Reviews for Dandadan

Instead of listing the famous names that recommended this manga, I want to clearly state my thoughts about this beginning premise. -Okay typical school setting -Occultic science fiction shit -What the fuck Some of the shit we've seen in the first chapter alone can be taken extremely out of context, in which I compare this part to the random shit I've or you've seen in Fire Punch (Author was an assistant under Fujimoto). While there isn't much to go on, I can sorta guess the route we are taking... Honestly, the first chapter was so random I wouldn't even know. I would like to think of it as some sortof bootleg mob psycho but this time we have more variety in the mixed.

Well besides the occultic battle premise without much to go on, the characters in particular have their potential of course to grow and mature maybe. We are introduced to a nerd and an aggressive girl that tries to prove their theories against each other, but in the end they prove each other right.

Other than that, this series gets pretty weird and creepy like it was suppose to be a one-shot parody but apparently we'll be introduced to more. So in any case, look out for more!

10/10 Occultist shit

Dandadan started off as a tremendous amalgamation of creativity and a don't-give-a-fuck, fun-loving attitude that takes you for a ride. It's probably one of the strongest first chapters I have ever read, with a cool supernatural plot and budding romance. The comedy is quirky and dirty and so much fun compared to other Shounen (looking at you, JJK). Ken and Momo have one of the most authentic romantic relationships that I have seen in a manga, where the feelings develop naturally for each other; it's sweet, and it's real, and it grounds the story throughout its surrealism. Their romance is the anchor for the spaceshipnarrative that pings around just about everywhere.

And unfortunately, this is where Dandadan loses traction. We jump from one supernatural endeavor to another as the cast grows ever larger with Jiji, Aira, and a whole host of other characters you couldn't care less about. It's all about the next big bad boss fight and not about the characters. Over time, they become flat and uninteresting, even Momo and Ken. There are no stakes to the story because nothing about it is real. There's no charm to the romance of Momo and Ken because their romantic progression has remained the same for 130 chapters. There's no exploration of feelings, and all the side characters become cliché tropes. Even the randomness of the fights versus the aliens and yokai takes on a formulaic progression: take on boss, win, have some comic relief chapters, add some tension to the romance (which has all but dissipated), and repeat. I so badly want to learn more about the characters that I started scrolling through the later chapters that had gone from chaotic fun to aimless.

My biggest frustration is that the story has lost its sparkle, like the author himself is just going through the motions. The inventiveness has disappeared, and so has the promise of a well-developed romance and an ethos of taking on the mystery of the world. It's not mysterious; it's just another run-of-the-mill Shounen that could have been. I hope Yukinobu can turn it around, because there are not many authors who can make a boy meets girl and takes on the world anime feel one of a kind.

So the author of Chainsaw man Tatsuki Fujimoto recommended this one to his fans. I really must say. WOW. WHAT IN FUCK DID I JUST READ. Even though there are only 3 chapters out so far ( which is not enough to review anything but i really wanted to give my thought on this ), this is so fucking good. Story : Isn't much really to talk about but premise looks promising. Art : Holy fuck this is real good art. The best panel i saw so far 100% was okarun's transformation. Character : Kind of incel male protag and a tsundere chad female mc? Granny isa fucking GIGA CHAD tho

Also why the grandma looking so fucking young. Not complaining but just curious.

Overall 100% recommend if u just finished Chainsaw man and are awaiting part 2 or just in general

After having read all of the manga that’s out now (89 chapters) I can definitely say that this shounen is extremely average LOL. The artwork is amazing, very charming character design and sometimes entertaining interactions. The absurdity is also fun sometimes. I think that’s all the praise I have for it. My main issues with the work revolve around how the female characters all fall so flat. I know that shounen is not a genre known for writing great female characters, like I’m not going into this expecting anything out of them let’s be real. But when so many of the main/reoccurring characters are girls, their poorcharacterization really shows. One of my least favorite tropes is also women being threatened with sexual violence only to be saved by a man, and this manga has that happen multiple times. It’s fucking weird.

I think fans of the manga really enjoy the art, how crazy everything is, and the MoTW kinda story, but I don’t feel anything while reading it. I’m keeping up with it solely out of the hopes I will see what everyone else sees, but I’m 80 chapters in and there’s nothing there. There’s definitely some aspects of this work that are enjoyable, but nothing that would make me sing its praises or recommend it to a friend. Something can be silly, absurd, and completely detached from reality while still having character depth and a great storyline. This work is lacking in the latter.

[no spoilers] a manga recommended by the authors of chainsaw man and jigokuraku.....must be a banger. and it is... it has all of those weirdness of chainsaw man and epic action scenes of hells paradise [yes all of it in ch 1] the world still isn't fleshed out enough but since its the first chapter, we don't need to worry about that too much. i liked the characters....and their weird quirks ofc. the art is very good imo, if u enjoyed jigokuraku then you'll enjoy this for sure......it doesn't have berserk level of detail into it but its good. all in all, you should giveit a try

Okay, I think we all know that by like 2025 at least, this is gonna become the next big shonen so don't be surprised by the time that happens. However, while I hate to disappoint, it isn't gonna live up to the expectations of it's main source of inspiration (Chainsaw Man). While the art is fantastic and near the peak of it's genre, the writing does not make up for it. It draws a lot from CSM as seemingly insane things happen, but it lacks the meaning and depth of it's predecessor. Maybe it is due to lack of experience, but those insane moments don't comefor any "natural reason" compared to CSM (which some people even complained that happened in CSM but I disagree); they just happen. And while during the first chapter I found this exciting and a great hook, by Chapter 50 I was really tired of it.

The main reason why I believe this happens is due to a lack of real worldbuilding. It may seem as if Dandadan has good worldbuilding on paper as it talks about yokai and aliens, but unlike CSM it doesn't feel like that information is important. In fact, it rarely plays any point in the plot other than just giving an excuse for a fight to immediately happen or to solve the conflict at that very second. There isn't any setup for something greater and for a long running series, you need that to keep the reader engaged.

What I will give Dandadan is that it's main cast is really likable. The two main characters, Takakura and Ayase, are relatable in the best ways and play off each other naturally. Maybe not in the depth that Dandadan's contemporaries do but in the "Will-they-Won't-they" type of way. And the side characters also have some mix of traits that make them feel more fun and real than lets say your typical Black Clover character. The best part about all of these characters is the way they talk around one another. Instead of acting stiff and lifeless (the "we are such great friends" without really showing they are great friends in dialogue), they talk like how modern real people would.

The worst aspect about it though is the villains as they again fall victim to the lack of buildup issue. I do appreciate that the author isn't falling victim to the "make a team of bad guys" trope like the Akatsuki or whatever, but his alternative of making no real recurring individual villain or threat makes things a lot less interesting. Instead you are met with a boring alien or yokai who either (a) ties into the theme the author is trying to tell with the side character or (b) is some nameless villain to just overcome. One of these options is certainly better than the other but neither are really too appealing.

To wrap this up, Dandadan is a good series. Not a great series, not an awful series, not a boring series, but just a solid, fine series. It is visually impressive, it has some funny moments, but it won't blow your socks off story wise. Like the equivalent to a cheese pizza.

So imagine a story with surreal, absurdist imagery and humor that's so dumb and juvenile which can only be compared to FLCL and Panty & Stocking mixed in with the coolest fights against all different kinds of folklore monsters, aliens and conspiracy/urban legend myths. That's DanDaDan for you. Let's get the obvious out of the way first. The craftsmanship alone beats a lot of other current action manga out of the park. The environment and characters are very crisp and detailed. The art is also versatile and switches between the moments whenever it wants to be funny, eerie, cool or cute. The actions sequences are veryeasy to follow and dynamic so it feels like every strike and blow packs a punch.

The weird thing with this manga is that when it's narrative is this simple and stupid you wouldn't expect to be that great right? Wrong.

DanDaDan is like what Hellraiser was to grindhouse. It doesn't pretend to be anything more than it is and does it well. Dumb fun action comedy. And I appreciate that very much.

But even then the story somehow manages to also have very heartfelt moments and as such there are stakes and the battles feel all the more tense. It keeps getting better as the story goes on.

So how do the characters hold up? They're all very likable and their chemistry is great.

They actually develop each other and have a lot of fun moments together.

Surprisingly even some enemies get developed and don't just feel like cardboard cut-outs in terms of depth. Our characters aren't invincible and actually have to find a different way each time to defeat the formidable foes.

The world building is the least focused on aspect here but later on in the story we do get some interesting lore that explains why the aliens are attacking Earth and overall things are explained well.

Some flaws:

1) The plot is very repetitive and simple and it can feel like nothing's moving forward. Our characters go somewhere -> Monsters start chasing them -> Fight -> Repeat.

2) The comedy also feels a bit repetitive and too stupid with the "BOOBS AND DICKS HAHAHAHA GET IT FUNNYY"

3) the thing with the Void. Every time an alien or monster attack, the characters get pulled into this different dimension where they can basically break everything and the normal world will stay fine. A bit too convenient.

4) It doesn't dive deeper into the occult or UFO conspiracies and sometimes just mentions them for the sake of it (ex. flatwoods monster

But overall this a very enjoyable manga if you just want to read a fun, mindless battle-shonen without a greater narrative and story

Dandadan is a very flashy and somewhat unique story that really fits into the new gen of Mangas. When I started the manga I heard nothing about it upfront and really liked it all the way through the first big Saga. Sure, it had many pop-culture references and maybe the characters were not as well written as they could be and maybe the fan service was it bit much. But the point of this is all of it didn't really bother me, I just enjoyed reading it. At the end of the first Saga I thought, which I at that time thought would be close to theend, it felt a bit lack luster and the character arcs didn't seem complete but whatever, it still felt somewhat good to see a good Manga end.

But then the author fell in the trap so many do, he continued the story even though there was nothing to continue. And of course this can work, see Jojos for example, but most of the time a story should end at some point and not be artificially kept alive. And maybe the author planned for this not being the end from the beginning, but if so, he planned quite poorly.

This is why the manga ends for me on chapter 165 with a rating of 8.

Yet I continue this review nonetheless.

The problems Dandadan had in early chapters seemed to amplify by the chapter as of late. Actually the chapters 180-186 are perfect references for all the points I will make. I won't spoil anything, but if you read the manga and are unsure were my points are coming from those chapters might help support my reasoning.

World Building: 3

Basically none existent. Everything is just thrown at you. Which is fun at times but can also get really frustrating.

Story: 4

The story is wild and kind of random, while this feels really refreshing and interesting in the first Saga, this feeling dies down and the concept grows kind of stale. It doesn't really follow any plotline after that point and just feels kind of like an episodic story, with a weak to none existing over-arching storyline (like many TV-Shows of the 2000s).

The pop-culture references start to get out of hand and entire conflicts, abilities and characters are "inspired" from other shows.

It is not stereotypes that are copied, like so many other Animes do, it really feels like a one-to-one transferal of ideas. And while taking inspiration is not wrong in any way, even required, as that is how human brains invent new things, it is an entirely different thing to cobble together your story out of elements from many different places.

And not only does Dandadan copy those concepts, it also cuts them extremely short, voiding them of any emotional involvement the reader might feel towards them.

Characters: 4

The characters were really Dandadan's strong point in the beginning. Especially the two protagonists really have a personality, interests and deep human emotions. I really liked the dynamic between Momo and Okarun from the very start with their clashing obsessions, ridiculing each other all of the time, slowly forming a bond through this. Even the somewhat weaker dynamic between Turbo Granny and Seiko was pretty neat. And the characters were really distinct, especially visually.

But with every character added, this applies all the more to every female character added, a pattern emerged. They would be interesting at the beginning having a cool arc were they befriend Okarun. And then they would be stripped of any character traits they had except for the flashiest. Having distinct words or phrases they used and maybe 1-2 adjectives to describe them.

There visual design suffered as the show went on, too, not in their battle forms I may have to add. With every female character basically having a blueprint with different hair clothing and accessories added. The sole exception from this rule is Seiko but I believe this is because she was added so early on.

The characters just became kind of flat. Maybe not one-dimensional but also not far from it. And once their initial character arcs were finished, their development just halted.

The dialogue devolves over time into empty one liners without much advancing of the story. They seem to interact with each other very mechanically and disconnectedly.

Art: 8

Dandadan's saving grace really is it's fantastic art. It may be simple in some ways and will probably never reach the masters of this craft but is really really solid. It has a nice style that fits the stories flashy nature and makes anything feel really dynamic.

The camera angles are interesting and explorative, although sometimes at the cost of readability. Which is totally fine, interesting angles are and dynamic moves are way cooler than readability especially in fights.

But the fan service is utterly insane. I usually don't complain about this, since I am somewhat sensitive when it comes to this but you can't even go three panel in a fight scene without seeing or nearly seeing panties.

Enjoyment: 6

I had a lot of fun in the first Saga, struggled a bit towards it's conclusion and every ounce of enjoyment was drawn from me by the second Saga.

Overall: 5.1

Recommendation for the first Saga, not for the rest.

Dandadan is a weird amalgamation of genre blending that is kinda done a lot in shounen jump now-a-days, but just done better. It seamlessly blends action, romance, comedy, horror, slice of life, mystery, and sci-fi in the weirdest and best way possible. The story will shine later down the road when everything gets revealed, and we know everything, kinda like with chainsaw man. But the monster of the week scenarios don't necessaly feel forced, other then the inciting incident. All in all, this is gonna be one helluva journey and I can't wait to see where Yukinobu Tatsu takes it.

I've deduced that Dandadan is not the kind of series you read, you must turn your brain off to watch it. DDD does not want you to think about anything, only to react. I say this because the plot and character direction are far too chaotic and incoherent to be taken seriously in any capacity. I genuinely care about the well being of this series, but anime watchers and readers deserve so much more. I was very pleased and a little surprised to hear the general concensus for the anime was so positive. Here we go, this is my first review: Dandadan.This will be spoiler free,mostly focused on the manga. We read/watch for many reasons, to have fun, enjoy a complex story, romance, action, etc. With the Dandadan manga, I genuinely have no idea what the author is trying to tell me. I saw in a different review that Dandadan is a story for middle schoolers who are trying to act like high schoolers/adults. (The humor primarily) And I fully agree, as respectfully as I can be. The romance (when it does appear, which is not often, is also not taken seriously) and art are solid. DDD in the long term is more like an art gallery than a story.

What this manga needs is to take itself seriously just a little bit and flush out its identity. Your identity can be chaotic, but it can get obnoxiously repetitive when there is aggressively half-baked and or no character building/ plot progression over 100+ chapters. I blame Chainsaw Man for letting creators think they can do LITERALLY anything with their story. Modern mangas are around 100-300 chapters now, we don't have time to mess around for years. That's why many other recent manga endings have felt so unfulfilling. My rating went down to a 6 from an 8 because of the unapologetic monotony within this series. I do not look forward to the weekly read if I do get to it. Thanks

There are so many manga in the world, so it's difficult to make them not look similar or repetitive. That's why I appreciate manga that try to break away from conventions and do something different. but for this manga, it just ain't. let's see why..... Look at me!!!!, look at me!!!!. I do weird and ramdom things!!!!!!, unlike anyone else!!!!. That's why I'm good and not like those slop!!!! Yeah, this stupid manga offers nothing but its desperate attempts to break convention. Sure, I appreciate the unconventional, but if that's all there is without substance or meaning or weigh, It likes it has something, but almost ofall it is worthless and undeserved

The manga is about humans and aliens doing something, but I guess you don't need to bother with the deeper aspects because:

Plot? None.

Direction? None

Structure? None.

Consequences? None.

Pay off? None.

character development? None.

This garbage manga doesn't even have an arc, and I can't even consider it a semi-episodic manga because the author just does whatever comes to mind at the time without any prior planning whatsoever. Worst of all, its randomness is completely uninteresting.

Something random and unexpected happens > Character plot is all over the place and inconsistent > Something weird and random happens again > repeat and rinse

I'm really tired of it. It's boring and repetitive. No matter how weird ass stuffs the author tries to make it to divert from the fact that the story and plot are non-existence, if it weren't for the art, I would have given it a 2/10.

Speaking of the art, it must be the only amazing thing about this manga. I'm astonished that the author can draw something like this weekly without ever dropping on quality.

This manga would be fine if you read it for the cool art, but just having great art alone can't make a manga good. That's why I criticize it more than praise it.

This is my favorite manga. It combines action and comedy but never fails to hit me unexpectedly with a tearjerking story. At the time of writing this I am on chapter 153 and the recent events in the story had me so emotional. The action never fails to surprise me Dandadan has some of the best art in the manga industry and the best art in Shonen jump in my personal opinion. The panels flow very well and are easy to understand even in a high speed fight. The fights have some very cool references that fans of other series will spot in an instant. I amnot sure how the artist is keeping up with the week to week publish because tons of the chapters have multiple double page spreads.

The comedy can be a little immature and I could see that being a bit of an issue but for me, stupid jokes found in chainsaw man and gintama still have me laughing.

Dandadan has one of the best character rosters ever. The group has so many different types of people that at a first glance it could never work, but it does. The author has written each character to have a unique personality that makes the groups antics crazier with every new addition. Even the unimportant side characters are some of the funniest characters ive seen in recent manga.

Dandadan is currently my favorite ongoing manga and I would suggest it to anyone who love manga like: Gintama, Chainsaw man, and even Mob Psycho 100.

If Science Saru does the anime right then I can see it going up with Jujutsu kaisen as one of the most successful stories of our generation.

10/10 would read again

Honestly, DanDaDan is one of the best series I have read this year. I was quickly absorbed in the story and I wasn't expecting how attached I would get to the main characters. It is a strange mix of genre's but it is very well crafted that you don't really notice how absurd everything is as you get sucked into the world and the story. The pacing is great and balances the different story arcs nicely. The humor occasionally had me laughing aloud, but my main surprise was that the artwork is incredible (the author manages to create animation effect between pages at one pointand it's very creative). I also love how the romance develops throughout the story alongside the craziness of the world and events around the main characters.

I highly recommend DanDaDan for pretty much everyone. Please do not be dissuaded by the first chapter as that is the worst of the shock value and it doesn't come up again in that manner. Give it a go through the first arc or two and you will likely enjoy the ride!

NOTE: As of writing this review I am on chapter 170 out of 170 currently released. The series is still ongoing.

Some good. Some bad. A lot of meh. The characters range from fun to cringe annoying power fantasy. Everytime something interesting finally comes up in the story, the author immediately shelves it for 30 chapters to go into a boring arc with nothing but pointless action, just to drip feed some information after, only to go back into another long arc that adds little to nothing to the story. It was creative and interesting at one point, but it feels like its just going through the motions with each passing fight. I think back to “early” dandadan and there was a clear purpose and vision. The characterswere actual characters with actual dialogue instead of the caricatures they are now, with their interactions being there just to fill space 99% of the time. Characters keep getting introduced that add nothing to the story except expanding the cast and taking away from the two characters (Ken and Momo) that people actually care about. Everytime you think their relationship will finally get some progression, some bullshit plot device gets in the way. 190 chapters deep and the last “mini-arc” is the prime example of all the lows this series has to offer.

Art is unbelievably cluttered and straight up hurts to look at at times. The designs are hit and miss, for every “cool” design, there’s one that’ll have you scratching your head wondering if you need to check the author’s computer. If I see another teenage girl in her panties getting groped or assaulted by an adult male twice her size I’m going to crash out. And no, there isn’t a point to it like some of these braindead diehard fans would try to make you believe. There’s more than one way to show that a character is bad and evil.

It’s not an awful series, but the way it’s discussed you’d think it’s one of the greatest manga to ever exist and the writing is too juvenile to even come close. This series is peak “I’m 15 and I’m so unique and edgy”, which is probably why it’s so beloved. It’s weird and quirky, but just being quirky isn’t an identity.

Dandadan is probably the manga that has intrigued me the most over the last months. Ever since the first chapter that so harrowingly introduced me to the occult and supernatural elements of this world, I've been intrigued to see how far Yukinobu Tatsu can reach in this in relation to creativity. And I'll say, I am not disappointed in the slightest. Story 8/10 The story so far had a bit of a rough start after the first few chapters, as it flung itself between interactions like a very rapid succession of mini-arcs. Naturally, these were to establish the world, but the pacing made me feel a bitflustered at times while reading week-by-week. As we've approached and broken the 50 chapter mark, the story has taken a more solid form, with the latest arc being a genuinely exciting and action-packed arc that I thoroughly enjoyed. Despite that, I cannot give the story more than an 8 because of the somewhat stressful pacing it had in it's earlier chapters.

Art 9.5/10

The art in Dandadan is outstanding. The art-style is consistent and the panelling is fantastic in guiding your eyes and keeping interest, without wasting time on. It is very effective, yet doesn't spare expense in displaying what's happening in full effect. The manga has a few rare massive 2-page spreads that allows the mangaka to truly flex his artistic skills. Character expressions are fantastic and the action scenes are exciting to witness. The supernatural entities are also both horrifying and interesting to look at, with designs that vary extremely, as well as their origins.

Characters 10/10

This is where I feel that the manga shines the most, in it's characters. Our main characters Okarun (Ken) and Momo Ayase start off at totally opposite sets of the spectrum. The former's displayed as your usual scrawny, nerdy kid, whereas the latter's the more cool, gyaru-style kinda girl. Dandadan quickly diverts from tropes though, as we learn that there's more to these characters than the preconceived notions of their design. Over the manga's current run, their chemistry is fantastic, as Okarun has the guts to retaliate against Momo's more abrasive attitude, and Momo reciprocates Okarun's gentle nature. The side characters are also very enjoyable and have great chemistry with the main cast, but as to avoid spoilers, I will not divulge in them further.

Enjoyment 9/10

Overall, I enjoy the manga a lot. It manages to thread through multiple genres very effectively, as it can go from a silly slice-of-life style comedy to a terrifying horror manga at a moment's notice thanks to it's occult persuasion. It then intermingles this with astounding action set-pieces as well as some very neatly sprinkled romance that pops up from time to time, making sure we don't forget that the undertone exists.

Overall 9/10

In conclusion, I deeply suggest you to read Dandadan, or at least give the first chapter a chance. It's an incredibly enjoyable and smoothly fluctuating read, that has some trouble finding it's identity, but has at this point started solidifying itself onto a solid path. I can only see it going upward from here, as the characters grow and more of the world is divulged to us readers.

Not to cry wolf, but I can feel the anime adaption just waiting to happen once there's enough content for one.

The entire thing is available to read on MangaPlus, for free! It's frankly unbelievable for the quality of this manga

Tl;dr

I have a feeling this is potentially of the next big shonens. Probably not in the big three for the foreseeable future, but it's no slouch either

Came first from the anime (which was amazing!) then, at start of season 2, I decided to take on the manga so I wouldn't die of curiosity. Best decision of my life. Yes, this story is bananas. Pun-half-intended. I say from experience that if you managed to survive any work of Rumiko Takahashi (Ranma 1/2, Inuyasha), you can take on this. People compare it a lot with Chainsaw Man but I felt huge Rumiko vibes due to some similar plot things lol But it truly isn't for everybody's normal tastes. From my point of view, Dan Da Dan is a huge homage to sci-fi andhorror genre with a nice and well-measure touches of "I'll write whatever I want, damnit!" of the author. I also love how even the big cast isn't overbearing and they're used in balance!

It's entertaining, that's my summary.

Can they please stop drawing underwear clad underaged girls almost getting raped and actively assaulted by weird older men twice their size? The answer is no. You may be asking me, "Hey, why did you read the manga if the anime was exactly like this? You knew what you were getting into." You're right. I'm the stupid one for even attempting to give this a try. It's quite annoying bc the actual premise of the story is interesting: a girl believes in ghosts and a boy believes in aliens, while simultaneously disbelieving the other. Turns out both exist and thrive off of "sexual energy/desire,"but that is sort of where the interesting part ends. For every good action/plotline, there just HAS to be an assault, and literally for no reason. Like the past two arcs, each one had a "shock factor" assault. Let me explain. Spoilers for the arc around chapter 30.

Momo, Okarun, and Jin go to help Jin's haunted house. ANYWAYS. Momo goes to a hot spring (onsen) bc the town they are in has natural ones powered by this volcano. And the concept of a "gator" or ワニ (wani) is explained, aka a man who goes to a mixed hot spring waiting for women as their prey (like an alligator waits for their prey). This term is also used outside of the Onsen setting and means a sleazy man. What annoys me about this whole concept is, sure, the energy fueling the hot spring is important to the story, but Momo being in a towel and surrounded by old men who try to grope and take advantage of her is not. Like, I understand that is an issue in real life, but it's unnecessary in the context of the story. This work is not a critique on society, no matter how hard it tries. Without it, the story would still flow. It's completely unnecessary and is again for the "shock factor." Furthermore, these assaults on Momo almost do not affect her; immediately after they occur, she's always like "oh, that was weird," and moves on. She literally says verbatim, "Sometimes a run-down bathhouse isn't such a bad thing. I sure am lucky," immediately after she is saved by the cat thing. WHO TF THNKS LIKE THAT.

This is such male fantasy material, it irks me. My issue is NOT that it is male fantasy material, but that it is not marketed as such. Like, yes, this is marketed as Shonen, or marketed to adolescent boys, and is published in Shonen Jump +. But this contains mature material. In bookstores, it's marked and marketed as mature, but if you just found this online, like I did, its genres are marked as action, comedy, and supernatural.

I like shonen, I've seen/read many of the anime/manga on the shonen genre page, and I like them. So this being what it is, but marketed as shonen bothers me. Sure, maybe I am not the intended audience, but at least market this correctly. I know for a fact that young boys will be reading this. And like, idc if they read worse things, I'm just bothered by how this series downplays serious things and make it the butt of the joke. esp bc this isn't even ecchi, its just using assault as a joke and for the shock value.

Like, all these scenes are so unnecessary. Just call it fetishization of minors and sexual assault and move on.

If they just got rid of it, I would enjoy this story so much more. The budding romance, the ghost, and the alien fighting. It's all like good, generic shonen material, but every arc, the sexual assault shock factor just kills me. It's annoying too bc I know a lot of people like this manga and the anime. While I will probably watch the second season of the anime, I do think I will drop the manga for now.

Manga is good overall, gonna skip the obvious stuff that has been stated a million times over. There are some major issues, most simply due to questionable decision making by the author. I would go as far as to call some of them amateurish and straight detriments to the overall enjoyment while adding absolutely nothing narratively. I will focus on the IMO most important one. First off, the big glaring one that affects all others. Tatsu keeps splitting the crew. "Okay, everyone! Let's get it! Momo, you go with x and x. Okarun, you go with the others!". And repeat at the start of next arc.And repeat at the start of the arc after the next one. I kid you not, take off your rose tinted glasses and it becomes evident.

"Oh, that's it?". Well, no. This is where the next problem connects. There is no actual strong story. It pretty much is the Detective Conan formula, one looming evil and the crew being involved in episodic encounters with smaller fry or new major characters or what have you. These characters are the lifeline. They are everything. And they actually are pretty damn good in this manga and their interactions do all the heavy lifting- if they're allowed to past the beginning chapters.

The permanent state of splitting up the best dynamics to, sometimes forcefully and just unenjoyably poorly, form unnecessary new ones gimps the enjoyment. I would go as far as to say that two of the major arcs suck and could've been infinitely better and both of them share the exact same formula- splitting up the crew.

Okarun gets his small moment. Momo heavily bonds with a new char and does le epic quest. And Okarun saves the day superman style. And rinse repeat. Bummer.

Yes, the author is allowed to explore fresh and unconventional elements regarding relationships. A rare realistic representation or "long distance" and spending time apart, an organic developing relationship that doesn't need labels, strictly platonic but ambiguous relationships etc. Momo and Okarun are a gold mine.. for as long as they're not split up.. which ends up being 75% of the manga.

Add to that the fact that some of the other characters just don't hit, even with their 4th super dramatic tragic sob-backstory and you have a recipe for mid. Mediocre. That sadly is the feeling welling up when the same thing happens over and over because someone decided to go "nah, you guys don't interact for another 10 chapters. Reason? No reason. Here, another "deep" moment nobody asked for". And that happens multiple times up to the most recent chapter 208.

Calling the manga or even just said arcs ruined or straight bad would be a lie. But I firmly stand by my rating simply due to the fact that the most important and, up to a certain point, successful aspect of the manga (characters, interactions and dynamics) got dropped and recycled for others of exceedingly poor quality and for repeated disney superman le deep thinker moments just doesn't sit right with me.

No, she didn't need to do some of the weird things with the other guys that she got herself into even if the implications were le deep. No, Okarun could've done more than another micro trainingcamp for the arc or once again be a side character for 15 chapters.

Lame. But still miles better than Kanokari right now, kek.

At the time of writing this review, I am up to date with Dandadan through chapter 175. The series gained initial fame, in part, due to its catchy anime opening theme and the notoriety of its creator, Yukinobu Tatsu, who was formerly an assistant to Fujimoto Tatsuki (Chainsaw Man). This background—alongside industry connections—helped the series find its footing. The manga’s rise coincided with the hiatus of Chainsaw Man, which allowed Dandadan to grow and nurture a fanbase. Its anime adaptation, bolstered by the viral popularity of its opening song, further propelled its visibility. The Premise The story begins with an unusual friendship between Momo Ayase, a believerin spirits, and her classmate Ken Takakura, nicknamed “Okarun,” a UFO enthusiast. Their clashing beliefs prompt a playful challenge: Momo visits a UFO hotspot to prove aliens don’t exist, while Okarun ventures to a haunted tunnel to disprove the supernatural. What follows is a bizarre and chaotic tale blending young love, otherworldly encounters, and humor—infused with an overtly horny tone revolving around both spirits and aliens.

While the premise isn’t groundbreaking, it has potential if executed well. However, in my opinion, the execution is messy, and the narrative struggles to find coherence.

Strengths

The most undeniable strength of Dandadan lies in its artwork. Yukinobu Tatsu has delivered some of the most visually stunning panels in recent manga. The dynamic paneling, intricate designs, and vibrant depictions of yokai and aliens are truly eye-catching. The series oozes style, making it a visual treat. The character designs are appealing—almost to a fault—with the standout being a GILF-esque character who seems straight out of a crossover between Jujutsu Kaisen and Bayonetta. Tatsu has arguably surpassed Fujimoto in terms of pure artistry.

One notable arc, the Alien Invasion (chapters 97–120), exemplifies the series’ "rule of cool." It feels like a fusion of Gantz, Terra Formars, Eureka Seven, Tokusatsu, and Gainax productions, delivering an adrenaline-fueled, sugar-rush spectacle. Although the arc concludes with an anticlimactic ending, its chaotic energy is reminiscent of my teenage love for action-packed absurdity.

Weaknesses

Despite its artistic merits, the series falters in storytelling. While Momo and Ken are likable protagonists with potential, their development is often sidelined in favor of humor and shock value. The reliance on degeneracy (including rape and choking jokes), Reddit-style humor, and one-note character traits undermines any deeper narrative potential.

The plot becomes formulaic and repetitive: the protagonists embark on wacky adventures, absurd events ensue, transformations and cool monsters appear, rinse and repeat. The pacing suffers, particularly due to the Alien Invasion arc occurring too early in the story. This arc raises the stakes significantly, only for the narrative to return to lower-stakes adventures, creating a sense of de-escalation. Had this arc been placed near the end, it could have served as a proper climax rather than a mid-series spectacle.

In comparison to Chainsaw Man, which balances its chaos with moments of levity and character growth, Dandadan leans entirely into its craziness, leaving little room for meaningful development. The lack of variety in tone and its over-reliance on absurdity can make the story feel exhausting.

Final Thoughts

Dandadan is an enjoyable read if you approach it with a “turn-off-your-brain” mindset. It excels in style and visual appeal but lacks the depth and balance needed for a truly great story. For those seeking similar eccentric energy with more substance, I recommend exploring works like Soul Eater, Dorohedoro, or Tsutomu Nihei’s manga. Alternatively, No More Heroes or Takashi Miike films offer a comparable blend of style and madness.

Score: 5/10

While Dandadan has its moments, it doesn’t live up to the hype surrounding it.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS" In theory, this manga should be right up my alley, Chainsaw Man is one of my favorite manga of the past decade, Fire Punch i phenomenal in it own right, I haven't really been a huge fan of Hell Paradise, but I can very much get the appeal of the manga - this i where Dandadan baffles me. Who is this made for? I've heard plenty of people describing it as batshit insanity, but here the thing, there is a line between creative absurdity and being a complete mess, the plot point are all over the place, it has so many different gimmickyaspects making the entire thing feel like an incoherent string of plot points rather than a complete story.

I'll begin with the positive, the art is fucking awesome, there is plenty of variety, the characters feel more unique because of it and the manga itself is not afraid to experiment with the structure of pages nd mange's a delicate balancing act between the more absurd parts of the manga and the more structured parts.

For the bad... all of the gimmick are annoying, I'll tick to the firt chapter to try to not poil thing too much, but the whole Takakura Ken thing felt like a gimmick to jut make the main girl seem "quirky". That i the thing about this manga I don't like, it feel like it was written for people who aw chainsaw man and threw everything at the wall to capture the chaotic atmosphere of the manga. I feel bad for comparing it to such a great work over and over, since it is nearly impossible to live up to such a standard, but with the way it was marketed, I can't help but do it. The male character is completely unlikeable, period, the main girl is a little more tolerable, given that outside of that gimmick she is really just a straight man character, which is fine, they work well for a reason, no complaint there. But the guy feels like the neighbors kid, in that rather than find him funny they would just do things that would make you not want to be within a thirty mile radius of.

For the story itself, the main character(s) end up finding out their respective beliefs turn out to be true, and both of them nearly get assaulted and I could just not care anymore. When you don't care about the characters you don't care about the stakes. For some reason another gimmick i thrown out there when the guy loses his penis, and you wonder what this story is trying to accomplish. It feels like another quirk rather than a well thought out plot device, it feels like the mangaka going "WOW he lost his penis, isn't that craaaaaaaaaazy"? I don't care. The only enjoyment I got from reading it is the artwork. 4/10 (the art being what saves it from getting a extremely low score, since the categories totaled to 16/40)