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This article contains a brief discussion of sexual assault.
Warning: Contains spoilers for Dandadan episodes #1-#3.While Science Saru’sDandadanwon’t premiere on Crunchyroll and Netflix until October 2024, GKIDS is giving people an early look at the series with the theatrical release ofDandadan: First Encounter.First Encountercovers the first three episodes of the anime and also includes an interview with Momo and Okarun’s voice actors, Shion Wakayama and Natsuki Hanae, director Fuga Yamashiro, series creator Yukinobu Tatsu, and Tatsu’s editor, Shihei Lin.
It’s rare for an anime to get as much hype and attention asDandadan, and based onDandadan: First Encounter, it’s more than warranted. Between the incredible writing and action of the source material and how effortlessly it was adapted into animation through Fuga Yamashiro’s clever direction,Dandadan: First Encountershows thatDandadan’s anime adaptation will perfectly capture the essence and charm of the manga for an even better experience than the original.First Encounteralone makes it an easy contender for the best anime of 2024, and the rest of the series will follow suit with that.
Dandadan Has Some Of The Best Animation Of 2024
One Of Science Saru’s Best-Looking Projects To Date
As for what makesDandadan: First Encountergreat to watch, the first element to highlight is the animation.TheDandadanmangais famous for its gorgeous artwork and kinetic fight choreography, and sure enough,Dandadan: First Encounterperfectly captures the appeal of the mangawith its incredible artwork and how every fight is filled with fluid animation and creative camera work. The trailers for theDandadananime already made it clear that it would look great, and the finished project is even better to behold.
Dandadan: First Encounter’s animation, of course, is even great when the focus isn’t on action. While the action scenes are the highlight of the film,Dandadan: First Encounteralways takes the time to add plenty of fluidity and general craft to all of its animations, no matter how unimportant, leading to a lot of kinetic energy from the cast in every scene.Science Saru has a reputation for having some of the best animationof any studio, and their talents are on full display inDandadan.
The Very Few Things About Dandadan: First Encounter That Might Turn Someone Off
Dandadan: First Encounter’s Very Few Shortcomings
As great asDandadan: First Encounteris, some parts might be seen as a turnoff to people, both as a film and inDandadan’s overall story. As a theatrical release, while the first three episodes lend themselves to a cohesive story from start to finish,Dandadan: First Encounterends with the conflict with Turbo Granny left unresolved,. GKIDS probably didn’t want to put out too many episodes before the anime’s proper premiere, but it still leaves it ending on a weird note, regardless.
There are also a few aspects ofDandadanthat might be a turnoff beyond the presentation. For starters, while the art and animation are mostly great,Dandadanhas a bad habit of using clunky CGI to render the aliens and monsters of the story, and like with other anime, it’s always offputting whenever it happens. It doesn’t often happen inFirst Encounter, and the CGI is far from the worst-looking someone can find in anime, but that doesn’t stop it from detracting from the overall experience, if only slightly.
The biggest problem people might have withDandadan, however, is how sexual the story is. It’s one thing for ashonenanime to have fanservice and dirty jokes, butDandadan’s sexual content is taken to a much larger and unsettling degree than other anime like it, with much ofDandadanepisode #1revolving around aliens wanting to rape Momo and the overall plot revolving around Okarun losing his genitals.
Even if it’s important to the plot, that excess of sexual content could easily be a turnoff to people, but hopefully, the series won’t be defined by that sort of content.
Dandadan: First Encounter’s Direction Perfectly Shows How Great Anime Can Be
Anime Directed By Fuga Yamashiro
Something aboutDandadan: First Encounter,which equally deserves praise, is its direction. It’s one thing for the art and animation to look as good as it does, but between the incredible soundtrack, the way the colors always change to fit the mood, and numerous small, but impactful changes like how the jump scares are executed and an explosion punctuating Momo falling in love with Okarun,Dandadan’s direction always does wonders to sell the strengths of the anime at every turn.
It’s clear thatDandadanis an anime with both substance and style, and future episodes are sure to be even better to watch. All of that, of course, stems from the incredible direction of series director Fuga Yamashiro, a veteran at Science Saru who directed works likeRide Your WaveandInu-Oh. Based on the pre-movie interview,Dandadandirector Fuga Yamashiro has a perfect understanding of how important it is to preserve the original mangawhile still adjusting things to work in animation. Just fromFirst Encounter, it’s clear that there was no better director for the anime, and that’s sure to show itself within future installments, as well.
Dandadan’s Cast Sell The Story In Both Action & Comedy
Dandadan Is Nothing Without Its Incredible Cast
The biggest selling point ofDandadan: First Encounterand theDandadananime as a whole, however, is the cast of heroes and villains, alike. Whether it’s comedy, drama, or someone who does both,Dandadan’s characters are always written to be as entertaining as possible, even if they’re only around for one scene with no indication of ever returning to the plot.Some of the best parts of the series are just the characters playing off each other, and the anime is doing a great job of bringing that to life.
Dandadan’s strong character writing best shows itself through the dynamic between its two leads, Momo and Okarun.Dandadanalways does a great job of selling the chemistry they have as both supportive friends and two kids in the middle of a budding romance, so whether it’s a moment of comedy or a moment of romance,Dandadanis always at its best when the focus is on Momo and Okarun’s relationship. Director Fuga Yamashiro said that it was important to maintain the buddy dynamic between Momo and Okarun, and just from the first three episodes, that’s being handled perfectly.
A few problems with its presentation and story aside,Dandadan: First Encounterperfectly sellsDandadanthrough its great animation, direction, and character writing, and it makes it clear that the anime will more than live up to the hype it had been gathering from the moment it was first announced.Dandadanis bound to be one of the biggest anime of the fall 2024 season, if not 2024, as a whole, and for anyone wanting an early preview of what to expect,Dandadan: First Encounteris the perfect place to start.
Dandadan
Cast
Two high school students, embroiled in a wager to prove the existence of ghosts or aliens, encounter daunting paranormal threats, acquire superpowers, and possibly discover love. The series blends supernatural elements with personal dynamics as the protagonists navigate their newfound abilities and unexpected challenges.
