and her daughter, ns a testament to the quality of the narrative, even more so since drama is impressively combined with the permeating comedy throughout the series.
In technical terms, and as usually in Science Saru productions, “Dan Da Dan” is of the highest level. The level of detail in the backgrounds, even when they are completely still, is rather impressive, with the same applying to the characters, with Naoyuki Onda implementing a rather intricate but also humorous approach that fits the style of the narrative to perfection. The animation, with the occasionally non-stop, rapid motion, is astonishing to watch, particularly in the action scenes, which manage to be both funny and agonizing. The two main girls, however, do look too much alike, with the earrings Momo is wearing being necessary in order to distinguish them. This, however, is just a small issue, with the ingeniousness in the presentation of the villains in particular, erasing any kind of faults in the technical aspect.
If one were to find an issue here, is that perhaps, when one binge-watches the series, it does come across as too much, with the rather speedy delivery of dialogue, the many references, and the frantic action, in an element, though, that does not detract particularly from the overall quality here.
Not much more to say, “Dan Da Dan” is a one of the best series of the year, one that will appeal particularly to fans of anime with the many references found throughout, but also ones that can be enjoyed by anyone due to the excellent combination of action, comedy and drama.
